The Affected Tissue in Your Tooth Is Removed

Some patients who need root canal therapy have an infection inside their tooth, or extensive decay that’s compromised the inner tissue that supplies the tooth with blood and nutrients to keep it alive.

During a root canal, any tissue that’s been affected will be removed by your dentist or endodontist—a specialist at saving teeth. This tissue generally consists of nerves that may or may not be dead, and will be cleaned out from your tooth.

The removal of this material will prevent your tooth from being sensitive to temperature and, if your affected tooth is discolored, help restore its natural hue.

The Pulp Chamber Is Cleaned and Sealed

Once the affected tissue is removed, your dentist will carefully clean the inside of your tooth—sometimes called the pulp chamber—with special tools. This cleaning process will remove any bacteria and remaining microscopic tissue in your tooth that could contribute to future problems.

After the cleaning is done, your dentist or endodontist will dry and seal the canal to protect the tooth and ensure an infection can’t happen. The pulp chamber of the tooth is sealed with a biocompatible material, meaning your body will not react to it and it won’t cause any problems [2].

Your Tooth Is Capped Off With a Dental Restoration

Now that your tooth has been properly cleaned and sealed, you’ll need to have some type of restoration placed over your tooth to protect it from further trauma [3]. Many patients will get a dental crown, which is a porcelain replication of your natural tooth, placed over the area. However, some patients will only need a filling material to keep the treated tooth protected.

Your dentist can let you know more about what you need during your consultation for root canal therapy!

Could a Root Canal Benefit Your Smile?

Root canal therapy can save a tooth that’s been impacted by decay or an injury, and for patients that have a single discolored tooth, a root canal can generally restore its color. If you’ve been told you need a root canal, don’t fret about this common procedure. Your root canal will be handled by an experienced dentist or endodontist to save your tooth!

Sources:
1. https://news.llu.edu/patient-care/let-s-get-root-of-root-canal
2. https://www.aae.org/patients/root-canal-treatment/what-is-a-root-canal/root-canal-
3. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007275.htm

The post What Happens to Your Tooth During a Root Canal? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Although having sensitive teeth is typically a chronic problem, the discomfort can be managed. One of the ways to manage this discomfort is with the right toothpaste. There are certain ingredients you can look for in desensitizing toothpaste that’ll help ease your pain and protect your teeth. Check the label for these helpful sensitivity fighters!

Calcium Phosphate to Remineralize Teeth

Since tooth enamel is composed of mostly calcium, calcium phosphate in your toothpaste can actually help to remineralize your teeth. Although you can’t replace the tooth enamel that’s been lost, the calcium phosphate can work to strengthen and protect your remaining tooth enamel from sensitivity.

When you lose tooth enamel, sensitive nerves become exposed and can carry the temperature of whatever is in your mouth to the pulp of your tooth. Tooth enamel can be lost through harsh brushing, frequently eating acidic foods (think sugar), and teeth grinding.

When you regularly brush with toothpaste that contains calcium, your saliva can help replenish your teeth with this important mineral to prevent painful sensitivity from occurring.

Potassium Nitrate to Stop Sensitivity

Potassium nitrate is a compound that works to block nerves at the tooth’s surface from
reaching the sensitive, interior pulp of your tooth.

Potassium nitrate helps to desensitize your teeth and reduce your discomfort by soothing these nerves. Potassium nitrate is considered to be a safe ingredient in toothpastes and is helpful for many people with tooth sensitivity.

Although effective, toothpastes that contain potassium nitrate may take 2-4 weeks to show results. It’s important to be consistent with brushing your teeth with the toothpaste and don’t give up. The results you experience will make waiting for this ingredient to work worth it!

Fluoride to Strengthen Enamel

Fluoride is an essential ingredient in desensitizing toothpastes that can help strengthen your tooth enamel and prevent sensitivity. Fluoride is also excellent for preventing tooth decay, making it a safe and effective ingredient for many people.

Most over-the- counter toothpastes contain fluoride, but if your tooth enamel is severely
compromised, you may need prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste. You can ask your
dentist about this toothpaste to help combat your sensitivity and desensitize your teeth if
regular desensitizing toothpastes aren’t helping.

Look for these ingredients when you shop for desensitizing toothpaste to help manage your tooth sensitivity. Your dentist can also talk with you about which ingredients would be most beneficial for your unique smile and may recommend specific brands. When it comes to tooth sensitivity, toothpaste can be an important tool for helping to manage pain!

