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All Posts in Category: Health Basics

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pregnant women dental problem

What Dental Problems Can Women Face During Pregnancy?

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The hormonal changes that take place when you’re pregnant may affect more than just your mood. They can also impact your teeth and gums, adding to the discomfort you already face. It’s important to take extra care of your oral health at this time, to keep both you and your baby healthy.

Knowing what to expect and how to handle it can help, so let’s look at 5 common dental issues women face during pregnancy:

  • Third Molar Problems – Pain or swelling may take place in the area near your wisdom teeth (third molars) due to hormonal changes or improper oral care. Partially-erupted wisdom teeth or crowding in the back of the mouth can also cause discomfort and raise the chance of tooth decay.

    Don’t ignore wisdom tooth pain, inflammation or other symptoms when you’re pregnant. Without timely treatment, you could end up dealing with a serious infection that threatens your health as well as the health of your baby, especially if it gets into your bloodstream.

  • Pregnancy Gingivitis – Gum swelling, tenderness, redness and bleeding are quite common during pregnancy, as a result of hormonal surges. These cause your body to respond more aggressively to bacterial toxins found in dental plaque, so it’s important to maintain proper oral hygiene and get regular checkups as well.

    Use a fluoridated toothpaste to brush your teeth twice a day, and make sure to floss your teeth daily as well. If your gums bleed while brushing or flossing, visit your dentist for a checkup right away. Untreated gingivitis can turn into serious periodontal disease, so follow your dentist’s instructions for dental cleaning and care.

  • Tooth Decay – Most pregnant women have cravings for sweet or sour foods, which increase the risk of tooth decay as well as sensitivity. In addition to frequent snacking, the acid exposure from morning sickness can also damage the protective enamel of your teeth, affecting your oral health tremendously.

    It’s essential to keep up with oral care and dental checkups throughout your pregnancy since tooth decay can lead to infection, tooth loss and other problems. If brushing or flossing causes you to vomit, rinse your mouth with clean water and try using a fluoridated mouthwash to minimize bacterial buildup.

  • Dental X-Rays – It’s best to avoid getting X-rays when you’re pregnant, even though today’s technology has made this process far safer than it used to be. Still, your dentist may need an X-ray of your mouth for diagnosing a problem, especially if you face a dental emergency.

    Modern diagnostic equipment is designed to minimize radiation exposure, and the X-ray technician or dentist will cover your abdomen with a protective leaded apron. Make sure they also shield your throat to protect your thyroid, and only get an X-ray if it’s absolutely necessary.

  • Antibiotics & Painkillers – You may need numbing medication for root canals, fillings or tooth extractions. These dental procedures can be performed under local anesthesia, which is completely safe for you and your baby. However, inform your dentist that you’re pregnant, so they give you just enough medication to keep you comfortable.

    Heavy painkillers, antibiotics, and other medication may harm your unborn baby, so avoid taking anything on your own without first discussing it with your dentist or physician. If possible, procedures that require general anesthesia should be scheduled for after your baby’s birth.

What a Dentist Suggests: Pre-Pregnancy Dental Checkup

If you schedule a complete dental examination and X-ray before getting pregnant, you can ensure that oral problems are diagnosed and treated in advance.

It’s safe to get dental cleanings during your pregnancy as well, which can help you prevent dental problems. Many other dental procedures can also be performed as normal, but it’s best to get them out of the way as early as possible. What are you waiting for? Call us at +917016730440 to schedule your checkup now!

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The Link between Diabetes and Oral Health

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We keep hearing about how medical conditions like diabetes can affect our dental health, but why is there a connection? It seems like these are entirely separate issues, but there are good reasons why dentists and doctors all over the world keep stressing on the link between these seemingly unconnected terms – diabetes and oral health.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels. This condition may be caused by the body’s inability to respond to or produce enough insulin, which is the hormone that regulates blood sugar in the body. In some cases, diabetes may result due to hereditary or lifestyle factors too.

