by Dr. Richard J. Walicki | Mar 7, 2015 | Cavities, Cavity, Dentistry, Medical Issues, Periodontal Disease, Prevention, Tooth Decay
The posting below is actually taken from our Weird Dental “Facts” section. It’s an assortment of dental trivia and facts — some true, some we’re not so sure about 😉 — but either way, we hope to entertain, as well as educate you, with our postings.
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This dental fact was prompted by a recent television program I watched that discussed three of the top life-threatening emergencies. We hope you never find yourself confronting this type of problem, so here is the Weird Dental “Fact”:
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A dental infection can kill you.
Weird?
Perhaps.
But also true.
A toothache left untreated can, over time, develop an abscess. (An abscess is an infection that fills with pus and debris.)
Periodontal disease, left untreated, can also develop an abscess over time.
The trouble with many dental problems, though, is that in their early stages they are seldom painful.
In fact, sometimes, they aren’t painful even after they become more advanced. So people tend to put off treating cavities and gum disease hoping it will just go away or get better on its own. Then, when it does get worse, they will often put that off as well This is where it can get really dangerous.
One complication of a dental infection is called Ludwig’s Angina. It’s a type of infection that can travel from the roots of the teeth to the floor of the mouth and under the tongue. The infection can spread very quickly, creating a swelling that can block your airway or prevent you from swallowing. This can be life-threatening.
It can be cured with quick treatment that gets the airway open and with antibiotics, but sometimes surgical intervention is also necessary.
The better solution is to never let your oral health become so neglected as to allow the possibility of this type of infection.
by Dr. Richard J. Walicki | Jun 24, 2013 | Cavities, Cavity, Dentistry, Prevention, Toothache
No matter how you slice it, tooth problems can be a pain. Among these, cracked teeth stand out for their confusing and erratic nature. A cracked tooth can be painful, annoying, and an exercise in frustration for patients and dentists alike. While there can be many factors that contribute to cracked teeth, the bottom line is that if your tooth is cracked the solution is often involved, potentially expensive — and, despite best efforts, tooth loss is still a very real possibility. Clicking on the picture below will take you to a compilation of questions and answers about cracked teeth. It covers a lot of ground, but if you think you may have a cracked tooth, it is worth reading so that you can know what to expect.
by Dr. Richard J. Walicki | Oct 31, 2011 | Uncategorized
“Doc, I think I have a cavity. Every time I drink some soda, my tooth hurts.”
Experience tells me it’s certainly possible, so I’ll naturally take a look – but quite often, I already know that what is causing the discomfort is an entirely different issue. Patients are often surprised when I explain that while I understand this area hurts, it’s not a cavity.
Hot, cold, air, or sweets – the triggers can be different for different people – but the effect is the same: dental pain. For some, it can be mild or tingly. For still others, it can be excruciating and intense. And yet, this can occur without decay.
So what’s going on? Often, it has to do with changes to the tooth enamel. This protective outer layer of your tooth is both the hardest substance in your body and it acts as an insulator to the inner and more sensitive dentin layer, as well as the pulp. Hard as it is, enamel is still subject to changes that can have consequences for your comfort and tooth function.
So what causes enamel to become damaged or thinned?
In a word – life. But here are a few practices or habits that tend to accelerate changes:
— Dietary factors such as acidic drinks (sodas, fruit juices, wine) and foods
— Teeth clenching and grinding
— Dehydration of teeth caused by a dry mouth condition (medications or insufficient water intake)
— Digestive problems such as acid reflux
— Damaging habits (using your teeth in ways you shouldn’t, such as opening things with them)
— Improper brushing (overly aggressive or excessively abrasive)
The result of thinned enamel – also referred to as enamel erosion – is sensitivity. Gum recession can also produce a similar result because this exposes the root surface, which is not covered by enamel. Nevertheless, the result is comparable. The teeth hurt.
Yet another popular activity – tooth whitening – can lead to sensitivity due to the cleansing activity of peroxides that are used to remove stain and debris within and between the complexes of enamel rods (the basic unit of tooth enamel). It also removes something called smear plugs (debris in the dentin tubules), and this increases the conductivity of fluid that exists in the tooth’s inner layer, the dentin. When the fluid backs up – once again, you experience pain.
In many cases, desensitizing toothpastes can help. The active ingredient is typically potassium nitrate. It usually takes several weeks of continued use to experience relief. If this does not resolve your symptoms, your dentist may be able to administer a desensitizer that provides instant relief. Any persistent pain should be evaluated by a dental professional in order to prevent more serious and expensive problems.
by Dr. Richard J. Walicki | Oct 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
Recently, I saw four new patients in my dental office during a given week. All four of those patients scheduled their visits because they perceived pieces of their tooth chipping away. In three out of four of those cases, the offending tooth was so badly decayed that the tooth couldn’t be saved. Yet only one of those patients came in with any discomfort.
The common thread in each of these cases is that the patient waited until the tooth was actually breaking apart to seek dental care. All too often, the trigger that brings people to the dentist is pain. Yet here, we had at least three cases where pain was not a factor and yet the tooth was decaying.
How is this possible?
A little understanding of dental anatomy helps here. The outer layer of teeth, the enamel, is the hardest substance in your body. Because its composition is predominantly mineral, it is possible to have decay throughout that layer without experiencing any sensation. In fact, it is even possible for your dentist to drill that part of the tooth (in most cases) without pain. The next layer under your enamel is called dentin. Decay can travel into the dentin – where it usually spreads more quickly, because it is not as hard – and a person still may not experience pain.
By the time a tooth that is decayed hurts, the decay has generally travelled so far that it nears the innermost layer – the pulp. The pulp contains nerves and blood vessels – so, naturally, pain becomes a factor. If a patient is lucky enough to have enough tooth structure remaining, chances are that the tooth will need a root canal if it is to be saved. Otherwise, extraction is the usual alternative.
One lost tooth can lead, in turn, to still other dental problems. Most notably these include shifting teeth, TMJ problems, periodontal problems, cosmetic difficulties or simply difficulty chewing. It may even lead to the loss of more teeth – not to mention the fact that tooth replacement options can become rather expensive.
Hopefully, just understanding that a lack of pain does not equate to a lack of problems will prompt some readers that haven’t seen a dentist in a long time to do so. Sometimes people fear learning that they have cavities that need to be treated, and so they put off the examination. Consider, however, that it is better to learn you have five teeth that need fillings, than to learn you have several that have to be extracted.
by Dr. Richard J. Walicki | Jun 5, 2011 | Cavities, Cavity, Dentistry, Tooth Decay
Probably one of the most common dental misconceptions revolves around the idea that in order for a tooth to have a problem it has to hurt. Certainly, if a tooth is aching, we can agree that there is most definitely something wrong. But can a tooth have a cavity and not hurt you? If so, should this still be a cause for concern?
Watch this short video to learn how this situation may have something to do with you. CAVITIES 101
