Author: Familydentalcare_aDMeeN

Aug 21, 2022

Can teeth be saved with periodontal disease?

When infections of the tissues surrounding your teeth and gums affect you, the condition is called gum disease. Gum disease is the foremost reason for tooth loss among adults in the United States. However, gum disease doesn’t cause pain; if you develop this infection, you might never realize it.

Periodontal disease is the alternative name for gum disease resulting from plaque buildup constantly developing on your teeth. You might notice the early warning signs of gum disease, including bleeding gums, foul taste, and lousy breath.

However, your permanent natural teeth might separate or loosen and cause variations in your teeth fitting together when biting, besides other problems.

Improper dental hygiene increases gum disease risks, including smoking or chewing tobacco, diabetes, pregnancy, genetics, medications, and challenges cleaning your crooked teeth.

When you observe the symptoms of gum disease in your mouth, receiving periodontal disease treatment significantly enhances the chances of better outcomes.

Why Is Getting Gum Disease Treatment Early Beneficial?

Seeking treatment for periodontal disease early from the Munster dentist is beneficial because the condition is reversible. In addition, getting professional cleanings from an experienced dentist and maintaining proper home care help eliminate the problem from your mouth.

Unfortunately, if you allow gum disease to progress to chronic periodontitis, delay in receiving the treatment triggers bone and tissue loss to enhance the severity of the infection. If you have periodontitis, your teeth start moving in the mouth, making tooth loss a reality.

However, if you receive gum disease treatment early, you can preserve your natural teeth and prevent the need to search for replacement options.

Periodontal and systemic diseases are associated, and research is ongoing to establish the reasons for the association. Gum disease bacteria can spread to your bloodstream to cause conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory disorders requiring treatments from multiple medical professionals.

Different Stages of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease starts in different stages. They are:

Gingivitis: the mildest condition of gum disease is called gingivitis. You experience swollen, red,
and bleeding gums if you have gingivitis. You might not experience any discomfort with this condition, but the dentist in Munster can detect the disease and help you reverse it with proper home care and dental cleanings.

Chronic Periodontitis: Inflamed tissues around your teeth besides progressive bone loss is a
familiar problem with chronic periodontitis. You also experience gum recession and pocket formation with this condition. Chronic periodontitis can affect people of all ages but is routinely found in adults.

Aggressive Periodontitis: Aggressive periodontitis can also affect clinically healthy patients. Bone destruction and rapid gum recession are stranded features of this condition with familiar aggregation. In addition, periodontitis at an early age is associated with diabetes.

What Are the Treatments Offered for Periodontal Disease?

The dentist in Munster offers nonsurgical periodontal treatment to limit bacterial growth and prevent the damage caused by this condition. The options include proper home care by brushing, flossing, and having a nutritious diet.

Scaling and root planing on the most common treatments recommended in the early stages allow the dentist to eliminate plaque and tartar on your teeth and below the gum line.

Brushing and flossing are essential to eliminate plaque from your teeth. In addition, flossing helps remove plaque from between the teeth and below the gum line.

You receive help from specialized interdental brushes the dentist recommends as ideal for gum disease treatment. Using an electric toothbrush makes brushing more effective because their tinier heads brush efficiently to remove plaque from your teeth than a manual toothbrush.

Overcoming gum disease requires more than mere homecare. Dental visits every six months for a professional cleaning to eliminate plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth helps ensure gum disease doesn’t affect you.

Unfortunately, if you have severe periodontitis causing excessive gum recession and pockets between your teeth and gums, you might require gum grafting, which involves lifting your gums to remove tartar.

Gum grafting is a surgical procedure requiring sutures to permit your gum tissue to fit snugly around your tooth. The surgery helps reduce the pocket size to disallow bacteria from the infection to accumulate.

Saving your teeth from periodontal disease is not challenging so long as you detect the conditions and symptoms early and visit the dentist in Munster for exams and cleanings. Unfortunately, tooth loss is a foregone conclusion if you neglect the infection.

Family Dental Care — Munster provides excellent treatment to care for your dental health and prevent gum disease. They are also experienced in treating aggressive periodontitis. If you observe the symptoms of gum disease, do not delay the treatment but schedule an appointment with this practice today before the condition worsens.

