Unlike just about every other part of your body, including the bones, the outer layer of every one of your teeth is dead. Enamel is almost 100 percent mineral, which means it’s more like a seashell than a bone. It also means that when you get a toothache, it’s not the enamel that’s hurting. So why are teeth designed to hurt at all? Read more
As you might imagine, removing a tooth is the last possible action you can take when it comes to dental care. Centuries ago, tooth removal was essentially the only option available when you were suffering from so much as a cavity, but these days dentists have a variety of options that let them save your tooth even when the pulp at the center gets infected and puts your overall health at risk.
At the same time, there are occasions when it’s best to simply remove a tooth and be done with it. Here are a few examples of when tooth extraction is a better option than a crown replacement or a root canal: Read more
Ever since the first x-ray machine debuted, they’ve been an invaluable tool for doctors, dentists, and medical professionals of all kinds. Not only do they show the strength and state of every bone in your body (and without the need to cut a patient open in the process), they can also locate tumors and foreign objects that don’t belong in your body. Read more
A dental bonding is what you call a procedure where you coat some of your teeth – usually the ones up front – with a special composite resin that hardens quickly under a special light and then lasts for up to ten years if you treat it right. Alternately, you could get a porcelain veneer which is more expensive but also more durable. But either way, why do people bother going to their dentists for this sort of procedure? Read more
These days, when you lose a tooth you have a choice: get a partial denture, or get a dental implant. In most cases, your dental plan will probably cover the less expensive dentures but not the more expensive dental implants. Including everything from the procedure to the cost of the implant and the crown, a dental implant can cost a few thousand dollars, but those who can afford it usually find the benefits of an implant are well worth the cost. Read more
In fiction, grinding your teeth is one of the classic signs of stress and anger, up there with pulling out your hair and flipping various pieces of furniture. However, grinding your teeth, or “bruxism,” is a habit that can develop even without any significant stress or anger. Worst of all, you may never even realize you have it until you’ve already chipped a tooth or popped a filling. Read more
If you were to search the entire world, you’d find very few people who would eagerly line up to visit their dentist. Even a routine cleaning and inspection isn’t exactly a pleasant experience, what with the glaring light, the mandatory flossing, the metal tools they use to scrape the base of your teeth, and of course the ever-present risk that they’ll find a cavity. On the other hand, missing your dentist’s appointment may make things even worse in the long run. Read more
There are a variety of possible reasons which may explain why your breath doesn’t smell like roses and plum blossoms. Many of these reasons, like eating certain foods, aren’t a significant problem and there’s nothing you can or should do about it aside from masking the scent with a breath freshener. However, persistent bad breath may also indicate that something serious is happening to your teeth or to your diet, and it may be worth speaking with your dentist to identify the cause. Read more
Fluoride stands as one of the greatest dental health discoveries of all time, up there with the invention of Novocain and the development of fillings. By applying just a little fluoride to your teeth, either through fluoridated water, through the use of fluoridated toothpaste, or through special fluoride treatments at your local dentist, we can give our tooth enamel the chance to recrystallize and undo the damage caused by enamel-consuming bacteria. However, there is such a thing as too much fluoride, especially in the developing teeth of children. Read more
It’s strange if you think about it. When it comes to the health of our bodies, Americans will typically act in a certain order: the first thing they’ll do is visit their regular doctor, either a general practitioner or a pediatrician. If the doctor discovers something wrong with the patient that some rest and a few painkillers can’t fix, the physician will send him or her along to a specialist who will know more about the particular part of the body that’s acting up. After that comes the treatment, and with luck the patient will be as good as new by the end of it. Read more