Monday, December 7, 2015

                                   

                                 What to Do in a Dental Emergency

Accidents happen all the time and not all of them require immediate care. But if you've had an injury to your teeth, mouth or jaw, you should see a dentist right away. If you’re not sure your problem is an emergency, here’s a list of the most common ones -- plus a few things you can do to minimize pain and damage before seeing your dentist:
 
Broken Tooth -- Save any pieces of the broken tooth and rinse your mouth out with warm water. Apply a cold compress to the area to decrease swelling and pain until you can be seen by the dentist.
 
Broken Jaw -- Apply a cold compress to limit swelling and see your dentist right away.
 
Knocked-Out Tooth -- Gently rinse off the knocked out tooth without removing any attached tissue. If possible, hold the tooth in place in the socket. Otherwise, put the tooth in a glass of milk and get to your dentist right away.
 
Something Stuck in Your Teeth -- Carefully try to remove the object with dental floss. (Don't try using a sharp instrument!) If you're unable to dislodge the object with dental floss, contact your dentist.
 
Toothache -- Rinse your mouth out with warm water. Then use dental floss to make sure there isn't any food or other debris causing the pain. If the pain persists, call the dentist.
 
Lost Dental Filling or Dental Crown -- For dental fillings, seal the area with a piece of sugarless gum or over-the-counter dental cement. If a dental crown has come loose, try to put it back in place with dental cement. If that doesn't work, bring it with you to the dentist.
 
Dental Abscess -- If you notice a painful, pimple-like swelling on your gums, rinse with salt water and immediately contact your dentist. Dental abscesses can lead to more serious infections if not promptly treated.

Cranberries Have Unique Benefit For Women

A recent study at 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.
The anti-adhesion property of cranberries prevents bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract, which is one of the most common regions for a woman to develop a bacterial infection. Half off all women will experience at least one urinary tract infection in their lifetime. E. coli, bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, are becoming increasingly resistant to common antibiotics. The study concluded that 80% of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria were prevented from sticking by the anti-adhesion property of cranberries. There is some conjecture that PAC's found in cranberry may minimize stomach ulcers and gum disease by the same mechanism.
This study compared the action of PAC's in cranberries to those in other foods such as grape and apple juice, dark chocolate and green tea. Apparently, not all PAC-rich foods have the same success or offer the same protection. By means of comparison, one eight-ounce glass of cranberry juice has the equivalent PAC's as a cup of frozen or fresh cranberries, 1/3 cup of sweetened dried cranberries or 1/3 cup of cranberry sauce. Both this study and earlier research show that the benefits of one glass of cranberry juice kicks in about two hours after consumption and lasts for about 10 hours. So, it is recommended that you drink one glass of cranberry juice in the morning and one in the evening for the maximum protection. Remember, cranberry is a food and not a treatment. Keep in mind that anyone who suspects an infection should consult the appropriate health care practitioner.

            Considering Dental Implants?

Important Facts to Help Make Your Decision

Many people are unaware of the consequences of losing their teeth or the effects of wearing partial or full dentures upon their jaws and bones. When teeth are lost, the surrounding bone immediately begins to shrink [atrophy]. Implant treatment, for tooth replacement therapy, can be the optimal treatment plan. Here are some important facts to take into consideration.

 Wearing dentures [plates] accelerates bone loss, and old dentures become loose because of this bone loss. It is possible to watch and wait for bone to disappear to the point where treatment success of any kind is in doubt.
 At the end of a five-year period, only 40% are still wearing the original partial denture made for them. This is not a great testimonial for value and utility. Those lucky enough to have a functioning partial denture after 5 years are still losing valuable supporting bone.
 Of those patients who wear a partial denture, 50% chew better without it.
 One study showed that after 8 years, 40% of the supporting teeth [abutments] that the partial hooks onto were lost through tooth decay or fracture.
 Patients with natural teeth can bite with about 200 pounds of force. Denture wearers can bite with approxiametly 50 pounds of force. Those wearing dentures for 15 years or more can bite with only about 6 pounds of force, and their diet and eating habits have had to been modified accordingly.
 The average lower full denture shifts from side to side during chewing and is a significant problem that new denture wearers must get use to and accept.
 Denture wearers have decreased nutritional intake, a ten year shorter life span, and 30% of denture wearers can only eat soft foods.
 The single tooth implant success rate is above 98%, and unlike a bridge, the teeth adjacent to the implant are no more at risk than if no teeth were missing.
 Implant-supported bridges or dentures have 95% success rates over 10 years without the severe loss of supporting bone.

For bone maintenance, the health of adjacent teeth, the longevity of the restoration and patient comfort, implant therapy is the treatment of choice. Implants can restore chewing function to the equivalent of someone with natural teeth. If you have questions or want to know if you are a good candidate for implant tooth replacement therapy, please call our office.


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