What is a Root Canal?

A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form.
"Root canal" is the term used to describe the natural cavity within the center of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the root canal. The tooth's nerve lies within the root canal.
A tooth's nerve is not vitally important to a tooth's health and function after the tooth has emerged through the gums. Its only function is sensory -- to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth. 

Why Does Tooth Pulp Need to Be Removed?

When a tooth's nerve tissue or pulp is damaged, it breaks down and bacteria begin to multiply within the pulp chamber. The bacteria and other decayed debris can cause an infection or abscessed tooth. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that forms at the end of the roots of the tooth. An abscess occurs when the infection spreads all the way past the ends of the roots of the tooth. In addition to an abscess, an infection in the root canal of a tooth can cause:

• Swelling that may spread to other areas of the face, neck, or head
• Bone loss around the tip of the root
• Drainage problems extending outward from the root. A hole can occur through the side of the tooth with drainage into the gums or through the cheek with drainage into the skin.

What Damages a Tooth's Nerve and Pulp in the First Place?

A tooth's nerve and pulp can become irritated, inflamed, and infected due to deep decay, repeated dental procedures on a tooth, and/or large fillings, a crack or chip in the tooth, or trauma to the face.

What Are the Signs That a Root Canal Is Needed?

Sometimes no symptoms are present; however, signs you may need a root canal include:

• Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
• Prolonged sensitivity/pain to heat or cold temperatures (after the hot or cold has been removed)
• Discoloration (a darkening) of the tooth
• Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums
• A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums

What Happens During a Root Canal?

 A root canal requires one or more office visits and can be performed by a dentist or endodontist. An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries of the human dental pulp or the nerve of the tooth. The choice of which type of dentist to use depends to some degree on the difficulty of the root canal procedure needed in your particular tooth and the general dentist's comfort level in working on your tooth. Your dentist will discuss who might be best suited to perform the work in your particular case.
The first step in the procedure is to take an X-ray to see the shape of the root canals and determine if there are any signs of infection in a surrounding bone. Your dentist or endodontist will then use local anesthesia to numb the area near the tooth. Anesthesia may not be necessary, since the nerve is dead, but most dentists still anesthetize the area to make the patient more relaxed and at ease.
Next, to keep the area dry and free of saliva during treatment, your dentist will place a rubber dam (a sheet of rubber) around the tooth.
An access hole will then be drilled into the tooth. The pulp along with bacteria, the decayed nerve tissue and related debris is removed from the tooth. The cleaning out process is accomplished using root canal files. A series of these files of increasing diameter are each subsequently placed into the access hole and worked down the full length of the tooth to scrape and scrub the sides of the root canals. Water or sodium hypochlorite is used periodically to flush away the debris.
Once the tooth is thoroughly cleaned, it is sealed. Some dentists like to wait a week before sealing the tooth. For instance, if there is an infection, your dentist may put a medication inside the tooth to clear it up. Others may choose to seal the tooth the same day it is cleaned out. If the root canal is not completed on the same day, a temporary filling is placed in the exterior hole in the tooth to keep out contaminants like saliva and food between appointments.
At the next appointment, to fill the interior of the tooth, a sealer paste and a rubber compound called gutta percha is placed into the tooth's root canal. To fill the exterior access hole created at the beginning of treatment, a filling is placed.
The final step may involve further restoration of the tooth. Because a tooth that needs a root canal often is one that has a large filling or extensive decay or other weakness, a crown, crown and post, or other restoration often needs to be placed on the tooth to protect it, prevent it from breaking, and restore it to full function. Your dentist will discuss the need for any additional dental work with you.

How Painful Is a Root Canal?

 Root canal procedures have the reputation of being painful. Actually, most people report that the procedure itself is no more painful than having a filling placed. 

What Should One Expect After the Root Canal?

