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Dentistry is the art and science of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions, diseases, and disorders of the oral cavity, the maxillofacial region, and its associated structures as it relates to human beings. Dentists, with the aide of other dental auxiliaries, frequently . X-rays and other equipment to ensure correct diagnosis and treatment planning. Treatment may include filling dental cavities, removing the nerves of teeth during root canal treatment, treating diseases of the gingiva, removing teeth during extractions, and replacing lost teeth with bridges, dentures, and implants. Anesthesia is often used in any treatment that might cause pain. Teeth may be filled with gold, silver, amalgam, porcelain. diseases of the mouth treated in dentistry include trench mouth and periodontitis.

Prevention of disease is an important aspect to dentistry. Regular oral hygiene is recommended, and the most common instruments including toothbrushes and dental floss. Limiting the frequency of sugar consumption is usually stressed. The dental significance of fluorides was discovered in the 1930s. Since then water fluoridation and topical applications of fluoride have become a focus in the prevention of tooth decay.

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A tooth (plural, teeth) is a structure found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to tear, scrape, and chew food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or defense. The roots of teeth are covered by gums. Teeth are among the most distinctive features of mammal species. Paleontologists use teeth to identify fossil species and determine their relationships. The shape of an animal's teeth is related to its diet. For example, plant matter is hard to digest, so herbivores have many molars for chewing. Carnivores, on the other hand, need canines to kill and tear meat.

Humans are diphyodont, meaning that they develop two sets of teeth. The first set (the "baby," "milk," or "deciduous" set) normally appears at about six months of age, although some babies are born with one or more visible teeth, known as neonatal teeth. Normal tooth eruption at about six months is known as teething and can be quite painful for an infant.

Some animals develop only one set of teeth (monophyodont) while others develop many sets (polyphyodont). Sharks, for example, grow a new set of teeth every two weeks to replace worn teeth. Rodent incisors grow and wear away continually through gnawing, maintaining relatively constant length. Some rodent species, such as the sibling vole and the guinea pig, have continuously growing molars in addition to incisors.

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Credit: Dr. C. P. Vipin

Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions, which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both. The word comes from the Greek words ortho meaning straight and odons meaning tooth. There are many reasons why orthodontic therapy may be desired, including to allow proper eruption of teeth.

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Did you know...

• ...that black hairy tongue (pictured) is a condition caused by defective desquamation of the filiform papillae and may appear after antibiotic use?
• ...that the miswak is a natural toothbrush that can be made from the twigs of the Salvadora persica tree?
• ...that the field of oral microbiology studies the microorganisms of the mouth and their role in the development of dental caries and periodontal disease?

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