Types of Mouth Mirrors:

The mouth mirror is of different types, depending on the mirror type. The various types are -

• Front surface mirrors – This produces a perfect, accurate and an image free of any distortion or change in size.
  Flat surface mirrors – This type of mouth mirror is used in the disposable models.
• Concave mirrors – This type of mirror is used to magnify the image, and it makes the visible area look larger to provide a better image of the area for diagnosis, especially the gums and areas between the teeth and gums.
• Double-sided mirrors – It is used to retract the cheek or tongue, and on the same time, to view the other side in an indirect view simultaneously.

Sizes of Mouth Mirrors:

• Size 1 – Ø 16 mm
• Size 2 – Ø 18 mm
• Size 3 – Ø 20 mm
• Size 4 – Ø 22 mm
• Size 5 – Ø 24 mm

Functions of the Mouth Mirror:

• Providing indirect vision of any part of the oral cavity
• To provide indirect illumination on the gums and teeth where direct light doesn’t reach
• To retract the lips, cheek and tongue
• Viewing the back of the molar teeth, especially the last molars and the gum, tartar problems behind the last tooth

The indirect illumination (or) light reflection is most commonly needed in the posterior and lingual regions of the maxillary anterior regions. The mouth mirror even helps the dentists and hygienists prevent sitting in improper sitting positions on the side chair, which would have later caused problems due to improper posture. The poor postural problems would affect in a chronic way, especially in the neck and back region.

Apart from their usage in the Dental offices, the Dental mirrors are even used in the labs for various purposes where the direct vision is practically difficult.

The Mouth Mirrors are either made with the handle and the head attached to each other, and the entire piece has to be replaced when the image clarity doesn’t remain the same, or they are even made with the head screwed onto the handle and only the head can be replaced on the same handle later on. The mirror head is a little angled, making it easier for Dentists to send into the sulcal regions between the teeth and cheek and provide the indirect vision.

The most commonly used Mouth Mirrors are the No. 4 and No. 5 mirrors, and the No. 2 mirror is the commonly used one when a smaller area is accessible and operable, and even when a rubber dam is placed and there is little access for the mouth mirror to be placed and provide the vision and illumination.

This certainly would not come to good use for children and those who use toothpaste for the fresh feel and the minty touch of it, while brushing. This brush comes with a product that produces electrons which cause chemical reaction on the tooth surface which helps in cleaning the surface and kill the harmful bacteria which cause the tooth decay. The Soladey J3DX toothbrush is powered with the solar panels in it which release the electrons, and nothing else is required as the bristles work as the normal brush bristles in cleansing the superficial surface of the teeth.

I won’t recommend it, here is why -

• It’s not yet recommended by ADA and approved too.
• The toothpaste is one of the reasons children and many elderly people too brush, and without it the entire purpose for them to brush is lost.
• FLUORIDES – Where are the fluorides supplied from? Most of the toothpastes contain a small concentration of fluoride which help in mineralization of the teeth, and also help prevent tooth decay. That’s absent here.

Plaque disclosing solution is a liquid or tablet like substance used in the removal of solid, liquid food particles and bacterial generally called dental plaque on the surface of the teeth, on gums and between or under the tooth.

Why to use the plaque disclosing solution?

• An invention made to aid in plaque identification.
• Has the capability to penetrate the hard plaque deposits and wiping them away leaving the tooth clean and healthy.
• It serves as a preventive and disclosing solution to tooth infectious materials.
• Easy and convenient to apply to all affected areas since it has the capability to flow and cover the inner and outer surfaces of the tooth without causing any serious damage or pain to the affected tooth.

Types of plaque disclosing solution
There are various types of plaque disclosing solutions in our market today. They aid in removing of unwanted stains on our teeth and gums. These include:

• Disclosing tablet - this is chewed allowing it to mix with saliva in the mouth leaving the teeth very clean.
• Disclosing swabs – this is applied manually to the whole surface of the affected teeth.
• Disclosing solution – its put and swished in the mouth for sometime then removed.

Preparation of plaque disclosing solution
You need ether disclosing solution, disclosing swabs, disclosing tablet before you get stated. You also need a specific mirror specifically the dental mirror for checking and revealing affected areas in your mouth.

How to use plaque disclosing solution
Users are advised to read the user directives on the packages of the type of solution they are using.

Steps in using Plaque disclosing solution:
Brush and swap your mouth with clean water. Apply the plaque disclosing solution to the surface of the tooth. Brush to remove the spotted marks. You can identify the affected parts using the dental mirror. Incase of tablet disclosing solution, drop it in your mouth and chew till it forms a swift mixture with the saliva. Allow the solution to move in all corners of the mouth for about 20-25 seconds. Remove the solution from you mouth by spitting and rinse the mouth with clean water. Use the dental mirror to check the affected areas shown through various makings. Ensure that the hard to reach parts of the teeth, underneath and between the teeth are cleaned.

To ensure that all the plaque affected areas are removed, repeat the same cleaning processes with the plaque disclosing solution regularly.

