Knowing the different parts of a tooth can help us better understand our teeth and hopefully take better care of them! Here are the different parts of a tooth.

Enamel

The outermost layer of your tooth is made up of enamel, which is the hardest substance in the human body. The visible part of your tooth that the enamel covers is called the crown of the tooth.

Tooth enamel is your tooth’s first defense against decay and bacteria. Although it can’t regrow once it’s been fully formed, it can re-mineralize, helping it remain strong against cavities that result from tooth decay.

Enamel is translucent, shiny, and protects your teeth from decay and sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures!

Cementum

Cementum is a hard tissue covering your tooth roots, or the part of the tooth that rests below the gumline. This material is typically a pale yellowish color.

Although not as sturdy as enamel, it does have a bone-like consistency. When cementum
becomes exposed due to gum recession, it can be extremely sensitive to hot and cold, making tooth sensitivity a symptom of receding gum tissue.

Dentin

Like cementum, dentin isn’t as hard as enamel. Unlike cementum, dentin makes up the majority of your tooth.

Dentin rests underneath your enamel and cementum and maintains a bone-like consistency
much like cementum. Dentin protects the inner chamber of the tooth, which contains the pulp, and can be extremely sensitive to both bacteria and temperatures if the enamel is not there to cover it.

This is why people who have compromised tooth enamel due to decay or teeth grinding tend to have more cavities and sensitive teeth.

Pulp

The pulp is in the heart of the tooth and contains the only soft tissue of the tooth. Everything the tooth needs to live is in the pulp, including its blood supply and nerves.
The pulp resides in two places: the pulp chamber, which is in the crown of the tooth, and the pulp canals, which extend down into the roots of the tooth.

The tooth’s pulp is an extremely sensitive area that is susceptible to infection if it becomes
damaged, which can lead to the death of the tooth. If this happens, you’ll likely need root canal therapy to keep your tooth, or an extraction may be required.

Understanding more about your tooth’s structure can help you better understand how decay works and how important it is to protect your teeth from damage. Eating a healthy nutritious diet and keeping up with your oral care routine can help your teeth do what they do naturally—resist bacteria and tooth decay for a healthy smile!

The post Smile 101: What Are the Different Parts of a Tooth? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

These third molars are well known for causing problems in the mouth. Over time, humans have
had less of a need for wisdom teeth and so our jaws have compensated for this. Unfortunately,
many people still have wisdom teeth even though they’re not needed.

Does everyone need to get their wisdom teeth out eventually? The answer may surprise you!

When Wisdom Teeth Are Impacted

Wisdom teeth will need to come out when they are impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth happen
when there’s no room for the teeth to properly erupt into your mouth. These wisdom teeth
end up pushing on the neighboring teeth, therefore forcing all of the teeth out of position if
they’re left to grow.

Another problem with impacted wisdom teeth is that sometimes due to their skewed position
in the mouth, they can’t erupt through the gumline all the way. They effectively get stuck.
These teeth become almost impossible to brush and can cause pain and infections. When
wisdom teeth are impacted, they’ll most likely need to be removed.

No Problems, No Extraction

Not everyone will need to have their wisdom teeth removed. If your jaw is large enough to
accommodate all of your wisdom teeth and they begin erupting with no problems, there’s
really no reason to remove your wisdom teeth. If you’re not having any symptoms and an x-ray
shows the teeth are in healthy positions, your dentist likely won’t recommend an extraction.

Although the majority of people do end up having their wisdom teeth removed, there is a small
percentage of people who can keep their wisdom teeth without any problems. A professional
and experienced dentist can help you know what your options are when your wisdom teeth
begin to come in.

How to Tell if an Extraction Is Necessary

There are a couple ways to tell if wisdom tooth extraction is necessary. The first is getting
dental x-rays around the time that your wisdom teeth will be coming in. Your dentist can look
at the x-rays and tell whether or not your wisdom teeth are impacted. X-rays can show your
wisdom teeth even when they’re not visible in your mouth.

