Caring For Your Dental Health During The Holidays

You are not alone if you struggle to maintain healthy dental habits during the holiday season. The holiday season brings with it a lot of sweets, from candies to beverages. On top of that, late-night parties and irregular sleep can break our brushing and flossing habits.

In this blog, we’ll talk about how you can enjoy the holidays to their fullest while caring for your oral health.

1. Use an electric brush

There are two persuasive reasons to switch to an electric toothbrush. First, electric toothbrushes are more effective in cleaning food particles. The second advantage makes it ideal for the holidays as a potential gift item and to help manage dental health. Lastly, an electric toothbrush works effectively on the plaque in a fraction of the time with minimal effort. With an electric toothbrush, many are equipped with a built-in timer, sensors, brushing modes, and additional functions, just smile and let the brush do the work.

2. Manage sweet consumption

Everyone loves sweets, especially kids. If you have kids in the house, minimizing their consumption of sugary treats and beverages can be challenging. Try keeping them out of site, or discussing limits is an excellent way to set sugary boundaries. Redirecting their attention to festive activities may help them forget about their sweet tooth.

In addition, it’s a good idea to take the kids to the dentist after the holiday season. According to pediatric dentistry experts, children should visit the dentist every 3 or 6 months for regular procedures like cleanings and fillings.

3. Keep dental floss with you

If you’re attending parties or going out to eat and drink, keeping some dental floss with you will come in handy. You can easily floss your teeth between meals and avoid potentially embarrassing situations. It’s a simple habit that keeps your teeth and gums healthy.

4. Use mouthwash

Mouthwash is a handy dental care product many people need to use. Regular use of mouthwash after brushing and flossing prevents infections and bad breath. But that’s not all. You can also rinse your mouth with mouthwash between meals during the day. Mouthwash refreshes your breath in a few seconds and helps you feel awake. Use mouthwash this holiday season for better oral health.

5. Schedule an appointment with a dentist

Yellow teeth, plaque, and bad breath lower our confidence and make it difficult to interact with others at social events. But a quick visit to the dentist for cosmetic dentistry procedures can give you a sparkling white smile in no time. To look and feel better, many go for teeth whitening dental treatments before the holiday season. Visiting the dentist is the only way to get safe yet quick results.

6. Give dental care gifts

From cute toothbrushes for children to at-home dental care kits, there are plenty of dental care gifts you can give your loved ones. It’s a thoughtful and helpful gift for people of all ages. Moreover, kids love to use fancy and creative dental care products. Lip balm, flavoured dental floss, and sugar-free gum makes great stocking stuffers.

7. Have a routine

It’s much easier to stick to good dental care practices when you have a daily routine. If you make it a habit to brush and floss first thing in the morning and maintain oral hygiene at night, you will breeze through the holiday season with no oral issues.

8. Use herbal products

There are hundreds of herbal dental care products in the market. If regular toothpaste and mouthwash brands aren’t working for you, try switching to herbal and all-natural dental care brands. In a pinch? Drink peppermint tea; not only is it festive, but it also helps keep your breath fresh compared to coffee.

9. Replace sweets with fruits

Can’t control your sweet tooth? A simple remedy is to swap sweet items for fruits like berries and naturally sweet dates. Natural fructose present in fruits is much less harmful than artificial sweeteners and table sugar.

10. Control coffee, tea, and soda consumption

Dark beverages have staining properties that can make your teeth darker. Coffee, tea, and carbonated drinks are the biggest culprits of teeth staining. Avoid these beverages or at least manage their consumption for better oral health. If you can not avoid these items, try drinking them through a straw to minimize staining and discolouration.

The takeaway

Maintaining healthy teeth and gums while indulging in the festivities is perfectly possible. We hope this guide helps you take care of your oral health this holiday season. If you need additional guidance, contact Ashraf Dentistry today!

The Royal Treatment, Restorative Solutions- Crowns and Bridges

Restorative dentistry aims to replace or repair broken or missing teeth. These treatments enhance the function and health of your teeth.

