Do Dental Crowns Need Special Care?

Dentists are able to design and create your customized crown. Then, the crown will be permanently cemented to the tooth.
When you go home, you can treat your crown as though it were your natural tooth. Continue to follow good oral hygiene practices. Simply flossing and brushing with toothpaste will help to keep crowns clean and the gums around the crowns healthy, thus preventing gum disease. Your dentist will show you how to correctly floss around your new crown.  Antibacterial mouth rinse can also help. Also, you don’t need to worry about adhering to special diet restrictions, but you should be careful about chewing extremely sticky foods, such as caramels, which can accidentally dislodge your crown. Crowns 
may not be as strong as your natural teeth. So like your natural teeth, remember not to bite down on hard objects or use your teeth to open or cut things.Get in touch with Expressions Dental  to find out how we can restore your teeth and your smile with a dental crown. With regular care, a dental crown will keep you eating comfortably and smiling brightly for years to come.

Tips to Prevent Tooth and Mouth Injuries

Mouth and tooth injuries are quite common. Most of the dental injuries occur to the front teeth and lips, tongue, jaw, gums and inner cheek. In babies, injuries could occur due to falling while leaning to walk or playing. Sports are the main source of dental injuries for adolescents and adults.

It is seen that almost half of dental injuries are caused due to sports. Dental injuries can be very painful and it is important to be careful during sports or other activities.

Some tips to prevent sports-related dental injuries:

• Mouth Guards - A mouth guard is the best way to protect your teeth while playing sports. It absorbs and minimizes the effect of any forceful impact.
• Face cages - Some positions in certain sports are very susceptible to dental injuries like hockey goalie, baseball catcher etc. Wearing a face cage can protect against injury in such cases.
• Helmets - It’s important to use helmets in sports which are prone to head injuries like in cricket as it protects the most important part of your body - your head.

Knocked out tooth

Whether the result of an accident or biting on a piece of food that’s too hard, mouth injuries can cause teeth to become cracked, broken, or knocked out/dislodged. It is very much possible to repair your knocked out tooth provided you get to your dentist as soon as possible. Teeth which are knocked out and replaced by the dentist within one hour have the best chances of being saved. Even if the tooth or teeth cannot be saved there are various cosmetic procedures to get back your smile such as a removable partial denture/bridge or a fixed partial denture or even a dental implant.

It is important to see a dentist because if left untreated, a dental emergency can lead to serious complications.

Ref:www.webmd.com

www.dentalhealthsite.com

Health Risks with Oral Piercing

Oral piercings, usually in the tongue or around the lips have quickly become a popular trend in today’s society. With this popular trend, it is important to realize that sometimes even precautions taken during the installation of the piercing jewelry are not enough to prevent harmful, long-term consequences such as cracked or chipped teeth, swelling, problems with swallowing and taste, and scars. There is also a possibility of choking on a piece of dislodged jewelry, which makes it important to ask if the risks are warranted.

One of the most serious long-term health problems that may occur from oral piercings come in the form of damage to the soft tissues such as the cheeks, gums and palate, as well as some kind of infections. When performed in an unsterile environment, any kind of body piercing may also put you at risk of contracting deadly infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. A tongue piercing is a common form of body piercing. However, tongue piercings have been known to cause blocked airways (from a swollen tongue). In some cases, a tongue piercing can cause uncontrolled bleeding.

People with oral piercings -- especially long-stem tongue jewelry - have a greater risk of gum disease than those without oral piercings. The jewelry can come into contact with gum tissue causing injury as well as a recession of the gum tissue, which can lead to loose teeth and tooth loss.

Caring for your Oral Piercing

• Avoid alcohol, spicy foods, and hard and sticky foods.
• Don't smoke or use tobacco-based products.
• Eat soft foods. Consult with your dentist about taking vitamins to promote faster healing.
• Make an appointment with your dentist if you suspect a problem or have a concern. It is critical for dentists to check your teeth, gums, tongue, and soft tissues for early signs of any problems.

If you notice any warning signs such as scarring, increased redness or pain at piercing site, bleeding or tearing after initial healing, yellow or green discharge from piercing site etc, contact a health care professional right away.

Ref: www.webmd.com

www.atooth.com

How can I Prevent Cavities?

Cavities, also known as tooth decay, occur when plaque, the sticky substance that forms on teeth, combines with the sugars and / or starches of the foods that we eat. This combination produces acids that attack tooth enamel.

Follow these dental hygiene practices to prevent cavities:

• Brush your teeth - In the fight against cavities, it is essential that you brush your teeth properly at least twice a day with a toothpaste containing fluoride.
• Floss daily - Food debris gets caught in between our teeth when we eat. If the debris is not removed, it can lead to cavities. Flossing every day is the best way to remove food debris from in between the teeth.
• Eat healthy – Proper nutrition plays an important role in good dental health. Eating nutritional snacks and limiting the amount of sugar intake will help to prevent plaque from forming on the teeth.
• Visit your dentist - Many cavities can only be detected by a dentist or a dental X-ray. Visiting your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings are a key factor in preventing cavities and staying on top of good oral hygiene.
• Have sealants placed - Dental sealants are a protective coating that is applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant protects the tooth from getting a cavity by shielding against bacteria and plaque. Sealants are more common in children because of the new growth of permanent teeth; however, sealants can benefit adults too.
• Use a mouthwash - There are several antimicrobial mouthwashes on the market that have been clinically proven to reduce plaque. Rinsing with one of these mouthwashes after brushing or eating can aid in cavity prevention.
• Chew sugarless gum - Believe it or not, chewing certain sugarless gums can actually help to prevent cavities by increasing the flow of saliva in your mouth.

It is especially important to keep an eye on how often your child eats as well as what he/she eats. You should limit between-meal snacks to reduce the number of acid attacks on teeth and to give teeth a chance to repair themselves. Limit their intake of candies, cookies, soda and other sugary drinks. Make sure your child doesn’t eat or drink anything with sugar after bedtime tooth brushing. Don’t forget to supervise young children when they brush. Since most cavities in children and adolescents develop in the molars, it's best to get these teeth sealed as soon as they come in.

Ref: www.dentistry.com

www.nidcr.nih.gov