Today was my first time using the white strips. I have a sharp pain in my tooth after having the strip on for only like 5 minutes. I don't think i am going to continue using them. Is this normal to have such a sharp pain after a short time? Will this pain go away soon?
Every person reacts to whitening differently but it's common for teeth to become sensitive after whitening.
The reason you're teach are sensitive is because the whitening solution opens pores in the tooth's surface in order to bleach them out. The pain will go away after a few days because plaque will form over those microscopic tubules and once they're covered, you'll be fine.
If you want to speed up the process, you can close them up yourself. Using fluoride helps a lot. You can wipe toothpaste onto the sensitive areas and leave it on as long as you can. After you spit it out, try not to rinse. That might help after a few tries, otherwise a fluoride rinse could help.
If it's really bad, Ambesol gel works really well or any similar oral product found at your drug store.
Friday, October 2, 2009
madonna_hco asks: "Dentist ladder or promotion steps?"
I need a list of things i can reach up to as a dentist, like what would i do at the begining, and after that and so on and so forth... like a ladder basically but for dentistry, like the steps,
Example: cafeteria lady, teacher aid, teacher, counsler, dean, vice princible, princible
like that but for dentistry
The thing about being a dentist is you don't have to work your way up. Dentist's are doctors, so you would go through a 4 year college as normal and then apply to a dental school. There's a residency program just like medical school. After graduation, some dentists can buy a practice from another dentist, some start their own and others (most in my opinion) are hired as a partner in a dental group.
There is a hierarchy in the dental office though. The dentist is at the top, office manager next (but most dentist's manage the office themselves), then the dental hygienist, the dental assistant, and then front desk. Some offices have sterilizations techs and radiography techs but they're usually near the bottom because assistants, hygienists and the dentist can all perform those tasks.
Example: cafeteria lady, teacher aid, teacher, counsler, dean, vice princible, princible
like that but for dentistry
The thing about being a dentist is you don't have to work your way up. Dentist's are doctors, so you would go through a 4 year college as normal and then apply to a dental school. There's a residency program just like medical school. After graduation, some dentists can buy a practice from another dentist, some start their own and others (most in my opinion) are hired as a partner in a dental group.
There is a hierarchy in the dental office though. The dentist is at the top, office manager next (but most dentist's manage the office themselves), then the dental hygienist, the dental assistant, and then front desk. Some offices have sterilizations techs and radiography techs but they're usually near the bottom because assistants, hygienists and the dentist can all perform those tasks.
Arianne B. asks: "What are those Different braces call?"
i have friends that have the ruberbands attacted to the next and others have only on the square thing. why is that does everyone get those attacted braces and what are the attacted braces called
The squares are actually attached by a wire. It's one wire that goes through the top and a second wire through the bottom. The squares that hold the wire are glued to the tooth, they're called brackets. Way in the back on the first molar there's a silver band that anchors the wire.
If that's not what you're talking about and you mean rubber bands going from the top to the bottom, that's just the treatment for that patient.
If you mean the wire is missing, maybe they haven't added the wire yet. OR maybe it's clear or tooth colored. Like this:
photo courtesy of: www.carolinaorthodontics.com
The squares are actually attached by a wire. It's one wire that goes through the top and a second wire through the bottom. The squares that hold the wire are glued to the tooth, they're called brackets. Way in the back on the first molar there's a silver band that anchors the wire.
If that's not what you're talking about and you mean rubber bands going from the top to the bottom, that's just the treatment for that patient.
If you mean the wire is missing, maybe they haven't added the wire yet. OR maybe it's clear or tooth colored. Like this:
photo courtesy of: www.carolinaorthodontics.com
Veera asks: "I think the orthodontist is trying to get more money by assigning me bottom AND top braces?"
My top teeth are great! People have asked if I've had braces on them before, but no, I haven't. And only recently have I realized how crooked my bottom teeth are so I went to an orthodontist. I did this because one of my friends had crooked teeth like mine and they only gave her bottom braces and they weren't noticeable. So now I'm being forced into getting top and bottom braces because my mom's gonna ape if I turn back now. Can I convince the orthodontist to only give me the bottom layer?
You can definitely get a second opinion.
The fact is, you might need the top braces... not to straighten the teeth but to move them forward or back, to match where your bottom teeth will be at the end of treatment.
Here's another thing to consider: as the teeth on the bottom move, they won't fit into the same places they were fitting into before with the top teeth. That's just a fact. If the top and bottom never touched or chewed together you'd be just fine, but for now, the orthodontist is trying to play it safe and get everything on at the same time and move the mouth together.
You can definitely get a second opinion.
The fact is, you might need the top braces... not to straighten the teeth but to move them forward or back, to match where your bottom teeth will be at the end of treatment.
