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Oral Health Information

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Oral Health Knowledge
Oral Health Knowledge Oral Health Care
Oral Health Knowledge
This section could help you improving your oral health knowledge. It covers the following topics:
Tooth Transition
Special Care for the Six-year Molars
The six-year molar erupt right behind the last primary molar in each quadrant. The six-year molars are the first permanent molars which erupt at the age of six. There are a total of four six-year molars, one in each quadrant, situated right behind the last primary molars. The four molars are vital to the normal occlusion of permanent teeth. If you notice any eruption, you should instruct your child to brush further back so that these teeth can be cleaned. In some cases, "fissure sealant"can be applied to the deep fissures to prevent tooth decay.
When the Lower Permanent Incisor Erupts Behind the Primary Incisor
The primary incisor will shed by itself. The permanent incisor will assume normal position and it is not necessary to extract the mobile primary incisor if there is enough room for the permanent incisor. The lower permanent incisors erupt behind the primary incisors.
The Newly Erupted Lower Permanent Incisor
Delayed Eruption of Permanent Teeth
The eruption time of the permanent teeth and the shedding time of the primary teeth vary from child to child. A time lag of about a year is not uncommon. You should seek advice from your dentist if you have any queries. Participants of the School Dental Care Service can consult the dental staff at our school dental clinics.
Permanent Teeth Appear More "Yellow" Than Primary Teeth
The permanent teeth may appear darker in colour when compared with the primary teeth because the enamel of the permanent teeth is more highly mineralized and more translucent. This allows the underlying yellow-coloured dentine to show through. If genuine tooth discolouration occurs, you should consult your dentist.
Spacing Between the Newly-erupted Upper Incisors
The so-called "Ugly Duckling Stage" is common among children aged 6-7. The incisors usually assume normal alignment when the upper canines erupt into position. The newly erupted upper incisors are flared and there is spacing between them.
The Ugly Ducking Stage
Tooth Alignment
Tooth Crowding
Tooth crowding occurs if there is inadequate room for all permanent teeth to erupt. You should consult your dentist if you have any queries. Participants of the School Dental Care Service can seek advice from the dental staff at the school dental clinics. Insufficient space for lower permanent incisors to erupt resulting in tooth crowding.
Tooth Crowding
Tooth Spacing
Tooth spacing due to excessive space in the jawbone. Tooth spacing occurs if there is excessive space in the jawbone. Treatment varies from case to case. You should consult your dentist if you have any queries. Participants of the School Dental Care Service can seek advice from the dental staff at the school dental clinics.
Treatment
Treatment for tooth mal-alignment is a specialised dental discipline. You should consult your dentist or other dental staff of the School Dental Care Service for tooth mal-alignment advice. Teeth are undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontic Treatment
Teeth are mal-aligned before orthodontic treatment.
Malignment of Tooth (Before Treatment)
 Right direction icon Teeth are mal-aligned before orthodontic treatment.
After Treatment
Treatment for tooth mal-alignment is a specialised dental discipline. You should consult your dentist or other dental staff of the School Dental Care Service for tooth mal-alignment advice.
Teeth are mal-aligned before orthodontic treatment.
Malignment of Tooth (Before Treatment)
 Right direction icon Teeth are undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontic Treatment
 Right direction icon Teeth are mal-aligned before orthodontic treatment.
After Treatment
Dental Pain
Toothache
Numerous factors can cause toothache. Tooth decay often causes pain when you take sweet, sour, cold, or hot food and drinks. When decay progresses into the pulp of the tooth, it will cause intense pain that may disturb sleep. A proper diagnosis can be made only through detailed examination. You should consult your dentist when you have a toothache. A cross-section diagram showing the dental caries extends into the pulp of a tooth.
Dental caries progressed into the pulp causing toothache.
Gum Pain
Gum pain can be caused by erupting teeth, ulcers or gum diseases. A proper diagnosis can be made only through detailed examination. You should consult your dentist when you have gum pain.