The post Which Toothpastes Are Best for Tooth Sensitivity? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Do we really need our wisdom teeth when so many people are getting them removed? Here’s
why those third molars in the back of your mouth are largely unnecessary.

Not Needed for Modern Food

Wisdom teeth were needed in the days of our ancestors, where tough foods like meat and
roots were a large part of the diet and necessitated these big teeth.

Although roots and meat are still a part of our modern diet, these teeth aren’t necessary for the
majority of the foods we consume today. Our existing teeth are perfectly able to eat fruits,
vegetables, meats, and other protein sources without these huge molars.

Wisdom teeth are speculated to be an evolutionary aspect of our mouths but are no longer
needed for modern day life.

Our Jaws Are Smaller

For many people today, the jaw is much smaller than those of our ancestors. Eons ago, there
was not only plenty of room for these wisdom teeth, but they were used. Today, not only are
our jaws shorter and smaller than they were back then, but these teeth are also not used being
so far back in our smaller mouths.

Many people need to have their wisdom teeth removed because they’re impacted as the result
of the jaw not having enough room to accommodate the teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth may
come in at odd angles—sometimes even sideways—and are often painful and have the
potential to get infected as they push against the other teeth and struggle to erupt through the
gumline.

What to Do with Your Wisdom Teeth

Some people may not need to have their wisdom teeth removed. A simple x-ray can tell where
your wisdom teeth are and if they are impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth will likely need to be
removed, as they can cause many problems with the mouth and are often painful.

A visit to your dentist can tell you whether or not your wisdom teeth will need to be removed.
Wisdom tooth removal is very common and is often a simple procedure that only requires a
couple days of recovery time. If your wisdom teeth don’t need to be removed, your dentist can keep an eye on them as they come through the gumline to ensure they erupt properly and stay healthy.

Although wisdom teeth had their use many years ago, today, wisdom teeth are largely
unnecessary for most people. Although not everyone will need to have their wisdom teeth
removed, getting your wisdom teeth evaluated can help you determine whether they are
healthy or if you may need to consider removal!

The post Do We Need Our Wisdom Teeth? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Here’s how you can best protect your teeth and have a beautiful smile this holiday season!

Make Friends with Water

Water is going to be your ally throughout the holiday season. Staying hydrated not only helps your body, but can help your smile immensely. Adequate water intake ensures that your oral bacteria are balanced, therefore cutting down on your risk for cavities.

Water also acts as a buffer between teeth and harmful substances you may have eaten, such as sugar. Combine this with the fact that water can help replenish your saliva and fight bad breath and you just made a new best friend to help you and your beautiful smile make it through the holidays.

Be Aware of Bruxism

The holidays aren’t a happy time for everyone. In fact, they can be quite stressful for some people. Increased stress that’s not being managed could turn into an oral health problem through bruxism, which is the term for teeth grinding.

Teeth grinding is immensely damaging to your smile. It wears away enamel, can cause
inflammation in the gums, and could eventually lead to tooth loss if not treated. Be mindful of your stress load this holiday season. If you’re experiencing headaches, jaw pain, or tooth sensitivity, you could be grinding your teeth and not even know it!

Be Ready to Travel

If you’ll be traveling to see friends or family this holiday season, be sure to pack everything you need to properly care for your teeth. It can be easy to leave behind your toothbrush, floss, or mouthguards for your bruxism.

To ensure you’re ready to travel, keep a spare toothbrush in your suitcase or in your handbag. Floss is small and can easily travel with you, making it ideal to store practically anywhere. Having spares on hand can help you be ready to care for your teeth despite the stress of traveling.

Watch Your Sugar Intake

There are few things that are as damaging to your smile as sugar is, and unfortunately, the holidays tend to be full of sweets! It’s important to watch your sugar intake, as sugar is best consumed only minimally or not at all. If you do choose to enjoy sweets this holiday season, be sure to rinse your mouth with water afterward and wait at least 30 minutes to brush.

This holiday season, you want to be able to show friends and family your most beautiful smile possible. You can help protect your smile throughout the season by drinking plenty of water, keeping an extra toothbrush on hand, consuming sugar in moderation, and being aware of any symptoms of bruxism. Happy Holidays!

The post How to Best Protect Your Smile During the Holiday Season appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

When our tooth enamel is worn away, our teeth are no longer protected from what we eat or drink. The temperature of these foods can work its way into the nerves of the teeth and cause pain when tooth enamel is missing.

