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Job Duties

As a dental assistant, you will perform many different tasks in order to prepare the patient for the orthodontist. If the patient doesn't need any additional work done from the orthodontist, you will be the see the patient through from start to finish. Some of the tasks that dental assistants perform are taking x-rays, coronal polishes, sterilizing dental equipment, record-keeping, and assisting the orthodontist with procedures such as crowns and fillings. As a dental assistant, it is also important to be able to interact with people well and to enjoy getting to know many new people. Having a casual conversation with patients will help them to feel more at ease as they visit the dentist. Some dental assistants are also responsible for coordinating a patient's appointments as well.

Path to Become a Dental Assistant

In order to become a dental assistant in most states, you need to graduate from a dental assistant program at a technical or community colleges. These programs will generally take one to two years to complete. Some states may also require certification. The most common certification is the Dental Assistant National Board's Certified Dental Assistant examination. Some students also complete externships. An externship is an opportunity for a student to have training in the actual workplace. After graduating and completing certifications or externships, there are many opportunities across the country for dental assistant openings. It is one of the fastest-growing careers with a projected employment growth rate of nearly 20% over the course of the next 10 years. The rate of growth in this field is much higher than the national average. Once you get a dental assistant position, your job tasks could vary significantly depending on how large of an office you work in.

Conclusion

Dental Assistants are growing in demand. Depending on your personality and interests, being a dental assistant may be something you should seriously consider. If you are still unsure that you want to be a dental assistant, you should consider doing a job shadow. This will help you to get an understanding of what the day-to-day work is like for a dental assistant. Job shadows are helpful to provide an understanding of different occupations before you pursue a degree in that field.

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1. Brush Twice Daily- You've heard it a million times, but it still is the most essential part of healthy teeth. Be sure to brush for two minutes to get a better clean.
2. Floss Like You Mean it- Traditional floss, plastic flossers, and toothpicks all accomplish the same task, so choose your favorite and get that food out of your teeth.
3. Mouthwash Away Food Particles- Brushing and flossing get most of food particles out of the tight crevices between your teeth, but mouthwash can finish the job by reaching areas that were missed. A bonus perk is fresher breath.
4. Limit Soda Consumption- Sodas contain high levels of sugar and acid. These drinks break down the enamel on your teeth and cause plaque buildup. That leads to tooth decay and sensitivity.
5. Chew Sugar- Free Gum- Regular gum coats teeth with sugar. The result is painful cavities. Avoid that by choosing a gum that doesn't damage your teeth.
6. Don't Skip Cleanings- Twice a year dental cleanings are recommended to get a deep, thorough cleaning. Any potential problems can be identified and treated early before the issue become worse.
7. Drink More Water- The best drink for your physical and oral health is plain old water. It cleanses and promotes healthy gums.
8. Enjoy Fresh Fruits and Vegetables- Fresh, crunchy produce has many health benefits with nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The produce helps to clean your teeth by using its natural texture.
9. Pick a Good Toothpaste- Flouride toothpaste aids in preventing cavities. If you have sensitive teeth, then a specialized toothpaste would be more beneficial. OTC products work for many people, but prescription strength sensitivity toothpaste is also available.
10. Use Head Protection in Contact Sports- Playing sports is exciting and can lead to potential dental injuries. Wear the appropriate helmet, mask, or gear to protect yourself and your teeth.

It doesn't have to take a lot of work to have healthier teeth. Simply take the time to think about what you eat and drink to avoid dental problems. Better brushing, flossing, and rinsing are easy to make into a routine with consistency. Your teeth are an important part of protecting your overall health, so make it a daily part of your self-care routine.

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What is Chewing Gum?

This is a simple question that has a lot of pieces. Modern-day gum consists of a base material, a sweetener, a substance that keeps it soft, flavors, colors and a polyol coating that helps it maintain its stickiness.

Is Gum good for your Teeth and Gums

The answer to this question is mostly yes. Chewing gum helps you salivate more which in turn helps your body discard of any bacteria or plaque that has built up on your teeth and gums. If the gum is sugarless, 20 minutes of chewing gum after a meal can help reduce the likely hood of developing tooth decay. This does not mean you can stop brushing your teeth, it just means you can enjoy a stick of sugarless gum after a meal.

Does the type of Gum Matter?

Chewing the occasional stick of sugarless gum can be good for your teeth and gums and clean away the bad bacteria that are in everyone’s mouth, but if the gum has sugar in it then you might want to rethink your choice. Sugar on its own can lead to tooth decay and erosion, but the harmful effects of some types of gum are different when it comes to your gums.

