dental

Dentistry is the branch ofmedicinethat is involved in the study,diagnosis, prevention, and treatment ofdiseases, disorders and conditions of theoral cavity, commonly in thedentitionbut also theoral mucosa, and of adjacent and related structures and tissues, particularly in the maxillofacial (jaw and facial) area.

A Dentists Tool-BeltMost tools of the trade will be visible to you from the dental chair. Since we often fear the unknown, why not learn to identify these tools often used by your dentist?

Mirror, Mirror, on therodthis small, round mirror angled on the end of a metal stick allows the dentist to view the hidden side of teeth.

A little probe here, a little probe therea sickle probe, also known as a dental explorer, is a metal stick with a thin, curved hook. Youll notice the dentist touches the surface of your teeth with this tool to determine the amount of enamel, plaque, and tartar on a tooth and to test the tooths hardness. Periodontal probes look very similar to the sickle probe except the end is blunted. Its design enables a measuring of the amount of space between your gum tissue and toothsigns of gum disease.

The melodious drillsperhaps its the high pitch, but for some reason most people unnecessarily dread the dental drill. Different drills are used for different things, such as filling cavities, repairing chips, smoothing teeth, or removing tooth decay. No wonder it feels like its always running!

Cotton pliersthey look like small tongs with tapered points that bend at an angle. Theyre used to handle cotton or other small items placed in or removed from the mouth. Isnt that better than your dentists fingers?

Excavation by spoonreally its another metal stick-type tool but designed with a tiny spoon shaped end. Variations of this tool allow the dentist to remove different levels of softened decay or temporary fillings.

Spill in aisle 3your head is tilted back and there are dental instruments working in your mouthdont panic! The disposable saliva ejector provides a low amount of suction to remove saliva, blood, water, or debris during procedures.

I saw a blue light The material used in tooth repairs will not harden until exposed to the dental curing light. You may remember it as a blue light with an orange shield.A

TOOTH ANATOMY

Crown the top part of the tooth, and the only part you can normally see. The shape of the crown determines the tooth's function. For example, front teeth are sharp and chisel-shaped for cutting, whilemolarshave flat surfaces for grinding.

Gumline where the tooth and thegumsmeet. Without properbrushingandflossing,plaqueandtartarcan build up at the gumline, leading togingivitisandgum disease.

Root the part of the tooth that is embedded in bone. The root makes up about two-thirds of the tooth and holds the tooth in place.

Enamel the outermost layer of the tooth. Enamel is the hardest, most mineralized tissue in the body yet it can be damaged by decay if teeth are not cared for properly.

Dentin the layer of the tooth under the enamel. If decay is able to progress its way through the enamel, it next attacks the dentin where millions of tiny tubes lead directly to the dentalpulp.

Pulp the soft tissue found in the center of all teeth, where thenervetissue and blood vessels are. Iftooth decayreaches the pulp, you usually feel pain.