A Dentist and his Tools

A dentist is a medical practitioner who helps individuals take care of their teeth and the most part of the oral cavity, including the jawbone, the gums and others. This professional can perform several basic procedures and treatments on his patients which can treat, remedy or assess the state and stability of the oral cavity. Specialized dental professionals can also perform surgeries which are needed in order for their patient to live normally or as close to it as possible. Along with the procedures, the practitioner needs several basic and specialized tools. These are necessary in order for the dentist to perform the treatment or operation well.

Composite Fillings and Reshaping

In the past, filling a tooth comprised of the use of a substance which is now deemed dangerous when ingested. This substance, called amalgam, is still used these days but only for very specific and well supervised cases. In its place, composite is now used and many find it better. Instruments used to perform composite filling procedures include, but are not limited to, those that are used to tamp down and push the composite material into the hole that was recently made by the dentist, the drill that is used to make the cavity a bit bigger and cleaner and the light that is used to harden the material. The tools used to form the substance can also be used to reform chips and cracks in a tooth. The drill is a useful instrument that can be used to widen cavities to make them more accessible and to clean them from buildup. It can also be used to polish, smooth or shape the edges of composite additions.

Root Canal

This is probably one of the most dreaded procedures that a patient does not want to hear about. The reality of it is that it is basically straight forward but the recovery may be a bit lengthy and uncomfortable. The premise of this operation is to kill off the root of the tooth in order to prevent any more deterioration to it. In this procedure, the dentist will need to operate on the patient. The tools needed for this procedure include, but are not limited to, reamers and files. These are used to shape, reshape and clean the canal and its surroundings.

Cleaning

Dental cleaning is a procedure that entails the cleaning and polishing of the teeth by a dentist. This is a means for the dental professional to also check and have a look see on the state of the oral cavity. Basically, plaque and other accumulations are cleaned out and cavities and fillings are checked for leaks. This task is usually done every six months or so on adults. Children may need to be cleaned every few months or three to four months especially if they are lazy brushers. Scalers and curettes are often used to fine tune the cleaning process in between teeth and often the surface of each pearly white. A polisher is the final touch for the process that uses a soft rubber cup that turns as it is placed on each tooth.