The Smile Expert Advanced Orthodontics & Dental Center

Humans usually have 20 primary (deciduous or "baby") teeth and 32 permanent (adult) teeth. Teeth are classified as incisors, canines,premolars, and molars. 
Incisors are primarily used for biting pieces from foods such as raw carrots or apples and peeled but uncut bananas, while molars are used primarily for grinding foods after they are already in bite size pieces inside the mouth.

   Primary teeth Among deciduous (primary) teeth, ten are found in the maxilla (upper jaw) and ten in the mandible (lower jaw), for a total of 20. There are two types of incisors - centrals and laterals, and two types of molars - first and second. All primary teeth are normally later replaced with their permanent counterparts. 

   Primary teeth guide the path of eruption of the permanent teeth. So its important to retain the primary teeth until the permanent teeth erupts. If it is lost before the permanent teeth erupts the child may require preventive or interceptive orthodontic treatment to ensure the permanent dentition erupts well into place.

Permanent teeth (or adult teeth) came after the series of primary teeth and are normally intended to remain in the mouth for the whole lifetime. There are 32 adult teeth, including eightincisors, four canines, eight premolars and twelve molars (with four wisdom teeth). The premolars replace primary molars, while the adult molars appear in a posterior position in the dental arch, not replacing any primary teeth.

   The substitution of teeth begins around the age of 6 and happens in a gradual manner. The child is then in a mixed dentition period which lasts several years. Around the age of 12, all adult teeth should have replaced primary teeth. The third molars, or wisdom teeth, complete their development at approximately 18 years, but they might never come out and stay impacted.

The eruption of a tooth can be thwarted by the lack of space, which creates dental crowding ormalocclusion. This condition can be treated with orthodontics.

Sometimes there is agenesis of one or more permanent teeth, which means that the tooth never develops. This happens particularly with wisdom teeth, but also sometimes with incisors or premolars. In some agenesis situations, the corresponding primary tooth does not fall and remains present in the mouth. which can also be managed by consultation with orthodontist.

Accidents, infections, disease and genetic flaws take their toll on the body, sometimes adding psychological damage with the already existing physical damage. Your mouth and jaw are no exception, which is what cosmetic dentistry aims to correct and enhance over time.

What are dental cosmetics?
Cosmetics are not just about makeup and foundations. The term “cosmetic” itself connotes an improvement over the self, and this is what dental cosmetics, otherwise known as cosmetic dentistry, aims to do for your mouth and jaw. Such a cosmetic approach usually serves no other purpose than to improve a person’s outward appearance, which makes dental cosmetics a non-essential field.

The social and psychological benefits of dental cosmetics, however, definitely serves a higher purpose than mere vanity. A person’s lips, teeth and smile have a definite impact on first impressions, which is vital for teens still developing their identity and adults whose professions depend on first impressions.

As such, Cosmetic Dentistry works on these three basic concepts:

Restoring
When teeth have been broken off or chipped away by physical trauma, or have rotted away and left a blackened spot, a cosmetic dentist can work to restore the former beauty of the oral regions. Teeth, gums and even the supporting jaw bone are all places where a cosmetic dentist can work on to restore. Implants, fillers, veneers and whiteners are just some of the tools used to help restore a person’s brilliant smile.

What are dentures? 

Dentures are artificial substitutes used to replace all or some of the lost teeth and adjoining tissues to maintain function, health and esthetics of the tissues. So in simple words dentures help replace lost teeth.

Why are teeth lost? 

Teeth are lost due to a number of causes. The two main reasons for loss of teeth are dental decay and periodontal diseases (gum diseases). Both dental decay and gum diseases are a result of poor oral hygiene.Is it necessary to replace lost teeth? |

It is very important to replace lost natural teeth. Loss of teeth affects chewing of food and also affects the esthetics of the person by altering the lip and cheek appearance. When a lost tooth is not replaced there is a tendency for the adjacent and opposing teeth to move into the space left by the lost teeth. Thus the person's occlusion or bite is altered. In addition the loss of teeth causes shrinkage of the bone at that area. To avoid all these problems it is advisable to replace lost teeth by artificial dentures.

What are the different types of dentures? 

Dentures are broadly classified as partial and complete dentures. Complete dentures replace all the teeth while partial dentures replace a few teeth. Partial dentures can be again classified as removable partial dentures and fixed partial dentures. Removable partial dentures replace a few teeth and are designed to be removed and replaced by the patient. The fixed partial dentures also replace a few teeth but cannot be removed by the patient. A new type of denture gaining popularity is the Implant retained denture that can be used to replace some or all teeth. This type of denture comprises of metallic implants that are embedded into the bone and give support for artificial teeth.

How long do I need to wait after extraction of teeth to get my dentures?

It is advisable to wait for at least 4 weeks after the extraction of teeth before the dentist can initiate the process of denture construction. This gives sufficient time for the extraction wound to heal and for the underlying bone to remodel.