There seems to be a lot more that can be done to help individuals
prevent tooth decay based on what is already known.
Even with fluoridation and oral hygiene, tooth decay is still the most
common food related disease affecting all families, having the economic
impact of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
However decay is easy to prevent with a national project like
Supertooth.org to reduce acid demineralisation from food left on teeth,
neutralise acid and remineralise demineralised tooth after eating, or at
least twice a day chewing a special form of toothpaste before or after
brushing.
All cavities occur from acid demineralisation of teeth where chewing
leaves food trapped on teeth. Though more than 95% of trapped food is
left packed between teeth after every meal or snack, over 80% of
cavities develop inside pits and fissures in grooves on chewing surfaces
where the brush and fluoride toothpaste cannot reach.
Fissure sealants painted over chewing surfaces blocks food being trapped
inside pits and fissures and changed to acid helping prevent acid
demineralisation and tooth decay about as much as fluoridation where
over 80% of cavities occur.
Chewing fibre like celery after eating helps force saliva inside pits
and fissures and between teeth to dilute carbohydrate like sugar in
trapped food, neutralise acid and remineralise tooth better than chewing
gum that cannot absorb or expel saliva.
Chewing toothpaste before or after brushing would help fluoride
remineralise susceptible tooth surfaces between teeth and inside pits
and fissures where brushing cannot reach.
We already know how to prevent tooth decay but need to make it simple,
convenient and easy.
A dental restoration or dental filling is a dental restorative material used to restore the function, integrity and morphology of missing tooth structure. The structural loss typically results from caries or external trauma. It is also lost intentionally during tooth preparation to improve the aesthetics or the physical integrity of the intended restorative material. Dental restoration also refers to the replacement of missing tooth structure which is supported by dental implants.
Dental restorations can be divided into two broad types: direct restorations and indirect restorations. All dental restorations can be further classified by their location and size. A root canal filling is a restorative technique used to fill the space where the dental pulp normally resides.
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root used in dentistry to
support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth.
Virtually all dental implants placed today are root-form endosseous
implants. In other words, virtually all dental implants placed in the
21st century appear similar to an actual tooth root (and thus possess a
"root-form") and are placed within the bone (end- being the Greek prefix
for "in" and osseous referring to "bone").
Prior to the advent of root-form endosseous implants, most implants were
either blade endosseous implants, in that the shape of the metal piece
placed within the bone resembled a flat blade, or subperiosteal
implants, in which a framework was constructed to lie upon and was
attached with screws to the exposed bone of the jaws.
Dental implants can be used to support a number of dental prostheses,
including crowns, implant-supported bridges or dentures.
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Dental bleaching, also known as tooth whitening, is a common procedure
in general dentistry but most especially in the field of cosmetic
dentistry. A child's deciduous teeth are generally whiter than the adult
teeth that follow. As a person ages the adult teeth often become darker
due to changes in the mineral structure of the tooth, as the enamel
becomes less porous[citation needed]. Teeth can also become stained by
bacterial pigments, foodstuffs and tobacco. Certain antibiotic
medications (like tetracycline) can also lead to teeth stains or a
reduction in the brilliance of the enamel.[1]
There are many methods to whiten teeth: bleaching strips, bleaching pen,
bleaching gel, laser bleaching, and natural bleaching. Traditionally,
at-home whitening is done with bleaching gel which is applied to the
teeth using thin guard trays. At-home whitening can also be done by
applying small strips that go over the front teeth. Oxidizing agents
such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide are used to lighten the
shade of the tooth. The oxidizing agent penetrates the porosities in the
rod-like crystal structure of enamel and oxidizes interprismatic stain
deposits; over a period of time, the dentin layer, lying underneath the
enamel, is also bleached. Power bleaching uses light energy to
accelerate the process of bleaching in a dental surgery. The effects of
bleaching can last for several months, but may vary depending on the
lifestyle of the patient. Factors which will decrease whitening include
smoking and the ingestion of dark colored liquids like coffee, tea and
red wine.
Internal staining of dentine can discolor the teeth from inside out.
Internal bleaching can remedy this. If heavy staining or tetracycline
damage is present on a patient's teeth, and whitening is ineffective,
there are other methods of whitening teeth. Bonding, when a thin coating
of composite material is applied to the front of a person's teeth and
then cured with a blue light can be performed to mask the staining. A
veneer can also mask tooth discoloration.