When you visit your dentist’s office for a checkup and cleaning, your dental hygienist typically uses specialized tools to remove hardened debris and food from your teeth. Among these dental tools is a scaler or curette – known as a plaque scraper or ultrasonic tooth cleaner – to remove the plaque and tartar buildup. Although consumer plaque scrapers are widely available, it’s not a good idea to use them yourself.
Perhaps you’ve sat in a classroom where solving calculus problems was as mysterious as the identity of Jack the Ripper. But never fear. We’re not talking mathematics – nor Victorian murders – but rather, we’re referring to dental tartar, also known as calculus. We’ll give you the 101 on dental tartar – how it develops, what mischief it can cause, how you can prevent it, and how to kill, er,
Congratulations! You not only survived but thrived with braces, and now you have a beautiful smile to show for it. Your braces required a lot of time and investment, so you want to make sure your smile looks as perfect as possible. Consider these cosmetic procedures — like teeth reshaping or whitening — after your braces are removed. Teeth Reshaping Tooth reshaping, also known as dental contouring, involves subtle changes
Our brain contains thousands of nerves and multiple neural pathways, and sometimes those nerves can encounter abnormalities or injuries that result in chronic conditions. One such condition is trigeminal neuralgia, a painful disorder affecting the trigeminal nerve, which runs through the face and upper jaw area. Since its trademark spasms can be triggered by touching the face, some people first notice the symptoms when brushing their teeth and may mistake
If you’re getting one or more replacement teeth, chances are you’re getting a crown or a bridge that will be placed onto abutments. These abutments are fastened to your jawbone and allow your replacement teeth to look and function like the real thing. We’ll let you know all about abutments and how to practice good oral hygiene with replacement teeth so you can maintain a pearly white, everlasting smile. What
Pulp, the innermost portion of a tooth, is made up of blood vessels and nerves. Sometimes during the process of removing deep decay, the pulp is exposed, and without treatment it can become infected with bacteria and die. In these situations, dentists may opt to do a pulpotomy. By removing the pulp tissue from the crown of the tooth and filling it with medicated material, the pulp in the roots of the
You may not think that technological innovation and dentistry go hand in hand, but take a minute to consider the high-precision, high-cost work being done inside your mouth — seems like the perfect place to implement cutting edge technology! So how can you benefit from revolutionary technology like 3D printing at the dentist’s office? If you’ve been interested in getting dental veneers, 3D printed veneers might be an option for
If you are familiar with psoriasis, you know that it’s an autoimmune disease and skin condition that typically takes the form of thick, silvery scales or dry, red, sometimes itchy patches on the skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, psoriasis occurs when the life cycle of skin cells is sped up, creating a buildup of rough, dead skin cells. While psoriasis isn’t contagious and incredibly common, it is a genetic
Have you noticed your teeth becoming translucent or discolored? You might be showing signs of dentinogenesis imperfecta. Dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) is a rare genetic disorder that affects the dentin of your teeth. Recognizing the signs and symptoms and consulting your dental professional will help you understand this uncommon dental condition. What Is Dentinogenesis Imperfecta? DI is a dental abnormality traced back to a mutation in the DSPP gene, which provides
You may have a friend who’s a little rough around the edges. Perhaps you saw an early rough cut of a movie. Or maybe you’re always telling your kids to stop the roughhousing. These are manageable situations that won’t affect your oral health. But when your teeth feel rough, that does affect your oral health. Sometimes that could be due to tartar buildup. But often, rough teeth usually mean there’s
What Is a Root Canal? Root canal treatment is the removal of the tooth’s pulp, a small, thread-like tissue in the center of the tooth. Once the damaged, diseased or dead pulp is removed, the remaining space is cleaned, shaped and filled. This procedure seals off the root canal. Years ago, teeth with diseased or injured pulps were removed. Today, root canal treatment saves many teeth that would otherwise be
You’re taking a dish out of the oven when the potholder slips and your palm touches the oven rack. Ouch! What’s the first thing you do to soothe the pain of a burn? The journal Burns & Trauma published a study that found nearly 70 percent of people would use toothpaste or honey to treat a burn. But is putting toothpaste on a burn ever a good idea? We’ll let you know