A cure is yet to be discovered for this condition, so patients afflicted with diabetes can only manage the disease by keeping their blood glucose levels within a normal range. This can normally be achieved through diet and lifestyle changes, as well as medication prescribed by your doctor.

Types of Diabetes

There are generally two major types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is also called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes, and occurs when the body stops producing insulin. This condition accounts roughly to about 10% of all cases. Anyone suffering from Type 1 diabetes requires daily insulin injections to survive in addition to eating a special diet and performing regular blood checks to ensure glucose levels are within a normal range.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common, accounting for 90% of all cases. In this strain of the disease, the body either fails to produce enough insulin or becomes resistant to the hormone. People who are overweight and obese are more susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes. If the disease is not yet advanced, type 2 diabetic patients may be able to control the symptoms by eating healthy, regular exercise and losing weight. However, this condition is often progressive, and at some point patients end up relying on insulin tablets.

If neglected, diabetes causes blood sugar levels to spike up to abnormal levels, which can in turn cause a wide range of health complications, including dental ones like gum disease, infections and more.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is an infection caused by bacteria that attacks gums. As a result, this health problem is often referred to as gum disease. This condition damages the soft oral tissue that holds your teeth together. When it advances, it can spread and infect the bone that supports your teeth. At this stage, teeth start to become loose and may eventually fall out or need to be removed.

Connection between Diabetes and Gum Disease

While most dental health conditions are often caused by poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease can also be a complication of diabetes. Studies have shown that patients diagnosed with diabetes are more likely to develop gum disease. Due to this fact, it is important for diabetic patients to know how they can prevent oral health problems, the early warning signs of gum disease, as well as the treatment options that are available.

Warning Signs of Diabetes and Periodontal Disease

Gum disease can be harder to treat when it is at an advanced stage. It is therefore important for diabetics to detect the disease early on. The initial telltale signs of this dental disorder include:

  • Bleeding gums during and after brushing teeth
  • Inflamed gums that may also be red and tender
  • A lingering bad taste in the mouth
  • Development of deep pockets between teeth and gums
  • Receding gums
  • Loose teeth

Other Dental Complications Associated with Diabetes

It is important to note that periodontal disease is not the only oral health problem that diabetic patients may develop. When blood glucose levels are left to spiral out of control, other oral health conditions may occur such as dry mouth, burning mouth syndrome, and fungal infections.

Diabetic patients who seek treatment for severe periodontal disease through surgery are more likely to develop complications. It is therefore important to follow the guidelines suggested by the American Dental Association after going through oral surgery for gum disease treatment.

What Does the Treatment Involve?

The right treatment for periodontal disease in diabetics will largely depend on how advanced the condition is. Dental specialists can recommend a wide variety of treatment methods that range from maintaining regular oral hygiene and soft tissue grafts, to guided tissue regeneration and bone surgery. In most cases, the dentist and physician need to work together in order to come up with the best dental treatment for a diabetic patient.

The experienced dental team at Monarch Dental Clinic can help you beat diabetes-related tooth or gum problems. Contact us to learn more today!

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What is a Dental Abscess?

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A dental abscess or dentoalveolar abscess is a condition caused by the spread of plaque buildup within the soft tissue in the teeth or gums. It’s more dangerous than most of us think it is, especially when people ignore the symptoms in the beginning stages or are not careful about proper oral hygiene.

A dental abscess is a painful and potentially life-threatening condition

To get a better understanding of abscess and how it can be dealt with, let’s take a closer look at this dental condition.

Dental Abscess

What Causes a Dental Abscess?

To put it as simply as possible, a dental abscess is the accumulation of pus inside the teeth or gums. It usually originates from a bacterial infection that has manifested itself in the soft pulp of a tooth. The main cause of this dental condition is severe tooth decay, but it can also be caused by prior dental work or trauma which results in the chipping or breaking of a tooth.