For the first few days following the completion of a root canal, the tooth may feel sensitive due to natural tissue inflammation, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This sensitivity or discomfort usually can be controlled with over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). Most patients can return to their normal activities the next day.
Until your root canal procedure is completely finished -- that is to say, the permanent filling is in place and/or the crown, it's wise to minimize chewing on the tooth under repair. This step will help avoid recontamination of the interior of the tooth and also may prevent a fragile tooth from breaking before the tooth can be fully restored.
As far as oral health care is concerned, brush and floss as you regularly would and see your dentist at normally scheduled intervals. 

How Successful Are Root Canals?

Root canal treatment is highly successful; the procedure has more than a 95% success rate. Many teeth fixed with a root canal can last a lifetime.
Also, because the final step of the root canal procedure is application of a restoration such as a crown or a filling, it will not be obvious to onlookers that a root canal was performed. 

Complications of a Root Canal

Despite your dentist's best efforts to clean and seal a tooth, new infections might emerge after a root canal. Among the likely reasons for this include:

• More than the normally anticipated number of root canals in a tooth (leaving one of them uncleaned)
• An undetected crack in the root of a tooth
• A defective or inadequate dental restoration that has allowed bacteria to get past the restoration into the inner aspects of the tooth and recontaminate the area
• A breakdown of the inner sealing material over time, allowing bacteria to recontaminate the inner aspects of the tooth

Sometimes retreatment can be successful, other times endodontic surgery must be tried in order to save the tooth. The most common endodontic surgical procedure is an apicoectomy or root-end resection. This procedure relieves the inflammation or infection in the bony area around the end of your tooth that continues after endodontic treatment. In this procedure, the gum tissue is opened, the infected tissue is removed, and sometimes the very end of the root is removed. A small filling may be placed to seal the root canal. 


Article via http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-root-canals?page=3

Mouthguards Provide Protection for Another Season of Sports

As spring is nearing in, bringing the sunny days with green grass and kicking off another season school and recreational activities. Athletes of all ages are ready to take the fields, Omni Dental Group want to stress the importance of wearing a mouthguard. 

Typically mouthguards are worn in contact sports, but oral injury also exists in non-contact sports as well. Here at Omni Dental we recommend wearing a motuhguard during all sports and activities that has the potential of creating an oral injury. 

Almost 1/3 of all dental injuries are sports related, with a properly fitted mouthguard, you are reducing you are significantly reducing your chances for oral injury.  A mouthgurad not only protects your teeth but it also protects your lips, tongue, cheeks and face as well as your jaw from all potential impact and injuries.
Ask your dentist about a mouthguard which would be best for your child. The cost of a mouthguard is less expensive than treatment of sports related dental injury.

How much sugar is in your drink?

Sugar creates an acidic environment in your mouth, which persists for about two hours after it’s consumed. If you eat or drink a little bit of sugar every few hours, your teeth will be continuously bathed in the acid, which directly dissolves tooth enamel.

Are you one of the many who suffer from chronic, severe bad breath?

Are you one of the many who suffer from chronic, severe bad breath, also known as halitosis? If so it's important to identify the cause so you can determine an effective treatment.

Bad breath is only known when a person reports whether or not they think they have bad breath or not, so there are no statistics on what percentage of the population has bad breath.

Bad breath order mostly comes from food particles trapped in your mouth. When particles of food remain in the mouth, it becomes a bacteria breeding ground and normally causes bad breath. Studies show that about 80% of bad breath comes from Poor oral health like cavities or gum disease along with improper cleaning of dentures. Periodontal disease as well as smoking & tobacco products can increase bad breath. Additionally bad breath can also be a sign of medical condition of the stomach, lungs and bloodstream.

Dry mouth also known as Xerostomia can also cause bad breath. When the mouth is dry, saliva production decreases, leaving the mouth’s natural ability to clean itself impaired.

Visiting your dentist every six months for a cleaning can help with bad breath. The key to fighting bad breath is good oral hygiene. Ideally, you should brush and floss after every meal to help reduce the odor-causing bacteria in your mouth.