What is dental restoration?

Restorative dentistry is different from cosmetic dentistry. While cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving your smile, restorative dentistry is focused on enhancing oral function and health. Your dentist may recommend dental restoration procedures if your teeth are unhealthy, damaged, decayed, discolored, crooked, and worn.

The advantages of dental restoration include the following:

• Restores health of damaged teeth
• Replaces missing teeth
• Enhances speaking, chewing, and eating
• Provides cosmetic advantage

Crowns and bridges are the most common types of dental restoration procedures. Other dental restoration techniques include:

• Inlays-onlays: They are used to fill cavities. An inlay fixes hollows and cavities between a tooth’s cusps. An onlay fills a larger region, including the cusps.
• Root canal therapy: This technique is necessary in case of infections. The process involves cleaning and disinfecting the tooth’s inside, filling the canal, and sealing them.
• Implants are used to replace a tooth root and function as natural teeth when used with a crown.
• Veneers: These tooth-colored, thin shells, often made of resin-composite or porcelain materials, are used for treating discolored, broken, or chipped teeth.

All about crowns

A dental crown is a cap used to cover the entire tooth. Usually, this treatment is used to improve a tooth’s function, strengthen it, or restore its size and shape. A successful treatment results in the crown being correctly positioned and completely wrapping the tooth for protection.

Crowns are needed for:

• cavities that cannot be filled
• implants that need to be covered
• teeth with cracks, wear, or weakness
• restoration following root canals
• poorly shaped or discolored teeth
• decayed baby teeth due to poor dental hygiene

Porcelain crowns give a natural look, whereas zirconia crowns are durable, strong, and aesthetically pleasing. To increase the life of dental crowns:

• brush teeth two times a day and floss daily
• avoid things like chewing ice or eating hard candies

A popular choice of dental crown is CEREC crowns. Advantages of CEREC® Restorations include:

• the procedure can be done on the same day, and no return visits are required
• strong and long-lasting
• good aesthetics
• no silicon impressions are needed since CEREC® 3D software creates a 3-D model
• metal free

Ashraf Dentistry offers CEREC® Restorations for implants, inlays, onlays, veneers, partial crowns, and crowns for anterior and posterior teeth.

All about dental bridges

Dental bridges, lasting around five to seven years, are used to replace one or more lost teeth by using artificial teeth to bridge the gap. A bridge is often comprised of crowns on each side of an absent tooth that support the fake tooth. The different types include:

• traditional: has a crown at both sides of the false tooth
• Cantilever: When a natural tooth is only on one side, false teeth are secured by a solitary crown on that tooth.
• Maryland: uses metal or porcelain frameworks with “wings” for replacing missing front teeth.
• Implant-supported: an implant is surgically inserted into the jawbone to replace each lost tooth. The pontics are housed in the bridge, which is later positioned over them.

Dental bridges are needed for the following:

• missing teeth
• chewing difficulties
• jaw pain
• bite issues
• feeling self-conscious about your smile

The advantages of dental bridges include the following:

• creates a natural-looking smile
• restores regular speech
• enables efficient chewing
• prevents movement of other teeth due to extra space
• preserves bone density of the jaw

Dental bridges should be cleaned using denture cleaners, soft-bristled toothbrushes, and cool water.

Proper restorative solutions are necessary for enhancing oral health and function. Treat dental issues early on to avoid future complications. Contact Ashraf Dentistry today for more information on crowns and bridges.

All About Dental X-Rays

A dental x-ray is an essential tool for dentists to uncover oral issues that aren’t discoverable with a simple oral examination. An oral x-ray isn’t much different from a general x-ray. Dental x-rays are used to examine both specific dental problems and overall oral health.

All about dental x-rays

Dental x-rays are crucial for everyone because they allow a dentist to understand better what’s going on in the patient’s mouth. Dental x-rays also have preventative use. Sometimes, it can trace dental problems before they appear. For example, a dental x-ray can tell if a child is developing a decay or wisdom tooth.

