Dietary supplements

There is anecdotal evidence that suggests taking certain combinations of dietary supplements may alleviate bruxism; pantothenic acid, magnesium, and calcium are mentioned on dietary supplement websites. Calcium is known to be a treatment for gastric problems, and gastric problems such as acid reflux are known to increase bruxism.

Repairing damage

Damaged teeth can be repaired by replacing the worn natural crown of the tooth with prosthetic crowns. Materials used to make crowns vary; some are less prone to breaking than others, and can last longer. Porcelain fused to metal crowns may be used in the anterior (front) of the mouth: in the posterior, full gold crowns are preferred. All-porcelain crowns are now becoming more and more common and work well for both anterior and posterior restorations. To protect the new crowns and dental implants, an occlusal guard should be fabricated to wear during sleep.

Dental surgery

Dental surgery is any of a number of medical procedures which involve artificially modifying the dentition.

Contents

I Types

2 Professional dental care

3 Dental instruments and restorative materials

4 Dental anesthesia

5 See also

6 References

7 External links

Types

Some of the more common are:

■ Endodontic (surgery involving the pulp or root of the tooth)

Root canal

Pulpotomy The opening of the pulp chamber of the tooth to allow an infection to drain; Usually a precursor to a root canal

Pulpectomy - The removal of the pulp from the pulp chamber to temporarily relieve pain; Usually a precursor to a root canal.

■ Apicoectomy - A root-end resection. Occasionally a root canal alone will not be enough to relieve pain and the end of the tooth, called the apex, will be removed by entering through the gingiva and surgically extracting the diseased material.

■ Prosthodontics (dental prosthetics)

■ Crowns (caps) — artificial coverings of the tooth made from a variety of biocompatible materials, including CYKYPMC (ceramic/porcelain metal composite), gold or a tin/aluminum mixture. The underlying tooth must be reshaped to accommodate these fixed restorations

Veneers — artificial coverings similar to above, except that they only cover the forward (labial or buccal) surface of the tooth. I usually for aesthetic purposes only.

Bridges — a fixed prothesis in which two or more crowns are connected together, which replace a missing tooth or teeth through a bridge. Typically used after an extraction.

Implants — a procedure in which a titanium implant is surgically placed in the bone (mandible or maxilla), allowed to heal, and 4-6 months later an artificial tooth is connected to the implant by cement or retained by a screw.

Dentures (false teeth) — a partial or complete set of dentition which either attach to neighboring teeth by use of metal or plastic grasps or to the gingival or palatial surface by use of adhesive.

Implant-supported prosthesis — a combination of dentures and implants, bases are placed into the bone, allowed to heal, and metal appliances are fixed to the gingival surface, following which dentures are placed atop and fixed into place.

Orthodontic treatment

Implants and implant-supported prosthesis — also an orthodontic treatment as it involves bones

Apiectomy — also an orthodontic treatment as part of the underlying bone structure must be removed.

Extraction - a procedure in which a diseased, redundant, or problematic tooth is removed, either by pulling or cutting on procedure can be done under local or general anesthesia and is very common — many people have their wisdom teeth removed before the} become problematic.

• Fiberotomy — a procedure to sever the fibers around a tooth, preventing it from relapsing.

■ periodontics

Professional dental care

Sec also: Oral hygiene

Regular tooth cleaning by a dental professional is recommended to remove tartar (mineralized plaque) that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, especially in areas of the mouth that are difficult to dean. Professional cleaning includes tooth scaling and tooth polishing, as well as debridement if too much

Dental instruments and restorative materials

Dental anesthesia

Dentists inject anesthetic to block sensory transmission by the alveolar nerves. The superior alveolar nerves are not usually anesthetized directly because the) are difficult to approach with a needle, for this reason, the maxillary teeth are usually anesthetized locally by inserting the needle beneath the oral mucosa surrounding the teeth. The inferior alveolar nerve probably is anesthetized more often than any other nerve in the body. I o anesthetize this nerve, the dentist inserts the needle somewhat posterior to the patient's last molar.

See also

Dentistry

Oral and maxillofacial surgery

Surgery

Tooth extraction.

Wisdom tooth

References

External links

A Number of Conditions which May Require Oral Surgery (http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/oral-surgery)

"http://en.wikipedia.org Categories: Dentistry procedures

This page was last modified on 7 February 2009. at 06:41 (UTC).

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