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CORONAVIRUS AND DENTISTRY

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WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS? Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)  is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. The new virus is dangerous - so far, around 20 per cent of confirmed cases have been classed as severe or critical. So far, around 15 to 20 per cent of hospital cases have been classed as "severe" and the current death rate varies between 0.7 per cent and 3.4 per cent depending on the location and, crucially, access to good hospital care. This is much lower than fatality rates for Mers (30 per cent) and Sars (10 per cent), but still a significant threat. HOW DOES IT SPREAD? Like cold and flu bugs, the virus is spread via droplets when a person coughs or sneezes. The droplets land on surfa

DENTAL CARIES

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DENTAL CARIES WHAT IS DENTAL CARIES? Dental caries is an infectious microbiological disease that affects both soft and hard tissue of the teeth. It leads to the formation of small holes in the teeth and makes it week and prone to infections CAUSATIVE FACTORS There are 4 main things that may lead to caries Microorganisms: The presence of certain bacteria in the mouth leads to caries. Different microorganisms are responsible for the initiation and propogation of caries. Substrate: Carbohydrates. Foods rich in carbohydrates eg sugars are acted upon by the bacteria and acids such as lactic acid are released. This acid causes the demineralization of teeth. Host: The individuals teeth, whether they are crowded or not, type and flow of saliva, etc Time: till which all factors are in contact. SYMPTOMS Begins as the presence of discolouration on the tooth surface. If left unchecked it may lead to formation of holes on the teeth (cavitation) Sensitivi

PULPECTOMY PROCEDURE

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WHAT IS PULPECTOMY?? Every human tooth has three parts in the crown (part visible in the oral cavity)- hard tissue structures called the enamel and dentin and a soft tissue pulp on the inside. Correspondingly, the root of the tooth has two hard tissues known as the cementum and dentin and a soft tissue structure pulp on the inside. While the enamel , cementum and dentin on the outer layers of the teeth are tough and lifeless, the pulp inside is soft, living, highly sensitive and consists of nerves and blood vessles which provide nutrition and vitality to the tooth. When the outer layers of the tooth are damaged, it is possible for the pulp inside to become infected. In some cases to save the tooth, it may be required that the pulp be removed. This procedure of removal of infected pulp, cleaning of the pulp canals and then filling it with a suitable resorbing material in a milk tooth is known as pulpectomy. WHAT HAPPENS DURING TREATMENT? A pulpectomy is similar to a

The Five Types of Human Teeth

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The importance of teeth in our lives cannot be overlooked. From helping us chew our food to giving us that perfect smile, our teeth play an important role! We delve into the types of teeth and their functions in this blog post! Primary dentition : Children have 20 teeth that are called milk teeth. These start erupting around 6 months of age and the entire set of milk teeth completely erupt by around 3 years. These are the 1. Incisors: 8 2. Canines: 4 3. Molars: 8   PERMANENT DENTITION: The permanent teeth start erupting around 6 years of age and all permanent teeth finish erupting by 12-13 years of age, apart from the third molars or wisdom teeth which can erupt around 18-25 years. The permanent teeth are 32 in number. These are: 1. Incisors: 8 2. Canines: 4 3. Premolars: 8 4. Molars: 12