Both adults and children can safely take dental x-ray tests. Dental x-rays can show decay between teeth or under existing fillings in adults. It can also trace bone loss due to infections or some other reason. Dental x-rays also detect cysts and tumors in the mouth.

Dental x-rays should be a part of your regular dental care routine; however, the frequency varies from person to person. For example, frequent dental x-rays may be necessary for people who suffer from periodontal disease or dry mouth. Smokers should also have their teeth and gums examined for traces of bone loss. If you’ve had several restorative fillings and implants, frequent dental x-rays are essential for monitoring damage.

Apart from pregnant women, dental x-rays are safe for everyone. There’s some debate about whether dental x-rays are safe for children. However, modern dental x-ray techniques release tiny amounts of radiation that are generally unharmful. So while it’s safe for children most of the time, pregnant women should avoid dental x-rays.

The dental x-ray process is simple and fast. The dentist would position the x-ray machine against your head to get a clear image of the mouth. Patients don’t need to take any preparatory steps for dental x-rays.

Types of dental x-rays

Two primary dental x-rays are available for oral health: intraoral and extraoral. As the names suggest, the x-ray is inside or outside the mouth, depending on the type of x-ray you are getting.

There are subtypes of intraoral and extraoral x-rays as well.

Intraoral x-ray types are:

• Bitewing X-rays: For information about the teeth in one section of the mouth, both the upper and lower.
• Periapical X-rays are for the entire tooth. Therefore, from the crown to the point past the root that fuses with the jaw.
• Occlusal X-rays: To follow a complete arch of teeth’s growth and placement.

Extraoral x-rays include:

• Panoramic X-rays: For each tooth in the upper and lower jaws
• Tomograms- For specific mouth “slices” or layers
• Panoramic X-rays: For issues with the salivary glands, like blockages or Sjogren’s syndrome

Innovation at its best – 3D panoramic dental x-rays

Dental x-ray technologies have improved significantly over the last few years, most notably with the introduction of 3D panoramic dental x-rays. 3D x-rays are safer due to lower radiation levels. More importantly, they are useful for detecting nerve canal paths and hidden roots. It’s also more helpful for teeth issues like root canal therapy. In addition, 3D x-ray technologies are cheaper, faster, and safer than traditional x-ray machines.

If you haven’t had a dental x-ray in a long time, it might be time to visit your dentist and get a 3D panoramic x-ray of your teeth and gums. We hope this guide enlightens you about the importance of dental x-rays.

The 101 Of A Sinus Lifting Procedure

With an increase in dental implant procedures, sinus lifting has also gained popularity.

What is a sinus lifting procedure?

A sinus augmentation or sinus lift is a procedure that makes placing dental implants easier. Some people who require dental implants may lack the bone density needed for implants due to bone loss. Bone loss usually happens due to advanced periodontitis, disease, infection, or missing teeth. Teeth loss can occur due to gum disease, cavities, trauma, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, poor nutrition, and smoking. A sinus lifting adds bone to the area between the premolars and the molars.

The reasons why someone requires a sinus lift procedure include the following:

• the maxillary sinus is too near to the upper jaw
• tooth loss
• tooth decay
• periodontal disease

What you need to know about the process

Preparation

This dentist analyzes a patient’s oral health after physical examinations and imaging studies. The individual case will guide the dentist in choosing the most suitable graft. These include:

• Allogeneic bone: from cadavers
• Autogenous bone: taken from your body
• Xenograft: cow bone

Procedure

The steps in the procedure include the following:

• The surgeon cuts the upper jaw’s gum tissue.
• The jawbone is then made visible by raising your gum tissue.
• The dentist makes a small circular cut in your bone.
• The bone fragment is then raised into your maxillary sinus cavity.
• The hole is then filled using some graft material, and the incision is closed.

