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When you see abbreviations like AACD or FAGD after a dentist's name, what does that mean to you as a patient? Should you choose a dentist with a DMD, or a DDS? Are dentists with MAGD after their names superior to those without this designation? And what...
My son was hit in the mouth with a bat and his front permanent tooth was knocked out. What should I do? My daughter fell and bumped her front baby tooth and now it's dark. Is it dead? My son chipped his front tooth. How difficult will it be...
My daughter is terrified of all doctors. How will she do if she needs a filling? When given appropriate and truthful information, most children do well with their dentist. Since kids can easily sense fear or concern in their parents, let your dentist work...
Why are dental fees so high? When compared to other medical fees, dental fees are actually low. In fact, unlike most medical costs, dental fees have not kept pace with inflation. As with all other businesses, dental offices are faced with increasing cost...
Want to get the most from your dental benefit plan? You'll need to learn the lingo. Understanding your dental insurance is the key to maximizing the benefits that it offers. But like anything, you must have a basic understanding of some of the key terms...
Periodontal disease is an infection of the teeth, gums, and the bone that surrounds the teeth. Most people who have periodontal disease aren't even aware of it. It's rarely painful, especially in the early stages. The main cause of periodontal disease is...
After root canal treatment, the tooth is weak and brittle. It is weak because the center of the tooth was removed to get at the infected nerve; only the sides of the tooth are left for support. And it is more brittle because the nerve and blood supply are...
When a filling reaches the end of its life, it's time to consider an alternative. Usually it's best to switch to a crown. Unlike a filling, a crown covers and protects a damaged tooth and can keep it from breaking. The edges of these small fillings have...
If you have a lower denture, you probably know how hard it can be to eat comfortably. When lower teeth are lost, the bone in the jaw continually recedes. Even worse, there are nerves passing through these holes in the jaw that can end up on the surface of...
Occasionally, a patient just isn't able to comfortably wear an upper denture. He may complain of constant pain or a persistent "gaggy" feeling. Or he might say his upper dentures just don't stay in place. Simply put, for these people, the transition from...
An upper partial denture can be a good way to replace missing teeth. When remaining teeth are saved and a partial denture is installed, you will chew more comfortably and have a healthier mouth. This is a typical upper denture. Notice how the metal clasp...
An implant is an excellent way to replace a missing tooth and keep a good-looking smile. A dental implant is a small titanium cylinder that's surgically inserted into the bone of the jaw to replace the root of a missing tooth. An artificial tooth is attac...
Malocclusion is the dental term for teeth that don't fit together properly. Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that corrects malocclusions. The size of teeth and how they fit into a person's jaw are inherited traits. Some people are lucky and natura...
An overdenture fits over your teeth after they have been specially prepared. From the outside, an overdenture looks the same as a regular denture. But under the denture, there is a difference. Some of your natural teeth are retained, and the overdenture f...
Placing a bridge after a tooth has been lost can prevent a chain reaction of problems that would affect your entire mouth....
As with other forms of cancer, the chances of surviving oral cancer are greatly increased when you catch it in its early stages. In fact, survival rates are as high as 81 percent when oral cancer is detected early, compared to a survival rate of 17 percen...
Losing your teeth, no matter what the reason, can be a traumatic experience. And dentures, particularly a full set, can give you some problems in the beginning. Here are some tips to make the adjustment period more comfortable for you: When you first get...
In science classes we learned that acid is a dangerous substance. The acids in our mouth are no different; they 're a primary cause of tooth decay, also called cavities. The enemy in the fight to prevent cavities is plaque. Plaque is the sticky film of f...
Teeth are primarily made up of hard minerals like calcium. If you were to look at the outer enamel layer of your tooth under a powerful microscope, you would see that it is made up of long, narrow crystals that look like spikes. The main component of thes...
A precision partial denture replaces missing teeth and restores your bite with a better fit and appearance than traditional partial dentures. Traditional dentures use clasps to hold them in place. Though these clasps do a fair job of holding a partial de...
You're probably familiar with the damage acid can do. The acid caused by plaque in your mouth can be a big problem too. Plaque is the sticky film of food and bacteria that forms constantly on your teeth....
When the nerve of a tooth becomes infected, root canal treatment can save the tooth. How do you know if you have an infected tooth? Some of the signs are heat and cold sensitivity, swelling and pain, or a bad taste in your mouth. Or, you may experience no...
While it's true that a crown protects and strengthens a tooth, sometimes a crowned tooth will get a cavity below the crown. Cavities never come through the crown, but they can get started at the edge where the crown and tooth meet. Unfortunately, this is...
The better your understanding of the decay process, the better equipped you'll be to maintain good dental health. Here's a basic rundown of the tooth decay process, start to finish. Colonies of bacteria First of all, thousands of bacteria exist in your...
Small cavities can be fixed with fillings because there is still plenty of healthy tooth structure. However, large cavities need to be fixed with crowns, because they weaken the tooth. Without a crown to strengthen it, the tooth can break. A crown strengt...
