Dental plaque may be defined as a tenaciously adherent gelatinous mass comprised predominantly of bacterial colonies (70%) with the remainder consisting of water, food residues, desquamated epithelial cells, and white blood cells. For the microorganisms to adhere to the tooth surfaces and colonize, bacterial enzymes (dextransucrases, levansucrases) degrade sucrose to form extracellular polysaccharides known as [...]
Continue reading …It’s important to have a proper dietary analysis for dental purposes to check the Cariogenic nature of the diet of an individual and society in general at community level. Dietary analysis is useful to measure the following factors: 1. Cariogenic potential of the diet. 2. Physical consistency of the diet. The following factors determine the [...]
Continue reading …Community water fluoridation is the controlled adjustment of the fluoride content of the public water supply to an optimal concentration governed by the geographic location and climatic conditions for that community. Numerous clinical studies have shown that the ingestion of optimally fluoridated drinking water throughout the period of pre-eruptive tooth formation and post eruptive enamel [...]
Continue reading …Preventive dentistry is a philosophy of dental practice dedicated to the prevention of dental diseases. It is neither a technique nor a series of procedures devoted to the prevention of dental diseases. The major objectives of preventive dentistry are: (1) to consider the patient in his or her entirety, (2) to maintain a healthy mouth [...]
Continue reading …Discoloration of anterior teeth is a cosmetic problem that often requires corrective measures. Although restorative methods such as crowns and laminates are available, discoloration can often be successfully corrected by bleaching. Bleaching procedures are more conservative than other restorative methods, relatively simple to perform, and less expensive. They can be carried out intracoronally in non-vital [...]
Continue reading …Intracoronal bleaching of non-vital teeth may be successfully carried out at various times, even many years after root canal therapy and discoloration. The methods most commonly employed to bleach endodontically treated teeth are the walking bleach and the thermocatalytic techniques. The walking bleach technique is preferred since it requires less chair time and is safer [...]
Continue reading …In vital bleaching techniques, oxidizers are applied to the extemal enamel surface of teeth with vital pulps. Many techniques have been advocated for extracoronal bleaching of vital teeth. Thermo-bleaching and Photobleaching The thermo-bleaching and photobleaching technique basically involves application of 30% to 35% hydrogen peroxide and heat or a combination of heat and light rays [...]
Continue reading …Enamel microabrasion involves removing discoloured tooth areas with acid. Two common methods are used to remove stains from the outer tooth surface by stripping the enamel with hydrochloric acid. One combines hydrochloric acid, pumice, and light abrasion (acid-pumice abrasion technique) and the other uses the acid with peroxide and diethyl ether (Mclnnes technique). The acid-pumice [...]
Continue reading …The thermocatalytic technique involves placement of the oxidizing chemical, generally 30% to 35% hydrogen peroxide, in the pulp chamber followed by heat application either by electric heating devices or specially designed lamps. Potential damage by the thermocatalytic approach is external cervical root resorption caused by irritation to the cementum and periodontal ligament, possibly caused by [...]
Continue reading …The walking bleach technique should be attempted first in all cases requiring intracoronal bleaching. The walking bleach technique involves the removal of all restorative material from the access cavity, and the pulp horns and other areas potentially containing pulp tissue are properly exposed and clean. The walking bleach paste is made by mixing sodium perborate [...]
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