Dry socket is one of the dental maladies feared by so many people who avoid going to the dentist or do not wish to undergo more than routine dental procedures. alveolar osteitis is the direct consequence of tooth removal for any reason and while preventable, does occur in a significant number of people.
what causes dry socket and what is a dry socket?
While still rare, alveolar osteitis is caused after a tooth is removed and is most common in wisdom teeth removal. During most routine tooth removals, a blood clot usually forms to protect the opening in your gums and allow the healing process to commence.
However, if a blood clot does not form, it can create what is known as a dry socket. An alveolar osteitis often leaves gums and bones exposed, leading to infection and other maladies. These dry sockets are created through bacterial contamination from food or other objects that enter a person’s mouth. Trauma is another possible cause of alveolar osteitis as a consequence of the tooth removal procedure. It is important to seek treatment as quickly as possible with a New Hyde Park dentist in order to minimize the damage.
Are there risk factors and possible complications for alveolar osteitis?
Generally, there are not many risk factors for dry socket, but people who have experienced dry socket before are more likely to get it than those who have not. Other risk factors include use of cigarettes and other tobacco products regularly, take oral contraceptives, or if you don’t care for the wound properly. The possible complications for dry socket include healing that is delayed, socket infection, and an infection that spreads to the bone and could hurt other parts of the body.
How will a New Hyde Park dentist treat alveolar osteitis?
Our dental surgeon will quickly work to treat dry sockets so that infections do not occur or spread and lead to further damage. This is often done by cleaning the dry socket to ensure it no longer has any food or other particles. The dentist will pack the dry socket with gauze. We may then later give you saltwater or other rinses in order to clean the dry socket at home, in addition to more gauze to protect the socket from more damage.
What do I do if I have more questions regarding how a dentist treats a dry socket?
Call our Lake success dentist today for an appointment to get more information on alveolar osteitis and how dentists treat them. We’re standing by and available for any questions you may have.
For so many patients, tartar and plaque are interchangeable scourges that they want to live without. It ruins their smile, can contribute to bad breath, and can contribute to a myriad of other dental issues. Unfortunately, patients believe they can treat tartar and plaque with the same removal and treatment techniques and achieve the same result. However, tartar and plaque are very different occurrences that require two different strategies to deal with effectively. Below we’ll detail the differences between tartar and plaque.
What is plaque, what does it do, and can it cause tartar?
We hear a lot about plaque and its impact on teeth from TV commercials, pamphlets, and when dental professionals, including your dentist, tell you to brush and floss your teeth regularly. Plaque is the unsightly buildup on a person’s teeth that comes from food and drink that you ingest throughout your day. Smoking can also cause plaque. Plaque is comprised of acidic bacteria that can harm your teeth and unless it is removed through regular brushing and flossing, can contribute to diseases impacting your gums, tooth decay, and the buildup of tartar.
What is tartar, what does it do, and how can I prevent it?
If plaque isn’t removed on a regular basis by brushing and flossing, it can turn into tartar over a period of one to three days. In addition to the issues related to buildup, tartar can cause bad breath, also known as halitosis, contribute to gum disease, and it will negatively impact enamel which can lead to tooth loss, cavities, and other maladies. The best way to prevent tartar is to prevent plaque. Brushing twice a day is the most important part of plaque prevention as it effectively cleans your mouth. Additionally, flossing once a day with an emphasis on brushing your gums can get rid of hard to get to plaque and eliminate it.
Why can only a dental professional remove tartar?
Plaque is easy to remove at home and many people practice effective plaque removal through their daily brushing and flossing routine. Tartar buildup is impossible for people to remove at home and requires a dental professional with the correct training and instruments. Your dental professional, a dentist or hygienist, will use a metal scaler to remove tartar from your mouth. For most patients who go to regular dental visits every six months or so, this is a sufficient treatment to remove the tartar buildup. However, for other patients who have not gone to the dentist with as much regularity, a patient may need a deep clean that involves other, more invasive procedures to remove tartar.
What do I do if I have any more questions on why tartar can only be removed by a dental professional?
Our New Hyde Park Dental office is available to answer any questions you may have on the difference between plaque and tartar. Call us today so we can answer your questions and assist you in ensuring any and all tartar you have is removed – so you can have a healthy smile that will last you for years to come.
Dental care is vital to a healthy lifestyle. No matter if it’s because you’d like to keep your teeth pearly white and shining or if you want to prevent bigger issues down the road, going to the dentist on a regular basis is a must. Some believe that poor dental care only impacts your mouth, but nothing could be further from the truth. Poor dental care can lead to other health issues that not only impair your ability to eat but may also impair your ability to live a healthy, active, and successful life. Below are some reasons you should go to the dentist on a regular basis.