Mouthwash and mouth rinse can also help prevent cavities and reduce bacteria causing plaque, as well as fighting bad breath. Stick to an antiseptic or antibacterial rinse that kills bacteria, rather than a cosmetic rinse that just focuses on freshening the breath.

Here’s some tip on how to prevent bad breath:

• Stay hydrated. Try to brush your teeth after every meal. If you can’t drinking a lot of water, it can help speed up the process of cleaning harmful bacteria and debris from between your teeth, avoid sugary drinks.
• Cut down on coffee. Coffee can be a hard smell to get off the back of your tongue, try to limit as much coffee intake as possible.
• Don't smoke or use other tobacco products. Cigarettes, pipes, and snuff can foul your breath. "Smoking can give people horrible breath," Woodall says. "And some people carry this stuff worse than others."
• Cut down on alcohol.  Try to limit the consumption of alcohol, not only does alcohol dry your mouth out, drinking too much alcohol can make your breath smell for up to 8-10 hours
• Chew sugarless gum. Try to chew gum 20 minutes after you finish a meal. Gum increases saliva and saliva is a mouths natural cleaning system.

Did you know weight loss can benefit your smile?

Losing Weight has Surprising Benefits for Your Smile

The health benefits of weight loss are many. Being overweight can contribute to heart disease, heart attack, joint pain, and diabetes. And now, research shows that being overweight can put you at risk for another type of health problem: gum disease. You may not connect your weight with your oral health, but the truth is that your smile can benefit from you maintaining a healthy weight.
How does your weight affect your risk of gum disease? Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums, and cytokines are proteins produced by the body that have inflammatory properties. Overweight individuals produce more cytokines, which can then cause gum disease. With a third of Americans suffering with weight problems and over half experiencing gum disease, getting a handle on these two health risks is a big goal for dentists and other health professionals.
How can you lower your risk of gum disease? Here are a few simple steps you can take that will make a big difference.

Brushing and Flossing

The single best thing you can do to lower your risk of gum disease is to brush twice a day and floss once a day. Many people skip the flossing, but this is an essential part of your gum disease prevention routine. Brushing alone cannot get below the gum line or between teeth, and it’s below the gum line that gum disease flourishes. When you floss, you can remove the plaque and bacteria that hides in the gum pockets and inflames the soft tissues of your mouth. Don’t skimp on the flossing; make sure to floss once every 24 hours.

Visiting the Dentist

The dentist can also help prevent gum disease with professional cleanings twice a year. Our team can remove hardened plaque and damaging tartar that you may have trouble clearing away, preventing these substances from causing both decay and gum disease. Your dentist can also spot the earliest warning signs of a problem and provide direction on how you can stop the problem from becoming worse.

Diet and Exercise

Lastly, maintain healthy diet and exercise habits to keep your weight at an optimal level. The more we learn about the body, the more we know that various factors affect every area of your health, and with the new research showing that being overweight puts you at increased risk of gum disease, we want to make sure that you’re doing all you can for every part of your body, including your smile!
Tags: dental health news, dental hygiene, diet and nutrition, flossing, gum disease, weight loss

Article via:  http://bestdentistnews.com/2013/02/lose-weight-has-surprising-benefits-for-your-smile/#more-922

Call Omni Dental Group today to schedule an appointment 512-250-5012

Oral Hygeine and your overall health

By Clare Kittredge

Medically reviewed by Christine Wilmsen Craig, MD

How well you care for your teeth and gums has a powerful effect on your overall health. Neglecting your oral health lead to more than just sore teeth and bad breath — it can open the door to all sorts of health problems, including some pretty nasty diseases like oral cancer. Researchers have found possible connections between gum problems and heart disease, bacterial pneumonia, stroke, and even problem pregnancies.
“You cannot be healthy with an unhealthy mouth any more than one can be healthy with an infected foot,” says Richard H. Price, DMD, spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA) and a former clinical instructor at the Boston University Dental School.
The Role of Diet and Lifestyle in Oral Health
A number of dietary habits and lifestyle factors can affect oral health, including:
Sugar consumption. “Having a sugar-laden diet will contribute to tooth decay and gum problems, as the bacteria in the mouth thrive in this environment,” producing tooth and gum-destroying enzymes and acids, says Dr. Price, who retired after 35 years as a dentist in Newton, Mass.