There are various types of plaque disclosing solution on the market. Two-tone solution is the solution mainly used to identify existing and upcoming infected parts. It is packed in a squeezable bottle to enhance easy and faster application to all parts of the teeth. Its quick fading characteristic allows the use of very little water to rinse the mouth and also allowing the person to easily identify areas that need more attendance.

The solution has the capability to distinguish between the new and old infections by coating the old infections with red color and new infections with blue color hence one can easily know how to curb more infections. The solution can be obtained from local pharmacy shops at affordable price.

The dental floss can be waxed or unwaxed, and flavored or non-flavored.

Contents -
How was dental floss introduced?
What to take care about dental floss?
Does floss clean all the tooth surfaces?
How is dental floss available?
How to use a dental floss?
How is a dental floss useful?

How was Dental floss introduced to the world?

A dentist from New Orleans, named Levi Spear Parmly is the person who for the first time use a traditional form of thread as a dental floss. It was a thread of silk which was used first as a floss. This was late back in 1815. Then there were a few companies after decades which came with some floss materials into the market, some of the companies include Codman and Shurtleft, Johnson & Johnson Corporation, Red Cross, Salter Sill Co. and Brunswick.
The usage of floss is still seen more in the western countries, and in America, 50% of people have the habit of flossing taking it as a measure of maintaining oral hygiene.

What to take care about dental floss?

It is advised that the dental floss should be used in a gentle manner as it can hurt the external of the tooth, and sometimes the gums. Generally you can floss once a day after brushing. The American Dental Association suggests that flossing should be done by curving the floss against the surface of side of the tooth, moving along the shape of “C”, then do the same vertically from the tip of gums to the tip of the tooth but this has to be done very gently as the gum can be damaged if done vigorously. Flossing should be done for a very less time.

Does floss clean all the tooth surfaces?

Dental floss cleans all the tooth parts except the areas below the contact point in the proximal surfaces as it can not reach there if the contact points are tight and do not allow the floss to go further down.

How is dental floss available?

It depends on the manufacturer, but generally a floss is available in the form of long threads of 10 to 50 meters length, and are rolled and placed in plastic containers and transported. The pack also has an attached blade to cut the floss whenever the needed and required amount of floss is pulled out. There are several manufacturers like one of those well noted ones is the toothpaste manufacturer Colgate.

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How to use a dental floss?

Required amount of floss is cut from the box and then it is wrapped around the middle fingers of both the hands so that a good hold can be put on it, and directly pressing with the fingers can reduce the friction and the floss can slip from between the fingers. The fingers can be rested over the other teeth when working on a particular tooth and its surfaces. And the thumb should be used as a press for the floss on the middle finger.

Alternatively, you can just tie the two ends by knots and make a round loop of the thread which can be used in wet conditions, and does not apply much pressure too. Then as given above, the floss should be run against the surface and along the proximal margins of the teeth to clean off the bacteria and the food particles.

There are materials which can hold the dental floss to use it in a proper way, they are -
Floss Wands
Floss Picks

These wands and picks are materials which have 2 prongs in an end from the handle which are in the shape of F and Y, and between the prongs, there is a floss attached. They help in holding the floss easily but are not efficient as the manual hand flossing is. Sometimes, the part underneath the gums where the plaque forms frequently, is not cleaned well when these wands and picks are used.

Watch this video as a tutorial for flossing your tooth in c-shaped manner -

How is a dental floss useful?

Dental floss is helpful in removal of food particles and the bacteria and oral flora which are responsible for some common oral conditions like Gum disease, dental caries from dental plaque, and halitosis or bad breath due to food accumulation. And it also helps in prevention from Gingivitis and Periodontal disease.

Some of these dental excavation instruments are the enamel chisels, gingival margin trimmers, and dental excavators like the enamel hatchet and spoon excavators.

Enamel hatchets:
Enamel Hatchets are dental hand instruments that are designed to cleave tooth enamel along the margins of the enamel rods. They are used in preparation of the cavity walls and the accessible margins of the dental cavity preparation. They are recognized by their numbers.

Dental hatchets:
The dental hatchets are used for widening the entrance of the tooth cavity. After the carious dentine is removed, this dental hand instrument is used to slice away the thin carious enamel.

Spoon Excavators:
Spoon excavators are extensively used in the removal of the tooth debris and decayed dentin from the tooth cavities. Usually, the paired instruments are used for the purpose of excavation of the tooth. These are also identified with numbers.

Spoon excavators are further categorized by their sizes. They are small, medium, and large spoon excavators.
1. The small spoon excavator has an approximate diameter of 1 mm. This instrument is chiefly used in smaller tooth cavities and for the cleaning the enamel or dentine junction. As this is a fragile instrument, a low force is used while excavating to prevent it from damage.
2. The diameter of the medium spoon excavator is about 1.5 mm. This is used chiefly for removing soft caries from larger cavities. Mixed restorative material can be pushed in the cavity using the rounded surface of this excavator.
3. The large spoon excavator is about 2 mm in diameter. This hand dental instrument is used for tooth excavating and restoration procedures, and to remove excessive glass-ionomer material.

The various other instruments used for the tooth excavation procedures are the mixing pad and spatula, mouth mirror, explorer, pair of tweezers, and applier and carver. A special sharpening stone, the ‘Arkansas’ stone, is used for sharpening the spoon excavator, hatchet and the carver.

