This is a generally concise, straight-forward summary of the various causes of tooth pain.
I think it is important to clarify the "abscess" is when the tooth's nerve dies from any cause (a crack, an untreated cavity, gum disease, past trauma, and other reasons).
This article would be more accurately titled “Clear aligners vs. Braces” as Invisalign is just one brand name (and the most well known) of clear aligner, though many exist since Invisalign started.
Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease that unfortunately has no cure: once you are diagnosed as having periodontal disease, it is a life-long diagnosis (like cardiovascular disease or diabetes) that we can manage and help get "stable" or into "remission", but it cannot be fully cured or reversed. It is a multifactorial disease with dry mouth (xerostomia), smoking, diabetes, and genetics being known to contribute to it's activity and severity.
As mentioned in the article, mouthwashes can do different things depending on what ingredients are in them: from doing some (very minor) whitening to helping combat cavities.
As mentioned in the article, if you have not been regularly flossing, you may (should!) notice your gums bleeding during flossing. Unless you are pulling so hard you are hurting yourself, the bleeding is an indication of active gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis).
The use of retainers after straightening your teeth (or to prevent teeth from getting more crooked, even if you don’t want to straighten them!) is very important to minimize “relapse” (the natural tendency of teeth to want to go back to the position they started from).
An excellent, concise article! The key takeaway is: seeing your dentist (and hygienist) as frequently as they recommend is vital not only fit your oral health, but also for your overall health.
An excellent overview of how to best take care of your child’s teeth!
A key point to note: oral hygiene routines for children should include both tooth brushing and flossing. Toothbrushing should not only be monitored but a caregiver should be “re-brushing” or “pre-brushing” the child’s teeth with each toothbrushing session (twice a day!).
Gingivitis is a very common disease but fortunately, it is reversible and “curable” - with proper care at home and by seeing your dentist as often as recommended! It is important for us to do our best to control gingivitis because we want to so what we can to prevent the progression to the more severe, irreversible, “incurable” form of gum disease called periodontitis (the loss of tooth-supporting bone).
Something I always like to stress to parents is - toothbrushing is not optional! It can be stressful and challenging while you and your little one are getting used to the routine. But it is important to view it as vital a part of your child’s hygiene routines as diaper changing and bathing. They may not like it, but it has to happen, and eventually they will at least tolerate it, if not enjoy it!
Any tooth or mouth concern should be looked at by a dentist as soon as possible- please seek out help immediately.
In particular:
- swelling: inside your mouth (along or below the gums, the roof of your mouth, under your tongue) or outside of your face can be signs of varying degrees of infection and need to be addressed urgently
This article is a great summary for all parents of infants and young children! A few key points are:
(1) Your child's first visit to the dentist should occur by 12 months or within 6 months of eruption of the first tooth- whichever comes first. We do not expect to see any issues, or even to necessarily be able to do a thorough (or minimal) examination or "cleaning", but we like to see children this young to help guide parents on how to take care of their child's teeth and get the baby used to the dental experience to make future visits as stress-free (and hopefully fun) as possible!
Enameloplasty is meant to be a very conservative procedure and because the goal is to not remove so much enamel that the underlying dentin (the part of the tooth that has nerve endings) is exposed, there are not many indications for it.
Concious sedation (whether minimal, moderate or deep) can be used for *any* dental treatment that you find causes you anxiety to think about- anything from regular dental cleanings up to extraction surgery and everything in between. There are potential risks involved in any kind of treatment, but if you are someone that dreads dental visits, enough to be preventing you from attending regular appointments or that cause you to lose sleep the night before, some level of sedation is a fantastic option to consider!
Dental implants are one of the most exciting and life-changing innovations to happen in dentistry in recent history. They are the closest tool we have to replacing missing teeth with something as close to natural as possible.