Why do I need x-rays?
Dental X-ray exams are safe; however, they do require very low levels of radiation exposure, which makes the risk of potentially harmful effects very small. Dental X-ray tools and techniques are designed to limit the body’s exposure to radiation and every precaution is taken to ensure that radiation exposure is As Low as Reasonable Achievable (the ALARA principle). A leaded apron minimizes exposure to the abdomen and may be used when it will not interfere with acquisition of the dental radiograph. Also, a leaded thyroid collar can protect the thyroid from radiation, and should also be used whenever possible. The use of a leaded thyroid collar is recommended for women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children.
How often do I need regular check-ups and teeth cleanings?
What is tooth decay?
What is an abscessed tooth?
Symptoms of an abscessed tooth are severe and continuous pain and results in gnawing or throbbing pain or sharp or shooting pain to the affected area.
If the pulp (nerve) in the root of the tooth dies as a result of infection, the pain may actually stop. However, this doesn’t mean the infection has healed; the infection remains active and continues to spread and destroy tissue. Treatment for an abscess is a root canal or extraction.
Bad breath (Halitosis)
- A minor injury to your mouth from dental work, overzealous brushing, sports mishaps, or an accidental cheek bite.
- Toothpastes and mouth rinses containing sodium lauryl sulfate.
- Food sensitivities, particularly to chocolate, coffee, strawberries, eggs, nuts, cheese, and spicy or acidic foods.
- A diet lacking in vitamin B-12, zinc, folate (folic acid) or iron.
- An allergic response to certain bacteria in your mouth.
- Helicobacter pylori, the same bacteria that cause peptic ulcers.
- Hormonal shifts during menstruation.
- Emotional stress.
Dry mouth is a common problem. It can range from being merely a nuisance to something that has a major impact on your general health and the health of your teeth, as well as your appetite and enjoyment of food.
Saliva helps prevent tooth decay by neutralizing acids produced by bacteria, limiting bacterial growth and washing away food particles. Saliva also enhances your ability to taste and makes it easier to swallow. In addition, enzymes in saliva aid in digestion.
Treatment for dry mouth depends on the cause.
- Stage one: Gingivitis
Bacteria from plaque produce by –products which irritate the gums resulting in inflammation. Gums are swollen, and red with some bleeding.
- Stage two: Early Periodontitis
Inflammation progresses into the supporting structures of the teeth, resulting in bone loss or pocketing, gums bleed easily.
- Stage three: Moderate Periodontitis
Continued inflammation and destruction of the supporting structures of the teeth, bone loss is more noticeable, there may be some tooth mobility, and bone loss extends between roots of teeth.
- Stage four: Advanced Periodontitis
Bone loss and tooth mobility increased, and will eventually lose one or more teeth.
A dull, constant headache or sore jaw when you wake up is a telltale symptom of grinding. In some cases, chronic grinding can result in fracturing, loosening, or loss of teeth. Severe grinding can also affect your jaw, TMJ.
Most grinding cases can be resolved by having a splint (mouth guard) made to protect your teeth. If stress is the cause, ask your doctor or dentist for options to reduce stress such as attending stress counseling, starting an exercise program, seeing a physical therapist, or obtaining a prescription for muscle relaxers.
Oral Health Topics
Women’s hormonal changes impact oral health
“There’s definitely a gender-specific connection between women’s hormones, gum disease, and specific health issues impacting women,” Dr. Krejci stated in a university press release. Because of this women need to be even more vigilant about maintaining healthy teeth and gums to prevent or lessen the severity of some of women specific health issues.
As Joan Otomo-Corgel, DDS, MPH, president of the American Academy of Periodontology, points out, this can happen to half your patients: women. And the cause is menopause and its related effects.
“During perimenopause to menopause, women have the potential to lose 40% of their total bone mass,” she told DrBicuspid.com. “They are also experiencing a huge swing in their hormones (estrogen levels), which are protective to the bone.”
The bone loss women may experience in their spine and hips as a result of postmenopausal estrogen deficiency also occurs to the bone mass in their jaw. “Dentists should be aware of whether a patient is undergoing menopause in order to more acutely monitor changes in the health of her gums and underlying bone issue,” she said.
Dentists and oral health professionals can be on the leading edge of helping women to become aware of the effects of the different stages of menopause.—Dr.Bicuspid.com
Seniors and Oral Health
So making sure you are in good oral health it is recommended you go to the dentist every 6 months, unless the hygienist and dentist feel more often is needed. Remember you cannot be healthy without good oral health!
Nutrition and Your Teeth
Eating a healthy diet helps keep you from feeling tired, getting sick, and having other health problems, like tooth decay. Almost all foods have some type of sugar. You cannot and should not remove all sugar from your diet. Many foods and drinks, like apples, carrots, and milk, naturally contain sugars. They also have vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that your body needs. For teeth to be healthy, they need vitamins, protein, calcium, and phosphorous.