The various types of burnishers based on the shape of their end parts are:

• Flat plastic burnisher
• Ball burnisher
• Beavertail burnisher
• Cone burnisher
• T-ball burnisher
• Rotary burnisher

Different types of burnishers have different specialized purposes, and are available in peculiar shapes, and sizes. For example, the rotary dental burnisher contains a shank portion that tapers down and connects to a fluted burnishing head. The rotary burnishing head are polished, rounded, and elongated, and has ridges on the surface. The T-ball burnisher has a T-shape at its one end, and one of the ends of the T-shape is shaped like a ball. The ball-end dental burnisher is usually used as a probe to find specific orodontal margins.

Burnishers are precision dental hand instruments and these delicate instruments need careful handling and maintenance to preserve their quality and promote longer life of the instrument. Dental burnishers are multipurpose precision hand instruments and are also used in the operative procedures of eye, ear, nose, and throat.

The dentist uses the dental probe to measure the periodontal sulcus’ depth. When a person has gingivitis, the periodontal probe shows higher depth because the gums are swollen and are enlarged due to the inflammation of the gum tissues. On probing, there is bleeding from the gums. When a person has periodontal disease, the periodontal gums give even higher readings, because along with the swelling of the gums, there is also a loss of surrounding bone material.

Bleeding on probing, also known as BOP, is a sure sign of an inflammation present, and indicates some pathology in the lining of the gingival sulcus. A periodontal chart, a sort of topographical mapping of the patient’s gum tissues, is created with the help of the periodontal probe and it can measure the extent of the disorder present in the tissues surrounding the teeth. This chart can also be used to note the progress made along the treatment. A probing with the help of the periodontal probe indicates the state of health of the periodontium.

In 1868, American dentist George F. Green innovated a pedal-powered drill that operated with the help of pneumatic bellows. In 1871, James B. Morrison innovated pedal-powered burr drill. Dr. Green patented the electric dental drill using the electromagnetic motor in the year 1871, which revolutionized dentistry. This was later modernized by replacing the electromagnetic motor with normal plug-in type electric-powered dental drill.

The dental drill usually uses small tungsten carbide or steel burs. The bur can also have a coating of diamond. The dental drill is carefully sterilized every time before any dental procedure. The dental drill is used to remove the decayed area of the tooth. Depending upon the affected area, the use of a dental drill, or an air abrasion device, or a laser ablation system can be used in the dental procedure.

Advanced robotic dental drills are being developed to assist the doctor and the patient to make the dental procedures more economical and less painful. In this procedure, a frame is used with very thin needles that are pierced in the gums to determine the location of the underlying bone. The findings are wirelessly transmitted to the personal computer. This data is combined with the CT scans, which then configures the guidelines for the specialized dental drilling procedure. The dentist then activates the drill to start drilling at precise spots that were predetermined by the computer.

During the process of dental anesthetization, different anesthetic agents are used to block the inferior alveolar nerve’s sensory transmission to the central nervous system. Topical anesthetics like Eugenol, benzocaine are applied to the oral tissues with a sterile swab to relieve buccal surfaces’ pain. Nitrous oxide, the anti-anxiety agent, relaxes the patient during the dental procedures. Anti-anxiety agents are used for moderate sedation purpose. Lidocaine, xylocaine, septocaine or marcaine, or any other suitable anesthetic agent, depending on the procedural requirement, induces local anesthesia. Deeper sedation or general anesthesia under ketamine or fentanyl may be required in certain dental cases.

The dentist uses specialized dental syringe containing a breech-loading syringe that has an anesthetic solution packed in a hermetically sealed cartridge. The syringe tip is detachable from the syringe body. This dental syringe containing the anesthesia is inserted towards the root apex of the tooth until the bone is contacted. The dental carpule contains the anesthetic agent of xylocaine with epinephrine. The dental syringe may also contain an additional tool to supply water or air to remove debris while conducting the dental procedure. A 3-way dental syringe is used which can supply pressurized air, water, and a mist of water and air through separate channels to assist the dental procedure.

The dental tweezers are available as:

• The college serrated type with stainless steel body, angled beak, and serrated handles,
• The college non-serrated type with stainless steel body and angled beak
• The locking type
• the plastic disposable type
• Various other specialized types and sizes.

The beak of the tweezers is a delicate structure, and the tweezers should be handled with care. These beaks can distort easily if they are used carelessly or incorrectly.
The tweezers are sterilized carefully and are used during any oral or dental procedures to avoid contamination of any tissue or specimen while handling. The pair of tweezers, or the college tweezers as they are popularly known, is used to transfer an item from one place to another.

For example, it is used for holding and transferring the cotton wool pellets, cotton wool rolls, wedges and articulation paper from the tray to the oral cavity and back. For example, this hand dental instrument is used to apply the dentine conditioner with the help of cotton wool pellets. To stop the bleeding, the pair of tweezers is used with the cotton wool pellets, which is pressed on the wound till the bleeding is stopped, or to place medicated cotton wool inside the cavity.