sensitive teethAfter preparing a very generous helping of your favorite ice cream, the last thing you want is for this delectable dairy delight to cause you pain. But if cold foods like ice cream or hot drinks like coffee often cause you pain or discomfort, you may be suffering from “sensitive teeth”.
Sensitive teeth can come from any number of dental dilemmas. A cavity, tooth damage, worn fillings, and gum recession are among the common causes of tooth sensitivity.
Below the enamel and outer layers of the tooth that protects the crown, is dentin, which contains the nerve endings. When the protective layer of enamel is compromised, the nerve endings can be stimulated causing pain and discomfort, though no long-term damage occurs.sensitive teeth
Of course, the standard dental cure of regular and proper brushing and flossing is key to preventing sensitive teeth. But beyond this, sensitive teeth can be treated. Desensitizing toothpaste can help build a layer of protection between the nerve endings and your bowl of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream.
We can also offer other treatments in office such as a fluoride gel and/or fluoride rinse to help ease your pain.
Gum Disease: The Silent Threat
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults. Gum disease has also been linked to a wide range of serious, and sometimes fatal, medical conditions. These facts are frightening enough by themselves. To make things worse, most people affected by periodontal disease don't even know they have it. Left untreated, it can gradually destroy a person's health.
What Is Periodontal (Gum) Disease?
Periodontal disease is an insidious, usually painless condition caused by a slowly progressing infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. Gum disease is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on the teeth. Toxins created by the bacteria damage the gums and cause cavities in the teeth. Meanwhile, the plaque gradually hardens into calculus, or “tartar”—an extremely hard, damaging substance that it is impossible to remove by brushing or flossing. Bacteria continue to multiply and flourish inside of the tartar, which continues to accumulate more plaque over time and cause even more damage.
An early sign of periodontal disease is gingivitis, a condition associated with red, swollen, bleeding gums. A normal dental cleaning can usually reverse this condition at this early stage, and while normal brushing and flossing can remove most signs of gingivitis, a professional examination is necessary to ensure that the disease does not progress.
As gum disease progresses, calculus and plaque continue to accumulate, releasing more toxins and causing more damage. In the middle to late stages, the advancing infection dissolves the bone around the teeth, eliminating support to the tooth. Teeth can become loose, fall out, or require removal by a dentist.
Warning Signs of Gum Disease
Periodontal disease is usually painless, and accompanied by only mild visible symptoms – but left untreated, it can have serious consequences. If you notice any of the following symptoms, contact our office immediately:
- Bleeding gums during or after tooth brushing
- Red, swollen, or tender gums
- Gums that have pulled away from the teeth
- Chronic bad breath that doesn't go away
- Pus between teeth and gums
- Loose teeth
- Changes in the way your feet fit together when you bite
- Changes in the fit of partial dentures
Consequences of Gum Disease
Periodontal disease can have serious and far-reaching affects upon almost every aspect of your health. Some of these can even threaten your life.
The bacteria that cause periodontal disease are associated with a wide range of other serious conditions, including:
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Respiratory infection
- Pregnancy complications
- Osteoporosis
- Alzheimer's disease
- Dementia
- Kidney disease
- Oral cancer
Comfort Dental's periodontal program is an organized system for early detection, diagnosis, treatment and maintenance of periodontal disease, and for the early detection of oral cancer. We have a non-surgical approach to the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and management of early- to moderate-stage periodontal disease, and which provides the best possible treatments to aid in the improvement of your overall health.
The experts at Comfort Dental follow an effective oral/systemic approach to periodontal disease. We perform initial screenings for heart disease, diabetes, HPV, thyroid illness, and other systemic ailments, and will work closely with your physician should our testing indicate any possible problems. We'll also provide you with the information and education you need to watch for warning signs, perform necessary preventative measures, and actively protect yourself against severe illness.
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Denture Care
Denture Facts
Apart from routine preventative care, cavity treatment is the most commonly needed dental procedure for the majority of dental patients. Our dentists follow the most effective and modern procedures for cavity treatment, and as a result, our patients experience a quick, comfortable treatment process—and a restored tooth that is problem-free, pain-free, and worry-free for years to come.
Understanding Tooth Decay
How do cavities happen? Basically, tooth decay and cavities occur when harmful bacteria damage the hard tooth structure—the tooth's enamel, dentin, and cementum. Subjected to attack by these bacteria, these tissues progressively break down, resulting in cavities—pitting in the teeth.
Our teeth consist primarily of minerals. In the normal course of daily life, our teeth are in a constant state of back-and-forth demineralization and remineralization as mineral content is repeatedly lost and replaced. When exposed to fermentable carbohydrates – sugars such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose – decay-causing bacteria produce an acid that eats away at the teeth, accelerating the demineralization process and upsetting the demineralization/remineralization balance. The result: Tooth decay, cavities, and discomfort.
Cavity Treatment and Fillings
Cavity treatment is so common as to be almost universal: Very few of us manage to live our entire lives completely without cavities. Unfortunately, contemporary diets and lifestyles often mean that we are much more prone to cavities than we should be. Sodas, carbohydrate and sugar-rich fast foods, and personal schedules that don't leave time for proper dental hygiene result in cavities which could have been prevented.
When a cavity occurs, prompt treatment helps to safeguard the tooth and prevent further decay. The cavity treatment process consists of removing decay and replacing damaged tooth material with an artificial filling. This serves to protect the surrounding areas against further decay, strengthen the tooth's structure, and safeguard against eventual loss of the tooth if decay were allowed to continue. Allowed to continue, decay can result in there being too little remaining tooth structure for restorative material to be placed within the tooth. In these cases, a crown may be needed.
Comfort Dental offers the full range of available filling types. Common filling materials are dental amalgam, composite resin, porcelain, and gold. Composite resin and porcelain can both be matched to the color of the patient's natural teeth, and as such are usually preferred by patients concerned with their appearance. However, composite resins are not as strong or durable as dental amalgam or gold. Many dentists consider the latter to be the only advisable restoration material for posterior areas (“back teeth”) due to the tremendous downward pressure created by chewing.
In all cases, Comfort Dental works to provide cavity treatment that is perfectly suited to the particular tooth, cavity, and patient. Our goal is to provide you with an effective, strong, and durable restoration of your tooth, using precisely the right methods and restorative material to create the best possible outcome. At all stages, we work to make the treatment process calming, comfortable, and pain-free.
Cavity Prevention
What's the best way to deal with cavities? Never get them in the first place. Fortunately, when properly performed, routine daily dental hygiene measures can make a big difference when it comes to preventing tooth decay.
The most important step you can take to prevent cavities is to brush and floss regularly each day, particularly after meals. This removes dental plaque, the primary cause of tooth decay, as well as making your mouth a less hospitable environment for plaque-causing bacteria to survive in. The right toothbrush, toothpaste, brushing method, and flossing technique can work wonders in reducing your risk of cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease—not to mention the discomfort associated with them.
At Comfort Dental, we consider effective dental education to be a key element in your treatment program. Our skilled hygienists will be happy to explain and demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques to you during your visit, and to answer any oral hygiene questions you may have.
As an additional protective measure, dental sealants can help prevent cavities and tooth decay. A dental sealant is a thin protective coating which is applied to the chewing surfaces of molars. The sealant prevents food particles from being trapped within pits and fissures in the tooth. Normally, chewing pressure tends to compress food within these areas, providing plaque bacteria with an opportunity to grow. The sealant helps to deprive these bacteria of these hiding places. We'll be happy to discuss whether dental sealants might be right for you.
Three Month Recare
Gingivitis
