American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [787]
Scalp reduction surgery
During scalp reduction surgery, the surgeon cuts out a section of scalp in the shape of a Y, a U, or an oval. He or she then loosens the adjacent skin, gently pulls it together, and stitches it into its new position. Scalp reduction brings existing areas of hair growth closer together. The procedure often accompanies hair transplantation (see previous page). Scalp reduction sometimes must be repeated to achieve the best results.
After Surgery
After scalp surgery, a large gauze dressing will be applied to your head; you should leave it in place for 24 hours. When you go back to see the surgeon the next day, your scalp will be cleansed and your dressing will be changed. You cannot wash your hair for 1 week.
You can expect to have some tightness and swelling for up to 10 days, and bruises may appear around your eyes. Bleeding is a common problem after scalp surgery because the scalp is rich with blood vessels. Call your surgeon if the bleeding becomes excessive. Watch for signs of infection including redness and a discharge of pus.
Your newly transplanted hairs may fall out in a few weeks, which is normal, and will be replaced by new hair growth in 3 or 4 months. You are not likely to see the true results of your scalp surgery for 6 to 8 months.
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Teeth and Gums
Teeth are living tissue. The pulp that forms the core of each tooth contains blood vessels that help nourish the tooth and nerves that sense heat, cold, pressure, and pain. Dentin, a substance that is harder than bone, surrounds the pulp. On the crown (the part of the tooth that you can see above the gum), a hard substance called enamel covers the dentin. Each tooth has one to three roots, covered by a sensitive, bonelike material called cementum. In healthy gums, the gum tissue fits tightly around the teeth, and the roots are embedded in sockets in the jawbone. A shock-absorbent material called periodontal ligament (a tough, elastic tissue that holds bones together) lines each tooth socket to support the root and prevent the skull and jawbone from vibrating when food is being chewed.
Structure of a tooth
The teeth are used for biting and chewing, and they also help give shape to the face and play a role in speech. This cross section of a premolar shows the many parts that make up a tooth.
Teeth start the digestive process
Adults have 32 permanent teeth that break food into pieces that can be easily swallowed and digested. The incisors cut, the canines tear, and the premolars and molars crush and grind. The four third molars (often called wisdom teeth) sometimes never emerge.
Although tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body, acids produced in the breakdown of sugar and other simple carbohydrates you eat can erode the enamel and cause tooth decay. If not treated, decay can work its way through the dentin and into the pulp, which may cause a pocket of pus to form in the tissue around the tip of the root of a tooth (tooth abscess; see page 1104) and can eventually lead to loss of the tooth.
Tooth Decay
If you move the tip of your tongue over your teeth several hours after brushing them, you can feel patches of a slightly rough, sticky substance. This substance, called dental plaque, consists of mucus, food particles, and bacteria, and forms mainly between the teeth and where the teeth meet the gums. Bacteria in plaque break down the sugar in food and produce acid. Over time, the acid dissolves the calcium and phosphate in the tooth’s enamel and can form tiny holes called cavities, which are tooth decay.
If the decay is not treated, the acid destroys the enamel and damages the dentin beneath it. Dentin contains tiny canals that lead to the pulp; the bacteria eventually reach the pulp,