Sugar-Free is good…Right?

Your gums are designed to help filter what is going into your mouth while protecting your teeth. This means they are absorbing portions of whatever you are putting into your mouth and not all types of gum that are sugar-free are good at cleaning your teeth. Aspartame is a common substitute for sugar in many different products including sugar-free gum. Aspartame can help formaldehyde which is not only bad for your teeth and gums; it is bad for your entire body.

What else should I know?

Chewing gum can wear the enamel off your teeth which will leave your teeth and your gums more sensitive to the temperature of your food or cause irritation if the food is acidic. It can also cause the realignment of your teeth from all the chewing. Chewing gum regularly can cause your molars to drift backward in your mouth leading to an overbite. Allowing for this to happen will mean you will need braces to bring your teeth back to where they are supposed to be.

How to Protect your Gums

How you can protect your gums is almost the exact same thing you can do for your teeth. You can brush your teeth and gums twice a day, eat healthy foods, and visit your dentist regularly. This will prevent the build-up of the bad bacteria around your teeth and save your teeth and gums for you to use your entire life.

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How Do You Test for Bad Breath?

Aside from asking someone you know to gauge of how bad your breath is, you can lick a cotton ball. If the cotton ball takes on a yellowish hue and has a sulfuric odor, this is evidence of poor oral hygiene and halitosis.

Of course, poor oral hygiene is not the only cause for bad breath. You can also develop bad breath by eating foods like onions, garlic, coffee, excessive proteins, acrid and acidic foods, and even sugar. In addition, you may develop bad breath from an inability to digest foods. It is possible to develop bad breath from gastric reflux.

You can also probe the back of your tongue with your finger and smell it. When you do this, you should let the saliva dry on your finger to remove the buffering that the saliva can create. Another method is to simply look at your tongue in the mirror. A tongue that has a white coating presents evidence of high sulfur compound levels.

What Are Some Other Causes for Bad Breath?

It is common for alcohol and tobacco users to develop bad breath because it reduces your oral saliva levels. Dry mouth is a leading cause of tooth decay because the saliva washes away the bacteria and neutralizes it. For the same reason, you can develop halitosis and dry mouth from over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs.

Another reason why you may develop halitosis is nasal problems. People who have nasal problems have to sleep with their mouths open in order to breathe at night. If you sleep with your mouth open, it will dry your mouth out and increase the odors from the bacterial growth. Because dry mouth is so interconnected with both cavities and halitosis, it is perhaps the worst condition and leading cause for halitosis.

How Can I Neutralize Halitosis Odors?

One way to neutralize halitosis is to brush, floss, and use mouthwash regularly. This will reduce the volume of bacteria growth in your mouth. The bio-film is what forms into the plaque material called tartar if you do not remove it daily. The plaque is a greyish-yellow buildup that usually forms where teeth are clustered and hard to clean and below the gum-line where it is difficult to reach with brushing alone.

You can also quit using tobacco and medications that dry your mouth. If you have no choice, you could try to keep hydrated by sipping on water frequently or sucking on ice cubes. A specialist may be able to help those with nighttime breathing problems. Obstructed breathing issues may become serious over time and lead to the deadly condition called sleep apnea. In any case, you should contact Lowry Dental in Boise, Idaho, to keep up an optimal level of oral health.

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Periodontal Symptoms

Understanding the potential consequences of periodontal disease caused by electronic cigarette use could make you think twice about partaking. The nicotine commonly used in electronic cigarettes can cause the gums to recede. This happens because the burning nicotine vapor reduces the amount of oxygen soft tissues in the mouth receive, resulting in inflammation. This causes symptoms of periodontal disease such as halitosis, tender and swollen gums and bleeding and loose teeth, which all may cause the gums to recede and puts long term oral health in jeopardy.

Gum Disease

Because nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, reducing the amount of blood that can flow through your veins, it causes gum tissue to die. This can lead to gum disease, which is a serious cause for concern. Gum disease can worsen conditions such as diabetes by distributing bacteria throughout the bloodstream to other parts of your body. Furthermore, nicotine vapors decrease our natural ability to fight against bacteria, which enables infection and decay to spread throughout the mouth.

More Bacteria

Teeth that have been exposed to e-cigarette aerosol have more bacteria than those that have not been exposed. Studies have found that this difference is greater in the crevices, which can lead to excess bacteria associated with plaque accumulation, tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. Such complications can cause DNA damage as it prevents cells from dividing and growing, which can result in cell death. This kind of irritation and inflammation can lead your dentist to assess whether or not gum disease is a concern.

