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They say that age brings wisdom. Well this is especially true when it comes to your wisdom teeth. Classified as any of the usual four third molars, wisdom teeth first begin to appear between the ages of 17 and 25. The majority of adults have four wisdom teeth, although it’s possible for a person to develop more or less.

If you are experiencing any discomfort from your wisdom teeth, any of our doctors at Laurelhurst Dentistry can help remove a troublesome tooth. If your wisdom tooth has caused you to develop an infection, surgery to remove the tooth will usually be delayed until the infection has healed, and you may be prescribed antibiotics to help heal the infection more quickly if necessary.

What to Expect During the Procedure

Before you undergo a procedure to remove a wisdom tooth, your attending doctor will give you a local anesthetic in the area of the tooth being removed in order to numb any potential discomfort. In some cases, a general anesthetic may be used, especially during procedures where a patient is having all of their wisdom teeth removed. Unlike a local anesthetic, a general anesthetic will prevent the patient from feeling any pain throughout the body, and will cause the patient to sleep throughout the entire procedure. The attending doctor will probably recommend that you not eat or drink after midnight on the night prior to surgery so that you can prepare for the anesthetic.

To remove your wisdom teeth, your dentist will open up the gum tissue over the tooth and take out any bone that is covering the tooth. The doctor will separate the tissue connecting the tooth to the bone and then she will remove the tooth. Sometime it’s necessary to cut the tooth into smaller pieces to make the removal easier.

After your tooth is removed, you could need stitches to help your wounds heal. Some types of stitches will dissolve over time, while others may need to be removed after a couple of days. If you experience bleeding after the procedure, place a folded piece of cotton gauze over the wound.

What to Expect During Recovery

In most instances, your recovery will only last a few days. To deal with any pain, your dentist can prescribe medication to help make you more comfortable. The following tips can also help you recover more quickly.

• Gently bite down on the gauze pad from time-to-time, and change pads frequently Call us at Laurelhurst if you are still experiencing bleeding 24 hours after your surgery.
• Be careful not to bite the inside of your lip, cheek, or tongue while your mouth is numb following the procedure.
• Do not lie flat. This could prolong any bleeding you’re experiencing.
• Try placing an ice pack on the outside of your cheek for the first 24 hours following your surgery. You can also use moist heath, such as a washcloth soaked in warm water, for several days following surgery.
• Make sure to relax, as physical activity can increase any bleeding.
• Eat only soft foods, such as gelatin, pudding, or soup. Gradually reintroduce solid foods back into your diet after a few days.
• Do not use a straw for several days following surgery. Sucking on a straw can dislodge the blood clot and delay healing.
• Begin rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mixture to help reduce swelling and alleviate pain 24 hours after your surgery. Make your salt water mixture by adding one tablespoon of salt to a eight ounce glass of warm water.
• Don’t smoke for 24 hours after your surgery. The sucking motion used to smoke is similar to that of using a straw, and could also dislodge a blood clot and slow down the healing process.

The doctors here at Laurelhurst Dentistry understand the types of stress many of their patients find themselves under on a daily basis. That’s why we offer a wide range of anxiety-free dental services in our relaxing and inviting Portland office. Considering how much stress you deal with at work and home, the last thing you need is to feel apprehensive about a trip to the dentist.

Too much stress can cause you to experience a variety of symptoms, including stomachache, headache, and a general feeling of always being on edge; plus such serious long-term health issues as high blood pressure and trouble sleeping. Excessive stress can also cause a number of oral health problems.

The types of problems you can experience due to stress include:

• Mouth sores, including both canker and cold sores
• Grinding your teeth
• Unhealthy eating habits and poor oral hygiene
• Gum disease

So how can you prevent these oral health problems?

Mouth Sores

A small grayish ulcer with a red border, canker sores form in the mouth, either individually or in groups. While health experts aren’t entirely sure what causes canker sores to appear (theories range from bacteria, viruses, or problems with the immune system), they do suspect that stress, fatigue, and allergies can increase your risk of developing them. In case you’re wondering if you caught them from somewhere don’t worry, canker sores are not contagious.

