Dentist Castle Rock Talking about Scaling & Root Planing
Posted by: | CommentsDentist Castle Rock Talking about Scaling & Root Planing
Root planing and scaling is one of the most effective ways to treat gum disease before it becomes severe. Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing is a non-surgical procedure. Root planing and scaling cleans between the gums and the teeth down to the roots. Your dentist may need to use a local anesthetic to numb your gums and the roots of your teeth. Deep cleaning and other periodontal treatments can largely be avoided if you are careful with your cleaning. One of the ideas of having regular check-ups is to avoid such problems developing. Your dentist is a squeamish soul, who probably faints at the sight of blood, and likes to have things tidy. Therefore they’ll be more than happy to show you how to clean your teeth properly if you are unsure how to do it. Scaling and root planing is the first step in treatment of gum disease. It can be enhanced with the local use of medications, oral rinses, but no treatment can be effective without root planing and scaling or deep cleaning. Scaling and root planing is the procedure on its own, and it can be part of gum surgery procedure as well. Some dentists and dental hygienists will use an ultrasonic tool for the planing and scaling. This tool is not as uncomfortable as a standard scraping tool, but not all cleanings require this type of tool. Your dentist may place antibiotic fibers into the pockets between your teeth and gums. The antibiotic will help speed healing and prevent infection. The dentist will remove the fibers about 1 week after the procedure explains Dentist Castle Rock.
Why get Procedure
Root planing is the process of smoothening the root surfaces and removing any infected tooth structure. If you have gum disease or gum pocketing, the gum pockets around the teeth will have deepened, thereby allowing tartar deposits to form under the gumline. The two processes tend to blur together since during the cleaning process, the dental worker scales away tartar and performs any necessary root planing at the same time. Any roughness can be planed away to result in a silky smooth surface. If plaque and tartar is left on the teeth, as we mentioned before, it provides the right conditions for bacteria to thrive. The bacteria irritate the gums, which means that they bleed more easily. You may notice this if you are brushing your teeth, or eating, and sometimes your gums may bleed a bit. This is the early stage of gum disease called gingivitis. Root planing and scaling is done when gums have either started to pull away from the teeth or the roots of the teeth have hard mineral deposits (tartar) on them. If you maintain good dental care after the procedure, the progression of gum disease should stop. And your gums will heal and become firm and pink again says Dentist Castle Rock. There is some confusion about the difference between scaling and root planing. Scaling is basically the process of removing dental tartar from the surfaces of the teeth.
Dentist Castle Rock Talking about Scaling & Root Planing
After Treatment
If anesthesia is used, your lips and gums may remain numb for a few hours. Planing and scaling causes little or no discomfort. Discomfort can vary after root planing, but one can expect it to be more sore afterwards since it’s usually in a deeper region under the gums. The teeth themselves can become a bit more sensitive to temperature, and bleeding might occur for a little while. Over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen work very well to alleviate discomfort, but stronger painkillers can be given should you need them states Dentist Castle Rock. You may be asked to use an antiseptic mouth rinse after scaling and root planing. This is especially likely if your gums are very sore. However, you should continue brushing and flossing as usual. You can expect some minor bleeding in the first days after scaling and root planing. This usually stops within a week. If you develop a fever or a lot of bleeding, pain or swelling after scaling and root planing, contact your dental professional.Brushing and flossing can be delayed or done more gently to avoid aggravating any bruised or tender gum areas. Your dentist or hygienist may recommend salt water or chlorhexidine rinses.
Risk Involved
Root planing and scaling can introduce harmful bacteria into the bloodstream. Gum tissue is also at risk of infection. Treating periodontitis decreases gum inflammation. It also eliminates periodontal pockets, which can trap plaque. You may need to take antibiotics before and after surgery if you have a condition that puts you at high risk for a severe infection or if infections are particularly dangerous for you. Therefore, if treatment is successful, the swelling will be gone and your gums will shrink or recede. The extent of shrinkage depends on the initial depth of the pocket and the severity of periodontitis. The more severe the disease, the more your gums will recede after successful therapy. As a result, some part of the root is exposed. This makes the tooth look longer. It also will be more sensitive to heat and cold. To prevent root cavities, your dentist may prescribe a fluoride-containing gel explains Dentist Castle Rock. It’s also important to control plaque. Has your medical doctor told you that you need to take antibiotics before certain dental procedures? If so, tell your dentist or hygienist about this before you undergo scaling and root planing.
