Tips to Prevent Tooth and Mouth Injuries

Mouth and tooth injuries are quite common. Most of the dental injuries occur to the front teeth and lips, tongue, jaw, gums and inner cheek. In babies, injuries could occur due to falling while leaning to walk or playing. Sports are the main source of dental injuries for adolescents and adults.
It is seen that almost half of dental injuries are caused due to sports. Dental injuries can be very painful and it is important to be careful during sports or other activities.

Some tips to prevent sports-related dental injuries:

  • Mouth Guards – A mouth guard is the best way to protect your teeth while playing sports. It absorbs and minimizes the effect of any forceful impact.

  • Face cages – Some positions in certain sports are very susceptible to dental injuries like hockey goalie, baseball catcher etc. Wearing a face cage can protect against injury in such cases.

  • Helmets – It’s important to use helmets in sports which are prone to head injuries like in cricket as it protects the most important part of your body – your head.

Knocked out tooth

Whether the result of an accident or biting on a piece of food that’s too hard, mouth injuries can cause teeth to become cracked, broken, or knocked out/dislodged. It is very much possible to repair your knocked out tooth provided you get to your dentist as soon as possible. Teeth which are knocked out and replaced by the dentist within one hour have the best chances of being saved. Even if the tooth or teeth cannot be saved there are various cosmetic procedures to get back your smile such as a removable partial denture/bridge or a fixed partial denture or even a dental implant.

It is important to see a dentist because if left untreated, a dental emergency can lead to serious complications.

Ref:www.webmd.com
www.dentalhealthsite.com

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

How smoking affects your oral health? Caring for your Teeth and Gums

In addition to several other chronic diseases, tobacco use is a primary cause of many oral diseases and adverse oral conditions. For example, tobacco is a risk factor for oral cancer and periodontal disease. It can also cause stained yellow or brown teeth, bad breath, and loss of teeth. Smoking is thought to alter bacteria in dental plaque, making it more harmful.

In general, smokers can expect to develop some combination of the following, depending on the amount and length of time they have smoked:

  • Persistent bad breath

  • Discolored teeth

  • An increase in calculus (tartar) build-up

  • Periodontal (gum and bone) disease that may progress more quickly and be more severe than in non-smokers

  • Jaw bone loss

  • Shifting teeth

  • An increased number of missing teeth

  • Oral cancers

  • Mouth sores

  • Root caries (cavities)

  • Sinusitis

  • Hairy tongue

  • Smoker’s lip (like a burn)

  • Altered sense of taste and smell

  • Delayed wound healing

Gum Disease

Smoking has been established as a significant risk factor for gum disease. Tobacco reduces blood flow to the gums, depriving them of oxygen and nutrients that allow gums to stay healthy, and leaving them vulnerable to bacterial infection.

According to one U.S. study, cigarette smoking may play a major role in more than half the cases of severe gum disease in adults. Current smokers were about four times more likely to have periodontitis than people who had never smoked. (Ref: J.Periodontology 2000 May:71(5):743-51)

If unchecked, periodontal disease can lead to complete destruction of the tooth’s supporting tissues, abscesses and, ultimately, loss of the tooth.

Caring for your Teeth and Gums

If you are a smoker, there are some things you can do to prevent tooth and gum problems:

  • Try to quit smoking – speak to your doctor or dentist or call helpline for guidance and support.

  • If quitting smoking is too difficult, try and reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.

  • Thoroughly clean your teeth and gums twice a day with toothpaste that contains fluoride.

  • Use dental floss every day to clean between your teeth.

  • Visit your dentist regularly for advice about the proper care of your teeth and gums at home, early intervention and regular preventive maintenance visits to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
  • Avoid having a dry mouth – drink plenty of water and chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production.

  • Limit your alcohol intake.

To stop using tobacco or smoking habit, people can also join smoking cessation classes and support groups along with drug therapy. Ask your doctor or dentist for information on similar programs they may be familiar with.

Ref: www.webmd.com
www.who.int
www.cdho.org

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

Health Risks With Oral Piercing

Oral piercings, usually in the tongue or around the lips have quickly become a popular trend in today’s society. With this popular trend, it is important to realize that sometimes even precautions taken during the installation of the piercing jewelry are not enough to prevent harmful, long-term consequences such as cracked or chipped teeth, swelling, problems with swallowing and taste, and scars. There is also a possibility of choking on a piece of dislodged jewelry, which makes it important to ask if the risks are warranted.

