X-Rays are a way for your dentist to see what is going on in and under your teeth. They can tell them if you have any signs of tooth decay, if your roots are healthy, and if you have any issues or areas of concern in and around the roots of the teeth.
Your dentist may decide to do an extraoral x-ray which focuses on bone and skull and is used to see if you have any problems with your jaw or with any impacted teeth. They may also decide to do an intraoral x-ray, which is the most common type of x-ray and it primarily focuses on the teeth, from the roots up.
Depending on your individual needs, your dentist may decide to take dental x-rays just once, possibly during your initial exam, or they may decide that a particular problem needs monitoring, in which case follow up x-rays may be needed. Before making a decision your dentist will thoroughly review your medical record and discuss all options and suggestions with you.
Denture Care
Even though dentures are not your natural teeth, they are made from high quality materials to make them look like they are. As such, it is very important that patient's care for them as they would their natural teeth, which includes daily brushing and regular dental visits in order to ensure that they still have a seamless fit. Remember that dirty, malformed dentures cause gum irritation and infection.
When your dentures are clean and plaque, food, and other debris are regularly removed, the soft tissue in your mouth will remain healthy. You should always brush and rinse off your dentures when you are finished eating a meal and at the end of the day, they should be put in a denture solution to soak overnight. Removing and soaking your dentures while you sleep will allow your gums to rest and breathe.
Cleaning Techniques
Below you will find some tips and techniques for cleaning and maintaining your dentures:
- Brushing - Everyone chooses to brush their dentures a little differently, some use soap and water and others use either a slightly abrasive regular or non-abrasive denture toothpaste or cream.
- Since dentures are slightly softer than natural teeth, you should stay away from highly abrasive toothpastes or chemicals and you should never brush them with a hard bristled toothbrush because it can scratch, or worse, crack, your dentures.
- You should always handle your dentures with care in order to keep all of the teeth tightly in place.
- When cleaning your dentures you should always put a small washcloth at the base of the sink basin, fill the sink up with water, and then use cold or lukewarm water to clean them because if you use hot water you run the risk of warping your dentures.
- At the end of the day before going to bed, you should rinse off your dentures and then soak them overnight in an anti-bacterial denture cleanser such as Efferdent or Polident. In the morning be sure to remember to rinse the cleanser off of your dentures with clean water before putting them back in your mouth.
- You should never brush your natural teeth or gums with the same toothbrush as you clean your dentures with. Many people use a soft washcloth to clean and wipe away any debris from their gums.
Emergency Care
When a dental emergency arises, we understand that it can be a stressful situation, especially if something happened to you child, but the best thing you can do is keep calm. Assess the situation and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and contact our office as soon as possible. That way we can get your child in and seen right away so that we can help to prevent additional damage and subsequent costly dental restoration down the road.
Prevention Tips for Children
Infants
We recommend that infants have their first dental examination sometime between 6 months to a year of age and then every six months after that. This is important so that the dentist can properly examine your child’s mouth and ensure that they are developmentally on track.
Some early issues that your dentist will look for are malformed teeth and bite relationships due to thumb sucking or over use of a pacifier, and also baby bottle tooth decay, which affects babies between birth and the age of 5 1/2 and is caused when sugary liquids, such as milk or juice, cling to teeth. This happens when you allow your baby or child to sleep with a bottle in their mouth because the flow of saliva decreases when sleeping, which causes the bacteria in the mouth to thrive on the sugar from the liquid, which in turn slowly erodes the enamel of the teeth, causing decay. If left untreated, your child's future permanent teeth run the risk of not properly forming.
Teething, Pacifiers and Thumb-Sucking
It is normal that your child’s gums become swollen and sore when their primary teeth are coming in, a process which is called teething. To provide them relief from this discomfort you can try gently rubbing their gums with your finger or a clean, wet washcloth and giving them a teething ring. Allowing your child to suck on their thumb, or excessively suck on their pacifier can cause their teeth to come in crooked, making them need braces when they get older.
Primary and Permanent Teeth
Primary teeth, also known as baby teeth, are a set of 20 teeth that usually come in by the time a child is three. Then between the ages of 3 and 12, the primary teeth will fall out, one by one, and they are replaced by their 28 permanent teeth and later on four wisdom teeth, , which will remain intact through adulthood.
