Things You Need To Know About Jawbone Healing

It’s quite normal for the surgery site to take time for recovery after the dental extraction surgery. But there has not been a specialized way to speed up or initiate the healing process. Good news is that such treatment is now a possibility in the future.

Due to the poor healing and loss of jawbone, complications can arise. These complications can be quite bothersome for the patients who wait for the right time to get restorative or reconstructive dental treatments.

According to a survey, the treatment with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) at the surgery site can decrease the time required for healing in a significant manner. This treatment doesn’t only accelerate the gum healing process but it is also found to be helpful in preventing the loss of jawbone.

A small research was conducted to study the healing process after wisdom teeth extraction. 6 subjects were involved in this study. Each of the patients had gotten a wisdom tooth extracted from both upper and lower jaws. One of the extraction sites was treated with PRP while the other site was left to heal without any treatment. The patients were asked to come back for evaluation after 3 days, then 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks. During every dental visit, the dentists looked for the tissue opening, bleeding, inflammation, facial swelling and pain at the extractions sites.

Early x-rays showed significant increase in the bone density in the sites which were PRP treated. After a period of 6 weeks, the bone density of the controlled sites was exactly the same as that in the PRP treated sites after one week.

According to researchers, PRP treated sites had positive changes in the bone density immediately after the extraction of wisdom teeth. On the other hand, the control sites had a decrease in bone density during the first week.

It is worth mentioning that patients didn’t report any difference in pain, swelling, numbness, facial swelling or temperature between the two sites.

The real benefit of speeding up healing process after tooth extraction is that the patients who are in the need of restorative or reconstructive dental work will not have to wait for long. Normal healing time without any PRP treatment is 16 weeks.

The main purpose of this study was to demonstrate the benefits of speeding up the healing process using cost effective methods.

Telling Your Dental Office That You’re Pregnant

Everything changes when you become pregnant. Your health changes. Your cravings become wild. You can’t drink anymore. And the pains and emotional swings can seriously cause you to be cranky.

But one thing that’s not often mentioned is what you should do when it comes to your dental health while carrying a child. And the thing is, dental tips for when you’re pregnant can be hard to come by simply because so little is out there in terms of recommendations and facts whereas a lot of misinformation can be found floating around just for a few extra clicks on a website each month.

Read on to see what we’ve got to say on the matter with actual advice and facts that you, an expecting mother, can glean as you will. The number one thing to keep in mind while pregnant, though, is not to skip your biannual dental visits. You may even be able to get a third visit in to clean your teeth since certain insurances would understand while you’re pregnant.

Cleaning some. And then clean some more

Try to schedule a cleaning during your pregnancy so that your dentist can fully equip you with everything you need to do and know while carrying a child. They know what’s best for expecting mothers.

Tell your dentist you’re pregnant

You don’t have to do this, but it does help your dentist to know what exactly you’ll need while pregnant while also allowing them to steer clear of procedures or medicines that won’t be good for you when you’re pregnant. X-rays are one of those things just in case, so let them know beforehand.

Your dentist will want to accommodate you

Here’s the thing. If you end up telling your dental office that you’re expecting, they’ll actively want to help you and do everything they can to make sure you’re on track for a healthy pregnancy in everything they can do. And if you’re having dental work done on your mouth while pregnant, well, they’ll make sure you’re comfortable when laying in the chair, and they’ll completely understand if you need to take breaks when needed. All you have to do is make sure they know, and voila! They’ll make sure you have everything you could possibly need.

Overall, there’s not much in your way between you and your baby’s arrival when it comes to dental health. So long as you make it known that you’re expecting, your dentist will avoid the things that aren’t beneficial for you and your child.

Things You Need To Know About Preventative Dentistry At Home

When it comes to preventative dentistry, many people talk about going to the dentist and getting teeth checked and cleaned. The matter of fact is that going to the dentist is very important and you have to make sure that you do not miss any of the scheduled dental visits. But, you also have to make sure that you are taking care of your teeth and mouth at home. Preventative dentistry includes everything from what your dentist do with your mouth to what you do with it at home. While your dentist will take care of your oral cavity, it is worth mentioning what you can do to maintain your oral health.

