Healthy gums and teeth make a human being to feel more confident and in shape. As we go about our daily routines and with other eating and drinking habits, plaque builds up on the tooth enamel and yellowish. This yellowing of the tooth happens because the bacteria that naturally exist in the mouth begins to proliferate. Some people do not know that brushing their teeth once or twice a day is actually enough to keep plaque from building up and yellowing. Although it takes more than two weeks for the plaque to completely peel away and be replaced by a new tooth, flossing, rinsing, using mouthwash and using a special toothbrush can help get the job done. Dental care traditionally has always been associated with professional dental visits, which many patients understand and anticipate.
There are three main types of dental work: cleaning, polishing, and removing surface stains. The work done in the dental chair is called dental surgery, and it involves the removal of plaque, scaling and adhesions that form on the tooth surface. Plaque is composed of dead cells, bacteria and other particles that do not dissolve. These particles adhere to the surface and are difficult to clean or remove. Abrasion is one of the dental tools that help remove these particles.
Dental work typically involves scraping or rubbing these particles off the teeth and into pockets or creases on the surface. Scrapings can take the form of strips or chips. Sometimes, there are small grooves that will require a circular motion or gentle tapping on the surface. After scraping or rubbing, some dentists recommend using chemicals called abrasives to remove the remaining particles and to help smooth the rough surface.
An abrasive is a material that contains a high level of heat or grinding action. Some of the most common abrasives used by dentists are aluminum oxide or phosphate. These materials are hard enough to lift and scrape off particles but soft enough to prevent damage to the surface. Although they are hard, they are still flexible enough to change the shape of the object that they scrape or rub. In effect, they create a pattern that helps reshape the object.
Another type of dental restorations involve restoring tooth surfaces to the original condition of clean and white appearance. Dental cleaning uses liquids and substances to remove food and mineral deposits from the tooth structures. It usually requires repeated applications over a period of weeks to achieve the desired result. Some dentists prefer to use a mild cleansing solution instead of an abrasive, for reasons of ease of use and to avoid damaging the soft deposits on which the restorations are based.
Tooth restorations involve two types of restorative materials: that which is used during the actual restoration process and that which is used to help maintain the final product. Dental polishing, for example, is the term used for polishing the exterior surface of a tooth. It involves removing and replacing damaged or stained surfaces using materials such as buffing pads, tooth colored substances or polishing agents. Once the restorations are ready, they are often kept in place with a special material such as a resin that is meant to attract and hold the new surface. The material is later removed with a process called polishing to restore the finish to its original quality.