Piercing—like tattooing—is just one of today’s popular forms of “body art” and self-expression. Piercing may seem daring, cool and totally safe because some celebrities use body piercing to flaunt their particular style or attitude. Hip fashion magazines and videos will praise it—that is until it’s no longer deemed the “in thing” and something else comes along to replace it. However, piercing the tongue, lips, cheeks, or the uvula (the tiny tissue that hangs at the back of the throat), is not as safe as some would have you believe. That’s because the mouth’s moist environment, home to huge amounts of breeding bacteria, is an ideal place for infection.
Scaling and Root Planing
The first non-surgical step usually involves a special cleaning, called scaling and root planing. During the procedure the hygienist works at removing plaque and tartar deposits on teeth and root surfaces. This procedure helps gum tissue to heal and periodontal pockets to shrink. This procedure is scheduled in one or more visits, and local anesthetic may be used to make you more comfortable.
Your dentist may recommend medications to help control infection and pain, or to aid healing. These medications could include a pill, a mouthrinse, or a substance that the dentist places directly in the periodontal pocket after the scaling and root planing.
At the next visit, the hygienist will check the pocket depths to determine the effect of the scaling and root planing. Many patients do not require any further active treatment after this point, only preventive care. If that is the case, you will be placed on a 3 month oral health therapy appointment, so that your periodontal disease does not become worse or to prevent it from recurring.
However, if the disease has advanced to the point where the periodontal pockets are deep and the supporting bone is lost, surgery may be necessary to help prevent tooth loss. You may be referred to a periodontist, a dentist who specializes in the treatment of diseases that affect the supporting structures of the teeth-the gum and bone tissue- for treatment.
Removable partial dentures usually have replacement teeth fixed to a plastic base that matches the color of your gums. The plastic base may cover a metal framework. Partial dentures often have some form of clasp that attaches to your natural teeth.
It takes practice to put in and take out a removable partial denture. It may feel odd or tight for the first few weeks. But in time, you should get used to it. Never force it into place by biting down, this could bend or break the clasps or damage your teeth. Removable partial dentures are not meant to be worn 24 hours a day. You should always remove the denture at bedtime and put it back in when you wake up. If you develop a sore spot, you should visit the dentist and they will adjust it.
It is best to always try and save some teeth, but if that is not possible, a full denture will be needed. A conventional complete denture is made and placed in your mouth after the teeth are taken out and the tissues have healed. The framework of the complete denture, called the base, is normally made of plastic that closely matches the color of your gums. The base of the upper denture covers the palate (roof of the mouth). When the base of the upper denture rests against the gums and palate, it makes a seal to hold the denture in place. There are a few different types of dentures, conventional, immediate, and implant-supported dentures. Before having your dentures made, it would be good to discuss with your dentist which one would be best for you.
Caring for your dentures: Like natural teeth, you must take good care of your dentures. Here are some tips to care for your dentures. Dentures are delicate and may break if they are dropped. When handling your dentures, stand over a folded towel or a sink filled with cool water.
Brush each day to remove food deposits and plaque, and to help keep the artificial teeth from getting permanent stains. Use a soft bristled brush, so as not to scratch or damage your denture.
To clean the denture, take it out of your mouth and rinse off loose particles. Wet the brush and put the cleanser on it. Brush every denture surface gently. Use denture cleansers that have the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance, a symbol of safety and effectiveness.
Do not let your dentures dry out or they may lose their shape. When you are not wearing them, put them in a denture cleanser soaking solution or in plain water. Never soak your dentures in hot water, it may cause them to warp.
TMJ (temporomandibular joint problem)
There are several different types of braces:
- Traditional stainless steel braces
- Clear braces
A bridge is a dental restoration that replaces or spans the space where one or more teeth have been lost. A fixed bridge is commonly cemented to the natural teeth next to the space left by the missing teeth. A false tooth (called a pontic) replaces the lost tooth or teeth. A pontic is attached to a crown, which is cemented on a natural teeth, and provide support for the bridge. The loss of a tooth may cause your mouth to “sink” from loss of the bone that supported the tooth. Remaining teeth may also shift. This can result in loss of function and a face that looks older than it should. A bridge helps support your lips and cheeks and helps maintain the natural shape of your face.
After the tooth is removed, you may need stitches, if you do you may need to come back in one week to have them removed. You can gently bite down on gauze placed over the wound to help stop the bleeding. You will need to do that for 30-45 minutes depending on bleeding.
There will be options for replacing extracted teeth, such as dentures, partials, bridges, or implants, that can be discussed at the appointment
Sealants are most often placed in children and teenagers, since tooth decay can start soon after teeth come in. But adults can sometimes benefit from sealants too, because you never outgrow the risk for developing cavities.
Managing Dental Pain
What is dental pain?
How do I manage dental pain?
Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen, as directed on the package. It will help dull the pain, making it more bearable.
If swelling is present, apply an ice pack, often tooth pain is caused by a cavity that becomes infected. Applying an ice pack to the side of your face for 20 minutes, out of every hour will help to eliminate swelling, thereby reducing pain.
Eat soft foods, chew on the opposite side of the dental pain. And avoid extreme temperatures in food or drinks.