If you’re having any symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth, it’s time to see your dentist for an
evaluation. Signs and symptoms of wisdom teeth that may need to be removed include jaw
pain or swelling, bleeding or swollen gums around the site, headaches, or a bad taste in your
mouth. All of these could be indicative of an infection or a problem with your wisdom teeth.

Although not everyone will need to have their wisdom teeth out, you should never ignore
wisdom tooth pain. If you haven’t seen the dentist in a while and your wisdom teeth are
coming in, it’s time to get x-rays. Getting your wisdom teeth extracted before they cause
problems with your other teeth is best. If your wisdom teeth are healthy, your dentist can
advise you how to best take care of them for life!

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They Were Essential to Our Ancestors

Wisdom teeth likely became part of the human jaw on account of our distant ancestors. These people ate a diet that consisted of lots of raw, crunchy foods such as roots, plants, and nuts. Even meat could be difficult to consume for people who lacked the proper utensils! These third molars were present in people who had larger jaws than we did. Over thousands of years, our jaws and our faces have actually gotten smaller. We no longer have the need for huge jaws with lots of teeth. Although our ancestors likely found wisdom teeth to be a great help when chewing their food and preventing their teeth from wearing down too much, today, wisdom teeth are really no longer needed.

Evolution Has Rendered Them Unnecessary

On account of our smaller jaws, there’s no longer room for an additional four large molars in our jaws. Although wisdom teeth come in at a time when the jaw is fully developed, there still just isn’t much use for them today. Our foods have also gotten easier to eat. No longer do we need to crunch on raw roots and plants when we have the ability to cook meals and cut up our meat for easy consumption. Today, wisdom teeth do more harm than good to the majority of people. Wisdom teeth often become impacted in modern humans. Impacted wisdom teeth do not have enough room to erupt through the jaw and end up crowding the other teeth or causing pain. In fact, impacted wisdom teeth have been happening to humans for centuries. The oldest case dates back to the skeleton of a woman found in France who lived 15,000 years ago! Her remains showed severely impacted third molars.

Wisdom Teeth Today

35% of people never even develop wisdom teeth. The possible cause of this is because evolution may be phasing them out again, as modern humans no longer need wisdom teeth. Some people may develop less than four wisdom teeth. It’s rare to have more than four, however. Wisdom teeth cause of host of problems to people today. They can cause infection if they don’t erupt through the gumline all the way. They are difficult to brush, can cause jaw pain, crowded teeth, and ruin orthodontic work.

It’s no wonder that many people find removing their wisdom teeth is a simple solution to experiencing pain, discomfort, or crooked teeth from impaction. Although wisdom teeth were certainly helpful at one point, wisdom teeth are commonly removed today. Our ancestors used their third molars to help them consume foods that were essential to their health. Now, we have smaller jaws and less room for wisdom teeth than our descendants did!

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Encourage Your Child to Wiggle the Tooth

Before you do any work, encourage your child to do it for you. Many children are fascinated by loose teeth and want to be involved in the process of losing them—so let them! Teach your child how to gently wiggle the tooth back and forth with their tongue or a clean finger. Show them how to be gentle and never forceful with the tooth.

Use a Clean Material and Anchor the Tooth

Once the tooth is extremely loose (and maybe even hanging!), it’s time to consider pulling it. Before attempting to pull, choose a clean material such as some gauze or a clean cloth and gently feel the tooth with it. You’ll be able to feel how loose the tooth actually is, and ask your child if he or she feels any pain—pulling the tooth shouldn’t be painful for the child, and if it is, don’t move forward with the pulling!

Pull with a Twisting Motion

If your child’s tooth is extremely loose and ready to be pulled, grasp the tooth firmly while still holding the gauze or cloth around the tooth. You want to pull the tooth firmly and quickly with a twisting motion. Your child’s tooth should come right out with some bleeding. Your child might be frightened at first, but this is a good opportunity to teach him or her how to hold gauze over the area and stop the bleeding—good skills for future use!

