Friday, November 18, 2011

All About Cavities




Cavities can best be described as tooth decay. As we all know, tooth decay is influenced by what we eat, how we take care of our teeth, and the amount of fluoride in our toothpastes. If your family has a history of tooth disease or teeth problems, then you may inherit it that way. This is very common, as many people inherit tooth problems that have been passed down from generation to generation.





Adults who suffer from a dry mouth are more at risk for cavities, as they have a lack of saliva in their mouth. Dry mouth is very common, and is normally the result of medications, illness, and radiation treatment. Tobacco users will also suffer from dry mouth, as the tobacco will use up the saliva in the mouth and leave the user with nothing to keep his or her mouth moist.





Cavities are a very serious situation, and if left untreated, can result in the destruction of the tooth. This can also destroy the nerves as well, resulting in an abscess. An abscess is very serious, as it infects the root tip. If left untreated, an abscess can result in death. Although you may not realize it, cavities are a very serious matter that can quickly spread to something even more serious.





If you visit your dentist on a regular basis, he will check for cavities. Without visiting the dentist, it is impossible to tell whether or not you have a cavity. Most cavities develop below the gums, and you won抰 be able to see them. If the cavity exists in the tooth, you will be able to see it, as it will change the color of the affected area. If you notice a color change or a blackened area in your tooth, you should make an appointment with your dentist immediately.





What you eat is a big contributor to cavities. If you eat a lot of sweets or drink a lot of soda, you will be at a higher risk for cavities. Foods that are rich in sugar or starch are eaten by bacteria found in plaque, which will produce acids that eat through teeth. This acid is very harmful to teeth, as it can eat through the dentin and enamel in no time at all. If you don抰 do something about it, the acid will continue to eat at the tooth until there is nothing left to say - leaving you no choice but to get the tooth extracted.





Over time, the tooth enamel will start to break down beneath the surface of your tooth, even though the surface will appear to be fine. Once the acid has managed to eat away enough of the enamel below the surface, the surface will collapse, which results in a cavity. After this has happened, if you don抰 get it treated, the tooth will continue to be eaten and the cavity will continue to spread until all of the tooth has been eaten, after which the enamel will be gone and your root will be exposed - which can be very painful.





Cavities will more than likely develop in the pits of chewing areas around the back teeth, between your teeth, or near the gum line. No matter where they occur, the easiest way to spot them is to visit your dentist. Your dentist will be able to do x-rays and find out just how bad they are and tell you what options you have. If you visit him in time, he will be able to save the tooth and stop the cavity before it spreads throughout your tooth.



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Taking Care Of Sensitive Teeth




As millions of people all around the world know, sensitive teeth can make life in general a nightmare. Sensitive teeth comes with pain and discomfort that can make eating or drinking your favorite foods a painful experience. Although you may suffer from sensitive teeth, you can rest assured that they can be treated.





Normally, this condition presents tooth pain after drinking cold liquid, eating hot or cold foods, or breathing cold air. If the pain becomes too much to bear, you should immediately see your dentist, as the nerve of your tooth could be exposed. Normally, sensitive teeth starts when the gums begin to pull away from the teeth. With the gums being a protective blanket, they cover and protect the teeth抯 roots. When the gums recede and pull away, the roots have no protection, and therefore they will be exposed.





The exposed root tips contain small tubules that lead directly to the nerves of the teeth. Whenever pressure, hot, or cold elements travel down the tubules, it will trigger the nerves and result in pain. Those who don抰 have sensitive teeth will have their gums covering the tubules, which prevents these types of things from happening.





The idea here is to stop tooth sensitivity and keep the gums healthy. If you reduce the pressure you use when brushing your teeth, you抣l find that your gums will remain healthy. When taught to brush their teeth, most people are instructed to use a lot of force. While this can get the teeth clean, it will also tear at the gums, which can lead to sensitive teeth. If you have sensitive teeth now, you should try using an electric toothbrush such as the Sonicare advanced.





Although you may have sensitive teeth now, there are ways you can help to improve your gums and your teeth. There are several toothpastes out there on the market that contain potassium nitrate, which helps to reduce pain and discomfort associated with sensitivity. Although there are several toothpastes to choose from, Sensodyne is the preferred. It抯 recommended by dentists as being the best, simply because it affects the nerve of the tooth and stops the pain where it starts.