Recovery and aftercare

Dental implants will be inserted between 4 and 12 months after the surgery. The length of this time depends on the amount of grafting material used.

For proper recovery:

• use antibiotics
• avoid sneezing and vigorous nasal blowing
• avoid brushing until the doctor recommends
• avoid drinking with a straw
• avoid smoking

Treatments to help ease the process

Ashraf Dentistry offers deep IV sedation dentistry and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy) at his clinic to ease anxious patients and support speedy healing when having a sinus lift procedure.

Sedation dentistry

In sedation dentistry, medication is used to make patients more comfortable during procedures on their teeth. Except for those individuals who are given general anesthesia, patients are often awake during the process. The benefits of this technique include the following:

• no delay in dental work due to patient anxiety
• the dentist can perform complex procedures efficiently
• fast-acting sedation reducing procedure time
• dosage adjustment according to the patient’s needs is easy
• conscious sedation so you can respond to verbal cues
• almost no recall of the procedure

Sedation dentistry is required for individuals with the following:

• low pain tolerance
• dental phobia or anxiety
• need for complex or multiple dental works
• difficulty staying still
• severe gag reflex
• sensitive teeth
• difficulty responding to sedatives

Ashraf Dentistry has a specially-trained anesthesiologist who controls and monitors the amount of sedation you’ll receive, ensuring safe and effective control levels.

PRP Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Plasma, the liquid component of blood, is mainly composed of protein and water. It enables the movement of white and red blood cells through the bloodstream. Platelets, a specific variety of blood cells, are crucial to healing and help the blood clot. They contain thousands of growth factor-related proteins. PRP injections can be used to assist patients in recovering quickly from treatments done to the throat, mouth, nose, and jaw. It is extensively used in gum disease treatment, tooth extraction, and dental implant surgery. Most patients who undergo dental surgery or procedure are good candidates for PRP therapy. It has been used in various oral and maxillofacial procedures, from simple tooth extractions and dental implants to more complicated bone grafts.

The advantages include the following:

• Enhances the rate of bone formation
• Increase bone density surrounding implants
• Promotes bonding of bone grafts to patients’ own bone
• Tissue regeneration
• Faster healing of incision sites
• Reduced risk of infection
• Lessen discomfort and pain

Sinus lifting is a procedure with a high success rate when you follow all instructions and is performed by the right dentist.

Fun Ways To Teach Kids About Their Teeth

In your childhood, you might have gotten a lesson or two from your parents on the importance of maintaining good dental hygiene. As a parent, you are responsible for guiding and educating your kids about the same. Here is a list of the best techniques to help your kids follow oral hygiene. Before that, let’s understand when is the ideal age to start dental hygiene for your kids.

When Is The Ideal Age To Start Dental Hygiene?

Dental care should start when the infant is between zero and six months old.

Dental Hygiene Practices For Infants From Zero To Six Months

Soon after feeding your baby, clean the infant’s gum to prevent tooth decay. To clean the gums:

• Rest your baby in one arm.
• Take a moistened washcloth in the other hand and gently clean the gum tissues.

Dental Hygiene Practices For Infants From Six To Eighteen Months

To maintain the good health of your baby’s teeth, you can do the following:

• Once the teeth come out, use a soft-bristled toothbrush without toothpaste and gently brush the teeth and gums.
• By age one, it is recommended that you take your child to a near pediatric dentistry clinic for a dental checkup. Make sure to pick a pediatric dentist who makes your child feel comfortable. Doing so will remove any fear the child has about future dental checkups.
• At the age of one, continue to brush your child’s teeth using the same brush without toothpaste twice a day.

Dental Hygiene Practices For Toddlers From Eighteen Months To Five Years

As the child grows up, you must change dental hygiene practices. At this age, you need to:

• Start brushing your child’s teeth with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
• Use a kid-sized brush that has gentle bristles.
• Teach your child to spit the toothpaste and not swallow it during and after brushing.
• At this age, you should also take your child to the dentist for checkups regularly.