Previous Blog Post

How many teeth whitening sessions do you need?

Teeth whitening treatments are cosmetic dental procedures to improve the color of your teeth to give you the freedom to flash your beautiful smile. The treatments are popular among many people with discolored teeth, impacting their smile to make them appear like introverts or people who aren’t open to meeting or discussing anything with others….

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Aug 16, 2022

How long after pulling teeth can you get dentures?

The general rule after having your teeth extracted to get dentures is to wait between three to six months. However, if you want dentures soon after tooth removal to create a new smile without the requirement of temporary dentures or spending time without teeth, you can inquire with the dentist in Evergreen Park about getting immediate dentures.

Immediate dentures after tooth extraction are an ideal solution if you don’t want to spend months without teeth. Immediate dentures give you a replacement for the teeth extracted soon after removing any remaining teeth in your mouth.

How Long Is the Wait between Teeth Extraction and Denture Placement?

The waiting time between getting your teeth extracted and denture placement is lengthy and requires you to endure a toothless smile besides confronting numerous challenges until you receive your replacements.

The dentist recommends you wait for your tooth socket to heal before revisiting them to provide molds for your dentures. You must visit the prosthodontist fabricating your dentures several times during the pre-fabrication stages providing measurements of your jaw to create precisely fitting dentures for you. The process is time-consuming and requires plenty of patience because the prosthodontist will request that you visit them repeatedly until your final prosthetics are ready.

Meanwhile, you must endure challenges when eating, smiling, and performing everyday activities with ease. You also confront deterioration problems with your jawbone and a lousy bite if you have any remaining teeth because they tend to drift towards the blank spaces upwards or downwards to make additional treatments necessary.

The Process for Getting Immediate Dentures

The process of getting immediate dentures proceeds in two stages. Depending on the condition and circumstances of your teeth, some steps are similar during each stage when getting immediate dentures or an immediate partial denture after extraction.

Stage I

Your dentist removes molars still present in your mouth and allows you to recover from the extraction, generally requiring approximately six weeks. After you have recovered from the extraction of your molars, the prosthodontist prepares your immediate dentures by taking impressions of your existing teeth and jaw.

After that, your dentist removes your remaining teeth to place the immediate dentures in your mouth immediately. In some cases, dentists remove all your teeth in one session and provide immediate dentures soon after. However, they prefer removing teeth in stages as described, and it is best to rely on the dentist’s advice because they recommend the best approach for your unique needs.

You don’t have to remove the prosthetics from your mouth during the first night after getting immediate dentures. Instead, you leave them in the mouth for your dentist to remove them the next day. As your gums heal, liners are added to the denture by the dentist to adjust their fit. The adjustments are essential because immediate dentures tend to loosen because your gums shrink when healing.

Stage II

After you and your gums have healed sufficiently from the tooth removal process, the dentist prepares another refined denture as a replacement for the initial set. Your new dentures are fabricated to appear aesthetically pleasing as possible, considering changes in your mouth, gums, and jaw after tooth removal.

Six months after receiving your refined set of dentures, they will require relining because the shape of your jaw continues to change. You must endure the adjustments for life to enjoy a comfortable fit with the new dentures to accommodate your changing jaw. How often you might need the adjustments differs for every patient. Your dentist assesses the fit of your denture besides examining your gums during routine dental checkups.

Benefits and Downsides of Immediate Dentures

Benefits

  • You never have to face the world without teeth, even after removing all your teeth in one session.
  • It’s convenient for your dentist to customize and fabricate your dentures to resemble the shape, color, and arrangement of natural teeth if you have any remaining.
  • Downsides

  • Your gums change shape and size after having your teeth extracted during the healing process. Therefore immediate dentures need adjustments and relining or even replaced to continue fitting correctly.
  • The adjustments and relining of immediate dentures to fit the changing shape of your gums make immediate dentures more expensive than traditional dentures.
  • If you think dentures are the optimal solution for replacing your missing teeth and want to know which type is best for your needs, please schedule an appointment with Family Dental Care — Evergreen Park for advice to prevent living without teeth.

    Previous Blog Post

    Can teeth be saved with periodontal disease?

