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Top Dental Articles
When there is no room for wisdom teeth to come in properly or when the teeth haven't reached their permanent location by age 25, then they're considered to be impacted. Dentists recommend removing the tooth early, before complications can develop.
Partially visible wisdom teeth are susceptible to bacteria that can cause infection, and cysts and tumors can grow on a trapped wisdom tooth, causing irritation and some pain, as well as diseases of the gums. Another problem occurs when the second molar, the last tooth before the wisdom tooth, is damaged as the wisdom tooth grows in without enough room.
The younger the patient, the easier the healing will be, which is another reason not to wait before removing impacted wisdom teeth. Surgery will be performed in either a dentist's or oral surgeon's office, under anesthesia, providing patients with maximum comfort while keeping the procedure efficient and cost-effective. Local anesthetic (such as Novocain) is always used, but you may opt for additional comfort with nitrous oxide ("laughing gas"), IV sedation (twilight sleep), or deep sedation (general anesthesia.)
Click these topics for great wisdom tooth
care: Oral Surgery Wisdom Tooth
IV Sedation
Twilight Sleep
Wisdom Teeth
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Root Caries: An Epidemic of Age
People are living longer and keeping their natural teeth more than ever before. The advances in tooth retention, the desire to look one's best, and higher expectations about oral health have raised dental awareness among older adults.
Root caries lesions can be caused by new or primary root caries, caries around existing dental fillings or recurrent caries, and abrasion or erosion of the root surfaces. Root caries progress quickly due to the relatively soft nature of the root surface, as well as the risk factors associated with the incidence of root caries.
Root caries can be a challenge for the dentist to treat depending on the size and the type of root caries lesion, the extent and rate of caries activity for that person, the physical and mental condition of the individual, and where the root caries are located in the mouth. Many root lesions have limited accessibility and visibility, are often more complicated by pre-existing extensive dental work, and are difficult to isolate from oral fluids during the restoration process. Also, many people who have widespread root lesions have limited tolerance for dental treatment because of medical conditions, illness, and mental health problems.
Click these topics for more information
about: Root Surfaces
Root Caries
Mouth Lesions
Dental Fillings
Root Canal
Knocked-Out Tooth
Annually, more than two million teeth are knocked out accidentally; more than 90% of them can be saved with proper treatment.
Holding the tooth from the crown (top part), rinse off the root. Don't scrub or remove any attached tissue fragments. Gently hold the tooth in its socket. (Young children may accidentally swallow; use your judgment.) If this isn't possible, place the tooth in a cup of cold whole milk. Avoid using low fat milk, powdered milk, or milk products like yogurt. Never put the tooth in mouthwash or alcohol. Avoid scrubbing the tooth or touching the root end. Get to the dentist immediately (within 30 minutes) and take the tooth!