Toothspot - All About Teeth

Sports Dentistry     Sports Dentistry is the treatment and prevention of oral / facial athletic injuries. Dental injuries are actually the most common type of facial injuries sustained during athletic participation. Mouthguards A mouthguard is a plastic appliance worn in the mouth during physical activity which helps in preventing injuries to the teeth, tongue, lips and jaw. Sports related dental injuries are often very traumatic; not only are they painful, but costly as well. Mouthguards offer excellent protection at a relatively small price. No matter which variety you go with, what's important is that it fits and is comfortable. It's estimated that an avulsed (knocked-out) tooth will run you between $10,000 -15,000 in dental bills over your lifetime. .. .not to mention all those enjoyable hours in the waiting room! The Three  Types of Mouthguards  Stock Mouthguards: These are the least expensive of the group, available at most sport stores

Tongue Anatomy      The inside of your mouth is covered by a delicate lining of mucous membrane. It is kept moist and lubricated by saliva, which is produced in three pairs of salivary glands in your mouth. These are the sublingual glands located under your tongue, the submandibular glands located in the floor of your mouth, and the parotid glands located above the angle of your jaw. Your tongue is composed of a complex system of muscles that enable it to move food around as you chew. The surface of your tongue is covered with hair-like projections called papillae with groups of tastebuds arranged in clusters around them. Your tastebuds can distinguish four main types of flavors: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The majority of disorders affecting the mouth and tongue are not serious and are easy to treat. However, because it is possible for malignancies to form there, you should consult your physician or dentist of any condition persisting for more than two weeks.  We'r

Dental Terms to Impress Your Dentist Blood vessels - carry nutrients to the tooth. Bone - alveolar bone which forms the tooth socket and provides the tooth with support. Cemento-enamel junction - the line where the enamel and cementum meet. Cementum - thin layer of bone-like tissue covering the root of the tooth. Dentin - the hard yellow tissue underlying the enamel and cementum, making up the bulk of the tooth. Enamel - the hard, white outer layer of the tooth. Gingiva - the gums. Nerves - relay signals such as pain to and from your brain. Periodontal Ligament - the connective tissue which surrounds the tooth and connects it to bone. Pulp - located in the center of the tooth, it contains the blood vessels and nerves. Root canal - canal in the root of the tooth where the nerves and blood vessels pass. Tooth Structure The portion of the tooth visible in the mouth is called the crown. The crown is covered with enamel which is a  hard, white, shi

The Jaws and Dental Arches The teeth are arranged in upper and lower arches. Those of the upper are called maxillary; those of the lower arch are called mandibular. The mandible is a horseshoe shaped bone which articulates with the skull by way of the temporomandibular joint, or the TMJ. Dentition Dentition is a term that describes all of the upper and lower teeth collectively. Clinically, there are three types of dentitions: The primary dentition consists of 20 teeth in all: ten upper and ten lower. Primary teeth are also called 'baby teeth, deciduous, or 'milk' teeth. Primary teeth begin to appear at about six months and are entirely replaced by permanent teeth by 12 to 13 years of age. The mixed dentition is the stage from ages 6 to 12  and is composed of both primary and permanent teeth. The permanent dentition is composed of 32 teeth in all, 16 upper and 16 lower. Types of dentition Homodont - Teeth that differ from each other only in size.

Plaque   Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria, salivary proteins, and food debris that forms on teeth every day. It is the main cause of cavities and gum disease. While it's still in a soft state, you can clean it off with a toothbrush and floss. However, once the plaque has calcified into calculus (commonly known as tartar), only your dentist or dental hygienist will be able to remove it. Plaque forms rapidly after cleaning regardless of your diet, however increased sugar has been shown to speed up the process. Plaque is actually composed of several species of bacteria. Different types of bacteria are associated with different dental conditions (decay, gingivitis, periodontitis, etc.) The types of bacteria most commonly found in plaque are Streptococcus mutans and  Streptococcus sanguis. It's been shown that there are over 160 different types of bacteria in gingivitis (Actinomyces, Fusobacterium, Streptococcus, etc.) Similar bacteria have been identified in peri

Anatomical Background of Cavities Your teeth break the food you eat into pieces that can be readily swallowed and digested. Teeth are alive. The pulp at the heart of each tooth contains blood vessels and nerves that sense heat, cold, pressure, and pain. A hard substance called dentin surrounds the pulp. On the crown (the part of the tooth above the gum), the dentin is covered by a layer of enamel. The root of the tooth lies below the gum and and is covered by a protective layer of a bone-like material called cementum. In health, the gums fit tightly around the teeth; the roots of the teeth fit into sockets in the jaw bone. A shock-absorbing material, periodontal ligament, lines the socket of each tooth and protecting the skull and jawbone from being jarred. Enamel is the hardest material in you body; however, acids produced through bacterial action can erode enamel and lead to decay, If left unchecked, decay will progress through the dentin and into the pulp resulting in pulpa

How To Brush   The following brushing technique is commonly recommended by dentists. Check with your dentist to make sure you're using the proper technique, since tooth position and gum condition vary. 1) Start off by getting a soft-bristled brush (synthetic bristles are preferable to natural because they harbor less bacteria).  Place the bristles at a 45 degree angle to the teeth (with the tips of the angled toward your gums). 2) Using light pressure, gently jiggle the bristles back and forth at the junction of the gums and teeth. The idea is to remove any plaque and bacteria hiding in the sulcus between your teeth and gums. Be sure to brush the outside, the tongue side and all the chewing surfaces of your teeth. 3) For the front teeth, brush the inside surfaces of the upper and lower jaws by tilting the brush vertically and using up and down strokes with the front part of the brush. Your toothbrush will only clean one or two teeth at a time. Make sure you're changing