When to Pull and Not to Pull

It’s important to remember that baby teeth shouldn’t be taken out prematurely if it can be avoided—best to let them come out on their own! However, some baby teeth won’t come out and will need to be pulled by your dentist. Never force a pulling, and it’s always best to consult your dentist before attempting any at-home pulls with your child!

You can attempt to pull your child’s loose tooth when:

 The tooth is very loose.

 The tooth is dangling in the socket.

 The tooth poses a risk for choking as it’s so loose it could fall out while the child is sleeping.

You should not pull your child’s tooth if:

 Your child complains that touching or pulling the tooth hurts.

 The tooth is still firmly in the socket.

 The tooth is somewhat loose, but not very.

Losing teeth can be a fun time for children, so schedule a visit with your dentist to talk about best practices when it comes to losing teeth. This is an excellent time to teach your children how to take proper care of their smiles and learn about how important their future adult teeth are!

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Get That Cavity Filled

If your tooth decay is confined to a cavity or two, you can easily call your dentist and have him or her fill in the cavity with a non-mercury filling. You’ll have the choice of different materials when it comes to your filling, and your dentist can help you decide which one is right for you. Often, a composite resin material is best to fill those cavities and match the natural color of your teeth. You may also choose from glass ionomer or porcelain or ceramic fillings, the pros and cons of which you can discuss with your dentist.

Fluoride Treatments

If your decay is extensive or spreading throughout your mouth, a fluoride treatment could be beneficial! Fluoride can help to strengthen your enamel, and this mineral is found in many conventional toothpastes. Fluoride treatments can help your teeth to resist the bad bacteria and strong acids that lead to the erosion of your enamel. During this treatment, the fluoride is simply applied to your teeth to help re-mineralize them and help them resist decay naturally. You can talk with your dentist to discover if a fluoride treatment would benefit you.

Root Canals

If your tooth decay has spread to the center of your tooth (where your tooth’s nerves are), you may need to have a root canal procedure done to remove the decay or infection and replace it with a synthetic material. This can effectively halt the decay process and save your natural tooth, therefore avoiding an extraction. Your root canal procedure will be finished with a crown or filling to further protect your tooth.

Extractions

Unfortunately, there are times when the decay is extensive, so an extraction (or several extractions) are your dentist’s only option for your treatment. With proper care and regular checkups of your teeth, you may never need extractions for tooth decay. If you have poor oral hygiene habits and have been putting off the dentist, however, you may need extractions to treat your tooth decay.

Diet

Our diet plays a huge role in our oral health, and you can help your tooth decay to heal naturally by ensuring that you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D, all of which play vital roles in keeping our smiles healthy. Healthy fats and omega-3s can help to prevent decay and heal existing decay. Remember, processed foods and sugar are terribly for your teeth, and are the main contributors to tooth decay.

Treating tooth decay doesn’t have to painful. You can prevent tooth decay by eating healthy, getting regular checkups, and of course, brushing and flossing. For those times when you have a cavity or are concerned about tooth decay, visit your dentist for treatment!

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Causes

If you experience chronic dry mouth, there could be several culprits behind it. One of these is medication. Depending on which medications you’re taking, many of them can be responsible for causing a lack of saliva production. These include psychiatric meds as well as hypertension or even incontinence medications. If you suspect one of your medications (or several) are causing your dry mouth, talk with your doctor about what you can do. Smoking can also cause dry mouth, as can being dehydrated. Many people don’t drink enough water. Aim to get at least five or six glasses a day, more if it’s warm outside and you’re active!

Symptoms

Symptoms of chronic dry mouth include feeling thirsty often, having dry lips or even having sores in your mouth. You may also experience a sticky feeling in your mouth, dry throat, a red tongue, bad breath, and even problems swallowing. While some of these symptoms may seem minor, others—such as trouble swallowing and sores in the mouth—can become bigger problems. And no one likes having bad breath! If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms chronically, you could have chronic dry mouth. It’s time to visit your doctor as well as your dentist to see what you can do for your dry mouth.

