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Showing posts from November, 2020

What Causes Crooked Teeth and How to Straighten Them

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Crooked, misaligned teeth are prevalent. Many children and adults have them. If your teeth are crooked,  if you’re unhappy with the way your teeth look, or if they’re causing health or speech issues, you can have them realigned. What causes crooked teeth? Both baby teeth and permanent teeth can come in crooked, or they can become crooked. Baby teeth sometimes move into crooked positions because they’re too small to fill the amount of gum space allocated to them. Prolonged habits, such as sucking on a pacifier or thumb, can also cause baby teeth to become pushed out or crooked. Heredity and genetics may also play a role. Having crooked baby teeth doesn’t mean your child will have crooked permanent teeth. However, if baby teeth grow in crowded together, the permanent teeth may be crowded as well. If trauma to the mouth or tooth decay causes one or more baby teeth to fall out sooner than they would naturally, the permanent teeth that follow may grow out of the gums slanted rather than str

Is It Normal to Have the Roots of Your Teeth Show?

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A patient came in with severe gum recession where the root was exposed in front of one tooth.  It didn't hurt; it just looked strange, and she wanted to know if it was a problem. Usually, the teeth have adequate gum tissue to cover the roots, which should be embedded in bone.  There is a small area between the bone and the gum tissue that is called the sulcus.  It's in the sulcus that our bodies fight bacteria, called plaque, that collect on the teeth.  In a healthy mouth, the sulcus measures between 1 and 3 millimetres.  In a mouth that is fighting an infection caused by bacteria, the gum tissue recedes, and the sulcus deepens to 4 millimetres or more.  If the gums are swollen, red or bleed easily, then the patient may have gingivitis, which is the first stage of gum disease.  If untreated, the disease can worsen into periodontitis and can lead to bone loss.  If the roots are exposed, then typically the tissue contours around the roots are poor, which can lead more bacteria to

5 Benefits of Having Braces at 40 or Older

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When many of us think about wearing braces, we often picture our uncomfortable teenage years. While braces, headgear and retainers signified a middle-school era for many, the truth is orthodontics has benefits for every age group. In fact, more than one in four of every Indian seeking orthodontic treatment is over the age of 21. If you think you’re too old for braces, think again! Here are just a few of the benefits of having braces at 40 or older. Improve Your Smile at Any Age A smile makes a great first impression. And if it pains you to smile well into your adulthood, it may be time to correct your teeth positioning with braces at 40. From work events to social situations and even a simple selfie, no one should have to hide their smile. Straightening your teeth with braces at 40 can greatly improve your smile, impacting how you present yourself to others and how they interact with you as well.   Straighten Shifting Adult Teeth  You may have lived your whole life so far with perfectl

What's the difference between an Orthodontist and a Dentist?

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Orthodontists and dentists both help patients improve their oral health, but in different ways. Dentistry is a medical speciality that deals with teeth, gum, nerves, and jaw. At the same time, orthodontics is a speciality within dentistry  that focuses on correcting bites, occlusion, and the straightness of teeth. One crucial difference is that an orthodontist like Dr Parijat Pallav M.D.S. is a dentist, but not all dentists are licensed orthodontists. How are they similar? The main similarity between a dentist and orthodontist is that they both focus on oral care. An orthodontist can work in a dental office and provide the same care as a dentist. So in this respect, they are quite similar. They are both considered doctors and deal with the teeth and gums. How are they different? There are more differences than similarities. An orthodontist requires three years of additional education and training as a dental speciality; the situation is similar to a doctor who obtains further education