Does tooth decay increase the risk of a stroke?
Not only can quality oral health help improve the function and appearance of your smile, but recent studies have also found that better oral health can lower your risk of a variety of chronic illnesses, including stroke. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, one study highlights the recently discovered link between oral bacteria and hemorrhagic strokes. This type of stroke occurs when blood vessels in the brain rupture, causing bleeding.
Inflammation of the gums, also known as gingivitis, is a common condition characterized by swollen, often tender, and easily bleeding gums. If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to a more severe form of gum disease, known as periodontal disease.
Severe periodontal disease can result in tooth decay, bone loss, and even tooth loss. Some studies have even reported a potential link between tooth loss and greater risk for having strokes.
What is dental bonding?
Why are teeth so durable? Because your enamel is one of the strongest parts of your body. Chipping a tooth, however, is easier than you think. You can crack a tooth on a glass bottle, water fountain, ice cubes, or during childbirth. Teeth bonding can help repair chipped teeth and prevent them from further damage. Is it the right move for you?
What is Tooth Bonding?
Tooth bonding (dental bonding) is a cosmetic dental procedure that repairs a chipped, cracked, or otherwise broken tooth. It also helps with discolored teeth, gaps between the teeth, and even lengthening a tooth that’s shorter than the rest.
The “bond” is a composite resin that goes over where your tooth broke to make it look as good as new. Unlike a crown, the composite color will be similar to the color of the tooth, so it continues to look natural. Why choose tooth bonding, even for a small chip? Many people are most concerned with their smile, but fixing chips and cracks is also vital for your overall oral health. It helps you chew properly and prevents further damage that could even threaten the health of the surrounding teeth.
Should you get a tooth extraction?
Just because you have some pain in your tooth doesn’t mean you should rush to the family dentistry to have the tooth pulled out. Look for certain signs and symptoms which may indicate that the tooth needs to be extracted.
When Should You Consider Tooth Extraction
When should a tooth be extracted? When a tooth becomes infected, damaged or decayed beyond repair. If a tooth cannot be repaired with a crown or dental filling because of trauma caused by an accident or extensive decay, tooth extraction may be your only option. A tooth that’s severely decayed or damaged can no longer remain in the mouth, and prolonging its removal can risk worsening the infection and can cause general health issues.
Similarly, impacted wisdom teeth occur when there’s a lack of room for the wisdom teeth to erupt, which causes them to grow sideways and damage other teeth. This can result in jaw pain, discomfort, overcrowding, tooth decay and gum infection. Other reasons teeth need to be extracted can include: Extra teeth that are blocking other teeth from coming in; if baby teeth do not fall out in time to allow permanent teeth to come through; to create room for teeth that are being moved into place with braces.
How to make sure your cracked tooth doesn't get infected
Have you or a loved one cracked their tooth? The crack provides access for bacteria to enter and cause infection. When you crack a tooth, it’s important to know what to do until you can get to a dentist to avoid further injury. Here is a guide to help you.
Evaluate the Damage
If your tooth simply cracked on a piece of food or you lost part of a tooth that was already rotting, then you can simply apply ice to the area to reduce swelling and pain. If your tooth was damaged due to an accident or head/face trauma, then you should see a medical doctor or go to the emergency room right away. You want to address all bodily damage in addition to your lost or fractured tooth. A dental emergency is serious. Call your dentist right away if you are experiencing severe pain, vomiting, dizziness, or other problems after chipping or cracking a tooth.
5 causes of tooth pain
Tooth pain can bring your life to a halt. Knowing the cause of the pain is the first step to fixing it. Are you experiencing any of these five common causes of tooth pain?
A Cavity
At first, cavities might not cause any symptoms, but they can eventually lead to a toothache, especially if the cavity gets large and close to the nerves inside the teeth. Severe cavities typically cause sharp pain that's bad enough to wake you up when you're asleep, and the pain often gets worse when you lie down. In addition to limiting foods high in sugar and starches, you can help prevent cavities by: brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice a day, regularly flossing your teeth, not using tobacco products, and seeing a dentist at least twice a year for regular cleanings and checkups.
A Tooth Injury
Sometimes toothaches come from trauma or injury that you might not think twice about. An example might be a fender bender that made you slam your upper teeth against your lower teeth. In other cases, you might have tooth pain from wear and tear or injury to ligaments that cushion your jaw when you chew.
Drink more water to protect your teeth
Staying hydrated helps us in many ways including getting rid of waste, promoting skin elasticity, and keeping muscles healthy and moving. But water isn’t just great for your body, it’s also great for your oral health.
