Dental Problems

• Abscessed Tooth

  What is an abscessed tooth? An abscessed tooth is an infection in or around the tooth. It can be very painful. If the infection isn't treated, it can spread and you can lose your tooth or have other health problems. What causes an abscessed tooth? Damage to the tooth, an untreated cavity (tooth decay)...

• Tooth Extraction

  Describes surgery to remove a tooth that is damaged. Discusses why surgery is done and how well it works. Covers what to expect after surgery. Covers possible risks. Offers home care tips. Provides questions to ask your dentist about tooth extraction.

• Chipped or Broken Tooth or Dental Appliance

  A chip or break in a tooth may occur suddenly with an injury or develop slowly over time because of wear and tear. A chip, crack, or break in the tooth enamel is less serious than one to a deeper layer of your tooth. A chip may result from grinding the teeth at night. A dentist can recommend a course of treatment for...

• Dental Sealants

  A dental sealant is a clear or white, liquid-plastic material put on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant bonds into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of teeth and protects them from tooth decay and cavities. Although...

• Basic Dental Care

  Provides info on basic dental care like brushing and flossing regularly, seeing your dentist or dental hygienist for regular checkups and cleanings, and eating mouth-healthy foods. Offers info on dental care for children.

• Root Canal Treatment

  Describes root canal surgery in detail. Covers what to expect after surgery, why surgery is done, and how well it works. Lists risks involved. Also provides a list of suggested questions to ask your doctor about root canal treatment.

• Tooth Extraction

  Describes surgery to remove a tooth that is damaged. Discusses why surgery is done and how well it works. Covers what to expect after surgery. Covers possible risks. Offers home care tips. Provides questions to ask your dentist about tooth extraction.

• Tooth Decay

  Discusses tooth decay and cavities (dental caries). Covers preventing decay by brushing and flossing. Discusses increasing risk of tooth decay by letting a child sleep with a bottle in his or her mouth. Discusses reversing slight decay by using fluoride.

• Preventing Tooth Decay in Young Children

  Tooth decay , called dental caries, is caused by bacteria eating away the outer protective layer (enamel) of a tooth. Help prevent tooth decay in young children by adopting the following healthy habits: Teach your child to brush and floss every day. Clean your baby's gums with a soft cloth or gauze...

• Dental Care: Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth

  Looks at the importance of good dental hygiene. Suggests basic practices for when and how to brush and floss. Provides interactive test of knowledge about dental hygiene.

• Crowns

  A crown (often called a cap) fits over and replaces the entire part of a decayed tooth above the gum line. It encases the tooth and becomes the tooth's new outer surface. You may need two or more visits to your dentist to repair a severely decayed tooth with a crown. Crowns may be made of porcelain or a metal base...

• Fillings (Restorations)

  A filling is a material that your dentist uses to fill a cavity after he or she removes any tooth decay. To fill a tooth, your dentist will: Numb your teeth, gums, tongue, and surrounding skin. Your dentist will first put a substance that feels like jelly directly on the area to start the numbing process, and then...

• Dental Implants

  A dental implant is an artificial tooth. Your dentist may suggest it if a permanent tooth fell out from an injury or was taken out because of bad tooth decay. Implants are natural-looking, can provide support for dentures, and do not affect the teeth bordering them. But after you have an implant, you may need to have...

• Toothache and Gum Problems

  Describes toothache. Lists symptoms and possible causes. Also describes gum disease, including gingivitis and periodontal disease. Includes interactive tool to help you decide when to call a doctor. Offers prevention tips.

• Self-Examination for Dental Plaque

  Describes a test you can do at home that will show how well you're brushing and flossing your teeth. Covers over-the-counter products that can be used to identify plaque. Covers how to do the self-exam and what results mean.

• Dry Socket

  Dry socket is a painful inflammation that can develop in the open tooth socket of the jawbone after a tooth has been removed (extracted). Dry sockets often develop after an extraction and are more common after extraction of third molars (wisdom...

• Root Planing and Scaling for Gum Disease

  Root planing and scaling is one of the most effective ways to treat gum disease before it becomes severe. Root planing and scaling cleans between the gums and the teeth down to the roots. Your dentist may need to use a local anesthetic to numb your gums and the roots of your teeth. Some dentists and dental hygienists...

• Gingivectomy for Gum Disease

  You may need surgery for severe gum disease ( periodontitis) if it cannot be cured with antibiotics or root planing and scaling. A gingivectomy removes and reshapes loose, diseased gum tissue to get rid of pockets between the teeth and gums. A gum specialist (periodontist) or oral surgeon often will do the procedure...

• Flap Procedure for Gum Disease

  You may need surgery for severe gum disease ( periodontitis) if it cannot be cured with antibiotics or root planing and scaling. A flap procedure cleans the roots of a tooth and repairs bone damage caused by gum disease. A gum specialist (periodontist) or an oral surgeon often performs the procedure. Before the...

• Gum Disease

  Covers symptoms and causes of gum disease (also called gingivitis, periodontitis, or periodontal disease). Covers what increases your risk. Discusses home treatment. Covers treatment with medicines, root planing and scaling, and surgery.

• Tooth Extraction

  Describes surgery to remove a tooth that is damaged. Discusses why surgery is done and how well it works. Covers what to expect after surgery. Covers possible risks. Offers home care tips. Provides questions to ask your dentist about tooth extraction.

• Dental Care: Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth

  Looks at the importance of good dental hygiene. Suggests basic practices for when and how to brush and floss. Provides interactive test of knowledge about dental hygiene.

• Malocclusion and Orthodontics

  Describes causes and symptoms of crooked teeth (called malocclusion). Covers treatment with orthodontics (braces) or surgery.

• Early Treatment for Malocclusion

  Growth modification (early treatment) is part of the first phase of two-stage orthodontic treatment of children with malocclusion (poor bite). Growth modification is only possible when bones are still growing. It is most effective during children's growth spurts. Orthodontists use growth modification devices...

• Treatment for Malocclusion

  Orthognathic surgery treats malocclusion ("poor bite") by restructuring the jaw through cutting the bone and repositioning the bone segments. Adults who have jaw-related malocclusion are sometimes offered a choice between simple orthodontic treatment and orthodontic treatment combined with orthognathic surgery. Adults...

• Extracting Teeth for Malocclusion Treatment

  Serial extraction is the carefully planned and selective removal of baby ( primary) teeth to create room for incoming permanent ( secondary) teeth. Dentists or orthodontists consider removing teeth because after age 8, the space for a child's teeth (arch length) doesn't increase. Severe crowding of teeth at this age...