    When infections of the tissues surrounding your teeth and gums affect you, the condition is called gum disease. Gum disease is the foremost reason for tooth loss among adults in the United States. However, gum disease doesn’t cause pain; if you develop this infection, you might never realize it. Periodontal disease is the alternative name…

    Read More

    which-bone-is-used-for-bone-grafting
    Aug 12, 2022

    Which bone is used for bone grafting?

    A dental bone graft is a process conducted by dentists to supplement bone in a part of the jaw where bone loss occurs, or additional support is required. Bone for the process is taken from the part of the body for surgical fusing to the existing bone in the jaw. Synthetic bone material is also used for the process. If you aren’t aware of what bone grafting is, we suggest you continue learning from this article about the procedure and what you can expect after getting bone grafting.

    Bone Grafting Explained

    Bone grafting procedures are performed in several ways without changes in the primary system. Professionals from the dentist’s office near you make incisions in your jaw to attach other bone material.

    Dental bone grafts are usually performed if the patient has lost one or more permanent teeth or is affected by gum disease. The preferred approach to augment bone in the jaw is to use the patient’s bone from the hip, tibia, or the back of the jaw. Autograft is the name of this process considered the gold standard to replace bone because it increases bony support and promotes faster heating besides new bone formation.

    Why Might I Need bone grafting?

    For reference, some common reasons for patients needing bone grafts are mentioned below.

    • Tooth Loss or Periodontal Disease: Periodontal disease causes a patient’s jaw bones to deteriorate because of tooth loss. Loss of bone can affect the neighboring teeth and gum tissue. A bone graft can help stabilize the jaw and prevent further deterioration of the bone and long-term complications that might occur with it.
    • Getting Dental Implants: Patients considering dental implants to replace missing teeth are familiar candidates for bone graft surgery. Dental implants are artificial tooth roots shaped like screws and embedded in the jawbone. A dental crown resembling the neighboring teeth is mounted over the impact to function as an artificial tooth. The bone grafting procedure helps build a sturdy base for the implant to provide the support needed by the artificial tooth to function appropriately.
    • Bone Loss: Patients confronting compromises with their appearance because of bone loss can have a sagging facial appearance making them appear older and changing how they look. Bone loss is a familiar occurrence among adults but also affects people of all ages due to injuries and other health problems.

    What Is Used to Build Bone?

    As mentioned earlier, material from the patient’s body is preferred by dentists to build bone in the jaw. However, allografts where the bone is obtained from a cadaver also help build bone in the jaw.

    Oral surgeons also use xenografts with bone from animals like cows and pigs to supplement bone, while synthetic material like calcium phosphate also helps in the process.

    Preparing for Bone Grafting

    Your medical professional provides instructions when preparing for bone grafting. They inquire about your entire medical history and medications, including blood thinners that can increase bleeding complications during surgery. They recommend having help to drive from the practice after the process, which leaves them groggy from the anesthesia.

    Besides the above, no other preparation is needed for bone grafting surgery.

    What Are the Risks of Bone Grafting?

    All surgical procedures are susceptible to the risks of bleeding, infection, and reactions to anesthesia. Unfortunately, patients undergoing bone grafting surgery are also exposed to these risks. Therefore, the dentists advise patients to minimize the chances of infections like pain, swelling, nerve injury, inflammation, rejection of the bone graft, and reabsorption of the graft by keeping patients informed about them and providing antibiotics to control the infections besides painkillers to manage the discomfort.

    In some cases, patients will also experience blood clots and anesthesia complications managed by medical professionals during the surgical process by monitoring patients constantly.

    Dental bone grafts help prevent long-term health consequences associated with tooth loss and gum disease. The process also provides additional bone material to support dental implants. Although patients tolerate the standard procedure well, the risks of side effects and complications remain as with any surgical procedure.

    Patients can minimize the risks of confronting problems by following the advice of their medical professional during their recovery to improve their chances of maintaining good dental health later.

    Patients experiencing complications after surgery are advised to contact their provider immediately whenever they experience pain worsening several days after the process or notice increased swelling around the gums. The medical professional provides any help required by the patient to ensure their dental health is cared for appropriately.

    Family Dental Care — Crestwood performs bone graft surgery on many patients with loss of jawbone because of different conditions. Patients needing help to augment their jawbone are recommended to schedule an appointment with this practice to receive the necessary procedure.

    Previous Blog Post

    How long after pulling teeth can you get dentures?