Finding Relief

One of the easiest things you can do for instant relief is to begin drinking more water. Carry a bottle with you and sip throughout the day. To address your chronic dry mouth, visit your doctor if you suspect the cause is medication. There might be a different medication you can try or perhaps a different dose. There are also medications and rinses that can help your body produce more saliva. Other simple steps you can take are to add a vaporizer to your bedroom, minimize the amount of caffeine or alcohol you consume (both act as dehydrators), and avoid foods that are corrosive to your teeth to prevent further damage.

While having a dry mouth may not seem like a big issue, consider that having a chronic dry mouth can wreak havoc on your teeth. Saliva is meant to nourish our teeth, balance our good and bad bacteria, and prevent plaque from forming. When you have minimal saliva present, your teeth are more at risk for problems that wouldn’t normally develop without the presence of a dry mouth. It’s vital to talk with your dentist to see what you can do to treat your dry mouth before it damages your smile!

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Bacteria – Nails are usually the dirtiest part of a person’s hands (which isn’t a clean part of the body to begin with). Spreading bacteria in your mouth is terrible for your teeth as bacteria growth contributes to plaque buildup and tooth decay.

Wear and Fractures – When a person bites his or her nails, teeth wear unevenly. There is also a risk for fracture because pressure is concentrated on just one part of a tooth surface while trying to bite through the nail.

Promotes Bruxism – Repeatedly biting down on your nails, especially if you do so when stressed, can actually train your body to grind your teeth in times of stress. Teeth grinding, or bruxism can wear away enamel and cause jaw pain.

TMJ Disorder – A severe habit of nail biting can result in jaw problems as the jaw is clenched when a person is biting hard on their nails. The resulting condition, TMJ disorder, can be very painful.

Is this list of consequences enough to convince you to stop biting your nails? What if the problem now is that it is a deeply ingrained habit? How can you break free?

Tips to Help Break the Habit

Here are a few things you can try in order to stop biting your nails.

Stress management – Often, nail biting is a response to stress. Stress management techniques can help reduce the underlying cause of the nail biting.

Keep nails trimmed short – Sometimes, it may be as simple as not giving yourself much to bite on.

Treat yourself – Go out and get a manicure. Maybe the expense and well-groomed nails will be enough encouragement to leave them alone.

Polish – Whether you use a colored or clear polish, if you can find one that tastes really bad, that may help you catch yourself when you start to bite your nails without thinking about it.

Regardless of what you need to do to stop, know that you are doing it for a good reason. Nail biting is tough on your teeth. Quitting the habit may save your thousands in dental work in the future.

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What Situations Call for Root Canal Microsurgery?

– When nonsurgical procedures alone cannot save the tooth

– Diagnostic purposes – sometimes problems persist with a tooth even when nothing appears on an x-ray. This may be the case with tiny fractures or if the infection is in a very small canal that cannot be reached with a nonsurgical procedure.

– Calcium deposits – Such deposits can constrict the canals of the roots. This may make it impossible to reach the end of an infected canal with a nonsurgical procedure.

– Root canal follow-up – While this is not a common occurrence, a tooth on which a successful root canal has been performed may get infected again months or even years later. Or the tooth may become diseased, fail to heal, or continue to be painful. If this is the case, an apicoectomy can help save the tooth.

– When bone or root surfaces are damaged

How is an Apicoectomy Performed?

This form of endoscopic microsurgery involves going in through the gums to remove the infected material and the root-tip. The end of the canal may be sealed with a filling. The gums will be stitched closed allowing for proper healing to take place. Eventually, the bone itself will heal and encase the end of the root once again. This may take several months.

Should You Be Concerned?