Dental Hygiene Practices For Children From Six To Eleven Years

• At age six, make your child brush their teeth without assistance using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
• Tell them to properly rinse and spit the toothpaste after brushing.
• Ask the child to brush for two minutes and twice daily.
• As the child has grown up, you can introduce an electric brush for brushing or continue with the traditional kid-sized manual toothbrush.

How To Make Teaching of Dental Hygiene Interesting To Your Kid?

Teaching your child about dental hygiene can be challenging. To solve this problem, you can take the help of educational toys. Toys like dentist role-play kits will help you start a conversation with your kid about dental health.

6 Fun Activities For Parents To Teach Kids About Oral Hygiene

• Use a plastic soda bottle and cut the bottom half carefully. Paint the bottom half white so that it looks like a tooth. Combine flour and water and splatter the paste on the tooth, which looks like food particles and plaque. Let the paste harden. Brush the paste to show your child how hard it is to remove hardened plaque in contrast to a well-maintained tooth.
• Another way to make them interested in oral hygiene is by taking them to a pediatric dentist and showing them around the clinic. Or a fun shopping day to look for different toothbrushes and fun flosses. Shopping for oral hygiene products that are special and meant for them will grab your child’s attention.
• You can also teach brushing by using a stuffed toy. Buy a toy that shows its teeth. Color it with a black temporary marker. Take a brush and show your child how brushing is done.
• Take a white styrofoam egg carton and cut a big tooth out. Give a list of healthy and unhealthy food options to your child. If your child selects healthy food, mark a circle on the tooth using a dry eraser marker. If your child chooses unhealthy food, draw a circle with a permanent black marker. Give the tooth to your child and ask them to brush the circles. While your child is brushing, explain to them that it is difficult to brush away unhealthy food choices and how these types of food can impact their health and teeth.
• You can also take the help of music videos available online, which teach the importance of dental hygiene. There are many toothbrush songs and dance videos, particularly for kids, that highlight the importance of brushing.
• Use Duplo blocks. Stick Play-Doh or clay around and at the base of the blocks. Hand over a piece of yarn to resemble floss and ask them to remove the Play-Doh entirely from the blocks. This way, you can teach them how to floss.

Besides this, you should also teach your child the importance of eating healthy food to keep the teeth healthy.

Tips About Healthy Eating

• Encourage your child to snack on crunchy veggies and fruits that help keep teeth clean and tummies full. Cut veggies and fruits into fun shapes using cookie cutters, or arrange them into fun characters.
• Have a baking day, and find easy, healthy recipes that everyone can participate in making.
• Sometimes it is hard to create a quick, easy snack that can be taken on the go. Here are two easy snacks which are fiber-rich and keep teeth healthy. You can give your child sliced apples with sugar-free peanut butter. Or make a quick smoothie out of spinach, frozen berries, and plain yogurt. Ahead of time, you can freeze the ingredients in sandwhich baggies, and when it’s snack time, take it out and pop it into a blender with a splash of milk or dairy-free milk.
• Dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt are rich in calcium, strengthening a child’s teeth. You can give your child plain yogurt with a handful of berries.

Teaching your child about the importance of having good dental hygiene at an early age is essential. Doing so will ensure your child will have healthy teeth and gums in childhood as well as healthy dental practices to carry into adulthood. However, teaching kids is not easy. Try the tips mentioned above to help make dental hygiene fun and interesting.

Need the assistance of a pediatric dentist? Contact Ashraf Dentistry today!

How To Maintain Your Dental Hygiene

Do you know what October is recognized for? Halloween, of course, but it is also recognized as National Dental Hygiene Month. Healthy teeth and gums are of supreme importance because they help you maintain a beautiful smile, enjoy good food, and support your overall health.

Several health complications can be avoided by maintaining good oral hygiene and visiting your dentist regularly.