    The general rule after having your teeth extracted to get dentures is to wait between three to six months. However, if you want dentures soon after tooth removal to create a new smile without the requirement of temporary dentures or spending time without teeth, you can inquire with the dentist in Evergreen Park about getting…

    Read More

    Aug 06, 2022

    What Are The Side Effects Of Deep Teeth Cleaning?

    Dental hygiene helps counter bad breath and avoid gum disease. Therefore brushing and flossing is essential besides visiting the dentist in Chicago for routine cleanings. On occasions, your dentist might recommend deep teeth cleaning. You must not be surprised if you receive a suggestion that you require deep teeth cleaning by your dentist.

    Indicators that you might need deep teeth cleaning include bleeding and receding gums and loose teeth. Alternately called periodontal scaling and root planing, deep teeth cleaning is standard but has risks.

    This article provides information about deep cleaning teeth, including the benefits and downsides of this process.

    Deep Teeth Cleaning Explained

    Deep teeth cleanings help remove the buildup of plaque and tartar from your teeth, reducing gum inflammation and enhancing gum health. Your teeth develop a sticky film of plaque constantly containing bacteria and forming when food particles mix with your saliva. Brushing your teeth daily allows the removal of plaque but doesn’t eliminate plaque between your teeth which hardens into tartar.

    You can develop gum disease by accumulating plaque and tartar, including gingivitis with inflammation of the gums. Gingivitis advances to periodontitis if left untreated. Periodontitis is a severe infection destroying the bone supporting your teeth.

    What Are the Advantages of Deep Cleaning Teeth?

    If gum disease causes your gums to recede from your teeth, creating a space higher than 5 mm deep, you need deep cleaning teeth. If the condition worsens, the gap between your teeth and gums will continue to widen and weaken the bones supporting your teeth, causing loose teeth or tooth loss.

    When your dentist recommends deep cleaning teeth, the benefits of this procedure include stopping the progress of gum disease and treating the existing infection to promote healing. In addition, the cleaning helps protect the roots of your teeth, eliminate bad breath emanating from gum disease, and clean your teeth above and below the gum line.

    What Are the Disadvantages of Deep Cleaning Teeth?

    Although deep cleaning teeth help treat gum disease, the side effects of deep teeth cleaning will confront you. The disadvantages of deep cleaning teeth include nerve damage and potential infections if you have a compromised immune system. The cleaning might cause pain, and sensitivity in the treatment doesn’t guarantee reattachment of your gums to the teeth. The cleaning might even cause further gum recession.

    Pain and sensitivity are familiar side effects after deep cleaning teeth. The risks from this procedure are minimal and last for about a week. However, the discomfort may extend for a few weeks in severe cases.

    What Does the Deep Cleaning Procedure Entail?

    Deep cleaning teeth differs from routine cleaning because routine cleanings remove plaque and tartar on your teeth above the gum line. On the other hand, plaque and tartar below the gum line are eliminated during a deep cleaning.

    Gum disease causes gaps between your teeth and gums where plaque and tartar remain trapped. The dentist eliminates plaque buildup below the gum line.

    Deep cleaning teeth require two or more visits to your dentist and entail gum scaling and root planing. Each visit involves a couple of hours. The dentist removes plaque and tartar below the gum line during tooth scaling. When you revisit the dentist for root planing, the dentist removes plaque and tartar forming on your tooth roots. The process helps reduce the size of the gaps between your teeth and gums to help your gums reattach to the teeth.

    You receive a prescription for antibiotics for a few days if you have a compromised immune system. The antibiotics are prescribed because of the risks associated with the procedure. In addition, deep cleaning teeth can release bacteria into your bloodstream.

    Is Deep Cleaning Teeth Painful?

    You might experience some discomfort during teeth scaling and root planing. However, you receive a topical or local anesthetic to numb your gums. Some sensitivity after the process is expected. You might experience swelling in the gums and minor bleeding.

    After receiving a deep cleaning, you must exist on soft foods to help reduce sensitivity. You must also avoid scorching and freezing foods and drinks. You can take over-the-counter pain relievers for inflammation and rinse with saltwater.

    Brushing and flossing stringently promotes healing and reduces gum inflammation. However, you must use a soft-bristled toothbrush when brushing twice daily and floss at least once during the day or night.

