Things That Can Go Wrong With Teeth

Proper dental care is essential to good oral health. This includes a good diet, brushing and flossing after eating, and regular dental checkups.

Common dental diseases and conditions include:

• Cavities and tooth decay. When bacteria and food particles are allowed to settle on the teeth, plaque forms. The bacteria digest the carbohydrates in the food and produce acid, which dissolves the tooth's enamel and causes a cavity. If the cavity is not treated, the decay process progresses to involve the dentin. Without treatment, serious infection can develop. The most common ways to treat cavities and more serious tooth decay problems are filling the cavity; performing a root canal procedure, which involves the removal of the pulp of a tooth; crowning a tooth with a cap that looks like a tooth made of metal, porcelain, or plastic; or removing or replacing the tooth. To avoid tooth decay and cavities, get in the habit of good dental care — including proper tooth brushing techniques.
• Malocclusion is the failure of the upper and lower teeth to meet properly when you bite down. The types of malocclusion include overbite, underbite, and crowding. Most of these conditions can be corrected with braces. Braces are metal or clear ceramic brackets bonded to the front of each tooth. Wires connecting the brackets are tightened periodically to force the teeth to move into the correct position.
• Impacted wisdom teeth. In many people, the wisdom teeth are unable to erupt normally so they either remain below the jawline or don't grow in properly. Dentists call these teeth impacted. Wisdom teeth usually become impacted because the jaw is not large enough to accommodate all the teeth that are growing in and the mouth becomes overcrowded. Impacted teeth can damage other teeth or become painful and infected. Dentists can check if a person has impacted wisdom teeth by taking X-rays of the teeth. If, after looking at the X-rays, a dentist thinks there's a chance that impacted teeth may cause problems, he or she may recommend that the tooth or teeth be removed (extracted).

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