Dental Problems
Dental Problems
Gum disease
Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums, usually caused by a bacterial infection due to plaque build-up. This starts with an initial sticky substance around teeth and gumline which slowly builds up with more layers and hardened is called Tartar. If tartar is left in place it further irritates the gum causing bleeding, redness, soreness, bad smell, and displacing the gum from the gumline. If left untreated, it can become a more serious infection known as periodontitis causing bone loss around teeth and teeth start losing grip and eventually become wobbly.
When to see a dentist?
If you have the symptoms of gum disease include:
- Your gums bleed when you brush your teeth, floss, or eat hard foods such as apples.
- Your gums are swollen, red, and sore.
- Bad breath and change of taste
Broken Tooth
You're crunching ice or a piece of hard candy or food and you notice something hard in your mouth that doesn't melt or dissolve then you realize - a piece of a broken tooth.
Although the enamel that covers your teeth is the hardest, most mineralized tissue in the body, its strength has limits. Falling, receiving a blow to the face, or biting down on something hard -- particularly if a tooth already has some decay -- can cause a tooth to chip or break. If you discover you have broken or chipped a tooth, don't panic.
Chipped, cracked, or broken tooth?
If a piece of tooth has broken off, put it in milk or saliva (by spitting into a container if it's your tooth, or having your child spit into a container if it's theirs) and take it to a dentist. The dentist may be able to glue the piece of the tooth back on.
Do not go to a GP. They will not be able to give you dental treatment. There are many things your dentist can do to fix it.
Do you have a broken tooth due to trauma, accident, sports injury, or silver filling raising any concerns?
We provide cosmetic intervention to enhance your smile.
Silver/Amalgam Vs White Fillings
Dental fillings are necessary to prevent tooth decay (cavity) and maintain the health of your teeth. After clearing the decay the cavity is filled with filling material. Fillings help to restore the strength of the tooth and prevent further damage.
What is a silver filling?
Silver or amalgam filling consists of mercury and some metals like Silver, Copper, and Tin.
Silver fillings have been used for more than 150 years and are considered to be safe with numerous good qualities, but it come with some disadvantages like discoloration of teeth making patients more aware, with time it causes stress and develops crack lines on the tooth surface as it requires removal of more healthy tooth structure for filling. Silver amalgam fillings can also cause allergic reactions in some people.
If your silver amalgam fillings are cracked, worn down, or causing pain, now is the time to replace them. Composite (tooth-colored) fillings are a popular alternative to silver amalgam because they hold supreme quality aesthetically. Composite fillings are strong and durable, they can also be used to repair chipped, broken, or cracked teeth.
Tooth pain
Toothache refers to pain in and around the teeth and jaws that are usually caused by tooth decay.
You may feel toothache in many ways. It can come and go or be constant. Eating or drinking can make the pain worse, particularly if the food or drink is hot or cold.
The pain can also be mild or severe. It may feel "sharp" and start suddenly. It can be worse at night, particularly when you're lying down. A lost filling or broken tooth can sometimes start the pain.
It can also sometimes be difficult to decide whether the pain is in your upper or lower teeth. When a lower back tooth is affected, the pain can often feel like it's coming from the ear.
Toothache in other upper teeth may feel like it's coming from the sinuses which are present behind your cheekbones and forehead.
The area of your jaw close or joint to the infected tooth may also be sore and tender to the touch.
It's also possible for periodontal disease(advanced gum disease) to give rise to "dull" pain. Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that affects the soft and hard structures that support the teeth.
See a dentist if you have a toothache that lasts more than 2 days. There are things you can do to ease it while you wait for an appointment.
Call us to book an appointment if you have pain-
- That lasts more than 2 days
- That does not go away when you take painkillers
- With a high temperature, pain when you bite, red gums, or a bad taste in your mouth
- And your cheek or jaw is swollen
Do not go to your GP as they will not be able to give you dental treatment.
Wisdom tooth
When wisdom teeth only partially erupt (break through the gum). Soft tissue growth over a partially erupted wisdom tooth is called an operculum. Bacteria can get trapped under the operculum. That allows an opening for bacteria to enter the tooth and cause infection and swelling. Food debris, bacteria, or plaque, a bacterial film that remains on teeth after eating, may also get caught underneath the gingiva, a flap of gum around a tooth. If it stays there, it can irritate the gum and lead to infection around the wisdom tooth leading to a condition called Pericoronitis. In serious cases, the swelling and infection may extend beyond the jaw to the cheeks and neck.
Pericoronitis Symptoms
Symptoms of pericoronitis can be either acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing).
Acute symptoms include:
- Pain
- Swelling in the gum tissue (caused by an accumulation of fluid)
- Pus discharge
- Change of taste
- Trismus, or difficulty opening your mouth and jaw
- Pain with swallowing
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Infection
- Swollen submandibular lymph nodes in the neck
When to see a dentist
You should make an appointment to see your dentist if your wisdom teeth are causing severe pain. They'll check your teeth and advise you whether they need to be removed.
As with any teeth problems, it's important to see your dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for your regular dental check-up.