Family Cosmetic Dentistry Fairfield CT Advice Page » Cosmetic Dentistry Bridgeport http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog Gentle Pain Free Dentistry Fairfield County Shelton Connecticut Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:28:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Dentist Fairfield Connecticut Gives Advice About Dental Emergencies! http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/2010/12/dentist-fairfield-connecticut-gives-advice-about-dental-emergencies/ http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/2010/12/dentist-fairfield-connecticut-gives-advice-about-dental-emergencies/#comments Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:28:15 +0000 admin http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/?p=110

As most of us know, toothaches and various types of oral injury can be extremely painful and unexpected and these dental emergencies should always be seen by a dentist immediately.  Our Dentist Fairfield Connecticut says that dental emergencies should be seen immediately by a dentist, day or night. These dental emergencies might include broken teeth, teeth that have been knocked out, or teeth that have been forced out of the socket.  With some emergencies, the cheeks, lips, or gums will have cuts or abrasions on them from where the teeth come out of the socket…these situations require immediate care.
 
If you have ever had a tooth knocked out, you know that the first thing a person should do is look for that tooth.  When the tooth is  found, it should be gently scrubbed to get rid of any dirt or debris.  After it has been cleaned, you should place it back in your mouth between the cheek and gums.  You should never try to put it back in the socket.  If you can make it to the dentist in time, he may be able to put the tooth back in place.
 
If you’ve had a tooth come out of place, you are aware that you can normally reposition it with your fingers.  Never use a lot of force, simply because it could damage the tooth and the teeth next to it.  You shouldn’t force the tooth into place, rather try to jiggle it around.  You can also use moist tissue to hold the tooth in place, until you can get to a dentist.
 
With a fractured tooth, treatment will depend on how bad the booth has been fractured.  No matter how light the fracture may be, it is very important to visit a dentist as soon as possible.  Minor fractures aren’t the worst dental emergency, as they can normally be smoothed out using sandpaper.  Sometimes, the tooth can also be restored with a composite.  Either way, you’ll need to make sure that you use extreme caution with the tooth for the next few days.
 
Our dentist Fairfield Connecticut says that if the fractures are more moderate, which will normally include damage to the dentin, pulp, and even the enamel, these fractures can sometimes be nothing to worry about, and yet painful at other times, with other cases.  Providing the pulp hasn’t been damaged, the dentist will be able to restore the full shape and function to the fractured tooth. 

In a situation where the pulp has been damaged, your dentist Fairfield Connecticut or wherever you are, may have to do a root canal or other type of serious surgery to repair the tooth.
 
When encountering a dental emergency, never hesitate to contact a dental office immediately.  The dentist will be able to assist you, fix the problem, and stop the pain.  Dental emergencies can happen at any time, at any place, and you should always have an emergency phone number for a dentist who will be there quickly.  Tooth pain can be very excruciating – and you’ll obviously want to get the problem fixed immediately…whether you have a dentist Fairfield Connecticut, or across the USA somewhere else.

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]]> http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/2010/12/dentist-fairfield-connecticut-gives-advice-about-dental-emergencies/feed/ 0 Dental Office Blog Post on History of tooth pain options http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/2010/04/dental-office-blog-post-on-history-of-tooth-pain-options/ http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/2010/04/dental-office-blog-post-on-history-of-tooth-pain-options/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:51:57 +0000 admin http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/?p=57

Hi It’s Paul from Dr. Mariana Conant’s Dental office in Fairfield, Connecticut. Every now and then I come across am interesting story that I would like to share with our patients in our monthly newsletter. Here is one I’m going to post on our Blog instead:

A Bite Out Of History

People of ancient times believed that the stabbing pain of a toothache was caused by a toothworm, which either had appeared spontaneously or had bored its way into the tooth. If the tooth pain was severe, it meant that the worm was thrashing about, but if the aching stopped, then the worm was resting. Cultures all over the world, many of whom had no contact with each other, held stubbornly to this myth. The folklore of the toothworm persisted from ancient times to the beginning of the eighteenth century.

Folk Cures

• Bee: Honey, a product of bees, was used to coat an infected tooth in the Middle Ages. People smeared their aching teeth with honey and waited all night with tweezers in hand, ready to pluck out the toothworm.

• Donkey: In ancient Greece, donkey’s milk was used as a mouthwash to strengthen the gums and teeth.

• Frog: Besides spitting in a frog’s mouth for toothache relief, these web-footed creatures were applied to a person’s cheek or to the head on the side of the ailing tooth.

• Onion: In the Middle Ages a slice of onion was applied to the ear on the side of the aching tooth.

Reprinted with permission from “Toothworms and Spider Juice: An Illustrated History of Dentistry” – Loretta Frances Ichord, Millerbrook Press.
Next time we will discuss  Cranberries and the Unique Benefit For WomenThere is a study that came out of Rutgers University, and published in Phytochemistry, confirmed a long-held theory that ingestion of cranberries is helpful in protecting against harmful bacterial in the urinary tract. This is due to one of its natural compounds called proanthocyanidin [PAC's], and its anti-adhesion effect.

until then if you are in need of a dentist call Dr Mariana Conant’s office at 203-255-5999

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]]> http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/2010/04/dental-office-blog-post-on-history-of-tooth-pain-options/feed/ 2 Dentist Fairfield CT Discusses Cavities What You Need To Know http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/2010/01/dentist_fairfield_ct_pain_free/ http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/2010/01/dentist_fairfield_ct_pain_free/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:29:29 +0000 admin http://aboutdental.com/fairfielddentist/blog/?p=38

Dentist Fairfield CT

www.1305dental.com – (GiZoom) Fairfield,CT – Dr. Mariana Conant shares information courtesy of Colgate Oral Health Advisor. The topic this week is

Cavities -What’s In Your Mouth?