Maintain oral health and hygiene with a proper dental cleaning

Proper brushing and flossing can undoubtedly keep your teeth clean and the gums strong. Still, professional dental cleaning also plays a significant role in maintaining good oral health.

Teeth cleaning by a dentist can prevent tooth decay and gum diseases and prevent untimely loss of teeth. Dentists can detect early indications of oral diseases and suggest treatments. Avoiding a visit to the dentist can cost you more in the long run. It will cause more harm to your teeth and may also result in costly treatments. Dentists recommend routine cleaning at least once every six months.

Some top benefits of professional dental cleaning are –

• Overall oral health gets a boost
• Plaque buildup and cavities are treated early
• Bad breath is prevented
• Cleanings and fillings prevent tooth loss
• Stain removal helps maintain shiny teeth

Before planning to go for routine teeth cleaning and maintenance, it is essential to know the different dental cleaning options available. Various kinds of cleaning are performed for many reasons and use different procedures. Having some knowledge helps in determining what’s right for you.

The four types of dental cleaning are –

Prophylaxis cleaning: This cleaning involves routine maintenance of healthy teeth, like removing plaque and stains.

Scaling and root planing: This type of cleaning involves deep cleaning. Patients with known gum diseases, loose teeth, or those vulnerable to oral health complications often need this cleaning.

Gross debridement: Dentists often administer this procedure to patients who have hardened plaque buildup or damaged teeth. Usually, patients who have not visited a dentist for over a year or received prophylaxis teeth cleaning for a while may need gross debridement.

Periodontal maintenance: Patients with progressive gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis may need routine periodontal maintenance. This kind of cleaning is administered to deal with, manage, and keep the symptoms of gum diseases under control.

Tips for maintaining oral hygiene

Achieving good oral health and preventing teeth and gum diseases takes nothing but a few mindful habits.

• Don’t forget to brush twice daily but remember not to overbrush.
• Quality of brushing or following correct brushing techniques are essential.
• Don’t forget to clean your tongue. Plaque buildup on the tongue may lead to bad breath and oral problems.
• Flossing once a day is as essential as brushing your teeth. Dental floss comes in a variety of options like thread floss, waxed/unwaxed, biodegradable and natural floss, flavored and unflavored floss, water flosser, etc. Choose the one you prefer and is most suitable for your oral condition but remember to floss!
• Have a healthy diet rich in phosphorus, vitamin C, whole grains, and vegetables. Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco, eating sugary foods, and drinking sweetened carbonated drinks.
• Visit your dentist at regular intervals for teeth cleaning and checkup.
• Replace your toothbrush every three months. If needed, do it more frequently, especially after suffering a cold or flu.
• Clean and sanitize your toothbrush by washing it with hot water before and after use. After brushing, dipping the toothbrush in antibacterial mouthwash for two minutes also helps to disinfect it.

How to protect your teeth

Visiting your dentist is a significant part of maintaining oral health. However, there are several things you can do to protect your teeth. Here are a few important ways to protect your teeth from damage and decay.

• Fluoride, the naturally occurring mineral, is effective in fighting cavities. Fluoride from oral care products like toothpaste, certain foods, and water helps to keep teeth healthy.
• A night guard or dental guard acts as a protective layer between the set of top and bottom teeth. Wearing a night guard can save your teeth from the damage that happens due to clenching and grinding while sleeping due to a condition called bruxism.
• Abrasive oral care products and improper brushing and flossing practices can lead to more harm than help. It is important to know the correct way of brushing and flossing.
• Talk to your dentist to take guidance about various oral care needs.

Dental cleaning may sound like a simple process but requires serious attention. Professional dental cleaning has many health benefits and helps maintain fresh breath, a pleasant smile, and an overall healthy mouth. Scheduling a visit to your dentist once every six months can save you from a lot of tooth troubles! Schedule your appointment with Ashraf Dentistry to maintain your dental hygiene today!

