Dental Health and Cavities

Cavities occur as a result of tooth decay. Tooth decay is the destruction of tooth structure. Tooth decay can affect both the enamel (the outer coating of the tooth) and the dentin (the inner layer of the tooth). Tooth decay occurs when foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches) such as breads, cereals, milk, soda, fruits, cakes, or candy are left on the teeth. Bacteria that live in the mouth digest these foods, turning them into acids. The bacteria, acid, food debris, and saliva combine to form plaque, which clings to the teeth. The acids in plaque dissolve the enamel surface of the teeth, creating holes in the teeth called cavities, or caries. Who Gets Cavities? Many people think cavities only affect children, but changes that occur with aging make cavities an adult problem too. Recession of the gums (a pulling away of gum tissue from the teeth), often associated with an increased incidence of gingivitis (gum disease), can expose tooth roots to plaque. Also, sugaryfood cravings in pregnant women can make them more vulnerable to developing cavities. Decay around the edges of cavity fillings is also common in older adults. Because many older adults lacked the benefits of fluoride and modern preventive dental care when they were growing up, they often have a number of dental fillings. Over the years, these fillings may weaken and can fracture, allowing bacteria to accumulate in the tiny crevices causing tooth decay.

How Do I Know if I Have a Cavity? Your dentist can discover cavities during your regular dental check-up. The tooth surface feels soft when probed by your dentist with a dental instrument. X-rays can also show cavities before they become visible to the eye. In advanced stages of tooth decay, you might experience a toothache, especially after consuming sweet, hot, or cold foods or drinks. Other signs of tooth decay are visible pits or holes in the teeth. What Is the Treatment for Cavities? There are a number of different treatments for cavities depending on the extent of tooth decay. If decay is not extensive, the decayed portion of the tooth is removed by drilling and replaced with a filling made of silver alloy, gold, porcelain, or a composite resin. Materials used in fillings are considered safe. Concerns have been raised over the safety of mercury-based, silver amalgams in particular, but the American Dental Association (ADA), FDA, and other public health agencies continue to support the safety of this restorative material. Allergies to silver amalgam are rare as are allergies to other restorative materials. If the tooth decay is extensive and there is limited tooth structure remaining, crownswill be used. If a crown is needed, the decayed or weakened area of the tooth is removed and repaired and a crown is fitted over the remainder of the tooth. Crowns are made from gold, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal. If the decay causes the nerve or pulp of the tooth to die, a root canalwill be performed. During a root canal, the center of the tooth (including the nerve, blood vessel, and tissue) is removed along with the decayed portions of the tooth. The roots are then filled with a sealing material. If necessary, a crown can be placed over the filled tooth. Several new cavity treatments are under development. One experimental technique uses fluorescent light to detect the development of cavities long before they can be detected by traditional means, such as xrays or a dental exam. In many cases, if cavities can be detected early, the tooth decay process can be stopped or reversed.

Researchers are also working on a "smart filling" to prevent further tooth decay by slowly releasing fluoride over time around fillings and in adjacent teeth.

Irregular tooth structure

Supernumerary teeth Supernumerary teeth are abnormally developed teeth which are usually hereditary. They can erupt normally or grow towards the opposite direction, and are completely hidden inside the jaw bone. Supernumerary teeth usually appear in the area around upper front teeth. The consequences of having Supernumerary teeth: Disrupt the eruption of permanent teeth. Delay the growth of permanent teeth. Affect the position of the teeth. Cause irregular alignment of teeth. Leong's Premolar There is a projected and fragile tooth structure on the chewing surface of a Leong's premolar. If the projected tooth structure is fractured and left without proper treatment, the pulp of the tooth can be infected by bacteria and become necrotic, and can or even lead to periapical infection, that is an abscess. Fused Teeth

When two teeth are united during the developmental stage by the union of their tooth germs, a fused to will be formed. There will be a groove on the surface of the tooth, and it is commonly found in deciduou front teeth. When there is a deciduous fused tooth, a succeeding permanent tooth may be missing.
Unsteadiness Teeth Teeth that are near the turn of the permanent teeth often experience unsteadiness. Unsteadiness of the teeth caused by a reduction in the length of the roots of teeth due to the insistence of the permanent teeth will grow. If the teeth look very rocking the revocation itself can be done by hand, but if the teeth are still a little unsteadiness while a replacement tooth is seen to grow then immediately go to the dentist to do the revocation. Abnormalities of the Gums Abnormalities of the gums usually caused by bacterial infection. In the beginning is often called gingivitis, and in this situation can still be repaired properly. But if there is persistent bleeding tooth usually will stand out and eventually can be dated by itself. Gum disease have signs as follows: 1. Feeling sick to the teeth with bad breath.

2. The gums look red and looks soft and easy bleeding. 3. Tooth loss accompanied by pain when chewing and are sensitive to temperature changes. 4. Accumulation of brown tartar, and hardened on the tooth surface. If that situation occurs then immediately go to the dentist, so do the cleaning of tartar and the dentist will give you some suggestions as to maintain good oral hygiene, avoiding smoking and balanced nutrition.

