Author: Emergency Dentist

We all know that brushing twice daily is crucial in maintaining good oral hygiene, preventing oral diseases, and keeping our body healthy. Brushing and flossing correctly helps to remove the plaque build-up and also eliminates disease-causing bacteria. This prevents gum diseases and lowers the chances of getting dental decay and all the unpleasant consequences which comes with it. It also helps with proper digestion and reduces the chances of respiratory illnesses.

However, improper and faulty brushing habits can irritate and traumatise the gums. Therefore, it is crucial to learn the correct way of how to brush your teeth.

Before we jump on how to brush your teeth correctly, we must ensure that we have all the tools needed. To ensure that you are brushing correctly without hurting your gums, the first step is to procure a good quality toothbrush. Using a lousy quality and hard-bristled toothbrush is a sure-shot way of damaging your teeth and hurting your gums. Look for a toothbrush with softer bristles but not so soft that it doesn’t do its job.

Next, you want to get a good quality toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride helps strengthen the tooth structure and reduces the chances of dental decay. Remember to replace your toothbrush every 3 months. If your toothbrush becomes frayed and warped, it loses its efficacy and also hurts the gums. You can also use an electric toothbrush. We will explain the mechanics of both in this blog.

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How to brush your teeth correctly with a standard toothbrush?

After you have procured all the necessary tools for a perfect morning dental routine, it is now time to up your brushing game. It is vital to cover all the teeth surfaces, clean your gums and the tongue. A proper technique will help you achieve this by reaching all the corners of your teeth without damaging your gums.

STEP 1 – Wet your toothbrush with water and put a pea-sized amount of a fluoridated toothpaste on the toothbrush’s head.

STEP 2 – Put the brush in your mouth at a 45-degree angle to the gums. Use a gentle upwards stroke against the gum line to brush your upper and lower front teeth. These strokes should be gentle, short, and upward for lower teeth and downward for the upper front teeth. This helps you get rid of all the plaque and trapped food debris in your gum line, and at the same time, massages the gums.

STEP 3 – Use the same motion to brush the outer and top (chewing surfaces) of your upper and lower back teeth. This covers the exterior and top surfaces of all teeth in the mouth.

STEP 4 – Tilt the toothbrush upside down to reach the inner surface of the lower teeth. Brush the inner surface of all the lower teeth in a similar manner maintaining a 45-degree angle. Then flip the toothbrush to clean the inner surfaces of your upper teeth. Since the inner tooth surfaces are not visible, it can be very easy and often tempting to skip them. This slight ignorance is actually what causes plaque build-up and leads to gum diseases.

STEP 5 – Brush your tongue to remove all the build-up and bacteria. This will ensure fresher breath and healthy oral health. Rinse, and you are done!

How long should you brush?

Ideally, you should brush for at least 3 minutes. You can set a timer to ensure that you are giving your mouth the time it deserves. Overbrushing and using a hard-bristled toothbrush can damage the teeth as well as the gums. It can cause abrasion of teeth, lead to teeth sensitivity and cause gum recession.

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How to brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush

STEP 1 – Wet the toothbrush head and use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

STEP 2 – Turn on the toothbrush and follow the same procedure as described above to brush the outer and top surfaces of your upper and lower teeth.

STEP 3 – Tilt the toothbrush to access the inner surfaces, just as described above. Ensure that you apply light pressure and move gently from one tooth to the other, involving all your teeth.

STEP 4 – Clean your tongue and rinse for fresher breath.

It is essential to learn the correct way of brushing to ensure that you have a clean mouth. Improper brushing will cause plaque build-up and lead to dental cavities and gum diseases. Many of us use the wrong technique to brush our teeth, and instead of protecting them, we end up harming them. However, now you know the best and the correct way to brush your teeth without destroying your gums. Use this technique to ensure that you always keep smiling and your pearly whites remain strong and disease-free.

