Archive for the 'Dentistry and dental treatment' Category

How Safe is the use of Tasty Toothpastes for Kids?

Most toothpastes which are meant for kids have the flavor of bubble-gum or candy otherwise they will be reluctant to brush their teeth.But we can notice a label on the box of these toothpastes advising that the toothpastes should only be used under the supervision of adults.This is because of the fluorides in the toothpastes.

Fluorides are actually good for the teeth and these toothpastes are generally regarded as safe for use but the fluoride content in the children’s toothpastes are much higher than the required daily amount.

We get fluorides from water and also by consuming other beverages.The drinking water contains very less fluoride content compared to that of toothpastes.The toothpastes which are meant for children contain 1000-1100 parts per million (PPM) of fluorides which are almost equal to that of adult toothpastes.

Kids love to use more pastes while brushing the teeth because obviously they love the sweet flavor.The colorful cartoon characters on the boxes of the toothpastes encourage them to take more pastes which are not really good for the kids’ teeth.

Children below the age of 3 years have the tendency to swallow the toothpastes since they do not have complete control over their swallowing reflex.There are kids who love to eat flavored tooth pastes because of its sweet taste.

All these lead to an excess intake of fluoride which eventually will harm the teeth.Teeth keep growing up to 16 years.Excess intake of fluoride will lead to a disease called fluorosis which will halt the growth of the teeth.

Fluorosis can be classified into two:-
Mild Fluorosis-There will be little white specks on the teeth and this is seen in most of the people
Severe Fluorosis-There will be brown deformities on the teeth which is caused by the regular excess intake of fluoride.

Steps to be taken by the parents to avoid fluorosis in children

  • Take only small amount of paste for the children and do not avoid toothpastes completely for children since fluorides are essential for the proper growth of the teeth
  • Parents should guide them for how to brush the teeth and they should be physically present while the kids are brushing the teeth
  • For kids under the age of 3, parents should brush their kids’ teeth using proper techniques.
  • For children at the ages between 3 and 6,parents should allow their kids to brush on their own so that they can be used to it and also brush them properly if they are not perfectly done
  • Parents’ supervision should end at age 7, but may continue till the child learns proper brushing technique.
  • Follow the instructions mentioned on the package of the toothpaste.

So the question arises why can’t we have toothpastes with low level of fluoride?

This is because fluoride content of 1000-1100 PPM prevents dental cavities and this is also approved by Food and drug administration.No research has been done to establish the usefulness of lower levels of fluoride in preventing dental cavities.This is why the makers of toothpastes haven’t considered lowering of fluoride levels.

In 2001 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention persuaded the toothpaste makers to conduct a study on the effectiveness of low fluoride content toothpastes. There has been no further development on this issue.

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admin on March 12th 2011 in Dentistry and dental treatment

Gingivectomy and Gingivoplasty dental treatment procedure

Thorough tooth cleaning is needed prior to the treatment of Gingivectomy or Gingivoplasty.This cleaning helps to remove the microbes and calculus from the gaps around the teeth.Periodontist also give some dental care tips that help you to take care of your teeth after the surgery.

The surgical procedure

Gingivectomy and Gingivoplasty are normally done with scalpels.It is also done using electrosurgery or laser units.Sometimes periodontists also use some specialized tools for Gingivectomies.They have angled blades that help to get around the teeth.

Gingivectomy as well as Gingivoplasty are done under local anesthesia.The duration of gingivectomy procedure ranges from a few minutes to more than an hour.The length of the treatment procedure also depends upon the amount of the gum tissues to be removed.Gingivoplasties typically are done in a couple of minutes.

After the Surgical procedure

After gingivectomy or gingivoplasty, there will be periodontal dressing for more than a week.The dressing should be soft and there will be dietary restrictions.The periodontist emphasise to the patients to have soft and non spicy foods.Sometimes pain killers and antiseptic mouthwash may also be prescribed.

Cleanliness is very important during the healing period.You should not brush or floss at the dressing part.But you can brush at the other parts normally.When the dressing is taken you can gently brush at that part.Your gum tissues will look normal after 3 to 4 weeks but it will take 2 to 3 months to heal completely.

There are no major risks for both gingivectomy and gingivoplasty.There will be bleeding for 1 to 2 days and after that the affected area will not bleed much.You have to call your periodontist if the bleeding doesn’t stop.