As far as surgical procedures go, an apicoectomy is very minor. The procedure should not hurt at all thanks to the local anesthetics that are administered. The pain the tooth is causing should be relieved by the procedure. Pain medication may be provided to help with any discomfort while the gums heal from the incision.

Is There Anything Else I can Do?

If your dentist recommends an apicoectomy, likely the only solutions are the procedure or extraction of the tooth. Since root canal microsurgery can preserve the tooth indefinitely, it is certainly a better option than losing the tooth. Especially since extraction usually means a bridge or implant, root canal surgery can often be a cost-effective solution as well.

In the end, there is nothing better than a natural tooth, even with the great advancements in modern replacements. Therefore, it just makes sense to opt for root canal surgery if there is reasonable hope of preserving the tooth.

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Tobacco use is one of the primary things that increases the risk of oral cancer. In fact, the risk increases the longer a person has used tobacco produces and directly correlates to how heavily tobacco is used.Both smoking and chewing put a person at risk.

Heavy alcohol drinking also increases risk. In fact, the combination of heavy tobacco and alcohol use can double a person’s odds of getting oral cancer.

The Effects of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that is primarily associated with cervical cancer in women. However, researchers have linked HPV with an increased risk of oral cancers as well. HPV is the most common STD, and individuals infected with it often get it again. Cancer risk increases with the number of times that a person is infected with the disease.

The Role of Age and Gender

Men are twice as likely to experience oral cancer as women are. This is primarily attributed to lifestyle since men are more likely to be heavy habitual smokers or drinkers.

Age is also a factor when it comes to oral cancer. The average age at which this health condition is diagnosed is 62. About 2/3 of people with oral cancer are over the age of 55

Decreasing Oral Cancer Risk

While there are a few risk factors that cannot be controlled, such as several rare genetic factors, the majority of behaviors that contribute to oral cancer are lifestyle choices. Tobacco use is the main factor, but quitting now can stop your odds from continuing to increase.

The same holds true of heavy drinking and risky sexual practices. In each case, the risk of cancer is increased by frequency. If a person were to quit smoking and drinking (or at least only drink in moderation) and practice safe sex, he or she would be able to stop their odds of being diagnosed with oral cancer from continuing to increase.

The longer these practices are continued, the greater the risk, so taking positive action today is the best way to save your mouth in the future. Don’t forget to keep your regular dental appointments as early detection is the key to successful treatment of oral cancer.

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The “Don’t” List

Here are some of the things you need to avoid. These are the main culprits when it comes to staining teeth.

Quit Smoking – Smoking is the absolute worst thing you can do for the coloration of your teeth. Nothing else will stain teeth faster than cigarette smoke. Quitting is not easy, but this is just one more reason to do it.

Foods to Avoid – Try to keep foods with dark pigmentation to a minimum. For example, ice pops or hard candies that are filled with dark dyes will stain your teeth. You know the ones we mean. They turn your tongue, teeth, and lips blue, green, or purple.

Beverages to Avoid – Unfortunately, favorites like coffee, black tea, colas, and red wine are all tough on tooth coloration. Keep reading for some tips on how to enjoy your favorite beverages safely.

The “Do” List

Here are some things that you can do to keep your teeth white for as long as possible.

Use a Straw – Try having your coffee or tea iced. Drinking it through a straw will minimize contact with front teeth. Less time on the enamel means less time for staining to take place.

Brush Often – If you brush your teeth after each meal, you keep those stain-causing foods and drinks from staying in contact with your teeth.

Rinse or Drink Water – If you can’t brush, rinsing with or drinking water is the next best thing. Just get as much food and drink off your teeth as possible until the next time you can get to a toothbrush.

Get a Touch Up – If you follow the suggestions here, touch ups may be a year or two apart. If you can’t stay away from your regular cup of coffee (without a straw) or other staining habits, you may need to get a touch up every six months. Your dentist can recommend a schedule to help maintain the pearly whiteness of your smile.

If you follow the tips here, you can flash a glistening, white smile every time a camera comes out.

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