Although this area of dentistry – just as all others – is incredibly important, periodontics has essentially been neglected by both patients and dentists alike. Periodontics focuses on treating and maintaining the health of the structures that support the teeth – the jawbone and surrounding gum tissues. Currently, more teeth are lost during adulthood to …
Periodontics: Treating Gums and Bone Surrounding the Teeth Read More »
The special psychological challenges and often peculiar conditions presented by children require the need for their own dental specialty: pediatric dentistry. While general dentists perform most types of pediatric dentistry, a pediatric dentist is required for treating some conditions. While children and adults share many of the same potential dental conditions, the development and eventual …
If you haven’t had your teeth straightened yourself, you probably know someone who has. Orthodontics is the dental specialization of straightening crooked and misaligned teeth – which is one the most common undesirable conditions in humans – to improve their appearance and function. But what causes teeth to not develop properly in their correct positions, …
The mouth and facial areas are incredibly complex, which is why they function so well when we’re in good health. The downside of this is that there’s a lot that can go wrong if our health isn’t up to scratch, if we’ve become injured, have genetic abnormalities, or a combination of these. Thankfully, modern dentistry …
Did you know your dentist can tell a lot about your overall health just by looking in and around your mouth? There are several different factors that can affect the health of your teeth, gums and jawbone, such as your genetics, diet, oral hygiene, and your health as a whole. Because our oral and general …
The areas of occlusion (dental bite) in dentistry hasn’t had much emphasis until recent years, meaning dentists haven’t been involved in treating patients with disorders relating to their bite and the related joints and muscles. As a rule of thumb, the specialty most involved in this area is orthodontics. Areas of dentistry that have been …
Occlusion: Your Bite, Temporomandibular Joints and Temporomandibular Dysfunction Read More »
Since the beginning of dentistry, practitioners have made attempts to develop replacement teeth to be placed into the jawbones. In the 1960s, Swedish researchers initiated the concept of modern implant dentistry, where small titanium cylinders are placed into the jawbone as a strong, sturdy foundation for artificial teeth. This experimental technique was highly criticized to …
Thanks to the continued advances in medical care, people are living much longer, healthier lives. Although the increased availability of health care advice and resources have contributed to people leading relatively normal lives well into their 80s and 90s, these extended years can take their toll on oral health. And, as such, these mature years …
Geriatric Dentistry: Oral Health of the Mature Person Read More »
People almost always want to appear ‘normal’ in most ways, and like their appearance to be acceptable to the people they interact with. In general, very little of our bodies is observable to the public when we are clothed. Surveys have shown that when we first meet someone, the areas they observe the most are …
Esthetic Dentistry: Cosmetic Dentistry to Improve Your Smile Read More »
The surgical nature of many dental procedures present a risk of contamination and infection of bloodborne diseases, such as AIDS and hepatitis B. Although this is an unavoidable occupational risk, there are numerous steps a dental practice can take to minimize the risk of infection to both patients and staff. The stringent risk control measures …
If you’ve ever experienced tooth pain, you’ll agree that the pain caused can be almost as bad as any other physical condition. But why is this? How can something as small as a tooth cause so much pain? And perhaps more importantly, how can it be prevented or treated? The structure and function of a …
Endodontics: Root Canals, Dead Teeth and the Inside of Teeth Read More »
Unlike most other forms of dentistry, Holistic Dentistry focuses on the whole patient rather than on one particular area such as a diseased tooth. A dentist that practices Holistic Dentistry will consider all areas concerning a patient, such as their overall health and mental wellbeing. The most common factors taken into account when diagnosing and …
Electrical anesthesia is used by some dentists as an alternative form of pain control for many minor oral procedures. It is a valid medical concept that is frequently used for sports injuries, muscle pain, veterinary medicine, and many other situations. How does electrical anesthesia work? During electric anesthesia, a weak and nonpainful electrical current …
Types of Dental Pain Relief: Electrical Anesthesia Read More »
Most pain control methods used in dentistry are used to either numb the area to be treated or relax the patient. However, there are some dental procedures that are better accomplished when the patient is asleep, under the influence of a general anesthetic. What is general anesthetic? General anesthesia is when a patient is …
Types of Dental Pain Relief: General Anesthetics Read More »
Some dental procedures, such as complex oral surgeries, can be much more painful or stressful than others. For this reason, some dentists (though not all) may offer intravenous sedation. This type of sedation is applied directly to the bloodstream via needle inserted into a vein. What is Intravenous (IV) Sedation? If a patient is …
