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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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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Oral Cancer Screening Connecticut Trumbull – Fairfield – Westport

http://www.cosmeticdentistfairfieldct.com/ – Fairfield, CT Our Cosmetic dental office knows when it comes to leading a long, healthy life, it’s always best to know yourself. I noticed a recent blog post by Alexandre HK Tavitian, DDS from www.burbankdentalcare.com he writes that, While this advice can take on significant philosophical meaning, I’m talking about knowing yourself better physically. Being in tune with your body and watching out for early symptoms of disease can be your ticket to perpetually good health.
Every hour of every day somebody in the United States dies of oral cancer. This serious dental disease, which affects the mouth, lips or throat, is often highly curable if diagnosed and treated in its early stages. When you go in for your regular dental exam, you’re also being screened for oral cancer. While that’s fine and dandy, it’s best to go a step beyond, screening yourself at home regularly.

This is doubly true for those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, use tobacco products, are regularly exposed to sunlight, have lip-biting and cheek-chewing habits or have ill-fitting dentures, as all of these characteristics put you at greater risk.
Here’s how to screen for oral cancer at home:
• Examine yourself in the mirror. The left and right sides of the face and neck should have the same shape. Check for swelling, lumps and bumps.
• Look at your skin and note any changes in the color or size of sores, moles or other growths.
• Press your fingers along the sides and front of your neck. Do you feel any tenderness or swelling?
• Pull your lower lip out and look for any sores. Use your thumb and forefinger to feel the upper and lower lips for lumps or texture changes.
• Examine the insides of your cheeks for red, white or dark patches. Gently squeeze and roll each cheek between your index finger and thumb to check for bumps and tenderness.
• Tilt your head back to check the roof of your mouth, and then run your finger along the surface. Do you feel or see any unusual lumps or discoloration?
• Check out the top, bottom and sides of your tongue, including the soft tissue under it. Once again, note any swelling, discoloration or unusual lumps.
Symptoms of oral cancer include: sores on the face, neck or mouth that do not heal within a couple of weeks; swelling, lumps or bumps on the lips and gums; chronic bleeding in the mouth; white, red or dark patches in your lips, cheeks, gums or tongue; and numbness, loss of feeling or general pain in any area of the face, mouth or neck.

If you experience any of these symptoms, or find something unusual during your self-exam, call our office at 203-255-5999 and speak to Dr. Mariana Conant or visit her website at www.1305dental.com. If you don’t have a dentist call one right away! The only thing worse then not seeing a dentist is seeing a bad dentist.  So please make sure you see a recommended dentist in your area. If you are in the Connecticut area we are here to help!

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