People first began wearing braces on their teeth around 1,000 B.C., reports the American Association of Orthodontists. The association says braces can help boost self-esteem by perfecting your smile, and can also help correct poor tooth and jaw...
Age, stress and accidents can lead to missing or broken teeth. Normal wear and tear can sometimes lead to a cracked tooth or a dead nerve. Teeth can never be re-grown and live teeth cannot be donated, but there are a number of artificial methods...
A gum boil, also known as a parulus, is an infected area on your gums where an abscessed tooth is draining. If you have a gum boil, you may experience pain, nausea, swollen glands, fever and diarrhea. You should see a dentist immediately, since...
Each tooth is made up three distinct layers: an inner pulp layer that is made up of nerves, blood vessels and cells; a layer of calcified tissue called dentin; and an outer layer of enamel, an extremely hard tissue that protects the tooth. Tooth...
The body often experiences various aches and pains. Some are minor, such as a light cough or sore muscle, while other ailments are more serious, such as broken bones or migraine headaches. Though swollen cheeks and gums can cause light, moderate...
Extraction is often necessary to remove impacted or infected teeth, and it can cause painful bone fragments. Bone fragments are common, but not often serious. They usually heal on their own, but you'll often feel discomfort during the process....
A tooth infection can cause severe discomfort, even preventing you from going about your daily activities. You may experience throbbing pain, gum tenderness, swelling and a sore jaw. Dental problems can also lead to other complications, such as...
Head lice are small insects without wings that can grow and reproduce on the head. Head lice are parasites and survive on small amounts of blood that they get from small bites on the head. These bites may itch, leading to scratching, irritation...
Infestation of head lice (pediculosis) usually starts in childcare centers and elementary schools, where children with head lice gather and unknowingly transfer these parasites to other children. Head lice can cause annoying symptoms that may...
Bacterial infections of your teeth -- including teeth in which you have fillings -- often cause toothaches. Bacterial tooth infections, also known as tooth abscesses, might spread from the root of your tooth to the bones that support your tooth....
The jaw consists of two bones, the maxilla, or upper jaw, and mandible, or lower jaw. Pain in the lower jaw can occur from many different causes, and can be acute or chronic. Pain may also occur from conditions in the jaw bone itself or may be...
It is important for children to have routine dental care starting between ages 6 and 12 months, or when the first tooth comes in, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. It's critical to detect dental problems before they start....
A tooth abscess is a pus-filled area where bacteria has entered the tooth pulp though a crack or cavity in the enamel and caused an infection. It is a sign that your tooth and jawbone are being destroyed, and it requires prompt treatment. It also...
Regular care of the teeth and gums is important for health. A gum infection can produce symptoms that are difficult to manage and may result in permanent damage if left untreated. Periodontal disease, another name for gum infection, is treated...
Some throbbing toothaches occur suddenly and without warning. Others begin as a slight sensitivity and become increasingly painful over days or weeks. According to the American Dental Association, people experiencing toothaches turn to dentists,...
Head lice, small parasitic mites also known as Pediculus capitis, infest the hair and scalp of humans and feed on their blood. Although they primarily affect children, anyone can become infested with lice through person-to-person contact or shared...
Although an infestation of body lice can be eliminated by a regimen of personal hygiene and a clean living environment, head lice are more difficult to eradicate. Over-the-counter and prescription shampoos and topical insecticides are standard...
A tooth abscess is a pocket of infected material resulting from an infection in the center of the tooth. Tooth decay is often the main culprit of a tooth abscess. Tooth decay causes openings in tooth enamel, allowing harmful bacteria, dead tissue...
X-rays were accidentally discovered in 1895 by a physicist playing around with different types of light. He realized he was looking right through his hand, seeing his finger bones surrounded by shadowy lights. Of course, over the years X-rays...
Head lice are parasitic insects that live on the human scalp and feed on blood. An adult louse reaches about the same size as a sesame seed and looks like a small gray lump on the scalp or in the hair. The parasite's eggs, also known as nits, are...
Head lice can run through schools like wildfire, so odds are good that your child will pick up a case of lice at some point during his childhood. You can minimize your child's odds of picking up lice by teaching him to avoid sharing combs,...
Tea tree essential oil, a common home remedy for getting rid of head lice, is reported to have antiseptic and insect repellent properties. Obtained through steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, tea tree oil is used externally...
Lice are wingless insects that live on the scalps of humans and feed off their blood. Without proper treatment, lice can make the roots of the hair weak and eventually fall out. In extreme cases, lice can cause fevers in the person who has them,...
Skin parasites can range from mites to chiggers to lice and crabs, all of which cause itching, irritation, embarrassment, and all-around misery for those infected and diagnosed with a parasitic infection. Parasites are defined by Merck.com as...
Head lice are parasitic mites that live on the human host's scalp, as reported by the National Institutes of Health. They drink the blood of the host, leaving bite marks on the head and neck. The nits, the eggs of the mite, appear shiny and...
Head lice, tiny parasitic insects that feed on blood from the scalp, spread easily through head-to-head contact and affect school-age children most frequently. Many over-the-counter and prescription medications can eliminate lice, although...