Dental News

Dental x-rays are also called radiographs. (Dental radiology is the study of them.) Your dentist may take dental x-rays if you’re a new patient, haven’t been seen in a while, or are in for a follow-up visit after dental lab treatment. Your age, health, and individual needs and risk factors all affect how often dental x-rays are taken. Recent findings show that the imported, inexpensive, handheld dental x-ray machine, known as the dental usings, exposes users and patients to 10 times the normal level of radiation, increasing their risks of cancer and organ damage. Emergency testing of the product by the Health Protection Agency and scientists at King’s College Hospital in London revealed that it has insufficient lead shielding inside it to protect dentists and patients from excessive radiation. Additionally, the machine’s x-ray beam is too wide, which exposes the patient’s entire skull and brain to radiation rather than just the mouth. This portable dental x rays machine is a dent...

The causes of tooth discolouration are usually various and multifaceted. They have been classified as extrinsic, intrinsic and internalised discolouration. The extrinsic discolouration is associated with the use of tea, coffee, tobacco, some foods such as blueberries, and red wine. Intrinsic stains (dentin staining) may be due to systemic conditions, use of medications after the permanent teeth have erupted (e.g., minocycline) or during their development (tetracycline), childhood diseases, infection or trauma to a primary tooth while the underlying tooth is developing, trauma to a permanent tooth or natural aging changes and the accumulation of stain that has entered the teeth. There are many options, including over-the-counter treatments and prescription strength treatments professionally recommended that may be applied in-office by your dentist or by yourself at home. These types of treatments include everything from whitening toothpastes to products that incorporate teeth w...