    Family Dental Care — Chicago performs deep cleaning teeth on many patients visiting them with early or advanced gum disease. If you notice your gums swelling, please schedule an appointment with this practice to receive a deep cleaning and prevent gum disease from progressing.

    Previous Blog Post

    which-bone-is-used-for-bone-grafting

    Which bone is used for bone grafting?

    A dental bone graft is a process conducted by dentists to supplement bone in a part of the jaw where bone loss occurs, or additional support is required. Bone for the process is taken from the part of the body for surgical fusing to the existing bone in the jaw. Synthetic bone material is also…

    Read More

    Aug 01, 2022

    How does Invisalign move teeth?

    Invisalign is an alternative treatment for straightening teeth with clear plastic transparent aligners as opposed to metal brackets and wires, the standard treatment provided for over a century by orthodontists. Invisalign offers you a comfortable technique to straighten mild to moderate orthodontic dental imperfections discreetly without making the therapy evident to everyone.

    Crooked, gapped, and misaligned teeth disallow you from maintaining appropriate dental hygiene, making you susceptible to infections like tooth decay and gum disease. In addition, traditional orthodontic treatments with metal braces can discolor your teeth and make you susceptible to infections because of the challenges you confront when brushing and flossing. Fortunately, Invisalign aligners are removable for eating, drinking, and maintaining excellent dental hygiene.

    How Does Invisalign Treatment Move Teeth?

    When you visit the dentist near you requesting treatment for straightening your teeth, the practitioner evaluates your dental situation to determine whether you qualify for this therapy. Fortunately, if you do, the dentist takes pictures of your teeth with an intraoral 3D camera to reveal how your smile will appear after completing this therapy. They also explain the modalities for the treatment to ensure you straighten your teeth as soon as possible. The dentist captures the images for the manufacturers of Invisalign aligners to customize your translucent braces.

    A couple of weeks after your first consultation, you can pick up your aligners to start Invisalign treatment for teeth straightening. The dentist advises wearing the aligners over your teeth for 20 to 22 hours daily, removing them only when eating or drinking, and maintaining excellent dental hygiene. You also receive information that you must change the aligners for a new batch every two to three weeks.

    Invisalign therapy moves your teeth incrementally with each set of the aligner. Therefore, every aligner is tighter than the earlier one, and your teeth start repositioning themselves to their desired locations as you move through your treatment. However, the aligners must remain over your teeth for the stipulated time every day.

    How Much Time Does Invisalign Need to Function?

    The time needed by Invisalign to function depends on the complexity of your situation. If you have mild orthodontic imperfections, you might notice results within six months, although you start witnessing results in as little as a couple of weeks as your teeth move to their new positions. Unfortunately, if you have moderate orthodontic imperfections, you require longer, and the treatment may continue until 18 months.

    Invisalign therapy requires you to remove the aligners from your teeth whenever you eat or drink anything but water. Therefore, you must return the braces for your teeth soon after completing your everyday activities. The removable feature shouldn’t encourage you to leave the aligners aside for longer than two to four hours because it can compromise your treatment and cause your teeth to revert to their original positions. Therefore you must comply with the requirements of this treatment if you intend to achieve results within the period the dentist mentions.

    How Can I Make My Teeth Shift Faster with Invisalign?

    Your teeth move at their own pace, whether using traditional orthodontic treatment or alternatives like Invisalign clear aligners. If you intend to move teeth faster with Invisalign, you can try to keep the braces for your teeth longer than 22 hours. It indicates you must have faster meals and indulge in more primary teeth cleaning. You require four minutes daily to clean your teeth, and eating might require an hour if you rush through meal time. It ensures that you can retain the aligners over your teeth for at least 23 hours to speed up your treatment.

    After completing your treatment, do not assume you are free from the aligners because the dentist recommends you wear retainers made from the same dental-grade BPA-free plastic over your teeth for about 12 to 18 hours per day, including the nights. The retainers help prevent your teeth from moving back to their original positions by compelling them to remain in their new place.

    Compliance with the treatment modalities of Invisalign is essential if you want a beautiful smile with straighter teeth and freedom from dental infections. Invisalign helps you achieve your goal effectively when you comply with the requirements or make efforts to have the aligners over your teeth for longer than 20 to 22 hours.