Dental Abscess Types

The various types of dental abscess include:

  • Gingival abscess, which occurs in the gums and does not affect the tooth or its connective tissue fibers.
  • Periodontal abscess, which starts in the supporting bone tissue structures of the teeth.
  • Periaphical abscess, which begins in the soft pulp of the tooth.

What are the Symptoms of the Condition?

The main symptom of dental abscess is gnawing, sharp, throbbing, or shooting pain, which occurs in a variety of degrees. In most cases, the discomfort starts suddenly and becomes more intense and unbearable with time. In case of a severe abscess, the pain may spread from the affected area to the ears, neck, and jawbone.

Some other symptoms of a dental abscess include:

  • Fever
  • Swallowing difficulties
  • Discomfort causing lack of sleep
  • Difficulty in opening the mouth
  • Pain in the affected area when biting and chewing
  • Foul-smelling breath
  • Sensitivity to hot and cold drinks/food
  • Bitter taste in the mouth
  • Swelling in neck glands, upper or lower jaw
  • General feeling of being unwell
  • Red and swollen gums

How is it Diagnosed?

Gingival Abscess

A dental abscess can be diagnosed by a dentist using a dental instrument or performing an X-ray of the mouth. The X-ray looks for erosion of the bone around the abscess while the dental instrument probes the affected area for pain and sensitivity. The diagnosis needs to be performed by a qualified dental expert.

Treatment for a Dental Abscess

The treatment of an abscessed tooth aims at treating the infection, preserving the tooth, and preventing further dental complications. Various treatment options can be suggested by your dentist, depending on the severity of the condition. These include:

  • Incision – This option includes cutting the abscess and draining the pus, which contains bacteria, allowing healthy tissue to replace the previously infected parts of the gum.
  • Surgery – In the event of a recurring infection, surgery may be done to remove the diseased tissue or reshape damaged gum tissue. The surgery procedure depends on the extent and area of the bacterial infection.
  • Painkillers – These are used to reduce pain while a patient is awaiting treatment or to help manage any pain during the healing process. Painkillers should only be taken when prescribed by a dentist.
  • Antibiotics – To keep the infection from spreading, dentists may prescribe antibiotics, which can be taken together with painkillers. These will normally be prescribed both before and after the main procedure (incision/surgery).

Prognosis

The prognosis of dental abscess depends on how deep a dental infection has spread. If the infection is localized to the tooth, and is caught and treated in good time, the prognosis is usually very good and the patient does not suffer irrevocable damage.

However, if the infection is left untreated, it can penetrate into the jaw bone, parts of the head or neck and even throughout the body, resulting in a situation that is difficult to control. In worst-case scenarios, dental abscess can escalate to a life-threatening condition when swelling in the jaws and neck affects the airway.

Prevention is Better than Cure!

The best way to prevent a dental abscess is to ensure good dental hygiene through daily and proper brushing and flossing of the teeth. Both of these oral hygiene practices are extremely important as they help to remove plaque, thus ensuring it does not build up on the teeth or gums.

Regular dental check-ups can also help prevent abscess by ensuring that tooth decay is discovered early and treated immediately. Timely diagnosis can keep a small cavity from developing into a dental abscess someday, so schedule your checkup at Monarch Dental Clinic at the earliest!

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Common Myths about Dental Treatment (and the Truth about Them!)

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We’ve all heard a few urban legends and myths, like ‘Chewing gum takes 7 years to dissolve in your stomach’. Like that particularly unsettling myth that underestimates the human digestive system, dental healthcare is plagued by a variety of half-truths and fables that are absolutely baseless, but many of us still believe what our parents or friends said to scare us!

Dental myths have been around as long as dentists have!

dental myths 2

If anything, dozens of organizations have researched myths centered on a visit to the dentist and found some of them to be completely the opposite. In fact, you may well have been putting off an important treatment because of something you heard as a child, which can cause you a great deal of pain and trouble in the future.

