Dentist Jefferson City


Important Qualities Required For Dental Assistants

Detail Oriented:

Dentist Jefferson City describes A dental assistant’s work requires them to follow certain protocols and rules like procedures to be followed in order to control infections especially when they are helping the dentist treating patients. They need to be aware of what they need to do and follow it to the last detail as this is very key in dentistry, sterilization of work instruments and equipment.


This is the skill of performing tasks with the hands specifically. Dental assistants are required to be very good especially at working using their hands. Their work deals with them to make sure that they use the precise instruments and tools which they are required to.

Interpersonal Skills:

Dental assistants work one on one thus very closely with the patients that both call the dental clinic or simply walk in to seek help. They also work closely with the dentists whom they offer assistance to. At times, patients come into the dental facility when they are excruciating pain thus are very edgy and at times are very loud and hard to handle. Other cases may have patients coming in when they are in extreme mental stress thus also very hard for them to talk to and may be very irritable. It is thus very important for the dental assistant to be sensitive to the emotions of such patients and handle them much slower and not react to any kind of anger from them as it may be due to the pain that are in so they instead need to aim at making them feel much better as soon as possible.

Listening Skills:

At all times, the dental assistants relate personally with the patients so they should be able to be keen listeners so that they can understand the patients’ need much more clearly. Dental assistants are required to be able to listen very clearly to all the patients and also to other fellow workers and the dentist too which will make things work much more easier. They need to be able to follow all the directions that they are given by the dentist or by the dental hygienist. This will make them much more efficient in doing their works such as in taking the x-rays as they are required.

Good Organizational Skills:

The dental assistants are required to have exceptional organizational skills. This is simply because the dental assistants are the ones who prepare the dentists’ room before any dental procedure such as surgery or any other like tooth removal or fillings. The dental assistant needs to arrange all the correct tools which are required by a dental hygienist or a dentist to use when treating a patient.

Center For Modern Dentistry

ORAL HYGIENE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN at Center For Modern Dentistry

Maintenance of optimum oral hygiene during pregnancy is very crucial because of the changes that occur which could affect gums and teeth during the period.


There are two major things bound to happen during the pregnancy period calling for oral hygiene.

  • Hormonal changes

Additional progesterone amounts lead to stronger reactions due the normal level of plague leading to the development of red and puffy gums during pregnancy. Women with extremely sensitive gums are advised to try a specialty interdental cleaning tool or a soft loss that slides between the teeth with ease and without causing any discomfort.

  • Frequent eating

Pregnant women are most likely to consume foods and fluids frequently through the day. With the increased consumption, comes a greater exposure to cavities hence a regular flossing routine and proper tooth brushing is recommended.



  • Tooth mobility.

This occurs due to the temporary loosening of the ligaments and bones that support the teeth. However it is important to note that unless there are any other complications present, it is unlikely that tooth loss could occur.

This is an inflammatory response in which plague sticks to the teeth and releases bacterial toxins that cause infection to the gum and mostly results as an effect of untreated gingivitis. Periodontitis can lead to bacteraemia.

  • Pregnancy gingivitis.

It is an increased inflammatory response to dental plague which causes tooth gingivae to both swell and bleed easily in pregnant women.

In order to help with the irritation, rinsing with warm salt water is advised.

  • Tooth erosion

This is most common due to the increased exposure to gastric acid as a result of morning sickness, gastric reflux and hyperemesis gravidarum. These acids are able to erode the tooth enamel. In order to neutralize the respective acids; pregnant women are advised to rinse their teeth with a solution made of baking soda.

  • Benign oral lesions

They could occur due to increased inflammatory response to pathogens commonly regress after pregnancy.

Excision is hardly ever necessary unless there is bleeding, severe pain or mastication interference.

  • Dental caries

This occurs due to increased acidity in the mouth following a high intake of sugary foods and beverages associated with pregnancy cravings especially if accompanied with decreased oral health care maintenance.



In addition to sound brushing of the teeth and flossing, pregnant women can observe good oral hygiene by consuming proper nutrition. They should be able to eat healthy foods with a high intake of minerals such as calcium and phosphorous, vitamins A, D and C together with proteins.





Infant oral hygiene should be maintained from the very beginning despite the fact most of them begin growing teeth after six months of age. An infant’s gums should be regularly cleaned right after birth similarly to other body parts.

A visit should be made to the dentist prior to the infant’s first birthday for effective cleaning of the teeth and gums.


  • Prolonged use of pacifiers.

Sucking of pacifiers is recommended especially because it helps bring comfort to a baby even after breast sucking .During the initial few years problems are highly unlikely to occur from this however prolonged use of pacifiers could cause problems especially if continued even after the baby teeth begin falling out.

  • Teething

This is the eruption of baby teeth into the mouth. Usually occurs between three and nine months. It begins with the eruption of lower jaw incisors, which is later followed by other incisors on jaws then canines and finally the premolars. This eruption could make an infant irritable, restless, cause drooling and even leads to loss of appetite.

Teething does not cause any mouth problems.

  • Baby bottle decay.

Baby bottle decay also referred to as early childhood dental caries, is crucial in infant oral hygiene. It can be caused by regular exposure to sugary liquids such as fruit juices, milk and formula. The liquids that are sugary from these drinks accumulate around the baby teeth for prolonged time periods as the baby sleeps and this could lead to cavities on both the upper and lower front teeth and affect an infant’s overall oral health. Once the parents are able to identify what causes baby bottle decay then they should take up initiative to prevent its occurrence.


In order to prevent baby bottle decay, there should be a reduced intake of foods and beverages. One should also ensure that the baby does not sleep with a bottle in their mouth. There should also be no nursing while the baby snoozes.

However, in case the infant needs something to suck on while falling asleep, a pacifier or a bottle filled with water is encouraged.



In order to observe an infant’s oral hygiene their mouths should be cleaned regularly.

One should lay the infant on the lap such that the head is close to the chest to enable ease of viewing. Gums and teeth can then be cleaned by rubbing a clean damp wash cloth along the infant’s gums.