When you wake up in the morning, do you experience pain in your jaw joint? Do you have difficulty opening or closing your mouth? Do you have sensitivity in your teeth or do they look shorter? Do you get routine headaches? These could be clear signs of grinding or bruxing. If un-controlled, you can damage your jaw joint, your teeth or any dental work you have received from your dentist.
Reasons For Grinding The exact reason for grinding is still unknown but there are some factors that are associated with this problem such as:
Stress and anxiety
Drug abuse
Excess use of Caffeine
Smoking
Excess use of alcohol
Some prescription medication
Mal-Occlusion or miss-bite
And finally some disorders such as:
Parkinsons disease
There is currently no cure for bruxing but it can be controlled. If you grind your teeth during the day or at night, your dentist will recommend a night guard to protect your teeth from these grinding forces. A night guard is a plastic cover that fits over your teeth to deflect the hard forces of chewing. Night guards will also increase the longevity of your dental work.
Night Guard Treatment During the first visit your dentist will take an impression of your teeth. This impression is then sent to a dental laboratory where a custom-fit night guard is made.
On your second visit your dentist will show you how to place it into your mouth and will adjust it to your bite. There are different kinds of night guards from soft materials to harder plastic materials. Your dentist will recommend you the material best suited for you.
Your third molars, commonly known as your wisdom teeth, are typically the last teeth to erupt in your mouth. If healthy and functional your wisdom teeth can be useful. However, there are also reasons behind why you may need to consider removing your wisdom teeth. In some cases your wisdom teeth are in fact healthy, but because of orthodontic treatment they need to be removed.
In other cases, your wisdom teeth can become impacted or only partially erupt through the gum in a misalignment. When impacted or partially impacted, your wisdom teeth can cause swelling, pain and even infection of the surrounding gum. They can also put pressure on the adjacent teeth, which can result in permanent damage to these otherwise healthy teeth and their surrounding bone. Sometimes, impacted or partially impacted wisdom teeth can also lead to the formation of cysts, and in worse case scenarios even tumors, which could potentially destroy an entire section of your jaw.
Lastly a fully erupted wisdom tooth needs to be removed because they are very hard to clean and can become severely decayed. So for these reasons sometimes the smart move is to have your wisdom teeth removed.
The Treatment Whether your dentist or a specialist is performing the extraction the procedure is the same. First, a local anesthetic is given to make the procedure more comfortable. In some cases your doctor may elect to administer nitrous oxide gas in addition to the anesthetic or use a general anesthetic to put you under entirely.
Once the area is numb, the extraction begins. A dental instrument called an elevator is used to wiggle the tooth in its socket. After the tooth is loosened it is removed using forceps or in some more complicated cases a surgical hand piece is also used to assist with the removal of the tooth.
Extraction’s Possible Complications Like most other procedures, tooth extraction is not free of possible complications. You should be aware that there is a slight chance of infection, tenderness, prolonged bleeding, dry socket and loosening of neighboring teeth or their fillings or crowns.
Another rare possibility is of an upper tooth getting displaced into the sinus. Lastly, jaw fracture and temporary or permanent numbness is also very rare possibilities.
When Should I Remove My Wisdom Tooth? When should you have your wisdom teeth removed? There is no single right answer for everyone; however, if your dentist has advised you that your wisdom teeth look potentially problematic it’s generally best to remove them sooner rather than later.
This advice is based on the fact that the younger you are, the faster you heal. The likeliness of lingering numbness, jaw fracture or other complications also increases with age. Lastly, the longer you leave a troublesome wisdom tooth in your mouth, the longer it has to cause further problems in the future.
Did you know that every day, every hour one American dies of oral cancer? With an estimated 30,000 Americans diagnosed each year, oral cancer has a higher mortality rate than cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, liver cancer, and kidney cancer. When found early, oral cancer has a 90 percent cure rate. You are at increased risk for oral cancer if you use tobacco in any form, consume heavy amounts of alcohol combined with smoking, are over age 40, and/or have prolonged exposure to the sun (lip cancer).
Early Detection is Key
Because 25 percent of the people diagnosed with oral cancer have no risk factors, an oral cancer screening should be a routine part of dental maintenance. Regular check-ups, including an examination of the entire mouth, are essential in the early detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous conditions.Common symptoms of oral cancer or pre-cancerous cells include:
A change in the way the teeth fit together
A color change in the oral tissues
A tiny white or red spot/sore anywhere in the mouth
Any sore that bleeds easily or refuses to heal
Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving the jaw or tongue
Lumps, thickenings, rough spots, or crusty areas
Pain, tenderness, or numbness anywhere in the mouth or on the lips
Screening for Oral Cancer
During an oral cancer exam, your dentist will carefully examine the tongue, inside of your mouth, and your lips to look for spots or sores that are flat, painless, white, or red. Many of these spots or sores are harmless, but some aren’t so you will likely need a test to determine if a problem exists. Your dentist may choose to perform a brush test, which involves scraping a miniature brush across the suspicious sore or discolored area in the patient’s mouth. The cells collected on the brush are sent to a lab for analysis. If the results show suspicious cells are present, a biopsy can then be performed.