• Smoking. Dental care experts have long known that smoking cigarettes and cigars and using tobacco products can cause periodontal disease (gum disease), tooth decay, and oral cancer. Cigars can also cause periodontal disease and throat, or pharyngeal, cancer. “The smoke from tobacco has a toxic effect on gum tissue, and can interfere with blood flow,” Price explains. “Smoking also stains the heck out of teeth, is a direct cause of oral cancer, and can contribute to bad breath.”
• Drinking alcohol. “Drinking can contribute to oral problems indirectly by resulting in a dehydrated mouth, which can allow bacteria to run rampant,” Price says. In addition, people who have alcohol addiction issues are probably less likely to consistently follow good dental care habits, he says.
• Changes in weight. For those who wear dentures, changes in body weight tend to affect the way dentures fit, Price says. “Just as weight gain or loss affects the way clothes fit, that gain or loss also affects the gum pads on which dentures rest,” he says. To help maintain a healthy weight and fight tooth decay, the ADA advises people to eat a diet rich in high-fiber fruits and vegetables.
• Medication. “Some medications, for example, some antibiotics, can cause internal staining of teeth, such as tetracycline staining, depending on the age at which you take them,” says Price. Also, “there are 200 to 400 medications, prescribed or over-the-counter, that have the side effect of drying up saliva. A dry mouth is more prone to gum disease and tooth decay, as well as bad breath.”

Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body
To maintain your oral health — and overall good health — Price says you should see your dentist regularly to head off any problems early. You should also practice good oral hygiene at home by carefully brushing and flossing your teeth regularly in order to prevent plaque from accumulating and causing problems. There is nothing a dentist can do that a patient can’t undo by neglecting their dental care, says Price.

 

Article via Everyday Health

What Causes Gingivitis?

What Causes Gingivitis?

Posted on April 10, 2013, by Marielaina Perrone DDS, in Oral health, Periodontics, tagged asthma inhalers, bad taste in mouth, blood pressure medications, cold medications, Dental Hygiene, dental plaque, gingivitis, growth of bacteria, gum tissue, Henderson Dentist, inflammatory response, Las Vegas Dentist, Periodontal Disease, periodontitis, poor nutrition, poor oral hygiene, seizure medications, stages of periodontal disease, teeth and gums, tender gums, tobacco use, tooth brushing, tooth decay, xerostomia

Gingivitis is simply inflammation of the gum tissue in the mouth. It is a reversible, non-destructive form of periodontal disease. While there are many causes of gingivitis, the

Gingivitis Can be Prevented!

number one cause is poor dental hygiene.
Gingivitis can arise as -a side effect to medication, surges in hormones, mouth breathing, dry mouth,poor nutrition, disease state, tobacco use, or poor oral hygiene. When hygiene is insufficient, bacteria in dental plaque release acids that stimulate the inflammatory response by the body. This in turn cause the gums to appear puffy, red, and bleed easily upon brushing. It takes some work to restore the gums back to a healthy state. Frequent professional cleaning along with regular tooth brushing and flossing can help to remove plaque and keep it from building up on the teeth and gums.

