The FDI World Dental Federation notation is widely used by dentists internationally to associate information to a specific tooth. Developed by the Fédération Dentaire Internationale (FDI), it is also known as ISO-3950 notation. The FDI system uses a two-digit numbering system in which the first number represents a tooth’s quadrant and the second number represents the number of the tooth from the midline of the face. For permanent teeth, the upper right teeth begin with the number, “1″. The upper left teeth begin with the number, “2″. The lower left teeth begin with the number, “3″. The lower right teeth begin with the number, “4″. For primary teeth, the sequence of numbers goes 5, 6, 7, and 8 for the teeth in the upper left, upper right, lower right, and lower left respectively. Click here to see the diagram.

– Endosteal impants refer to impants that are set IN the bone. Endosteal is the more common procedure used in dental implant operations. This is where the screw and the implant itself is put directly into the bone, for it to combine.

- Subperiosteal implants, on the other hand, are implants placed ON the bone, and is the dental implant procedure that is done less frequently. Unlike endosteal implants which are drilled into the bone itself, Subperiosteal implants are placed on the top of the jaw.

Dental and gum diseases should never be neglected as they may worsen if not treated immediately. Meet your dentist ASAP when you get these symptoms

• When you have red, tender or swollen gums
• When your gums bleed when you are regularly brushing and flossing
• When your gums are pulling away from your teeth, which may make your teeth seem longer
• When you detect pus around your teeth and gums especially when you press on the gums
• When you can taste a foul taste in your mouth
• When you have unstable or loose teeth
• When you feel changes in the way your top and bottom teeth touch
• When you feel changes of your dentures
• When you are hyper sensitive to hot and cold

Aside from being visually pleasing, dental veneers also serves a functional purpose by protecting the surface of a damaged tooth. Sometimes veneers can replace the need for a dental crown, thus eliminating the need for more invasive tooth preparation.

And because dental veneers are so thin, they might require little or-no tooth reshaping when bonded onto the tooth. Once veneers are bonded into place, they are relatively strong and durable; however, extra care must be taken so that the veneers wont be abused because the thin porcelain shells can either damage or break when pushed into tough situations. Dentists may advise against certain uses or dietary tendencies and may recommend you wear a protective appliance while your sleep especially if you grit your teeth during sleep.

The mouth is separated into quadrants, and numbers 1 to 8 and a special symbol are used to differentiate the teeth in each quadrant. Numbering then starts from the center of the mouth to the back and the numbers are placed inside an L-shaped symbol which identifies each individual quadrant.

Numbering starts at the tooth farthest back on the right side of the mouth in the upper (maxillary) jaw and proceeds along the upper teeth toward the front, across to the tooth farthest back on the top left side, down to the lower (mandibular) jaw and to the tooth farthest back on the left side of the mouth on the bottom. Then, it continues toward the front and across to the tooth farthest back on the bottom right side of the mouth.

The adult has a set of 32 permanent teeth. At age 6, eruption of permanent teeth begins and all primary teeth will start to loosen and come out until age 12. 28 out of the 32 permanent teeth will be seen at 13 while the 4 last permanent teeth, which are called wisdom teeth, will become visible between 17-21 years.

The Palmer Notation Method for Children assigns uppercase letters, instead of numbers, for the child’s 20 primary teeth. Using the same order of numbering adult’s teeth, letters “A” to “E” mark the 20 primary teeth in each quadrant. Also, the same symbol is applied to distinguish the quadrants from each other.