• Your Mouth, An Overview

• Why is oral hygiene so important?

• What is the most effective way to brush and floss?

• How important is it to floss and use mouth wash?

• How often should I visit the dental office for checkups?

• Why are regular checkups so important?

• What should I, as a patient, do to ensure dental health at home?

• How is oral hygiene different for children than adults?

• How early can I expect to see teeth in my child's mouth?

• What problems should I watch for in my children?

Your Mouth, An Overview

The teeth in your mouth are divided into two kinds, sharp tearing teeth (called incisors or anterior) and flat chewing teeth (called molars or posterior teeth). Each of these teeth is labeled by number in the adult mouth or by letter in a adolescent mouth. The normal adult mouth contains 12 molars, 8 premolars, 4 canines and 8 incisors, totaling 32 teeth and the normal adolescent mouth contains 8 molars, 4 canines and 8 incisors, totaling 20 teeth.

The Adult Mouth

(The Permanent Arch)

The Adolescent Mouth

(The Primary Arch)

Parts of a Tooth

You may hear your dentist talk about different surfaces of your teeth. Even teeth are divided into smaller parts. Here are some terms you may come in contact with.

• Occlusal Surface: The surface on the posterior teeth that is used for chewing

• Incisal Surface: The biting edge of anterior teeth

• Buccal Surface: The surface of the tooth closer to the cheek, or what some may consider the front of the teeth, this is used only for posterior teeth

• Labial Surface: The surface of the tooth closer to the lips, or what some may consider the front of the tooth, this is used only for anterior teeth

• Lingual Surface: The surface of the tooth that is closer to the tongue, or what some may consider the back of the teeth

• Proximal Surface: A surface of the tooth that touches another tooth

• Distal Surface: The surface of the tooth that faces away from the median line

• Mesial Surface: The surface of the tooth that faces towards the median line

Why is oral hygiene so important?

Many people do not realize the relation of oral health with total physical health. The mouth is a gateway to your body in which millions of bacteria breed in your mouth every day. These bacteria may cause infections in the mouth if your hygiene is poor. If left unchecked these same infections may spread throughout the body causing infection in other organs. There are many documented cases in which the same infections that started in the mouth have caused heart failure and trauma to the brain resulting in death. So, for the sake of your health, take proper care of your mouth.

What is the most effective way to brush and floss?

How important is it to floss and use mouth wash?

Flossing and using mouth wash are equally as important as brushing. Mouth wash is effective for killing bacteria in your mouth, thus keeping then from causing infection. And while brushing removes most of the plaque that build-up on your teeth daily, flossing removes the build-up in places your tooth brush can't reach: between the teeth and around the gum line. Keeping those areas clean is essential, otherwise you will start to see a recession in your gum line or possibly get cavities between your teeth. Not only that, but you will get the same bad breath you get from not brushing when you do not floss and use mouth wash. If you have not flossed regularly in the past and start, it is normal to see some bleeding at first. Continue to floss and your mouth and your gums will adjust.

How often should I visit the dentist office for checkups?

Dentists recommend that you visit the office twice a year for regular screenings.

Why are regular checkups so important?

Most people underestimate the importance of having regular checkups. However by coming to the dentist for regular visits you can monitor or prevent entirely problems before they happen. It is easier and cheaper to avoid problems rather than let them get carried away. On average, the price for an emergency root canal is ten times that of a biannual cleaning. Plus the trauma of the pain leading up to the visit is much greater than a simple trip to he dentist.

What should I, as a patient, do to ensure dental health at home?

• Make sure you brush at least twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. If you can clean your mouth after every meal. Hold the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle against the gums to effectively remove plaque from the gum line. And don't brush too hard. Aggressive brushing can be just as destructive as poor hygiene. Hold the brush so that the bristles touch the edge of the tooth just until you are met with resistance. Don't push the brush hard against your teeth.

