Amalgams are also called silver fillings. They are placed in small to very large tooth defects to fill the defect. They are composed of approximately 50% mercury, with other metals composing the remaining 50%. The length of time they will last will depend on how well they were placed initially, the location they are at, the amount of wear they receive, and the caries rate of your mouth.
A bridge is used where there is a toothless space between two very stable teeth. It consists of two crowns connected by man-made teeth, also called pontics, thereby creating the "bridge". We usually only do bridges on teeth that have already had other restorations. If the teeth on either side of the would-be bridge have never had restorations, the best option for tooth restorations is often a dental implant.
Brushing is the most common and easiest way to keep your teeth clean. Even though it seems pretty straightforward, brushing has a specific technique. We recommend a soft-bristled brush, and a compact head, or an electric toothbrush with soft bristles. If using a regular toothbrush, use a circular motion similar to a steam engine, make small circles of about tooth size directed at the line where the gums and the teeth meet. The route you travel as you brush your teeth should be comfortable for you, but should cover all the tooth surfaces except for in between. We recommend starting at one side on the outside and moving around to the other side in a smooth, steady motion. Think about cleaning each tooth individually. Once you've reached the other side, move to the inside and head back to your starting point. Be careful as you switch arm positions not to skip sections of teeth, this is very common. Do this on the top and bottom teeth and you will have cleaned all the gum areas. One last area to clean is the tops of the back teeth, and then you are done. Don't forget, flossing comes next!
Calculus, also known as tartar, is the hard deposit found on teeth. It is most often plaque that has not been removed for an extended period of time, hardening as time passes. Sometimes, usually in the inside of the lower front teeth, calculus forms from proteins found in saliva, as well as plaque. Calculus must be removed by a hygienist or dentist.
Crowns, sometimes called caps, are made of either a non-precious metal alloy, gold alloy, pure porcelain, porcelain and gold alloy, porcelain and metal alloy, or composite. They may be used on cracked teeth, teeth with too much tooth structure missing, root canalled teeth, or, may just be used to make teeth look better. Crowning a tooth involves removing tooth structure carefully to evenly reduce the area to be crowned. Once an adequate amount of structure is removed, an impression is taken of the prepared area and sent to the dental laboratory where the removed tooth structure is replaced with the crown material. A temporary crown is then made to keep the tooth comfortable and to assure the tooth does not move during the time it takes for the dental lab to create the crown. On a second visit, the temporary is removed, and the permanent crown is cemented.
Composites are often called tooth colored fillings. The composite material is an organic resin mixed with varying sizes of quartz crystals. They have been widely available for many years and have improved steadily since then. Modern composites are very strong, wear at close to the same rate as tooth structure does, and look beautiful.
Cavities, also called caries, are weak spots in teeth. They can be very mild to completely engulfing the tooth. They are created by the acid released from sugar-eating bacteria, often streptococcus mutans, found in plaque. When the acid sits on the tooth surfaces long enough, it begins to break down the tooth material creating the cavity.
A cleaning or prophy is undertaken by a hygienist or a dentist. It typically involves removing hard and soft deposits found on teeth by scaling, polishing, and flossing, education about how to stay clean, and evaluation of the gum health in general. An exam may also be done at the same appointment by the dentist.
A Dentist is a person trained in the maintenance, restoration, function, and aesthetics of teeth, and the people they belong to. A dentist typically has completed 4 years of college, and 4 years of an accredited dental school, after which time he/she must pass the dental board of the state he/she wishes to practice in. Each year dentists are required to complete a certain amount of continuing education, and many do much more than what is required to make them a better dentists. A dentist may be a member of the American Dental Association or ADA, the dental association of his/her state, and his/her local dental society, as well as other groups striving for dental excellence. A dentists role is to provide you all treatment options available, help you select the best option to fit your individual needs, and complete the treatment you have chosen.
An Endodontist is a dentist with additional specialty training in the area of root canal treatment and pulpal health diagnosis. After completing a dental degree, an endodontist receives 2 additional years of training involving the tooth pulp(nerve), including diagnosis of it's condition, cracks inside the tooth, and the root canal treatment itself.
Extraction of teeth may be necessary if too much tooth structure has been lost due to caries or fracture, if the tooth is split, if there is not enough bone to support the tooth, or if there is not enough room for the tooth, for example wisdom teeth or orthodontic extractions.
Flossing is the OTHER important cleaning technique, right beside brushing. Flossing removes the plaque from between the teeth, where cavities and periodontitis often start. To floss properly, it is important to remember that when the floss is placed between two teeth, there are two teeth surfaces to clean. So, using a back and forth motion, slide the floss between the teeth. Once past the tight spot, DO NOT continue the back and forth motion. This action can cut your gums AND teeth! So, pulling the floss forward onto the back of the front tooth, use an up and down motion to gently wipe the tooth surface clean. Then repeat the motion while pushing back with the floss to clean the front of the back tooth. Then snap the floss out, or pull it out the side. Viola, you have done two surfaces. Just use the same motion on all the tooth contact points, and your done. Holding the floss properly is also important. Wrap the floss on any of your fingers EXCEPT the index fingers or thumbs. This will be the anchor for the floss. Then, keeping about 1 inch of floss between your placing fingers, use your thumbs and index fingers to place the floss between your teeth.
Full Dentures, also called Plates are needed when no teeth are remaining in an arch. They are made of denture acrylic and teeth, and can look as good or better than your original teeth.
