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We always try to save natural teeth, and that is what you would prefer as well but sometimes extraction may be the only possible option. A dental extraction is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. It is performed for multiple reasons like:

• Tooth decay involving the infection in nerves and blood vessels in the tooth and where root canal treatment cannot be done
• Impacted wisdom teeth
• Orthodontics (braces) – you may have to have teeth extracted to create space and so other teeth can be brought into line
• Periodontal disease – bacterial infection under the gum can lead to loss of bone resulting in the tooth becoming loose
• Teeth that have been damaged by trauma

In any instance, if you have undergone extraction, there could be few postoperative problems. It would be good for you to be aware of them so you do not panic and contact your dentist if any concern.

Some common risks after extractions are:

• Allergic reactions can happen to medications or anaesthetics used for the extraction.
• Anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications can help to manage the following symptoms: Post-operative pain, stiffness of the adjoining or nearby muscles, brushing and swelling
• Continued bleeding and infection of the area are less common and may require further management if they occur, such as treatment with antibiotics for an infection. It is better to contact your dentist of you are experiencing continued bleeding.

Other uncommon risks are:

• Numbness – There is the possibility of injury to the nerves of the face or tissues of the oral cavity during the administration of anesthetics or during the extraction, which may cause a numbness of the lips, tongue, tissues of the mouth and/or facial tissues. This numbness is usually temporary but may be permanent. If you are experiencing prolonged numbness, it would be best to inform your dentist about it,
• Opening of sinus (oroantral communication) – The extraction of the upper molars is associated with a risk of opening of the maxillary sinus, which will need to be repaired. Generally symptoms of open sinus are non-healing socket, open communication between nose and mouth, bad breath. If your dentist has advised risk of opening of sinus after extraction, avoid coughing, sneezing, smoking and using straw.
• Dry sockets – When a tooth is extracted, a blood clot naturally forms over the area which leads to healing. This blood clot may be dislodged prematurely, which can lead to a condition known as osteitis or dry socket. Generally onset of dry socket symptoms starts few days after extraction. It is best to contact dentist for treatment of dry socket.
• Delayed Healing – If you have unusual delayed healing, then need to make sure if not taking any medication which causes delayed healing. Some medications, such as bisphosphonates used in the treatment of osteoporosis or some cancers, can affect the healing process of the jaw following Tooth extraction so that the recovery takes longer than usual. Also, individuals who have a history of radiation treatment directed towards the head and neck area have an increased risk of developing a condition known as osteoradionecrosis after having a tooth extracted. This involves necrosis and death of the bone underneath the extracted tooth due to damage to the blood vessels that serve the bone, as a result of exposure to radiation. Generally, your dentist would have checked this before extracting teeth.
• For some patients, particularly those who have lost several back teeth, collapse of the bite may occur. This is also known as loss of vertical dimension of occlusion. As a result, front teeth can get damaged and changes in the muscle contractions can eventually lead to symptoms such as dry, chapped or cracked lips.

Myth 1 – White teeth are healthier than yellow teeth

Everyone wants a white and bright smile. It is aesthetically pleasing to have whiter teeth however whiter teeth are not necessarily healthier than yellow teeth. If teeth do not have decay and gums are healthy then despite the colour, your teeth are still healthy. Teeth colour is similar to skin colour, it is hereditary and doesn’t have anything to do with the health of your teeth.

In saying that, this only applies for natural tooth colour. If your teeth are yellow or stained due to calculus and plaque build-up, it is not considered healthy and you should consider visiting the dentist before this build-up causes any decay or gum problems.

Myth 2 – Bleaching teeth is dangerous

Yellow and healthy teeth do not need to be whitened if you are happy with the colour. If you desire to have whiter teeth to enhance your smile, there is nothing to worry about as whitening or bleaching can be easily done. Contradicting general belief, whitening is a safe procedure. Teeth bleaching is not only a less costly alternative to veneers; it is a conservative and non-invasive technique which is safe and effective. Bleaching gel produces free oxygen radical to lighten teeth without changing the tooth structure.

Myth 3 – Flossing is not important

It is absolutely not correct that flossing is not important. All teeth have five surfaces and two of those surfaces are in contact with adjacent teeth. Toothbrushes cannot clean in-between the two teeth. Floss can slide between these two teeth and clean these surfaces. Insufficient cleaning of these surfaces will lead to tooth decay and gum problems. It is important to floss at least once a day to maintain optimum oral health.

Myth 4 – Veneers require aggressive preparation

Veneers are a common procedure nowadays to improve your smile and confidence. Many times people want veneers to improve smile but are under impression that it will be quite damaging to your teeth. With material and procedural improvements, veneers only need minimal prep of 0.3 to 0.5 mm and sometimes no prep. In some instances where major corrections are needed, teeth can be aligned better before doing veneers to conserve tooth structure. Don’t deprive yourself of a confident smile!

Myth 5 – The harder and more often you brush, the healthier your teeth will be!

Toothbrushes are the easiest way to remove plaque, when you brush your teeth twice a day you keep your plaque levels to a minimum while reducing the about of abrasive forces applied to your teeth. When you brush more often you are not necessarily removing more plaque while increasing the risk of abrasion to your teeth. These abrasions can wear down your enamel and reduces the protection your tooth has against decay and sensitivity. Brushing twice a day with a soft toothbrush for two minutes and flossing once a day is the perfect way to maintain your oral health.

Myth 6 – Dental treatment should be avoided during pregnancy

There is an exaggerated response to plaque in pregnancy due to hormonal changes, which causes excessive bleeding and inflammation from gums in pregnancy. Plaque can cause decay, if left untreated decay can get worse and cause serious problems. It is better to maintain regular hygiene appointments to avoid any surgical treatment in third trimester. If regular appointments are not maintained this increases the risk to the baby and the parent.

