Dentists provide services including cleanings, dental implants and cosmetic treatments. In order to administer these services, dentists and their hygienists use different types of dental supplies. These supplies vary from small instruments to sophisticated lasers.
Some of the dental supplies that a dentist uses are for the purpose of performing cleanings. These supplies would include numbing gels for people with sensitive teeth, a dental scaler used to remove plaque and a tooth polisher to clean the teeth. During the cleaning, the dental hygienist would also rinse the patient’s mouth with a jet of water.
If a patient has not had recent x-rays, the hygienist would use an x-ray machine to take pictures of the teeth and jawbones. Before taking the x-rays, the person would have to put on an x-ray apron, which prevents him or her from getting harmful radiation from the machine. Other supplies used for x-rays would include x-ray film and developing tanks for the films.
For minor dental work such as fillings and crowns, dentists use anesthetic and needles to numb the mouth prior to the procedure. Instead of needles, some patients prefer nitrous oxide, which is a gas dentists use to sedate a person. Other dental supplies the dentist would have are dental picks and drills to remove the decay from the tooth. The dentist would also use material containing resin, silver-amalgam or gold to make the fillings. Individuals getting a crown would have a crown overlay put on the tooth.
Dentists keep supplies to make impressions of the teeth in order to fit a person for crowns and bridges. The dentist or the hygienist uses dental molding clay and the patient bites into the clay to make an impression of the teeth. The impression is made to ensure sure the teeth align correctly and the person has a proper bite.
There are also dental supplies used when dentists put in dental implants. Dental implants replace missing teeth or close a wide gap in between teeth that have shifted. During the first procedure, the dentist uses a titanium post to act as an anchor in the jawbone. During the second procedure, the dentist opens the jaw back and places a metal collar on the anchor to connect it to the tooth. Once the jaw has healed, the dentist will take a small pair of pliers and screw the implant on the titanium post.
In addition to dental supplies used for basic services and minor surgery, some dentists offer cosmetic services such as professional teeth whitening. For patients who want to use whitening trays, dentist supplies include custom-designed mouth guards and dental bleach. The dentist uses a mouth impression to fit the mouth guard to the teeth. Other whitening supplies consist of a high-tech professional laser that is used in conjunction with bleaching gel on the teeth.