Having that said, a few things should be discussed in association with preventative dentistry at home.

Prevention at home

Preventative care at home can be more important than preventative care which you get from dentist. Dental office is going to analyze things for you in order for you to know where your oral health stands. In the end, it all comes down to what you do at home to make sure that your oral cavity doesn’t show you any issue during a dental exam.

When it comes to preventative care at home, we normally talk about oral hygiene. Oral hygiene includes:

• Brushing
• Flossing
• Rinsing the mouth

You need to make sure that your teeth are not having any plaque buildup. For this purpose, you will have to brush and floss your teeth regularly. Many people think that it’s enough of the oral hygiene if you only brush your teeth. The matter of fact is that brushing helps you maintain cleanliness and whiteness of the visible surface of your teeth. The interdental spaces and hidden areas also need to be cleaned. So you will have to floss your teeth regularly to make sure that plaque in hidden areas is not causing cavities.

As for the mouth rinsing, it can be done with lukewarm water. However, you can choose a mouth rinse but make sure that you are not going for the one with alcohol in composition. It will do more harm than good.

Watch what you eat

The next very important thing to consider in preventative dental care is about the food you eat. If your food is causing oral health problems, you better leave that food and for what can be good for your oral and overall health. Typically, you will need to avoid starchy, sugary, fried and processed foods because these foods have all the ingredients which allow bad oral bacteria to make a mess of your teeth and gums. You can go for the vegetables and fruits which are quite healthy and refreshing for you your mouth.

In the end, you have to make sure that you take care of your teeth at home while visiting the dentist after every 6 months.

Bad Breath from Stomach Issues

When you have breath that smells foul, you probably are looking at your oral hygiene and some foods as the biggest offenders of this. However, it may not be your mouth, it might be directly from the stomach. Bad breath from your stomach issues is strange because this one is hard to treat, identify, or even isolate. 

You definitely want to consider this though, especially if you’re not sure whether your foul breath is from some garlic, or something more. 

The causes of bad Breath 

When you have bad breath, you may think it’s just from something you ate, but it’s a bit deeper than that. 

Bad oral hygiene may be a reason for it, but there also might be other reasons for this. 

If you notice that the breath has a foul ammonia smell, this could be an infection in the kidneys, or a disease that is chronic. 

Here are the most common causes that bad breath can partake in. 

• GERD or Acid Reflux: known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease, this is basically a reflux or heartburn, which is followed by bad breath that’s caused by too much acid courtesy of your digestive system. This is sour tasting, which in turn will impact your breath 
• Ulcers: this is usually due to the H. pylori bacteria, which is common in a lot of peptic ulcers, along with dyspepsia. But more research needs to be found on this 
• Kidney disease: if you have a bad breath that smells like an ammonia smell, or even fishy, it’s a sign of kidney disease that’s chronic 
• Bowl obstructions: this is something that happens when the bowels aren’t able to move the food downwards. It then ferments, and then, you have a bad breath that’ll escape the mouth so that it smells foul. 

If you have any of these, you may want to talk to your doctor, figure out the symptoms, and the appropriate treatment that’s there. 

Remedies 

There are a few remedies at hand, for handling bad breath can be a bit of a challenge. The goal is to hit the root cause of this, in order to offer fresher, better breath. 

• Avoid the triggers. If you know that dairy, spicy food, stress, and the like will make the bad breath worse, you should avoid these. 
• Chew some gum. Sugar-free gum stimulates the salivary gland production, and it also gets rid of the prospect of bad breath 
• Take care of your mouth. Brush twice each days, get in between the teeth with interdental brushes, use water flossers or flossers, and then utilize a mouth wash so you’re not having particles that make bad breath worse 
• Consider probiotics. Sometimes, the solution to bad breath is in the gut. A healthier gut is better for your teeth, so if you’re struggling to get enough nutrients for your body, you can always start taking probiotics on the daily, or have a cup of yogurt every single day 

It’s hard sometimes to figure out why your breath smells foul, and sometimes, it’s beyond the normal you had bad garlic reasons. For that, you should always look at some of the different ways to take care of your mouth, start doing so today, and from there you can improve your breath, and also get a much better outcome from this. The solution to a bad mouth, is sometimes in the stomach, so consider possibly going there if you’re not sure and start to take care of the bad breath that you have today! You’ll be super glad you did. 

