Dental Research and Oral Health

Dental biomaterials are specialized instruments that are designed to be used in dentistry. These are fabricated structures. Their main focus is the replacement and enhancement of missing tissues due to some disease or accidents and also to restore their normal function. Dental biomaterials professionals study the structure, properties, and processing of these materials and the interaction of these materials with the face and mouth tissues. It is principally involved in restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, pedodontics, and orthodontics. The dental materials are designed with the key components of every dental procedure. The use of these materials depends largely the on the type of practice operated. New dental materials are introduced in the market at a rapid pace, so staying on top of our options is an ongoing part of practicing dentistry.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is the specialty of dentistry, which includes revising an extensive variety of wounds, ailments, and deformities in the head, face, neck, and tissues in the oral and maxillofacial area. It encompasses the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, traumatic injuries, and deformities of the face, mouth, dentition, jaws, and neck. It also includes the diagnosis and surgical treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects of tissues (both hard and soft) of the oral and maxillofacial region.

It is a bridge between medicine and dentistry, treating conditions that require expertise from both backgrounds such as head and neck cancers, early dental implant failure, antibiotic prophylaxis, salivary gland diseases, facial disproportion, facial pain, and cysts and tumors of the jaws and infections. It provides the highest standard of surgical care for patients with benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck region, the trauma of the oral and maxillofacial region, basic oral surgical procedures including removal of wisdom teeth and the placement of implants, and dentofacial and cleft deformities.

Dental Instruments are the equipment that is used to fix dental problems and injuries. There is a wide range of dental instruments which are employed for the repair and fixture of the teeth. Dental marketing can be defined as the branch of dentistry that deals with the marketing of the various dental instruments and equipment which are used to repair dental injuries. Dental marketing includes the various groups of people who are involved in the manufacture of dental instruments and dentists who run a clinic.

Increased interest in Dental health associated with new products and new players in the dental market constantly lead to tackling dental health with more speed and precision. Over the last decade, the dental industry has experienced a massive influx of new technologies. The advances in the dental stream have resulted in a streamlined workflow, restorative dentistry accuracy as well as elevated product consistency. By developing new practice models these technologies will continue to advance and require adaptation that enables "mission critical" technologies to remain affordable.

Pediatric Dentistry is a sub-branch of dental science that provides initial oral health cares for infants and children till adolescence. During the first 6 months of life, children begin to get their baby teeth. After that, they start to lose their first set of teeth which will be replaced by secondary (permanent) teeth. Without proper dental care, they face oral decays and diseases that can cause complications and pain. Early childhood dental caries is 10 times more common than other diseases.

The critical part that Dental practitioners, dental hygienists, researchers, and other well-being experts of dental occasions will prompt the sheltered and powerful ailment anticipation measures to exist that everybody can embrace to enhance oral well-being and avert sickness. Oral issues, including dental and periodontal contaminations, dry mouth, and tooth rot, are for the most part treatable with legitimate findings and care.

Oral cancer is cancer that develops in the mouth or throat tissues. Almost all cancers of the mouth occur in squamous cells, the type of cells that line the mouth, tongue, and lips. These are called squamous cell carcinomas (cancers). Not all tumors in the mouth are cancer. Some are benign and some are precancerous, meaning they may become cancer. Oral cancers are most often discovered after they have spread to the lymph nodes of the neck. Early detection is important for oral cancer survival. Tobacco use is one of the biggest risk factors for oral cancer. This includes smoking cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, as well as chewing tobacco. The survival rate after one year for all stages of oral cancer is 81%. After five years, the survival rate is 56%, and after 10 years it’s 41%. The removal of tumors of large size could possibly affect your abilities associated with the jaw and mouth such as chewing, swallowing, or talking.

Gerontology is the study of dentition and Dental issues in older patients that involves the identification and treatment of dental injuries, diseases, or defects. The physiological, pathologic, and psychological changes in geriatric patients impact dental treatment. Periodontology deals with the study of supporting structures of teeth and connected diseases. The periodontium includes the animal tissue, alveolar bone, and solid body substance, and periodontics ligament. The invention of the microorganism that plays a crucial role in periodontal diseases and also the pathological process of the disease may be an advanced and complex topic.

