Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth clean. Oral hygiene is considered to be the best means of prevention of cavities (dental caries), gingivitis (inflammation of gum tissues), periodontitis (severe infection of the gum tissues and bone supporting the teeth), and other dental disorders. It also helps to prevent bad breath (halitosis). Oral hygiene is considered necessary for all persons to maintain the health of their teeth and mouth. Healthy teeth have fewer cavities. They are clean and have minimal or no plaque deposits. Healthy gums are pink and firm.

A Healthy Gum

Healthy gums help to anchor teeth firmly in the jaw bone. Gums are a nice pink color and do not bleed when brushed.

Gingivitis (inflammation of gum tissues)

Gum disease is caused by bacteria which forms around teeth. You know this sticky substance as plaque. Toxins from the bacteria irritate the gums and eventually cause them to 'pull away'. An early stage of gum disease is called gingivitis. This picture shows an advanced case of gingivitis.

Early Periodontitis (gum disease)

As periodontitis sets in, the gums begin to 'pull away' and more of the tooth is exposed. Plaque attaches itself securely to this newly exposed area and hardens into tartar. Pockets form between the teeth and gums which harbors bacteria and worsen the condition.

                                                                 

Advanced Periodontitis (gum disease)

Eventually so much of the tooth is unprotected that it begins to loosen. The bone is irreversibly damaged. It can change they way your teeth fit together (your bite). Eventually your teeth may fall out or have to be pulled out.

                                           

Regular Dental  Cleaning by the dentist or dental hygienist is recommended to remove plaque that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, especially in areas that are difficult for a patient to reach on his own at home. Professional cleaning includes tooth scaling and tooth polishing and debridement if too much tartar has accumulated. This involves the use of various instruments or devices to loosen and remove deposits from the teeth.

Most dentists recommend having the teeth professionally cleaned every six months on average.

More frequent cleaning and examination may be necessary during the treatment of many of the dental/oral disorders especially where gum diseases are involved.

However, in between cleanings by a dentist or dental hygienist, everyone must have good oral hygiene to support the professional care.

Fillings

Several factors influence the durability, performance, longevity and cost of dental restorations. These factors include: the patient's oral and general health, the components used in the filling material; where and how the filling is placed; the chewing load that the tooth will have to bear; and the length and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored tooth.

Composite Fillings (white fillings)

Composite fillings are a mixture of glass or quartz filler in a resin medium that produces a tooth-colored filling. They are sometimes referred to as composites or filled resins. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-mid size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. Less tooth structure is removed when the dentist prepares the tooth, and this may result in a smaller filling than that of an amalgam. Composites can also be "bonded" or adhesively held in a cavity, often allowing the dentist to make a more conservative repair to the tooth.

Amalgam Fillings (Silver fillings)

Used by dentists for more than a century, dental amalgam is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use. It is durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive in comparison to other materials. For those reasons, it remains a valued treatment option for dentists and their patients.

Root Canal treatment

In the past, if you had a tooth with a diseased (infected) nerve, you'd probably lose that tooth. Today, with a special dental procedure called a root canal therapy you may save that tooth. Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. If you don't remove it, your tooth, the surrounding bone, and in some cases the adjacent teeth gets infected and you could lose more than one tooth. After the dentist removes the diseased or dead pulp, the root canal is cleaned and sealed off to protect it. Then your dentist places a post and core and then a crown over the tooth to help make it stronger.

Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple procedure with little or no discomfort involving one to three visits. Best of all, it can save your tooth and your smile!

Extractions

A dental extraction is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. Extractions are performed for a wide variety of reasons. Tooth decay that has destroyed enough tooth structure to prevent restoration is the most frequent indication for extraction of teeth. Extractions of impacted or problematic wisdom teeth are routinely performed, as are extractions of some permanent teeth to make space for orthodontic treatment

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth may become a problem for you as they grow and develop. Development can span several years and can cause sudden and severe pain. The primary preventive measure for wisdom teeth is removal, preferably at an early stage.

There's Not Enough Room!

Even though the jawbone grows close to its adult size by your late teens, that size is often too small to hold developing wisdom teeth. When there is not enough room for your wisdom teeth they may become partially trapped in the jawbone and gums. See below the large decay resulting from the wisdom tooth.

Partial Eruption

The crown, or top of the tooth, may erupt, or just break through the gum. Since the tooth can't completely emerge, the area around the eruption can easily be infected. Compounding this problem is that wisdom teeth are very difficult to brush or floss, even if they do make it above the gum line.

Full Bony Impaction

When a wisdom tooth has no room to erupt it becomes impacted. An impacted tooth is usually contained completely within the bone and can lie in many different orientations. Serious complications can result from an impacted tooth. The sac that surrounds the impacted tooth can become filled with fluid, enlarging to a cyst and causing permanent bone damage. Left untreated, a tumor may develop which requires a more complex procedure to remove the tooth.

Treatment

Surgery may often be done in your dentist's or oral surgeon's office rather than in a surgical center or hospital depending on your particular condition. Your dentist or oral surgeon will review the recommended procedure with you so that you will fully understand and are comfortable before it is done.
After the tooth is removed, an empty socket is left where the tooth once was. Your body heals this socket by sending blood to nourish it. Pressure from a piece of gauze is usually all that is needed to control this natural bleeding. Within a short time, the bloods form a clot in the socket. Eventually the bone surrounding the socket grows to fill the empty space completely.