Saturday, May 24, 2014

New Toothbrush From Blizzident-Made through 3D Printer

The new toothbrush from Blizzident is innovative & customized. Developed by Dentist . By biting and grinding on the Blizzident's 400 tailored bristles, the toothbrush is able to clean your teeth within 6 seconds. The toothbrush is tailored to a person's mouth through either a dental impression or a scan of your teeth performed by a dentist.
 
Because there are roughly 10 times more bristles than in a typical toothbrush, the Blizzident brush lasts as long as a year, according to the company.

"The bristles are tailored and positioned on every single tooth in a way so they are brushing with the "Modified Bass and Fones" techniques simply by biting and grinding for a few seconds," Blizzident explained. "Modified 'Bass"' and 'Fones' techniques are recommended by dentists and prophylaxis assistants worldwide."

Along with the 45-degree angled bristles, there are interdental bristles that get between teeth, performing the job of dental floss. The Blizzident also comes with slits where dental floss can be inserted in just the right position to clean between teeth, the company said.

The handle of the Blizzident serves as a container for a dental floss role.

According to Blizzident, any dentist can direct scan or make an impression of your teeth for between $75 and $200. The digital 3D model can then be uploaded to Blizzident's site, where it's used to make the toothbrush through a 3D printer.

The first Blizzident brush costs $299 and annual replacement brushes sell for $159. The company also offers to refurbish a brush by replacing the bristles for $89.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

13 Creepy Old School Dental Instruments

If you think the dentist’s office is scary now, imagine how it was centuries ago when these dental tools were used…

Bow Drill (7000 BC)The earliest known dental drills originated around 9,000 years ago in the Indus Valley area of present-day India and Pakistan. Dental bow drills were constructed much like bow drills used to create fire — with a stringed wooden bow tied to a rotating spindle — except that instead of using friction to make a fire, the spindle was used as a drill, with a flint head made to penetrate teeth. (The pictured example is an Eskimo drill from the early 20th century.)
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Bow Drill
 

Dental Pelican (1600s)Dental pelicans, named because of their resemblance to a pelican’s beak, were tooth extraction tools used from the 14th century through the late 18th century, when dental keys became more popular (see below). Examples like this French or Italian pelican consisted of a rotating claw mounted on a shaft in an adjustable slot. The tooth would be pinched between the claw and the head of the shaft and then pulled out.
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Dental Pelican
Dental Forceps (1600s)Dental forceps are used in grasping and extracting teeth — this 17th century Italian pair being more rudimentary than modern examples.
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Dental Forceps

Wilcox-Jewett Obtunder (1905)
The Wilcox-Jewett Obtunder was a futuristic-looking device that used a periodontal syringe for the oral injection of anesthetic substances (typically cocaine).
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Obtunder

Dental Key (1810s)Dental keys, named because they were modeled after door keys, were used to extract teeth. The claw at the end of the shaft was designed to grasp the diseased tooth as the instrument was rotated to loosen the tooth — a crude method that often resulted in broken teeth, tissue damage and jaw fractures. By the turn of the 20th century, forceps had rendered dental keys obsolete.
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Dental Key

Finger-Rotated Dental Drill (1870s)
This unusual six-inch-long drill was attached to a thimble that held it in place while the spindle was rotated by the dentist’s finger at a rate much slower than other dental drills of the era, which used bow action, hand cranks, foot pedals and ultimately, electricity.
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Finger-Rotated Dental Drill

Oral Speculum (1600s)
A speculum is used to open a body cavity for investigation or medical procedures. This model of oral speculum worked like a reverse vise, with the screw prying open the patient’s mouth for easy access.
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Oral Spectum

Secateurs (1810s)This French orthodontic device (“secateurs” being French for “cutters” or “scissors”) treated an uneven or diseased tooth by locking on and wrenching out the entire tooth from just above the gum line.
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Secateurs

Goat’s Foot Elevator (1700s)
Another extraction tool, the goat’s foot elevator — whose double-pointed tip resemble a goat’s cleft hoof — was used in conjunction with other devices. Its major purpose was to aid in the clean-up of remnants of dental root and tooth fragments, since tools like pelicans frequently failed to remove the entire tooth and root. Its pointed design allowed it to be inserted into sockets to “elevate” dental tissue and other material. Sometimes it was even used to loosen a tooth  before extraction by other means.
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Goat's Foot Elevator

Dental Mouth Gag (1500s)Dental mouth gags are used to keep patients’ mouths open during procedures. This 16th century gag uses wing nuts to open and close the handles and lock them in place. It could have also been used to pry open the mouths of patients suffering from lockjaw. (source: Physick)
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Dental Mouth Gag

Dental Screw Forceps (1850s)
These unusual American forceps contain a extendable screw that was held in place by the blades to ease in burrowing into the tooth’s root during extraction. (source: Physick)
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Dental Screw Forceps

Bone Chisels (1780s)Unlike modern dental chisels, which are petite and used largely for cleaning purposes, antique dental chisels were large and used more as extraction devices, functioning much like traditional chisels to dig into the gum line to remove teeth.
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Bone Chisels

Tongue Ecraseur (1850s)A tongue écraseur was used to remove a diseased portion of the tongue in order to prevent the infection from spreading. The chain was looped over the infected portion and tightened using the ratchet, stopping the circulation of blood to the area.
Tongue Ecraseur

Friday, May 9, 2014

DISEASES YOUR DENTIST CAN DETECT:

The condition of your mouth may play a big role in your overall health! A dentist can detect many possible diseases during an oral exam. Here are a few of the conditions that may be directly related to dental problems:

HEART DISEASE & DIABETES: 
  Inflamed, swollen gums and loose teeth can be indicators of these serious diseases. Periodontal disease has been directly linked to heart attacks, which can occur when bacteria from infected or inflamed gums travels into the bloodstream
 
OSTEOPORSIS:
Receeding gums, loose teeth and bone loss make this disease easily detected by your dentist when examining your teeth.


