Dental Tools
What instrument is used to hold a patient's mouth open and retract the cheek during a procedure?
Cheek/mouth retractor
True or false: There are more bacteria in the human mouth than there are people on the Earth.
True
How many teeth are in the average adult mouth?
32 teeth
What is the recommended duration for brushing your teeth?
2 minutes
You can get a cavity under an existing filling.
Tooth! (True)
What handheld tool with a curved hook is used by dentists to scrape plaque and tartar off teeth?
Dental scaler (or explorer)
True or false: On average, 1 million teeth are lost at sporting events annually.
False, it is actually 3 million
What is the layer of the tooth located just beneath the enamel?
Dentin
How often should you replace your tooth brush?
Every 3-4 months
True or false: Sugar itself directly causes cavities
Fiction (false) — it's the acid produced by bacteria feeding on sugar that erodes enamel
What high-speed spinning tool does a dentist use to remove decay and shape a tooth before a filling?
Dental drill (handpiece)
True or false: 78% of Americans have had at least 1 cavity by the age of 17.
True
What is the soft tissue inside a tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels?
The pulp
About what percentage of your tooth is invisible, hidden below the gumline?
About two-thirds (the root)
True or false: Chewing sugar-free gum after meals can help protect teeth.
Tooth (true) — it stimulates saliva flow, which helps neutralize acid
What instrument is specifically designed to grip and remove a tooth during an extraction?
Dental forceps
No two people have identical what, making them as unique as fingerprints?
Teeth prints/bite patterns
What are the four types of teeth?
What are molars, premolars, incisors and canines.
What is the term for a tooth that fails to emerge through the gum, like many wisdom teeth?
Impacted tooth
True or False: The average person spends about 38 days brushing their teeth during their lifetime.
Tooth! (True) 🪥
What tool measures the depth of the pocket between a tooth and the gum to check for gum disease?
Periodontal probe
What percentage of your tooth enamel is made of minerals?
About 96%
What is the part of the tooth that anchors it into the jawbone?
The root
What is the most common chronic disease among children worldwide?
Tooth decay (dental caries)
True or false: Tooth decay can be passed from one person to another through saliva.
Tooth (True) — Cavity-causing bacteria can be transmitted through saliva.