One of the most serious long-term health problems that may occur from oral piercings come in the form of damage to the soft tissues such as the cheeks, gums and palate, as well as some kind of infections. When performed in an unsterile environment, any kind of body piercing may also put you at risk of contracting deadly infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. A tongue piercing is a common form of body piercing. However, tongue piercings have been known to cause blocked airways (from a swollen tongue). In some cases, a tongue piercing can cause uncontrolled bleeding.

People with oral piercings — especially long-stem tongue jewelry – have a greater risk of gum disease than those without oral piercings. The jewelry can come into contact with gum tissue causing injury as well as a recession of the gum tissue, which can lead to loose teeth and tooth loss.

Caring for your Oral Piercing

  • Avoid alcohol, spicy foods, and hard and sticky foods.

  • Don’t smoke or use tobacco-based products.

  • Eat soft foods. Consult with your dentist about taking vitamins to promote faster healing.

  • Make an appointment with your dentist if you suspect a problem or have a concern. It is critical for dentists to check your teeth, gums, tongue, and soft tissues for early signs of any problems.

If you notice any warning signs such as scarring, increased redness or pain at piercing site, bleeding or tearing after initial healing, yellow or green discharge from piercing site etc, contact a health care professional.

Ref: www.webmd.com
www.atooth.com

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

How Can I Prevent Cavities / Tooth Decay?

Cavities, also known as tooth decay, occur when plaque, the sticky substance that forms on teeth, combines with the sugars and / or starches of the foods that we eat. This combination produces acids that attack tooth enamel.

Follow these dental hygiene practices to prevent cavities:

  1. Brush your teeth – In the fight against cavities, it is essential that you brush your teeth properly at least twice a day with a toothpaste containing fluoride.

  2. Floss daily – Food debris gets caught in between our teeth when we eat. If the debris is not removed, it can lead to cavities. Flossing every day is the best way to remove food debris from in between the teeth.

  3. Eat healthy – Proper nutrition plays an important role in good dental health. Eating nutritional snacks and limiting the amount of sugar intake will help to prevent plaque from forming on the teeth.

  4. Visit your dentist – Many cavities can only be detected by a dentist or a dental X-ray. Visiting your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings are a key factor in preventing cavities and staying on top of good oral hygiene.
  5. Have sealants placed – Dental sealants are a protective coating that is applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant protects the tooth from getting a cavity by shielding against bacteria and plaque. Sealants are more common in children because of the new growth of permanent teeth; however, sealants can benefit adults too.

  6. Use a mouthwash – There are several antimicrobial mouthwashes on the market that have been clinically proven to reduce plaque. Rinsing with one of these mouthwashes after brushing or eating can aid in cavity prevention.

  7. Chew sugarless gum – Believe it or not, chewing certain sugarless gums can actually help to prevent cavities by increasing the flow of saliva in your mouth.

It is especially important to keep an eye on how often your child eats as well as what he/she eats. You should limit between-meal snacks to reduce the number of acid attacks on teeth and to give teeth a chance to repair themselves. Limit their intake of candies, cookies, soda and other sugary drinks. Make sure your child doesn’t eat or drink anything with sugar after bedtime tooth brushing. Don’t forget to supervise young children when they brush. Since most cavities in children and adolescents develop in the molars, it’s best to get these teeth sealed as soon as they come in.

Ref: www.dentistry.com
www.nidcr.nih.gov

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

Caring for Teeth with Braces and Retainers

Braces, wires, springs, rubber bands, and other appliances can attract food and plaque, which can stain teeth if not brushed away. Food can also react with the bacteria in your mouth and the metal in the braces to produce a bleaching effect, which can cause small, permanent light spots on the teeth. It is recommended brushing after every meal or snack with fluoride toothpaste and carefully removing any food that may have gotten stuck in your braces. You may also be prescribed or recommended a fluoride mouthwash, which can get into places in the mouth that a toothbrush can’t reach.

Brush your teeth with specially designed brush for cleaning between braces.

Foods to Avoid While Wearing Braces

There are certain foods that can break or loosen your braces and should be avoided, such as:

  1. Hard or tough-to-bite foods, such as apples or bagels

  2. Chewy foods, such as taffy or caramels

  3. Corn on the cob

  4. Hard pretzels, popcorn, nuts and carrots

In addition to foods, do not chew ice or bubble gum.

Caring for Retainers

Every time you brush your teeth, brush your retainer as well. Once a day or at least once a week, disinfect your retainer by soaking it in a denture cleanser.

While playing sports, use mouth guard, designed to fit comfortably over your braces.

