A Brief Description Of Dental Hygiene

Dental hygienists are doctors who have studied dental work

. Most dentists do specialized training to become a D.D.S (Doctor of Dental Surgery) qualifying them to carry out dental work. The mouth has a four types of teeth and each has specific roles. The four teeth in the front of the mouth are incisors and they are the scissors of the mouth as they cut through food. These are followed by cuspids, a single tooth on either side of the mouth that is critical to tearing through food. Two bicuspids that have a ridge in the middle follow. They are important in helping us chew our food. We crush solid and harder foods with the molars. These three teeth are at the extreme back of the mouth.

Dental Hygiene Habits and Common Dental Conditions

Taking care of the teeth is simple. A daily habit of brushing the teeth after a meal keeps the mouth free of food particles that would play host to disease causing bacteria. People with teeth that are slightly apart tend to have food particles stick between the teeth. Flossing is a good habit to clean out those food particles and keep the mouth clean.

It is important to keep the mouth clean to avoid common problems with the teeth and in the mouth. Daily brushing can keep the teeth from developing cavities or holes in the enamel of the teeth. Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is another painful condition resulting from poor dental hygiene. When food particles are not removed after every meal through brushing of the teeth, bacteria in the mouth causes infections that affect the gum. Gum disease makes the gums bleed, is painful, and when left untreated, causes the teeth to fall out.

Common Dental Procedures

Some dental procedures treat dental conditions, others are cosmetic, while yet others serve both roles. Brown teeth, or fluorosis, is a common tooth condition that occurs when a person takes in excess fluoride. To correct the discoloration or fluorosis, a dentist performs fluoride treatment and may cover the teeth with veneer to restore the white coloring. Putting veneers on the teeth can also be done for cosmetic reasons to give the teeth extra whitening.

Periodontal therapy covers many aspects of dentistry including procedures done to correct diseases and conditions in the mouth. When a tooth develops a cavity, a dentist may cover the tooth with sealants or crowns or fill the hole with fillings. This stops the cavity from extending further, and stops the pain caused by the exposed nerves in the tooth. Most dentists prefer to fill cavities and it is usually possible if one seeks medical help as soon as they develop a tooth ache. However, if the tooth decay is too extensive a filling cannot reverse the damage. In such instances, the dentists performs root canals to remove the nerves in the tooth and stop the pain.

Sometimes when neither a filling nor a root canal can solve the tooth problem, dentists perform dental extractions and remove the tooth completely from its root. Dental extractions are final and leave a gaping hole where the tooth once was. The gap is unpleasant to look at, and is uncomfortable too. To solve that, dentists will give dentures, which are artificial teeth that look very similar to real teeth.

by: Rachel Nolander

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