Dentalnews (en)

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.

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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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When 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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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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If 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

Popularity: 39% [?]

Inflammation of the gums!

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

There 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!

Popularity: 26% [?]