Were you aware of the fact that dental infections can actually cause symptoms such as fever? This blog will see how a dental infection can lead to fever and what we can do about it.

Dental infections are caused by bacteria. These bacteria are found in the plaque, which accumulates on the surface of the teeth near and below the gumline. This plaque, if not removed, regularly harden to form calculus which is adherent to the tooth and the gums. This also gives these diseases causing bacteria a place to hide. These bacteria metabolise sugars from the food we eat to release an acidic substance that attacks the tooth structure and causes the gums’ inflammation. This leads to gum diseases and dental cavities. Dental cavities progress to involve the dental pulp. Once the dental pulp is infected, it leads to intense pain, and the infection has to be removed.

Sometimes, these bacteria from the gums and the tooth’s core find a way to enter the bloodstream. Once it enters the bloodstream, they quickly make their way to the major blood vessels. This causes the body to generate a generalised immune response against the bacteria, which puts the body in a state of inflammation. This can cause sepsis, a dangerous infective conditions which if not treated early and furiously, can even lead to death. Yes, all this can happen because of untreated dental infections. This is what also causes the body temperature to rise and leads to fever.

Symptoms of a dental infection

• Continuos throbbing toothache.
• Sensitivity to hot and cold food and liquids.
• Facial swelling.
• Swelling in the gums.
• Tender, red and painful gums.
• Pus which oozes out from the gums.
• Pain that increases on lying down.
• Inability to bite down as it leads to toothache.
• A foul taste in the mouth often accompanied by bad breath.

These symptoms are associated with a dental infection. If you happen to experience any of the above-given symptoms, please visit our dental office and get it checked out before it becomes worse.

How to know if the dental infection has spread?

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Our body does a beautiful job of alerting us when anything goes wrong. The body gives certain signs which indicates that it is compromised and needs treatment. This happens even when a dental infection spreads.

• A generalised feeling of unwellness, including feeling fatigued and dizzy.
• Headaches.
• Fever accompanied by sweating, chills and skin flushing.
• Rashes on the body.
• Facial and neck swelling.
• Dehydration even after drinking a lot of water.
• Reduced urination and dark coloured urine.
• Confusion.
• Increase in heart rate and feeling light-headed.
• Stomach pain which can be accompanied by diarrhoea and vomiting.

Suppose your fever reaches 39 degrees or higher. In that case, it is time to visit the nearest emergency room before it gets fatal. Apart from this, if you experience chest pain, difficulty in breathing, confusion, skin rashes, persistent vomiting, get in touch with a doctor now.

What to do in such a situation?

Well, ideally, you should not delay getting dental treatment. This situation arises when you don’t get proper dental treatment at the appropriate time. Antibiotics and painkillers aren’t enough to resolve dental infections. A thorough dental treatment protocol must be devised and implemented to ensure that the infection does not spread.

If you feel any of the symptoms associated with that of a tooth infection, make an urgent appointment with your dentist. If you have a swelling in your mouth or you notice pus discharge, ensure that you call us immediately and make a same-day appointment. Until then, you can take an over the counter painkiller to help with the pain by the time you reach the dental office. Do not try to ignore or delay your visit to the dental office.

If the infection has already progressed to other parts of the body, you will be referred to a medical doctor. Be cautious to ensure you don’t get anxious later.

To avoid these situations entirely, follow a good oral hygiene routine. Brush twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. Use floss at least once every day to ensure that all the food debris and plaque stuck in between your teeth can come out. Limit your sugar intake and try to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Apart from this, ensure you have regular visits to a dentist to make sure you are at the top of your oral health. Following these simple measures can help you avoid health disasters of the future!

To answer this question, we must first take a brief look at how a dental abscess forms.

Our teeth have three layers, the first being the protective hard layer – enamel, the second is the dentine, and the third is the core of the tooth containing connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves collectively called the dental pulp.

