Sunday, December 14, 2014
The Tooth Book
Just Going to The Dentist
Mercer Mayer's very popular Little Critter is on his way to the dentist. It's a thorough check-up, complete with dental x-rays. When Dr. Ghum insists on filling a cavity, Little Critter goes through it bravely. The visit is painless to the reader because of Little Critter's funny, honest way of look at things -- including the world of dentistry.
Braces
Dental braces: Which type makes the right choice for you?
Say goodbye to the "tin grin," you have lots of other options.
When it comes to having your teeth straightened, you'll find that you have lots of treatment alternatives to choose from.
Here's a list of the types of braces, or options, that your dentist should be able to offer:
- Invisible (Invisalign®)
- Lingual (iBraces®)
- Ceramic (Clear)
- Metal (Including gold braces, fashion brackets, personalized color schemes)
I) Regular braces - You can dress them up or blend them in.
Having traditional braces (brackets and wires on the front side of your teeth) doesn't mean you have to put up with having an old-fashioned "tin grin."
Nowadays there are lots of cosmetically-pleasing variations you can opt for.
A) Ceramic / Clear Braces.
This alternative to regular metal braces involves the use of tooth-colored, or clear, ceramic orthodontic brackets.
The obvious advantage of this choice is that your brackets will more closely match the color of your teeth, and therefore help your braces to blend in better with your smile.
Ceramic braces still require the use of a metal archwire that runs across your teeth and fits into each bracket. It may, however, be possible for your dentist to use a "frosted" one.
B) Gold Braces
Orthodontic hardware can be treated so it looks like it has been made out of gold. Some patients feel that gold braces have a softer, warmer appearance than stainless steel. Others like its luster and think it creates a distinctive look for their smile, somewhat reminiscent of fine-quality jewelry.
C) Colored Orthodontic Bands
Regular braces can be spiffed up and customized so they are colorful and exciting.
You do this (and it doesn't cost you anything) just by picking out your own special color scheme when you select the elastic bands that are used with your braces.
D) Designer Orthodontic Brackets
You can opt for orthodontic brackets that have a unique or fun design, such as hearts, diamonds, flowers or footballs.
E) "Mini" Orthodontic Brackets
Your orthodontist may be able to use miniaturized orthodontic brackets with your case. Because they are smaller, they can help to make your braces less noticeable.
As an added benefit, a smaller bracket means that a person's braces won't stick out quite as far off the surface of their teeth. This can make having braces more comfortable since they won't rub against your lips and cheeks quite so much.
II) Alternatives to having regular braces.
The following are treatment-approach alternatives to having traditional braces.
A) Invisible braces (Invisalign®)
"Invisible" braces are a relatively new treatment alternative that involves the use of plastic aligners to realign the patient's teeth (instead of wires and brackets like with regular braces).
And just as their name implies, since the aligners are made out of a thin, clear plastic, it's hard for other people to tell that they're being worn.
As an added benefit, you remove the aligners when you eat or clean your teeth, which makes having braces less of an ordeal. The dominant brand name associated with invisible braces is Invisalign®.
B) Lingual Braces (iBraces®)
This alternative can be thought of as regular braces that have been mounted on the backside of a patient's teeth.
As opposed to invisible braces, lingual braces are sometimes referred to as being "non-visible." That's because if someone looks really closely at your mouth, they'll probably see a hint of them. But otherwise, most people won't notice them at all.
One brand name associated with this treatment option is iBraces®.
Wisdom Teeth FAQ
Wisdom Teeth
1) What are they?
"Wisdom teeth" are a type of molar. Molars are the large chewing teeth found furthest in the back of the mouth.
Most people have 1st, 2nd and 3rd molars. A person's third molars are their wisdom teeth.
a) When do they come in?
For most people, the eruption process takes place during their late teens or early twenties (usually ages 18 to 24 years), although eruption outside of this age range is not uncommon. If there is not enough room for the teeth, or they are not aligned properly, they may never fully erupt. (See "Impacted Teeth" below.)
Details about which teeth are a person' wisdom teeth.
b) How many wisdom teeth does a person have?