Broken Braces

Broken braces, loose bands or protruding wires can cause problems but rarely require emergency treatment. However, call your dentist or orthodontist to set up an office visit to fix the problem. If you suffer a more severe mouth or facial injury, seek immediate help.

Other Problems

Because braces brush up against the inside surface of your mouth, you may be prone to developing sores. If a sore develops, your orthodontist or dentist may prescribe an ointment or a prescription or nonprescription pain-reliever solution to reduce the pain and irritation and help heal the sore.

Ref: www.webmd.com

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

Why Get Dental Implants ?

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are an option to restore missing teeth without using additional teeth as support or anchors. They are also able to support dentures and prevent difficulties associated with the slipping and shifting of the denture. Implants are surgically placed in the jawbone and mimic the root of the natural tooth which also prevents bone reduction. Dental implants are restored with crowns, bridges and dentures.

Why get dental implants restore missing or damaged teeth?

  • A dental implant restores a lost tooth so that it looks, feels, fits and functions like a natural tooth.

  • Dental implants allow you to maintain the natural shape of your face and smile.

  • Leaving empty spaces in your mouth after losing one or more teeth can lead to additional health issues, such as the loss and deterioration of some of your jawbone. When it is not being used to support a natural tooth, the jawbone deteriorates, losing its strength and firmness. Dental implants may preserve and stimulate natural bone, actually helping to stimulate bone growth and prevent bone loss.
  • Cavities can’t occur in an implant-restored crown, or replacement tooth; however, you will need to visit your dentist as scheduled and clean and care for it and your gums and mouth every day, the same as you would if it were a natural tooth.

  • Dental implants are fixed in place and fuse naturally with your jawbone, meaning your replacement teeth won’t move, click or shift.

  • Dental implants go in the jawbone, in the spot where your missing tooth root was, without impacting healthy teeth. They also help prevent healthy, adjacent teeth from shifting as they would if an empty space were left for an extended period of time.

In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for a dental implant. Heavy smokers, people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders – such as diabetes or heart disease – or patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an individual basis. You should consider the fact that it is a surgical procedure so there are always risks present with any surgery i.e delayed healing, prolonged bleeding, infection, surgical complication. There is also a significant time commitment required as the implant site may need to have additional procedures performed to make it ready to accept the implant. If you are considering dental implants, talk to your dentist to see if they are right for you.

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 2 Average: 4.5]

Looking For Root Canal Treatment In Calgary?

To make an accurate diagnosis about your tooth’s need for endodontic therapy (root canal), your dentist will need to evaluate information collected from a number of different sources.
And while there are some obvious signs that nearly everyone is familiar with, there are also a number of less apparent ones that quite possibly only your dentist will notice.

1. Symptoms you have noticed – It’s usually the presence of discomfort and/or swelling that signals to a person that their tooth has a problem. Your dentist will quiz you about what you have experienced.

  • Pain

  • Sensitivity to hot/cold

  • Gum tenderness or swelling

  • Frequency of pain or swelling

2. Signs noticed by your dentist – Some teeth give little indication that there’s a problem within their nerve space. But to the trained eye, these subtle hints can be an obvious sign that a problem likely exists.

  • Identifying problem teeth with x-rays

  • Recurring or persistent gum pimples

  • Individually darkened teeth

  • Exposure of a tooth’s nerve

3. Additional testing – Once a dentist has identified a suspect tooth, they may then perform additional testing that can help to confirm their suspicions.

  • Percussion testing – tapping the end of one of their instruments on your tooth.

  • X-ray evaluation

  • Thermal testing

  • Electric pulp testing – A pulp tester transmits low-levels of electrical current to a tooth. The general idea is that a healthy nerve will respond with a tingling sensation. A dead nerve will have no response.

If you notice any of the signs and symptoms mentioned here, you should contact your dentist and make arrangements to be evaluated and receive treatment in a time frame they determine is necessary.

Don’t make assumptions and don’t delay

Some people won’t seek treatment promptly if, in their mind, they think it’s already too late, will cost too much money or else the idea of having the treatment is too unnerving for them.
Don’t make this mistake. If you have a tooth that’s displaying symptoms, have your dentist evaluate it sooner rather than later. Doing so may make a big difference in what you experience, what type of treatment you require and its total cost.

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

Dental Myth: Missing Teeth Are Always Replaced By Bridges Or Removable Dentures

There are several reasons that you want to replace a missing tooth or teeth. A tooth has many functions, some being to chew, to speak, to keep the facial muscles and tissue in a proper position, to smile, and to keep the other teeth from shifting. Once a tooth is lost this whole balance is disrupted and it may lead to many problems.