A dental abscess occurs when the dental pulp, which is the core of the tooth, is invaded by bacteria. Many different bacteria reside in the oral cavity as a typical inhabitant; however, due to faulty oral hygiene practices, these bacteria and the food debris accumulate on the gums and surfaces of the teeth forming plaque.

This plaque, if not removed, later hardens to form calculus. This gives these disease-causing bacteria a place to hide. These bacteria metabolise the sugars from the food we eat to release acidic by-products, which deteriorates the tooth and leads to the formation of dental caries.

Dental caries progresses and reaches the pulp. This is how these disease-causing bacteria find a way to reach the root of the teeth. Here, the bacterial infection leads to the formation of a pus-filled cavity. This pus-filled cavity which is present with the infected tooth is known as a dental abscess.

Signs and symptoms of dental abscess

There are several signs and symptoms which can point towards a dental abscess. If you are experiencing these symptoms, it’s time to visit your dentist and get them treated.

• Severe, persistent and throbbing toothache.
• The pain of a dental abscess can even radiate to involve the entire jaw, the area in front of the ear, and the neck.
• It can even lead to headaches.
• Increased sensitivity and excruciating pain on the consumption of hot or cold foods and liquids.
• The gums around the infected tooth swell.
• Facial swelling.
• A foul taste in your mouth often accompanied by a foul smell.

If you have any of the above symptoms, it is crucial to visit the dentist with urgency. Untreated dental abscesses can progress, and the resulting complications can even be life-threatening.

Complications of untreated dental abscess

Now, this is where we answer the question – Is dental abscess dangerous? The answer is – YES, it is dangerous. Dental abscess does not go away on its own. It needs thorough dental treatment and proper diagnosis. A dental abscess can sometimes rupture spontaneously. When this happens, you may notice immediate pain relief, but this does not mean it is fixed. Ruptured dental abscess still needs proper dental treatment and requires an urgent dental check-up.

Untreated dental abscess does not drain; it progresses. The bacteria from the dental abscess now tries to find a way to go further. That means the infection will spread from your tooth’s root to the jawbone, where it can cause a condition of the bone known as osteomyelitis. Next, the infection will start involving all the facial spaces. The infection will spread, and so will the swelling.

At one point, the swelling will reach the front of the neck, causing cellulitis. This will lead to breathing difficulties as it obstructs the windpipe. This becomes a life-threatening emergency situation that requires an immediate trip to the emergency room, where this swelling will be drained.

The infection also can find a way to the bloodstream. Yes, the bacteria from the dental abscess can even enter the bloodstream. It generates a generalised inflammatory response and leads to sepsis. This infection is life-threatening and quickly spreads to the entire body involving multiple organs.

Signs and symptoms that indicate that the dental abscess has progressed

The signs and symptoms of dental abscess progression will present themselves in additions to the signs and symptoms mentioned above.

• The first sign that indicates a progression of dental abscess is fever.
• Severe headache.
• Difficulty in breathing.
• Burning and itching of the skin.
• Impaired vision.
• Confusion
• Swelling of the face and neck.
• Excessive sweating.

These symptoms suggest that the infection has spread and started to involve the entire body. At this point, higher efficacy antibiotics and hospital administration and specific life-saving procedure in combination with dental treatment will be required for effective resolution of the disease. Sepsis is a dangerous condition and spreads quickly. If treatment is delayed at this point, it can even lead to death.

A dental abscess can be easily treated by dental procedures like root canal treatment. However, once it progresses, it can be dangerous. Therefore, it is essential to note that the cure for dental abscess must not be delayed under any circumstances as the price of ignorance can be huge.

Why wait and worsen the situation when all this can be avoided easily and comfortably by visiting the dentist and getting the necessary treatment done. Prevention and conservation are always better than cure. A healthy mouth means a healthy body; schedule your appointment to ensure it!

A week and compromised oral health affect more than just teeth; it can have devastating effects on your overall wellbeing as well. Many dental diseases also affect your body and pose a risk to it.

