Dental Care

How to Get Rid of a Toothache

2011-08-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Painful ache in and around a particular tooth is a problem experienced by many people. Besides mild to sharp penetrating pain, other manifested toothache symptoms are redness, swelling, fluid drainage, bad smell, referred headache and at times, fever. So, how to get rid of a toothache and associated symptoms? Scroll down, to understand the causes of toothache and effective toothache remedies, which you can practice at home.

What Causes Toothache?

As with any medical condition, toothache treatment starts with identifying the root tooth pain causes. The main cause for this dental problem is inflammation of the pulp that is present inside the pulp chamber, a condition called pulpitis. Other reasons for severe toothache are tooth decay, tooth fracture, abscessed tooth and gum infection. Apart from these, faulty tooth filling is another cause for pain in tooth. Thus, toothache after filling is also reported by many who have undergone the procedure.

How to Get Rid of a Toothache Fast?

Tooth pain disturbs the normal well-being of an individual, in terms of eating, chewing and talking. Treatment for this problem varies according to the underlying cause. Although severe toothache cases require immediate attention by a dentist, there are certain things that one can practice at home to alleviate pain. Self care guidelines on how to get rid of a toothache at home are explained below:

Clean Teeth Properly
At the first signs of tooth pain, it is imperative for every person to floss and clean mouth thoroughly for prompt toothache cure. This will help in flushing off food particles that may be present in the corners of the teeth. First, rinse mouth with lukewarm water and then, gently brush teeth. Wash mouth and follow the same teeth cleaning after you have your meals.

Avoid Hot Foods
In most people having toothache, increased pain intensity is observed in responses to very hot and sweet food items. So, it is advisable to consume foods that are not too cold or too hot. Also, limit intake of sweet goodies, which again increases infection chances. If you have them, make sure you floss teeth as soon as possible.

Apply Ice pack
The best way to get instant toothache relief is applying ice pack in the aching tooth. Ice numbs the area, thus reducing pain perception. This is the main reason why, many dentists recommend having ice creams at times of toothache and alike conditions. You can place ice cubes in a clean cloth and place over the affected tooth.

Don't Pressurize Teeth
Some patients notice tooth pain, only when the pressure is applied to a tooth or teeth in doubt. If the same case is applicable to you, refrain from doing things that puts extra pressure to the teeth. So, avoid masticating hard foods, chewing with the affected tooth and having chewing gum. It is best to have soft foods that require less chewing.

Gargle with Salt Water
How to handle toothache during pregnancy? Being a frequently manifested condition amongst expecting mothers, 'how to get rid of a toothache while pregnant' is a common query. You can consider gargling with salt water. Add a pinch of salt in lukewarm water and gargle with it. Using saline water is effectual for toothache pain reliefand at the same time, reduces the risk of tooth infection.

Use Clove Oil
Using clove oil for tooth pain is effective in alleviating painful symptoms. Having natural analgesic properties, it can be used alone or mixed with any of the ingredients - pepper powder, oregano oil and olive oil. You can dip a cotton ball in the oil or mixture and place it over the aching tooth. Repeat this 2-3 times daily for best results.

Other Remedies
Other effectual toothache home remedies are chewing guava leaves, chewing fresh spinach leaves, using crushed garlic clove and applying a mixture of pepper powder and table salt. Last but not the least, chewing raw onion for a few minutes is a good remedy for toothache. Onion possesses antibacterial properties and is effective for killing bacteria.

Since you now know what to do for a toothache, take action immediately for getting prompt results. As you follow proper dental care and above tips on how to get rid of a toothache, most probably the pain intensity will decrease gradually. If the symptoms persist even after 1-2 days, better consult a dentist. Based on the medical history and underlying cause, the doctor will recommend pain medicines in appropriate dosage for treating the tooth pain.

Source: www.buzzle.co m

How Do Braces Work?

2011-08-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

In their entirety, braces work by applying continuous pressure over a period of time to slowly move teeth in a specific direction. As the teeth move, the bony tooth socket reabsorbs and changes shape as pressure is applied.