Dentists frequently recommend inlays or onlays to restore damage to the chewing surfaces of back teeth. Both inlays and onlays are pre-formed from a mold so they'll fit your tooth precisely. But what's the difference between the two? Inlays fit within t...
Most dental benefit plans allow you to receive a specified amount of oral health care each year. Before you decide on one plan over another, be sure you know how much treatment is allowed in a given year at no cost to you and how much you will be expected...
Everything wears out eventually, and silver fillings are no exception. They have to endure an incredible amount of biting force, and as they age, they wear down and sometimes break....
It's crucial that you feel comfortable with your dentist. After all, you can feel pretty vulnerable lying prostrate in an exam chair, bright lights glaring into your gaping mouth. You'll feel much better about the whole experience if you trust the person...
Normally, baby teeth come out on their own without any special attention. These permanent teeth are right below the gums, growing directly beneath the baby teeth. As the permanent teeth grow in, the roots of the baby teeth dissolve, and the tooth loosens...
Dentistry has come a long way, but there are still some situations where teeth have been so damaged by decay that they must be removed. Here's an explanation of a situation where a tooth can be saved, followed by a scenario where it cannot....
Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection of the teeth, gums, and the bone that surround the teeth. It's this infection, combined with your body's reaction to it, that causes bone loss. The roots of teeth extend into the bone of the jaw....
Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, are the last teeth to develop. If there's room for them, they usually start to appear in the late teens or early twenties, and that's when problems can begin....
A suburban Chicago man, Mark Trimarco, thinks they should, and he has filed a class-action lawsuit against eight toothbrush manufacturers and the American Dental Association in an attempt to force the issue. The suit, filed in April of 1999, is seeking d...
If you have tooth pain, you can use the chart below to give you some idea as to what the source of the pain might be. Bear in mind, though, that the intention of this chart is not to diagnose your pain; only your dentist can do that. When you contact you...
Know Before You Go Never pierce any part of your body - but particularly your tongue - on a whim. Get the facts, know the risks, find out what's involved. Knowledge is power! Watch it on Quicktime...
When many of your teeth are loose or painful, they may be beyond saving. This condition is usually caused by advanced periodontal disease. Periodontal disease causes bone to be lost; if it's not caught in time, there's so little support for the teeth that...
Some people believe that their problems will be over if they have their teeth removed and get dentures. But instead, as most denture wearers will tell you, this marks the beginning of many new and different problems....
Some cracks in teeth can be a problem, while others are not. This tooth has been cracked for years, and it's not a problem. Other cracks, especially those near fillings, are a problem. The crack on this tooth runs from the edge of the filling up to the...
Until recently, there was only one way to remove small, worn-out fillings or decay in teeth – the traditional dental drill. Today there is a new option that in many cases allows your dentist to work without physically touching the tooth. This new techno...
A lower partial denture is often a good method for replacing missing teeth. When remaining teeth are saved and a partial denture installed, a person will chew better and have a healthier mouth....
This is a Maryland bridge Like other bridges, a Maryland bridge uses adjacent teeth for support. But unlike the others, a Maryland bridge doesn't require extensive reduction of the supporting teeth....
An apicoectomy is a minor surgical procedure that's necessary when root canal treatment hasn't completely healed an infected tooth....
When the nerve of a baby tooth becomes infected, a pulpectomy can save the tooth. As in a root canal in an adult tooth, a pulpectomy involves removal of the infected nerve and the placement of a filling material. Though treatment is individualized in eac...
In primary teeth, when deep cavities are in or close to the nerve, it's sometimes necessary to perform a pulpotomy. A pulpotomy is the removal of the irritated part of the pulp, while leaving the healthy root canals intact. A pulpotomy usually involves th...
When it's wet and rainy outside it's always a good idea to wear a raincoat. When your dentist works on your teeth, he will sometimes use a special kind of a "tooth raincoat" called a rubber dam. A rubber dam is made out of a stretchy, rubbery material....
Normally, as a permanent tooth comes in under a baby tooth, the roots of the baby tooth dissolve away and the permanent tooth replaces the baby tooth....
Using implants to support a bridge is an excellent way to replace missing teeth. Like other bridges, a dental bridge uses abutments for support and to hold it in place....
Plaque is made up of a colony of bacteria that forms on teeth when food particles are not removed on a regular basis. These colonies require a full 24 hours to assemble and gain a foothold on the surface of the tooth, so that with proper oral hygiene, bru...
Looking at the label on most toothpastes, it would seem that you need an advanced degree in biochemistry to decipher the ingredient names. Propylene glycol, sodium bicarbonate, sodium pyrophosphate, anhydrous dicalcium phosphate and dioctyl sodium sulfosu...
My dentist says my 18-year-old daughter has to have her wisdom teeth removed. Do I really need to have this done? Assuming your dentist has examined your daughter, we suspect that her wisdom teeth (often called third molars) don't have enough room to ful...