• Try to drink as few sugary sodas and juices as possible. These liquids are notorious for causing tooth decay, especially in children. If possible rinse your mouth with water after drinking sugary drinks. And never let a child take a bottle of juice to bed with them.

• Floss daily. Flossing is just as important as brushing. Gently guide the floss between each of your teeth and move it from side to side.

• Use a strong mouthwash to kill unwanted bacteria in your mouth. This will help ease a receding gum line and prevent gingivitis.

How is oral hygiene different for children than adults?

Oral hygiene is very similar for children as it is for adults. Children should still brush twice daily, though they should use a toothpaste that is made for children in case they swallow it. It's also recommended that children use a non-alcoholic based fluoride mouth wash. Around age 10 they should start getting in the habit of flossing. Many companies sell flossing aides made to help children reach the back teeth.

There are a few different things a dentist can do that they don't normally do for adults. Along with a cleaning a dentist will usually give children a fluoride treatment. This helps promote strong teeth. Dentists can put sealants on a child's back teeth. Sealants are a coating of rubbery material which will eventually wear off and helps prevent cavities.

How early can I expect to see teeth in my child's mouth?

Tooth development in children can vary wildly from case to case. The rule of thumb is a pair of teeth will erupt either on the upper or lower jaw every two months starting at 6 months. However, there is no reason for concern if a child is a few months ahead or behind schedule.

Upper Teeth Tooth Erupt Shed Central Incisor E & F 8-12 mo 6-7 yrs Lateral Incisor D & G 9-13 mo 7-8 yrs Canine C & H 16-22 mo 10-12 yrs First Molar B & I 13-19 mo 9-11 yrs Second Molar A & J 25-33 mo 10-12 yrs Lower Teeth Tooth Erupt Shed Second Molar T & K 23-31 mo 10-12 yrs First Molar S & L 14-18 mo 9-11 yrs Canine R & M 17-23 mo 9-12 yrs Lateral Incisor Q & N 10-16 mo 7-8 yrs Central Incisor O & P 6-10 mo 6-7 yrs

What problems should I watch for in my children?

• Tooth Decay: It is very important that that a child's mouth is clean. And it is the job of the parent, especially at a young age, to ensure a child's mouth is cared for. A child should not be given sugary drinks after nightly brushing, especially juices and soft drinks. these drinks will coat the child's teeth and cause decay. Even worse is when a parent gives a child a bottle to sleep with. That causes even more build up and even worse decay. This can cause atrophy as early as 12 months of age. If a child insists on a drink before bedtime or a bottle they should have water.

• Thumb or Finger Sucking: Placing fingers or thumbs in the mouth constantly can radically change the orientation of the front teeth. At extremes the child could require braces to correct the problem. Encourage your child at an early age to break the habit. If the problem persists a mouth guard can be made to prevent the child from finger or thumb sucking.

• Overlapping Teeth: Sometimes when an adult tooth begins to erupt a baby tooth is not shed. This can cause the two teeth to overlap. The overlapping teeth, in some cases, can cause the adult tooth to grow in at an angle. A simple and relatively painless extraction can solve the problem.

• Crowding: This occurs when the jaw is too small for all of the adult teeth to fit properly. The teeth may turn sideways or slide behind each other. To correct this some orthodontic work is needed. First a expander is put into the mouth to enlarge the palette. Then braces can be used to move the teeth into their proper place.

• Overbite, Underbite or Crossbite: When the jaw is closed completely the back molars should touch and the front teeth should line up. A minor misalignment is not a problem, but a major gap may be uncomfortable and have difficulties functioning. This is usually corrected with orthodontic treatment.

• Impacted Teeth: An adult tooth may get caught on bone or another tooth when erupting in the mouth. This is called an impacted tooth. We see this most frequently in wisdom teeth. Because the impacted tooth pushed against other teeth it can cause severe pain in a large area of the mouth. You can watch for impacted teeth with x-rays and regular screenings, but the only way to solve this problem is with oral surgery.