Signs Of Gingivitis

-swollen, shiny, and tender gums
-blood on toothbrush while brushing
- pink toothpaste when spitting out
-pus around teeth
-bad breath
-gum redness
-visible tartar deposits
-bad taste in mouth
-gums bleed easily
-gum ulcers

Other Causes Of Gingivitis

-Medications. Many prescription and over-the-counter medications come with the side effect causing dry mouth or xerostomia, and sometimes gum overgrowth. Saliva is important to help keep your teeth clean by controlling the growth of bacteria as well as maintaining a neutral environment to prevent tooth decay. That means that the less saliva you have, the greater your risk for gingivitis (and tooth decay!). Many common medications including antidepressants, blood pressure meds,  asthma inhalers, and cold medications can reduce the amount of saliva in your mouth. Seizure medications, and some blood pressure medications can cause the gum tissue to grow. This extra tissue, makes it more difficult to keep clean. It is important you always read the side effects for any medications you are taking to ensure you take the proper steps like drinking more water and brushing more often following meals.
-Infection/ Disease: Various types of viral infections or fungal infections can cause periodontal disease. Oral Thrush is an example. Thrush occurs when a type of fungus that occurs normally in the mouth gets out of control and forms lesions that can infect the tongue and gums. Also, an infection caused by the herpes virus can cause

periodontal disease. It is important to get these infections under control as soon as possible as they are quite treatable in most cases. There are also other diseases that can effect the oral tissue, such as oral cancer, and diabetes.
-Nutrition: If you follow a fad diet or a diet that is severely lacking in calcium and vitamins B and C, you may be at increased risk for periodontal disease.
-Mouth Breathing: leaving the mouth open to breathe while awake or sleeping, dries the mouth substantially. Oral dryness  allows gingivitis to occur more readily.making healing more difficult
-Tobacco use: Smoking directly effects the gums by decreasing blood circulation and thereby increasing inflammation. Smokeless tobacco cause irritation in direct response to the product eroding the tissue.
-Hormone surges: Hormonal imbalance during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can cause gingivitis. The drastic hormone changes allow gum tissues to become inflamed quite readily.

Possible Complications From Gingivitis

In most cases, if gingivitis is properly treated and the patient follows good dental hygiene there will be no complications. However, if left untreated, gingivitis can worsen and develop into a more advanced version of periodontal disease called periodontitis. This form of periodontal disease is quite destructive and will cause loss of bone and eventually loss of teeth.
Possible complications from gingivitis can include:
-Abscess in the gum tissues.
-Abscess in the jaw bones.
-Infection in the jaw bone or gum tissues.
-increased susceptibility to heart disease.
-Loss of esthetic gum contours. The points of gum tissue between the teeth disappear, leaving behind a “black triangle”. Red, jelly-roll margins at the gum line of the tooth. Pink stippling disappears.
-Periodontitis.
-Recurrent gingivitis.
-Trench mouth, or ANUG.  Ulcerations of the gums caused by bacterial infection.
Gingivitis can cause damage in other areas of the body if allowed to remain untreated. The bacteria from the gums can enter the bloodstream and cause infections elsewhere. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease, stroke and erectile dysfunction. It may also cause the delivery of premature infants as well as low birth weight infants to gingivitis-infected mothers. Those with diabetes may have problems controlling blood sugar levels if they also suffer from gingivitis.

Prevention of Gingivitis

Gingivitis may be prevented or cured by following some simple preventative measures:

-Brush teeth, gum line, and tongue daily. Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day. Both morning and night and after meals when possible.

-Use a soft bristled toothbrush, which is less likely to damage teeth or gums. Replace toothbrush every three months or sooner if needed.
-Use a fluoride toothpaste.
- Do not snack in the middle of the night. Chew gum after daytime snacks.
-Floss at least once a day.
-Rinse with an effective mouthwash, such as listerine.
-Visit the dentist at least once every six months for cleaning and examination to keep gingivitis away.
-Avoid sugary foods, tobacco and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

Conclusion

Gingivitis is very treatable. The first step, is understanding what is making it occur. Following a regular dental hygiene regimen will keep gingivitis at bay and not allow it to progress to periodontal disease. A few minutes a day is all it takes to maintain a healthy teeth and gums. Remember to visit your dentist regularly for dental examinations and professional cleanings to avoid the onset of gingivitis
Article via  http://drperrone.com/blog/what-causes-gingivitis/


If you need to schedule an appointment, call Omni Dental Group today. 512-250-5012