Dentist Castle Rock Talking about Scaling & Root Planing
Dentist Castle Rock Discusses Mini Implants
Posted by: | CommentsDentist Castle Rock Discusses Mini Implants
Undoubtedly the lower denture presents the most difficulty for patients adjusting to dentures for the first time … or even for experienced denture wearers. It can be frustrating as you attempt to eat certain foods, or even to speak with confidence without fear that your lower denture will begin to float in your mouth states Dentist Castle Rock. Mini dental implants, or MDI’s, are sometimes referred to as SDI’s (small diameter implants), as well as NDI’s (narrow body implants). Some small diameter implants are used as anchors in orthodontic cases and are called TADs, or temporary attachment devices. These differ from the more common mini dental implants in that they are removed after they are no longer needed and orthodontic treatment is completed.
Who Can Get Mini Implants
Unless you have had radiation to your jaw, you are probably a good candidate. Individuals with uncontrolled diabetes are poor risks. We have successfully placed implants in people that have lost nearly all of their lower jaw bone. The ideal candidate is in good general and oral health. The best candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal disease since the mini-implants are intimately connected with the gum tissues and underlying bone in the mouth, according to the American Dental Association says Dentist Castle Rock. The mini-implant can be used immediately. The great thing is that the day the mini-implants are placed, you can often attach the denture the same day. A patient’s old, loose existing plate can often be used. Mini dental implants have been approved for use in the US since 1997. Success ratios are equal to regular implants. When complications do arise with mini dental implants, the typical treatment is to move the mini implant to an adjacent spot. Because no bone is removed, the small opening in the gum closes and the body will fill in the defect with new bone. Mini dental implants are much more than a solution for loose lower dentures. They can be used virtually anywhere in the mouth.
Dentist Castle Rock Discusses Mini Implants
Placements
Placement of the implants is accomplished quickly and easily in a process performed in the dentist’s office with just Novocain or if you prefer, we can use oral conscious sedation to help make you more comfortable. A small hole is placed in your gum and the mini-implants are gently screwed into the bone. The heads of the implants protrude from the gum tissue and provide a strong, solid foundation that your denture will actually SNAP tightly on to and secure itself explains Dentist Castle Rock. A mini-implant is a titanium screw with a round head that is placed into your jaw and an o-ring is placed into your denture to snap your denture securely in place. Your denture feels secure and is being held firmly in place thanks to Mini Dental Implants. With the latest technology in dental implantology, Mini Dental Implants may be the answer to your denture problems. Visit your dentist in the morning, have Mini Dental Implants placed in about an hour, and then leave the dental office with stable secure dentures attached to your Mini Dental Implants. Imagine eating, speaking and smiling with confidence. It is a small miracle in implant dentistry and all this in about an hour with no cutting of the gums and no stitches to have removed. This unique procedure can be completed in one visit with virtually no discomfort. A mini-implant is like putting a screw into a piece of wood. The mini-implants are placed into the jawbone and in a few weeks attach themselves solidly to the bone. Although some people have difficulty removing the lower denture, I haven’t had anyone complain that it is too tight.
Benefits of Mini Dental Implants
The placement of the mini implant is also very non-invasive. A small pilot bit is used to create the opening for the implant to be threaded into the bone. Using such a minimally invasive procedure means the patient can heal faster, have less discomfort, and can use the implant much sooner says Dentist Castle Rock. A regular implant is placed much differently. It requires a full flap of gum must be pushed back to see the bone. The bone is then removed with a series of burs to create space for the dental implant to be inserted. Another benefit of getting a mini dental implant is that it not only secures a once loose denture, it now preserves the bone that is left. Without teeth roots, the bone just melts away. A denture actually speeds up the process of the bone resorbing away by constantly rubbing on the overlying gum tissue. A mini dental implant stimulates the bone just like a tooth root would. Dental Implant therapy has been a great advancement in dentistry over the past 25 years. Mini Dental Implants are proving to be the most significant advancement in Implant Dentistry. Tens of thousands of grateful patients bear witness to benefits delivered from the opportunity to obtain a replacement for lost teeth that restores their smiles and confidence. The new Mini Dental Implant technology offers a simple and affordable approach. All of this surgical protocol can be avoided with a mini dental implant.