Common Questions
I don’t drink or smoke. Why do I need an oral cancer screening?
Even though certain elements, like lifestyle, age, and heredity, can play a role in your risk for developing oral cancer, people with no known factors can still develop oral cancer. Routine checkups and screenings allow your dentist to catch problems before they escalate.
I noticed a few small sores in my mouth. Should I be worried?
If you notice any unusual spots, sores, discolorations or bumps in your mouth, you should contact your dentist right away. Oral cancer treatment is very successful when the cancer is detected early.
Does an oral cancer screening hurt?
No. During the initial exam, your dentist will look inside your mouth, checking the gums, lips, and other soft tissue for any strange spots or sores. In some cases, the doctor may use special equipment such as VELscope or ViziLite to highlight any areas of concern. If an area looks suspicious, the doctor can perform a brush test, gently scraping cells to be sent off to the lab for further assessment.
A tooth extraction refers to the procedure of removing a tooth from its socket.
Procedure On Removing A Tooth First, a local anesthetic is applied to make the procedure more comfortable. In some cases your dentist will elect to use nitrous oxide gas in addition to the anesthetic.
A dental instrument called an elevator is used to wiggle the tooth in its socket. After the tooth is loosened it is removed using forceps.
Extraction’s Possible Complications Like most other procedures, tooth extraction is not free of possible complications. You should be aware that there is a slight chance of infection, tenderness, prolonged bleeding, dry socket and loosening of neighboring teeth or their fillings or crowns.
Another rare possibility is of an upper tooth getting displaced into the sinus. Lastly, jaw fracture and temporary or permanent numbness is also very rare possibilities.
Importance Of Replacing The Missing Tooth You need to be aware of the importance of replacing this missing tooth. Why? Once a tooth is removed, the space createded by the missing tooth will allow the surrounding teeth to shift into that space. This shift could cause a misalignment in your mouth that can result in chewing or jaw-joint problems. These shifted teeth are harder to clean, making them more susceptible to gum disease, decay or even additional tooth loss.For these reasons, it’s important to replace the tooth with a dental appliance such as a bridge, a removable partial denture or an implant.
Pulling A Repairable Tooth In some instances you may be considering the option of pulling a tooth rather than simply repairing it. While it may be less expensive in the short run, in the long run it may cost you more. As you just heard, once a tooth is pulled you still need to fill the space with a dental appliance to avoid future complications. If you add the cost of extraction plus the replacement of the tooth, you may simply be better off repairing it.
Like many things in life, the importance of something is never truly appreciated until it is gone. If you’ve lost your teeth, whether due to injury, tooth decay or gum disease, you surely understand. The good news is that you have options to replace them. Dentures can help restore your way of life by helping you with day-to-day functions, such as eating and speaking, as well as help restore your confidence by improving your appearance and smile.
Making a denture is a process that usually takes about 6-12 weeks, however this can vary from one patient to another.
It also depends on the type of the denture and the technique the dentist or the laboratory technician uses to make the denture.
Denture Treatment Process Complete dentures are made using your mouth as a model. First, the dentist will take an accurate impression of the upper and lower arches of your mouth. This impression is then sent to the dental laboratory.
At the next visit, the dentist will record the relationship of the arches that best resembles your original bite and helps you select the shape and color of the denture teeth and gums. Keep in mind the color of everyone’s gums varies. To make a more natural denture the dentist will help you choose the shade that best matches your mouth.
In the subsequent visits the dentist will adjust your bite, test your speech and check the appearance and functionality of the denture teeth and gums. After a satisfactory fit and appearance is achieved, the denture is then sent back to the laboratory for fabrication.
Denture Complications While every effort is made to make a good and functional denture, please keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect denture. After delivery of the denture, it may require a few adjustment visits and some time for you and your new denture to adapt to each other. The most important point to remember is that adjusting to your new dentures is a process; it sometimes takes a little time to get used to.
A new denture can also alter your eating and speaking habits and it may require a bit of practicing before you get comfortable.
Finally, due to differences in the shapes of the jaws and the strong muscle movement of the tongue and cheek, a lower denture may be harder to keep in the mouth compared to an upper denture.
Different Denture Options There are new advances in making dentures. One such advance is an implant-supported denture that stabilizes the denture. This kind of denture requires the placement of implants in your mouth before making the denture.
Immediate Denture
If you’ve suffered severe tooth decay, injury, or gum disease and need your remaining teeth replaced, an immediate denture can help relieve you of some concerns you may have after the extraction process is complete. An immediate denture, as its name implies, is a denture that is placed in your mouth immediately after your teeth are removed. It makes the transition to dentures less noticeable and also helps keep you performing everyday functions, like chewing and speaking.