Mouthwash can also help tooth sensitivity, providing it contains fluoride. You can also ask your dentist which mouthwash he recommends, as there are several to choose from. Scope is a great brand to use, as it offers you plenty of fluoride without any alcohol. Unlike Listerine, Scope won抰 burn your mouth when you use it. It will leave you with a clean feeling, and get your mouth and teeth completely clean - killing millions of bacteria.





If you start using fluoride toothpaste such as Sensodyne and mouthwash, you抣l notice a bit improvement in your teeth and gums. The sensitivity will begin going away, giving you almost immediate relief. When you brush, make sure you brush gently, and avoid using any type of force, as it will always cause your gums to recede again.





In the event that using Sensodyne and fluoride mouthwash doesn抰 help, you should ask your dentist about other options available to you. Your dentist will know what will help you, so you shouldn抰 hesitate to ask. Your dentist will know how to eliminate your sensitivity once and for all, and how to prevent it from coming back. Tooth sensitivity is something that many of us have to deal with - although there are ways that you can fight back and prevent the pain and discomfort associated with sensitivity from making your life harder than it has to be.



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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Types Of Dental Teeth Fractures




Fractures are a common thing in the world of dentistry. Fractures or cracks occur with all ages, although they are more present in those above the age of 25. They can be very painful, hard to diagnose, yet sometimes easy to treat. There are several types of fractures, which we will look at below.





The first type of crack is known as an oblique supragingival fracture. This fracture is found above the gums, and normally happens when you bite down too hard on something. Normally, this fracture doesn抰 involve the nerve. Once the fractured area of the tooth breaks off, the pain will go away. Although the exposed dentin may cause you some pain, you can visit the dentist and have it repaired. If the fracture is large, you may need to have a crown placed on the tooth to prevent further fractures from occurring in that tooth.





The second type of crack exceeds way below the gum line, and is known as an oblique subgingival fracture. Once the fractured piece of tooth breaks off, it normally remains attached to the gums and cause result in terrible pain until you get it removed. Once you have had the piece of tooth removed from the gums, the tooth will be similar to the supragingival fracture. It normally doesn抰 affect the nerves, although as a result of the tooth area being lost, you may need to have a root canal to clean out the tooth before having a crown put on it.





The seriousness of this fracture depends on how far it has went beyond the gum line. If it has made it抯 way deep into the gum line, you may not be able to save the tooth. The crack can be present for many years, before you start to feel any pain. To be on the safe side, you should go to your regular checkups with your dentist, as he can check for cracks and other problems.





The oblique root fracture is next, although it doesn抰 involve the tooth crown at all. This type of fracture is almost always found below the gums, normally under the bone. If a root fracture is found near the crown of the tooth, it will normally prove to be fatal. Sometimes, you can save the tooth with a root canal, even though it is normally lost later on due to an abscess of the bone that surrounds the fracture.





The last type of fracture is the most difficult to deal with. Vertical apical root fractures occur with the tip of the root, and can cause you severe to intense pain, even if you抳e had the nerve removed with a root canal. Even though the nerve may not be present, vertical apical root fractures cause a lot of pain, which occurs in the tooth.





Normally, vertical apical fractures will cause you more pain than any other type of fracture. The resulting pain comes from the fragments putting pressure on the bone, causing the fractured pieces to strain. Just about the only way to get relief from this type of fracture is to get a root canal, as it will ease the pain and get the dead pulp out of the tooth that抯 affected with the fracture.





Even though fractures are very common and very painful, you should never put off going to the dentist. Fractures can become more and more serious if you don抰 do something about them, which is why you should never hesitate to go to the dentist. Your dentist will be able to diagnose the problem, and fix it before it has the chance to get any worse.



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Understanding Toothaches




As we all know, toothaches are the result of several different factors. The pain that stems from a toothache is always apparent, normally in the form of throbbing. The pain will normally intensify as time goes by, when you eat, lay down, or drink hot/cold liquids. Toothaches are very painful, and it may seem that no matter what you do - it seems to hurt more.