What are the top reasons your teeth have become more sensitive as a result of enamel
damage?

Brushing too Hard

Brushing your teeth is great; however, brushing aggressively can do more harm to your teeth than good. Since tooth enamel is porous, it can absorb some of the substances we eat and soften a bit. During this time, removing tooth enamel is unfortunately too easy.

This is why it’s advised to not brush your teeth until 30 minutes after a meal. Anytime before a meal is fine though! Even if you haven’t eaten recently, brushing your teeth too hard can wear away enamel over time. Buy a toothbrush with softer bristles and always brush gently to protect your tooth enamel and reduce your chances of sensitive teeth.

Eating Acidic Foods

Acidic foods can damage your tooth enamel: these foods include sweets as well as sugary drinks such as soda. Sugar can work with bacteria to attack and erode tooth enamel, therefore leading to increased tooth sensitivity. Choosing healthy foods such as those high in calcium and omega-3 fatty acids in addition to other nutrients can protect your enamel!

Not Getting Checkups

When you go in for a checkup and a professional teeth cleaning at your dentist office, your dentist is able to clean all the little spots you may have missed since your last visit. Without getting regular checkups and cleanings, plaque can build up.

Plaque sits on the surface of the tooth and can slowly eat away at your tooth enamel. Although this can lead to tooth decay, tooth sensitivity is usually the first warning sign. This means your enamel has been damaged and a cavity might not be far away.

Teeth Grinding

Grinding your teeth can damage your jaw, cause headaches, and even crack your teeth. Your jaw is able to exert immense pressure, and when you’re grinding your teeth, this pressure may be amplified by up to ten times! Teeth grinding is unfortunately one of the common enamel damagers and can lead to sensitive teeth.

Your dentist can help you seek treatment for your teeth grinding, therefore saving your tooth enamel and stopping sensitive teeth in their tracks. Once you notice sensitive teeth, see a dentist as soon as possible!

Sensitive teeth are your body’s way of telling you that something is amiss with your smile, and usually the problem is enamel damage. Discovering the cause of your damaged tooth enamel is important for stopping the process of erosion. Talk to your dentist about your tooth sensitivity today!

The post Why Have My Teeth Become More Sensitive? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening can help your tooth return to its original color, but you shouldn’t start whitening your teeth without first getting the tooth evaluated by your dentist. This is because the inner pulp of your tooth may actually be dead and need to be removed. What this means is that you’ll need a root canal. During your visit, your dentist can perform some tests on your tooth to determine if the root is still alive. If it is, your dentist might suggest waiting another few weeks or months to see if the color comes back on its own. If your tooth continues to be dark or become darker, you can then talk with your dentist about getting a professional whitening done to help restore your appearance.

Root Canal

If the root of your tooth is dead, removing the affected pulp that’s been stained may help reverse the darkening of your tooth. This is because removing the stained area inside your tooth will help the tooth naturally become whiter. However, you’ll only need a root canal if your tooth is actually dead. Any inner pulp that’s dead or infected should be removed by an experienced dentist or in some cases, an endodontist (a dentist who specializes in root canals). Your tooth may die after the injury and require a root canal before any whitening can be done. Fortunately, whitening may not even be necessary once the affected tooth is successfully treated with a root canal!

Crown or Veneer

If your tooth is still alive but it doesn’t return to its normal color in six months, a crown or veneer may be needed to help restore your tooth’s color. Porcelain or ceramic crowns and veneers can help cover your tooth and normalize its appearance. After you receive either a crown or veneer, your tooth will be indistinguishable from the other teeth in your mouth. You may not need any cosmetic dentistry done if a root canal or whitening can be done in its place.

Talk with your dentist about what your treatment options are for an injured tooth that’s suddenly turned gray. A simple whitening could help your darkened tooth, or maybe a root canal is needed to relieve any infection and restore your tooth’s color. Regardless of how your tooth got injured, trust a professional dentist to help you get your smile back!

The post Treatment Options for Tooth Discoloration after Trauma appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Remove Deep Stains

At-home kits can’t take away stains that are below the surface level. Many people have deeper stains in their enamel which will require professional treatment to erase. When you try at-home kits, the best they can do is remove surface stains. This unfortunately still leaves the deeper stains on your teeth and may result in uneven whitening.

