Dental Life Integral Clinic Blog
Preventive, Restorative, and Cosmetic Dentistry
Dental Life Integral Clinic Blog
Preventive, Restorative, and Cosmetic Dentistry
DENTAL PLAQUE
Tartar, also known as dental plaque or tartar, can cause one of the most common oral problems, although many people do not give it too much importance. The appearance and accumulation of this unsightly plaque not only disfigures our smile, but can also have more harmful consequences for our oral health.
If the tartar has already hardened, it is necessary that we go to the dentist to remove it by cleaning the mouth. It is a painless process, which does not require anesthesia, although if there is high dental sensitivity, anesthesia can be applied in the form of a spray. If the tartar has deepened causing gum loss, cleaning will be deeper, requiring local anesthesia. In some cases, such as when there is a periodontal disease, it is very important to remove the tartar accumulated under the gums, with a process known as curettage or scraping.
FLOSSING
Flossing removes plaque and disease-causing debris from teeth and gums, polishes tooth surfaces, and controls bad breath. By flossing daily, you increase the chance of keeping your teeth for a lifetime and decrease the chance of gum disease. Most people say that lack of time is a reason not to floss. However, the AGD indicates that flossing two to three times a week has its benefits and is far better than not flossing at all.
Experts recommend flossing at least once a day. Even using it two or three times a week is better than never doing it. To do this, the ideal is to choose a time of the day in which you have a few extra minutes to dedicate to more in-depth dental care. Those who feel too tired to do it at the end of the day may find a space first thing in the morning or after a meal, while others will prefer to spend that time before going to bed. When to floss, it is not so important to do it regularly.
ORTHODONTICS
It is not just about aligning a pair of teeth because they are crooked and look ugly. Orthodontics goes further and seeks to correct problems in the bite, jaw or face. Although the obsession of the new times to be perfect seems to have blurred the line between the need to undergo orthodontics and the fashion to do it to be millimeter perfect, the rise of dental orthodontics is due to the advance in diagnostics and new techniques of treatment, as well as an increase in adults with orthodontics.
In general, orthodontic treatment uses different devices in order to correct abnormalities of the teeth and jaw bones, obtaining improvements to a greater or lesser degree -depending on the problem and the characteristics of the patient- both in the function of the teeth and in the aesthetic appearance of the face, as well as the condition of the gums. As a preventive measure of any alteration, it is recommended to visit the orthodontist at 6 years of age -when the first permanent molars begin to emerge- in order to analyze whether by 12 years -when the second definitive molars erupt- everything will fit. In general, the orthodontist will review at those ages how tooth change and incisor occlusion occurs, as well as the contact between the teeth horizontally and vertically.
ORTHODONTIC RUBBER BANDS
They are those small rubber bands that are used to attach the arch to the brackets and that children usually use with bright colors. This type of rubber brackets are necessary in almost all types of fixed orthodontics except in the case of self-ligating brackets, whose innovation is that you no longer need these rubber for orthodontics. They fulfill a very important function and for this reason they must be changed at each visit to the dentist. In this way, we ensure that they are always in optimum condition. Bracket rubbers can be clear or white if cosmetic braces are used. There are gummies for brackets in all colors and the patient is free to choose the ones they like best. Thanks to this, everyone can give a personalized touch to their orthodontics. Wearing colored rubber bands is what people know as colored braces.
