Dental care

Dental care refers to the maintenance of healthy teeth and may refer to: oral hygiene, the practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean in order to prevent dental disorders; dentistry, the professional care of teeth, including professional oral hygiene and dental surgery.

Overview

Dental care is crucial to prevent dental disease and to maintain proper dental and oral health. Oral problems, including dental and periodontal infections, dry mouth, tooth decay, are all treatable with proper diagnosis and care.

Oral Hygiene

Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's mouth clean and free of disease and other problems by regular brushing and cleaning between the teeth. It is important that oral hygiene be carried out on a regular basis to enable prevention of dental disease and bad breath.

Dentistry

Dentistry is a branch of medicine that consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity. The field of dentistry or dental medicine is not limited to teeth but includes other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint and other supporting, muscular, lymphatic, nervous, vascular, and anatomical structures.

Dental Surgery

Dental surgery involves various medical procedures that involve modifying dentition; in other words, surgery of the teeth, gums and jaw bones.

Prevention of Dental Diseases

Prevention of dental diseases involves regular brushing, flossing, and visits to the dentist. These practices are designed to ensure that teeth are clean, strong, and white.

See Also

• Oral hygiene
• Dentistry
• Dental surgery
• Dental diseases