To understand what happens when your teeth decay, it’s helpful to know what’s in your mouth naturally. Here are a few of the elements:

  • Saliva: Your mouth and teeth are constantly bathed in saliva. Although we never give much thought to our spit, this simple fluid is remarkable for what it does to help protect our oral health. Saliva keeps teeth and other oral tissues moist and lubricated, washes away some of the food particles left behind after we eat, keeps acid levels in the mouth low, and protects against some viruses and bacteria.
  • Plaque: Plaque appears as a soft, gooey substance that sticks to the teeth a bit like jam sticks to a spoon. It is, in fact, colonies of bacteria, protozoa, mycoplasmas, yeasts and viruses clumping together in a gel-like organic material. Also in the mix are bacteria byproducts, white blood cells, food debris and body tissue. Plaque grows when bacteria attach to the tooth and begin multiplying. Plaque starts forming immediately after a tooth is cleaned; it takes about an hour for plaque to build up to measurable levels. As time goes on, different types of microorganisms appear, and the plaque thickens.
  • Calculus: If left alone long enough, plaque begins to mineralize and harden into calculus or tartar because the plaque absorbs calcium, phosphorus and other minerals from saliva. These minerals form crystals and harden the plaque structure. New plaque forms on top of existing calculus, and this new layer can also become calcified.
  • Bacteria: We have many different strains of bacteria in our mouths. Some bacteria are good; they help control destructive bacteria. When it comes to decay, Streptococcus mutans is the bacterial strain that does the most damage. It attaches easily to teeth and produces acid.

How Your Teeth Decay

You need food, particularly sweet and sticky food, for the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids that will attack the tooth enamel (outer surface of the tooth). Sugars, especially sucrose, react with bacteria to produce acid. The acid from the bacteria can decay your teeth.

It’s not just candy and ice cream we’re talking about. All carbohydrate foods, as they are digested, eventually break down into simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose. Some of this digestion begins in the mouth. Foods that break down into simple sugars in the mouth are called fermentable carbohydrates. These include the obvious sugary foods, such as cookies, cakes, soft drinks and candy, but also pretzels, crackers, bananas, potato chips and breakfast cereals. The sugars in these foods combine with the bacteria normally in the mouth to form acids. These acids cause the mineral crystals inside the teeth to begin to dissolve.

The dental caries lesion forms when these acids start to dissolve a tooth’s outer protective layer, the enamel. A cavity forms when the tooth decay breaks through the enamel to the underlying layers of the tooth. You can reverse a caries lesion (before it becomes a cavity) by using a variety of fluoride products. These include fluoridated water, fluoride rinses for use at home, and, of course, any commonly used fluoridated toothpaste.

Every time you eat, the bacteria in your mouth produce acid. Therefore, the more times you eat the more times your teeth are exposed to an acid attack.

Types and Stages of Decay

Dental decay, also known as dental caries, begins first inside the tooth. A white spot appears on the enamel where the tooth has started to weaken inside. At this stage, the tooth can repair the weakened area with the help of fluoride and minerals in saliva. But if the decay continues and breaks through the surface of the enamel, the damage is permanent. The decay must be cleaned out and the cavity filled by a dentist. Left untreated, the decay will worsen and destroy a tooth all the way through the outer enamel layer, through the inside dentin layer and down to the pulp or nerve of the tooth.

In young children, teeth that have recently emerged have weak enamel and are highly susceptible to acid decay. A type of decay called baby bottle tooth decay or early childhood caries destroys enamel quickly and is common in children. This type of decay can eat through enamel and leave a large cavity in a matter of months.

Older adults sometimes have chronic caries: cavities that don’t seem to get any worse or do so at a very slow rate. Teeth with chronic caries will tend to be darker in color because the edges of the cavities become stained from normal eating and drinking.

Root caries (decay in the roots of the teeth) is more common in older adults. Older adults are more likely to have gums that have receded from years of hard brushing or periodontal disease. They also are more likely to have dry mouth (xerostomia), which increases the risk of decay. Dry mouth is caused by many common medicines. Be sure to ask the doctor or pharmacist if any of your medicines cause dry mouth.

Decay can form beneath fillings or other restorations, such as crowns. Sometimes, bacteria and food particles can slip into a tooth if a filling hasn’t been placed properly or if the filling cracks or pulls away from the tooth, leaving a gap.

Preventing Cavities

Do you or your family members get cavities frequently? Dental research has identified factors that increase your risk of getting decay. Next time you visit the dental office, ask about your risk factors and discuss the best ways to reduce your risks and limit dental decay.

To prevent your teeth from decaying, you can do two things — strengthen your teeth’s defenses with fluoride and sealants, and reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth.

Fluoride strengthens teeth by penetrating the tooth structure and replacing lost minerals to repair acid damage. Everyone should brush with a fluoride toothpaste every day. Dental offices sometimes recommend additional toothpastes, gels and mouthrinses for both children and adults.

Sealants are protective coatings placed over the tops of chewing teeth — molars and premolars. They block bacteria and acids from sticking in the tiny grooves on the chewing surfaces of these teeth. Children should get sealants soon after their teeth erupt into the mouth.

Although you can never get rid of all the bacteria in your mouth, you can control bacteria by brushing regularly and flossing daily, seeing your dentist and dental hygienist regularly for a thorough cleaning and check-up, and reducing the number of times each day that you consume fermentable carbohydrates.

Some prescription mouthwashes (those that contain chlorhexidine) can help prevent decay by reducing the number of bacteria in the mouth. Chewing sugarless gums, especially those with xylitol, can help reduce decay and increase the flow of saliva.
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For more information on Dental care visit www.1305dental.com or call 203-255-5999 the office of Dr Mariana Conant, Fairfield County, General Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

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