揭祕牙齒中的VIP 5類牙齒需重點保護
Some of our 32 adult teeth are more vulnerable to decay and damage than others. Here, London dentist Dr Charles Ferber reveals where the dangers lie.
你知道嗎?在成人的32顆恆牙中,有的牙齒要更容易遭受損傷和腐蝕,想要有一口漂亮又健康的牙齒,除了日常的清潔護理之外,還應對這一類“VIP牙”進行重點保護。
INCISORS
門牙
Incisors are the eight teeth at the front of your mouth — four at the top, four at the bottom.
門牙是分佈於口腔下顎前方的八顆牙齒,四顆在上,四顆在下。
PROBLEMS: The central incisors are most vulnerable, but those in the lower jaw are particularly affected by teeth grinding, which 8 per cent of us do unconsciously.
問題:位於中央位置的門牙是非常容易受到腐蝕的,而下顎的門牙則直接則特別容易遭受磨損。
Your lower central incisors are more -yellow because the enamel is thinner, revealing the yellowish tissue (dentine) that gives teeth their strength.
下門牙很容易呈現出黃色,這是因爲琺琅質較薄而露出了黃色的組織,也就是牙本質的“真面目”,而這樣以外便使得下門牙異常的堅硬。
The inside of these incisors is also particularly prone to tartar because there are -salivary glands here. Minerals in saliva combine with plaque to form hardened tartar. A build-up of tartar can cause -irritation that gradually makes the gum and jawbone shrink.
但因爲唾液腺位置的緣故,門牙上也非常容易有牙垢的出現。唾液中的礦物質在結合之後,會形成硬化的斑塊牙垢,而當牙垢積累到一定的程度之後,可能會引起牙齦與顎骨的萎縮。
CANINES
犬牙
These are the strongest teeth; their pointed shape makes them useful for shredding, cutting and tearing food. There are four: two on the top, two on the -bottom, on the side of the lateral incisors.
犬牙是最堅固的牙齒,錐形的構造讓磨牙在碾碎、切斷和撕裂食物方面“得心應手”,四顆犬牙上下平均分佈,位於門牙的左右兩邊。
PROBLEMS: These contain more dentine to make them stronger so they are difficult to whiten.
問題:因爲富含牙本質,所以犬牙也非常的堅固,但卻也非常難以達到潔白光亮的效果。
PREMOLARS
前臼齒
Adults have eight premolar teeth, two next to each canine tooth in the upper and lower jaw. Their job is to chew and grind up food.
成人長有八顆前臼齒,分別位於上下顎犬齒後端,他們主要負責咀嚼與研磨食物的工作。
PROBLEMS: Premolars are more vulnerable to gum abrasions, caused by brushing teeth too harshly. This can lead to inflammation and, in the long term, gum -disease (causing teeth to fall out).
問題:錯誤的刷牙方式常常會致使前臼齒的牙齦“受傷”,久而久之,則會引起牙齦疾病(從而發生脫落的現象)。
MOLARS
臼齒
The molars are the largest teeth in the mouth and are also very strong — there are four at the top and four at the bottom.
臼齒是口腔內較大的牙齒,同樣十分堅韌,分佈於左右頰部後端,上下各四顆。
PROBLEMS: These are the most likely to need fillings because they are harder to reach when brushing; it’s a -problem for upper molars because salivary ducts in the cheek next to them produce saliva and this causes plaque to harden.
問題:位置靠內而難以清潔,所以臼齒是最需“補牙”的牙齒。而上臼齒十分接近臉頰兩側的唾液腺,因爲十分容易導致牙菌斑的產生。
WISDOM TEETH
智齒
The largest teeth. Some people never develop them, others have up to four, one in each corner.
智齒是所有牙齒當中體積最佳的一種,有的人一輩子都不會長出智齒,而有的人則會在牙槽骨上最裏面的上下左右各冒出一顆。
PROBLEMS: Sometimes wisdom teeth don’t erupt through the gums properly and a gum flap extends over the crown. Bacteria get stuck underneath this flap, making the area inflamed.
智齒常常不會“規矩”的順着牙齦長出,而是在牙冠的一側冒出一瓣牙齦。而“躲藏”在牙肉空隙之內細菌往往會造成這一區塊出現紅腫的現象。