Braces are made up of the following components:

Brackets are the small squares that are bonded directly to each tooth with a special dental bonding agent or are attached to orthodontic bands. Brackets act like handles, holding the arch wires that move the teeth.
Orthodontic bands are stainless steel, clear or tooth-colored materials that are cemented with dental bonding agents or cement to teeth. They wrap around each tooth to provide an anchor for the brackets. The clear or tooth-colored bands are more cosmetically appealing options but are more expensive than stainless steel. They are not used in all patients. Some people have only brackets and no bands.
Spacers are separators that fit between teeth to create a small space prior to placement of orthodontic bands.
Arch wires attach to the brackets and act as tracks to guide the movement of the teeth. Arch wires can be made of metal or be clear or tooth-colored.
Ties are small rubber rings or fine wires that fasten the arch wire to the brackets. They can be clear, metal or colored.
A buccal tube on the band of the last molar holds the end of the arch wire securely in place.
Tiny elastic rubber bands, called ligatures, hold the arch wires to the brackets.
Springs may be placed on the arch wires between brackets to push, pull, open or close the spaces between teeth.
Two bands on the upper teeth may have headgear tubes on them to hold the facebow of the headgear in place. (A headgear is another tool used by orthodontists to aid in correcting irregularities of the teeth; see below)
Elastics or rubber bands attach to hooks on brackets and are worn between the upper and lower teeth in various ways. They apply pressure to move the upper teeth against the lower teeth to achieve a perfect fit of individual teeth.
Facebow headgear is the wire gadget that is used to move the upper molars back in the mouth to correct bite discrepancies and also to create room for crowded anterior teeth. The facebow consists of an inner metal part shaped like a horseshoe that goes in the mouth, attaching to buccal tubes, and an outer part that goes around the outside of the face and is connected to a headgear strap.

Source: www.medicinenet.com

Teeth Whitening

2011-08-14T04:44:00.000-07:00

Teeth whitening is the process of bleaching your teeth in order to make them whiter. Most likely you’ve noticed the various ads for teeth whitening productsbombarding us everywhere. “If your teeth are whiter, you look better” is the message that these advertisements send. Teeth whitening is a big business - close to 2 billion dollars this year alone and will only get bigger as the time goes by.

It seems as though good looks and a great smile is becoming ever more expected and important in our society. Celebrities are spending thousands of dollars to create the perfect smile using cosmetic dentistry procedures. But it's now moving on to mainstream America for the need and to have a whiter and bright smile. It's much more accessible to find teeth whitening products over the counter at your general store whether it is whitening toothpaste, teeth whitening gels or teeth whitening strips. But before we get into that, what is teeth whitening?

Most people's teeth are not a dazzling white color which is the desired color now a days. A natural tooth has a slight yellow hint to it. But lots of people's teeth become stained through some of their drinking, eating, and smoking habits. People who drink lots of soda, coffee, and smoke generally have stained teeth causing a yellowish and brownish discoloration. The teeth become stained and the stains can be removed with teeth whitening products.

I for one wouldn’t bleach a single tooth in my mouth, even though most people would consider my teeth to be closer to yellow than white. Of course teeth whitening is a personal preference and it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it. Having said that, let’s look at the various methods to make teeth whiter - in-office teeth whitening, laser teeth whitening, at home whitening, teeth whitening strips, teeth whitening gel, etc.; the most popular teeth whitening products on the market, and how safe is teeth whitening. This tooth whitening guide will also help answer questions like “Does teeth bleaching need to be supervised by a dentist, or can you do it yourself?”, “Is it expensive to whiten your teeth?”, “Does teeth whitening always work?”, “What causes yellow teeth?”, “How to prevent yellow teeth?” and "When not to bleach your teeth".

Be careful as you seek the best method of whitening your teeth. There are many at home remedies - using strawberries to remove stains, and eating vegetables like carrots and broccoli. Using sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) mixed with water to brush your teeth removes stains. Rinsing and brushing with lemon juice can help as well but all of these methods can potentially be hazardous to the mouth and body if overdone. Lemon juice can cause decay of the enamel on your teeth which is the key component of the tooth which prevent cavities from occurring. Peroxide can be dangerous if too much is consumed as well. Be careful if you try the "home remedy" style of teeth whitening.