    Family Care Dental – Calumet is a certified provider of Invisalign therapy in this region. If you want to straighten your teeth without a mouthful of metal with virtually invisible clear aligners, please schedule an appointment today with the practice to start your treatment and achieve your goal within six to 18 months.

    Previous Blog Post

    What Are The Side Effects Of Deep Teeth Cleaning?

    Dental hygiene helps counter bad breath and avoid gum disease. Therefore brushing and flossing is essential besides visiting the dentist in Chicago for routine cleanings. On occasions, your dentist might recommend deep teeth cleaning. You must not be surprised if you receive a suggestion that you require deep teeth cleaning by your dentist. Indicators that…

    Read More

    Jul 26, 2022

    How many times can veneers be replaced?

    Do you consider getting dental veneers over your teeth to cover dental imperfections like chipped, cracked, discolored, uneven, or broken teeth? When you visit the dentist in 60453, the professional offers you different types of veneers which they recommend are suitable surfaces for your flawed teeth.

    After discussing the prices of different veneers, you might decide to have porcelain veneers, composite resin years, or laminates over your teeth. Before giving you the surfaces, the dentist reminds you that caring for the exteriors is essential to prevent damaging them to require replacements faster than expected. The information might make you inquire how to recognize that your veneers are wearing out?

    Signs That Your Veneers Are Wearing Out

    Signs of veneers wearing out vary according to the veneer type you have on your teeth. Porcelain veneers last for over ten to 15 years because they are incredibly durable. On the other hand, composite resin veneers and laminates need replacements faster because of chipping, cracking, and discoloration.

    You can also expect chipping and cracking with porcelain years, although they won’t discolor because of their stain-resistant qualities. However, you might eventually have to replace all veneer types in five to seven years or ten to 15 years when you notice your teeth have rough edges and injure your mouth’s soft tissues.

    How Many Times Can You Replace Veneers?

    If porcelain veneers have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, you can expect them to last for the duration and need replacements later. The alternatives have a shorter lifespan and require replacements whenever they are damaged or discolored.

    How often you decide to replace your veneers will depend on your affordability and the tooth enamel you have remaining. The dentist’s expertise in providing the surfaces also plays a role because some dentists remove excessive enamel while others keep the removal to a minimum.

    Veneers are not the most affordable cosmetic dental procedure and will likely set you back considerably when thinking about getting them or replacing them. Therefore the better option is to care for your veneers to extend their lifespan because replacing a veneer requires enamel on the teeth, which, if absent, indicates you cannot get a replacement.

    How To Prolong The Lifetime Of Your Veneers?

    When you have veneers over your teeth, the best way to extend their life span is to maintain excellent dental hygiene by brushing and flossing your teeth as recommended by your dentist. In addition, your dentist suggests you avoid biting on complex objects such as pens, pencils, ice, and trying to open packages with your teeth instead of using other instruments.

    After spending over $ 2200 per tooth for porcelain veneers, you might find it way too expensive to consider replacing them because you did not adhere to your dentist’s instructions. However, if you care for them appropriately, you can extend their lifespan to over two decades to prevent the need for seeking replacements.

    Composite resin veneers or laminates are also similar but are prone to discoloration. Besides avoiding harmful mouth-related habits, you must also refrain from having pigmented foods and beverages to prevent discoloring your teeth. Even a single discolored tooth will impact your smile and compel you to seek replacements for the surface before you imagine. Therefore you must avoid or limit having staining foods and beverages or at least use a straw when drinking your morning cup of coffee or red wine in the evening.

    There are too many variables to determine how many times veneers need replacements. For example, you might find that you don’t need to replace the surfaces often, while others might need replacements several times. Therefore you must select an experienced dentist when getting your veneers to improve the appearance of your teeth and smile and care for them as suggested by the professional.

    You mustn’t overlook maintaining appropriate dental hygiene and getting dental checkups and cleanings twice a year to prevent infections in your mouth. Staying away from acidic drinks also helps your veneers extend their lifespan and remain on your teeth forever.

    When getting dental veneers, do not choose any dentist offering them but prefer to deal with Family Dental Care — Oak Lawn to have the surfaces over your teeth in a minimally invasive procedure and helps retain your enamel as best possible.