Water strengthens teeth
Flouride, an essential part of tap water, is “nature’s cavity fighter” and provides many benefits to your teeth. Flouride mixes with tooth enamel in developing teeth and helps prevent tooth decay. It also works with saliva to prevent plaque. Dentists also agree that thanks to fluoride in the water, half of the kids in the U.S. between five and seventeen have never had a cavity in their permanent teeth.
This is how to take care of your toothbrush
A beautiful smile begins with taking care of your toothbrush. That’s why you should take special care of it to avoid the formation of germs, fungi and bacteria.
Clean your toothbrush after each use
The first habit to keep in mind — and the most important — is rinsing your toothbrush after every brushing. It’s vital that you make sure that no toothpaste or food residue remains on the brush.
Find a suitable place to store your toothbrush
Ideally, you should keep it in a container, located vertically with the head pointing up to allow it to be ventilated and completely dry. Make sure it’s kept separate from other toothbrushes to avoid the transmission of viruses and bacteria. And don’t forget to protect your toothbrush while you travel!
My kid hates brushing their teeth. What can I do?
Kids bring joy to our lives. But when it comes to brushing their teeth and creating healthy oral hygiene habits, the process can be a challenge. Here are some ways you can not only get them to brush their teeth but also enjoy themselves while doing it.
Show Them the Way
Since kids are like sponges and absorb everything around them, show good oral hygiene habits while they’re watching. If they see you happily brushing, they’re much more likely to follow your example.
Create a Routine
Use your routines during mealtime, clean up, chores, and brushing teeth as teachable moments. Everything you do can be a learning experience. And the more you do it, the more it becomes routine and part of what you do every day.
How long does it take to recover from a root canal?
If you’re experiencing tooth discomfort and pain, you may need root canal treatment. But how long will it take to recover from the surgery?
When is a Root Canal Needed?
Severe, persistent tooth pain might indicate the need for a root canal. Sometimes, dental decay can affect the pulp inside of a tooth. That pulp is made of connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, and other tissues, all of which help your teeth stay healthy. If the pulp becomes inflamed or gets infected, it can be serious, as an infection can even spread to surrounding teeth, affecting your overall health as well as your oral health. To prevent that, root canal treatment is an excellent solution.
What is a Root Canal?
The first step is removing the affected pulp. Once the inside chamber of the tooth is emptied, your dentist will thoroughly sterilize the cavity to remove any debris that’s left over. Then the tooth is sealed with a special material to prevent infection, and create a crown to place over the tooth, if necessary to protect the tooth from further damage.
How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Root Canal?
Healing after a root canal is surprisingly quick. As long as you follow the aftercare instructions, you should start feeling back to normal in a couple of days.
Schedule a Visit to the Dentist
A root canal can help you get back to living pain-free. We’re happy to talk with you about the process and offer professional advice. Schedule an appointment today.
Why is fluoride so important to oral health?
Brushing and flossing is an important part of your everyday oral health routine. But what people don’t know is they should also make sure they are incorporating fluoride into their routine as well.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride is an ionic compound that derives from the element fluorine. About 95% of the fluoride added to public water comes from phosphorite rock. The first discovery of a connection between fluoride and cavity prevention was in the early 1900’s, but it wasn’t until the 1960’s that municipalities started adding fluoride to their water supplies.
Flouride is found naturally and because of its health benefits, it’s added to many foods, public water supplies, and dental care products. Bacteria and acids from foods and drinks will slowly start the process of tooth decay, but fluoride will help strengthen the enamel which protects your teeth. Untreated tooth decay can lead to tooth loss, gum disease and oral cancer. To make matters worse, a severe tooth infection doesn’t stop in the mouth. Over time, it can travel to other parts of the body to cause complex health issues.
One of the easiest ways to make sure you are getting enough fluoride is to brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste. If you use a toothpaste with fluoride or use a fluoride rinse then you are helping your teeth with remineralization and also helping stop the production of acids by bacteria.
Schedule a Visit to the Dentist
You should also make sure that you are getting a regular dental checkup every six months. In addition to cleaning, a dentist can provide a concentrated fluoride treatment. Schedule an appointment today.
Why does my bite feel uneven?
If you’ve noticed a slight change in your smile or teeth alignment, it may be an indication that your bite has shifted. This condition is known as malocclusion and results from crooked or crowded teeth and misalignment between the lower and upper dental arches.
What Might Be Happening
A variety of issues may be contributing to you feeling like your bite has changed. If you have experienced tooth loss, your bite may not fit together the same way (or your teeth may be shifting out of place). If you suffer from bruxism, eroded tooth surfaces can affect your bite. Old dental work (like a crown or a bridge) may suddenly become worn or damaged, from which even minor changes can affect your overall bite balance. Dental care to address the problem will create a more balanced bite.