Irregular Teeth Cause

Hereditary factor:

Mismatch in the sizes of upper and lower jaws "Projected upper teeth" results if the upper jaw is much longer than the lower jaw. "Reversed bite" results if the upper jaw is smaller than the lower jaw. Abnormal number of teeth Normally one should have 28 permanent teeth (excluding the third molars). If the number of teeth is more than that, the jaw may not have enough space for all the teeth to align properly. If there are too few teeth, there may be spaces between the teeth and the teeth may look irregular. Mismatch in the tooth and the jaw sizes If the tooth size is too big, the jaw size is too small, the jaw may not have enough space for all the teeth to align. If the tooth size is too small or the jaw size is too large, there will be spaces between the teeth and the teeth will look irregular.

Reference information: , www.toothclub.gov.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your Dentist for diagnosis and treatment.

Oral Trauma

Oral structure or teeth may be damaged due to an accident. There might be slightly loose, dislocated, fractured, or even avulsed (the entire tooth knocked off). Injury of oral tissues or oral structures such as lips, gingivae, oral mucosa, alveolar bone, or even upper or lower jawbones may be resulted. 

There might not be any apparent damage to the teeth. Bleeding can be stopped by pressing on the injured area and a dentist should be consulted immediately.

What is/are the treatments for tooth trauma?

A.Smoothen the fractured portion and apply topical fluoride on the tooth surface

B.Fill the tooth

C.Artificial Crown

The dentist will remove the decayed, fill the cavity, and cover the tooth with an artificial crown.

D.Endodontic file.

The Dental specialist, endodonist will remove the nerve and infected pulp, the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. In most cases, the tooth’s natural crown will need to be replaced with an artificial crown.

Reference information: , www.toothclub.gov.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your Dentist for diagnosis and treatment.

Regular Dental check-up

Parents always think that their babies' primary teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth so they need not have regular Dental check-ups. In fact, parents should take their babies to the dentist for the first Dental check-up within 6 months after the first tooth appears. Subsequently, they should go for regular check-ups every 6 to 12 months. The reasons are:

• Dentists can monitor your child's oral health by his yearly Dental records.
• Dentist can give parents oral care advices according to your child's condition in order to enable your child develop good oral care habits at an early age.
• A child might have already established a bad dietary and oral care habit, or even have been suffering from Dental diseases if he does not have regular Dental check-ups until all primary teeth have erupted.
• Early Dental check-up makes it easier for the dentist to examine your child's teeth in the future as a good rapport has already been established between your child and the dentist.

If the first tooth does not come through within 16 to 18 months after birth, parents should take their child to a dentist for an oral examination.

Preparing for your child's first oral check-up:

• Tell your child that the dentist will take care of his/her teeth.

Describe to your child the surroundings of a Dental clinic and jobs of a dentist. Play oral check-up role-play games with him/her

Reference information: , www.toothclub.gov.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your Dentist for diagnosis and treatment.

Tooth transition

When children enter the tooth transition period, their deciduous teeth will loosen due to the resorption of the roots and will sequentially fall off. The permanent teeth will gradually erupt into the space left by the deciduous teeth. Tooth transition period starts approximately at the age of 6, and ends at around the age of 12 or 13.

 The alignment and eruption time of permanent teeth  

There are altogether 32 permanent teeth. Since dentine is usually slightly yellowish, and the enamel in permanent teeth is more transparent than that of deciduous teeth, the colour of permanent teeth is more yellowish than deciduous teeth. As the thickness of dentine grows as a person ages, the teeth will also become more yellowish.

Eruption Time of Permanent Teeth

Permanent Teeth	Eruption Time
Central Incisor	6 to 8 years
Lateral Incisor	61/2 to 9 years
Canine	81/2 to 121/2 years
First Premolar	8 to 12 years
Second Premolar	81/2 to 13 years
First Molar	5 to 7 years
Second Molar	10 to 14 years
Third Molar (Wisdom tooth)	17 to 25 years

Reference information: , www.toothclub.gov.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your Dentist for diagnosis and treatment.

Prevention and treatment

1. Avoid eating strong flavoured food to prevent bad breath. If you have just had strong flavoured food, you can try：

Brush your teeth with toothpaste Use chewing gum Rinse with mouthwash Use breath freshener

2. Visit a dentist for regular Dental check-up
To ensure whether the bad breath is caused by oral diseases such as periodontal disease or Dental caries, or whether it is caused by insufficient saliva production; so that appropriate treatment can be given.

3. Pay attention to your regular oral hygiene practices to prevent oral problems

Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste every morning and before bed at night and floss your teeth daily. Reduce the frequency of taking food or drinks Keep the denture clean by thoroughly cleaning them every night and soaking it in a glass of water overnight.

4. Quit smoking
If you don't have any oral problem, nor have you eaten anything with a strong flavour, your bad breath may be caused by other medical problems. In that case, you should see a physician to find out the cause and receive appropriate treatment.

Reference information: , www.toothclub.gov.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your Dentist for diagnosis and treatment.