Protect Sensitive Teeth

If your teeth are sensitive, this is because some of your enamel has been damaged and is likely missing. This means parts of your teeth are exposed to extreme temperatures and may hurt or feel as though they’re stinging when you eat hot or cold foods. When you have sensitive teeth, getting a whitening is often challenging. This is because at-home kits may remove some of your enamel, especially if they’re not used as directed. When you want whiter teeth but also have sensitive teeth, a professional whitening is best. Your dentist can evaluate your tooth enamel and customize your whitening treatment to minimize any discomfort you’d experience after a traditional whitening.

Get Long-Lasting Results

Whitening kits often take some time to show results and also don’t last as long a professional whitening. The trays in over-the- counter kits are also not custom made for your smile, therefore increasing the chances that the whitening agent will irritate your gum tissue or result in uneven brightening throughout your smile. When you get a professional whitening with your dentist, you achieve long-lasting, effective results. When you’re able to remove deep stains and completely whiten your smile, you get a brighter, whiter smile with no damage!

Takes Less Time and Money

Although at-home kits are cheaper now, they take much longer to work. You’ll need to keep buying whitening kits to see the results you want over time. This leads to many people abusing the whitening kits to achieve a whiter smile, faster. Unfortunately, this can damage enamel and gum tissue when the kits are used this way.

A professional whitening takes significantly less time than the store-bought kits and will save you money over time. Most whitenings can be done in about an hour at your local dentist office. You’ll also not need to waste any more time or money on buying kits that produce subpar results. Get one professional whitening and see dramatic results in just an hour!

When you take advantage of professional whitening services through your dentist, you get results that at-home kits have trouble matching. You can remove deep stains, protect sensitive teeth, and save time and money with long-lasting results. Talk to your dentist about a professional whitening to get the bright smile you’ve been dreaming of!

The post Professional Teeth Whitening: The Ultimate Choice for a Brighter Smile appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

They Were Essential to Our Ancestors

Wisdom teeth likely became part of the human jaw on account of our distant ancestors. These people ate a diet that consisted of lots of raw, crunchy foods such as roots, plants, and nuts. Even meat could be difficult to consume for people who lacked the proper utensils! These third molars were present in people who had larger jaws than we did. Over thousands of years, our jaws and our faces have actually gotten smaller. We no longer have the need for huge jaws with lots of teeth. Although our ancestors likely found wisdom teeth to be a great help when chewing their food and preventing their teeth from wearing down too much, today, wisdom teeth are really no longer needed.

Evolution Has Rendered Them Unnecessary

On account of our smaller jaws, there’s no longer room for an additional four large molars in our jaws. Although wisdom teeth come in at a time when the jaw is fully developed, there still just isn’t much use for them today. Our foods have also gotten easier to eat. No longer do we need to crunch on raw roots and plants when we have the ability to cook meals and cut up our meat for easy consumption. Today, wisdom teeth do more harm than good to the majority of people. Wisdom teeth often become impacted in modern humans. Impacted wisdom teeth do not have enough room to erupt through the jaw and end up crowding the other teeth or causing pain. In fact, impacted wisdom teeth have been happening to humans for centuries. The oldest case dates back to the skeleton of a woman found in France who lived 15,000 years ago! Her remains showed severely impacted third molars.

Wisdom Teeth Today

35% of people never even develop wisdom teeth. The possible cause of this is because evolution may be phasing them out again, as modern humans no longer need wisdom teeth. Some people may develop less than four wisdom teeth. It’s rare to have more than four, however. Wisdom teeth cause of host of problems to people today. They can cause infection if they don’t erupt through the gumline all the way. They are difficult to brush, can cause jaw pain, crowded teeth, and ruin orthodontic work.

It’s no wonder that many people find removing their wisdom teeth is a simple solution to experiencing pain, discomfort, or crooked teeth from impaction. Although wisdom teeth were certainly helpful at one point, wisdom teeth are commonly removed today. Our ancestors used their third molars to help them consume foods that were essential to their health. Now, we have smaller jaws and less room for wisdom teeth than our descendants did!

The post Why We Have Wisdom Teeth: Explained! appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Tooth sensitivity happens as a result of enamel damage, therefore exposing the softer tissues of the tooth. These in turn carry the food’s temperature to the inside of your tooth. How does this happen? Here’s everything you need to know about sensitive teeth and tooth nerve pain.

It’s All about the Dentin

Sensitive teeth occur because the dentin—a softer layer of tissue below your enamel—is exposed. This means your enamel has been worn away in that area, leaving the dentin to be exposed to foods, drinks, and air that enters your mouth.