There are also plenty of over the counter methods of teeth whitening. Many types of toothpaste contain sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) which is said to help with whitening your teeth along with other whitening ingredients. Many people don't seem as satisfied when it comes to the whitening toothpastes so they move onto to a little pricier whitening gel or strips. These can be purchased and usually take 1-2 weeks to see any results but most people find their teeth move a shade or two whiter. This method can be repeated a couple of times to produce the desired results but is a little more expensive than the toothpastes. Teeth whitening ampoules are one of the newer and more convenient options for a bright smile. They are convenient and easy to carry, which makes them a very popular tooth whitening alternative.

If you want guaranteed results then I would recommend consulting your dentist. Dentists usually have the top of the line teeth whitening methods using lasers, UV lights, and other products. It may be a little more expensive to whiten your teeth at the dentist but it takes less time and you get quicker results. If your desire is straighter AND whiter teeth then talk to your dentist about veneerswhich can fix both problems, however it is definitely a much more costly solution.

So if you're wondering what is teeth whitening, it is simply removing the stains on your teeth to create that brilliant smile that you so desire. There are simple cheap methods you can try to whiten your teeth or other methods that will guarantee a brighter and whiter smile.

Source - www.whitenteeth.net

2011-08-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size, or length.

Dental veneers can be made from porcelain or from resin composite materials. Porcelain veneers resist stains better than resin veneers and better mimic the light reflecting properties of natural teeth. Resin veneers are thinner and require removal of less of the tooth surface before placement. You will need to discuss the best choice of veneer material for you with your dentist.

Source- www.webmd.com

Children and Mineral water

2011-08-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Can water damage children's teeth?

It seems impossible, but it could !
While our kids are growing up, we try to give them the best of all, and in many cases we overact.
For example, many of us give them a mineral water instead of ordinary one.Maybe you will ask 'what is wrong with that? ' , but the truth is that we should carefully choose what kind of mineral water our kids drink.
It is so important, because of the water components.
Some kinds of mineral water contains a high quantity of ions, such as Natrium (part of substance,called natrium chloridum or salt) and Fluoride.
Natrium is electrolyte, that in high amount overload the organism, especially children's one and may increase the risk of developing a health problem.
Fluoride is another ion, which deserves attention.Children bellow 3 years should not take mineral or any kind of water, that contains over 1,2 mg/l fluoride, because of their teeth.Children's teeth under 3 years are not fully formed, so that overdose of fluoride does not allow that process to be completed and may cause a disease, called fluorosis (white or brown stains on the teeth,which can't be removed).
Remember, that is valid only for children under 3 years old, so if your kids are bigger, they can drink every kind of mineral water they want.

Which toothpaste is the best for me ?

2011-08-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

There are so many products for dental care on the market, so how to choose the right one for our needs and identity ? Each company claims, that its trade mark is the best solution for every person, but let's take a closer look on the ingredients of these products.
For example, let's take the toothpaste. It doesn't matter what kind of company produce it or the label, the important thing is what you are looking for and expect from that product.

If you have bleeding or sensitive gums or some kind of gum's inflammation, I suggest you to use a toothpaste, which contains a substance, called chlorhexidine digluconate, which strengthen gums and destroy bacteria, that cause periodontitis and also protects from depositing tartar.

If you want to make you teeth whiter, you should use toothpaste with more abrasive substances,because of the mechanical cleaning effect, which allows removal of the persistent stains from coffee, tea, wine, some kinds of food etc.

For those, who wants strong teeth, I recommend a toothpaste with high quantity of fluoride over 1000 ppm, which protects teeth from decay and its complications.

For our kids use a special children toothpaste, which contains low amount of abrasive substances and fluoride bellow 500 ppm, no preservatives or ingredients that can damage their sensitive teeth.