Vital Dentist Interview Preparation Guide

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A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care practitioner who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aids in providing oral health services. The dental team includes dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and in some states, dental therapists.

A licensed dentist can carry out most dental treatments such as restorative (dental restorations, crowns, bridges), orthodontics (braces), prosthodontic (dentures, crown/bridge), endodontic (root canal) therapy, periodontal (gum) therapy, and oral surgery (extraction of teeth), as well as performing examinations, taking radiographs (x-rays) and diagnosis. Additionally, dentists can further engage in oral surgery procedures such as dental implant placement. Dentists can also prescribe medications such as antibiotics, fluorides, pain killers, local anesthetics, sedatives/hypnotics and any other medication that serve in the treatment of the various conditions that arise in the head and neck.

Sugar attacks the enamel on your teeth and can lead to cavities. You can avoid the damaging effects of sugar by brushing and flossing your teeth two to three times a day and limiting the amount of sugary foods and snacks you eat and drink.

There is a natural, age-related decrease in our sense of taste and smell. In addition, certain medications, diseases and even wearing dentures can contribute to a decrease in the sense of taste.

Cereals ready-to-eat, General mills, total Corn Flakes - 11.0
Apple juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid - 10.9
Fruit cocktail, (peach and pineapple and pear and grape and cherry), canned, juice pack, solids and liquids - 10.9
Tangerines, (mandarin oranges), raw - 10.6
Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG, KELLOGG'S Corn Flakes - 10.5

Pineapple and orange juice drink, canned - 11.6
Pineapple and grapefruit juice drink, canned - 11.5
Fruit punch drink, with added nutrients, canned - 11.3
Croissants, butter - 11.3
Cereals ready-to-eat, GENERAL MILLS, KIX - 11.0

Pineapple, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids - 14.4
Frozen novelties, ice type, pop - 13.7
Crackers, wheat, regular - 13.0
Cherries, sweet, raw - 12.8
Bananas, raw - 12.2
Cranberry juice cocktail, bottled - 11.9
Tangerine juice, canned, sweetened - 11.8

Grapes, red or green (european type varieties, such as, Thompson seedless), raw - 15.5
Pears, canned, heavy syrup pack, solids and liquids - 15.2
Cookies, shortbread, commercially prepared, plain - 15.1
Grapefruit, sections, canned, light syrup pack, solids and liquids - 15.0
Grape juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened, without added vitamin C - 14.9
Mangos, raw - 14.8
Pineapple, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids - 14.4

Fruit cocktail, (peach and pineapple and pear and grape and cherry), canned, heavy syrup, solids and liquids - 17.9
Puddings, chocolate, ready-to-eat - 17.8
Cookies, molasses - 17.6
Pineapple, canned, heavy syrup pack, solids and liquids - 16.9
Soup, beef broth or bouillon, powder, dry - 16.7
Applesauce, canned, sweetened, without salt - 16.5
Tangerines, (mandarin oranges), canned, light syrup pack - 15.5

Onions, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - 4.5
Bologna, beef and pork - 4.4
Raspberries, raw - 4.4
Peppers, sweet, red, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - 4.4
Peanuts, all types, dry-roasted - 4.2
Peas, green, canned, regular pack, drained solids - 4.2

Nuts, almonds - 4.8
Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, low-fat - 4.8
Strawberries, raw - 4.7
Yogurt, plain, whole milk, 8 grams protein per 8 ounce - 4.7
Nuts, mixed nuts, dry roasted, with peanuts, with salt added - 4.7
Peas, green, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - 4.7
Carrots, raw - 4.5

Snacks, potato chips, made from dried potatoes, plain - 5.0
Blackberries, raw - 4.9
Tomato products, canned, puree, without salt added - 4.8
Peas, edible-podded, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - 4.8
Parsnips, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - 4.8
Carrots, baby, raw - 4.8
Chickpeas, cooked, boiled, without salt - 4.8

Papayas, raw - 5.9
Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin - 5.7
Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A (fat free or skim) - 5.1
Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A - 5.1
Bagels, plain, enriched, with calcium propionate (includes onion, poppy, sesame) - 5.1
Waffles, plain, frozen, ready -to-heat, toasted - 5.0
Snacks, potato chips, made from dried potatoes, light - 5.0

