Are You Grinding Your Teeth at Night?

Dental Care During Pregnancy

Feeling Confident in Dentures

Beat Your Bad Breathe

How to Brush Your Teeth

About Flossing

Toothache Causes

Home Toothache Remedies

Dealing with fear and anxiety

How to Prevent Tooth Decay

All About Cavities

About Fillings

Gingivitis And Periodontal Disease

Infections

Do you need a root canal?

Extractions

Cracked Teeth

Crowns and Bridges

Useful Information About Wisdom Teeth

We Love Our Neighbors!

We know what you’re thinking: brux what? Bruxism is simply the clinical term for teeth grinding. Teeth grinding can happen at night (sleep bruxism) or during the day. Sometimes it occurs in conjunction with jaw clenching. Telltale signs of bruxism include chronic headaches, earaches and jaw pain. Even worse, bruxism can wear down tooth enamel. What’s the cause of bruxism? The official verdict is still out. But most medical and dental professionals believe that stress or suppressed frustration and anger can provoke bruxism or sleep bruxism. Fortunately, there are ways to put an end to the grind. A little meditation or yoga can be great for stress relief. Dentists also offer many proven treatments for bruxism!

Bruxism FAQs

Q: Does bruxism need to be professionally treated?

A: If your symptoms of bruxism seem mild, you may get relief from simple jaw exercises. But even if you can endure the headaches, earaches, facial or jaw pain, why put yourself through that? One trip to the dentist can put an end to the pain. Plus, over time bruxism can wear down tooth enamel, making you vulnerable to chipped teeth, cracks and breaks — which can be costly to repair. Getting professional help for bruxism early on can actually save you money later.

Q: What dental treatments are available for bruxism?

A: Dental treatments for bruxism typically include wearing custom mouthguards, correcting misaligned teeth or oral surgery (for more severe cases of bruxism).

Q: Does bruxism affect only adults?

A: No. While adult women account for the majority of bruxism sufferers, children are also prone to daytime teeth grinding, jaw clenching and particularly sleep bruxism. If you notice your child grinding teeth while sleeping, schedule a dental visit! Early bruxism treatment can help ensure that your little one doesn’t continue to suffer.

© 2000 – 2012 Futuredontics, Inc.

Pregnancy: Tooth Care for Two

If you’re pregnant, your dentist needs to know about the first signs of gum disease symptoms. Pregnant women are at increased risk for periodontal disease because the increased levels of progesterone that come with pregnancy cause an exaggerated response to plaque bacteria. As a result, pregnant women are more likely to develop gingivitis even if they follow a consistent oral health care routine.

Gingivitis is most common during months two to eight of pregnancy. Tell your dentist when you are pregnant — he or she may recommend more frequent dental cleanings during the second trimester or early in the third trimester to help combat the effects of increased progesterone and help you avoid gingivitis

In addition, eating a balanced diet during pregnancy will help promote dental health and overall health for you and your baby. A baby’s teeth begin to develop between months 3 to 6 of pregnancy, so be sure that you are getting enough calcium, vitamin D, C and A, phosphorous, and protein.

A myth persists that a pregnant woman will lose calcium from her teeth if she isn’t getting enough calcium in her diet during pregnancy. In fact, any calcium loss due to inadequate dietary calcium will occur in the bones, not the teeth. But if you include plenty of calcium-rich foods in your diet during pregnancy, your bones and teeth—and your baby’s bones and teeth—should be strong and healthy.

More Useful Articles:

Flossing During Pregnancy

Avoid Gingivitis During Pregnancy

Dental Hygiene During Pregnancy

Dysguesia In Pregnant Women

Don’t Skip the Dentist During Pregnancy

When To Tell The Dentist You’re Pregnant

Getting Used To Dentures

Dentures take some getting used to, but with a few simple strategies up your sleeve, you can feel confident all day long.

When you speak, the sound reaches your ears through vibrations in the bones of the jaw and skull. Wearing dentures changes and increases the sound, but this is much more noticeable to you than to anyone else.

