Healthy teeth
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Healthy primary teeth and gums
Indications of health:
- Adequate spacing between teeth
- Gums pink and firm to the touch
- Teeth shiny and white
- Teeth uniform in color
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Healthy molars and premolars with dental sealants
Dental sealants:
- Effective in preventing decay in posterior teeth
- Milky white or clear plastic placed in tooth pits and grooves
- Recommended for all permanent posterior teeth soon after eruption
Dental Cavities Progression
Early Cavities
Recommendation:
Fluoride therapy
- Chalky white spots on the teeth along the gum line, or on the front teeth as shown here
- Early decay, which can be remineralized/reversed with multiple topical fluoride treatments
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Advanced Childhood Cavities
Recommendation:
Dental treatment
- Brown/black holes on tooth near gum-line
- Need to be evaluated by dentist to treat infected teeth
- Cavities spread quickly - especially in baby teeth
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Childhood Cavities on Molars
Recommendation:
Immediate dental treatment
- Brown/black holes on top of molars
- Indication of severe decay
- Could lead to abscess and systemic spread of infection
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Severe Childhood Cavities
Recommendation:
Immediate dental treatment
- Generalized brown/black holes on front of teeth
- Could lead to abscess and systemic spread of infection
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Severe Childhood Cavities with abscess
Recommendation:
Immediate dental treatment
- Drainage of infection from tooth root to gums
- Can lead to spread of infection
Dental Anomalies
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Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)
Recommendation:
Dental evaluation/treatment
- Parafunctional habit, common in childhood
- Severe bruxism can lead to fractured and broken teeth
- Damage to teeth can be prevented with a custom fitted mouth guard
Enamel Hypoplasia - Thin Enamel
Recommendation:
Dental evaluation/treatment
- Defect in tooth enamel that results in less enamel than normal
- Ranges from a small pit or dent in the tooth to malformation of entire tooth
- Can be more susceptible to dental cavitites
- May be caused by medications taken during enamel formation of permanent teeth
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Over-Retained Primary Teeth
Recommendation:
Dental treatment needed
- Primary tooth still in position with a permanent tooth trying to erupt
- Usually requires extraction of the primary tooth
- Presence of primary teeth in teenagers and adults may indicate congenitally missing or an impacted permanent tooth
- X-rays are often needed to confirm the diagnosis
Pathology
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Apthous Ulcers (Canker Sores)
Recommendation:
See dentist if conditions persists longer than two weeks or occurs frequently
- Located on gingival nonkeratinized tissue (inner cheek, inside lip, soft palate)
- Often induced by immunosuppression, oral trauma or stress
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Herpetic Lesions
Recommendation:
See dentist if condtion persists longer than two weeks
- Located on keratinized tissues (lip, hard palate, gum attached to alveolar bone)
- Contagious, reoccurring vesicular lesion
- Often induced by oral trauma, immunosuppression or stress
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Calculus (Hard Plaque) and Gingival Inflammation
Recommendation:
Dental evaluation/treatment
- Mineralized plaque on teeth
- Leads to bacteria sticking at gum-line
- Contributing factor to gum diseases
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Oral Signs of Sexual Abuse
Recommendation:
Immediate report to proper authorities
- Unexplained injury or petechiae of the palate, particularly at the junction of the hard and soft palate, may be evidence of forced oral sex