The majority of canker sores generally heal within a week to 10 days. If you experience severe discomfort from canker sores, try using an over-the-counter topical anesthetic. To keep from irritating your canker sores, try not to eat any spicy or hot food, or foods that are highly acidic, such as pineapples, tomatoes, or bananas.

Teeth Grinding

Stress can also make you clench and grind your teeth, often subconsciously during either the day or night. If you already suffer from teeth grinding, stress could make your unfortunate habit even worse. Excessive teeth grinding can lead to a number of problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is located where the skull and lower jaw meet in front of the ear.

If you experience frequently bouts of teeth grinding, ask any of the doctors at our office about treatment options that might be right for you. You may need to use a night guard while you sleep, or some other device used to help you stop grinding your teeth.

Poor Oral Health

Experiencing high levels of stress can also affect your mood and cause you to skip brushing and flossing daily. Your overall oral health suffers when you fail to take care of your mouth. If you already experience problems with gum disease, neglecting to brush and floss can make your problems worse than what they already are. If you enjoy relatively good oral health, failing to practice good oral hygiene can lead to gum disease and an increased risk of developing cavities.

Feeling the pressures of stress can also cause you to start practicing unhealthy eating habits, such as eating a lot of sugary foods or drinks. These types of habits increase your risk of developing tooth decay and a variety of other long-term health problems.

To avoid falling into these unhealthy eating habits, just remind yourself of the importance of practicing good dental hygiene. Starting or boosting an exercise program can also help you relieve stress and feel more energized.

Gum Disease

Stress can cause an increase of dental plaque to develop in your mouth, even if the periods of high stress are relatively brief, according to a recent study. Stress can also lead to depression, which could cause you to ignore your oral health. When plaque builds up in the mouth, you have an increased risk of developing gum disease, which leads to tooth loss. Making sure you don’t neglect the health of your teeth during stressful times is imperative to maintaining your oral health.

Your child’s baby teeth play an important role in the development of their oral health. In addition to helping your child chew, speak, and look good in family photos, baby teeth also act as a space holder in the jaw for adult teeth to develop. If your child loses their baby teeth at too young an age, it could cause crowding when adult teeth begin to form, which can lead to crooked teeth. By taking care of your child’s baby teeth, you can help ensure they enjoy a lifetime of strong teeth and healthy gums.

Signs of Decay

While many parents schedule routine checkups with their pediatrician, they often neglect to schedule visits for their child to see the family dentist. Parents may not realize that tooth decay can begin to affect their child’s baby teeth from the moment they begin to form. The American Dental Association recommends that children first visit the dentist by their first birthday, or shortly after their baby teeth begin to form, which ever happens first. Regular cleanings at an early age will allow your dentist to look for and treat any signs of tooth decay found in your child’s mouth.

Often referred to Baby Bottle Tooth Decay or Childhood Carries, tooth decay in small children usually occurs to the upper front teeth, but can negatively affect all of your child’s teeth. When caught early, the affects of tooth decay can be corrected, but given enough time and the damage might be irreversible. Some extreme cases of Childhood Carries require the removal of a child’s teeth. Fortunately, parents can easily prevent cavities by practicing good oral hygiene with their child.

Preventing Tooth Decay

For young children, tooth decay begins after plaque, a cavity causing bacteria, is transferred from the mouth of a parent or caregiver to a child’s. Most often this transmission of bacteria occurs when a parent places something into their mouth prior to placing the object into their child’s mouth, such as when cleaning off a spoon used for feeding or a pacifier. Once the object enters a parent’s mouth, it becomes contaminated with harmful plaque that clings to the spoon or pacifier, allowing the bacteria to enter the child’s mouth when reused.