Here’s a list of some common myths related to dental treatments, and the reality about them:

  1. Getting My Teeth Cleaned by a Dentist Will Make Them SensitiveYour teeth are well-protected, covered one of the strongest substances found in the human body – enamel. Sensitivity is primarily caused by exposure of dentine, the soft part of the tooth. Another common cause is a receding or diseased gum, which directly exposes the lower part of the tooth (which doesn’t have any enamel).Dentists use specially-designed blunt instruments that vibrate to shake off any build-ups, to minimize the erosion of the enamel. The truth is that you’re most likely to develop sensitivity in your teeth by brushing too vigorously or using too hard a toothbrush, not by getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist’s!
  2. Teeth Cleaning Can Make My Teeth LooseTeeth are not held in place by the ‘gunk’ between them, like plaque and tartar, as they’re actually anchored in the jawbone. When they’ve been cleaned and the build-up of plaque, tartar or bits of food (yes, those can get stuck where you can’t reach them) removed, the tooth may feel a little loose for a while, but that’s completely natural.In fact, tartar can bind teeth together unnaturally and cause your gums to become inflamed, to a point where they might need to be cut back. The slight mobility after cleaning is necessary, so the support structures around your teeth
    have an opportunity to re-align and recover.
  3. Teeth Cleaning Can Create Gaps Between My Teeth/Cause Blood LossTartar gradually builds up on your teeth and fills in any gaps in between them. Your tongue is a very sensitive organ and when you get your teeth cleaned, it suddenly discovers gaps where the tartar has been removed. This newly-discovered space is often thought to be damage caused by the cleaning.Nothing could be further from the truth! Your teeth naturally have a slight gap and these spaces only become apparent because of the sudden removal of the tartar that was stuck between them. When it comes to blood, there is next to none, unless you have an infected gum which was already bleeding before the procedure.
  4. Root Canals are Extremely Painful and Time-ConsumingRoot canals are pretty invasive and involve removing damaged tissue inside the tooth. The myth about them being excruciatingly painful would definitely have been true a couple decades back, because dentists back then didn’t have the sophisticated equipment and technology that’s the norm nowadays.Modern dental procedures and significant advances in anesthetics as well as tools have made root canals much less painful than they used to be. The other benefit from advancing technology is the ‘single-sitting root canal’, which cuts down the time and discomfort to a single dental visit.
  5. Bleaching Can Weaken My TeethWhen you get your teeth whitened by a dental expert, they use a weak peroxide solution. Unless it’s done too often, tooth whitening only removes stains and discoloration from the surface of your teeth, without affecting their strength or health. Rest assured that getting your teeth whitened at the dentist’s is quite safe and won’t ruin your teeth!There are a variety of products available for bleaching teeth (even in retail stores or at your local pharmacy), but dentists do not recommend these ‘DIY kits’. Bleaching should be done in moderation as it can cause sensitivity and weaken the enamel if it’s used excessively.
  6. If I Have My Upper Teeth Removed, I’ll Go Blind/Removing Lower Teeth Will Lead to Loss of VoiceThese particular dental myths should be quite apparently false, and of course, they have been completely disproven. Common sense should tell you that the eyes function on the basis of the optic nerves and your voice comes out of your vocal chords, which are both in no way dependent on the teeth, but hearing this fable in the schoolyard did give many of us a delicious shiver of fear, didn’t it?

Most dental procedure today are almost painless and aided by technological advancements, the chances of any complications arising are also much lower. While it’s unclear how and when these myths originated, one thing is for sure – they’ve been busted and completely debunked.

So if you’ve been putting off the visit to a dentist because of something you’ve heard or read about, think again. Better yet, ask the experts at Monarch Dental Clinic.
Minor problems that aren’t dealt with in time might require major surgery later. Call us at +917016730440, and we’ll be glad to answer all your questions. Trust us, we’ve already heard it all!

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