Section outline

    • CDI College - Dental Assisting Program URL

    • Dental exams

      Dental exams check the mouth for cavities, gum disease, oral cancer, *TMJ disorders, malocclusion and other problems. The sooner they are diagnosed the better!

      Your dentist may need to take X-rays (e.g.: **panoramic X-rays or ***bite-wing X-rays) to detect cavities and other problems that aren't visible to the naked eye.

      Some of the procedures that dentists perform are:

      1. Dental cleanings: performed by a dentist or a dental hygienist to remove plaque and tartar (also called calculus, sarrio)
      2. Deep dental cleanings: they consist of scaling and root planing (raspado e alisado radicular) to remove the plaque below the gumline and treat periodontal disease.
      3. Dental fillings (empastes)
      4. Fluoride treatments and sealants/varnish
      5. Extractions
      6. Root canal tratments (endodontics)
      7. Teeth whitening
      8. Implant placement (colocación de implantes)
      9. Prescribes, takes a mold and adjusts night guards, dentures (dentaduras), crowns (coroas), bridges (pontes) and dental braces (aparatos de ortodoncia), clear aligners (retenedores), like Invisalign, etc. Dental technicians (protésicos dentais) make them.
      10. Periodontists also perfom gum graft surgery (inxertos de enxiva)


      The above-mentioned procedures are registered by the dentist in the patient's odontrogram/dental chart. Sometimes it is useful in forensic odontology to identify people.

      *TMJ: temporomandibular joint (articulación temporomandibular ou ATM)
      **Panoramic X-rays: orthopantomography (OPG) scan
      ***Bite-wing X-rays: radiografía interproximal ou de aleta mordida


      by Eugenia Pintos Aris, CC license. Types of dental prophylaxis


    • Types of dental prophylaxis Páxina

      Prophylaxis is known as the measures taken to preserve health (individual or public) and prevent the spread of disease.

      Examples include handwashing (to remove germs), dental cleanings (to prevent tooth decay), vaccines (to immunize people against transmissible diseases), surgery (e.g.: removal of a benign tumor if suspected of becoming malignant), etc.

      Another type of prophylaxis is chemoprophylaxis (the administration of drugs to prevent diseases), such as estrogens in menopausal women to prevent osteoporosis or antibiotics (antibiotic prophylaxis) before performing an operation to prevent infection.

      Broadly speaking, prophylaxis is a synonym for prevention.


      by Eugenia Pintos Aris, CC license. Types of dental prophylaxis


    • At-home oral hygiene

      To keep a good oral hygiene at home follow these steps:

      1. Brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush at least twice a day for 2' with a proper technique to prevent tooth decay. Caries may cause tooth sensitivity, pain and bad breath.
      2. Floss between the teeth daily to remove food debris and plaque.
      3. Scrap your tongue to remove bacteria.
      4. Rinse your mouth with tap water.


      by Eugenia Pintos Aris, CC license. Types of dental prophylaxis


    • Deep cleaning URL
    • How to brush teeth correctly (by Colgate) URL
    • Flossing teeth properly, How to floss (by Colgate) URL