    Previous Blog Post

    How does Invisalign move teeth?

    Invisalign is an alternative treatment for straightening teeth with clear plastic transparent aligners as opposed to metal brackets and wires, the standard treatment provided for over a century by orthodontists. Invisalign offers you a comfortable technique to straighten mild to moderate orthodontic dental imperfections discreetly without making the therapy evident to everyone. Crooked, gapped, and…

    Read More

    Jul 21, 2022

    What are the symptoms of a tooth infection spreading?

    Tooth infections always start with a toothache. If you leave the sore and throbbing tooth untreated, it soon becomes infected. If the condition isn’t treated, it spreads to other parts body. Therefore whenever you have a toothache, you must have the tooth examined by the dentist in Munster to determine whether it is infected and have it treated promptly to prevent complications later.

    Symptoms of Tooth Infection

    Symptoms of an infected tooth can include various indicators such as:

    • Throbbing tooth pain.
    • Throbbing pain in the jaw bone, ear, or neck on the same side of the face as the tooth pain.
    • Pain worsens when lying down.
    • Sensitivity to pressure besides hot or cold foods and beverages.
    • Swelling in the cheeks, tender or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
    • Fever, bad breath, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.

    What to Do If You Suspect You Have an Infection?

    Infections in the mouth are bacterial, but not all are harmful. Unfortunately, when they cause infections, they also cause disease. In addition, some conditions can assume severe proportions making it necessary to consult with your doctor if you have a bacterial infection.

    If you have an untreated tooth infection and haven’t visited your dentist, the condition could spread anywhere in your body, assuming life-threatening proportions. Some signs and symptoms indicate that the tooth infection has spread fever, dizziness, and fatigue. You might also experience swelling in the mouth, making it challenging for you to open it, impeding swallowing and breathing, making you dehydrated, and increasing your heart rate. You might also experience stomach pain with vomiting and diarrhea.

    You must never ignore the signs of tooth infection but contact the dentist if you have a high fever and get prompt medical attention if the fever is accompanied by chest pain, difficulty breathing, mental confusion, a typical sensitivity to light, seizures, or convulsions, unexplained skin rashes, assistant vomiting, and discomfort when urinating.

    How Does Your Tooth Become Infected?

    Your teeth become infected when you allow bacteria to get into chips, cracks, or a cavity. The risk factors for tooth infections increase if you maintain poor dental hygiene by neglecting to brush your teeth two times per day or flossing, you have a high sugar diet eating sweets and drinking soda, and you are affected by dry mouth because of aging or as a side effect of medications.

    When Must You See Your Dentist?

    Not every toothache becomes a severe health concern. However, if you are confronting a toothache, getting it treated before it worsens is optimal. You must call your dentist for an urgent care appointment if your toothache lasts for over 24 hours and is accompanied by fever, swelling, trouble breathing, difficulty swallowing, red gums, and pain when chewing or biting. However, if you have a broken tooth or if a tooth falls out, contact your dentist for an appointment right away.

    While waiting to see your dentist, you can find relief from over-the-counter pain relievers for comfort. However, you must avoid hot and cold foods and drinks, avoid chewing on the side of the painful tooth, and eat only soft and cool foods.

    How to Prevent Tooth Infections?

    If you don’t maintain excellent dental hygiene, you are at risk of tooth infections. You can prevent such problems by brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing your teeth at least once, regardless of the time. You help yourself by decreasing your sugar intake and eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. You must avoid tobacco products and drink fluoridated water besides getting fluoride treatments as your dentist and the ADA recommend. You must also incorporate six-monthly dental exams and cleanings to enable your dentist to detect any problems in your mouth that might aggravate infections.

    When left untreated, tooth infections can spread to other parts of your body, resulting in a potentially life-threatening illness. You might require treatments from different medical professionals to treat conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, and cancer. Therefore soon as you notice the signs of tooth infections, contact your dentist for a same-day appointment whenever you develop a toothache accompanied by the other symptoms.

    Family Dental Care — Munster recommends excellent preventive dental care to ensure no infections develop in your mouth. If you aren’t following preventive measures, kindly schedule an appointment with this practice to learn how to find freedom from tooth infections.

    Previous Blog Post

    How many times can veneers be replaced?