If your dentures “click” when you speak, try to speak more slowly to avoid movements that raise and/or move your lower denture. Keeping your lower denture in place requires the ability to hold it still with the muscles of your lips, cheeks, and tongue. At first, these muscles may tend to “kick out” your denture. With time and practice, you will be able to overcome the difficulties of speaking.

To speak more confidently while wearing your dentures:

• Bite and swallow before speaking. This places your dentures in position so you can speak more clearly.
• Practice reading aloud.
• Use a denture adhesive. Using an adhesive, such as Fixodent,® will help keep your dentures in place and make it easier to speak clearly.

Eating with Confidence

As a new denture wearer, you may find that chewing feels different with dentures. You also may think that food has “lost its flavor.” While you are adjusting to wearing your dentures, your mind is receiving strong signals from your mouth about your dentures, which overpower the messages from your taste buds. After you are accustomed to the denture, your mind will pay less attention to your dentures and more to your taste buds.

During your adjustment time, you may have trouble sensing hot foods and drinks, which is common with new denture wearers. Be careful; you don’t want to burn your mouth.

To eat more easily and enjoyably while wearing dentures:

• Begin with small quantities of food cut into smaller pieces.
• Chew half of the food in your mouth on the back-left side of your mouth and the other half on the back-right side. This will even out the pressure on your dentures.
• Start with soft foods. Some good examples are eggs, fish, chopped meat, cooked vegetables, and puddings. After you feel more confident, try eating chewier foods, such as steak or celery.

For more about dentures visit www.dentureliving.com

Oral-B: The Brand More Dentists Use Themselves
Worldwide.
 ©2012 Procter & Gamble. All rights reserved.
All claims valid only in the U.S.

What are Common Bad Breath Causes?

If you suffer from chronic, severe bad breath, also known as halitosis, it’s important to identify the cause so you can determine an effective treatment.

Halitosis has many causes, including the following:

• Tobacco use. If you smoke, quit. Your bad breath may be due to other causes, too, but tobacco use is a guarantee of bad breath. If you are ready to quit, ask your doctor or dentist for advice and support.
• What you eat, or don’t eat. Certain foods, such as garlic, contribute to bad breath, but only temporarily. Once they are absorbed into the bloodstream, the smell is expelled through the breath, but the odors remain until the body processes the food, so there’s no quick fix.
• Dry mouth. If your mouth is extremely dry, there is not enough saliva to wash away excess food particles and bacteria, which can cause an unpleasant smell if they build up on the teeth.
• Infections. Bad breath that seems to have no other cause may indicate an infection elsewhere in the body. If you have chronic bad breath and your dentist rules out any oral problems, see your doctor for an evaluation. Bad breath can be a sign of a range of conditions including respiratory tract infections, chronic sinusitis or bronchitis, diabetes, or liver and kidney problems, so it’s important not to ignore the problem.

The best way to improve bad breath is to follow a thorough oral care routine including twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing to remove the food particles and bacteria that can cause bad breath. Mouthwashes only improve bad breath for the short term, and if you have a chronic problem, your dentist may suggest an antimicrobial rinse to help keep bacteria at bay.

More Useful Information

Smoking Causes More Than Bad Breath

Tongue Scrapers Offer An Option For Halitosis

Flossing – Bad Breath Killer

Cavities can best be described as holes in your teeth that are usually caused by 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 toothpaste.  If your family has a history of tooth disease or teeth problems you may be susceptible to inheriting them.  Passing tooth problems down from generation to generation are not uncommon.

The key to the treatment of cavities is ultimately through preventing them from forming at all. Aside from maintaining regular routine visits with your dentist, there are several techniques that are crucial to the prevention of cavity development, starting with what you eat. Eating a lot of sweets and/or drinking sodas place you at a higher risk for cavity development.  Foods that are rich in sugar or starch are a favored food source for bacteria that thrive in plaque.  These bacteria produce acids that dissolve the enamel and dentin of teeth, eventually leading to more serious complications that will result in the need of a root canal and ultimately an extraction.  Consuming alternative foods such as apples and celery are not only good for your overall health but can actually reduce risk of cavity development, as they help to break away unwanted plaque and food debris.

