Dental Restoration 101

A New York University student from the Department of Endodontics, a medical term that describes the procedure of retaining the original teeth of the patient, conducted a study for his medical research. The University student gathered pieces of information, primarily through a survey, of the different perceptions of the dentistry faculty and dental students in his University. His study was focused on what would they prefer between the two: “retention of teeth or extraction and implant replacement?”

It was surprising though, that both the faculty and the dental students preferred retention rather than replacement (albeit, over the course of the survey, there were numerous times that dental students repeatedly chose implants over retention). The given data showed that young and fresh dentists do prefer having implants rather than retaining the original one. They’re probably thinking about the long-term effect since implants last for 20-30 years.

Photo taken from http://www.freshdv.com

Little did we know that the lisp, a certain speech disorder mostly oriented with either the wrong placement of the tongue when talking or what the professionals call the “reversed swallow” (the act of swallowing through pushing the tongue forward when in fact it should be the other way around), is a dental issue too. Yes, you’re reading it right. Most of the people with lisps have an over bite since they tend to push their tongues forward, thus, the air escaping the sides of the tongue. This “gap” is the reason why people who have lisps tend to pronounce the letter “S” more like “TH”. Lisps can be corrected (dentally speaking), through braces with orthodontic rubber bands or with the use of headgears (extreme cases).

Photo taken from http://www.kiferdentalspecialist.com

There are certain people with braces who have “rubber bands” either forming an X across the maxilla and the mandible, or just a single rubber band pulling both the maxilla and mandible together. Those rubber bands have a purpose, and that is to help people who have “over bites” or “under bites” correct their jaw alignment. Although some have other reasons why they attach rubber bands to their braces (i.e. to pull a hidden tooth inside the gum), over bites and under bites are the most common concerns addressed by these elastics. What these orthodontic rubber bands do is they pull both the maxilla and mandible towards the other direction.

Photo taken from http://library.thinkquest.org

Braces are important for those who need to correct their teeth. It seems cute when little kids wear them, but the problem starts if you’re already 30 and still need to correct yours. Would you go for that?

Now, you have an option of whether you would something that’s “seen”, like the traditional metal braces, or you would want to settle for something “invisible”.

Woah. Invisible braces? Is that for real?

Oh yes. Invisalign is a terrific breakthrough in the dental industry. It is clear, almost invisible, yet it has this strong means of straightening your crooked teeth. You have to be warned though: you might spend a fortune for this type of braces, but users say it’s worth the penny!

Photo taken from http://www.drlanducci.com

There is nothing more worse than losing a tooth (or a couple of teeth). Many claim that they cannot anymore enjoy the food they wish to eat, most especially when they still had their munching gizmos. Although dentures are popular among the elderly, it is a warrant that they can only ingest soft foods since dentures easily break.

So, you ask, “do I have any choice?” Yes you do. Dental implants are quite popular for those who are willing to shell out some money. Yes, it is quite expensive, but the results are fantastic. You wouldn’t need those dentures anymore! And what’s good, you get to eat your favorite snack once again, just like before.

Photo taken from http://www.bryantdds.com