Beans, baked, canned, with franks - 6.5
Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared, toasted - 6.3
Rolls, hamburger or hotdog, plain - 6.3
Watermelon, raw - 6.2
Miso - 6.2
Bread, raisin, toasted, enriched - 6.2
Bread, wheat - 6.0

Kiwi fruit, fresh, raw - 8.99
Peaches, raw - 8.39
Melons, honeydew, raw - 8.12
Melons, cantaloupe, raw - 7.86
Papayas, raw - 5.90
Strawberries, raw - 4.67
Corn, sweet, white, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - 4.06
Corn, sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels on cob, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - 3.59

Peaches, canned, heavy syrup pack, solids and liquids - 18.64
Grapes, red or green, raw - 15.48
Mangos, raw - 14.80
Bananas, raw - 12.23
Apple juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened - 10.90
Apples, raw, with skin - 10.39
Peaches, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids - 10.27
Blueberry, raw - 9.96
Apricots, raw - 9.23
Plums, raw - 9.92

Cheese Whiz - 2g per 30g serving (2 tbsp)
Kraft chunky peanut butter - 1g per 15g (1 tbsp)
Honey - 16g per 15g (1 tbsp)
Heinz ketchup - 4g per 15g (1 tbsp)
Classico pasta sauce - 6g per 125mL

Sugar acts like an acid dissolving the enamel on teeth. Each time you eat a snack containing sugar, the resulting acid attack can last up to 20 minutes. The naturally-occurring bacteria in the mouth use sugar as energy to multiply and stick themselves to the surface of a tooth. Over time, this turns into plaque and continues to eat away at the tooth's enamel. Tiny holes will eventually be made in the enamel. These are cavities. Left un-treated cavities will continue to grow.

☛ Overzealous toothbrushing:
Brushing too hard around the gum line, or just brushing with bristles that are too hard, can erode gums.

☛ Tooth grinding (a.k.a. bruxism):
Some people grind so hard that the pressure accelerates gum erosion. In many cases, your dentist can shave down a tooth that is causing your bite to hit against another tooth. In other cases, you may need to get a customized mouth guard to wear at night (when most grinding and clenching occurs) to prevent further damage.

☛ Gum disease:
This is an infection of the gums that occurs when bacteria become lodged between the tooth and the gum. The bacteria eventually eat away at the bone and the supporting tissues at the base of the tooth. As the bone recedes, so does the surrounding gum tissue.

Either kind of brush is fine, but you are more likely to spend the right amount of time brushing-two to three minutes-when you’re using an electric toothbrush, says Barbara Ann Rich, a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry and a dentist in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. (Manual brushes average less than one minute.) Whichever you use, choose one with soft bristles. Others may be too abrasive and could lead to receding gums. No matter what kind of brush you choose, be sure to floss daily.

☛ Suck on sugar-free candy or chew sugar-free gum.
☛ Drink plenty of water to help keep your mouth moist.
☛ Brush with a fluoride toothpaste, use a fluoride rinse, and visit your dentist regularly.
☛ Breathe through your nose, not your mouth, as much as possible.
☛ Use a room vaporizer to add moisture to the bedroom air.
☛ Use an over-the-counter artificial saliva substitute.

Dry mouth also raises your risk of gingivitis (gum disease), tooth decay, and mouth infections, such as thrush. Dry mouth can also make it hard to wear dentures.

☛ A sticky, dry feeling in the mouth
☛ Frequent thirst
☛ Sores in the mouth; sores or split skin at the corners of the mouth; cracked lips
☛ A dry feeling in the throat
☛ A burning or tingling sensation in the mouth and especially on the tongue
☛ A dry, red, raw tongue
☛ Problems speaking or trouble tasting, chewing, and swallowing
☛ Hoarseness, dry nasal passages, sore throat
☛ Bad breath

Smoking or chewing tobacco can affect how much saliva you make and aggravate dry mouth. Breathing with your mouth open a lot can also contribute to the problem.

Damage to the salivary glands, the glands that make saliva, can reduce the amount of saliva produced. For example, the damage could stem from radiation to the head and neck, and chemotherapy treatments, for cancer.