Gingivectomy before and after pictures

before gingivectomy treatment

before gingivectomy treatment

After gingivectomy treatment

After gingivectomy treatment

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admin on August 18th 2009 in Dentistry and dental treatment

Dental tooth bonding explained

A composite resin is used for tooth bonding which is employed for variety of structural and cosmetic purposes.By using dental composite resin the dentist can restore chipped or broken teeth, fill in gaps and reshape or recolor your smile.Bonding is the chemical preparation of hard tooth structure, both enamel and dentin which is used for many purposes in the modern dentistry.Cosmetic tooth bonding can also repair misaligned teeth.

Tooth bonding defined

Tooth bonding is the composite resin filling in the back and front part of the teeth.It will lighten the stains that may present in your teeth.It is used for filling minor pores or gaps of your teeth and also employed for reshaping and recoloring of your teeth.It is also employed to correct the crooked teeth.

The natural defects of your teeth can be corrected by the tooth bonding technique in the cosmetic dentistry.The cosmetic dentist will apply a plastic material on the front part of the teeth and then the cosmetic dentist will reshape,sculpt and color it erasing the flaws and makes it look more natural.High intensity light is utilized to harden the surface of the teeth and finally it is polished.
Tooth bonding procedure

The cosmetic dentist first selects the composite resin (dental bonding material) which matches the color,translucency and the shade of the teeth.Then the dentist roughens the teeth surface to make the resin adhere properly.Then the resin is applied carefully on the roughened surface and then it is sculpted,colored and shaped to get the desired look.Soon it is hardened by a high intensity light.Finally, it is polished perfectly to get the same appearance as the surrounding teeth.

A very mild etching solution is applied to your teeth to create very small crevices in the tooth’s enamel structure.These crevices provide a slightly rough surface permitting a durable resin to bond materials to your teeth.The resin is then placed on your tooth and high-intensity light cures the resins onto your tooth’s surface – with each individual layer of resin hardening in just minutes. When the last coat has been applied to your tooth, the bonded material is then sculpted to fit your tooth and finely polished.

Different kinds of shades are available in the present market and you can choose accordingly.Since this procedure involve different kinds of layers and the treatment procedure takes slightly longer (1 or 2 hours depending upon the case) compared to the traditional silver fillings.

Dental bonding advantages

Tooth bonding has got greater advantages over silver fillings since in the traditional silver fillings technique the healthy tooth is entirely taken to place the silver fillings and so the realistic beauty is lost.So aesthetics is the prime advantage of tooth bonding over silver fillings.In tooth bonding the composites permit the dentist to take only the decayed area of the tooth.Composites expands as the teeth expands and hence there is only a minute chance for getting cracks on the teeth and it bonds directly to the tooth providing support.

Dental bonding disadvantages

It costs more and it is time consuming

Risks of tooth bonding

The composite resin may sometimes chip away from the teeth due to biting of nails,chewing of pens etc.It usually lasts for years but depends more on your oral habits and the degree of bonding on your teeth.

Cost of tooth bonding

The cost depends on the location and the cost is also different in different countries.The average cost of cosmetic dental bonding ranges from $300 to $600 per tooth.

Tooth Bonding Care

  • Brush and floss regularly and faithfully since bonding holds much when it is clean
  • Avoid sweets and starchy food items between meals
  • If you have extensive bonding work,frequent professional maintenance have to be taken
  • Hard toothbrushes may sometimes damage your bonding
  • Alcoholic beverages can cause the bonding to deteriorate prematurely. Also, smoking and frequent drinking of coffee or tea tend to stain both your teeth and the bonding.
  • Don’t let your bonded teeth be cleaned with pumice-containing prophylaxis pastes, ultrasonic cleaning devices, or air-polishing instruments. These will damage the surface of the bonding and make it more susceptible to stain. There are special polishing pastes and techniques for bonded teeth that not all hygienists or dentists are aware of.
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admin on July 15th 2009 in Dentistry and dental treatment

Root canal treatment

If the nerve of a tooth rots or decays,the only way to save that tooth is to do endodontic treatment which is most popularly called as Root Canal Treatment.This treatment is done by an endodontist.

The time to visit an endodontist

  • When you have teeth sensitivity for hot and cold for relatively longer periods of time.
  • When there is visible swelling of gums of the sensitive tooth
  • When there is hurting sensation to simple biting of tooth
  • When the tooth look discolored even though there is no pain for that tooth

Root canal treatment is normally done to save the teeth from salvage.But to do this treatment the patient had to spent a good amount of money.The endodontist will probe to the affected tooth/teeth with some tests and then he will suggest the patient whether this treatment has to do or not to do.

