Last updated 5 days ago
Your mouth harbors a wide variety of bacteria that can increase your risk of infection after an oral surgery. Many patients find it difficult to properly brush and floss directly after oral surgery, which further increases the risk for surgical complications. Therefore, it is important to follow your dentist’s aftercare treatment plan. For tips on how you can reduce the risk of infection and minimize the length of recovery, read on.
- Use Medications as Directed
If your dentist writes a prescription for pain medication or antibiotics, follow his or her prescription plan thoroughly. Both of these types of medication are designed to help you recover quickly and completely. Also, be sure to take all of the medication prescribed, as this can help reduce future risk of infection.
If you want your immune system to focus on healing, it’s best to let your whole body rest. This will allow your body to use all of its resources on basic functions and healing. Get plenty of sleep and relaxation, and avoid exercising heavily, bending over, or lifting heavy objects in the days following your oral surgery.
Cool temperatures can help reduce swelling, inflammation, and bleeding. Therefore, apply a cold compress to the side of the face where the surgery occurred. Apply the compress for 20 minutes and then pull it away for another 20 minutes; alternate continually in the days following your oral surgery.
- Don’t Dislodge the Blood Clot
As you recover, a scab will form over the incision sight. Dislodging the scab can expose nerves to air, saliva, and anything that enters your mouth, which can be extremely painful. Therefore, avoid spitting, blowing your nose, consuming hot foods and liquids, drinking with a straw, and brushing around the scab. For more on how to avoid dry sockets talk to your oral surgeon.
If you’re in need of oral surgery, choose Belmont Dental Group. Our office is the place to come for relaxing dentistry, cosmetic and restorative dental solutions, and superior oral surgery services. For more about our practice, visit our website or call (617) 209-4058.
Last updated 7 days ago
Porcelain veneers are thin, tooth-shaped shells designed to treat a variety of superficial dental abnormalities. The veneers are made of durable dental porcelain and used by cosmetic dentists to create a uniform, white smile. If you choose porcelain veneers for your smile restoration, your cosmetic dentist will examine your teeth, determine how many caps your smile needs, and choose a color for the veneers. Approximately two weeks later, after the veneers are manufactured, you’ll return to have the veneers bonded to your teeth.
Porcelain veneers can help you achieve and maintain a permanent bright white smile better than professional teeth whitening treatments. This will allow you to continue enjoying your coffee, wine, and fruit juices.
Some people develop small adult teeth that make their face look out of proportion. This can not only affect the way you look, but it can affect the way you speak as well. Veneers can add length and bulk to the teeth, creating a more natural and symmetrical dental appearance.
If your teeth are misshaped due to cracked or chipped teeth, you could be at a greater risk for tooth decay. There are several cosmetic options that can repair your chipped teeth, decreasing your risk for cavities. Veneers are one of those options, and it’s the best option for people who have several misshaped teeth.
If you suffer from gaps in between your teeth that are disrupting the appearance of your smile, making brushing more difficult, and trapping food particles, talk to your cosmetic dentist about veneers. Your dentist will use two veneer caps that are larger than your original teeth on either side of the gap to close the space.
Find out if you’re a candidate for porcelain veneers by calling Belmont Dental Group at (617) 209-4058. We are experts in the field of cosmetic dentistry, and we offer Invisalign, dental implants, tooth whitening, inlays and onlays, veneers, and more. To see a complete list of the cosmetic dental treatments we offer, visit our website or call us today.
Last updated 11 days ago
The foods you eat produce powerful bacteria that can tear through tooth enamel and oral tissue. Once the bacteria infects the oral tissues, gum disease develops, causing oral discomfort, inflammation, and tooth loss. Therefore, it’s imperative that you visit your dentist regularly and have gingivitis treated as soon as symptoms develop.
Gum disease is caused by plaque and tartar buildup. Plaque contains acidic bacteria that can break down oral tissue around the teeth and dissolve tooth enamel. As the disease-causing bacteria festers, the teeth may begin to develop cavities. If the bacteria eats away at the enamel so much that the bacteria reaches the root of the tooth, a root canal surgery may become necessary. Root canal surgery can compromise dental durability and overall dental health.
Chronic bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease, but it is also an unfavorable problem that can make others want to avoid your company. If you notice that you can’t seem to get rid of bad breath odors with routine cleaning and rinsing, contact your general dentist right away.
- Gum Recession and Oral Pain
If gum disease is allowed to persist, gum recession and oral pain will ensue. These symptoms may be accompanied by frequent bleeding and tender, inflamed gums. As the oral bacteria spreads, the oral bones could start losing density, which can lead to slight tooth mobility.
As acidic bacteria eat away at the oral tissues, the gums recede even farther until they can no longer hold the teeth in place. When the oral bones become brittle and the gums recede several millimeters, the teeth become loose and can fall out. Once the teeth begin falling out, cosmetic smile restoration becomes challenging. Ultimately, expensive and invasive cosmetic dental procedures will be needed to restore your smile and oral health.
If you’ve noticed blood after brushing or flossing or are experiencing chronic bad breath, call Belmont Dental Group. We are dedicated to preventative dental care and patient education. Call us at (617) 209-4058 and let us help you achieve optimal dental health. If you suffer from dental phobias, ask about our sedation services.