Missing teeth are always replaced by bridges or removable dentures To minimize the possibility of problems, the missing tooth should be replaced promptly. There are many ways to replace that missing tooth or teeth:

  • Conventional fixed bridge – The conventional fixed bridge is a tooth replacement that is attached with cement to the adjacent natural teeth. If you have one or two missing teeth on a single side this can be a good method of replacement. If the two teeth adjacent to the space are healthy and the supporting structure (bone and gum tissue) are adequate a fixed bridge can be placed.

  • Removable partial or full denture – A partial or full removable denture is a set of artificial teeth that are not fixed permanently to natural teeth. This set consists of usually plastic teeth set in an artificial plastic or plastic and metal framework that rests on the gum tissue. A partial denture is used for people who have multiple spaces on one or both sides or whose teeth are not strong enough to support a fixed bridge. A complete denture is just that, it replaces all the teeth on either the top or bottom jaw. The full denture can be the most difficult restoration to get accustomed to.

  • Implants – Implants are used to replace a single tooth, many teeth on one side, or used to support an entire fixed or removable bridge replacing all the upper or lower teeth. The implant is placed in a hole which is drilled into the patient’s lower or upper jaw. Depending on the number of teeth being replaced, one or more implants are placed in the bone. If necessary a substructure is fabricated and then a crown, bridge or denture is securely fastened to the substructure or implant. Implants are useful for patients that have tried but can’t wear conventional dentures.

  • Flipper – This is probably the cheapest option to restore missing teeth, however it should be seen as a temporary solution. The expected longevity of a flipper should only be a few months, though with meticulous care and minimal use with chewing, it could last a bit longer. Flippers are similar to removable partial dentures, except they are made from weaker materials.

There are other methods such as using a combination of crowns and partial dentures that can keep the retaining clips out of sight. From the available options, the most appropriate treatment will depend on various factors including the number of teeth missing; therefore it is advisable to consult your dentist about the right solution for you.

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 1 Average: 5]

Myth: Periodontal (Gum) Disease Affects Only the Mouth.

Periodontal disease, also called gum disease, is mainly caused by bacteria from plaque and tartar build up. Other factors that have the potential to cause gum disease may include:

  • Tobacco use

  • Grinding your teeth

  • Certain medications

  • Genetics

Ref: Askthedentist.com

Gum disease affects only the oral health is a myth. Studies suggest that it contributes to life threatening conditions such as:

  • Heart disease and stroke – Gingivitis may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke because of the high levels of bacteria found in infected areas of the mouth. As the level of periodontal disease increases, the risk of cardiovascular disease may increase with it.

  • Diabetes – People with diabetes often have some form of gum disease, likely caused by high blood glucose. People with diabetes need to take extra care to ensure proper brushing and flossing techniques are used to prevent the advancement of the gum disease. Regular check-ups and cleanings with your dental hygienist should be followed.

  • Chronic kidney disease – People without any natural teeth, are more likely to have chronic kidney disease (CDK), than people with natural teeth. CDK affects blood pressure potentially causing heart disease, contributed to kidney failure, and affects bone health.

  • Preterm birth – Women with periodontal disease are more likely to have a baby born preterm compared to women without any form of gum disease. Women are more susceptible to gingivitis when pregnant and should follow their regular brushing habits, and continue with dental cleanings and examinations.

To prevent gum disease, proper brushing and flossing and following dental hygiene tips is the easiest way, but regular cleanings with your dentist are necessary to remove calculus and treat advanced gum disease. If you are concerned that you may have gum disease, contact your dentist.

Source:

www.webmd.com
www.dentistry.com

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

What is a Dental Floss?

When it comes to your teeth nothing is more important than proper dental health and dental hygiene. Without proper oral hygiene your teeth can break down and decay causing many problems including tooth loss. Flossing is such an essential part of dental care. There are several health benefits to maintaining proper dental care and flossing. Without proper flossing, your teeth will a buildup with plaque which leads to tartar and several types of gum disease. Not flossing can also cause an increase of cavities in the areas your tooth brush cannot reach. Without flossing your teeth can start to stain which keeps your teeth from looking bright, white and clean.

Dental floss is a tool you should use daily to remove food and bacteria build-up from in-between your teeth. Floss, which is commonly made out of plastic or nylon, is a thin thread that you place between your teeth and pull in order to clean the gaps. As you pull on the thread, you remove food and debris.

Benefits of Flossing:

  • Remove plaque

  • Prevent gum disease

  • Prevent cavities

  • Better smelling breath

  • Whiter teeth

Our Score
Click to rate this post!
[Total: 1 Average: 5]