Good oral hygiene results in a mouth that looks and smells healthy. This means:

• Your teeth are clean and free of debris
• Your gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss
• Bad breath is not a constant problem

If your gums do hurt or bleed while brushing or flossing, or you are experiencing persistent bad breath, see your dentist. Any of these conditions may indicate a problem. Daily preventive care, including proper brushing thoroughly two times a day, morning and night and flossing once in a 24 hour period. This will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress. A professional cleaning once every six months for most people is a must to help with getting bacteria our of all the “nooks and crannies”.

For interactive brushing and flossing video please see: www.dentalcare.com

Fillings don’t last forever. To quote Dr. Smith, here at Parkview Dental; “Just like the tires on our cars get tired and need to be replaced, so do our dental fillings.” They can become discolored. Composite, tooth-colored fillings pick up stains, and yellow or darken over time. When you chew, your teeth and any fillings in them are subjected to tremendous pressures. Even if no other problems develop, some fillings will wear out over time and will need to be replaced. A filling will need to be replaced earlier if it falls out, leaks or cracks. Food debris and bacteria can seep down under a filling that is cracked or leaking. Since you can’t clean there, the bacteria feed on the food debris and form the acid that causes tooth decay. Decay under a filling can become extensive before you notice it or it causes you pain. This is why you should have your fillings checked regularly and get them replaced when problems are found

The longer bad fillings stay in your mouth, the more likely you will need crowns and root canals to restore the teeth. If the existing fillings are not too big and there is enough healthy tooth structure, then the fillings can be replaced with new ones. Leaving old dental fillings in place can also harm your gums, since they can trap the plaque which causes gum disease. Examination and x-rays are used to evaluate dental fillings. You will not be able to tell on your own when your fillings start to fail. Everything wears out and your dental fillings are no exception.

For further reading: http://www.colgate.com

When you bite down do you feel a sharp pain? Do you have a cracked tooth?

When you bite down do you feel a sharp pain. It quickly disappears and perhaps you ignore it. You avoid foods or chew only on one side of your mouth. Does this sound familiar? If so you may have a cracked tooth. You might not even be able to tell which tooth hurts or whether the pain is from an upper or lower tooth. A crack may appear as a hairline fracture, running vertically along the tooth. It is often invisible to the eye and may not show even on x ray. A cracked tooth may hurt because the pressure of biting causes the crack to open. When you stop biting, the pressure is released and a sharp pain results as the crack quickly closes. Tiny cracks are common and usually do not cause problems. Regular dental appointments are important as they allow your dentist to diagnose and treat problems in the early stage. If you continue to have pain, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and call your dentist. Depending on the size and location of the crack, treatment may vary from bonding to a crown to hold the crack together. This may include endodontic treatment if a pulp is involved. A severely cracked tooth may need extraction if the tooth cannot be saved. Your dentist will assist you in making the best decision for treatment.

For further reading: www.ada.org

Enamel the first layer of tooth surface, is actually semi-translucent, or clear. The layer underneath the enamel, known as dentin, is typically yellow, but may be gray, brown or black. This hue is what is seen penetrating through the enamel. In order to whiten the dentin, a peroxide solution is placed on the enamel. This process opens the pores of the enamel, allowing the solution to reach the layer of dentin. The solution will then begin to lighten the dentin, resulting in the appearance of whiter teeth

For further reading click here.

Here at Parkview Dental we have seen many college aged adults over Christmas vacation time…..this means lots of discussion of wisdom teeth. We often get asked “Will I need to have my wisdom teeth out?”

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. Sometimes these teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often, they are misaligned and require removal.

Wisdom teeth present potential problems when they are misaligned – they can position themselves horizontally, be angled toward or away from the second molars or be angled inward or outward. Poor alignment of wisdom teeth can crowd or damage adjacent teeth, the jawbone, or nerves. Wisdom teeth that lean toward the second molars make those teeth more vulnerable to decay by entrapping plaque and debris. In addition, wisdom teeth can be entrapped completely within the soft tissue and/or the jawbone or only partially break through or erupt through the gum. Teeth that remain partially or completely entrapped within the soft tissue and /or the jawbone are termed “impacted.” Wisdom teeth that only partially erupt allows for an opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection, which results in pain, swelling, jaw stiffness, and general illness. Partially erupted teeth are also more prone to tooth decay and gum disease because their hard-to-reach location and awkward positioning makes brushing and flossing difficult.

For further reading click here.