Experts warn: Tooth restoration should not be a "face-saving project"

"Face-saving projects" are not desirable

In dental clinics, the vast majority of people who visit dentists pay great attention to "face projects", believing that "appearance" is the most important. If the front and back teeth are damaged or missing at the same time, the front teeth must be filled first, and the restoration materials are often the best; as for the back teeth, they are not easy to be seen anyway, so they can be processed later. Regarding this common misunderstanding among the general public, Feng Jianqiao, president of the Northeast Branch of the Contemporary Stomatological Association, director of the Heilongjiang Branch of the Stomatological Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Association, professor of the Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Master's Supervisor of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, clearly pointed out that compared with the front teeth, the back teeth are the foundation of human health and facial aesthetics. If the "missing" back teeth are reconstructed first, the beauty of the front teeth will be easier to achieve.

Professor Feng Jianqiao said that the front teeth include central incisors, lateral incisors, and single canines, with a total of 6 teeth on the left and right, and 12 teeth on the upper and lower parts; the back teeth include the first and second premolars, the first and second molars, and wisdom teeth, with a total of 16 to 20 teeth on the upper and lower parts. The front teeth are used to cut and tear food, and the back teeth are used to grind food. As the hardest organ in the human body, teeth not only have the functions of cutting, biting, and chewing, but also play the role of maintaining facial appearance and assisting pronunciation. A clean and healthy mouth of teeth is not only an external manifestation of personal health, but also adds luster to one's image. In the 1980s, the World Health Organization established the following five standards for dental health: clean teeth, no cavities, no pain, normal gum color, and no bleeding. Compared with these standards, less than 1% of the Chinese population meets the oral health standards.

At the same time, teeth also have a "lifespan". Once they age, or due to caries, periodontal disease or trauma, the gums will shrink, accelerating the wear and loss of teeth. Even if you brush your teeth every day and see a dentist regularly, sometimes you cannot avoid tooth decay or "losing teeth" due to other complex factors in your body. Feng Jianqiao said that every time he went to the dental clinic, he would encounter more than half of the patients who focused on the front teeth, believing that pronunciation and aesthetics were the most important things and should not affect "image building"; especially models, actors, teachers, salesmen, civil servants, white-collar workers, and retired cadres, who often asked dentists to give priority to their "face" and had a special liking for treatment projects such as front teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, and front teeth implants; but they turned a blind eye to the "unfinished projects" in the back teeth area, and delayed them as much as possible, and endured them again and again.

Treat both front and back teeth equally

Professor Feng pointed out that tooth restoration cannot be done "without considering the front and the back". Every tooth must be treated equally and seriously. As we all know, when eating, the front teeth (incisors) are like knives, which have the function of cutting and tearing food, while the back teeth (molars) are like millstones, which can chew and grind food. The importance of front teeth is well known, and the defect of molars not only affects chewing and is not conducive to human digestion and absorption, but also causes many problems in life and health. The first is that the integrity of the dentition is destroyed. When a tooth is missing and is not rebuilt for a long time, the adjacent teeth will lose support and restraint, and then gradually become tilted, and the bite function is in a disordered state.

The second is alveolar bone atrophy. After the posterior teeth "leave", the normal bite force no longer stimulates the alveolar bone physiologically, causing disuse atrophy of the alveolar bone, which brings great difficulties to the later denture restoration and maintaining the balance and stability of the oral and maxillofacial region. The third is food impaction. Normal teeth are arranged closely and orderly. After the adjacent teeth move, gaps are formed between the teeth, which makes it easy for food to fall in and get stuck in the gaps between teeth, causing bad breath, caries, periodontal disease, etc. The fourth is tooth loss. Because the teeth on both sides of the missing tooth cannot obtain the original supporting pressure, they begin to tilt crookedly in the gums and gradually loosen, eventually causing some teeth to leave their "positions" prematurely.

As a member of the molar family, wisdom teeth with special features should not be ignored. Professor Feng Jianqiao explained that wisdom teeth are also called "establishing teeth". They are the third molars on the alveolar bone in the mouth. They are exactly the eighth teeth from the central incisors. They usually erupt around the age of 16-25. At this time, people's physical and psychological development is close to maturity. It is a symbol of "the arrival of wisdom", so they are commonly called "wisdom teeth". With the continuous evolution of human beings, the jaws are getting smaller and smaller, and the living space of wisdom teeth is also being compressed.

At present, human wisdom teeth can be divided into the following four situations: first, there are no wisdom teeth at all and no correction is needed; second, although there are wisdom teeth, they are buried in the bones and have not grown out, and have no impact on other teeth and oral health, so they do not need to be extracted; third, there are wisdom teeth and they are in the right position and can be used normally without any treatment; the most unfortunate is the fourth situation, that is, the eighth tooth "rushes around" after it erupts, tilts inward, and occupies the position of normal teeth, causing problems such as tooth blockage, tooth decay, periodontitis, severe swelling and pain. At this time, the wisdom teeth must be pulled out without hesitation to avoid damaging the good teeth in front.