It is important that a child practice good dental hygiene with their primary teeth because these teeth set the bar for their permanent teeth, whether good or bad. An example is when a child has a diseased primary tooth, this will cause the permanent tooth to not grow in like it should. If caught early enough, your child’s dentist can possibly correct the issue.
Brushing
When brushing baby’s teeth and gums, you should use only a special infant toothbrush that you can put on your finger, like a fuzzy finger glove, and water. Toothpaste isn’t recommended for small infants because there is a greater risk that they can swallow it.
From the toddler stage, up through early childhood, your child’s primary teeth can be brushed using a pea-size amount of toothpaste and a child-sized toothbrush with soft bristles. It is important to remind them to not swallow the toothpaste.
Fluoride
Fluoride is an important mineral that is naturally found in your teeth and helps to strengthen the enamel, which in turn also helps to prevent cavities. For decades small amounts of fluoride have been added to public drinking water through a process called water fluoridation. This helps the general population safely and effectively get enough fluoride as a preventative for tooth decay and other dental ailments.
Toothaches
There are several different reasons why someone may have a toothache, ranging from a piece of debris is stuck in between the teeth, to more complicated reasons such as tooth decay or fracture.
If the reason for the toothache is a piece of debris, simply rinse your mouth with either water or a mouth rinse to dislodge the debris. You should avoid placing aspirin on the area for pain relief because the dissolving aspirin has been shown to damage and cause harm your gum's tissue.
Injuries
Injuries can cause broken, fractured, or displaced teeth, but typically it is not an immediate reason to be alarmed, as long as you stay calm and act quick.
If someone has knocked out your child’s tooth, the first thing you should do, after finding your tooth, is rinse out your mouth in order to remove any blood or foreign object fragments. Then, to reduce the swelling, you should put a cold compress on your cheek close to the effected area. Next, you should try to put it back in the empty socket, taking care to only hold the tooth by the crown, and not the root, so you don't damage it. If you are unable to put the tooth back in the empty socket, you should then take and put it in the victim's saliva, warm milk, or saline and keep it there until you are able to get in to see us.
If someone has caused your child’s tooth to become fractured, you should rinse out their mouth, taking care that they do not to swallow any tooth fragments, and put a cold compress on their cheek close to the effected area. To reduce swelling, you can also give them ibuprofen to take, following the medicine's instructions. Once you are able to get your child in to see us, if the fracture is not major and the pulp is not severely injured, we will probably be able to fully restore it by sanding and bonding.
In cases where a child's primary tooth was loosened, whether the reason is that they were injured or because a permanent tooth is coming through and pushed it loose, you can try getting an apple or piece of caramel and having them gently bite down which should cause the tooth to come out of the child's gums.
A good preventative for injuries with children, is the use of a mouth guard, especially when playing sports. A mouth guard is a small plastic dental shield used to protect the teeth, gums and lips.
Sealants
Sealants are recommended for people of all ages, but especially for children and teenagers. This will help them from getting cavities on their permanent teeth, while they are still learning and remembering to follow through with good dental hygiene practices.
Women and Tooth Care
A woman’s body is different than a man’s. A woman has hormonal fluctuations and changes to deal with from menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, all of which affect not only her body, but her oral health as well.
Some women’s gums become swollen and may bleed, others notice a spike in cold and canker sores in their mouths during menstruation. One of the side effects of oral contraceptives, such as birth control pills, are that the gums may become inflamed and in rare cases increase the risk of gingivitis. While pregnant, some women have noticed an increase in the amount of plaque buildup in their mouths, which in turn causes the gums to become irritated and potentially cause pregnancy gingivitis. When a woman goes through menopause, not only does she have to deal with hot flashes and weight gain, but she also has to deal with swollen or red gums, weird tastes in her mouth, and dry mouth. Osteoporosis, which 68% of the 44 million people at risk annually are women, effects bone loss all over the body, including the jaw which could lead to tooth loss. If a woman has gum disease while she is pregnant, the chances of her child being born prematurely rises.
Good dental hygiene habits and regular dental examinations can go a long way to helping prevent this laundry list of dental problems that women face.