Common Dental Tools Explained

Undoubtedly, sitting on a dentist’s chair with a tray full of tools can be scary. Knowing how they are used for teeth cleanings, fillings, dental bonding’s, and other dental procedures can make you feel more comfortable next time.

What are the elements of a quality dental tool?

Dentists perform a variety of routines and specialized dental procedures that can help maintain healthy teeth and gums and repair damaged or missing teeth. To conduct these procedures, every dentist uses a range of tools.

Be it general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, or cosmetic dentistry, dentists need to use high-quality tools with detailed designs to make dental treatments more effective. These tools allow improved accuracy, hygiene, and better results. The better the quality of the instrument, the longer it lasts.

Dentist tools are often made of titanium and stainless steel due to their corrosion resistance and high strength. Dentistry tools made of plastic or coated with brass and chrome may peel, chip, or get damaged faster from chemicals and heat while sterilizing.

Ergonomics is an essential component of tools used by a dentist. These tools are manufactured with precision engineering. It allows accuracy and efficiency while conducting dental procedures.

Basic dental check-ups and dental cleaning tools

Some dentistry tools are used more frequently than others. These tools are used for regular cleanings and fillings, dental surgery, pediatric dentistry, and other preventive and dental disorder treatments. Cosmetic dentistry, aesthetic dentistry, and complicated oral surgeries require advanced, high-tech machinery to perform complex tasks.

Here are some most frequently used tools by general dentists.

Curette: Curette is a metal tool that comes with different styles of handles and sizes. This hand-activated instrument has dual working ends. It is used for scaling, removing soft tissue lining, cleaning infected pockets in the gum, root planning, and other similar tasks.

Dental drill: This tool is also known as a dental handpiece. A dental drill is used to drill holes before filling teeth, removing decay, performing cosmetic dentistry, etc.

Dental syringe: A dental syringe is used for administering local anesthetic injections for oral treatments by dental care professionals.

Intraoral cameras: An intraoral camera is used for capturing still images and videos to see the condition of teeth. This helps the dentist to see cavities, gum diseases, and the overall oral condition of a patient.

Polishers: Dental polishers are used for smoothing and polishing the surface of teeth. Some polishers are disposable, and some can be used multiple times.

Saliva ejectors: Pooling saliva in the mouth can disrupt the smooth functioning of dental procedures. Saliva ejectors are used for controlling drooling, removing fluids from the mouth, and preventing the swallowing of fluoride.

Dental sickle scaler probe: A sickle scaler probe is a handheld tool that is used for removing cavities, plaque, and tartar. This tool has a sharp-looking hook that’s attached to a handle.

Different types of dental handpieces 

Dental handpieces or drills are essential tools for some of the most common dental treatments. Drills are of many kinds.

Electrical handpiece: Electric handpieces run on electric power and are precision instruments. Electric handpieces provide continuous speed and torque even with increasing load. Handpieces come in high-speed and low-speed options.

High-speed handpieces operate at 250,000 to 400,000 RPMs, whereas low-speed handpieces work at 5,000 to 40,000 RPMs. The low operating speed makes the low-speed handpieces longer-lasting tools and suitable for heavy jobs. The high-speed handpieces are more precise, have less vibration, and operate with less noise.

Bur and connector handpiece: Dental burs are used with handpieces. These are tiny drill pieces used for cutting teeth and bones. Burs come in different shapes and sizes to suit various treatment requirements.

Endodontic handpiece: This is a machine-driven instrument used to clean and shape the root canal system before cleaning and filling procedures.

Implant and surgical handpieces: As the name suggests, these tools are specially designed with specific technical features for tooth implant surgery. These devices play a vital role in dental surgeries performed by dentists.

Regular dental check-ups and treatments can keep teeth and gums in shipshape. A visit to the dentist is the best thing to do to treat any oral issues. Certified dental practitioners have the knowledge and the appropriate tools to treat dental problems. Now that you know the essential dentist’s tools, those shiny and whirring instruments should not be frightening.

Have more questions? Contact Ashraf Dentistry today!