Tag Archives: causes

Causes of abnormal number of teeth in your/your child’s dentition-Part II

We have discussed hypodontia in the part I of this article. Here we will look at extra teeth in addition to those in the normal dentition.

Extra tooth

Hyperdontia

Hyperdontia, or supernumerary teeth, are teeth additional to those in the normal series. They can be found anywhere in the tooth-bearing region. They are most commonly found in the upper front tooth region, followed by the lower back tooth region. Just like hypodontia, they can  be present on both sides (right and left sides) of the dentition. Hence, when there is a supernumerary tooth on one side of the jaw, a dentist would check for the possibility of a supernumerary tooth on the other side as well. Continue reading →

Causes of abnormal number of teeth in your/your child’s dentition

A typical human being has 20 deciduous (or milk, primary) teeth, consisting of 4 incisors, 2 canines, and 2 molars in each jaw (upper and lower). This is followed by the permanent dentition (or secondary dentition), which consists of 4 incisors, 2 canines, 4 premolars, and 6 molars in each jaw, making up a total of 32teeth in a typical adult.

hypodontia

Hypodontia
If a person has less than 20 deciduous teeth or 32 permanent teeth (not including those that has been extracted or those that are impacted), the condition is termed “hypodontia”, or “oligodontia”. If there is complete absence of teeth in one or both dentitions, it is called “anodontia”. Hypodontia is: Continue reading →

Dry mouth reasons and remedies

Saliva has many different functions; to name a few, digestion, lubrication, to help you taste food, to protect your teeth from tooth decay, helping you swallow food, and protection your mouth from infection. It is produced by the many salivary glands in out mouth. There are 3 pairs of major salivary glands (the parotid glands, the submandibular glands and the sublingual glands, one of each on each side of the face) and over 600 minor salivary glands. These glands are connected by a duct and open into the mouth via small orifices. Sometimes we take saliva for granted such that we don’t realize how important it is until we’ve lost it. A normal person produces 4-6 cups of saliva daily. If the production decreases, he or she will have symptoms of “dry mouth”, or “xerostomia”, resulting in a great discomfort and inconvenience. It is a common phenomenon especially among middle aged and elderly women.

Dry and fissured tongue

 

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Fear of Dentists (No more!) – Part 1

What is the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of a dentist? Does it send shrills down your spine as you start imagining long needles and sharp probes and high-speed drills all in your mouth at once, cutting into your teeth while tied down to the dental chair? Or is it like a leisurely stroll to the park that you take every once in awhile and you absolutely look forward to each visit? If it’s the latter, congratulations, you’re a rare species! But if it’s the former, and you can clearly remember how you so often had to cling onto the staircase railings so as not be dragged to the dentist’s when you were young, then you most probably have the dental phobia/dentophobia, or fear of dentists. Some people suffer from such a condition to a greater degree than others. It can be any one of the following:

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