Gingival Grafting is used to replace gums that have been lost from a variety of reasons, very often from over brushing, or just from genetics. It is usually performed by a periodontist to cover and protect the roots of your teeth. During the surgery, gums in the area are moved, or gums from another location, usually the palate, are brought to cover the exposed root area.
Your Health History is a fairly comprehensive list of current and previous health problems. This list includes surgeries, illnesses, allergies, and conditions, as well as drugs.
A Hygienist is trained to provide most non-surgical care of gums. Procedures often completed by a hygienist include porches, scaling, polishing, root planing, and education to maintain the health of your gums
Implants are composed of titanium and are placed into bone to act as the supporting structures for either crowns or dentures. While they can act as roots for teeth, nothing is as good as the original. They are usually placed by a dentist with special training in the are of implants, often an oral surgeon, periodontist, or prosthodontist.
The Initial Exam is often the first appointment you will have with your dentist. It involves discussing your health history, your concerns and/or questions, a head, neck and oral exam, and often even your blood pressure. During the initial exam, your dentist will be getting to know you, your body, and your mouth, so that he/she can better plan any treatment you may need to have done. The goal of the initial exam is to gather an pertinent data the dentist may need to provide the best overall treatment for you.
An Oral Surgeon is a dentist with additional specialty training to complete many surgical procedures involving the bones and tissues of the face, jaws, and mouth. Oral surgeons extract teeth, diagnose, biopsy and remove oral tissues, repair oral and facial trauma, place implants, and a variety of other procedures.
Partial Dentures are called partials because they only replaces the teeth that are missing next to the ones you still have. They snap on to the remaining teeth to hold them in place.. Partials are often an excellent way to replace missing teeth because they can replace many teeth at one time, they are relatively inexpensive, and they are easy to clean and repair.
Periodontal Surgery is gum surgery, usually performed by a periodontist. It is often done to reduce periodontal pockets, excess tissue, or gingival grafting.
Periodontal Therapy is one of many treatments available to repair the gum tissues. It is usually completed by a dentist, hygienist, or periodontist and may involve root planing, periodontal surgery
A Periodontist is a dentist with additional specialty training to treat the gums surrounding the teeth. They often do periodontal therapy, periodontal surgery, gingival grafting, crown lengthening, and pocket reduction surgery, as well as root planing. Their job is to help you get and keep healthy gum tissue.
Plaque is composed of food particles, bacteria, and saliva proteins and enzymes. It is soft and sticky, usually residing right next to the gumline on the tooth surfaces. It can be easily removed with brushing and flossing, and if not removed can form calculus and can cause caries, gingivitis and periodontitis.
Pocket Probing is used to measure the depth of the pocket surrounding the tooth. Normally this pocket is between 1 and 3 millimeters. As gums get inflamed, they swell and this pocket can become deeper. If the pocket becomes deeper than 4 millimeters, it is almost impossible to keep clean, and some kind of periodontal therapy will be required to fix the problem.
Pocket Reduction Surgery is used when other modes of periodontal therapy have not made the gum pockets smaller. During the surgery, the gums are thinned, so after healing, a more shallow and cleanable gum pocket is formed. Ideally after pocket reduction surgery your pockets will be between 1 and 3 millimeters deep.
Polishing is usually completed by a dentist or hygienist during a cleaning or prophy. It involves the use of a fine flavored pumice with a prophy cup to gently remove tiny hard deposits that may be left after scaling.
A Pontic looks and functions like a tooth. It is found on a bridge, replacing the missing tooth or teeth. A pontic is attached to a crowned tooth, and usually 2 crowns and one or more pontics make up a bridge.
A Prosthodontist is a dentist with additional specialty training to treat complex dental conditions. They often place complex bridges, implants, special partials, and build complex dentures, or may complete a full mouth rehabilitation. Their job is to replace teeth that most dentists would find too difficult.
A Restoration is any kind of material placed to restore a tooth back to its original size, shape, and usefulness.
Root canal treatment is usually used to keep teeth that have had their pulp(nerves) die. It may be completed by a dentist, or by an endodontist. Without root canal treatment, your body will constantly have to fight off bacteria that are coming from inside the tooth.
Root planing is used when there is calculus on the root surfaces below the gums. Usually your gums are anesthetized so you are comfortable while the root surfaces are cleaned. Once the roots are cleaned, the gums have a chance to heal and not be irritated by the calculus. Ideally, the gums will tighten and shrink as they get healthy. Then regular brushing and flossing is often enough to keep the root surfaces clean.
Saliva plays a very important role in your body. It contains the enzyme salivary amylase, which starts the breakdown of sugars in your mouth, it neutralizes acids, it makes dry food wet, and it bathes your mouth constantly to keep things clean. It is secreted by many cells and by 3 sets of glands in your mouth. Many drugs affect your saliva production. When saliva levels are low and you have a dry mouth it is called xerostomia. If this conditions persists for a long time, the chances of getting cavities increase.
Scaling is the removal of hard deposits(calculus) from your teeth, usually above or just slightly below the gumline.
Tooth Whitening, also called bleaching, is a process by which the stains that have settled in to the microscopic pores in your teeth are removed. The material used to remove them is usually carbamide-peroxide, an oxidizing agent, which is usually placed in custom trays and worn for varying amounts of time depending on the concentration of the material.
A Treatment Plan is a list of procedures that are to be completed, usually written in the order they will be done, and from most important to least important. The treatment plan is made after your initial exam, and after you and the dentist have discussed what is important to you and to him/her.