Plaque, cavities, or other tartar buildup that creates worse problems: many people may believe that brushing and flossing regularly are all you need to do to maintain proper oral health. However, that assumption is incorrect. Only a New Hyde Park dentist, with specialized tools, can provide the proper cleaning you need to help get rid of plaque and tartar that build up even in the cleanest and well-kept of mouths. Additionally, a dental surgeon at our Lake Success office will be able to correct cavities, something that no person can do on their own without specific training and equipment found only in dental offices.
Gum disease: thousands of people believe that gum disease is easily detectable or will just not happen to them no matter how they treat their teeth. However, gum disease is a serious issue that is difficult to diagnose on your own and instead requires an experienced New Hyde Park dentist or dental staff to identify it and then suggest and implement a treatment scheme that will help combat it.
Stops bad habits from making things worse: many of us have bad habits that we are either unable or unwilling to stop. This can include drinking too many sugary, acidic beverages such as soda, beverages that stain, such as red wine, smoking, or eating too many sweet things that can damage your teeth, such as hard candy. Visiting your dentist regularly can keep these harmful habits in check through cleaning and maintenance.
Detecting oral cancer or other important and life-threatening diseases: for many who deal with oral cancer or have successfully beat it, they likely often wish they had gone to the dentist earlier so they could begin treatment immediately. The symptoms of oral cancer, while familiar to a New Hyde Park dentist, are difficult to detect by dental patients themselves. Going to a dentist at our Lake Success office regularly will reduce the risk you will have to face such a catastrophic moment.
No matter what reason you have to go to the dentist regularly, it is important that you make an appointment as soon as possible. Proper dental care is essential to a healthy body and healthy life. Call our office in Lake Success today so we can book you an appointment with a New Hyde Park Dental professional who will take care of all of your needs.
Taking care of your teeth is sometimes the last thing on your mind. Between work, family and professional obligations, and other important life events, your teeth are out of sight out of mind; until you either feel a pain or notice that you’re no longer looking your best when you smile in pictures. For some, a regular cleaning will suffice but for others who have been out of a New Hyde Park dentist’s chair for a while, a deep cleaning is the way to go to restore dental health and get that winning smile that you can be proud of.
What is a deep cleaning?
A deep cleaning conducted by a Lake Success dentist at New Hyde Park Dental is a sometimes necessary procedure which involves going beyond a regular cleaning to tackle longer-term issues which may have grown and manifested themselves. Many of us are familiar with a regular cleaning where a dentist or dental hygienist works to remove plaque from your teeth, gums, and any other affected areas of your mouth which, through the normal course of use and brushing and/or flossing twice a day, are stained and plaque is built up.
However, if you have not been in a New Hyde Park dentist’s chair in a while or you do not follow a successful twice a day habit, then you may be a candidate for deep cleaning. Unlike a regular cleaning, a deep cleaning is designed to stop or otherwise slow the spread of Gingivitis, known by red, swollen gums that are quick to bleed when touched by a toothbrush or other dental implement. If nothing is done, this could lead to periodontal disease which infects your gums and bone and, apart from pain, could lead to gum and tooth decay or loss. Unlike the maintenance of a regular cleaning, a deep cleaning at New Hyde Park Dental works to stop a disease already in progress.
Do I need a deep cleaning?
Only by making an appointment with a Lake Success dentist at New Hyde Park Dental can you know if you need a deep cleaning. Our dental professionals will examine the condition of your teeth and mouth visually, with dental instruments, and, if need be, take X-rays and other diagnostic scans to ensure we have a full picture of what’s going on.
If your dentist in Lake Success, New York determines that you need a deep cleaning, he or she will consult with you to help ensure that you receive the quality care that you deserve. Usually, if you have deep pockets of plaque, which is usually defined as 4mm or more of thickness, then a deep cleaning is likely the way to go for you and your continued dental health through the years. While more intensive than a regular cleaning, a deep cleaning is a short-term investment in a very long term issue.
Are there any other reasons to get a deep cleaning?
Yes. Dental health is correlated to a wide variety of ailments including heart disease, dementia, diabetes and many other diseases which can impact long-term health in a variety of ways. Ensuring that your teeth are clean is just one of the ways in which you can maintain a healthy lifestyle which will increase your quality of life and, hopefully, your longevity as well.
How do I make an appointment to get a deep cleaning?
Contact our dental professionals at New Hyde Park Dental so you can get in a Lake Success dentist’s chair and get evaluated. From deep cleanings to other dental procedures, we’re here to help you.