Myth 7 – Dental x-rays are unnecessary

X-rays are very important for many different reasons; we recommend x-rays every two years to check your mouth is healthy and free of issues such as gum disease, tooth decay and bone loss. They play a vital role in check-ups, allowing us to catch potential problems earlier, before they become painful and expensive. They also can be used to diagnose tumours and cysts in the mouth or jaw. X-rays are also a good way for you to see for yourself the visible, existing physical conditions.

Myth 8 – Scaling is not good for teeth

Scaling is very important for teeth and gum health, if not done regularly it can cause chronic periodontal disease. Plaque build-up has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular conditions. You may be more susceptible to gum disease if you have other systemic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease or rheumatoid Arthritis. Plaque builds up on your teeth and gums, although you may be brushing and flossing it is very hard to clean in all the little nooks and crannies. Although this regular clean is needed every day, twice a day; it is good to have a big ‘spring clean’ every six months where we scale and polish your teeth while looking for any new decay.

Do you have pain in your jaw or the side of your face? Do you have difficulty in opening your mouth or eating? You could be suffering from TMJ disorder or temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome.

This is the most common temporomandibular disorder and presents with symptoms of pain, restricted jaw movements and a clicking noise in the jaw. Other symptoms include: headaches, neck pain, ear pain and trismus (commonly called lockjaw).

The reasons for this disorder are not clear and are difficult to determine. These could be trauma to the jaw, damage to a disc in the joint, genetic conditions, arthritis, poor occlusion, missing back teeth, clenching or bruxism (grinding of teeth) but these do not necessarily cause TMJ disorder.

Sometimes the pain and discomfort associated with TMJ disorder is short-term and can be relieved with self-managed care. This can include physiotherapy, muscle relaxants, heat application or the use of a non-surgical treatment such as an occlusal splint. Surgery is typically a last resort after conservative measures have failed. Rather than reaching this stage it is best to take measures to take care of the jaw joints.

Here are a few ways to take care of the jaw joint:

• Keep your back teeth for life and as healthy as possible. It is true that only the front teeth are seen when we smile and no one will notice if we are missing the back teeth. Back teeth are there for a reason, and not only for chewing our food properly, but also to keep our right and left joints in balance. If we do lose the back teeth, it is important to replace them promptly so that we do not harm our joints.
• Refrain from excessive use of chewing gums. It is true that sugar free chewing gums help us to stimulate saliva that is very important to oral health; however, habitual usage of it may harm the TMJ. Be careful in stretching our mouth too much during yawning. Never test your mouth as to how far you can open it.
• Always keep your teeth apart when your lips are closed whenever we are not eating or talking. It is important to rest our teeth from touching each other, not only this is healthy for our teeth; it is also healthy for our joints. If you do clench your teeth during the day, you can train yourself by placing reminder everywhere with a note not to clench, and to smile instead for that very moment when you clench. Notice when you genuinely smile, your teeth are not touching.
• See your dentist if you think you might grind your teeth at night. You might need to be checked as well if this is only a stress-related issue or if it a sleep apnoea related condition. If you have noticed clicks with your joints, don’t be too worried, but make sure you mention this to your dentist. However, if you have had a locked-jaw or jaw pain, book an appointment to have this checked-out; we do not want it to worsen.
• Try to remain stress-free. It is true that stress can cause a lot of illnesses and that includes problems in our oral health. Regular maintenance is very important, see your dentist regularly and not only when there is a problem.

Come see us for an appointment today to have your teeth and jaw joints checked.

Blog by: Dr Beverly San Pablo

If you are looking for the cost of Invisalign, you most probably already know what Invisalign is.

But still, before we talk about cost, it is important to discuss a bit about it so you can understand the costs.

Invisalign is treatment with which you could make your smile straighter without all that hardware of fixed braces. Better yet, what if the apparatus that straightened your teeth was virtually invisible—and if you could easily remove it from time to time? Actually, this high-tech orthodontic appliance is available right now: It’s called clear aligner therapy or sequential aligner therapy. Invisalign is one of the leading brands which uses this technology.

What exactly are clear aligners? In essence they consist of thin plastic trays, custom fabricated to fit your bite, which are part of a system that can gradually re-align your teeth. Each aligner in the series is worn over your teeth for 22 hours per day, but may be removed for cleaning—and you’ll wear each one for about two weeks before you move on to the next tray in the series.

The removable aligners can be taken out for eating and drinking, and whenever you wish to brush and floss your teeth. It is a great system for busy adults who would prefer their orthodontic treatment to be discreet.

Clear aligners can work well in many circumstances, but they aren’t for everyone. They are most effective in situations where teeth need a small to moderate amount of realignment. For more severe cases of malocclusion (bad bite), traditional braces generally offer a more effective treatment. Also, you must be conscientious about wearing them as often as recommended; that’s why (particularly for teenagers) they can be obtained with “compliance indicators” that tell how much they are being worn. Aligners may cost a bit more than standard braces do in certain cases, but many find that this convenient and discreet system is worth the extra expense.

Generally Invisalign cost depends on extent of movements needed to straighten teeth. There are different options available like Express package, Invisalign lite package, moderate package and comprehensive package. Also pricing can vary between different dentists. You can discuss with your dentist, what Invisalign package will be more suitable for you. Depending on the above factors and what you arrange with dentist, costs can vary roughly from $3700 to $9000.

Wondering whether clear aligners could work for you? Just ask your dentist. After an examination, you’ll have a clearer idea of what needs to be done and what options are available to get a better and straighter smile. To learn more, give us a call.