Dentist Castle Rock Discusses Mini Implants
Dentist Castle Rock Provides Dental X-Ray Answers
Posted by: | CommentsDentist Castle Rock Provides Dental X-Ray Answers
Dentists are aware of the possible dangers associated with X-rays and bear this in mind when they recommend X-rays to patients. Our exposure to radiation is now seven times higher than it was in the 1980s. While most of that comes from CT scans, body X-rays, mammograms, and other forms of medical imaging, there’s another common source of radiation you could be getting every six months when you go in for a teeth cleaning. Just the mention of the word “radiation” conjures up an unpleasant image for most people. Both can make an image on photographic film, so both types of energy are used to make pictures; light makes photographs of the “outside” of objects, x-rays make pictures of the “inside” of objects, including your body. Some associate it with bombs, cancer, and all manner of other bad things. But do you know that there are many beneficial uses of radiation? One type of radiation, x-rays, are used extensively in the medical and dental professions to diagnose and treat a wide variety of conditions. Just how much radiation do you get from a dental x-ray and how harmful is it? First, let’s talk about what an x-ray is says Dentist Castle Rock. X-rays are energy in the form of waves, identical to visible light. In fact, the only difference between light and x-rays is that light doesn’t have enough energy to go through your body and x-rays do.
Measurement
A unit called a “rem” is used to measure radiation. A rem is a large unit, much like a mile is a large unit of length, so we usually use a millirem (mrem) instead, much as you would measure in inches instead of miles for most purposes. (It takes 1000 mrem to equal one rem.) X-rays are a form of energy that’s absorbed in your body. F-speed film is the fastest form of standard film and exposes you to the lowest levels of radiation, while D-speed film is the slowest and exposes you to the highest, 1.75 microsieverts of radiation compared to F-speed’s 0.7 microsieverts. “I don’t know why they haven’t taken out of the market,” says Dr. Benavides. “It really should be replaced.” She adds that E-speed film has been taken off the market, but some dentists may be using up old stockpiles. Dr. Shenkin says that digital film is even better, given that’s it’s faster even than F-speed film. But it’s less available, because digital photo equipment requires a huge up-front investment explains Dentist Castle Rock. The ADA recommends that children with cavities get one every 6 to 12 months, but those without dental decay need X-rays every 12 to 24 months. They do recommend that new patients all have X-rays, so don’t balk if a new dentist sends you to the chair. In that case, if you’re uncomfortable with the radiation exposure, you can ask your previous dentist to send over your most recent X-rays prior to your first visit. Both the American Dental Association and the Food and Drug Administration have issued guidelines for how often adults and children should be getting X-rays, and if you’re a healthy adult without many risk factors, you could need a dental X-ray as infrequently as every three years.
Dentist Castle Rock Provides Dental X-Ray Answers
Dental Equipment
Advances in x-ray equipment, especially film technology, allow your dentist to get a good x-ray image using much less radiation than was previously required. A typical dental x-ray image exposes you to only about 2 or 3 mrem. The National Council on Radiation Protection says that the average resident of the U.S. receives about 360 mrem every year from background sources. This comes from outer space, radioactive materials in the earth, and small amounts of radioactive material in most foods we consume. Dentistry has made great advances in lowering the radiation dose administered. For example, in the 1930s and 1940s, the irradiating cone, which emits the radiation, was huge, covering most of the head and neck. Now, the diameter of the cone is very small, less than 3 inches, so radiation is only pointed at the small spot where the X-ray film is located in your mouth explains Dentist Castle Rock. Also, in the past, the exposure lasted several seconds, whereas now, the exposure times are set at tenths of seconds.
Effects
Large amounts of radiation have been shown to be associated with cancer and changes in chromosomes. In the head and neck, areas exposed to dental radiation, X-rays increase the risk of damage to or cancer of the lens of the eye, thyroid, salivary glands, bone marrow and skin. No one knows the exact effects of low-dose radiation, which is the type used in dental X-rays. However, the effects of radiation exposures are cumulative, meaning the effects depend on the total amount you have absorbed in your life. The small amount of radiation exposure that a patient receives from dental X-rays has never been proven to cause cancer of the lens of the eye, thyroid, salivary glands, bone marrow or skin. Nevertheless, every little bit counts. You’re probably used to your dentist putting a lead apron over you before shooting any X-rays, but he or she may not provide you with a lead thyroid collar say Dentist Castle Rock. The ADA recommends that a thyroid collar be used on everyone, but specifically on women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and children, because studies have shown that repeated dental X-rays can increase your risk for thyroid cancer.
Dentist Castle Rock Provides Dental X-Ray Answers
Dentist Castle Rock CO Discusses Oral Cancer
Posted by: | CommentsDentist Castle Rock CO Discusses Oral Cancer
When oral cancer is detected early the rate of recovery is up to 90 percent, so keeping those appointments can literally be a matter of life or death. In the country a total of 30,000 people are diagnosed each year with a form of oral cancer. Out of those people eight thousand will die. That is a scary number because when you average it out that amounts to about a death per hour says Dentist Castle Rock CO. The news is not all bad because the rates of mortality go way down if the cancer is detected early and that is where your dentist comes in. If you have regular dental exams there is a better chance that your dentist will be able to detect the cancer in its early stages.