Various studies and research have been conducted in the past, showing a link between dental emergencies and systemic diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases. This makes maintaining good oral hygiene even more important. Many diseases start from the mouth and then progress to infect the entire body. Let’s look at how these dental emergencies and illnesses pose a risk to overall wellbeing.

Dental Abscess

A dental abscess is a dental emergency. It can cause excruciating pain, which can even involve the jaw, front of the ear and the neck. A dental abscess is a bacterial disease. The bacteria enter the tooth through cavities and infects the dental pulp. This infection progresses to involve the root of the tooth. If not treated at an early stage, a dental abscess can worsen and even be life-threatening.

The abscess can enlarge in size, and the swelling can extend to the neck and face. This leads to an intense localised infection which has to be drained swiftly; otherwise, it can cause complete blockage of the windpipe leading to breathing difficulties. The bacteria from the dental abscess goes down to affect the jawbone, causing its infection – osteomyelitis. These bacteria can also find a way to reach the major blood vessels. Once they are in the bloodstream, it leads to a generalise immune response, and the body goes into sepsis.

Sepsis is a complex condition to treat, and mortality is also high. This is how an untreated dental emergency like a dental abscess poses a risk to your body and may even lead to death.

Gum Diseases and Diabetes

Gum diseases have been linked very strongly with diabetes and heart conditions. Gum diseases such as periodontitis compromise the teeth, the jawbone as well as the whole body. It also lowers immunity, thus putting a significant dent in the body’s fighting ability.

Gum diseases have been shown to affect the blood glucose levels of people who suffer from diabetes. Poor oral health and severe untreated gum diseases negatively affect the blood glucose levels of the body. This reduces the body’s ability to fight infections successfully. Periodontal diseases can also derange the way our body metabolises carbohydrates and negatively impacts how our body produces energy.

Bacteria that cause gum diseases in patients suffering from diabetes can increase insulin resistance, directly influencing blood sugar control. Practising good oral hygiene combined with fast diagnosis and treatment of dental conditions can prevent these complications.

Gum Diseases and Heart Conditions

Gum diseases like periodontitis and poor oral hygiene have been linked with heart diseases. The bacteria which cause periodontal diseases can enter the bloodstream through the gums. Once the bacteria enter the bloodstreams, they can travel through the major arteries and reach the heart, where it can cause infections such as endocarditis. It can also cause a build-up of plaque in the arteries and block the free flow of blood to the heart and other parts of the body.

It is shown that people with severe and untreated periodontal diseases are at a higher risk of heart attacks and cardiac infections such as endocarditis. Endocarditis is an infective heart condition that causes the inner lining of the heart to become inflamed. Suitable oral hygiene methods combined with proper dental treatments can help you keep such diseases at bay.

Dental Diseases and Lung Infections

Bacteria from dental caries, dental abscesses, and gum diseases can easily travel to the lungs. This puts the body at a greater risk of contracting infective lung diseases. Even the Covid-19 virus is known to create a harbour in the plaque, accumulating on the teeth and gums. This travels to the bloodstream and affects the lungs. Now you have even more reasons to brush and floss properly and not miss your dental appointments.

Dental Diseases and Arthritis

Dental diseases such as gum diseases put you in a state of chronic inflammation. This contributes to the inflammation of arthritis and even worsen the disease progression.

Dental Emergencies and Its Effect On The Brain

Gum diseases are also linked with cerebral conditions like dementia and stroke. These diseases can be aggravated by bacteria which causes gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis.

This is how dental emergencies and various dental disease affect the body and puts it at risk. Addressing oral health issues promptly and practising good oral hygiene can prevent such diseases and ensure that you are happy and healthy.

Have you ever woken up from sleep due to unbearable toothache? Or, been hit by a ball that caused your tooth to come out? Toothache can be one of the most painful and uncomfortable experiences and disturbs your everyday life. It makes concentrating on anything almost impossible. However, a toothache is not the only form of dental emergencies that can happen. Dental emergencies can be anything that causes severe pain in the mouth, infections, non-stop bleeding, soft tissue injuries or even breaking your teeth or your jaw.

