General and Preventive Dentistry
General and Preventive Dentistry treats common dental problems before and when they occur. It embraces the following procedures:
- Root Canal Treatment
- Periodontal Treatment
- Flouride Applications
- Sealants
- Extractions
Accidents, deep cavities or cracks can expose the pulp inside a tooth to bacteria, leading to infection. When this happens and when there is a good chance that the tooth can be saved, your Dentist may suggest a root canal treatment.
A root canal treatment takes several steps. First, the tooth is isolated, to protect it from bacteria in your mouth. After freezing the tooth, your Dentist will open a passageway to the tooth’s pulp and root system. Through this passageway, the pulp will be removed, any underlying infection will be drained and the root canal system will be cleansed. The root canals will then be filled and sealed.
Your Dentist may place a filling over the opening into the root canal system. But for a back tooth a crown may be a better alternative. If you have lost a lot of the tooth, the Dentist may also install a post, to help keep the crown in place.
A root canal treatment may need to be repeated or may require surgery, if it does not achieve expected results. In this case, your Dentist may call on the services of a root canal specialist. There are also cases when, despite a root canal treatment, a tooth just cannot be saved. Here, your Dentist may advise extracting the tooth.
Imperfect oral hygiene, infrequent visits to a Dental Hygienist to have teeth cleaned, genetics, stress, inadequate diet and tobacco use can all lead to periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is an advanced form of gingivitis. Gingivitis develops when a mix of bacteria, mucus and food, called plaque, and hardened plaque, called tartar, are allowed to remain on teeth. When plaque and tarter get trapped at the base of a tooth, its gums become sensitive to touch and spongy. They bleed easily and may turn flaming red.
In periodontal disease, gingivitis has led to chronic bacterial infection of the gums and bones supporting the teeth. The gums are red and puffy, and bleed more easily. Gums start to pull away from teeth as pockets develop between them, and X-rays show a loss of tooth-supporting bone. As gum boils develop and tooth roots are exposed, teeth loosen and begin to drift from their original positions.
To treat gingivitis, your Dentist may suggest regular scaling, which uses various instruments to loosen and remove tartar and plaque. Improved brushing and flossing techniques may be recommended, as well as more frequent professional teeth cleaning.
But treating periodontal disease takes a little more effort. The aim is to clean the teeth and kill the infection-causing bacteria. In addition to scaling, your Dentist may recommend root planing, which involves smoothing tooth root surfaces. Antibiotics may be used. Surgery, to reshape bone and reposition gum tissue, may also be required.
Some of these steps may seem radical. But an infection can lead to tooth loss. And it is now understood that moderate to severe periodontal disease can increase the risk of cardiovascular and other life-threatening events and conditions.
For these reasons, prevention—proper care of teeth from the start and regular dental appointments—and vigilance are extremely important.
The outer layer of teeth, the enamel, is an important line of defence against cavities—and flouride strengthens this layer. It does this by helping teeth take on minerals, a process that can prevent all cavities and eliminate small ones.
We consume flouride every day just by drinking water. Communities worldwide routinely put flouride in tap water, to reduce tooth decay among children and adults. The flouride travels through the bloodstream to reach bones and teeth.
But flouride can also be applied directly—and it can offer lasting benefit to children up to the age of 18 years, as well as adults who have significant tooth decay or root exposure, those who wear braces<link to page B2a, Orthodontics), and people who have very dry mouths as a result of a medical condition.
Your Dentist can advise if you or another family member should receive a flouride application. Applying a flouride gel to teeth typically takes only a few minutes.
To keep cavities from forming in the tiny pits and grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth, your Dentist may suggest the use of a sealant.
A sealant is a durable material applied in a thin layer. When applied properly it is effective at reducing the risk of cavities forming—and can actually eliminate a cavity it covers by sealing it from nutrients.
Sealants can reduce cavities in the newly formed permanent teeth of children. They can also reduce decay formation in the teeth of adults, particularly those whose teeth show decay-prone pits and grooves.
To apply a sealant, your Dentist or Hygienist prepares the tooth, paints on the sealant and then hardens it using a bright light. The process is painless and fast—and can save the time, money and pain of dealing with cavities. This makes it an entirely reasonable preventive investment.
Ask your Dentist about the benefits of sealants for you. The likelihood the average person will develop a cavity in the pits and grooves is extremely high.
Damage, decay, overcrowding or periodontal disease can spell the end for a tooth—and it will simply have to be pulled.
In a simple extraction, your Dentist will use freezing to numb the affected area and then will loosen the tooth and pull it out. A surgical extraction involves a tooth that has broken below the gum line or hasn’t come in yet. Your oral surgeon may need to make an incision to reach the tooth and may have to remove overlying bone.
In the first 24 hours after an extraction you can expect some discomfort and swelling, and may experience some bleeding. During the next week or two, the wound will heal.
While healing takes place, it is important to avoid rinsing your mouth energetically, smoking or drinking through a straw. You can continue flossing and brushing your teeth. Applying a cold cloth or ice bag can help with pain and swelling. Your Dentist will advise you of proper post-operative care.
It is important during healing to avoid removing the blood clot that forms in the wound. Doing this can lengthen healing and cause new pain and discomfort. It is also important to consider how you will deal with the tooth extraction. Without an implant, fixed bridge or denture, teeth can shift, chewing can become difficult and your bite can become less effective.
|
