Gum Abscess Treatment at Ardas Family Dental

Although many people suffer from bleeding gums, they’re not something you should think of as normal. Bleeding, redness, and soreness are all potential signs of gum disease. We’ve helped a lot of people with their oral hygiene at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, but it’s much easier to eliminate gum disease when it’s caught early. Otherwise, a patient may form a gum abscess.

Pus is a liquid made up of dead tissue, bacteria, and bacterial waste. An abscess is a pocket of pus that forms as a result of an infection. Gingival abscesses are those near the gum line. If a gum infection is allowed to grow, the walls of a gum pocket surrounding a tooth may become loose and form a pocket. A periodontal abscess is an abscess that forms within the infected gum pocket, and in addition to causing pain and a bad smell, it could also cause the patient to develop a fever and have difficulty working their jaw.

If the gums are badly infected, a patient should be prepared for the possibility that their dental pulp is, too. Regardless of whether we do a root canal to remove infected pulp, we’ll need to drain the pus out of the gum abscess. After removing infected gum tissue, we may do a process called planing to the tooth root, in which we smooth it. This will deprive bacteria of crevices to hide in, making it easier for hygienists to do deep cleanings on in the future.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Cracked Teeth in Parker, CO

Enamel cracks run the gamut from agonizing health concerns to cosmetic annoyances. But at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado, we’re prepared to restore a patient’s teeth no matter their condition. Prosthetics come in all shapes and sizes, so to encourage patients to seek treatment sooner, we wanted to describe when different kinds are necessary.

Craze lines are tiny, shallow cracks that develop in the surfaces of crowns. They typically don’t present a health concern or cause a patient any pain, so they can be covered with bonding or a veneer. But if a crack is deep enough for a patient to be in pain or at risk of infection, it will likely need to be filled in with a partial crown. Extensive damage to the tooth could necessitate the replacement of an entire crown and we might also want to remove the pulp through root canal therapy, but the tooth would probably still be salvageable unless the crack went down to the root. In that case it would have to be removed and replaced with an implant, bridge, or partial denture.

When a tooth is merely chipped, bonding or a partial crown is often enough to reshape it. However, it’s worth examining how a tooth came to be cracked. If a patient grinds their teeth in their sleep, they may need a night guard to protect their enamel and reduce stress on their jaw. People should also wear mouthguards during sports and avoid biting down on hard surfaces, especially with their front teeth.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Denture Stomatitis in Parker, Colorado

Dentures are vulnerable to somewhat different hygiene concerns than natural teeth and have to be cared for differently. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado, we want all of our patients to understand how to get the best value out of their oral appliances. Most people don’t find keeping their dentures clean to be a challenge, but there are some things we want you to know.

When dentures are not cleaned regularly, the areas they cover are vulnerable to stomatitis, or yeast growth. Fungus is naturally present in the mouth, but its growth is controlled by antimicrobial enzymes in saliva. When a person wears dentures, saliva may not be able to reach the roof of their mouth or the gum ridge, allowing yeast to grow out of control and for red sores to develop. This can also happen when the corners of the mouth become chapped as a result of poorly-fitted dentures interfering with saliva flow.

Regular brushing is usually sufficient to prevent stomatitis, but because people do not always feel the sores, they have to inspect themselves for them. Patients should brush their gums prior to inserting the denture in the morning and should brush the entire denture twice a day. Specialty toothpaste is made for dentures that won’t scratch their plastic.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Dental Avulsion in Parker, Colorado

Sometimes, losing a tooth doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. If a person acts quickly and follows the proper protocol, it may be possible to reinsert a permanent tooth that has been knocked out. We at Ardas Family Dental in Parker can provide support to patients in this situation, but since it usually comes up unexpectedly, we want them to know what they need to do to improve their tooth’s odds of survival.

We use the term “dental avulsion” to describe a tooth that has been completely knocked out, and not just broken. An avulsed tooth should be lifted by its crown, not its root, and rinsed with a saline solution. If possible, it should be inserted back into its socket. If this is not possible, other options are to hold it inside the cheek or in an American Dental Association-approved tooth saving container which may be in a nearby first aid kit. It may also be transported in a glass of saltwater or milk.

An avulsed tooth must be treated within an hour to be saved, and patients should give higher priority to gashes on their face. Only adult teeth can be saved; reinserted baby teeth may fuse with the skull bones and fail to fall out naturally later. The tooth may also still need a root canal. However, saving it will spare a patient from needing an implant or partial denture replacement.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Treating Intrinsic Stains at Ardas Family Dental

If your teeth are discolored, we at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado can restore them to a dazzling white. But if the stains are internal, then you may have more than just a cosmetic problem. We want everyone to be able to recognize the signs that they need urgent dental care, which is why this week’s blog post is dedicated to possible causes of internal, or intrinsic stains.

Usually, stains are external, meaning that the outer layer of enamel has become discolored by something the patient regularly consumes. Intrinsic stains are caused by discoloration deeper in the tooth. Sometimes, they develop because a person was exposed to tetracycline antibiotics or excessive amounts of fluoride as a child, in which cases the stains are harmless. We may simply cover them with veneers or bonding. But it is much more common for intrinsic stains to result from infections in the pulp chamber. Infections will turn dental pulp black, red, or purple, and may be painful and produce a bad smell. They can spread if not treated in time and will not go away on their own.

We can treat pulp infections by doing a root canal. Once the infection has been removed, we may pack whitening cream into the pulp chamber and remove it about a week later. If the tooth is still discolored, we can mask it with a veneer or bonding, but the priority is to remove the infection.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.