Dry Mouth

An additional adverse affect of liquid vapors such as propylene glycol (PG) is mouth dryness. This is because PG is a hygroscopic chemical that causes water molecules in saliva to dry up. Chronic dryness is associated with bad breath, mouth sores and tooth decay. This decay can cause deep pockets that indicate a breakdown of the attachment of the gums to a tooth. A dentist should be consulted every 3 months to monitor damage to prevent gum recession and tooth loss.

Grinding

An additional negative side affect of nicotine use in electronic cigerettes is grinding. Nicotine is a muscle stimulant, making a user grind more intensely if they are already a grinder. It could also instigate non-grinders to start this habit, which can cause damage to the tooth and jaw.

Prevention

The best way to avoid the adverse effects of vaping is to abstain from using. But for those who do use, frequent check-ups are essential. During the first visit to Lowry dental professionals in Boise, patients will receive a consultation to discuss what brought them in. Any relevant diagnosis will be reviewed and treatment options explained. Give us a call to schedule an appointment to discuss any concerns about vaping and your health, or just stop by our office in Boise.

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Start Oral Hygiene Early

Since it's never too oral to make oral hygiene a daily habit, you want to implement those oral hygiene practices as soon as possible. Most Boise dentists recommend starting oral hygiene before your child's first tooth grows in. If you have an infant, wipe their gums with a gentle, damp cloth. Switch over to a toothbrush when their teeth grow in around 6 months of age.

You should floss their teeth once they start touching, which is around 2 or 3 years of age. Their first appointment with the Boise dentist should happen around their first birthday, no matter how many teeth they have. You can always speak with your dentist on benefits on semi-annual checkups.

Make Those 2 Minutes Count

Since your child has only two minutes to brush their teeth, you should make those minutes count. Don't just set a timer and let them do their thing. Make brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes a regular event. Play your child's favorite music or have a two-minute dance-off.

Brushing apps or video tutorials can make those two minutes fly by easily. You can also recite a two-minute using your funniest voices. Get creative with this time and switch up things so they don't get bored once brushing time rolls around. You want to make sure brushing time is a fun and positive time.

Make a Game Out of Brushing Teeth

All you need is a little fun to make oral hygiene exciting for your child. Challenge your child to a brush-off. Tell them that you can brush your teeth better than they can and see what happens. Of course, you'll let them win.

There are a wide variety of games that meet the two-minute mark. Get a sand timer and encourage your child to continue brushing until all the sand has reached the bottom. Or you can buy your child a toothbrush that plays music for two minutes. Whatever game you choose, offer an incentive such as staying up later at night or choosing the next movie on family night.

Brush Your Teeth at the Same Time

When all else fails, make brushing your teeth a family affair. It's important for you to set a good example, especially when it comes to teaching good oral hygiene habits. If your child sees you flossing regularly, he's more likely to floss. Pretend to be a mirror and mimic your child's brushing habits. Or, you can encourage them to copy your brushing moves.

Your child wants to be a mini version of you, so take advantage of that. Brushing your teeth at the same time allows you to spend quality time together. It also teaches them the benefits of having a healthy smile. Your child will quickly develop these oral hygiene habits on their own.

Choose Entertaining Tools

Since brushing and flossing can be difficult for first-timers, it's important to use the right tools. Some kid-friendly tools include battery-operated toothbrushes, flossers without sharp edges, and flavored toothpaste.

A battery-operated toothbrush allows your child to get the plaque off since he can't mimic the circles for accurate brushing. Allow your child to pick out his favorite color or design toothbrush and favorite flavor of toothpaste.

Creating engaging and fun habits will ensure that your child will develop a lifelong habit of caring for her teeth. Brushing and flossing should be fun and shouldn't be painful or difficult. If you introduce brushing and flossing at a young age, your child will quickly pick up on these habits.

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1. Visiting Your Dentist Regularly

According to experts, you should see a dentist every half a year for a checkup. During the visit, your mouth will be professionally cleaned. Tartar in teeth can only be eradicated through professional cleaning. Additionally, the cleaning will also assist in eliminating plaque that you might have missed during the brushing of your teeth. Regular visits can assist a dentist like those from Lowry Dental in Boise in detecting early signs of gingivitis and gum disease. Gingivitis is a disease whereby the gums get inflamed. Early detection can assist in preventing more severe issues from taking place.

2. Using Mouthwash

American Dental Association (ADA) states that there are two kinds of mouthwash including cosmetic and therapeutic. Both types can be found over the counter. A therapeutic mouthwash can assist in preventing gum disease, minimize the rate of tartar build up, decrease food particles from the mouth, and minimize the plaque on the teeth. But you must not use mouthwash as a replacement for flossing and brushing. However, always look for the ADA seal on your mouthwash. It shows that the manufacturer has proved sufficiently that the product is effective and safe. The organization states that children of below six years must not use mouthwash.

