Teeth History

These essential parts of the body are small, pointy, round, and help chew food. What are they? Teeth! Teeth come in many shapes, many sizes, and unfortunately, many colors. Each tooth has its own function, as well as its own important structure. Teeth cannot be unattended to though. They must be cared for properly in order to maintain their appearance and health. Teeth are made up of many different substances and parts. Understanding these things makes caring for teeth much easier. Teeth start to form before you are even born. The teeth are called milk teeth at that time (www.123dentist.com). Teething as a child can start as early as 3 months. Children start out with 20 baby teeth, known as primary teeth. There are 10 teeth …show more content…
One form of an indirect filling is called an inlay, and it lies within the tooth. The other type of indirect filling is an onlay, which is on the crown. It may cover as least one cusp of the tooth, or the whole crown of the tooth (Compton’s By Britannica: Volume 6D). Each filling is filled with a white or silver material. If a cavity is severe enough and reaches the deeper part of the pulp, a root canal may have to be done (www.webmd.com/picture). This is a process done by an endodontist, who specializes in root canals. The endodontist will drill the pulp out of the tooth, clean it and fill it with a temporary medication and a rubberlike material (Compton’s By Britannica: Volume 6D). Unfortunately, I had this procedure done about a year ago. The root canal itself does not hurt, it is actually painless. But the pain before it is taken care of is excruciating. I thought it was one of my wisdom teeth coming in, but it turned out to be a deep cavity and it was infected. I had to take medication for it so the infection did not spread. After the procedure was completed, my tooth had no feeling whatsoever, as it was now dead. A month or so later, I received a temporary filling, and then a real one. My tooth was back to normal, until I had eaten some milk duds I had received from a teacher. While I ate these, one chipped a part of my tooth, and it was decided that I needed a crown to be done …show more content…
They can become sensitive to hot or cold when the dentin is exposed (www.webmd.com/picture). Dentin can become exposed from corrosion, attrition, or abrasion. Corrosion occurs when acidic content hits the tooth’s surface. Things such as medication or vitamin C tablets may cause this (www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide). Also, from personal experience, saliva may cause this. Within the past year or so, I have spent a lot of time at the dentist’s office. I brush my teeth every day, and use mouthwash, but I have had a great number of cavities within the past 8 years. This past year, my dentist mentioned how saliva may be acidic. Teens especially may have acidic saliva. Humans produce over 25,000 quarts of saliva in a lifetime, so it may have a big impact on teeth, especially in my case (www.123dentist.com). Attrition is another way to wear down the tooth. This is natural tooth-to-tooth friction that happens when you clean or grind teeth. It often happens during sleep (www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide). Lastly, abrasion is the physical wear and tear of the tooth that happens with brushing teeth too hard, improper flossing, biting on hard objects or chewing tobacco (www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide). But fun fact, the friction between the toothbrush and your teeth have more of an effect on how clean your teeth are, rather than the cleaning product you are using (www.dentalbuzz.com). Even though this may be true, a