Category Archives: Oral Care

All about gum disease Part 2

f) Periodontal abscess

acute periodontal abscess.Image taken from http://www.dent.ucla.edu/pic/pic/members/antibiotics/abscess/abscess.html

Periodontal abscess.Image taken from http://www.dent.ucla.edu/pic/pic/members/antibiotics/abscess/abscess.html

Periodontal abscess always happen in people who have existing periodontitis that is advanced enough to have resulted in some loss of bone around the root of the tooth. While abscesses usually spontaneously occur in patients with untreated periodontitis, it is more common in periodontitis patients with a systemic disease such as diabetes. Sometimes, severe periodontal infection can spread under lower jaw and down into neck.

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All about gum disease Part 1

What is gum disease?

Gum disease is the disorders of supporting tissue of teeth which will result in ultimate tooth loss if left untreated, but there are several ways to both treat and prevent them. It can be divided into two major stages: gingivitis (gingival disease) and periodontitis (periodontal disease).

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Causes of Sore Gums

19619Have you ever experienced having sore gums whereby your gums feel swollen or painful? Ever notice having red, white or black gums? The gums can be sore or pigmented for a number of reasons and this article is to discuss about the many factors behind it. The article will be split into parts according to common complaints for easy reading. Continue reading

How to care for your dentures

You need to take care of your dentures

You need to take care of your dentures

Dentures are meant to take the place of a person’s natural teeth to allow proper chewing to maintain adequate nutrition and psychological aid to preserve appearance. Dentures that do not fit properly or hurt the mouth are not useful for chewing and could lead to denture-related problems in the mouth. Therefore proper care is needed to keep dentures fitting properly and comfortably and it is your own responsibility to do so. Continue reading

Understanding denture toothpaste

Crest MultiCare Whitening toothpaste

Image via Wikipedia

What is denture toothpaste?

Toothpaste is a paste that is used to aid in teeth brushing. Denture toothpaste is a paste that aids in denture brushing.

Why do we need to brush dentures?

Denture is a form of artificial teeth that is placed in the mouth to replace missing teeth.  Because it is placed inside the mouth, it would build up plaque as we eat and drink. Due to wear and tear, sometimes a denture may have cracked lines. These cracked lines trap stains and plaque easily. Nicotine from a smoker or colored food and drinks would also stain a denture. Continue reading

Causes of yellow teeth

Hilary Clinton's yellow teeth

Hilary Clinton's yellow teeth

As we become older, you might start to notice that you teeth start to become more yellow. You may feel self conscious and want to get rid of your yellow teeth, hence looking into many different ways to brighten or whiten your smile by getting rid of your yellow teeth. Teeth whitening are common cosmetic dental procedures with a large selection of methods such as home teeth whitening and laser teeth whitening via the popular Zoom teeth whitening system, making it highly accessible to the public.

Causes of yellow teeth and tooth discoloration

Before embarking on the journey to whiten your teeth, it is helpful to know what may be the causes behind your yellow teeth. With age, our teeth get worn out with function due to all the chewing and grinding that we put it through. This leads to the thinning of enamel, which is the hard protective layer of your teeth that gives it the white appearance. The wearing down of enamel causes it to lose its opacity and becomes more translucent. This allows the underlying dentine, which is yellow in color to show through, resulting to naturally yellow teeth. But this is not tooth staining per se, as it is a natural process. A way in which the wearing dentition can produce ‘true staining’ is when stains get incorporated into the fine crack or craze lines on our teeth, making it difficult to remove with conventional tooth brushing. Continue reading

Dentures and sore gums

Denture Picture taken from propagandica.wordpress.com/2008/12/

Denture Picture taken from propagandica.wordpress.com/2008/12/

Dentures are artificial teeth placed inside the mouth to replace missing teeth for better function, speech and esthetics. Sore gums are often the main complaint of a denture wearer.

Causes and remedies for denture sore gums

Ill fitting denture

A denture that is not fitting properly may have pressure spots while functioning. Frequent pressure on these spots may cause sores and ulcers if they are not dealt with. Usually, you need to return to the dentist for review and they will identify the pressure spots and trim if off. If you have ulcers, the dentist would prescribe ulcer relieving agents. You can also apply aloe vera gel or eucalyptus oil or simply salt water gargling to speed up the healing.

If the denture really does not fit well (hindering speech, difficult to chew, poor esthetic), you may need to redo a new one.

As you aged, your jaw bone will resorb if there are no teeth to maintain its level. Thus, the denture would have to be relined, rebased or remade to fit the changing bony contours.
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Permanent Dentures and Alternatives to Permanent Dentures

Permanent Dentures and its alternative

Permanent Dentures and its alternative

What are dentures

Dentures are removable, artificial replacements for missing teeth, to maintain oral form, restore function, appearance and health.

There are two main types of dentures:

  • Complete Dentures or Full Dentures, and
  • Partial Dentures.

For those who have lost some teeth, but don’t want to get dental implants or bridges, partial dentures are an affordable option. Partial denture can be made out of full acrylic or incorporated with cast metal framework. Acrylic partial dentures are more affordable partial dentures. Cast metal partial dentures are usually greater in cost due to laboratory procedure for metal framework. Continue reading

Know more about Gum Disease

Gum disease    Picture courtesy of www.omgperio.ca/media/graphic/news_gingivitis.jpg

Gum disease is also known as periodontal disease. Periodontal means around a tooth. Any disease involving supporting tissues and bone around a tooth is called periodontal disease. There are 2 stages of gum disease, namely gingivitis and periodontitis. Gum disease can affect anyone including children. Continue reading

Teeth Whitening: Laser Teeth Whitening

Laser Teeth Whitening Smile

Laser Teeth Whitening Smile

Teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures commonly done to get rid of unsightly yellow teeth (To know more about the causes of yellow teeth or tooth discoloration, click here.) In recent times, the development of laser and media attention surrounding it has caused a dramatic increase in demand for laser teeth whitening or otherwise known as light-activated teeth whitening. Teeth whitening laser treatments are administered in-office by a qualified dentist to ensure its safety and efficacy as not everyone may be suitable. Continue reading