3. Brushing Your Teeth Properly

Proper brushing of teeth is essential to having gums that have optimal health. According to the American Dental Association, there is a proper guideline for brushing teeth. You should brush them using fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristle toothbrush at least two times per day. You also require replacing the toothbrush every quarter of a year, or earlier if the bristles start fraying. Moreover, you need to brush our teeth at an angle of 45 degrees to the gums and move the brush in short strokes. Remember to press the brush gently and turn it vertically while making many short strokes along the front teeth.

4. Rinsing and Flossing

Many individuals rinse their mouth out after brushing the teeth. But practices of oral hygiene must complement the efficiency of fluoride products like toothpaste. When you rinse your mouth with water just after brushing the teeth with fluoride toothpaste, you clean away the fluoride. On the contrary, when you rinse your mouth after a meal, you rinse away bacteria and food that can result in tartar and plaque. Numerous people ignore daily flossing. However, the ADA states that this practice is essential to oral health. Flossing helps to eradicate plaque and food from gums and between teeth. If the plaque and food remain, they can result in tartar, which is a heavy buildup of bacteria that can only be eradicated by a professional. It can lead to gum disease.

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Warm weather is coming and it's time to enjoy some cold treats. If the thought of popsicles, snow cones and ice cream make you wince or whimper, you probably have sensitive teeth and may need to do a little protective work on the dentin of your teeth. This area of the tooth is the really sensitive tooth tissue along the gum line.

Why Does This Hurt So Much?

Dentin is the portion at the base of your teeth that's usually covered by healthy gum tissue. If you have any gum inflammation or infection, the dentin of your tooth will become exposed, leaving nerves at risk of cold summer treats, hot coffee, ice water or anything else best served at an extreme temperature.

Not Necessarily A Cavity

Tooth sensitivity is not necessarily a sign of decay, but it can be a sign of vulnerability. You can strengthen this layer of your teeth with fluoride rinses, desensitizing toothpaste and regular, gentle brushing.

You may think that what your teeth really need is a good scrubbing, but regular harsh brushing can actually weaken tooth enamel and lead to more sensitivity. Do brush thoroughly, but don't use harsh brushes or a lot of force. You can clean your teeth and be kind to your gums at the same time.

Finally, consider taking a break from tooth whitening products. As these strip stains from teeth, they can ultimately weaken your enamel and lead to greater sensitivity.

Watch What You Eat And Drink

Acidic beverages such as coffee, tea and soda are hard on your teeth. While none of these will cause the same sting as ice cream, they may be making your favorite cup of ice cream harder to enjoy.

If the idea of giving up your daily dose of coffee or tea makes your head hurt worse than your teeth, try rinsing your mouth every time you finish a cup of any highly acidic beverage to reduce damage along the gum line.

Back To That Ice Cream

Don't try to eat cones. Your teeth will hurt and you'll have sticky hands. Try taking little bites of the ice cream. Let it melt away from the whole and scoop it up as it runs down the outside of the cold mound in the middle. Consider adding a little hot fudge. Then as soon as you've finished your treat, brush thoroughly!

And don't forget to floss before bed!

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Why do we have baby teeth?

Primary or baby teeth perform several different jobs: They enable children to chew, eat, and speak normally. They also act as placeholders for the secondary or permanent teeth to make sure they grow into their proper place and alignment. If somebody loses their baby teeth prematurely, whether through injury or extraction, it can result in problems like malocclusion or crowding.

A baby’s jaws simply aren’t large enough to accommodate the permanent teeth, which is why people have two sets of teeth. Most people have 20 baby teeth and 32 permanent teeth.

When do teeth grow in?

Babies are typically born toothless. The first teeth to grow in are the central incisors or front teeth on the bottom jaw, which typically emerge when the baby is around six months old. Children typically have a full set of primary teeth by the time they are between two and three two years old.

Permanent teeth start to grow in when a child is around six years old. Most of them have grown in by the time the child is thirteen years old. The third molars or wisdom teeth are the last to erupt and don’t emerge until the patient is in their late teens or early 20s.

Baby Teeth:

Adult Teeth:

Lowry Dental is a dental office in Boise that puts a premium on family dentistry. The dentists themselves are a father-and-sons trio who provide services for patients of all ages. Contact Lowry Dental to learn more about a dentist in Boise or to schedule an appointment.

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