Parents who often lay their infants down with a bottle also increase the risk of their child developing tooth decay. Plaque begins to produce an acid that slowly eats away the your teeth’s enamel after you consume any food. By laying your child down with a bottle, you provide the plaque in your child’s mouth a never-ending supply of fuel to continue to produce tooth decay causing acids. Giving a fussy baby a pacifier coated with sugar or honey can also have this same affect on the health of your child’s teeth and gums.

To help fight tooth decay, parents should consider taking the following steps:

• Resist placing anything into your mouth prior to placing the object back into your child’s. This will help to reduce the amount of plaque in your child’s mouth, and lower their risk of developing tooth decay.
• Wipe your child’s gums with a clean, damp rag after each feeding. This will help clear away any small bits of food that might cling to your child’s gum and wash away plaque. Once your child begins to develop baby teeth, you should start to gently brush them with a child’s sized toothbrush. Don’t begin using toothpaste until your child has learned not to swallow during brushing.
• Parents should continue to brush their child’s teeth until they are able to tie their own shoes. Young children simply don’t have the motor coordination (and attention spans) to properly brush their own teeth.
• Avoid placing sweetened liquids, such as fruit juice or sodas, into your child’s bottle. Also, encourage your child to drink out of a regular cup, not a sippy cup, by their first birthday. Sippy cups make it easier for bacteria to pool around your child’s teeth when used for drinking.

If you have any questions about your child’s oral health, make sure to address them to any of the dentists at Laurelhurst Dentistry during your child’s next appointment.

If you are missing a single tooth, multiple teeth, or all of your teeth, dental implants may be an option for you through the talented staff at Laurelhurst Dentistry.

Prior to dental implants, patients who were missing a single or a few teeth had only two options for tooth replacement.  One option was a removable retainer with false teeth attached to the areas where needed.

The other option was to get a dental bridge.  A bridge requires placing crowns over the teeth on either side of the missing tooth and a false tooth is connected in the middle.  A bridge is not removed from the mouth once cemented.  Bridges do require significant removal of tooth structure from the teeth on either side of the missing tooth.  They also require more effort with brushing and flossing to keep them clean and prevent decay.

Advantages to Dental Implants

Dental implants placed at Laurelhurst Dentistry are designed to look, act, and feel like natural teeth.  They are placed into the bone, and are not attached to other teeth in your mouth.  They are maintained by daily brushing and flossing, like natural teeth.

Dental implants are also beneficial to individuals wearing dentures.  Often, two to four dental implants can be placed into the bone which then attach directly to a patient’s denture.  This secures the denture firmly into place for improved comfort and function.  It also stimulates the jaw bone to help prevent bone loss, a common problem once teeth are removed.

An Evaluation for Dental Implants

If you’re interested in receiving dental implants, your dentist at Laurelhurst Dentistry will complete an examination to see if you’re a good candidate. Issues that affect whether or not dental implants are a good option for you include:

• the presence of adequate jaw bone for implant placement
• tobacco use, can lead to post-operative problems
• periodontal disease, a gum disease affecting the foundation of our teeth, can compromise site placement
• any medications you’re currently taking, since anti-inflammatory drugs can lead to increased bleeding during the implant procedure
• systemic diseases such as diabetes or immune deficiency disorders

It’s also important to note that daily brushing and flossing are vital when taking care of implants and surrounding gums, since they are so much like natural teeth.

The Right Choice for You

You, along with the dentists and staff at Laurelhurst Dentistry, will decide whether or not dental implants are right for you. The first step in making this determination involves setting an appointment with us.

To determine whether or not you’re a candidate for dental implants, you’ll need to provide a complete dental and medical history. At Laurelhurst Dentistry, we will take x-rays  which will identify the health of your jaw bone for the procedure. Then the dentist will consult with you regarding the entire implant procedure from start to finish.

Finding out whether or not you’re a good candidate for this procedure is worth the time and effort – dental implants not only change your smile, they can change your life!