Dental implants are more than a second chance to have nice teeth. Simply put, a dental implant is a substitute tooth that imitates the real thing. The titanium “root” inserted into the jawbone gives it a flare, supporting the rest of the implant including the crown, bridge, and the denture itself. The crown is porcelain, which allows the implant to look like a natural tooth.
Dental implants are different from “dentures.” It can be the full top and bottom sets of teeth but implants are also for just one tooth that is irreparable. Implants help your jawbone stay in line. Where there is no tooth, because of lack of stimulation, the jaw bone in the empty space deteriorates. In the first year of losing a tooth, if no implant is put, the bone region loses 25 percent of its weight, and bone loss continues over the years. A missing tooth gap can cause adjacent teeth to move to the gap in a crooked manner. This will pull your teeth out of place and may affect your grip, chewing capacity, and appearance. It can cause interference which later makes it difficult to replace the tooth. A poor bite can also cause problems with your TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and can lead to headaches and pain. Facial sagging can result from missing teeth as an unwanted consequence of bone loss. The lower third of the face begins to collapse here, gradually closing the distance between the nose tip and the chin. Changes can include excess mouth wrinkles, thinning lips, and a more pointed chin, making the person look much older than his true age.
After your dental implants heal, they will slowly start fuse with your jawbone and become seamless with your other teeth.
How to care for your dental implants.
One of the most important things to remember when you get ready for your day and before going to bed is your dental hygiene. You take care of your d implants in the same way that you take care of real teeth. Brush them twice a day, before your day starts in the morning and after your day is over in the evening. If you want to extend the life of your dental implants, then cleaning them after eating and drinking things other than water would be a good way to do that. You also need to take proper care during the healing process. When your implant is joining with your jawbone it is the perfect time for bacteria and other bad germs to get inside the spaces between the implant, your gums, and your other teeth. If bacteria, food and other molecules were to get stuck anywhere in that area, that could make the entire experience worse for you. It would cause discomfort and could even cause bone loss in your jaw. Negligence will cause a bigger problem than a cavity.
A tiny and soft toothbrush, mechanical and/or manual would be the best tools for cleaning d implants. You should also use a low or non-abrasive, tartar-control toothpaste to ensure that the dental implants are not scrubbed away or scratched. You should use dental floss to wash the abutments to make sure that the implants last longer.
Antimicrobial mouthwash and rinse help keep bacteria and plaque from building up inside of your mouth. Finding interdental brushes and other aids to remove plaque buildup between your teeth keep your implants from eroding and eventually chipping away.
Scheduling regular cleanings for your dental implants are also a part of keeping your d implants healthy. If there is any issue with your dental implants, then you need to inform your dentist as soon as possible. Cleaning implant-supported tooth replacements is just as important as cleaning natural teeth, both types rely on healthy surrounding tissues for support. Bacterial biofilm (plaque) collects on implant crowns just as it does on natural teeth, and must be removed on a daily basis at home. Unlike inflammation around the teeth, this reaction can be quite catastrophic in both rate and quantity, leading to well- or dish-shaped bone loss around the implant affected.
Scheduled Cleanings for Your Dental Implants
Scheduling appointments to see your dental hygienist is the best way to stay ahead of the curve if an infection were to occur. Maintaining the abutment and crown’s highly polished, smooth surface is important. They can attract and harbor bacteria if they are scratched. That is why the instruments used are most often made of plastics and resins, called scalers and curettes. Natural teeth do not scratch the same way, so metal tools can be used to clean them. Nylon or plastic sheaths or tips are available for a number of power (ultrasonic) instruments to minimize implant damage. Your dentist will clean through the use of high-frequency vibration, which may be appropriate when large amounts of debris have accumulated. They are used for cleaning and flushing material in a low-power setting with lots of water irrigation and sometimes antibacterial solutions. If any part of the implant body itself (root replacement portion) is visible, this may mean that gum and/or bone loss has occurred due to infection. The layer of the implant is exposed to the bone after the failure of its fusion. Implant surfaces are usually “roughened” microscopically to increase bone attachment surface area. But this surface roughness makes cleaning and disinfecting implants difficult, if not impossible. Some implants are also screw-shaped and their threads only add to the dilemma of cleaning. Wherever practicable, brushes are used to clean biofilm from an implant’s exposed areas. If calculus or dental cement is present on an implant surface (used to protect the crowns), the hygienist will need to use devices that are successful in removing such contaminants. In such situations, the clinician must ensure that the completion of the procedure does not cause any scratching or harm.