DEMENTIA
When a dentist examines the elderly, one of the first signs he may notice is poor oral hygiene. In early dimentia, one of the first signs a person may show is neglect of personal and oral hygiene, particularly when someone has previously taken good care of their teeth

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EATING DISORDERS: BULIMIA, ANOREXIA
Moderate to severe acid erosion, particularly in a young person, may indicate one of these disorders. This is caused by stomach acid coming in to repeated contact with the teeth, which is due to induced vomiting. Over time, the acid erodes the enamel of the teeth.


(GERD) GASTROINTESTINAL REFLUX DISEASE:
       This is also caused by acid erosion but is more common in older people, and affects the back molars. This is a condition that sneaks up on you in your sleep, that is, stomach acid backs up into your esophagus and sometimes into the mouth during sleep, affecting your back teeth.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Chew On This: 8 Foods that are Healthy For your Teeth

Tea: Compounds called polyphenols, found in black and green teas, slow the growth of bacteria associated with cavities and gum disease. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that people who rinsed their mouths with black tea for one minute, 10 times a day, had less plaque buildup on their teeth than people who rinsed their mouths with water. What's more, the size and stickness of their plaque was reduced.
Tea undermines the ability of some bacteria to clump together with other bacteria.
In a 2010 study published in the Journal of Dental Research, that tea, especially black tea, fights halitosis, or bad breath. "Polyphenols suppress the genes of bacteria that control the production of smelly compounds in the mouth.

Cheese: Research published in the journal General Dentistry earlier this year reported that 12- to 15-year-olds who ate cheddar cheese had lower acid levels in their mouths than those who ate sugar-free yogurt or drank a glass of milk.
After eating the foods, the adolescents and teens rinsed their mouths with water. The acid, or pH, levels in their mouths were then measured 10, 20 and 30 minutes after rinsing. Those who drank milk or ate yogurt showed no change in their pH levels, but the cheese eaters had a rapid drop at each measurement interval. 
  What's more, chewing increases saliva production.  Saliva washes out some of the bacteria in the mouth.

Raisins: Naturally sweet, raisins don't contain sucrose, or table sugar. Sugar helps bacteria stick to the tooth surface, letting them produce plaque, Wu said. Raisins are also a source of phytochemicals, which may kill cavity-causing plaque bacteria. Some compounds in raisins also affect the growth of bacteria associated with gum disease.

Crunchy foods: It takes serious chewing to break down foods such as carrots, apples and cucumbers. But all that crunching isn't in vain. Chewing may disturb dental plaque, and serve as a cleansing mechanism. 

Vitamin-rich foods: Foods containing calcium — such as cheese, almonds and leafy greens — and foods high in phosphorous — such as meat, eggs and fish — can help keep tooth enamel strong and healthy, according to the American Dental Association.
 Acidic foods and beverages may cause tiny lesions on tooth enamel. Calcium and phosphate help redeposit minerals back into those lesions. Calcium is also good for bones, including your jaw.

Sugarless gum: Pop a stick in your mouth after eating. Chewing boosts saliva secretion, clearing away some bacteria.  The keyword here is "sugarless." Bacteria rely on sucrose to produce plaque.

Milk: In a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association in July, Wu and her team found that drinking a glass of milk after downing dry, sugar-sweetened Fruit Loops lowered levels of acid in the mouth more than drinking water or apple juice did.
 Milk neutralizes some of the acid produced by plaque bacteria.   Drinking a glass of milk after eating a sweet dessert, like chocolate cake, may protect teeth, too.

Cranberries: Cranberries contain polyphenols (just as tea does), which may keep plaque from sticking to teeth, thus lowering the risk of cavities, according to a study published in the journal Caries Research.

5 Things You Should Know About Your Toothbrush

You use it every day, but when was the last time you put real thought into your toothbrush? An effective tool is essential for a proper brushing, which not only shines up your pearly whites, but also prevents bacteria and inflammation -- both of which are linked to everything from heart disease to dementia. We asked the experts for a brushup on what features matter most.
Shape
Should you opt for an electric brush with a round, rotating head or a traditional rectangular manual brush? Many dentists believe they're both effective if you're using the right technique.


Size
There's no one-size-fits-all toothbrush, but keep in mind that big brushes can miss plaque buildup in tight spots between teeth and hard-to-reach areas in the back.


Bristle Always opt for soft or extra soft. "Many people mistakenly believe that hard-bristle brushes do a more thorough job, but the opposite is true.  A 2011 study in the Journal of Periodontology found that people who brushed with stiffer bristles experienced an 11 percent increase in gum bleeding after eight weeks.


Handle
Unless you find them easier to hold, fancy padded grips that appear to be ergonomically designed have no effect on how well you brush.


Is it Time to Change Your Toothbrush?
If it's been more than four months, yes.
According to the American Dental Association, more than 40 percent of Americans don't know how often to change their toothbrushes.

Foods That Benefit Overall Health & Dental Health

 
 
 
 

 
 
 


Antibacterial