The overlying gum of an erupting wisdom tooth is inflamed resulting in pericoronitis.
Pericoronitis of the Wisdom Tooth
 Aphthous ulcer is found on the oral mucosa.
Aphthous Ulcer - ulcer of the oral mucosa
 Dental plaque accumulates at gingival margin causing gingivitis.
Gingivitis
The overlying gum of an erupting wisdom tooth is inflamed resulting in pericoronitis.
Pericoronitis of the Wisdom Tooth
Aphthous ulcer is found on the oral mucosa.
Aphthous Ulcer - ulcer of the oral mucosa
Dental plaque accumulates at gingival margin causing gingivitis.
Gingivitis
Care After Dental Treatments
After Tooth Extraction
To avoid recurrent bleeding, you should pay attention to the following particularly on the same day of tooth extraction:
If accident occurs and bleeding starts again, you can control bleeding by biting on a clean cotton pad or gauze at the site of bleeding for 30 minutes. If bleeding persists, return immediately to your attending school dental clinic during office hours for management. If bleeding happens outside office hours, you may seek help at the Accident and Emergency Unit of a nearby public hospital.
After Tooth Filling
Some filling materials may take time to become fully hardened. Therefore, on the same day, you may be asked to avoid chewing on the side of your mouth where the treated tooth is after the dental visit.
Management of Cracked, Chipped or Dislodged Filling
If a filling is cracked, chipped off or dislodged, please consult your dentist for follow-up treatment. Participants of the School Dental Care Service may seek emergency consultations at their designated school dental clinic.
After Local Anaesthesia
If local anaesthetic has been used during dental treatment, please be careful with the following before the numbness is gone:
Other Oral Health Topics
Tooth Discolouration
Both intrinsic and extrinsic stains can lead to tooth discolouration. Intrinsic stains may be due to tetracycline, excessive fluoride intake, pulp degeneration after tooth trauma and the presence of metallic restorative materials such as silver amalgam. Appropriate treatments such as aesthetic restorations and bleaching help in improving appearance.
Extrinsic stains may be due to coffee, tea, traditional Chinese medicine or tobacco products. Professional cleaning can remove extrinsic stains.
Brown and black stains on the surface of teeth
Extrinsic Stain, Before Treatmen
-The tooth surface was stained by food colour.
 Right direction icon Stains were removed after professional cleaning.
Extrinsic Stain, After Treatment
 A tooth appears greyish-black in colour because of non-vital pulp.
Intrinsic stain, Before Treatment
-The 'dead' pulp released some substances into dentine to stain it greyish black.
 Right direction icon The tooth colour was whitened after appropriate dental treatment.
Intrinsic stain, After Treatment.
Brown and black stains on the surface of teeth
Extrinsic Stain, Before Treatmen
-The tooth surface was stained by food colour.
 Right direction icon Stains were removed after professional cleaning.
Extrinsic Stain, After Treatment
A tooth appears greyish-black in colour because of non-vital pulp.
Intrinsic stain, Before Treatment
-The 'dead' pulp released some substances into dentine to stain it greyish black.
 Right direction icon The tooth colour was whitened after appropriate dental treatment.
Intrinsic stain, After Treatment.
Gum Bleeding
Dental plaque accumulating at gum margin leads to gingival inflammation with swelling and bleeding.
Bleeding Gums
 Poor oral hygiene is the most common cause for gum bleeding. Bacterial toxins from plaque accumulate at gum margin lead to inflammation with swelling and bleeding while brushing. Scrupulous attention should be paid to oral hygiene. Once oral hygiene improves, bleeding will subside and gum will become healthy again.
Tooth Trauma
Tooth trauma is common when a child grows up and becomes active. Contact sports may lead to teeth injury. You should consult your dentist when there is an obvious tooth crack or fracture and, if possible, bring along the fragment of your fracture tooth with you. Root or bone injury may be detected by professional dental staff only. Participants of the School Dental Care Service can seek emergency treatments from their designated school dental clinics.
