Your Dentist's Education
In the United States, a dentist must complete four years of dental school. This comes after college. Dental school graduates receive either a D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree. D.D.S. stands for Doctor of Dental Surgery. D.M.D. comes from the Latin Dentariae Medicinae Doctor.
Today, students in both types of programs receive similar training. One degree is not better than the other.
After receiving a dental degree, a person must pass two board exams in order to practice dentistry....
What Is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a natural mineral found throughout the earth's crust and widely distributed in nature. Some foods and water supplies contain fluoride.
Fluoride is often added to drinking water to help reduce tooth decay. In the 1930s, researchers found that people who grew up drinking naturally fluoridated water had up to two-thirds fewer cavities than people living in areas without fluoridated water. Studies since then have repeatedly shown that when fluoride is added to ...
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X-Rays
What Are X-Rays?
X-rays are a form of energy that travels in waves. X-rays can enter solid objects, where they either are absorbed or continue to pass through. X-rays tend to be absorbed by denser objects but pass easily through less dense objects.
Teeth and bone are very dense, so they absorb X-rays. X-rays pass more easily through gums and cheeks. That's why cheeks and gums appear dark and without detail on a dental X-ray, but teeth show up much lighter. Restorations such as crowns... |
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