This blog has combined different dental emergencies and what you should do until you reach a Dental Clinic. If you happen to be suffering from any of the mentioned problems, you might need to rush to an emergency dentist.

Types of dental emergencies and their management in the interim

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Toothache

Have you ever experienced a toothache? It can be one of the most disturbing experiences ever. Calling dental pain “unbearable” can be an understatement. One of the most common causes of toothache is untreated decay and damaged teeth. Sometimes, a toothache can be so excruciatingly painful that you just cannot wait for the dental office to open in the morning.

If your toothache is unbearable, worsens when you lay down and involves the entire jaw, it is a dental emergency and requires the immediate attention of a dentist. However, what if this toothache develops on holiday or at night when all the dental offices are closed? Well, if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, here are some helpful tips for managing it until you have the chance to reach the dental clinic.

• First, you might want to rush to a nearby pharmacy and buy an over the counter painkiller. This may provide you with some relief.
• Apart from this, you can apply ice to the area from the outside. Cold compression will help with the pain and also reduce swelling if any.
• Warm salt water gargles are also known to help lower the pain.

However, remember that none of these will offer you a permanent solution; therefore, it is necessary to contact a dentist and schedule an emergency appointment before it progresses.

Fractured or broken tooth

People come to the dental clinic with fractured or broken tooth more often than you think. Teeth can be broken and, in some instances, even come out entirely from their socket. This can occur in children as well as adults.

Say your child is on the playground, having the time of their life on a swing, and then suddenly they fall off the swing, and you realise that their tooth has come out. This can even happen to us adults as a complication of a fall or road traffic accidents.

Well, what to do in this situation?

• First and foremost, call us at our dental clinic to schedule an urgent appointment.
• Search for the broken or dislodged tooth and put it in a container containing milk. Do not try to clean the tooth yourself.
• If you have any injuries to the gums and soft tissues, bite down gently on cotton or a piece of cloth.

Time is of the essence in such a situation because if you reach early, the chances of placing your tooth back into its socket are much higher, and you won’t end up losing your tooth.

Dental Abscess

Untreated dental caries and infections progress to form a dental abscess. This is basically a collection of pus near your tooth’s root. Dental abscesses lead to intense pain, which can be unbearable. You may also experience sensitivity to cold and hot foods and liquids. Dental abscesses can also cause fever. If not treated early, they can progress to involve the entire jaw and the neck, making breathing difficult. This is an emergency that, if not addressed promptly, can even cause death.

Therefore, if you notice any swelling on your gums or facial swelling with pain and noticeable decayed tooth, it is advised to make a dental appointment and get it treated quickly. Do not delay or ignore this as you end up doing a lot of harm.

Jaw Fracture

Jaw fractures can result from trauma to the face and need to be treated promptly by a dentist. The wounds have to be cleaned and bone brought back to their original place and fixed to prevent any permanent malformations.

Loose and Broken Dental Crowns

Dental crowns can become loose and even break under unusual heavy forces. Dental crowns are given to restore the shape, size, strength and function of the damaged teeth. This means, losing your dental crown predisposes your previously protected teeth to the external environment and chewing forces that it cannot successfully resist.

If your crown becomes loose and comes out, carefully save it and preserve it in a container. Ensure that you stay away from hard consistency foods like candies or nuts and avoid eating from the side from where you have lost the crown. Next, call a dentist to schedule an emergency appointment. They will examine the crown and the teeth and, if possible, recement the crown, and in cases of a broken crown, a new crown will have to be made. It is vital to replace a loose or broken crown as soon as possible to prevent any damage to the existing teeth.

If you find yourself in any of the above dental emergency situations, please do not ignore them and contact a dentist now. Many dental clinics have emergency numbers to help their patients in such a situation and solve their worries.

