The Soft Tissues of the Tooth

 

Now that we have covered the hard, mineralized portions of the tooth, lets move on to the soft tissues associated with  your teeth. If you read the previous section you have already been introduced to all three of them - the pulp, the gingiva, and the periodontal ligament as shown in the diagram below.

Once we are finished with this section, we can move on to discussing the actual diseases and conditions that can affect your teeth and supporting tissues. You will then see how this all "comes together" in an understandable way, how you will now be able to read your own radiographs with your dentist, how you will be better able to interpret your own clinical symptoms and signs and decide on the best course of treatment, and evaluate the quality of care you have been receiving.

The last part of that sentence is what inspires me the most, when I am teaching my patients - I never shy away from discussing what is properly called the "Standard of Care." These are the standards that I am held to when I perform dentistry, and the standards which you, as a patient, deserve each time any treatment is performed.

 

 

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