An Outlook about the Root canal treatment

The tooth will be first anesthetized, and then an opening is made through pulp area through the tooth crown. The root canal lengths will then be determined and the deceased and infected pulp is then slowly scooped out. Later, the canals cleansed. Additionally, they will be broadened as well as shaped using endodontic files. They will be then filled and sealed. A metal column will be used to give structural support as well as to retain the restorative materials added. The tooth will be sealed then using the filling. Then a porcelain crown will be added for additional protection. The crown or filling needs replacement periodically though.

The Root canal treatment doesn’t hurt all since the whole treatment procedure will take only by the administration of anesthetics.But the treatment is sometimes painful when the alveolar bone is involved since the anesthetics fail to work properly when this alveolar bone starts to decay.In such circumstances the first visit might be painful but in the subsequent visits they are almost painless.

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Inman Aligners or Speed braces

Inman Aligners

Inman Aligners are the latest innovation in the cosmetic dentistry and it can correct crooked teeth and receding gums.It is a very good alternative for the traditional braces and it is also very effective compared to the conventional braces.This aligners mean much more than orthodontic appliance since it will generate an orthodontic force with the help of a lingual coil spring.This Inman Aligners helps to rectify the misaligned upper and lower front teeth.

Working of an Inman Aligner

Inman Aligners consists of a fixed bar which helps to move the teeth.There exists a Coil Spring which is fixed on the backside of the teeth and the coil spring exerts pressure in the forward direction.There is also a flat bar which is placed across the front part of the teeth and this flat bar exerts pressure on the front part of the teeth forcing the teeth to move inside from the front part.These two opposing forces provided by the coil spring and flat bar produces the right pull and push which eventually straightens the teeth.

Advantages of Inman Aligners

  1. The whole treatment will be completed in just one month
  2. This is very cheap when compared to the cost of traditional braces
  3. It is very simple to use
  4. It can be taken out with such ease and convenience when needed.Again,Inman Aligners have to use at least 16-20 hours a day and should be kept removed while eating and sleeping
  5. Periodic visit to the orthodontist for tightening of wires like in the conventional braces are not needed in the case of Inman Aligners

Disadvantages of Inman Aligners

  1. This technique can only be applied to the fully developed teeth and so it cannot be applied to children.
  2. Inman Aligners are limited to moderate realignment

Inman Aligners are nicknamed as “speed braces”

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admin on April 26th 2009 in Dentistry and dental treatment

Developmental variations of the teeth.

Each tooth has three parts:- the crown, the root, and the pulp cavity. The crown is the exposed area of the tooth, which is outside the gum. It is covered with a hard substance called enamel. The ivory-coloured internal part of the crown below the enamel is the dentin. The root of a tooth is embedded in the jaw and covered by a bony tissue called cementum. The pulp cavity in the centre of the tooth contains the blood vessels and nerves.

Teeth usually appear 5 to 8 months after birth. Baby-bottle syndrome may result in decay of all of the upper teeth and the lower posterior teeth. This syndrome occurs when an infant is put to bed with a bottle of sugar water, milk or fruit juice. The carbohydrates in the solutions cause demineralisation of the tooth enamel, which leads to tooth decay.

By the time children are 2 years old, they usually have all 20 of their temporary teeth. At about age 6 or 7, children start losing their deciduous teeth, and these are gradually replaced by the 33 permanent teeth.

The incidence of periodontal disease increases during pregnancy because the rise in female hormones affects gingival tissues and increases its reaction to bacterial plaque. Many pregnant women experience more bleeding from the gingival sulcus during brushing and increased redness and the swelling of the gingiva (the gum).

Teeth turn yellowish in colour as a part of the aging process. Teeth are normally off-white. With age, the enamel thins and the yellow-gray colour of the inner portion of the teeth begins to show. In addition, coffee drinking and cigarette smoking can stain the teeth. Commercial teeth whitening products and whitening treatments offered at dental offices are available to consumers who desire whither teeth for cosmetic reasons.

Lack of fluoridated water and preventive dentistry during their developmental years caused tooth and gum problems in older adults. As a result, some elders may have few permanent teeth left, and some have dentures. Loss of teeth occurs mainly because of periodontal disease (gum disease) rather than dental caries (cavities),: however, caries are also common in middle-aged adults.

Some receding of the gums and a brownish pigmentation of the gums occur with age. Because saliva production decreases with age, dryness of the oral mucosa is a common finding in older people.

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admin on March 2nd 2009 in Dentistry and dental treatment