Here's another thing to consider: as the teeth on the bottom move, they won't fit into the same places they were fitting into before with the top teeth. That's just a fact. If the top and bottom never touched or chewed together you'd be just fine, but for now, the orthodontist is trying to play it safe and get everything on at the same time and move the mouth together.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
MV answers: SPACES CREATED BY EXTRACTED TEETH DON'T LAST LONG
Now you might say, "my uncle had a tooth extracted and that space is still there" and you know what, you are probably right. But teeth do drift.
It's a phenomenon that dentists and orthodontists have come to depend on and something that usually comes as a surprise to patients. I'm going to explain what's called mesial drift and vertical drift.
Now you probably already understand the drift part, so let's talk about mesial and vertical. Mesial means the middle or towards the middle. Vertical means up and down.
When teeth are pulled, the mouth immediately knows something is missing and it wants to fill the gap. In mesial drift, the teeth behind the space push or drift towards the middle of the mouth. In vertical drift, the tooth that normally chews with the newly extracted tooth (opposing tooth) will look for its partner so to speak, and push or drift into the space. When a tooth comes through the gums it's called erupted. When it moves farther than it's limit it's called supererupted. Vertical drift is not the same as eruption.
Mesial drift looks like this: (notice how the tooth is slanted towards the new space)
Vertical drift looks like this: (notice how the tooth below the space is higher than the tooth next to it)
So this raises a few questions:
When it comes to mesial drift, when does it stop? When it hits another tooth, when it's stopped by braces or sometimes, it doesn't occur to the point that its noticeable.
Why does vertical drift or supererution occur? I like to think that the teeth were made to chew and as long as one tooth doesn't feel it's partner, it's going to try to find it. Teeth stop drifting vertical when they can chew against something.
If you're worried you have mesial drift or vertical drift OR if you're worried that you may experience either of these after an extraction, talk to your dentist about your concerns.
images courtesy of: www.banffcanmoredentalcare.com/cosmetic.htm and www.ijortho.ir/chapters.asp?volume=1&subject=52
It's a phenomenon that dentists and orthodontists have come to depend on and something that usually comes as a surprise to patients. I'm going to explain what's called mesial drift and vertical drift.
Now you probably already understand the drift part, so let's talk about mesial and vertical. Mesial means the middle or towards the middle. Vertical means up and down.
When teeth are pulled, the mouth immediately knows something is missing and it wants to fill the gap. In mesial drift, the teeth behind the space push or drift towards the middle of the mouth. In vertical drift, the tooth that normally chews with the newly extracted tooth (opposing tooth) will look for its partner so to speak, and push or drift into the space. When a tooth comes through the gums it's called erupted. When it moves farther than it's limit it's called supererupted. Vertical drift is not the same as eruption.
Mesial drift looks like this: (notice how the tooth is slanted towards the new space)
Vertical drift looks like this: (notice how the tooth below the space is higher than the tooth next to it)
So this raises a few questions:
When it comes to mesial drift, when does it stop? When it hits another tooth, when it's stopped by braces or sometimes, it doesn't occur to the point that its noticeable.
Why does vertical drift or supererution occur? I like to think that the teeth were made to chew and as long as one tooth doesn't feel it's partner, it's going to try to find it. Teeth stop drifting vertical when they can chew against something.
If you're worried you have mesial drift or vertical drift OR if you're worried that you may experience either of these after an extraction, talk to your dentist about your concerns.
images courtesy of: www.banffcanmoredentalcare.com/
jiggywiggy asks: "CAN HAWLEY RETAINERS FIX A SLIGHT OVERBITE?"
"ok so i had braces for a year and 5 months but when my braces are removed, I still have this slight overbite that I'm just totally annoyed by. Its not major, its like 3mm from the lower teeth. And now I'm wearing hawley retainers 24/7. Can hawley retainers fix this?
I'm 15 btw if that helps."
3mm is normal.
Hawley retainers are great for keeping the teeth in the same arch the braces put them in. The only movement they will allow is for any open space between the chewing surfaces of your teeth to close.
They won't correct or change an overbite but 3mm is so slight it's really not much to worry about. Now if it were 5mm or greater... then you would have a problem that the braces would've fixed.
Good job for wearing your retainer tho ;)
I'm 15 btw if that helps."
3mm is normal.
Hawley retainers are great for keeping the teeth in the same arch the braces put them in. The only movement they will allow is for any open space between the chewing surfaces of your teeth to close.
They won't correct or change an overbite but 3mm is so slight it's really not much to worry about. Now if it were 5mm or greater... then you would have a problem that the braces would've fixed.
Good job for wearing your retainer tho ;)
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