Love your teeth, get rid of bad habits

Professor Feng advises that teeth are non-renewable, and you should take care of your teeth like you take care of your eyes, and don't wait until you lose them to appreciate them. When you encounter toothache, bleeding teeth, tooth decay, gingivitis, and tooth allergies, you should see a doctor in time; if conditions permit, you need to go to a professional oral medical institution for a comprehensive examination regularly. Feng Jianqiao especially emphasized that parents with babies must know that children's newly erupted young permanent teeth have deep pits and fissures. These parts are very easy to accumulate bacteria, difficult to clean, and easy to induce dental caries. The most important prevention method is pit and fissure sealing, that is, applying a layer of fluoride-containing resin to the deep pits and fissures of permanent teeth, which can block bacterial erosion from the source and effectively prevent dental caries. For adults, regular teeth cleaning (scaling) can remove tartar and plaque from the back teeth and prevent oral diseases such as periodontitis. It can be regarded as the best way to clean and care for teeth.

At the same time, Professor Feng Jianqiao also warned: In order to keep your teeth "long-lasting and stable" and to "build a solid foundation" for your health, the following inconspicuous bad habits must be abandoned - Do not use your teeth as tools. For many young people, biting open a beer bottle with teeth is a very handsome and cool thing; others use their teeth as scissors or pliers, the consequence of which greatly increases the probability of tooth breakage and root damage.

Don’t brush your teeth right after eating acidic food. People often hear the advice of “brush your teeth after a meal”. However, if you brush your teeth right after eating fruit or drinking acidic foods such as juice, beverages, and wine, the enamel in your mouth is easily damaged, which makes your teeth sensitive and increases the risk of cracked teeth and yellowing teeth. Professor Feng recommends brushing your teeth gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush one or two hours after eating.

It is not advisable to pick your teeth with a toothpick after a meal. It is not advisable to pick food residues with a toothpick after a meal. Picking your teeth will cause the soft gums to shrink continuously, exposing the tooth neck and even the tooth root, thus making the teeth sensitive and suffering from caries, periodontitis, etc. If you want to keep your mouth clean, it is recommended to rinse your mouth after a meal and pick your teeth with dental floss.

It is not recommended to eat hot and cold food and drink cold and hot drinks, which is a hobby of many young people. Feng Jianqiao explained that too hot food can easily cause the enamel to expand. If you drink cold drinks at this time, the enamel will suddenly shrink and crack when it is cold. Over time, dental diseases such as caries will come uninvited.

Don't brush your teeth vigorously. In clinics, we often see many people who use a simple and rough method to brush their teeth in order to whiten their teeth. They think that they can achieve deep cleaning, but who would have thought that the effect is counterproductive. Professor Feng explained that brushing too hard will aggravate the wear of the enamel on the surface of the teeth, accelerate tooth allergy and expose the pulp. You should adopt the Bass brushing method (also called gingival sulcus cleaning method or horizontal vibration method) to avoid brushing vigorously in a sawing style.

Professor Feng Jianqiao also reminded that teeth are the hardest bone tissue in the human body. Unlike other bones, they can be reconnected and regenerated. If they are split, they cannot be restored. If they fall off, they cannot be "lost and found again." In addition to seeing a doctor, you should also take good care of your physical and mental health in your daily life, mainly including the following points: First, mentally, you should have a calm mind and learn to cultivate your body and mind; second, physically, you should pay attention to keeping warm, especially protecting your waist, abdomen, legs and feet. Third, from the perspective of dietary health care, avoid salty, hard, raw and cold foods, and eat more black foods such as black rice, black beans, black sesame seeds, etc., to nourish the kidney qi and strengthen the body and teeth.

Another thing to note is to regularly do effective physical exercises and find a way to maintain your health that suits you. Such as clenching teeth, five animal exercises, six-character formula, eight-section brocade, nine dragon-controlling styles, etc. Simple health strategies are suitable for all ages, especially for integrating into the regular work and rest of the middle-aged and elderly. (Yi Xiaofeng)

Attached is a brief introduction of Professor Feng Jianqiao

Chief physician, professor, master's supervisor. Graduated from the Department of Stomatology of Harbin Medical University in 1988, and has been working in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University for more than 30 years.

He has rich experience in theoretical and clinical teaching for undergraduate and master students, and has trained thousands of students so far.

He has rich clinical experience and attainments in CAD/CAM all-ceramic personalized high-end cosmetic restorations, full-mouth occlusal reconstruction combining modern precision technology such as implants, telescopic crowns, precision attachments, strong adsorption dentures (modified BPS dentures), and modern bonding technology for repairing dentition defects. He was the first in the province to develop digital integrated rapid denture production technology and is an advocate and leader in the practice of digital dentistry in Heilongjiang Province.

He is currently the president of the Northeast Branch of the Contemporary International Stomatological Association, a director of the Heilongjiang Stomatological Committee of the Chinese Medical Association, an expert of the Heilongjiang Provincial Medical Appraisal Committee, an expert in standardized training of oral professional skills at Harbin Medical University, and vice chairman of the Harbin Medical Association. He also serves as a consultant to many professional oral medical institutions.

As the first author or instructor, he has published dozens of papers in provincial and above core journals, and is currently in charge of 7 national and provincial education and scientific research projects. His research focuses on new technologies for oral restoration, new material development, 3D printing technology applications, digital navigation implant technology, etc.