What is a Gumline Cavity

If you’ve recently gotten a cavity, you aren’t alone. They’re actually affecting most people over the age of 20, and in most cases, it can definitely be something that can be better prevented. Here, we’ll go over how you can prevent the risk of gumline cavities from getting worse. 

The Causes 

Cavities form when bacteria from sugars are accumulated, producing acids to help dissolve the enamel of the tooth, the surface that’s considered protective from decay. When this starts to wear down, this causes cavities to form. Do you know which parts are the most prone to this? Well, the back molar areas and the pits are a really popular spot for this, since the plaque builds up easily there, and since it’s not easy to remove, it does cause cavities to form. 

Gumline cavities are also found in the tooth roots, with the tissue protecting this, but the roots tend to become more vulnerable when the gumline recedes back. This is because you have roots which are covered in cementum, which is not as strong as the enamel of you teeth. 

The treatment 

The treatment of this is definitely something a struggle to take care of, and usually, it’s done though fillings, where the patient gets numbed, they remove the material that’s decayed, and then, the hole is filled with a composite rein or a protective material in most cases. Tooth decay near the gumline is similar, but there are some differences. You may need to get it out through a laser or drill, and it may require surgery to help with accessing and taking care of this cavity. 

Preventing 

The best way to prevent cavities is to make sur that you do take care of your teeth. This is through brushing your teeth, placing the brush itself at an angle of 45 degrees, using a motion back and forth against the tooth. Once this is clean, move to the other surfaces. This should be done twice a day. 

You also should make sure that you engage in interdental cleaning, otherwise known as brushing or flossing. Water flossing is great for those who hate to floss, while you can use mouthwash to fully remove all of the bacteria that’s there. Finally, teeth cleanings done by a professional. You want to get it from someone who can get rid of the tartar and plaque along the gumline. They also can look at your mouth to find cavities at the gumline, or gum recession and potentially other concerns too. 

If you’re looking to take care of your teeth better, the best way to do so is through making sure that gumline cavities are not a problem for you. Nobody likes that, and it’s quite troublesome, but for many, by taking care of it now, you’ll be able to quite easily and with a lot of results, get exactly what you want. You can reduce the chances of getting a gumline cavity by treating this, and also to ensure that if you do have one, you get it handled right away. 

Prevention and treatment are definitely a must for a lot of people who are interested in making sure that their oral health is taken care of. You don’t want to deal with the problems of cavities down the line. There are many beautiful results from this, and a lot of great ways to take care of your teeth quite easily, and here, we went over just what you need to do in order to ensure that you have the right oral health you need as well. 

Why high Alkaline Foods

Did you know that foods that are too acidic do affect your dental health? You can take steps to make this better and reduce the acidic options by having more alkaline ones. You may wonder why high alkaline foods, well you’re in luck because here, we’ll go over why that is. 

What’s considered high Alkaline 

Alkaline is the opposite of acidic foods, which is where it goes from 8 to 14 on the pH scale, What that means for you is that it doesn’t corrode the teeth that acidic foods do. Those foods that are too acidic should be avoided or consumed in moderate manners. A lot of us though have heard that there is a myth that the soft teeth does cause dental problems and cavities. The diet and hygiene that you have do play a larger role than the softness you inherit from your genetics. What you consume does impact the bacteria and the saliva in the teeth. 

Those foods and drinks that you have actually do wear down your enamel over time, and if you want to protect this, you’ll be better off. Remember that it doesn’t restore over time like other parts of the body, so you’re in for a wealth of problems as aa result. 

Tooth erosion results in the following: 

• More cavities 
• Sensitivity to hot and cold 
• Looking yellow and exposing the dentin 
• Tooth loss, or abscesses in many extreme cases.

The way your acidity is counteracted does impact the health of the teeth, and you can actually reverse this and protect the acidic effects with alkaline drinks and foods. 