Brushing and flossing after meals is one of the most recommended techniques in reducing cavity development, however many dentists will acknowledge that there are times when brushing and flossing are simply not feasible, such as during work or school.  When more thorough alternatives are not available or practical a step as simple as swishing a mouthful of water in your mouth after meals can greatly improve your chances of cavity reduction. Chewing sugar-free gum is yet another simple alternative method in removing plaque and unwanted food debris.

Another key contributor to cavity development is dry mouth.  While many may not realize it, saliva is incredibly significant in maintaining oral health and one of its central functions is cavity prevention.  Dry mouth is very common and is normally the result of medications, illness and/or radiation treatment.  Those who use tobacco products are especially prone to developing symptoms of dry mouth.  Using specialized oral products that aim to alleviate symptoms will help reduce cavity risk; however the most effective method is to limit provoking contributors to the best of your ability.

Visiting your dentist is the most effective measure in diagnosis of a cavity, however there several clues that can alert the presence of a cavity.  If a cavity develops it can change the color of the affected area.  If you notice a color change such as a blackened or whitened area in your tooth, or develop sensitivity to temperature changes such as when drinking ice water or hot tea or notice sensitivity to sweets you should make an appointment with your dentist immediately.

If left untreated the enamel of the tooth will start to degrade. After that the dentin and ultimately the pulp will be affected.  Once damaging acid has managed to eat away enough of the enamel below the surface, the surface will collapse, resulting in a cavity.  Without proper treatment the tooth will continue to degrade and the cavity will continue to spread until the entire tooth has been eaten away, diminishing protective enamel and exposing the tooth root – which can be very painful.

If you visit your dentist on a regular basis he/she can find cavities and fill them (usually) before they are too severe.  However, if left untreated cavities can become more serious and lead to an abscess.  An abscess infects the entire tooth down to the root tip and if left untreated can ultimately be fatal.  Leaving a cavity alone is damaging to both your health and your personal expense pocket, as the resulting root canal and crown to repair an abscess will cost much more than the initial cavity filling would have been.  Furthermore, if the tooth needs an extraction, the replacement cost will even further exceed the cost of the original filling.

Cavities can develop in the pits of chewing areas around the back teeth, between your teeth, or near the gum line, however no matter where they occur the easiest way to spot them is to visit your dentist.  Your dentist will be able to perform simple x-rays to diagnose the presence and severity of cavities and offer the most efficient treatment plan.  If caught in time the repair to the cavity will be minimally invasive and will prevent the further destruction of the affected tooth.

The early detection of cavities is crucial to the overall prognosis of your teeth; however the best treatment plan is to prevent cavities from forming all together.  Proper oral hygiene such as routine brushing and flossing are imperative to the prevention of cavities, and while there are several techniques to prevent cavities from forming in between dental visits, nothing can replace a routine check-up from your dentist.  Maintaining regular visits with your dentist is crucial in lowering cavity risk, and may lead to lower expenses to both your wallet and your health.

Your first line of defense should always be to arm yourself with the proper toothbrush and toothpaste.  Using a toothbrush with soft bristles allows you to remove unwanted food debris and plaque without causing unnecessary damage to your gums that may lead to sensitivity.  Try using a toothbrush with a smaller sized head to access hard to reach places such as back teeth and tight areas.  Visible signs of wear should alert you that it is time to replace your toothbrush since worn bristles can tear away and harm delicate gums.  Replacing your toothbrush every couple of months or after you have been sick is essential, as bristles can hold on to unhygienic germs and bacteria.

Selecting the proper toothpaste is another essential technique to promoting good oral hygiene.  There are a variety of toothpastes available that are specially designed for your own particular needs such as reduction of sensitivity, tarter control and prevention of gingivitis. If you are unsure of which type of toothpaste or toothbrush you should be using your dentist will be able to steer you in the right direction.

Maintaining a proper brushing routine is the first form of protection against cavities and gum disease.  However, even the most proficient patient in tooth brushing can not replace the benefits of regular check-ups and cleanings by your dentist.  A combination of regular dental visits and utilization of proper brushing techniques is your best means of achieving and maintaining good oral health.

For many years, different cultures have relied on herbs to help control toothache pain and provide temporary relief. Natural herbs such as cloves, calendula, tarragon, and yarrow can be used to help relieve toothache pain until you can get to the dentist.