Checkup
The dentist will also be able to see the difference between a regular lesion and oral cancer. If you are concerned about the possibility of oral cancer you do not have to wait for your checkup. A dentist can perform an oral exam to detect cancer. The dentist will examine the walls and roof of your mouth, lips, cheeks and throat. The exam does not take that long and further tests may be required. Do not simply ignore a lesion in your mouth even if you are a non-smoker; about 25% of people who get oral cancer are non-smokers. If you are a smoker or live in a household with a smoker you should visit your dentist at least two times per year says Dentist Castle Rock CO. The reason your dentist can be your first line of defense is because the dentist will give you an oral exam and examine for lesions.
Dentist Castle Rock CO Discusses Oral Cancer
The Symptoms with Oral Cancer
A normal lesion should heal itself within the two weeks-time even without any treatment. It is very difficult for a person without the training to be able to distinguish between oral cancer and a lesion that happens because of a bite or other types of oral injuries says Dentist Castle Rock CO. In fact to an untrained eye, the lesions will look a lot like oral cancer, but if you have a lesion you should not panic. If the lesion is very recent there is a chance that it is just an everyday lesion, but if it has been for two weeks or more you should make an appointment to see your dentist just to be safe. Look for any discoloration or irritation.
Avoidances
Needless to say if you combine both smoking and drinking you increase your chances of oral cancer. Age is also a contributing factor as oral cancer is more common on people over forty years old. Non-smokers are not exempt to the possibility, but it is much less common in people who do not smoke. Non-smokers are more likely to get oral cancer if they live with a person who smokes. Dentist Castle Rock CO wants you to know that chewing tobacco, smoking cigars or regular cigarettes are all linked to these types of cancer.
Dentist Castle Rock CO Discusses Oral Cancer
Dentist Castle Rock CO: Diet & Exercise – How does this help Oral Health
Posted by: | CommentsDentist Castle Rock CO: Diet & Exercise – How does this help Oral Health
There are known benefits from dieting and exercising that positively affect the rest of the body; for example it is known that exercise stimulates the immune system making it a lot more resistant to disease. New studies however suggest that an exercise regimen combined with a healthy diet make you a lot healthier orally than previously thought and that includes in disease prevention. Studies are beginning to link oral health with a good diet and exercise routine, points out Dentist Castle Rock CO. It is also known that some foods and drinks can have a negative impact on oral health.
The Case Study
A study which was published in the Journal of Periodontology by the Case Western Rsrv. School of Dental Medicine found that those people that can be categorized as normal weight who keep a daily exercise routine along with a healthy diet will be much less likely to develop gum disease. The study involved over 12,000 people, and the percentage of those with the healthy life style who showed the potential of developing gum disease was 29 percent lower than those who did not. There is also a possibility that the number may be greater, but that depends on the accuracy of the answers provided in the case study suggests Dentist Castle Rock CO. The study also found that obesity can have a negative impact on your oral health by more than doubling the chances of getting gum disease. The people who just followed one healthy habit were still lower than those who did not by a total of 16 percent.
Dentist Castle Rock CO: Diet & Exercise – How does this help Oral Health
Thoughts
The study only reinforces the idea that oral health and overall health are closely linked to one another. Keep in mind though that the results of the study do not take away the importance of good oral health habits such as brushing and flossing. Diseases like diabetes, heart conditions or strokes as well as pregnancy had already shown to have an impact on your oral health states Dentist Castle Rock CO. A healthy life style will not alone prevent gum disease. If you have any doubts about dental care you should ask your dentist during the next visit. They will however better your chances of living a healthy overall life. More studies are also being done because this was the first time that a conclusion was reached regarding obesity and overall dental health.
How is this possible
There is also plaque removal which may be going on when you eat fruits and veggies. The good news is that if you do quit you can start seeing improvements, quickly says Dentist Castle Rock CO. As mentioned before, healthy eating and exercise build up and strengthen your immune system. There can be several factors that are responsible for the results. In addition there is a theory that says that people who suffer with obesity will be more likely to suffer from inflamed gums, while people who regularly exercise will see the inflammation go down. Another risk factor is smoking. The samples that included information on smoking habits did not see much of a difference even with the healthy diet and exercise thrown into the mix.