Crown fracture due to trauma.
Crown Fracture
 Tooth dislocation due to trauma.
Tooth Displacement
Tooth Knocked Out
If a tooth avulsed (knocked out of the tooth socket), how to do?

An upper incisor was avulsed due to trauma Tooth dislocation due to trauma.
Pick up the avulsed tooth by holding the crown without touching the root Gently rinse off the dirt on the tooth surface with clean water Insert the tooth back into the socket or Immerse the tooth in a container filled with fresh milk Seek treatment from dentist immediately
1.Pick up
2.Clean
3.Process
4.Diagnosis
Stay calm and pick up the avulsed tooth by its crown without touching the root. Do not attempt to scrub the tooth. Gently rinse off any obvious dirt on the root surface with clean water. Put the tooth back into the socket if you can, or place the tooth in the mouth between the cheek and gum, or keep the tooth in a pack of fresh milk. Immediately see a dentist for treatment at any nearby school dental clinic during office hours, or a nearby private dental clinic or the Accident and Emergency Department of a nearby public hospital outside office hours. The sooner the tooth is replanted, the higher is the chance of success.
Pick up the avulsed tooth by holding the crown without touching the root Gently rinse off the dirt on the tooth surface with clean water
1.Pick up
2.Clean
Stay calm and pick up the avulsed tooth by its crown without touching the root. Do not attempt to scrub the tooth. Gently rinse off any obvious dirt on the root surface with clean water.
Insert the tooth back into the socket or Immerse the tooth in a container filled with fresh milk Seek treatment from dentist immediately
3.Process
4.Diagnosis
Put the tooth back into the socket if you can, or place the tooth in the mouth between the cheek and gum, or keep the tooth in a pack of fresh milk. Immediately see a dentist for treatment at any nearby school dental clinic during office hours, or a nearby private dental clinic or the Accident and Emergency Department of a nearby public hospital outside office hours. The sooner the tooth is replanted, the higher is the chance of success.
Leong's Premolar
A Leong's premolar differs from an ordinary premolar by having some tooth structures projecting from its chewing surface. These structures are very fragile and easily fractured. If they are not properly treated after fracture, the pulp may die due to infection and may lead to dental abscess formation. In order to prevent this from happening, preventive treatment is advocated at our School Dental Care Service. According to the tooth condition, either reinforcement of the fragile structure or removal of the structure then restoration of the defect can be done.
A Leong’s premolar has a projected and fragile portion of tooth structure. If the projected structure has fractured, there will be chances for bacterial infection. The pulp may become necrotic or may even result in dental abscess.
Aphthous Ulcer
An aphthous ulcer is found on the oral mucosa.
Aphthous Ulcer
 Aphthous ulcer is a kind of ulcer found on oral mucosa. At present, medical research is still unable to find out the cause, and there is still not effective way to prevent its occurrence. Fortunately an aphthous ulcer usually heals by itself within 2 to 3 weeks. You may find that rinsing your mouth with warm saline can help in easing the pain. You may also get medication from dentist or doctor to put on the ulcer for lessening the pain. If ulcer persists for more than 1 month, you should see a doctor to find out whether it is related to other diseases.
An aphthous ulcer is found on the oral mucosa.
Aphthous Ulcer
Aphthous ulcer is a kind of ulcer found on oral mucosa. At present, medical research is still unable to find out the cause, and there is still not effective way to prevent its occurrence. Fortunately an aphthous ulcer usually heals by itself within 2 to 3 weeks. You may find that rinsing your mouth with warm saline can help in easing the pain. You may also get medication from dentist or doctor to put on the ulcer for lessening the pain. If ulcer persists for more than 1 month, you should see a doctor to find out whether it is related to other diseases.
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2020 ©|Last Review Date : 20 November 2020