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What Is My Dentist Talking About?

5/4/2021

4 Comments

 
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I asked my twelve year old son what he would like to know about dentistry in an effort to determine this week’s blog.  He said, “What exactly is a denture?”  That combined with a TikTok video I saw that showed what people really hear when the dentist is talking, has led me to this conclusion…Our patients have no idea what we’re talking about.  So, I thought I would give some basic dental terminology.  


Teeth: Most humans have 32 teeth.  The front ones are incisors.  Most people know what your canines are.  Some dentists refer to them as “I” teeth.  The smaller teeth behind your canines are your premolars, and the big teeth in the back are your molars.  Dentists use a numbering system that starts in the upper, right wisdom tooth as #1 and goes across the top of the mouth and then back across of the bottom teeth until we get to the lower right wisdom tooth which is #32.  So when you hear the dentist say a tooth number, they are just identifying the exact tooth.  
Sides of Teeth: You may hear your dentist say weird words when they are talking about your teeth.  
    Mesial(M)-Facing the front of your mouth
    Distal(D)-Facing the back of your mouth
    Buccal(B)-Facing your cheek
    Lingual(L)-Facing your tongue
    Occlusal(O)-On the biting surface of your tooth
For instance if you have a cavity on your upper molar in front of your wisdom tooth and the cavity is on the part of your tooth that is facing the front of your mouth and then the part of the tooth that you bite on, you may hear your dentist tell the assistant that you need a MO on #2.  
We aren’t trying to be difficult, this is just the way we are taught in school so that universally all dentists know what other dentists are talking about.  


Appliances:
Denture: A removable, typically all acrylic appliance, that replaces ALL of the teeth on one arch of your mouth.  
Partial Denture: A removable acrylic or part metal appliance that replaces SOME of the teeth on one arch of your mouth.  This is a very economical option for patients that are missing multiple teeth but still have other teeth that are good.  
Bite Guard: An acrylic appliance most often worn at night to protect your teeth and jaw.  


Procedures:
Filling: A procedure where the decay is removed from a tooth and then we replace the missing tooth structure with a resin substance called composite.  
Crown: A procedure done to strengthen a tooth that has either broken, cracked, or has a lot of decay.  Think of how a thimble protects a finger.  
Root Canal: A procedure done to remove bacteria and infection from inside of the root of the tooth.  The nerve of the tooth is removed so that it can no longer cause pain.  Most rootcanal treated teeth will need a crown after the rootcanal to protect the tooth.  
Bridge: People often confuse bridges and partial dentures.  They are not similar at all.  A partial denture is removable or comes in out of your mouth, and a bridge is cemented in your mouth and does not come out.    A bridge is a group of crowns that are fused together.  It is cemented in your mouth.  If you are missing a tooth in between two solid teeth, the two teeth on either side of the gap can be crowned and a fake crown in the space connects the two crowns together.  You are basically “bridging” a gap.  Bridges can also be long spanning involving multiple teeth.  
Implant:  An implant is a titanium screw that is placed into the jawbone.  The screw can have different tops put on it for different uses.  Some implants replace single teeth.  Some implants are used to hold bridges.  Some implants are used to stabilize dentures and partial dentures.  And some implants are used for full mouth restorations.  They are very multifunctional.  


I hope this clears up some of the dentist lingo!  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Sometimes we forget that you don’t know what we’re talking about!!!
4 Comments
Summit Smiles link
10/27/2021 11:51:48 pm

Thank you for this educational blog post! A partial denture (also known as a bridge) is an appliance that has been custom-fabricated to replace one or more missing teeth. Partial dentures are commonly made of acrylic, porcelain, or metal. They are held in place by surrounding teeth or by the attachment of the appliance to adjacent teeth. A dental laboratory fabricates the partial denture using impressions of the mouth.

The purpose of a partial denture is to fill in spaces caused by missing teeth and bring comfort and functionality back to a person’s mouth.

Reply
Highland Oak Dental link
12/10/2021 12:01:47 am

Thanks for this very educational blog post! Dentures are useful for those who have lost teeth because they allow them to eat and speak normally. Fixed and detachable dentures are both available. The type of denture a person chooses is influenced by the number of teeth that need to be replaced and whether or not they wish to wear their denture all of the time.

If you need more than six teeth replaced and don't want your teeth to be visible, a removable denture is the best alternative. This type of denture is made up of two parts: a gum-covering plastic casing and a set of false teeth. A fixed denture is an alternative that requires less maintenance but takes longer to install.

Reply
Lillian Mims link
2/9/2022 08:01:46 am

The smaller teeth behind your canines are your premolars, and the big teeth in the back are your molars. Thank you, amazing post!

Reply
Tarsha Pesina link
2/14/2022 11:12:23 am

At My Dentist, every dental visit is about you. Your excellent oral health, treatment preferences, and overall comfort are our top priorities,

Reply



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    Born in Saint Petersburg, Florida, Ariana displayed bright intelligence from an early age, eventually becoming salutatorian for her graduating class at Dixie-Hollins High School. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Florida at Gainesville, and continued her education to earn her dental degree in 2004 from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. It's worth noting that the College of Dentistry is ranked seventh among all dental schools in the United States, and it has an international reputation for the caliber of its graduates. Through continuing education programs, Dr. Clayton maintains her training on the most up-to-date and successful dental treatment techniques, and she strives to incorporate the best of newly available techniques into her practice. Sunshine Smile Designs is proud to offer this high level of care at an affordable price to many patients. Beyond her daily practice, Dr. Clayton is a volunteer for Dentistry From the Heart, a program that provides dental services at no cost to the indigent in Florida. Likewise, she also regularly attends mission trips to provide free dental services to blind and deaf children in an impoverished area of Jamaica. Ariana enjoys spending time with her nine-year-old son and her husband, who is also a University of Florida–trained dentist. Her artistic side is fulfilled by playing (and teaching) piano and by photography. She also enjoys travel, and one of her life goals is to visit all fifty states by recreational vehicle!

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