Monthly Archives: November 2017

dental health

Why You Need to Get a Root Canal

Your teeth are strong, but poor dental care can cause the protective enamel that encases your teeth to break down. When this happens, your teeth become sensitive and more vulnerable to fractures and cavities. This is when your tooth’s root can become infected. Each tooth has soft tissue that runs through the tooth’s canals. The tissue is made up of nerves and blood vessels, which provide vital nourishment to the tooth. When a cavity or fracture is left untreated, that pulpy, soft tissue becomes infected and causes pain – that’s when to get a root canal.

When it comes to root canals, myths abound, and you’ve probably heard them all. It’s been said that root canals hurt, that they cause disease, and that you only need to get one when a tooth is painful. One myth even alleged that root canals cause cancer and other diseases. With stories like that swirling around the world of dental care, it’s no wonder people dread root canals. But there’s good news! All those myths have been busted. So if your dentist sits you down to talk about when to get a root canal, don’t run for the door.

Most of the time, patients notice signs that a tooth requires dental care before their dentist recommends a root canal. The most common symptoms include the following:
Pain when chewing or brushing
Lasting sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures
Tenderness around the tooth and gum
Discoloration of the tooth
Swelling of the gum

Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms, and it can be difficult to know when to get a root canal by dental endodontic instruments. That’s why it is important to schedule regular visits to the dentist and practice healthy habits for good teeth. You can’t see what is happening inside your mouth, but a dentist can.

Root canals are a common procedure used to save your tooth once infection sets in. If untreated, the infection can spread and cause damage to surrounding bone. Once this happens, there’s a greater risk of losing your tooth.

To remove the infection and stop it from spreading, a small opening is created at the top of the tooth. From this opening, the tooth’s nerve is removed from the canal, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned before the canals are filled with a rubber-like material. Filling in the now-empty canals helps to seal them from future infection. Once complete, a temporary filling is placed onto the tooth until a permanent filling or crown is ready.

If you’ve been suffering from tooth pain or sensitivity, don’t hesitate to visit your dentist and learn when to get a root canal. It could protect your tooth and save you a lot of pain and suffering.

dental equipment

The Meaning of Dental Sandblasters

Dental health has improved dramatically with falling rates of tooth decay and attention has now shifted to the needs of an ageing population, with an increased emphasis upon aesthetics – that is, having a full set of sparkling white teeth. Therefore, dental technologists spend much of their time in the lab creating cosmetic dental prostheses such as crowns and implants. This work creates dust and chemical fumes. Without proper protection, exposure to these may risk the health of the dental technologist.

An advance in adhesive dentistry has resulted in sandblasting, to increases micro-retention, being performed as a routine procedure. Instead of wearing a path from the patient’s chair to the office lab to clean excess cement from a patient’s temporary or loosened permanent crown ,or for sandblasting the fitting surface of a crown, bridge inlay or veneer, the procedure is a half- turn away, thanks to the new breed of sandblasters and hookup options.

The uninterrupted patient/doctor exchange is especially beneficial with anxious adult patients – no need to cut the reassuring golf story short for a trip down the hall, leaving the patient alone. Standard hookup kits allow, with a simple male disconnect, access to the dental unit’s air source through the female port. Many dentists have sandblasters with quick disconnects in every operatory, and these space- efficient wonders tuck easily into a drawer.

Dental laboratory equipment–sandblasters are used to increase bond strength by divesting the casting investment and increasing effective surface area as well as polishing the surface of castings. Sandblasters that are used in dental laboratories are enclosed and often operate through a vacuum or via air compressor. Dental laboratory sandblasters are operated via foot pedal and often feature gloves to work through, this keeps everything contained. Sandblasting media can be Aluminum Oxide, glass beads or Silicone Carbide grit. Be sure to choose a dental laboratory sandblaster that employs proper dust retraction.

Dental sandblasters can also be intraoral and used in dental operatories. Also referred to as air abrasion, dental sandblasters can be used instead of dental drills in various procedures. Intraoral dental sandblasters have a variety of angled tips allowing the technician to reach any part of the mouth. These tips should be autoclavable. Be sure that if a product is used intraorally, that it is FDA approved.

dental equipment

How does the High-speed Dental Unit Works

Air driven high-speed dental units are driven by a dental air compressor. The entry-level models all have three handpieces. They all provide a water reservoir. Some will provide a spare airline yoke for a second slow-speed hand-piece or a sonic scaler.

Advantages

Very reliable and versatile, if properly maintained.
Allows the practice to grow into more sophisticated level of work, with appropriate training.
Leads to greater job satisfaction for operators.

Disadvantages

Relatively high initial cost compared to other equipment (circa ￡2,000).

High-speed Hand Piece

The high speed handpiece is capable of up to 400,000 rpm. It takes friction grip burs (FG) and has a water cooling facility for the bur. The water flow supplied to the hand piece can be varied or switched off completely.