People usually have four: upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right.
If they don't, it's due to their genetic makeup. It's been estimated that about 25% of people are lacking one or more. (Faculty, 1997)
Examples of different classifications of impacted teeth.
2) What are "impacted" wisdom teeth?
In dental terminology, an "impacted" tooth refers to one that has failed to fully emerge into its expected position. (Our slideshow and the animations below provide examples.)
This failure to erupt properly might occur because there is not enough room in the person's jaw to accommodate the tooth, the tooth's eruption path is obstructed by other teeth or because the angulation of the tooth is improper.
3) Types of impactions (classifications).
Dentists use a number of terms, in combination, to describe the positioning of impacted teeth. They are mesial, distal, horizontal, vertical, soft-tissue and bony.
a) Mesial, vertical, horizontal and distal.
These terms are used to refer to the general angulation (positioning) of the tooth.
Mesial, distal, vertical and horizontal tooth impactions.
- The term "Mesial" (also mesio-angular) means that the tooth is angled forward, toward the front of the mouth. This is the most common type of wisdom tooth impaction.
The other types of impactions, in order of frequency of occurrence, are the vertical, horizontal, and distal types.
- Vertical impactions have a relatively normal orientation.
- Horizontal (also traverse) impactions have an alignment where the tooth is lying on its side.
- A Distal (also disto-angular) impaction has an angulation that is generally directed towards the rear of the mouth.
Full-bony, partial-bony and soft-tissue impactions.
b) Soft-tissue and bony wisdom tooth impactions.
In combination with the classifications above, wisdom teeth are also categorized as soft tissue or bony impactions.
- A "soft tissue" impaction is one where the upper portion of a wisdom tooth (the tooth's crown) has penetrated through the bone but has not yet fully erupted through the gum tissue.
- The term "bony" or "hard tissue" impaction indicates that the tooth still lies primarily within the jawbone. A full-bonyimpaction is entirely encased by bone tissue, whereas apartial-bony one has erupted through it somewhat.
c) How likely is it that your wisdom teeth will be impacted?
Studies suggest that the incidence of having at least one that's impacted runs on the order of 65 to 72%. (Faculty, 1997)
Inadequate jawbone space leads to impaction.
4) What causes wisdom tooth impaction?
The reason why some wisdom teeth are impacted is not an easy question to answer. A primary cause simply seems to be a condition of inadequate jawbone space behind a person's second molar.
Why this lack of space exists is not fully understood. There does, however, seem to be a correlation between large tooth size and/or the presence of generalized tooth crowding and having impacted wisdom teeth.
The human diet has changed.
The dietary changes adopted by modern man have been theorized as playing a role in the incidence of 3rd molar impaction.
The coarse nature of stone-age man's diet had the effect of producing extensive tooth wear (not just on the chewing surface of the teeth but also in between, where neighboring teeth touch against each other).
When this type of wear takes place, it tends to reduce the "length" of the teeth (as a set), thus creating additional jawbone space to accommodate the wisdom teeth by the time they erupt. In comparison, the diet of modern man does not usually cause a significant amount of this type of wear.
It has also been argued that the coarse nature of stone-age man's diet, as compared to modern man's relatively soft diet, probably required more chewing muscle activity. This activity could have stimulated greater jawbone growth, thus providing more space for wisdom teeth.
Additionally, the harsh world of the caveman no doubt often lead to the occurrence of broken teeth and tooth loss. Once a tooth (or a portion of it) is missing the teeth behind it have a tendency to shift forward. This type of movement would make more jawbone space available for wisdom teeth. In comparison, with the advent of modern dentistry there are relatively few reasons why a tooth should remain unrepaired or be lost.
Courtesy of Animated Teeth
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Pediatric Oral Health In Arizona
According to the Pew Charitable Trusts report from 2013:
Arizona ranks 47th in the amount of 3rd graders with a high caries rate.
Arizona got a D in the amount of high need schools that don't have sealant programs.
Arizona ranks 47th in the amount of 3rd graders with a high caries rate.
Arizona got a D in the amount of high need schools that don't have sealant programs.
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