The best Alkaline Foods 

It’s important to understand that there are foods that are alkaline after they’re digested but are considered acidic when in contact with your teeth. These are usually foods that are beneficial to the overall health, beyond just what the dental hygiene aspects are involved. The best alkaline foods include, but aren’t limited to the following: 

• Fresh fruits 
• Fresh veggies 
• Fats and oils 
• Quinoa and beans 
• Lentils 
• Alkaline kinds of water 

The cool thing that you can do is have these in some meals, and it’s pretty easy to start eating healthier when it comes to your teeth. 

Other foods that Benefit your Smile 

There are plenty of other foods that, while may not all just be alkaline, are good for your needs. 

These include the following. 

• Veggies and fruits to protect your gums and teeth 
• Dairy products since it helps with the saliva production and does help to create better enamel 
• Foods and some drinks that have fluoride help to protect the teeth you have, such as tap water 
• Green and black tea fight bacteria that creates acids to harm the teeth 

Your routine is also really important for the dental health that you have, and here, we’ll discuss the top tips for preventing some of the bad acidic effects. 

They’re listed below: 

• Have the foods and drinks after a mela to reduce the elements of damage 
• Use a straw to help minimize decay on the teeth 
• Have water and rinse your mouth with it after having acidic foods 
• Sugar -free gum is great to help with minimizing the onset of dry mouth 
• Brush your teeth for about two minutes twice daily and then floss once a day 

With all of these steps, you can help to combat the effects of acid on the teeth, and having your diet is what protects your teeth the best too. 

What is Oral thrush

If you’ve ever noticed white pieces in your mouth that look like cottage cheese, chances are that’s a sign of what’s called oral thrush. While it can affect anyone, it mostly affects babies and older adults since it does result in a weakened immune system. While the condition is painless in general, there are some ways to prevent it from being a problem. This is basically a yeast infection that involves yellow or white patches, and is basically an overgrowth of what’s called candidiasis, and this is where the lesions come into play. This is found in the mouth, the skin, and the GI tract. A mouth that’s healthy and an immune system that’s good usually keep it in check, but if it’s left out of balance, it can lead to this. 

Symptoms 

Usually, there are some symptoms that come with this, and they include: 

• White patches on the tongue, gums, inner cheeks, and the mouth roof
• Soreness in your mouth 
• Bleeding if irritated 
• Loss of taste 
• Cottonmouth 
• A baby may get fussy when eating 
• Problems swallowing 

Usually your immune system works well to repel any sorts of microorganisms that are there. if oral thrush does appear, it might be due to an underlying medical condition as well. 

The Causes 

This is basically a yeast infection, and it can be generally harmless for those that are healthy. However, there are certain factors which play a role into how you may get this, and they include: 

• A weaker immune system 
• High stress levels 
• Diabetes 
• AIDS/HIV 
• STIs 
• Smoking 
• Antibiotics or corticosteroids 

Treatment 

If you’re seeing this, usually you need to go to the doctor and they’ll prescribe you some antifungal medications such as lozenges that are made with clotrimazole, or you may need to take a fluconazole as well. You also may want to possibly get a nystatin, which is a mouthwash that’s antifungal for adults and babies, and usually, the symptoms will stick around for up to 8 weeks if you don’t take care of this. Usually, home remedies also fix this too. For example, eating yogurt and cheese may help with the chemical balance, brushing your teeth may help, but avoid the white spots, and then rinse out the mouth with warm salt water as well. 

Preventing this 

The oral hygiene that you have is vital to oral thrush. Through brushing teeth, cleaning with a flosser, and also rinsing with a mouth wash, this is a simple, yet great way to prevent this from making your mouth worse and keeping this healthy too. You also should make sure that if you have dentures and night guards, you also clean those. 

Remember that candida does love those environments that are warm and moist, so make sure that you do take care of the area around you, and try to take precautions, especially for those moms with babies. Babies can get this a lot within the first year that they’re alive, so making sur that you minimize it is good. 