Dental Anaesthesiology we used earlier is nitrogen oxide and ether to control the pain of tooth. This allows millions of patients to undergo painless surgery, but not all.  Dental Anaesthesiology includes:

Local Anaesthesia: The most local anaesthesia is lidocaine. Its half-life in the body is about 1.5 to 2hrs. This controls bleeding in the tissue during procedures

Maxillary Anaesthesia: Local anaesthesia is deposited at the buccal (cheek) side of the maxillary alveolus which can diffuse through the thin cortical plate of the maxilla, then further into the pulp of the tooth in order to get dental anaesthesia effect.

Mandibular Anaesthesia: The technique to be used is chosen based on the patient’s age and tooth to be anaesthetised. Regional block or Infiltration technique is used here.

Dental sleep medicine focuses on the use of oral appliances to treat sleep-disordered breathing, includes snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). These customized sleep apnea oral appliances are made by dentists using a plastic-like mold according to the specific shape of the patient’s mouth and teeth. They not only work on against the sleep apnea but also effective stop snoring. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder in which breathing starts and stops repeatedly.

Nanotechnology has a potential to bring enormous changes in the field of Dentistry. Nanomaterials are those whose size is <10nm.

• Local Nano anaesthesia: A colloidal suspension includes millions of dental nanorobots would be used to induce local anaesthesia. It reduces apprehension and is fast and totally reversible.
• Hypersensitivity cure:  Nanorobots uses local organic materials which could result in effective blockage of particular tubules, resulting in rapid and stable treatment.
• Tooth Repositioning: periodontal tissues like the gingiva, periodontal aligament, cementum and alveolar bone, may be directed by orthodontic Nanorobots leads to swift and pain free corrective movements.
• Dentifrobots: Mouthwashes and Tooth pastes contain dentifrobots that would clean all  gingival surfaces regularly. They would breakdown all the harmful materials into harmless substances.
• Nanotherapeutics: Nanotechnology will eliminate the solubility problems, lead to a reduction in the dosage of drug and reduce the adverse effects.
• Diagnosing oral cancer: Nanoscale cantilevers, in which elastic beams used to attach with cancer linked molecules

Dentistry continues to change, particularly because of the advances in Clinical Dentistry, materials and technology. These changes offer opportunities for both patients and Dental practices alike. Now patients can benefit from the advances in Clinical dentistry and Dental practices can benefit from the opportunity to move their business in a forward direction. Dental practices need to constantly look at the available options. Dentists can now offer patients advanced choices like Laser dentistry, Dentistry, Digital and Implant dentistry.  I find that dentists who are taking advanced clinical courses and utilizing technology are re-energized and enjoying dentistry more than ever before.

Digital Dentistry denotes to the use of dental skills or devices to carry out dental procedures rather than using mechanical or electrical tools. It can be used to make carrying out dental procedures more efficient than using mechanical tools. 3D Imaging  is one of the most major tools for orthodontists to evaluate and record size and form of craniofacial structures. Orthodontists regularly use 2-dimensional (2D) static imaging procedures, but deepness of structures cannot be acquired and restricted with 2D imaging. In 3D diagnostic imaging, a series of anatomical records is gathered using certain technical equipment, processed by a computer and later presented on a 2D monitor to present the illusion of deepness.

Prosthodontics is one among the nine dental specialties that is perceived by the American Dental Association (ADA). Dental professionals in the field of prosthodontics (prosthodontists) offer the latest sequencing treatment, maintenance and therapeutic treatment. Cosmetic Dentistry improves the presence of an individual's teeth, gums and grin. It essentially centers around progress dental feel in shading, position, shape, size, arrangement and in general grin appearance. The medicines can be utilized to fix teeth brightening, full mouth recreation and grin makeover. Corrective medicines incorporate crowns, spans, fillings, dentures, dental inserts, holding, facade and tooth brightening.

Preventive dentistry is the practice of caring for one's teeth to keep them healthy. This helps to avoid cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and more. Preventive dentistry prevents people from developing dental problems later on. Cavities, gingivitis, enamel loss, and periodontitis can all be avoided or mitigated with proper dental care. Operative dentistry concerned with restoration of parts of the teeth that are defective as a result of disease , trauma, or abnormal development to a state of normal function, health, and esthetics.

