Tuesday, September 20, 2016

What should I do after a tooth extraction

You have just had a minor oral surgery and you want it to heal quickly; what do the team at Oceanside Affordable Dentist suggest? The most important tip is NOT to rinse your mouth out for 24hrs after the extraction. You can drink and swallow but no active garglingYou have just had a minor oral surgery and you want it to heal quickly; what do the team at Oceanside Affordable Dentist suggest?
  1. The most important tip is NOT to rinse your mouth out for 24hrs after the extraction. You can drink and swallow but no active gargling. This could wash the blot clot out, exposing the bone and leading to a dry socket.
  2. If you experience pain, then you may take your normal pain medication such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
  3. If bleeding persists, then use clean gauze rolled up placed over the area and bite down for 10 minutes. If you do not have any gauze, a normal tea bag (slightly wet) will do; the tannin in the tea helps clot the blood.
  4. Do not smoke or drink excessive alcohol for 24hrs following the extraction.
  5. Avoid hot foods and drinks until your anaesthetic wears off (usually about 2-3 hours). This is because you have a reduced capacity to tell the temperature and may burn or bite your tongue and lips.
  6. It is advisable that you avoid exercise for 24hrs to prevent the area bleeding.
  7. If you do get any swelling; it is generally worse the next day after the surgery. It can take a week to reduce. Your Oceanside Affordable Dentist may give you Arnica; a herbal remedy, to help reduce the swelling. It is important not to touch the tablets and take them regularly during the initial healing period.
  8. After the initial 24hr period, rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1 teaspoon in a cup of warm water). This should be continued three times a day until you are able to brush the area (usually about a week).
  9. You can gently brush the area that night but it may take a week or two before you are able to brush the area as before.
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Monday, September 5, 2016

How Your Teeth Decay




You need food, particularly sweet and sticky food, for the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids that will attack the tooth enamel (outer surface of the tooth). Sugars, especially sucrose, react with bacteria to produce acid. The acid from the bacteria can decay your teeth.
It's not just candy and ice cream we're talking about. All carbohydrate foods, as they are digested, eventually break down into simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose. Some of this digestion begins in the mouth. Foods that break down into simple sugars in the mouth are called fermentable carbohydrates. These include the obvious sugary foods, such as cookies, cakes, soft drinks and candy, but also pretzels, crackers, bananas, potato chips and breakfast cereals. The sugars in these foods combine with the bacteria normally in the mouth to form acids. These acids cause the mineral crystals inside the teeth to begin to dissolve.
The dental caries lesion forms when these acids start to dissolve a tooth's outer protective layer, the enamel. A cavity forms when the tooth decay breaks through the enamel to the underlying layers of the tooth. You can reverse a caries lesion (before it becomes a cavity) by using a variety of fluoride products. These include fluoridated water, fluoride rinses for use at home, and, of course, any commonly used fluoridated toothpaste.

Every time you eat, the bacteria in your mouth produce acid. Therefore, the more times you eat the more times your teeth are exposed to an acid attack.


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How Your Teeth Decay




You need food, particularly sweet and sticky food, for the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids that will attack the tooth enamel (outer surface of the tooth). Sugars, especially sucrose, react with bacteria to produce acid. The acid from the bacteria can decay your teeth.
It's not just candy and ice cream we're talking about. All carbohydrate foods, as they are digested, eventually break down into simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose. Some of this digestion begins in the mouth. Foods that break down into simple sugars in the mouth are called fermentable carbohydrates. These include the obvious sugary foods, such as cookies, cakes, soft drinks and candy, but also pretzels, crackers, bananas, potato chips and breakfast cereals. The sugars in these foods combine with the bacteria normally in the mouth to form acids. These acids cause the mineral crystals inside the teeth to begin to dissolve.
The dental caries lesion forms when these acids start to dissolve a tooth's outer protective layer, the enamel. A cavity forms when the tooth decay breaks through the enamel to the underlying layers of the tooth. You can reverse a caries lesion (before it becomes a cavity) by using a variety of fluoride products. These include fluoridated water, fluoride rinses for use at home, and, of course, any commonly used fluoridated toothpaste.

Every time you eat, the bacteria in your mouth produce acid. Therefore, the more times you eat the more times your teeth are exposed to an acid attack.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Welcome Back School, Hello Dentist


 
As children and parents bid goodbye to the last few days of the summer vacation and the oozing summer heat, it is time to make a checklist and say hello back to school.
Every child wants to look his best with new clothes, new school supplies and new summer vacation stories to bring, but have you thought about taking your child to his dentist?
According to studies, one of the first things people notice about someone is their smile and that a good smile creates a positive self-image - something all parents wish for their children. It makes a lot of sense that the perfect time to incorporate good oral health habits into a child's daily routine, is back-to-school time!

Tooth decay is one of the biggest health issues among children, accounting for over 51 million hours of school time lost every year. What’s more, poor dental health in youth can lead to chronic problems like discomfort, difficulty chewing and the need for painful and expensive procedures down the road.



The back-to-school dental checkup is an important and easy way to help prevent these problems.
Regular dental exams do more than catch tooth decay. By having these for your children you will be able to see if their teeth are growing in properly, evaluate the results of their brushing and flossing techniques (and give lessons, if necessary), and apply fluoride treatments or protective sealants that can prevent decay before it happens. If your kid plays sports and other physical activities, he can be fitted with a mouthguard too.
Even kids that are too young for school are probably old enough to go to the dentist. The ADA recommends babies start seeing a dentist when their first tooth comes in, usually when they’re between 6 and 12 months old.
So while completing your back-to-school checklist, make sure to bring your kids to visit their dentist. Include new toothbrushes in their school kit, provide them with a dental kit for school, pack dental-friendly lunches and snack and start a good reward system that will encourage good dental exam results. Then you can finally say that your children are smile-ready and happy to get back to school!