Some ways you can include: 

• Washing hands 
• Cleaning anything that’s in the area infected 
• Let your nipples dry after you breastfeed 
• Try to avoid bottle feeding 

Oral thrush especially in most people is common and goes away after a while. But if you notice that it’s persistent, you might want to talk to your doctor, to get the right kind of medical treatment, as they may be able to find the underlying reasons for what kinds of problems they are having. 

Can Taking Care of your Teeth Prevent Heart Disease

If you’re looking to improve your overall health and wellness, you might want to start to take care of your teeth. Prioritizing dental hygiene does impact your overall health and wellness. 

While preventable, heart disease is the top cause of death in the US. But, when you reduce your risk factors associated with heart disease and oral health, you’ll be able to have a better, healthier life. 

Bacteria does travel through various blood vessels, infecting different areas of your body. When gum disease does occur in the mouth, harmful bacteria travels to different parts of the body. It causes inflammation, including in the heart.   

This leads to: 

• Stroke 
• Heart disease 
• High blood pressure 

So yes, if you don’t take care of your mouth, it can cause other problems in the body.   Your heart is a muscle, and prevention of issues is incredibly important. 

Foods that Support Heart and Oral Health 

Eating right and physical activity on a regular basis are two key components of healthy lifestyles. Focusing one’s diet on foods that are important for oral and heart health does prevent serious problems from happening. When unhealthy foods that are high in fat and sugar are eaten, it causes the bacteria to grow. It’s also not good overall.  

You want to eat foods that’ll promote oral health as much as you can. 

These include: 

• Leafy greens to lower your blood sugar and improve saliva 
• Almonds, as they’re high in calcium, and also lower in sugar 
• Fiber-rich veggies and fruits that reduce diabetes and obesity, while also strengthening the gums and teeth 
• Salmon, as there are a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D. this naturally prevents gum disease, tooth decay, and also heart disease overall. 

Supporting National Heart Month 

National heart month is a great chance to start talking about heart health. Most people don’t, but the thing is, if you’re not careful it can kill you. 

Here are a few things that you can do to ensure that you’re taking care of your heart, and getting involved: 

• Inspire your loved ones to start taking care of their heart health. 
• Encourage other people to wear red during the first Friday of February 
• Volunteer at heart months and plan events to ensure that you’re letting others know about the importance of heart health 
• Share heart-healthy recipes with your friends 
• Engage with your social media profile by adding Heart Month facts 
• Learn CPS and other life-saving skills 

While you should always take care of your oral health, you also want your overall health in place. Various complications through heart disease are incredibly preventable.  It’s important to be informed of the different impacts of this and start to make healthy lifestyle changes so you can have a healthy, happy life with a healthy heart. 

If you have issues with heart disease, or gum disease, talk to medical or dental professionals that’ll help you develop a solution to take care of the problems that you might have. 

Overall, your heart is a muscle that you don’t want to completely ignore. Doing so causes major problems down the line, especially for your overall health and wellness.  Take it upon yourself to take care of your heart, and other parts of the body.   You’ll be happy with the different impacts that this has on your overall health and wellness too! 

What a Dental Therapist is

If you’ve ever wondered who works in the dentist’s office, you’re not alone.  You usually go to places that have an office, but there are instances where there isn’t one readily available, or they don’t have the ability to get dental care. That’s why dental therapists are becoming more popular than ever. What is it though? How does it differ from a regular dentist or a dental hygienist? Here, we’ll go over all of the different procedures, to show the right means that a dental therapist can help you, and some other aspects of such too. 

What it Is 

Basically, dental therapists are basically a type of oral healthcare professional that goes to the right school that they need to for the education they need, and they also do the same clinicals as a regular dentist.  They may get  bachelor’s degrees in advanced dentistry as well, and they may do these therapies both supervised and unsupervised as well. 

Basically, dental therapists have the following responsibilities that you can get from them: 

• Handle x-rays 
• Clean and polish teeth 
• Replace crowns 
• Fill the cavities 
• Take out baby teeth 
• Repair prosthetics used for dental means 
• Administer a local anesthetic 
• Offer oral care advice
• Make various mouthguards 

Where they practice 

Sometimes they practice within an office, or in their home, offering care, but they usually go to communities that need them to work.

