Teeth Basics

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• QWhat can I do for my baby's oral health if I am a new mother?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  Begin cleaning your baby’s mouth during the first few days after birth by wiping the gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth. As soon as teeth appear, decay can occur. 
  
  Your child’s baby teeth are at risk for decay as soon as they first appear -- which is typically around age six months. As soon as your child’s first tooth appears, it’s time to schedule a dental visit. The ADA recommends that the first dental visit take place within six months after the first tooth appears, but no later than a child’s first birthday. 

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• QWhat are the parts of a tooth?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  

  If you've ever wondered about the parts of the tooth, watch this video to see Dr. Maria Lopez Howell explain what each part is called and how it functions.

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• QWhat are impacted teeth?

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  A RealAge answered

  An impacted tooth is a tooth that doesn't grow through the gum tissue normally. Instead of breaking through the gum as it grows, the tooth becomes stuck below the gum tissue or bone. This can happen if there isn't enough room for the tooth to come in. For example, most people get their wisdom teeth between the ages of 17 to 21. Often, these teeth don't grow in completely due to lack of space. Instead, they can become twisted or push other teeth out of place, or they can become stuck against other teeth. To avoid problems, wisdom teeth are commonly removed. People with impacted teeth may have no pain or other symptoms. Other times, an impacted or partially impacted tooth can cause pain, headaches, swelling, and can even lead to infection and other symptoms. Regular visits to your dentist, including dental x-rays, can help you and your dentist identify an impacted tooth before it becomes a problem. If you have any mouth or dental symptoms, including pain, redness, bad breath, swelling or unexplained headaches, see your doctor or dentist.
• QWhat is dental pulp?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  Dental pulp is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. It lies within the tooth and extends from the crown of the tooth to the tip of the root in the bone of the jaws.

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• QWhat is dentin?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  A tooth is composed of four dental tissues: enamel, dentin and cementum, which are hard or calcified, and pulp, which is soft or noncalcified. The visible part of the tooth is called the crown. It is made of enamel, an extremely hard, non-living substance. Dentin is thet part of the tooth that is beneath enamel and cementum.

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• QWhat are incisors?

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  A Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, DMD , Prosthodontics, answered

  There are two kinds of incisors, lateral and central. The lateral incisors live next to the canines, one per quadrant. The centrals are the two flattest and widest teeth and they dominate (or should ideally dominate) the smile, front and center. (There are also two central incisors on the bottom but, unlike the upper centrals, the lower ones are just part of the lower lineup and aren’t nearly as visible). While their sharp edges are good for cutting, they are vulnerable, and the most likely to be injured. Great centrals are what make a great smile a great smile. If you've got a pair of big, healthy centrals, you've most likely already got a great smile.

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• QWhere can people with special needs get dental care?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  For people with special needs to get dental care, the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations suggests the following tips:

  • Inform the dentist about your special health or financial conditions.
  • Ask if the dentist has training and/or experience in treating patients with your specific condition.
  • Ask if the dentist has an interest in treating patients with your specific condition.
  • Find out if the dentist participates in your dental benefit plan (dental insurance program.)
  • Ask if the dental facility is accessible to the disabled.

  In addition, the Council suggests that patients with special needs:

  • Call or write the dental director at your state department of public health.
  • Contact the nearest dental school clinic or hospital dental department, especially if it is affiliated with a major university.
  • Contact the Special Care Dentistry (Formerly Federation of Special Care Organizations in Dentistry), the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry for a referral.
  • Also, the National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse may have useful information.
  • Contact the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped (NFDH), a charitable affiliate of the American Dental Association. The NFDH, via several programs, facilitates the provision of comprehensive dental care for needy disabled, elderly, and medically compromised individuals.
  • Dentists and dental institutions organizing or participating in voluntary projects that care for uninsured and underserved patients will find information, and grant opportunities through Volunteers in Health Care (VIH).

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• QWhat is a minor tooth fracture?

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  A RealAge answered

  Minor tooth fractures can be easily treated by a dentist. Sometimes, minor fractures do not need to be treated if they do not cause pain. A dentist may recommend a filling to restore the tooth and prevent further breakage. Minor tooth fractures might occur from eating hard foods, playing sports, or osteoporosis (a disease of bone loss). This is why frequent visits to your dentist are isimportant. Your dentist examines your teeth closely and can detect these small cracks and treat them before they develop.
• QWhat are molar teeth for?

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  A Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, DMD , Prosthodontics, answered

  The first and second molars are the largest teeth in the mouth. They're mostly used for mashing food into small pieces, which helps our digestive system run more smoothly. But, because they're so far back and more difficult to reach cleaning-wise, they're the likeliest to develop decay and those gingival pockets. Therefore, they're also the most common to require root canals, crowns and bridges. But without your molars, your face could basically collapse. The posterior molars support the front teeth vertically. Losing them would place all the pressure on your front teeth, and over time, the lower jaw would just close in, leaving the lower part of your face with no support. If this isn't a good enough reason to pay special attention to them, I don't know what is.  Next to those are the eight premolars, two on each side, top and bottom.

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• QWhat can cause tooth discoloration?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Kids can develop discolored teeth if they take tetracycline (or if their mothers take it while they're pregnant), so choose different antibiotics to prevent speckled teeth. White spots on teeth are usually a sign of enamel breakdown, decalcification, and too much fluoride.

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