Types of Dental Pain Relief: Intravenous (IV) Sedation Read More »
Nitrous Oxide – commonly known as laughing gas – is a safe and highly effective sedative that is used widely in dentistry. Over half of U.S. dentists have nitrous oxide as part of their pain control repertoire, and for many good reasons. When properly applied, it is a safe to use and effective method of …
Types of Dental Pain Relief: Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) Read More »
As one of the most commonly used forms of pain relief in dentistry, local anesthetics are a great way to temporarily control pain during oral therapy. It works by numbing the area to be treated, resulting in a pain-free procedure. And, unlike general anesthetics, this type of pain relief doesn’t cause patients to lose consciousness. …
When most people think of dentistry, they often think of the types of procedures carried out by their primary dental care provider – usually a General Dentist. There are in fact several different branches of dentistry. Some are specializations which usually require a minimum of 2 years postdoctoral education in their specific area, while others …
Specialist and Non-specialist Areas of Dentistry Read More »
From toothache indicating an oral problem to soreness after receiving dental treatment, pain is simply a part of dentistry and unfortunately it cannot be avoided. If you’ve suffered from toothache, you won’t be surprised to find it is considered one of the most debilitating forms of pain in the body. Therefore, it also shouldn’t come …
There can often be some confusion between periodontal maintenance and dental prophylaxis (prophy). After all, these are two very similar teeth-cleaning procedures, and it can be difficult to tell the difference without some background knowledge of each one. In almost all circumstances, if you require one treatment you do not need or cannot receive the …
A Tale of Two Treatments: Periodontal Maintenance Vs A Prophy (Dental Prophylaxis) Read More »
Financing your dental care can come in many different forms and can range from self-funded fee-for-service dentistry to comprehensive employer-provided dental plans. Although dental fees may appear high to some people, they are usually rather competitive, with most prices reflecting the experience and competency of a dentist. When you consider the cost of dental school, …
There are many reasons you may choose to visit a particular dentist. It could be for convenience because they are located close to your home or place of work, or because their services are more affordable for you. However, these reasons don’t always mean a certain dentist is right for you. There are as many …
Dentists that focus on Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnosis will have the knowledge and understanding of some of the more unusual oral diseases. Other dentists may not be able to diagnose or treat these diseases, and the few dentists that choose to focus on this area tend to be employed by hospitals or dental schools. …
Preventive Dentistry focuses on the measures taken by dentists to help prevent dental disease. As prevention is always better than cure, almost every dentist places emphasis on preventative dentistry of some form. However, when a dentist designates themselves as a Preventive Dentist, they will most likely provide extensive information on preventing many dental diseases, such …
A dentist that focuses on providing dental implants (replacement teeth that are implanted into the jawbone) is known as an Implantologist. Although not a particularly new area of dentistry, recent advancements have led to Implantology booming in popularity since the 1980s. Dental implants can be used to replace any number of teeth, from a single …
Dentistry is generally divided into many subdivisions. Some of these areas are legally defined specialties that usually require the dentist to have completed a 2 year (or longer) postdoctorate in their chosen area. Other areas are not legally defined, but rather they are categories of dentistry that a dentist may choose to focus on. Dental …
Prosthodontists specialize in replacing missing parts of teeth, gums, bone or other structural parts of the face. Your General Dentist will usually perform some form of Prosthodontics, but a Prosthodontists will have received at least 3 years of postdoctoral education in one or more of the three phases of prosthodontics. These phases are: Fixed Prosthodontics …
Restorative Dentistry or Operative Dentistry focuses on the restoration of damaged teeth, such as the placement of fillings. Although all dentists are trained in performing basic restorative or operative dental procedures, there are some that focus on this particular area of dentistry. Many patients consider these procedures to be a common service offered by dentists …
Many people suffer from a poor or inadequate dental bite (malocclusion), which can either be associated with or separate to poor function of the temporomandibular joints that connect the jaw to the skull – a condition known as Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD), or simply Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ). Each of these conditions can cause significant pain or …
The condition of one’s teeth can have a significant impact on the outcome of many social interactions. A healthy smile is appreciated in almost all cultures and societies, and therefore a full set of healthy and natural-looking teeth is universally desirable. Because of this, many dentists choose to focus on offering Esthetic or Cosmetic Dentistry. …
