Dental Care in Calgary

Read more about the article How Can Your Dentist Help You With Oral Hygiene?

How Can Your Dentist Help You With Oral Hygiene?

Oral hygiene is as important as physical hygiene and should be started right from an early age. Overlooking oral health can lead to multiple dental issues requiring several dental treatments.

Some people visit their dentist only when they experience a dental problem, but it is recommended that you visit your dentist at least twice a year for oral checkups. Moreover, the in-house dental care is also an integral part of your oral hygiene, so make sure to complement dental check-ups with your own personal care regimen.

Practice proper oral hygiene regularly

For a healthy mouth, you need to dedicate all the attention it requires to stay healthy. Brushing twice a day isn’t the only way to keep your mouth germ-free. Do it correctly, do it regularly. Daily preventative care can help you avoid serious dental conditions such as gum disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, etc. There are some steps that we can take to reduce the risk of oral disease such as –

Brushing twice a day: Use the right technique to brush and floss your teeth as suggested by the American Dental Association (ADA) – Tilt your brush at a 45 degree to your gums and stroke the brush back and forth across the sides and top of your dental arch. Then, use short back and forth strokes to gently clean the inside, outside and chewing surface of your teeth. Brushing correctly can help minimize plaque and tartar buildup in between teeth and gums.

Flossing daily: Supplement brushing with flossing. Although brushing helps you clean your teeth, but there are certain areas that the bristles of your brush can’t reach. Dental floss provides in-depth teeth cleaning as it cleans the areas beyond the reach of your brush, which is it removes food particles stuck between teeth and gums. Consult your dentist to know the proper use of dental floss.

Avoid junk food and eat healthy: A healthy diet means a healthy mouth. The most common reason behind tooth decay is consumption of sugary food items such as sweetened drinks, sugar-filled sodas, unhealthy snacks, etc. Diet on healthy, nutritious food to maintain the wellness of your mouth. Even your dentist will recommend you to snack less on unhealthy stuff as junk food not only affects your physical health but also deteriorates oral condition.

Use mouthwash: For additional hygiene, consider adding mouthwash to your daily care regimen. Mouthwash can help keep your mouth clean and smell fresh and nice. But before that, consult your dentist and do what he/she suggests you to.

Change your brush often: Brush bristles start to fall apart over time and this may not be doing the job anymore. It is recommended to change your brush every three months and use the one suggested by your dentist.

Maintaining good oral hygiene prevents periodontal disease and keeps your mouth healthy. Make sure to visit your dentist frequently and he/she can better guide you to follow good oral habits for a long-lasting, healthy mouth.

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Read more about the article How to Know You Need Dental Fillings?

How to Know You Need Dental Fillings?

Dental fillings are a dental procedure that is used to restore the structure and the function of your tooth that has been lost, decayed, or damaged. You might not be aware that dental fillings are one of the oldest dental techniques which have been around since the early 1500s. Dental fillings play an important role in restoring cavities and dental problems, which if not treated, can cause more serious dental issues over the course of time.

Dental fillings typically are made from the materials such as amalgam, which is a hybrid form of alloys like silver, mercury, and tin or they are made of composite materials such as resin and glass. Fillings can also be made of porcelain, ceramic and even out of gold. The important question is how do you know that you require dental fillings?

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Read more about the article Replace Your Missing Tooth With Dental Crowns And Bridges

Replace Your Missing Tooth With Dental Crowns And Bridges

If you have a missing tooth you know the effect it can have on the quality of your smile and also your life as it also affects the choice of your food consumption. It can also cause a problem in how you chew and speak. To fix the problem of a missing tooth you can opt for dental crowns and bridges, which is one option for it. A weak, broken, or an incomplete smile may be able to restored by fixing dental crowns and bridges.

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Read more about the article How To Stop Teeth Grinding? Causes and Treatments

How To Stop Teeth Grinding? Causes and Treatments

Teeth grinding or bruxism is the involuntary clenching, grinding and gnashing of the teeth. Some people are regular, forceful tooth grinders. Often it happens during sleep, but some people grind their teeth when they are awake. Teeth grinding can be a result of stress. For example, some people grind their teeth when they are angry, concentrating or feeling anxious. It can occur in both children and adults.

Effects of teeth grinding

  • Cracked tooth enamel

  • More wear and tear on the teeth than is normal

  • Broken teeth or broken restorations (for example, fillings)

  • Strain on the jaw joint

  • Pain in the jaw joint or limited movement

  • Tooth loss (rare)

Causes of teeth grinding

  • Emotional stress, such as anger or anxiety

  • Mental concentration

  • Physical stress, such as illness, poor nutrition or long-term pain

  • Some dental treatments, such as fillings that sit ‘too high’

  • When teeth are coming through in babies and children

  • Taking antipsychotic or antidepressant medications

  • Regularly drinking alcohol, smoking and using recreational drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine

Treatment for teeth grinding

If you think you grind your teeth, see your dentist or other oral health professionals as soon as possible. They will look at your teeth and talk about possible treatment options that may include:

  • Repair of tooth damage

  • Fixing fillings that are too high

  • A special mouth guard (‘bite splints’) to wear at night so that the guard is worn down instead of your teeth.

Other treatments may include stress management therapy, relaxation techniques, cognitive behavior therapy etc.

In case of teeth grinding, you may seek help from your dental clinic, your doctor, psychologist or from a physiotherapist depending on the cause of teeth grinding.

Ref: www.nhs.uk/conditions/teeth-grinding
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

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Read more about the article Tips to Prevent Tooth and Mouth Injuries

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

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Read more about the article How smoking affects your oral health? Caring for your Teeth and Gums

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

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Read more about the article Health Risks With Oral Piercing

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

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Read more about the article How Can I Prevent Cavities / Tooth Decay?

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

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