Dentalnews (en)

Archive for October, 2009

Saliva test for cavity prevention?

Posted by Dental News Team On October - 20 - 2009

Saliva tests are used to detect bacteria (S.mutans and lacto-bacteria) taking into account the rate of flow of saliva and buffer capacity, in order to find patients with a higher risk of developing cavities!

speicheltestSaliva testing – a success story?
Not really, although you periodically read or hear about saliva testing for cavity prevention.

Saliva tests are commonly used in drug testing and crime investigation – but not in dentistry!

Individually administered tests exhibit a high rate of fluctuation, and cannot differentiate among children with high or low risk.

The good news last – regular visits to the dentist and good dental hygiene can prevent cavities!

Learn more about cavities, etc – in the first video lexikon!

Source:2009_saliva testing

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general topics
general topics

The importance of side teeth

Posted by Dental News Team On October - 19 - 2009

Many people have missing side teeth. Most are not really bothered by this: what matters is that the front teeth  –  the window display – are in good condition!

This is a big mistake, since the side teeth are very important, they protect the jaw and the front teeth from excessive strain …

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Missing side teeth can lead to headaches, jaw pain and even back pain due to overloading and overuse.

masseter_rot

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Here you can see a cross-section of a jaw with a complete set of teeth, and the  masseter, one of many chewing muscles. The masseter is highlighted in red.
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masseter_kauebene-150x150When this muscle contracts, the lower jaw in pressed against the upper jaw. The teeth touch at the occlusion surface and the lower jaw comes to a stop because of the side teeth.
There is a definite gap between the jaw link head and socket.

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masseter_kauebene

By providing support, the side teeth protect the jaw from excessive chewing pressure. This mechanism is further reinforced as the side teeth touch before the front teeth do. The lower jaw rotates away from the joint, and the side teeth act as a hypomochlion (=angle point) and protect the jaw.

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masseter_zahnlosIf the side teeth are missing, or the occlusion surface is decreased because of uneven teeth, then the masseter pushes the lower jaw more towards the base of the cranium, and the joint gap disappears. The jaw is overstrained, which in time can lead to slight pain or even necessitate operations on the jaw.
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It is therefore crucial to replace teeth, not only front teeth for aesthetic purposes, but also side teeth! Replacing side teeth keeps you healthy. Moreover, front teeth tend to be overused if there are not enough side teeth, which makes bone recede and eventually leads to loss of front teeth! -

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A partial denture can be used to replace side teeth, implants are not always necessary – the main thing is that you can chew on the side!

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Source: 2009_Side teeth

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cosmetic-dentistry general topics prostethics
cosmetic-dentistry, general topics, prostethics

Loose tooth crowns cause inflammation of the gums!

Posted by Dental News Team On October - 16 - 2009

Inflammation of the gums!

The gums recede and easily start bleeding during brushing. This is often due to loose dental crowns.

zahnfleisch_geht_zurueckThere are various different methods to prepare a tooth for a crown.

The easiest and quickest method is the tangent cut (first picture). In the upper right corner you can see the sanding edges outlined in yellow. The problem with this cutting method is that the edges of the crown taper off to a very thin edge. The ceramic part can break off (red arrow).

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To prevent this from happening, the dental technician leaves more space at the edge of the crown (second picture), leading to unsightly bulges at the edges (blue circles). To hide these edges from the patient, the tooth is cut so that the edges end up under the gums.

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Click to see a video on tangent cuts!

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All this leads to bleeding gums, and gums which inflame easily – sometimes a gum pocket may develop, and a gum fistula. In the third picture you can clearly see a livid edge to the upper right incisor (red arrow). This develops due to the tangent cut of the crown, when bits of food accumulate around the protruding edge, they provide a good breeding ground for bacteria, which in turn cause inflammation of the gums. This then causes the gums to recede.

Healthy gums do not bleed!

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On the left in the picture you can see the pale pink gums hugging the tooth tightly (green arrow). This is what healthy gums look like: if a concave cut is made into the tooth – known as a groove cut (fourth picture), then nothing sticks out, since the dental technician has enough space for the ceramic part.

Bits of food cannot get stuck, since nothing sticks out beyond the edge of the tooth – so there is no risk of inflammation! Check your gums after getting a crown, if they are red and start bleeding easily, then there is something wrong with the crown!

Find out more about dental crowns here!

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periodontology prostethics
periodontology, prostethics

Laser and periodontal disease

Posted by Dental News Team On October - 15 - 2009

Are lasers really of any use in treating periodontosis? No, and moreover, it’s called periodontitis!

laser_paro-

Many patients have high expectations when it comes to perio treatment using lasers. Pseudo-scientific media reports only contribute to this trend, but whether this is actually true is a different matter.

We took a closer look at the individual claims, and came up with the following (somewhat disappointing) results:

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Lasers used in surgery (also known as flap operations)
Not suitable currently, as it is impossible to predict the depth effects of the laser. If dentine or bone is exposed to radiation, this may lead to tissue damage. Moreover, the base which supports the teeth  – the desmodont – may suffer irreversible damage.
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Lasers used in dental cleaning (scaling)
Not suitable currently, as the lasers usually used (argon-, ion-, Nd:YAG, Co2-lasers) cannot accurately target plaque or concrements.
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Lasers used in disinfection (anti-microbial effect)
Unsuitable, since the number of germs only goes down for a short while, moreover, studies show that compared to normal dental cleaning, lasers do more damage to the teeth.
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Lasers used in bio-stimulation (helping along the healing process)
Unsuitable, based on numerous double-bind studies, it can be assumed that bio-stimulation using lasers is ineffectual, any therapeutic effects observed can be attributed to placebo effects.

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Don’t bother paying good money for laser treatment, the only person who benefits from this is your dentist!
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Click here to learn more about periodontitis and see periodontal treatment performed!

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Source: 2009_Laser-Paro

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periodontology
periodontology

Dental ceramic crowns scientifically approved

Posted by Dental News Team On October - 15 - 2009

Ceramic materials finally win out in dentistry!

amalgam-keramikWhy do so many dentists continue to recommend the use of metals in dentistry? The answer is simple.
Metallic materials can be cemented, a very common procedure in dentists’ offices. Ceramics, on the other hand, have to be glued  – a procedure known as bonding.
Compared to cementing, glueing is a very tedious process, thus many dentists ignore manufacturers’ instructions  and so, for example, only rarely use a coffer dam. Some also try to shorten the glueing procedure e.g. by simply omitting certain glue components.
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Sloppy work has given ceramics a bad name, even though they have been used in dentistry for about 20 years now.
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Veneers, ceramic inlays and ceramic crowns are scientifically acknowledged methods of treatment – but it is important to use them wisely!
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Ask your dentist if he or she regularly works with ceramics, otherwise you might be better off with a gold inlay!
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Source: 2009_ keramik-indiziert (ceramics indicated)

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cosmetic-dentistry prostethics
cosmetic-dentistry, prostethics