For centuries Native Americans have applied the inner bark of the butternut tree to their gums to get relief from toothaches.  The butternut tree is found in North America, and is also the cousin of the black walnut tree.  Butternut trees are found along rivers in well drained soil, rich woods, and even in back yards.  Once the tree matures, it can reach heights of up to 60 feet, with the bark being light grey in color, and the leaves and the fruit resembling the black walnut tree.

Yarrow, another popular home remedy, can be found in Asia, Europe, and North America.  It normally grows wild in meadows, fields, and in open wood lands.  The root of yarrow has anesthetic properties and if applied to your tooth and gums it may help to temporarily alleviate pain.

Cloves are derived from evergreen trees that are native to tropical areas, however, in most households cloves can be found in the back of your ordinary spice closet. Medicinal properties are held within the dried flower bud of the clove tree. Applying clove oil directly to the source of pain often results in immediate alleviation of pain and discomfort.

Throughout the course of time, herbs have proven to be very effective with stopping toothache pain and were particularly of use in times predating the modern dental facilities that we have today.  You may find that using natural herbs are an excellent and affordable remedy to alleviate toothache pain.  However, a common toothache may be an indication of a more serious problem, and you should never rely on home remedies alone to diagnose or treat a true dental issue.  Always contact your dentist if you have any concerns or are experiencing any true discomfort in your teeth or gums.

Removing the pulp is called endodontic treatment, but it is often referred to as root canal treatment or root canal therapy. Many people refer to pulp removal as “having a root canal.” Root canal treatments are quite common. In the United States, they save about 24 million teeth each year.

Why Would You Need Root Canal Treatment?
Root canal treatment is needed for two main reasons. The first is infection. An untreated cavity is a common cause of pulp infection. The decay erodes the enamel and dentin of the tooth until it reaches a root canal. This allows bacteria to infect the pulp. Antibiotics can’t get to infections inside teeth. The inflammation caused by the infection reduces the blood supply to the tooth. The reduced blood supply also keeps the pulp from healing.

The second reason for a root canal is damage to the pulp that can’t be fixed. Trauma or a fractured tooth can damage the pulp. So can a lot of restoration, such as several fillings placed in the same tooth over a period of time. Sometimes, common dental procedures, such as preparing a tooth for a crown, can hurt the pulp. Then the tooth might need a root canal.

When the pulp is inflamed but not infected, it may heal on its own. Your dentist may want see if this will happen before doing root canal treatment. If the pulp remains inflamed, it can be painful and may lead to infection.

An infection in the pulp can affect the bone around the tooth. This can cause an abscess to form. The goal of root canal treatment is to save the tooth by removing the infected or damaged pulp, treating any infection, and filling the empty root canals with a material called gutta percha.

If root canal treatment is not done, an infected tooth may have to be extracted. It is better to keep your natural teeth if you can. If a tooth is missing, neighboring teeth can drift out of line. They also can be overstressed from chewing. Keeping your natural teeth also helps you to avoid other treatments, such as implants or bridges. Also, if you ignore an infected or injured tooth the infection can spread to other parts of your body.

Having root canal treatment on a tooth does not mean that the tooth will need to be pulled out in a few years. Once a tooth is treated, it almost always will last the rest of your life.

Signs and Symptoms
If you have an infection of the pulp, you may not feel any pain at first. But if it is not treated, the infection will cause pain and swelling. In some cases, an abscess will form.

Your tooth might need a root canal if:

• It hurts when you bite down on it, touch it or push on it
• It is sensitive to heat
• It is sensitive to cold for more than a couple of seconds
• There is swelling near the tooth
• It is discolored (whether it hurts or not)
• It is broken

To determine whether your tooth needs root canal treatment, your dentist will often place hot or cold substances against the tooth. The purpose is to see if it is more or less sensitive than a normal tooth. He or she will examine the tissues around the tooth and gently tap on the tooth to test for symptoms.

You also will be given X-rays of the bone around the tooth. The X-rays may show a widening of the ligament that holds the tooth in place or a dark spot at the tip of the root. If either of these is present, your dentist probably will recommend a root canal procedure.

