Air abrasion is one of the most innovative technologies in dentistry. Instead of using a dental drill to remove decay, dentists are using gentle, sound-free air abrasion techniques.

Ever wonder how your teeth stay put? It's because of the alveolar bone. The alveolar bone provides an anchor for teeth to attach to our upper and lower jaws.

The CDC and ADA have specific sterilization requirements for dentists. An autoclave sterilizer is the device used by dentists to keep their dental instruments squeaky clean.

About 30 percent of orthodontics cases are caused by a premature loss of. How you care for your child's baby teeth early on will affect their smile in the future.

Bitewing X-rays are an essential part of your dental care. Dentists use bitewing X-rays to detect tooth decay, gum disease, dental tartar and even bone loss in the areas between your teeth.

You've heard that calcium is good for your teeth and bones, but it can help prevent gum disease, too. So how much calcium do you actually need? Read more to find out.

Cementum is a hard layer of tissue that helps the periodontal ligament attach firmly to a tooth. Made of cementoblasts, cementum slowly forms over a lifetime.

These days, there's a computer behind everything. CEREC is a computerized dental tool that allows dentists to place ceramic dental crowns, dental fillings and dental veneers in just one visit.

The cosmetic dentist is our modern-day beauty guru. Skilled in treatments like porcelain dental veneers and teeth whitening, a cosmetic dentist can completely transform your smile.

Cuspid teeth are instantly recognizable: They're the pointy ones that look like fangs. In addition to tearing food, cuspid teeth help ensure that our bites align properly.

You've probably seen the initials "DDS" after a dentist's name. It stands for "Doctor of Dental Surgery" and means that your dentist has completed dental school.

You can call your infant's teeth baby teeth or deciduous teeth. If you can't decide, there's no need to make up your mind yet: deciduous teeth don't start falling out until the age of 6.

Many dental patients make special requests for a particular dental hygienist. Trained in teeth cleanings, X-rays and more, a dental hygienist is an integral part of your dental care team.

Sometimes 20/20 vision just isn't enough for oral surgery. That's why dentists use dental microsurgery, which involves the use of a microscope and fiber optic lights.

Dentists who have received extra training in a particular area of dentistry are called dental specialists. The ADA only recognizes seven types of dental specialists.

One of the best things about a dental cleaning is the spray of cold water that you get to rinse your mouth. Dental unit waterlines are the technology behind the spray.

Dentyne gum probably took its name from dentin, the bone-like substance that teeth are made of. Unlike tooth enamel, which is white in color, dentin is yellow.

When it comes to finding cavities on the surfaces of our teeth, the human eye is just no match for DIAGNOdent®, a laser cavity detection device.

Digital radiography, or digital X-rays are more comfortable and emit less radiation than traditional X-rays. And with digital X-rays, you and your dentist can see the results in minutes!

Digital tomography is a type of X-ray that takes 3-D images of your teeth. With digital tomography, up to 10 times less radiation is emitted than traditional X-rays.

An endodontist specializes in treating the inner tooth -- the pulp. This "captain of the root canal" is also trained to diagnose and treat facial trauma and pain.

Want more precise, more natural-looking dental implants? With the GALILEOS 3-D imaging system, you can have just that. GALILEOS takes high-quality images with less radiation.

Where better to learn about dental treatments than right in your dentist's office? Many dentists now use an interactive patient education system so you can do just that.

An intraoral camera is a video camera in a pen -- it sounds like a James Bond tool, but many dentists are now using it to detect tooth decay and cracked teeth.

Molars are our largest teeth and we have plenty of them! Used for chewing, molars are good at trapping food in their crevices; extra special care of them is required.

Surgeries of the mouth, teeth jaw or face are performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are considered the link between the medical and dental fields.

Bad bites are the domain of the orthodontist. If you have an underbite, overbite, crossbite or crooked teeth, an orthodontist can straighten your smile out.

Ever heard of a full-mouth X-ray? That's the generic name for a Panorex X-ray. Panorex X-rays produce panoramic images of your teeth.

Children have special dental needs, and not just when it comes to treatment. A pediatric dentist is specially trained to provide the care -- and caring -- that a child needs.

More commonly known as a pediatric dentist, a pedodontist is a dental specialist who provides dental care for children from birth through adolescence.

A periodontist primarily sticks to treating gum disease and bone tissue problems. However, many periodontists perform treatments that enhance a patient's smile.

Those two little teeth that make a baby's smile so precious are called primary teeth. As cute as they are, primary teeth do require special dental care.

Dental tools such as the Prophy-Jet make polishing your teeth easier for your dentist or dental hygienist. Unlike other polishing tools, the high-tech Prophy-Jet is powered by air.

Restoring smiles with false teeth is a specialty of prosthodontists, but they can also treat TMJ and sleep apnea and perform full-mouth reconstructions.

Pulp chambers are like a tooth's control center. Filled with tissue, blood vessels and nerves, pulp chambers send signals of pain discomfort and sensitivity.

If you have dental anxiety, consider choosing a sedation dentist. Sedation dentists receive special training and certification in a variety of sedation dentistry therapies.

Anxious dental patients will be thrilled to hear that the Waterlase dental tool is so gentle and quiet that they've nothing to fear about dental visits!

Our wisdom teeth once served a good purpose; today, they do little more than cause inconvenience. So what's the smart thing to do about wisdom teeth?