    Do you consider getting dental veneers over your teeth to cover dental imperfections like chipped, cracked, discolored, uneven, or broken teeth? When you visit the dentist in 60453, the professional offers you different types of veneers which they recommend are suitable surfaces for your flawed teeth. After discussing the prices of different veneers, you might…

    Read More

    Jul 16, 2022

    Why would a tooth need to be extracted?

    Should you consider having a tooth pulled merely because you have a toothache? Toothaches aren’t indicators to rush to the dentist to have the tooth extracted. On the contrary, you must look for signs and symptoms that might indicate extraction of the tooth is essential.

    This article looks to share with you some realities about when tooth extractions become necessary. Please continue reading to learn more about tooth removal.

    Reasons for Tooth Extraction

    Toothaches indicate that you might have to get a tooth extracted. However, you can also overcome toothaches with over-the-counter pain relievers if you are not suffering from severe dental conditions.

    Unfortunately, you might need a tooth extracted if you are affected by any of the following:

    • You have severely affected teeth from periodontal disease.
    • You have a badly damaged tooth challenging to restore with fillings or dental crowns.
    • You suffer from pain even after getting a dental filling, crown, or root canal.

    However, there are other reasons that don’t cause pain, but you benefit from having a tooth or two extracted. They are:

    • You need orthodontic treatment and extracting extra teeth in your mouth makes the therapy more accessible.
    • Your teeth are putting extra pressure on your remaining teeth because of overcrowding.
    • You have insufficient space in the mouth for the tooth.

    You become prone to periodontal disease if you do not practice excellent oral hygiene habits like brushing and flossing. The bacteria from the infection destroys the bone supporting the teeth to loosen them, eventually making them ineffective for chewing food.

    The bacterial infection also spreads to your other teeth, making it necessary to have the tooth extracted. Ailments like periodontal disease arise only because you don’t practice appropriate dental hygiene.

    Besides the above, you might need to have teeth extracted if they are decayed, infected, or damaged, your teeth are not fully functional in your bite, you are unable to brush and floss thoroughly, et cetera.

    What Should I Expect During a Tooth Extraction?

    Tooth extractions are relatively standard and performed on adults by dentists. Tooth removal might not sound pleasant, but it ensures infected and diseased teeth are removed from your mouth to prevent complications later.

    When you schedule an appointment for tooth extraction by the dentist in Evergreen Park, you can expect to undergo a minimally invasive procedure without experiencing extreme discomfort during the removal. The dentist ensures you receive adequate anesthesia to numb your tooth and the surrounding gums before starting the removal process.

    You receive local anesthesia if you must have a visible tooth removed in a straightforward procedure when the dentist uses elevators to loosen your tooth before eventually removing it with forceps.

    Unfortunately, if you are looking for an impacted tooth removal procedure, you must endure a complicated process because the dentist must administer more potent anesthesia and make incisions in your gums before loosening, cutting, and extracting the tooth.

    You will likely feel some pressure in your mouth during the tooth removal process without experiencing any discomfort. The dentist also recommends how to manage your recovery by providing an entire list of instructions for you to follow after tooth extraction.

    You will experience discomfort from the tooth removal after the anesthesia starts wearing off and must exist on soft foods for a few days until you recover from the removal. Recovery from the extraction of impacted teeth requires more time than visible teeth. However, following your dentist’s instructions does no harm because they aim to help you heal faster without complications.

    Extraction at Family Dental Care

    All dentists perform tooth extractions, whether straightforward or surgical. Unfortunately, not everyone is compassionate and considers preserving your tooth as best possible before recommending extractions. Therefore if you are apprehensive about getting a tooth extracted, you find it beneficial to schedule your appointment with family dental care, where the dentists will make every effort to save your tooth before eventually recommending a removal.

    Even as you begin preparing for the tooth extraction, the dentist collects your entire medical and dental history to ensure they use minimally invasive techniques and appropriate anesthesia to ensure you undergo the tooth extraction without stress or anxiety. Besides providing after-care instructions for your recovery, the professional also recommends you call them if you confront any complications or discomfort from the tooth extraction procedure.

    If you must have a tooth extracted for the reasons mentioned earlier, you find it beneficial to schedule an appointment with Family Dental Care — Evergreen Park to complete the process with compassionate and experienced dentists.

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