The handpiece provides low torque, which causes the bur to stall if pressed too hard onto the tooth (over 1-2 ounces of pressure).

It is used for the drilling of access points into teeth, for high speed sectioning of teeth during extraction and cutting or re-modelling of bone.

The handpiece needs regular lubrication during the session and can be autoclaved.
Air/water Syringe

The air/water syringe has two buttons – one to control water flow and one to control airflow.

It allows a stream of water, air or a fine mist.
Slow Speed Handpiece

The slow speed handpiece has an air-driven motor in the base. It is capable of forward and reverse movement and speeds of up to 30,000 rpm.

The control on the collar controls the speed and direction of the bur.

The slow speed handpiece has a very high torque. It is difficult to stall and can overheat the pulp if used for more than a few seconds on one tooth.

It is very versatile and can accept long HP burs in the nose cone, polishing cups in a prophy angle and, with the contra-angle, right angle (RA) burs or any other type of latch tool. Other latch tools include polishing cups, sanding discs, root canal paste fillers and diamond discs.
Compressor

The size and type of air compressor you may require should be considered at the time of purchase. Reservoirs are available from 4 gallons to 12 gallons supplying between 6-8 cubic feet/min (CFM).

A small compressor has the advantage of being lightweight, quieter and cheaper. However, if asked to work beyond its capacity, it will overheat and cut out. It is often suggested that if the practice intends to perform restorative work it is best to have an oil-less compressor, to prevent oil droplets in the airline contaminating the restorative material.

Compressors are available with motors from 0.5 horsepower (Hp) to a unit with dual 1Hp motors for heavy use.

dental health

The Significance of Dental Intraoral Camera

An intraoral camera is a tool your dentist uses to examine your mouth in as detailed a way as possible. The instrument, which may look like an oversized pen, has a camera that takes high-resolution footage or images of a patient’s mouth and shows the visuals real-time on a monitor—they’re like high-tech versions of the hand mirrors you see in your dentist’s practice.

The intraoral camera enlarges the inside of the teeth to more than 40 times their actual size on a full color screen display. By zooming in on problem areas in affecting the teeth, dentists are capable of seeing much more than they could with the human eye alone. Often, dentists find the beginnings of periodontal disease or tooth decay that would have otherwise gone undetected if examined without the intraoral camera.

The intraoral camera is not just a diagnostic tool, but it also serves as an educational one too. In the past, dentists have struggled to explain dental decay and other health problems to patients. Most people cannot see well into their own mouths, which leaves dentists to drawing diagrams or using props to attempt to explain what is going on in the mouth of their patients.

Intraoral cameras have incredible technological features. With LED lighting, a head that rotates from 0 to 90 degrees, and powerful magnifying capabilities (some cameras can zoom in up to 100x), your dentist can examine your mouth in extreme detail. This means he or she can make diagnoses more accurately. The office can attach these photos to your health record to make tracking any changes simple. Additionally, because the visuals from the intraoral camera appear on the monitor as they’re taken, your dentist can discuss your oral health with you while you both see the images or footage.

The intraoral camera makes record keeping a breeze. Because the camera can take pictures of decay or the beginnings of oral health conditions, images can be printed and placed into patient files. Previously, dentists merely attempted to write an explanation of problems found during exams. Now, dentists can accurately track the progress of treatments or problems for years following a visit.

dental tips

The Tips on Oral Health

Everyone wants to look young and attractive. Practicing good oral health and taking care of your teeth is one of the many ways that can help you achieve a youthful appearance and a younger smile.

Brushing your teeth on a daily basis is the most common practice among the human race. Most dentists recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day and others will support the fact that each one of us should brush or floss after every meal.

If your teeth are not in desirable alignment, this denies you a proper smile. Do not worry – there is still hope. Your dentist will expose you to the numerous procedures you can take to rearrange your teeth.

Crooked teeth are difficult to clean hence a predisposing factor to gum diseases and risk of getting tooth cavities. Apart from having an excellent appearance, straight teeth are healthy teeth.

Wondering how to correct overbite naturally? Some of the best recommendations would be braces or aligners that gradually align your teeth to disable the overbite.

Some foods and drinks contain harmful colours, chemicals, and acids. Soda, coffee, and tea could stain your teeth, so try and avoid drinking too much of it.

If you are a coffee addict, make a habit of brushing your teeth often.

Smoking and drinking too much alcohol can also stain your teeth. You might not notice the stains in its early stages but once visible they are hard to retract.

If you don’t have frequent appointments to the dentist, it means you are probably not experiencing any dental problems. Although, it is a good idea to visit your dentist at least every six months. You can also choose teeth whitening machine.

These visits should entail check-ups and cleanings that will give the dentist a chance to detect any arising dental problems.

The dentist is likely to provide you with more dental tips for a younger smile.

Make it a habit of using fluoridated water as due to its neutrality it washes away residue and doesn’t leave behind any unwanted sugar. Its calorie-free composition keeps you away from risks such as cavities, therefore, keeping the mouth clean.