Your dentist may need more information about the tooth. He or she may use an electric pulp tester. This hand-held device sends a small electric current through the tooth. It helps your dentist decide whether the pulp is alive. This test does not cause pain or a shock. You may feel a tingling sensation. It will stop when the tester is removed from the tooth.

An electric pulp tester should not be used if you have a cardiac pacemaker or any other electronic life-support device.

Length of Treatment
Root canal treatment can be done in one or more visits. It depends on the situation. An uncomplicated root canal treatment often can be completed in one visit. Some teeth may be more difficult to treat because of where they are in the mouth. Some teeth have more roots than other teeth. Treating a tooth with many roots takes longer. Some teeth have curved root canals that are difficult to find. If you have an infection, you will visit the dentist several times so that he or she can make sure that the infection is gone.

Once the root canal treatment is finished, you will need to see your general dentist to have a crown or filling placed on the tooth. You are likely to receive a crown if the tooth is discolored or if it is used for chewing. The purpose of the crown is to prevent the tooth from breaking in the future.

Measuring and Cleaning the Root Canals
Measuring
First, your dentist or endodontist will numb the area around the tooth. You also may receive sedation, such as nitrous oxide. Your dentist also has other ways to reduce your anxiety. Before your first appointment, ask what is available.

The dentist will make a hole in the top or back of your tooth to get to the pulp chamber. He or she will remove some of the diseased pulp.

Then the root canals have to be measured. Your dentist needs to know how long the canals are to make sure the entire canal is cleaned. He or she also needs to know how much filling material to put in the cleaned canals.

To measure the root canals, dentists use X-rays or an electric device called an apex locator. For an X-ray, your dentist will place a file into the canal and then take an X-ray. An apex locator measures a root canal based on its resistance to a small electric current. Many dentists use both methods.

Cleaning
After the canals have been measured, your dentist or endodontist will use special tools to clean out all of the diseased pulp. Then the canal is cleaned with antiseptic. This helps treat and prevent infection. All the canals within a tooth must be cleaned. Teeth have different numbers of canals:

• The top front teeth have one canal.
• The bottom front teeth have one or two canals.
• The premolars have one or two canals.
• The molars have three or four canals.

The location and shape of the canals can vary quite a bit. Some endodontists look inside the tooth with a microscope to make sure all the canals have been cleaned out.

Once the canals have been thoroughly cleaned, the roots are filled. A temporary filling is then placed over the tooth. The top of the tooth should then be covered with a permanent filling or crown. The temporary filling you receive is not meant to last.

In most cases, the tooth will need a crown. A crown will help to restore the tooth’s strength and protect it from cracking. If a crown is indicated it should be placed soon after having root canal treatment.

The pulp that was removed during root canal treatment is the part that responds to temperature. Your tooth will no longer be sensitive to hot or cold after the root canal is treated. There still are tissues and nerves around the tooth, however, so it will respond to pressure and touch.

After Root Canal Treatment
As with most invasive medical or dental procedures, complications can occur. Here are some possibilities.

Sometimes when a root canal is opened for treatment, the oxygen in the air will trigger some bacteria to start growing. This causes swelling and pain.

Blood vessels enter the tooth through a small hole at the bottom of the root. Sometimes during a root canal procedure, bacteria are pushed through this hole into surrounding tissue. If this happens, the surrounding tissue will become inflamed and possibly infected. This can be treated with painkillers and sometimes antibiotics. However, it may be painful until it clears up.

A root canal treatment can puncture the side of the tooth. This can happen if a canal is curved or hard to find. The tools that the dentist uses are flexible. They bend as a canal curves. Sometimes they bend at the wrong time and make a small hole in the side of the tooth. If saliva can get into the hole, it will have to be filled. Sometimes, the tooth has to be removed. If the hole is far enough under the gum that saliva can’t reach it, the hole may close on its own.

Finding root canals can be difficult. If all of the canals aren’t found and cleaned out, the tooth can stay infected. This also can happen if a canal isn’t measured correctly and pieces of infected or inflamed pulp are left near the bottom. In this case, the root canal procedure would have to be done again. Occasionally, root canals have branches that the dentist’s tools can’t reach.