Dentin is an important element of our teeth. It contains tiny channels that carry the temperature of the tooth to the nerves that lay inside the tooth. These nerves are also known as the tooth’s pulp. Normally the dentin would not be exposed—so it wouldn’t carry the temperature to your tooth pulp. However, once it is exposed, you can’t just turn off the microscopic tubes that carry temperature to your inner tooth. Dentin is the link that connects your tooth sensitivity to temperature to the nerve inside the tooth, which in turn triggers pain.

How Roots Become Exposed

There are a number of ways that your tooth’s dentin and roots become exposed. Often, people who have sensitive teeth experience a combination of factors that lead to their tooth pain. Your tooth’s root is protected by enamel, but can become exposed when enamel gets worn away. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body, but unfortunately, the body does not replace it once it’s gone. Enamel erosion can happen from:

 Cavities

 Loose fillings

 Hard brushing

 Abuse of over-the- counter tooth whitening products

 Brushing your teeth too aggressively

 Bruxism (teeth grinding)

 Gum disease

These are just a few of the items that can damage your enamel. You could also have a fractured tooth or gum recession, which can expose dentin and tooth roots.

What Can You Do?

Simply switching to a toothbrush with softer bristles and desensitizing toothpaste can help many people control their tooth sensitivity and avoid further enamel erosion. If you have severe tooth sensitivity, you may need additional treatment to help manage your pain. This includes getting treatment for bruxism if you grind your teeth, or you may have a cavity that needs to get filled, or a fractured tooth that needs repairing. Your treatment will be unique based on what’s causing your tooth sensitivity. Your dentist can help you discover what the problem is and how to treat it.

Don’t live with tooth nerve pain! Although replacing enamel is impossible, your problem may be gum recession or a simple cavity that can be fixed. Seeing your dentist can help address your tooth pain and find out where it’s coming from. Remember to always protect your enamel with gentle brushing, avoiding acidic foods like sugar, and visiting your dentist!

The post Sensitive Teeth? Learn More About Tooth Nerve Pain appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Cleaning your baby’s mouth can help remove bacteria and keep their oral cavity clean. Through proper care, your child’s teeth will be healthy when they arrive and your baby will be used to regular cleanings. This is an important part of ensuring he or she will better adjust to tooth brushing when they are a bit older. Here’s how you can effectively and safely care for your infant’s mouth.

Before Tooth Eruption

You can easily clean your child’s mouth before they have any teeth. This is usually before the age of six months, but it could be until 9 months or more until your child has his or her first tooth. To clean your infant’s mouth, take a clean piece of gauze or a clean washcloth and get it damp with clean water. Run this along both rows of gums in your baby’s mouth. It’s important that your hands are clean in addition to the cloth or gauze you’re using. The best position to do this is with your baby in your lap with their mouth below you so you can see properly into their mouth. This task is best done after each feeding!

After Tooth Eruption

When your child first starts to develop teeth, forgo the cloth or gauze and get a toothbrush. It’s important that the toothbrush is the appropriate size for your infant—many stores sell these small toothbrushes that help you easily clean inside your baby’s mouth.

It’s also crucial that the toothbrush be soft-bristled. Hard bristles are more damaging to teeth, and your baby’s new teeth should be protected. You can help by choosing a brush with very soft bristles to gently brush your child’s teeth. You can also begin using a very small amount of toothpaste, just a light smear on the brush is more than enough. When you begin using a toothbrush for your child’s mouth, you can switch to brushing teeth twice a day rather than after each feeding.

Continuing Care and Flossing

It’s important to remember that as soon as your child has teeth, they are susceptible to tooth decay. This is why taking care of their teeth is so important, especially since they’re unable to do it themselves. Once your child has two teeth that touch, you can begin flossing.

Using the proper amount of toothpaste—about the size of a grain of rice for infants—in addition to daily brushing and flossing will help them to develop healthy teeth. Once your child reaches the age of three, you can begin using more toothpaste and teaching them how to brush on their own. During this time, regular dental visits are also imperative to ensuring your child has healthy teeth for life!

You can take care of your infant’s mouth daily no matter what age they are. Begin with a clean cloth or gauze shortly after birth. Continue care by brushing and flossing once teeth come in—and as always, visit your dentist to ensure decay isn’t present in your child’s mouth!

The post Oral Care for Infants appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.