Dental fillings or dental restorations are used to fill the tooth and re-establish its size, shape, strength and functionality. Dental fillings are one of the least invasive dental procedures. If you suffer from dental decay, visiting a dentist is of utmost importance to get it cleaned and restored. The treatment stops the decay from progressing further and infecting the dental pulp.

Dental fillings were traditionally made from metallic materials. The most popular material to restore a clean dental cavity was a silver amalgam. Apart from this, noble metals like gold have also been used. However, with time the demand for aesthetics gave rise to the concept of white fillings.

White fillings (also called tooth-coloured fillings) are aesthetically far superior to traditional metal options. They blend perfectly with the tooth and appear much more natural in comparison to metallic ones. They don’t stain easily. Their property of being tooth coloured makes them much more desirable as they are virtually unnoticeable when done by a trained dental professional.

What Are My White Dental Filling Options?

Composite Dental Fillings

A dental composite is a tooth-coloured resin and glass mixture used to restore decayed, damaged and broken teeth. Composite dental resins come in a variety of tooth-coloured shades. Your dentist will analyse your natural teeth’ colour and select a shade that matches it. This ensures that the dental composite filling blends with your natural tooth structure, making the treatment virtually unnoticeable. 

Dental composites are essentially bonded to the tooth surface. Your dentist will first isolate the tooth which needs filling with the help of a rubber dam. Then they will use dental drills to clean the decayed tooth part. Next, they will use a dental etchant containing 37% phosphoric acid to etch the surface of your teeth; this aids in bonding the filling to the tooth surface. Then, a bonding agent is applied. After this, the tooth-coloured composite resin is used in small increments to rebuild the lost tooth structure and give it a natural appearance. This is hardened by using a curing light. After this, the filling is trimmed and polished to replicate the natural tooth’s structure.

Ceramic Fillings

Ceramic fillings are made of porcelain which is manipulated to match the shade of your teeth. They are durable and aesthetically pleasing and can be more resistant to staining and discolouration than composite fillings. Ceramic fillings are successfully used to restore significant and more substantial tooth defects.

Glass Ionomer Fillings

Glass ionomer cement is a mixture of glass and acrylic. The most striking feature of glass ionomer fillings is their property of releasing fluorides. This feature ensures that the teeth are protected from further decay, and it also strengthens the structure. The problem is that they are much less durable and last shorter than other white filling options. It also does not match the tooth colour to perfection as other filling types do.

Inlays

Your next option for white fillings is Inlays. Inlays are a method of indirect dental filling. Composite fillings are done in the chair, directly in the tooth, which makes them direct fillings. In contrast, an Inlay is prepared in a laboratory outside the mouth, thus called indirect dental fillings. Inlays are used to restore the back teeth’s biting surfaces, especially when the decay is extensive and cannot be appropriately restored by direct composite fillings.

First, your dentist will clean the decayed tooth part; next, they will take an impression of your upper and lower teeth. This impression is used to create a mould that is sent to the laboratory to create an Inlay. Inlays are tooth-coloured indirect restorations and are much stronger. Your dentist will use dental cement to glue this inlay in your prepared dental cavity in your next appointment.

Inlays look beautiful and are an excellent way to restore significant tooth defects effectively to their original size. They look and feel exactly like a natural tooth would.

Onlays

Onlays are similar to inlays as they are also prepared outside the mouth. Onlays are, however, used when the damage is even more pronounced. It is indicated in situations where dental decay has also infected one of the cusps of your teeth. These cusps are present on the biting surfaces of the teeth and aid in proper chewing and maintaining adequate jaw relations. Onlays restore these damaged cusps and establish the size, shape, strength and function of the tooth.

Whatever may be the cause of your teeth sensitivity, our experienced dentists and specialists have treatments to relieve the symptoms of sensitive teeth.

Dental fillings form a crucial part of dentistry, and knowing about the different fillings gives you the power to select what’s best for you with the advice of your dentist.