Word: toothful
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...best when dispensing sensible advice about such mundane matters as writing memos and talking to one's boss or client. No one should end a phone conversation by saying "Have a nice day," she counsels. "The person you say that to may be facing an IRS audit or a tooth extraction." For those too shy to make small talk at cocktail parties, Baldrige offers a list of innocuous conversational subjects. Examples: landscape gardening, Princess Diana, the A.S.P.C.A., professional wrestling and the use of hypnotism to stop smoking...
Ultimately, the dentist's principal instrument of agony, the drill, may be used less often because of a substance called Caridex 100, developed at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. Caridex, which is gradually being introduced around the country, is an amino-acid solution that dissolves tooth decay, leaving behind a clean, sturdy area that can be filled with little or no drilling. However, the method is not suitable for all cavities...
...seen cosmetic dentistry rise to account for more than 70% of his practice. "It used to be only theater types coming in," he says. "Now it's secretaries, businessmen, accountants, policemen." Patients can choose from a variety of cosmetic procedures that include bleaching, which offers a temporary lightening of tooth stains, and the application of veneers, thin porcelain or acrylic facades that have been likened to false fingernails...
...mask chips, discolorations and cracks, or even to conceal unattractive gaps between teeth. The procedure is simple, and can be performed by almost any dentist. The resins are painted on teeth that have first been prepared by the application of a mild acid solution. Next a layer of tooth-colored material is applied in the desired shape, then the coatings are hardened with either chemicals or a beam of ultraviolet light and polished. Bonding costs anywhere from $150 to $500 a tooth, one-third to one-half the price of crowns or caps, and can usually be performed without pain...
...population ages and more people keep their own teeth, periodontics, the specialty that deals with the treatment of gum disease, has become a large portion of the dentist's trade. More than 70% of tooth loss among adults is due to gum disease, which typically remains symptomless until it is well advanced. Says Dr. John Karch of Atlanta: "It is second only to the common cold" in the number of people affected. Gum disease is caused by bacteria that produce a colorless, sticky film called plaque, which, if left undisturbed by a toothbrush or dental floss, leaves a hard residue...