Dentists and Oral Hygiene

Dentists In Las Vegas diagnose and treat disorders involving the teeth, gums, and mouth. They also educate patients on good oral health and hygiene practices.

A dental career requires extensive education and training, including college and dental school. Many students carry substantial educational debt, which can limit their financial flexibility.

Dental hygiene is integral to a person’s oral and general health. Good oral hygiene habits, such as brushing twice a day and flossing once a day, can help people avoid serious dental problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer. Visiting the dentist for routine cleanings and examinations can also help prevent these problems. It is recommended that everyone see a dental professional for at least two visits per year.

Hygienists perform routine oral health screenings to look for signs of gum disease, such as inflammation and pockets around the teeth. They may also check for other problems, such as oral cancer and bone loss. They then report these findings to the dentist.

After a dental hygienist cleans a patient’s teeth, they may apply cavity-preventive agents, such as fluorides and pit and fissure sealants. They may also provide educational materials to help patients develop and maintain good oral health habits.

A dental hygienist’s duties may also include taking and processing X-rays of the mouth. This includes bite-wing X-rays and panoramic X-rays, which give a full view of the entire mouth. In addition, a hygienist may assist the dentist by applying local anesthetics and nitrous oxide, removing sutures, placing and carving filling materials, temporary fillings, periodontal dressings and polishing restorations. Hygienists work in a variety of settings, including private dental practice, community health settings, nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, schools, faculty practice clinics and state and federal government facilities, such as Indian reservations.

A career in dental hygiene can be very rewarding, and it is one of the fastest growing healthcare fields. The average dental hygienist makes an annual salary of $40,900, which is higher than the national average for all healthcare occupations. For those interested in pursuing this career, it is important to choose an accredited program that offers both introductory science courses and specialized dental hygiene coursework. The UB associate and bachelor’s programs in dental hygiene are designed to prepare students for success in this exciting and challenging field. A dental hygienist’s job requires a high degree of technical skills and a strong commitment to improving and promoting the health of the public.

Diagnosis

A dentist diagnoses oral diseases based on the information gathered during an exam. This includes the patient’s history, a visual examination of the mouth and surrounding tissues, and X-rays. In addition, a number of tests may be ordered to provide more information, such as blood work or X-rays. The word diagnosis comes from the Greek words gnosis (“to know”) and dia (“apart”). The process of making a diagnosis starts with gathering all the information, developing a list of possible causes, testing those possibilities, and then verifying a specific diagnosis with more data.

Gum disease is a common dental problem that develops when bacterial plaque accumulates between and around teeth. This can lead to inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and can cause tooth loss if not treated. Gum disease can progress to periodontitis, which results in the loss of bone around the teeth and can lead to loose and painful teeth. There are several factors that contribute to a person’s susceptibility to periodontitis, including genetics, age, smoking, hormone changes, certain medications (including birth control pills and some heart medicines), poor diet, systemic diseases, and diabetes.

Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, occurs when a sticky, colorless-to-yellow film of bacteria called plaque develops on the tooth’s surface. This can damage the hard outer covering of the tooth, called enamel, allowing sugars to penetrate and deteriorate the underlying dentin. Symptoms of tooth decay include pain when eating and sensitivity to hot or cold foods. A dentist can detect tooth decay by visually inspecting a person’s mouth, probing the teeth with special instruments, and using X-rays to look for soft areas in the teeth.

Cracked and chipped teeth can occur from chewing or biting too hard, grinding your teeth at night, accidents, or injuries. They can be a nuisance because they can impede eating and speaking, and they can expose sensitive nerves to the elements. A dentist can repair a cracked or chipped tooth by bonding, placing a crown, or performing a root canal procedure. In some cases, a tooth can be extracted.

Prevention

Using preventive dental care like consistent brushing and flossing, professional dental exams and cleanings, mouth rinses and other oral hygiene aids, and nutritional and tobacco cessation counseling can lower the risk of developing gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral conditions. Preventive dentistry can also catch potential health issues like oral cancer in their early stages, when they are often easier to treat.

Dental offices must follow standard precautions to protect patients and staff from infection with bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. These include wearing a mask and eye protection, washing hands frequently with soap and water, putting on fresh gloves before each patient, using an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant to clean clinical contact surfaces that get touched or used by patients (light switches, faucets, dental chairside computers), and putting easily decontaminated barriers between patients in the treatment room (such as curtains).

Dentists may be at higher risk for bloodborne pathogens, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, and cytomegalovirus (CMV), than other healthcare professionals due to the frequent handling of sharp instruments and blood. They are also at risk for percutaneous injuries that can expose them to saliva, blood, and other body fluids, as well as particulates and aerosolized droplets from dental procedures.

Airborne pathogens spread primarily through person-to-person contact, such as when an infected individual coughs, sneezes, or talks and produces droplets that are inhaled by others. It is possible for people to become infected with the COVID-19 virus this way, although it is not yet clear how common this method of transmission is.

Since the virus was first detected, dentists and their staff have been instructed to limit patient contact as much as possible and to use engineering controls (such as easily decontaminated barriers) when providing dental services. This includes limiting non-emergency services to those with urgent needs and assessing whether elective procedures should be postponed. Dental practices should consult the CDC, OSHA, and their state dental boards for regular updates on how to provide safe care during this pandemic. This is especially important as science continues to learn more about the virus.