The tip of a file may break off inside the tooth. If the canal is clean, your dentist can leave the piece of file in the tooth. But if canal is not completely cleaned out, the file piece may have to be removed. Sometimes this can be done from the top of the tooth. However, in some cases, the file can only be removed through a surgical procedure called an apicoectomy. A small cut is made in the gum so the dentist can get at the root of the tooth. The dentist shaves off the bottom of the root and gets into the canal from the bottom to remove the file piece.

Possible Complications
In most cases, you will not have any pain during a root canal procedure. Your dentist will numb your tooth and the surrounding area. Let your dentist know if you are feeling any pain during the root canal. Some people fear the numbing shots more than the root canal treatment itself. Today, numbing gels and modern injection systems have made injections virtually painless. If it does hurt when you are getting an injection, let your dentist know immediately. He or she can change the way the injection is given to avoid causing pain.

©2002-2009 Aetna, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reviewed by the faculty of Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

If you’re afraid of going to the dentist, you should know that there are ways to quell dental anxiety and make your dental care experience a lot more tolerable.

Not many people really like going to the dentist. But for some people, the thought of going to the dentist can bring on such a fear that they avoid getting the dental care they need. In fact, nearly half of adults skipped the dentist in 2009, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What Is Dental Anxiety?

Some people’s fear of going to the dentist or getting dental procedures done is so severe that they lose sleep at night and worry excessively about what might happen at the dentist’s office, says Kimberly Harms, DDS, consumer advisor and spokesperson for the American Dental Association, and a dentist in private practice in Farmington, Minn.

Dental anxiety is common, with up to 15 percent of Americans avoiding seeing a dentist due to fear.

Dr. Harms says that dental anxiety is more common in older people, who may have experienced dental care when technologies were not as advanced as they are today.

“Children today have very few negative dental experiences, so we tend to see fewer problems among younger people,” she says. But the older you are, the more likely you are to have had a dental procedure when anesthesia was less effective, or not used, and when dentists focused less on patient comfort.

“Great strides have been made in focusing on making the patient comfortable,” says Harms.

How to Overcome Dental Anxiety

For people who have dental anxiety, the following strategies can help calm your fears:

• Communicate with your dentist. Harms says that the best thing you can do to get over your dental anxiety is to talk to your dentist about it. “A lot of patients don’t feel comfortable talking with their dentists on a one-on-one level,” she says. But remember that your dentist is a patient, too. In fact, Harms herself has dental anxiety that stems from her childhood dentist not using anesthesia when filling cavities. “If you are anxious about something,” she says, “come right out and talk to the dentist about it.”
• “Talk” with your hands. It can be difficult to speak when you have a mouth full of dental tools, so talk with your dentist before your procedure about how you will communicate should you have any discomfort or pain. Harms tells her patients to raise a hand if they feel any pain or sensation during a dental procedure. That way she can adjust the anesthesia and make sure the patient is comfortable.
• Get distracted. In Harms’ office, patients are provided with video glasses so that they can watch movies during dental procedures. Watching television, listening to the radio, or just letting your mind wander can help ease some of your anxiety.
• Consider medication. If you are having a dental procedure that requires anesthesia, rest assured that anesthesia is much more effective today than it was in the past. For some patients, a sedative or nitrous oxide can also help calm their nerves, says Harms.
• Take a break if you need it. Harms says that some patients need to take breaks during dental procedures, when anxiety builds up or they start to feel claustrophobic. If you feel like you need a break, let your dentist know.
• Ask about sedation dentistry. In some areas, there are dentists who practice sedation dentistry, which is where you get dental care under partial or full loss of consciousness. Harms says that most patients probably don’t need sedation dentistry, but for those whose dental anxiety is so severe that they refuse to get dental care any other way, it may be an option.

It could very well be that the unknown is what you fear, so don’t be afraid to ask questions before a procedure and make sure that your dentist does everything he or she can to make you feel comfortable during your visit. And getting regular dental care is vital to your oral health, so it’s well worth the effort.

Medically reviewed by Christine Wilmsen Craig, MD