Restorative dentistry deals with diagnosing and managing the diseases of teeth, its supporting structures and the healing of the dentition to practical and inventive requirements of the individual. It encompasses the dental specialities of endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics and its foundation is based upon how these interact in cases where composite care is needed.  The ultimate outcome of dental cavities is resolved by the balance between pathological factors that leads to demineralization and protective factors that leads to remineralization.

Endodontics is the specialty of dentistry concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of the dental pulp along with associated periradicular conditions. Endodontic treatment removes the diseased pulp, clean and shape the root canal system, disinfect the contaminated root canals, and then fill the root canal system to block re-infection and stimulate periradicular healing.

Periodontics and Preventive Dentistry focuses mostly on prevention, diagnosing and treating the diseases of gum and its periodontal tissues that results in attachment loss and destruction of alveolar bone. Periodontal treatments includes Tartar (calculus) and plaque removal beneath the gums, Medication and Surgery. Periodontics is first treated by special cleaning called “Peri-odontal cleaning” along with some medications to remove the plaque and tartar deposits. if it doesn’t cured then goes to surgery method which allows dentists to access areas under gums and roots where the tartar and plaque is accumulated. This reduces the pockets and repair caused by progressing disease.

Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics is the specialty of dentistry that focuses on the alignment of the teeth and the dental arches: the maxilla and the mandible. This deals with the problems of teeth that are crowded or too far apart, teeth that meet abnormally or don’t meet at all, and teeth that stick out, and mismatched jaws. Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopaedics, is previously called as orthodontia, is a field of dentistry that concerned with the diagnosing, preventing and correction of malpositioned teeth and jaws. For the younger patients, the jaw bones are still forming, it is easier to control bone growth and tooth movement. However for the elder patients this process involves surgery.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is the treatment of issues related to hard and soft tissues of face, mouth and jaws.  Maxillofacial surgeons set a strong base for cosmetic and restorative dental work which includes placing of dental implants, providing medication for obstructive sleep apnea, facial pain and infection, biopsies, removal of lesions, diagnosis and treatment of some oral cancers. It includes treatment of facial injuries, head and neck cancers, salivary gland diseases, facial disproportion, facial pain, impacted teeth, cysts and tumors of the jaws along with numerous problems affecting the oral mucosa like mouth ulcers and infections.

This topic deals with ongoing research in Dentistry that covers an evaluation, diagnosing, treatment and prevention of different kinds of diseases and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the jaw, oral cavity, maxillofacial area and adjacent and associated structures and its impact on the human body. The major focus of researches is on treating different dental problems through different analytical procedures, tests and techniques.

Dentistry continues to change, particularly because of the advances in clinical dentistry, materials and technology. These changes offer opportunities for both patients and dental practices alike. Now patients can benefit from the advances in Clinical dentistry and dental practices can benefit from the opportunity to move their business in a forward direction. Dental practices need to constantly look at the available options. Dentists can now offer patients advanced choices like Laser dentistry, dentistry, and Digital Implant dentistry. I find that dentists who are taking advanced clinical courses and utilizing technology are re-energized and enjoying dentistry more than ever before.

Ethics affect virtually every decision made in a dental office, encompassing activities of both judging and choosing. Ethics affect relationships with patients, the public, office staff, and other professionals. Without a solid ethical foundation, you simply cannot be a true professional. The dentist must be aware of patients’ legitimate needs for prescription drugs. There are five fundamental principles that form the foundation of the ADA Code: patient autonomy, no maleficence, beneficence, justice and veracity. Principles can overlap each other as well as compete with each other for priority.

Categories of Ethical Dilemmas

• Breaches of confidentiality.
• Failure to disclose dental mistakes.
• Over treatment and poor quality dental treatment.
• Requests for fraudulent documentation.
• Requests for narcotic medications.
• Requests for inappropriate treatment.
• Deceptive dental marketing and advertisements.

Dental Hygiene is a method of caring the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental problems, most commonly, gingivitis, dental cavities, bad breath and periodontal (gum) diseases. Teeth cleaning mean the removal of dental plaque and tartar from teeth to prevent cavities, gum disease, gingivitis and tooth decay. Poor hygiene of mouth, particularly gum disease increases the risk of heart stroke, uncontrolled diabetes and preterm labour. Vincent infection is a terrible disease of the mouth characterized by gray ulceration of the mucous membrane, bleeding of gums, foul odour to the breath etc.