About Halitosis
One thing about halitosis is that even your best friend wont tell you. Thats what they used to say about one of the most personal and often embarrassing problems commonly faced by millions of people. It is true that this can be a delicate subject. This website is about halitosis, usually referred to as chronic bad breath, and anyone can have it no matter how carefully he or she takes care of their teeth and overall health. What can a person do about halitosis; how can they prevent it or eliminate it? Can that, in fact, be done? Whatever you might need to know about halitosis can be found here. Halitosis.com is designed to provide a resource for all questions about halitosis. It is a place to find answers about halitosis causes, treatments and possible cures. Because attitudes about halitosis tend to be less than serious, it has been difficult in the past to find clear, appropriate and useful information about halitosis. The facts are, however, that although it is rarely caused by or representative of a serious medical condition, it occasionally can be. Whether it turns out that the specifics about halitosis that is affecting you prove to be totally harmless or issues that require medical attention, you certainly have good reason to be well informed about them. One of the basic things to understand about halitosis is that it is not a uniform, consistent condition. It can vary in several ways including but not limited to intensity, type and the occurrence of associated symptoms. Most people dont know that about halitosis. Another common misconception about halitosis is that the causes are limited to what you eat and how well you take care of your teeth and gums. That is a potentially dangerous assumption. If you have bad breath, while unpleasant, is always harmless, that may prevent you from seriously examining your own condition and learning more about halitosis. In fact, there are many causes of this problem.

Food and Halitosis

Yes, it can be caused by what you eat; garlic or onions are perfect examples of that. This type of halitosis is called physiological halitosis, meaning that it is caused by chemical processes generated by anaerobic bacteria in the mouth or throat. Some other causes are likewise minor and pose no significant threat to your state of health. However, the more about halitosis you know, the more likely you are to look for a specific cause because some of them are indeed serious and do pose risks to your health. These types of halitosis caused by these factors are called pathological halitosis. Basically, what you need to know about halitosis of this type is that it is systemic in origin and denotes some form of functional disorder or disease.

Halitosis Treatment
Unfortunately, there is not one simple test that can identify all the causes of or provide all of the pertinent information about halitosis of a pathological origin. The causes of the problem can range from dysfunctional conditions of the various organs like the lungs or the kidneys, to dental issues like gum disease, dry socket and others. It can also be a result of nasal and throat conditions like sinusitis to name just one. If you are affected by this condition, you no doubt want to know as much as possible about halitosis, its causes and treatment options. You take it seriously. So does about Halitosis .com. Our goal is to provide useful and easy to understand information that will help you learn about halitosis and what you can do about it.

ORAL CANCER

Oral cancer can form in any part of the mouth or throat. Most oral cancers begin in the tongue and in the floor of the mouth. Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, over age 40, use tobacco or alcohol or have a history of head or neck cancer. Frequent sun exposure is also a risk for lip cancer. Symptoms of oral cancer include White or red patches in your mouth A mouth sore that won't heal Bleeding in your mouth Loose teeth Problems or pain with swallowing A lump in your neck An earache

Oral cancer treatments may include surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Some patients have a combination of treatments.

Gingivitis Overview
Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums surrounding the teeth. Gingivitis is one of many periodontal diseases that affect the health of the periodontium (those tissues that surround the teeth and include the gums, soft tissues, and bone). Periodontal diseases are often classified according to their severity. They range from mild gingivitis, to more severe periodontitis, and finally acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, which can be life threatening. Bacteria can cause inflammation of the gums. Although bacteria are normally found in our bodies and provide protective effects most of the time, bacteria can be harmful. The mouth is a great place for bacteria to live. The warm, moist environment and constant food supply are everything bacteria need to thrive. If not for a healthy immune system, bacteria in the mouth would rapidly reproduce out of control, overwhelming the body's defense system. An infection begins when the body's immune system is overwhelmed. Gingivitis is an infection that occurs when bacteria invade soft tissues, bone, and other places that bacteria should not be. At the moment of infection, bacteria no longer help us, they begin to harm us. Infections, like other diseases, range from mild to severe or life threatening.

Gingivitis Causes
Gingivitis is considered to be a bacterialinfection of the gums. The exact reason why gingivitis develops has not been proven, but several theories exist. For gingivitis to develop, plaque must accumulate in the areas between the teeth. This plaque contains large numbers of bacteria thought to be responsible for gingivitis. But it is not simply plaque that causes gingivitis. Almost everyone has plaque on their teeth, but only a few develop gingivitis.

It is usually necessary for the person to have an underlying illness or take a particular medication that renders their immune system susceptible to gingivitis. For example, people with leukemia and Wegner disease have changes in the blood vessels of their gums that allow gingivitis to develop. Other people with diabetes, Addison disease, HIV, and other immune system diseases lack the ability to fight bacteria invading the gums. Sometimes hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy, puberty, and steroid therapy leave the gums vulnerable to bacterial infection. A number of medications used for seizures, high blood pressure, and organtransplants can suppress the immune system and change the structure of the gums enough to permit bacterial infection.

Gingivitis Symptoms
Swelling, redness, pain, and bleeding of the gums are signs of gingivitis. The breath begins to take on a foul odor. The gums begin to lose their normal structure and color. The gums, which were once strong and pink, begin to recede and take on a beefy red, inflamed color. Inflammation-a complex system by which bacteria-fighting cells of the body are recruited to an area of bacterial infection-plays a major role in gingivitis. It is this inflammation of the gums that accounts for most of the symptoms of gingivitis. o When bacteria first begin to invade the gums, proteins present in the saliva and soft tissues called antibodies coat the bacteria and weaken it, making it an easy target for the body's immune system. The cells that encounter the bacteria first attempt to kill it and, in the mean time, release chemicals into the bloodstream to call other cells to their aid. One particular cell called a macrophage is responsible for ingesting the bacteria and dissolving it with chemicals. This system works nicely, but it is not terribly efficient. While the invading bacteria are destroyed, chemicals used by the immune system cells to kill them are spilled into the surrounding tissues. This not only kills the bacteria but damages the nearby connective tissues and cells of the gums as well. The body sees this inflammation as a small price to pay for stopping the bacteria. This process will continue until the source of the infection is removed.