In case of broken or chipped tooth, press a warm piece of wax into the tooth defect. This will help prevent air, liquid, and debris from coming into contact with the sensitive or exposed nerve, thereby reducing the amount of pain that’s experienced. Visit the dentist as soon as possible. Generally, tooth pain does not go away, but continues to worsen.
Types of Pain Medications
Analgesics—These are common pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and Tylenol. These work good for mild cases of discomfort.
Anesthetics—Dentists often apply topical anesthetic with a cotton swab to an area of the mouth where an injection is needed. Novocain and lidocaine are the most common kind of injectable anesthetics. Such medications block the nerves from transmitting signals and are used for most procedures, such as fillings or root canals.
Sedatives—Sedatives are medications designed to help a patient relax. This can be a powerful tool in avoiding pain. Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is a form of a sedative and is used in combination with over-the-counter pain relievers and anesthetics.
Conscious sedation involves administering a sedative while the patient is awake and alert.
How to brush?
Use a pea-sized drop of toothpaste on a soft bristled tooth brush. Place the toothbrush against the gums. Move the brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes. Brush the outer surfaces of each tooth, upper and lower. Repeat the same method in the inside surfaces and chewing surfaces of the teeth. Finish by brushing the tongue to help freshen breath and remove bacteria.
What are x-rays?
What are Sealants?
Sealants are most often placed in children and teenagers, since tooth decay can start soon after teeth come in. But adults can sometimes benefit from sealants too, because you never outgrow the risk for developing cavities
What happens during a check-up?
What to eat for healthy teeth?
For good dental and overall health, be sure your child eats a balanced diet with foods from the major food groups. For more information about a healthy diet, see www.chossemyplate.gov.
Will it hurt to go to the dentist?
A good routine of eating healthy foods and brushing and flossing every day, will keep your teeth healthy. If your teeth are healthy, most likely all you will ever need is oral hygiene therapy. And if you ever do need something done, like a filling, the dentist will use a special jelly to numb your tissue before putting the tooth to sleep with lidocaine. The injection of lidocaine may sting for a few seconds, but it does not last long and then your lip, cheek, and tongue may feel different for a while, but that feeling goes away.
What to eat for healthy teeth?
What you eat and when you eat it will affect your teeth? A healthy diet includes a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups-grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein. Different foods have different benefits for your body. Eating a mix of healthy foods ensures that your body gets all the nutrients it needs.
Why is a healthy diet important?
A healthy diet is important because is provides nutrients needed for your body to work well. It also helps prevent diseases linked with being overweight, like diabetes and heart disease. Eating healthy also helps you keep your teeth and gums healthy.
You can have a healthy diet by following these simple steps:
- choose your foods wisely from each of the food groups
- eat foods that are low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and salt
- avoid foods and drinks high in added sugar, which increases the risk of tooth decay. These include beverages such as soda, sports drinks, and flavored water.
- limit snacking throughout the day. If you do snack, make healthy choices like fruit, nuts or cheese. Eat sweets with meals instead of as snacks.
- drink water between meals, which helps your overall health. Also drink water after eating to help wash away food particles.
Brushing helps keep your teeth clean and plaque-free. Brushing removes food particles from the surfaces of your teeth. These particles are necessary for plaque growth. Brushing also removes food particles and plaque from the where the teeth and gums meet. If these food particles are not brushed away you will eventually get cavities, have gum problems, and have bad breath.
What causes bad breath?
Bad breath happens to almost everyone. While chronic bad breath (halitosis) might have more serious causes, occasional bad breath can be prevented by good oral care. In most cases bad breath is caused by the presence of oral bacteria. Bacteria can form on the tongue when you forget to brush properly, when you become dehydrated, or have dry mouth due to medications you are taking.
How do you prevent bad breath? You can prevent bad breath by brushing properly 2 times a day, and that includes brushing your tongue. Get way in the back of your tongue that is where bacteria likes to hang out. Flossing effectively will remove food particles from between your teeth which also can cause bad breath. Round out your routing with a mouth wash that fights bad breath to keep your mouth at its freshest. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Chew sugarless gum that will stimulate saliva production.
Who needs braces?
Anyone, child or adult, who has a bad bite, crooked teeth, or just do not like the look of their teeth can get braces. Early treatment may help prevent things such as a bad bite that could cause other issues in children. If braces or another treatment are needed, the dentist may recommend them to you.
Sip all day get decay!
When you have sugary foods or drinks may times a day or sip the same sugary drink for a long time, acid attacks the enamel again and again. The acid can attack tooth enamel for up to 20 minutes after you consume sugary foods or drinks. Repeated acid attacks can cause tooth decay, which must be treated by a dentist. To reduce your risk of tooth decay, you need to limit sugary drinks and snacks between meals. Remember, many sports and energy drinks have sugar, too. If you do snack, choose foods that are low in sugar and fat. If you have sugary foods and snacks, have them at mealtime. Saliva increase during meals and helps weaken acid and rinse food particles from the mouth. Chew sugarless gum that has the ADA seal. Chewing gum for 20 minutes after meals has been show to reduce tooth decay. Drink tap water with fluoride can help prevent tooth decay, and it helps wash away sugary drinks.