In the dental world, toothaches can include such things as cavities, infections or abscess in the teeth or gums, debris that has been trapped between the teeth and gums, and trauma to the face, teeth, or the jaw. Sometimes, toothaches can result from medical conditions and have nothing to do with dental. In most cases, if the problem goes without being checked, it can lead to serious trouble and maybe even become a life threatening situation.





Normally, when you have a toothache, you抣l experience tremendous pain. The pain will stem from the affected tooth or the jaw, and you抣l know it almost immediately. It will start out to be a throbbing pain, then continue to get worse and worse until you get it treated. If you wait too long and allow the infection to spread throughout the tooth, you抣l end up having to get it pulled or cut out.





Anytime you start to experience a toothache, you shouldn抰 hesitate to make an appointment with your dentist to have it checked. Sometimes, getting an appointment when your tooth starts hurting is easier said than done. Even though you may be able to use certain products to stop the pain, the pain will always come back until you get the problem fixed. A toothache will always come back, until you get the tooth taken care of.





If you visit your dentist in time and he catches the problem early, he may be able to save your tooth. Normally, this will result in a filling, crown, or root canal, although you won抰 have to have the tooth removed. Dentists always look to save teeth, as they don抰 like to remove a tooth unless they absolutely have to. If the tooth has become abscessed, the dentist will put you on antibiotics such as penicillin until the infection has subsided enough to remove the tooth.





Throughout our lives, most of us will experience the pain and agony of a toothache at some point. A toothache can be the worst pain you have ever felt in your life, especially if you are feeling the pain of an abscess. If you抳e never had a toothache, you should consider yourself lucky. Those who have had toothaches though, will tell you that the pain is something you never want to experience - it will make you feel as if your whole world is falling apart.



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Abscessed Teeth




An abscess in the tooth refers to an infection that was caused by a pocket of pus residing in the tissue around the tooth. Abscesses are very serious conditions, and can lead to serious matters if they aren抰 treated immediately. When the pulp of a tooth dies due to damage or decay, bacteria will begin to grow from the dead tissue that is left. This bacteria will eventually spread from the root of the dead tooth into the tissue that is below and create a pocket of pus - the abscess.





Gum disease is also a cause for a tooth becoming abscessed. Gum diseases causes the gums to pull back and away from teeth, leaving pockets behind. When one of the pockets becomes blocked, the bacteria can grow and spread, or get backed up. When this happens, an abscess will start to form under the surface of the gums and become apparent will swelling as it gets bigger and spreads.





Once the infection has started to spread, your jawbone may start to dissolve as it makes room for the swelling in the area that has been infected. Once the bone starts to dissolve, the pressure will be greatly reduced, although the infection will still be there. Even though you will get relief, the infection will get worse - and the pain will always come back. Once more of the bone has been dissolved, there will be nothing left to support the tooth, meaning that it will become loose and end up needing to be extracted.





The symptoms of an abscessed tooth are easy to see, as they include severe pain in the affected area, red or swollen gums, a bad taste in your mouth, swelling around the area or the jaw, and possibly a high fever. Pain is excruciating with an abscess, normally affecting the area in a bad way. No matter what you do, the pain seems to intensify.





Abscesses mostly occur with back teeth, although they can happen in the front as well. Once your tooth has become abscessed, your dentist won抰 immediately pull it. If a tooth that has abscessed is extracted once the infection is still present, it can quickly spread. Your dentist will instead prescribe you some antibiotics that can help to destroy the bacteria.





The dentist can also perform a root canal, in an attempt to remove dead or decayed tissue. Last but not least, he can also drill a hole in the tooth to give the infection a chance to drain and try to remove any dead pulp. The most common treatment with an abscess is to use antibiotics to kill the infection, then get the tooth removed. You should never let it get that bad - as an abscess is something that can destroy your jawbone.



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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Dreaded Root Canal




Sometimes, when you have a toothache, the cause is due to the tooth being severely decayed. If the toothache is causing you severe pain, the never on the inside of the tooth may be dying or already dead. If this is the case, you抣l need to either have the tooth extracted or the nerve removed from the tooth, in order to remove the abscess. Removing the nerve will save the tooth, and is known as a root canal.





