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Q: Dentistry, Plaque, Tartar and Tooth Surfaces ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Dentistry, Plaque, Tartar and Tooth Surfaces
Category: Health
Asked by: martinjay-ga
List Price: $15.00
Posted: 25 Jan 2003 19:27 PST
Expires: 24 Feb 2003 19:27 PST
Question ID: 148585
I wanted to understand more about tartar/plaque, how they get on teeth, what
else adheres to teeth and how to get it off.  Two parts:

1) What are the things that adhere to teeth, discolor and cause
more serious problems?  Please explain what they are and origin.

2) What are all the options to get them off, ones we are familiar
with are: tooth brushes, toothpicks, sonic instruments, metal scappers,
rubber tipped devices to 'stimuate gums', floss, irrigators.
These are either mechanical or chemical options to remove
this 'stuff', what else is available or has been tried/invented?

Thanks.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Dentistry, Plaque, Tartar and Tooth Surfaces
Answered By: tutuzdad-ga on 25 Jan 2003 21:13 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Dear martinjay-ga;

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question.

We often hear the terms “plaque” and “tartar” used interchangeably,
but from a medical (i.e., dental) standpoint, these are two very
different things.

Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria that forms on teeth.
This occurs through the natural course of eating and is constantly
taking place. Simply simply brushing and flossing your teeth at
regular intervals can easily remove plaque. If the plaque is not
removed, the bacteria build up, trapping minerals and other substances
against the porous surface of the teeth. If allowed to remain for a
period of time it tends to harden. This hardened material is known as
tartar (aka, calculus, scale).

Unlike the colorless film of plaque, tartar accumulates and often
changes the surface color of the teeth in areas where it is left
undisturbed. It is not unusual for tarter to range in color from light
yellow to dull brown or even green in more extreme cases of neglect.
Because tarter is hard, it can only be removed efficiently by
professional scraping, usually done in the dentist’s office by a
dental hygienist. In most instances the procedure is relatively short
and usually painless. However, if you have sensitive areas or have
lots of tarter below your gum line, a deeper cleaning may be
necessary. Some people find this a bit painful and can request a local
anesthetic if needed.

The primary thing that clings to our teeth and places us most at risk
for dental/oral disease is bacteria. The more frequently and
efficiently we brush and floss the better chances we have of
maintaining a full, healthy, white smile. Since our teeth are quite
porous however, any material that we drink or chew can become stuck to
the surface of our teeth. Some foods, such as those containing sugar,
for example, pose a greater threat to our teeth. Within 20 minutes
after sugar is dissolved in the mouth it begins to form a mild acid.
If left on the tooth surface, it can erode the protective enamel and
place you at greater risk of getting a cavity. Sticky food such as
chewing gum, raisins, dried fruits and some candies can also pose an
increased threat by becoming lodged on or between our teeth, inviting
a build up of bacteria. Some people are at unusually greater risk for
damage caused by plaque and tartar. People who have diabetes, for
example; because some patient's produce a protein in the tissues of
their mouths called cytokines that can be harmful to the teeth.
Tobacco users are also in this increased risk group because nicotine
loosens the gums and allows more plaque to get deeper below the gum
line. Smoke and tobacco juice are not only staining, but also caustic
and abrasive, wearing away at our teeth enamel with every chew or
puff.

What are the options for removing plaque and tarter? Well, actually
you’ve done a great job of mentioning them all. I wish I could tell
you about this great new device that really does a great job but,
honestly, there isn't. There are no real quick fixes or recent
technological advances or inventions in this area (beyond improvements
to some of the tools already in use) that are apt to be nominated for
any international awards any time soon. The truth is, mechanical
removal by a technician is the single most effective means of
relieving your teeth of plaque and tartar. Most significant advances
in today’s dentistry are focused on prevention; of not only cavities
and tooth loss, but the prevention of tartar and plaque buildup as
well. Concepts such as fluoride treatments and tooth sealants (when
applied to freshly, mechanically, and professionally cleaned teeth)
are proving to be quite effective deterrents. In some patients these
therapies have eliminated cavity recurrence (which is commonly caused
by untreated plaque and tartar) completely, proving 100% effective.
Whiteners, while effective for bleaching teeth, are of little help in
actually preventing plaque or tartar. In fact, these treatments may
even compound the problem by disguising the dangerous material. By
bleaching it white, we might tend to overlook our buildup problems it
or forget about them until they causes a real threat to our health. By
then it might be too late.

There are, however, some preventative measures that you can do on your
own that will help keep you from having as much plaque though, such as
brushing properly, flossing properly (and regularly), "swishing" after
eating whenever you cannot brush, occasionally snacking on hard
fibrous vegetables like carrots (which helps to dislodge any trapped
material) and seriously committing yourself to saving your teeth.
Needless to say, if you smoke (anything) or use chewing tobacco of any
kind, STOP! The chemicals in these materials are quite dangerous, not
only to your teeth but to the rest of your body as well.

Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
for you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
following the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
enhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
that that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any
questions about my research please post a clarification request prior
to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final
comments and I look forward to working with you again in the near
future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga


INFORMATION SOURCES


DENTAL PATH
http://www.dentalpath.com/dp/dp_dgp.htm


DIABETIC LIFESTYLE
http://www.diabetic-lifestyle.com/articles/aug98_whats_1.htm


FAMILY GENTLE DENTAL CARE
http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/Sugar%20and%20Dental%20Health.htm


CINCINNATI SMILES
http://cincinnatismiles.com/prevention/


LATEST DENTAL EQUIPMENT AND DENTISTRY TECHNOLOGY
http://www.dental-technology.info/showcase/mainpagetitlesDEN.html



SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


SEARCH TERMS USED:


causes of plaque and tartar

latest tartar removal techniques

latest plaque removal techniques

Request for Answer Clarification by martinjay-ga on 25 Jan 2003 21:38 PST
Great job, almost there.  Just one last area to get to what I wanted.
I in fact am not concerned about my own plaque and am working
on something which is 'new'.  Please tell me anything you know
about the mechanical devices use to get plaque off, other than
the 'metal scrappers' and the 'rubber tipped' devices.  If you do
not know anything, that is fine.  Great job, but want to make that I
get what I originally wanted answered.  Just to be clear, my real
question is:  Other than the two above, what else do you know
of, have you seen or has been tried for mechanical removal.

Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 25 Jan 2003 23:18 PST
Dear martinjay-ga:

As per your first question: “1) What are the things that adhere to
teeth, discolor and cause
more serious problems?  Please explain what they are and origin.”

I believe I answered this question that you asked satisfactorily,
correct?

As per your second question: 2) “What are all the options to get them
off, ones we are familiar with are: tooth brushes, toothpicks, sonic
instruments, metal scappers, rubber tipped devices to 'stimuate gums',
floss, irrigators. These are either mechanical or chemical options to
remove this 'stuff', what else is available or has been
tried/invented?”

I believe I also answered this one as well. 

Please note a couple of things in my answer:

A)“What are the options for removing plaque and tarter? Well, actually
you’ve done a great job of mentioning them all. I wish I could tell
you about a great new device that really does a great job but,
honestly, there isn't one. There are no real quick fixes or recent
technological advances or inventions in this area (beyond improvements
to some of the tools already in use) that are apt to be nominated for
any international awards any time soon. The truth is, mechanical
removal by a technician is the single most effective means of
relieving your teeth of plaque and tartar. Most significant advances
in today’s dentistry are focused on prevention; of not only cavities
and tooth loss, but the prevention of tartar and plaque buildup as
well.”

B) LATEST DENTAL EQUIPMENT AND DENTISTRY TECHNOLOGY 
http://www.dental-technology.info/showcase/mainpagetitlesDEN.html

My research (A) is corroborated by the link (B) to the LATEST DENTAL
EQUIPMENT AND DENTISTRY TECHNOLOGY, and supports my findings that
there are apparently no new technological advances, tools or
inventions “BEYOND INPROVEMENTS TO SOME OF THE TOOLS ALREADY IN USE”,
for the removal of plaque and tartar.

That is to say that some of the tools that dentists are already using
may have been modified or updated in an effort to improve upon them,
as you can see if you examine the links provided.

To check even further, I searched the US PENTENT OFFICE database for
these types of implements and found nothing new.

Example:

Searching for “SCALER” (the tool used by dentists to remove tartar and
plaque)
http://tess.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=u0kl3u.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=scaler&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA2%24ALL&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query

You will note that there are no new patents in this category that are
anything other than improvements upon technological concepts that are
already KNOWN and currently in use. There may have been some minor
improvements to handles, scrapers, blades, etc, but there are no
heretofore-unknown innovations, new inventions or recently unveiled
tools for removing tartar and plaque registered in this category.

I conducted this type of search with other dental tools and concepts
related to tatar and plaque removal and got similar results.
Unfortunately, there are hundreds upon hundreds of devices one could
potentially sift through.

In the past, I and other researchers have encountered questions
wherein a customer insisted that we prove a negative; meaning that the
only thing that would satisfy the customer would be irrefutable proof
that something DOES NOT exists. Experience has shown me that this is
not logically possible. Moreover, I cannot produce something for you
that does not exist just for the sake of satisfying the question. As
you can see, this places me in a very difficult position of trying to
make sure you expereicne in this forum is a positive one, and at the
same time providing you with honest information. If this is where we
are going with the question, please advise me in advance so we can
avoid any potential confusion.

Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga

Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 25 Jan 2003 23:27 PST
I'm sorry for the typographical error. It should have read : "US PATENT OFFICE" 

The short answer to your second quesiton is: My research revealed NO NEW DEVICES.

Hope this clears things up a bit.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga
martinjay-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars

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