Immediate Denture Treatment Immediate dentures are made using your mouth as a model. First, the dentist will take an accurate impression of the upper and lower arches of your mouth and establish a bite that best resembles your original bite. The dentist will also help you select the shape and color of the denture teeth and gums. This impression is then sent to the dental laboratory.
During the next visit the dentist will adjust your bite, test your speech and check the appearance and functionality of the denture teeth and gums. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat this step to ensure that everything is just right.
After a satisfactory fit and appearance are achieved, the denture is then sent back to the laboratory for fabrication. At the subsequent visit, the remaining teeth will be removed and the denture will be delivered. Please note that the extractions may be performed at one visit or they may be removed in two or more visits depending on the number and condition of the teeth to be extracted, the shape of your jaws and your health condition. The dentist will best advise you of the preferred timing for your extractions.
Immediate Denture Complications While every effort is made to make a good and functional denture, please keep in mind that there is no such a thing as a perfect denture. After delivery of the immediate denture, it may require a few adjustment visits and some time for you and your immediate denture to adapt to each other. This is due to the fact that when your gums heal following the extractions they will shrink for a period of about 6 months and the denture needs to be re-based or re-lined to fit properly.
The most important point to remember is that adjusting to your immediate dentures is a process; in some cases, it takes weeks or months to get used to your immediate denture.
An immediate denture can also alter your eating; you will not have the same chewing efficiency as you had with your natural teeth. An immediate denture will also alter your speaking and it may require a bit of practicing before you get comfortable. Keep in mind that due to differences in the shapes of the jaws and the strong muscle movements of the tongue and cheek, a lower denture may be harder to keep in the mouth compared to an upper denture.
Fortunately there are new alternatives now, such as implants, which can help restore functionality that is more like natural teeth. You can discuss this possibility with the dentist.
Partial Denture
Partial dentures are replacement teeth for people who have lost one or more of their teeth. Partial dentures can be taken in and out of the mouth and consist of a denture base, which closely resembles the color of your gums and denture teeth, which are attached to a supporting framework. The partial denture then attaches to the existing teeth via a clasp or some other retentive device.
Partial dentures are made using a model of your mouth.
Making a partial denture requires about 6-8 weeks, however this can vary from one patient to another. It also could depend on the type of denture and the technique your dentist or the laboratory technician uses.
Partial Denture Treatment The first step in making a partial denture is the preparation of the teeth. During this phase your dentist may prepare the teeth that the partial denture will use for support. Next, your dentist will take an accurate impression of the upper and lower arches of your mouth and records your bite. The impressions are then sent to the dental laboratory.
At the subsequent visits your dentist will evaluate your bite, test your speech and check the appearance and function of the partial denture teeth and gums.
After the final satisfactory fit and appearance are achieved, the denture is then sent back to the laboratory for final fabrication.
Partial Denture Complication While every effort is made to make a good and functional partial denture, it may require a few adjustment visits and a little time for you and your partial denture to adapt to each other. The most important point to remember is that adjusting to your partial denture is a process; in some cases, it takes weeks to get used to a partial denture.
A new partial denture can also alter your eating and speaking habits and it may require a bit of practicing before you get comfortable.
Different Types Of Partial Dentures There are newly developed techniques in making partial dentures. One such advance is an implant-supporting partial denture that helps give additional support to the partial denture. While it offers additional support it also requires the placement of implants in your mouth before making the denture.
There is also a partial denture that uses a special material called valplast which is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This kind of partial does not use metal as its base and has hooks that are made with a flexible plastic material.
Stayplate (Temporary Denture) If you are scheduled to have a tooth pulled before getting your partial denture, then your dentist may advise you to get a temporary partial denture or a stayplate while your gums and their supporting bone are healing. A stayplate will replace the missing tooth or teeth and can help you with your chewing and speaking until a more permanent solution is achieved. A stayplate will also help maintain your appearance when in public and keep your existing teeth from shifting in your mouth and creating bigger problems.
The Stayplate Treatment
Stayplates are made using your mouth as a model. First, your dentist will take an accurate impression of the upper and lower arches of your mouth and establish a bite that best resembles your original bite. Your dentist will also help you select the shape and color of the stayplate teeth and gums. This impression is then sent to the dental laboratory.
At the subsequent visit, the teeth will be removed and the stayplate will be delivered.
What You Should Know Please keep in mind that there is no such a thing as a perfect stayplate. After delivery, it may require a few adjustment visits and some time for you and your stayplate to adapt to each other.
Stayplates can also alter your eating; you will not have the same chewing efficiency as you had with your natural teeth. Stayplate will also alter your speaking and it may require a bit of practicing before you get comfortable.
The most important point to remember is that adjusting to your stayplate is a process and stayplate is a temporary replacement until another form of treatment such as an implant, bridge or a partial denture can be made.