Root canals are very common within the world of dentistry, as they represent a known way to save the tooth from dying. Although many people end up having their teeth extracted, others turn to the root canal. This dental procedure isn抰 preferred by many, as it can take quite a long time, normally around 3 - 4 hours. If the abscess is severe, it will take longer, as the dentist will have to scrape out all of the dying pulp from inside of the tooth.





Now days, dentists are starting to use machines to do a majority of the scraping and probing associated with root canals. In the past, the dentist had to do it all himself which took quite a bit of time. Now, with the use of a machine, the dentist can drill the hole in the tooth then let the machine to do the scraping. This helps to cut down on the amount of time for a root canal, as well as ensure that all of the dead or dying pulp has been removed efficiently.





The cost for a root canal may also be something that people fear worse than the actual procedure itself. Root canals can cost around $800 to over $1,000 dollars, which makes it something that many can抰 afford. Instead of paying a high price to have a root canal, most choose to pay a smaller price and simply have the tooth extracted.





The choice you need to make when thinking about a root canal, is whether or not you wish to save the dying tooth. Sometimes, a dentist will recommend the root canal, especially if he thinks it would be in your best interest to save the tooth. Other times, he will let you make the decision, and decide if you want to save it or just go ahead and have it extracted.





Although the root canal is a procedure that many fear, it is also a procedure that can save the life of your tooth. If you have a dying tooth, you should consider this procedure. It isn抰 really that painful, as you抣l be numb the entire time. The only thing that抯 really frustrating is the time it takes to complete the root canal. Even though it may be time consuming - it is still an efficient way to save the life of your tooth.



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Dealing With Infections




Once a tooth has been extracted, bacteria will still be alive in the mouth, even more so with those who have bad oral hygiene. Infections are very common following extractions. Depending on how bad the tooth was that the dentist removed, he may prescribe you some antibiotics to take that will greatly reduce your risk of getting an infection. In some cases though, even antibiotics can抰 prevent an infection.





If you go to the dentist before the extraction experienced swelling of the face, swollen gums, pain in your teeth under light pressure, or bleeding around the extraction site, then you may already have an infection. If you indeed have an infection before you get the tooth treated, the dentist will prescribe you antibiotics to use following treatment. If you have a really bad abscess, you抣l need to use antibiotics to treat the infection before the dentist will remove the tooth.





In some cases, people develop an infection after the extraction, even though they may not have been infected beforehand. The reason for this, is bacteria. Following an extraction, bacteria will be more alive in the mouth than ever before. With the extraction site being exposed, the bacteria will be able to get into the site. This can lead to an infection due to the site being exposed and the fact that you are unable to use mouthwash or brush during the first 24 - 48 hours. Not being able to sterilize your mouth means that you are unable to kills the germs responsible for bacteria.





After extractions, the first sign of infection is renewed bleeding. This normally occurs around 48 hours after the extraction. Even though it normally isn抰 severe, you should still call your dentist and make an appointment to be seen. Your dentist will be able to stop the bleeding and give you some antibiotics and other prescriptions that will fix the problem.





Some dentists prefer to give patients antibiotics before they will do any type of extraction. Although you may not have an abscess, most dentists prefer to get rid of the infection before they start doing their work. They do this because they know the local anesthesia won抰 work all that good with infections, and it may take them a lot of work and a lot of medicine to numb the area that you have the infection in.





In the event that the tooth has to be removed and the dentist simply cannot wait a few days, it is possible to get you numbed. Although it will take quite a bit of medicine to numb the area, it can be done. Sometimes, dentists will choose to use an IV sedation or laughing gas, in the event that local numbing doesn抰 help. An IV sedation will normally put you to sleep or knock you out, so that the dentist can remove the tooth that is causing you so much trouble.





Even though infections can cause a lot of pain and need to be dealt with immediately, you may not have to take antibiotics once the dentist has extracted the tooth. If your mouth is clean and you don抰 have a lot of germs, you can normally heal the would by taking care of it. Rinsing your mouth out with salt water for the first few days will keep the extraction site clean. As long as you take care of the extraction site and do what your dentist tells you, you shouldn抰 have any further problems with the extraction site or the infection.



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Chitika