This is something that’s necessary, because a lot of places are very short on dental professionals, and there are also problems with getting insurance, or having the funds necessary for this. Some people might look for these types of therapists for different means 

Some settings that they work in are: 

• Tribal clinics 
• Free or public healthcare clinics 
• Correctional facilities 
• Clinics in rural areas 
• Underserved schools 
• Health units that are mobile 

There are also community facilities, where if dental care is necessary, you can get some dental therapists there too. Veterans hospitals, nursing homes, and health offices for schools for instance all contain places where they can work.

There are also different charitable trusts as well that do employ these dental therapists to go out to help others. This is especially the case for a lot of places where there aren’t any options for people. 

The one downside to this, is that it’s not available everywhere.

In fact, it’s only available in the following places: 

• Maine 
• Minnesota 
• Tribes within Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon 
• Arizona 
• Vermont 
• Connecticut 
• Michigan 
• New Mexico 
• Idaho 
• Nevada 

Right now, we’re starting to see more increases within this, but there is a chance that there may be more laws put in place for the administration of dental care from these people too. 

Having them as a Part of the Team 

If you’re interested in learning more about this, one thing to understand is that most dental therapists don’t have the clinicals and the training that a normal dentist does, so they may not be regarded as a part of the team.

But, due to the fact that they are able to perform more advanced activities to help others, a lot of places welcome them. Some may also supervise them directly, and they may need a dentist to watch over them.

Remember, if you can, make sure that you get someone who is licensed, and make sure that it’s someone who knows what they are doing, especially before you undergo any procedures that might harm you and your mouth too.

Dental Caries Assessment

There are new tests done every single day to help people have better dental health. One of them is the caries risk assessment, which was created by the California Dental Association. This is a way to determine the risk of tooth decay caused by cavities. With this, a lot of dentists are able to take better measures to prevent and also help with measuring the correct means to protect the teeth that are there.

It’s become a newfound standard within the industry and is also utilized in different checkups.

Why Does this Help? 

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) the caries are very high in the US for a log of Americans, due to the high sugars and carbs that wreak havoc on the food that you eat.

You need to prevent this at home to start. According to the ADA, when you watch the foods that you eat, while also practicing the correct hygiene, you’ll be able to reduce the bacteria from growing within the mouth. By working with a dental professional and the caries risk assessment, they can give you tips and tricks to help you prevent tooth caries and other decay. 

How it Works 

The best way to do this is through assessing the teeth, and also looking at different categories. These include the following: 

• The disease indicators, which basically means any cavities, restorations, white spots, and enamel that’s demineralized 
• The risk factors, such as problems with the saliva, your bacterial count within your system, and dental roots that are exposed, whether you’ve had braces or not, and also pits and grooves within the teeth. They also will look at other habits that actually can impact the teeth, such as snacking a lot, having bad foods, smoking, and other bad dental hygiene. 
• The protective measures, including xylitol, fluoride, and also antibacterial results that’ll remineralizer your teeth 

The dentist looks at different parts of your mouth, and also assesses the risk factors in different ways. They might use x-rays, ways to measure the fluoride within the teeth, your nutrition levels, and also test for the acids that actually are within the mouth.

Through the caries risk assessment, the dentist gets an idea of the oral health that you have, and also, will give you the proper recommendations based on the current management of the disease. It’s also used in order to prevent further lesions from getting worse.

Remember that preventative care starts with what you decide to do. By practicing the oral hygiene that matters, watching the foods that you wat, and also getting checkups, you’ll be able to have gums and teeth that are healthy. By following the recommendations that the dentists give you too, you’ll have teeth that are healthy, beautiful, and look good.

This is the best way to have teeth well into the golden years too. You don’t have to deal with any of the other problems that come with this, and from there, you’ll be able to take care of your teeth in ways that are beneficial to you.

Take care of them now, so that you’re not spending all of your time trying to salvage them when you’re older.

Caries are the biggest cause of tooth decay. They’re the first step, and preventing them now can prevent further problems down the line. It’s something that will not only help you smile, but also will help to provide the best, and highest quality teeth that you can, and in order to help you get the best oral health that you can achieve with your oral habits.