Author
Seo Jae-eun
Reporter
Writes about what dental care costs and what insurance covers. Why the same treatment comes to a different number, and how far the coverage goes. Hopes it helps the people who worry about the bill before anything else.
Articles written 35
My Front Tooth Still Hurts After a Fall, but It Looks Fine. Do I Still Need a Checkup?
Explains why a front tooth that still hurts after a fall or blow needs an exam and follow-up even when it looks intact, covering periodontal ligament injury and the limits of electric pulp testing.
3 min read
My Jaw Hurts and I Can't Open My Mouth Wide: Can a Splint Help?
How much a splint (occlusal stabilization appliance) can help with jaw joint pain and limited mouth opening depends on the underlying cause. This article explains why the condition of the articular disc must be assessed first, and what appliance therapy can and cannot achieve.
5 min read
A Hydrogel Inspired by Hagfish Slime Takes Aim at Root Caries
Caries that form on tooth roots have rough, always-wet surfaces that make it hard for materials to stay attached. Inspired by the slime hagfish release when threatened, researchers have developed a hydrogel that hardens into a gel on contact with water. We look at how it kills bacteria and replenishes minerals, along with the limitation that it remains a lab-stage material.
3 min read
Does a Resin Filling for a Gap Between Front Teeth Come Off Easily?
Explains that closing a gap between front teeth (diastema) with composite resin is a restoration bonded onto the tooth without cutting it down, and that the size of the bonded surface and the occlusal force applied to that area determine how long it lasts.
4 min read
Resin Infiltration Treatment Gets a New Way to Time Itself: Watching Inside the Cavity with OCT
Resin infiltration treats early enamel caries before a cavity forms, filling the microscopic voids inside enamel with resin. A new technique uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure etching and infiltration depth in real time, tailoring treatment duration to each lesion instead of using one fixed protocol. In shallow lesions this cut secondary caries further; in deep lesions results matched the conventional method.
3 min read
What Should You Watch Out for After Composite Resin Repair of a Broken Front Tooth?
After a broken front tooth is repaired with composite resin, it can last for years only if you avoid habits that concentrate force on one point and get the pulp checked regularly, since this tooth has already been through trauma.
4 min read
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou University Detect TMJ Motion Abnormalities With Ear Sensor
A joint research team from the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Lanzhou University has developed an earplug-shaped sensor that detects abnormal temporomandibular joint (TMJ) motion. By measuring deformation of the ear canal wall and analyzing the collected signals, a preliminary classification showed 91.7% accuracy. This figure does not represent confirmed diagnostic accuracy in real clinical settings.
3 min read
When Hot Food Makes a Tooth Hurt
An overview of common causes behind a tooth throbbing from hot food or drink, plus how to check it yourself and the warning signs that call for a dentist visit.
3 min read
PRF vs. Emdogain: Periodontal Indicators Stay Improved at 3 and 5 Years
This article examines periodontal regenerative surgery research comparing PRF, made from a patient's own blood, with Emdogain, an enamel matrix derivative gel. Clinical indicator improvements were maintained at 3- and 5-year follow-up, but a lack of difference in small studies is not enough to confirm that the two materials are equally effective.
4 min read
Does Morning Jaw Stiffness Suggest Bruxism or Clenching?
Morning stiffness in the jaw or temples can be a sign worth suspecting bruxism or clenching, but it's difficult to confirm from symptoms alone. This explains why dentists ask about sleep and daytime habits and evaluate the jaw joint and masticatory muscles together.
3 min read
White Spot Lesions: Self-Assembling Peptides Rebuild Teeth from the Inside
Clinical trials are testing self-assembling peptide (P11-4) as an alternative to fluoride for remineralizing early caries such as white spot lesions that appear after orthodontic treatment. It outperforms fluoride at filling the lesion from within, but results on visible surface improvement have been mixed across studies.
3 min read
Can a Permanent Tooth Keep Part of Its Pulp Instead of Removing the Nerve Entirely?
Pulpotomy (removing only the coronal pulp while preserving the radicular pulp) can also be applied to permanent teeth. This article explains the criteria for choosing this treatment and what to check afterward.
4 min read
3D-Printed Dentures Are Weaker and Collect More Bacteria Than Milled Dentures
Recent studies comparing milled dentures, carved from resin blocks, with 3D-printed dentures, built up layer by layer, show that milling comes out ahead in strength, surface quality, and resistance to bacterial adhesion. Even so, we look at why 3D printing is rapidly gaining ground.
4 min read
Can Rinsing With Mouthwash After Snacks Replace Brushing?
Rinsing and brushing serve different roles. This article looks at plaque removal, the supplementary effect of fluoride, and snack frequency to explain what's needed to prevent cavities.
2 min read
Clear Aligners: Do Teeth Move as Planned?
There's often a gap between the computer treatment plan your dentist shows you and how much your teeth actually move. We round up recent studies on which tooth movements tend to go as planned and which fall short.
3 min read