Last updated 14 days ago
According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, cosmetic dentistry is a $2.75 billion industry. Perhaps that’s because cosmetic dentistry offers so many physical and emotional health benefits. If you’re one of the millions of adults who wish they had a straighter, whiter, and better-looking smile, look below to see what cosmetic dentistry could do for you:
Crooked and discolored teeth can keep you from feeling great about yourself. People with a less-than-perfect smile tend to talk softly, avoid certain social situations, be less aggressive in the workplace, and avoid cameras. If you have crooked teeth or unsightly stains, look to cosmetic dentistry for the smile restoration you desire. Veneers, crowns, tooth whitening, and other treatments can give you the confidence you need to enjoy a happier, fuller, and more active life.
Overlapping teeth, chipped or cracked teeth, and crooked teeth can make brushing and flossing extremely difficult. If the brush bristles can’t reach the entire surface area of a tooth, the enamel will collect plaque and tarter, which can lead to tooth decay and cavities. If you can’t get floss in between the teeth easily, you could develop gum disease. Cosmetic dental treatments such as Invisalign and veneers can improve the position of the teeth, making it easier to clean and care for them.
When your teeth and gums are healthy, your body is more likely to enjoy optimal health. Dental conditions such as gum disease can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, upper respiratory problems, inflammation, immune deficiency, hypertension, and more general health complications. Cavities and gum disease can also increase your risk of tooth loss. If you lose a tooth, the surrounding teeth could shift and cause premature dental deterioration. This can limit the types of foods you can enjoy, which may limit the quality of nutrition your body receives.
If you desire cosmetic smile enhancement, call Belmont Dental Group to find out which cosmetic dental treatment we recommend. Our quality dentists are certified and experienced at treating crooked, colored, chipped, misaligned, and missing teeth. To schedule your consultation, call (617) 209-4058 today.
Last updated 17 days ago
Mom will forever remember the first appearance of her baby’s teeth. Children compare themselves to each other, pointing out the higher status of getting their adult teeth. The loss of permanent teeth is synonymous with advancing age. Teeth indelibly mark the passage of our lives.
The great mystery in this progression is the shedding of the milk teeth, marked by the appearance of The Tooth Fairy.
Vikings paid a fee for the use of the tooth as jewelry. Taken into battle, the wearer had increased power. To this day, Scandinavians pay the child for the first tooth. In modern day Belgium, a mother wears a pendant bearing a tooth from each child.
The Medieval English would burn the tooth, lest a witch use it to cast an evil spell on the child. Baby teeth have been planted to aid the growth of the new tooth. Destroying the tooth by burning meant the child would not have to search for the lost tooth in its afterlife.
What would the Tooth Fairy do with those teeth anyway? It has been postulated they become the stars in the endless sky. Perhaps they are ground into fairy dust and used to fly. Stacked like stones, the fairies may build castles. My favorite is that the fairies plant them to grow children; indeed baby teeth can be a source of stem cells. Growing a child from a tooth might be a real possibility. It would be the child’s younger twin!
In the Middle East, a child might toss a tooth up to Allah, in hopes of a better tooth growing in. In the South of India, it is buried to help grow the new tooth. Turkish children throw the tooth on the roof of the house. Asian children throw an upper tooth onto the roof, and bury a lower tooth under the house.
In the lowlands of Scotland, the tooth is taken by a white fairy rat. Fatina, a small mouse, is the Patron Tooth Fairy of Italy. Spanish and Hispanic cultures similarly have a rodent tooth fairy named Ratoncito Perez or similarly.
Delta Dental Company’s survey finds the going cost of a baby tooth today is $2.10. But in July 2011, UPI reported the going rate was $2.60. It comes as no surprise to us dentists that the ‘authorative’ Delta survey is far below the real market cost. By the time most dental insurers actually pay for the tooth, the child may be out of college. But I digress…
Our culture, like others, has a deeply embedded Tooth Fairy. E. Arnold wrote a play, ‘The Tooth Fairy’, in 1927. In 1949, Lee Rogow wrote a wildly popular story by the same title. By the 1980’s, marketing had come to the Tooth Fairy in the form of pillows and dolls. Cutesy tooth containers featuring Disney characters or Winnie the Pooh make welcome gifts.
On April Fools, Day, graduate students in Physics often publish mock scientific papers. My favorite this year is “Non-detection of the Tooth Fairy at Optical Wavelengths”, E. Armstrong, Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego.
Parents can download a Certificate of Delivery from the Tooth Fairy at dltk-teach.com
Children’s author Rosemary Wells has written several delightful books on the subject of teeth. She should not be confused with the recently deceased Dr. Rosemary Wells of Northwestern University Dental School. Dr. Wells, widely published on Tooth Fairy literature, maintained a grand museum of Tooth Fairy memorabilia.
Allow your child believe in the Tooth Fairy for as long as possible. It’s good to hold hands with the happy memories of one’s innocent age.
Dr. Jim Nager is a practicing dentist and resident of Belmont, and a Clinical Instructor at Harvard. Questions of a general nature can be sent to drjamesnager@gmail.com.
