Pericoronitis and Extractions at Ardas Family Dental

Wisdom tooth extractions are one of our specialties at Ardas Family Dental in Parker. Although no kind of surgery should be undertaken lightly, wisdom tooth removal is often necessary to prevent future oral health problems, including ones that can be painful and put a patient at risk for more severe infections. One of the most common problems that can be avoided through wisdom tooth removal is pericoronitis. However, there may be instances in which a different kind of treatment for pericoronitis is more appropriate, so we want our patients to understand why it’s important to address and what their treatment options may include.

Wisdom teeth, particularly the ones in the lower jaw, are often unable to fully erupt. They are the last teeth to emerge, and often do so after the other teeth have undergone orthodontic therapy. (People can get braces for minor adjustments at any age, but by mid-adolescence, the jaws have solidified enough that orthodontics are no longer effective for major interventions.) The wisdom teeth commonly get stuck partially-emerged, with a flap of gum tissue called an operculum covering the remainder of the crown. Bacteria can easily get caught under the operculum, causing infections and inflammation. In the worst cases, the infection may spread to the neck, and patients will often experience soreness in their jaws and foul-tasting discharge.

It is possible to cut away an operculum, but it may grow back. Additionally, the impacted wisdom tooth may continue to cause soreness and be difficult to clean. Removing the tooth would solve both these problems. Extracting it may require an incision into the gum tissue or for the tooth to be sectioned, but patients usually recover well and are able to eat and speak normally within a few weeks. If an impacted wisdom tooth is caught early, it may be possible to guide it into place with orthodontics, but for older patients, extraction is usually recommended.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Bonding in Parker, CO

As a general dental practice, we at Ardas Family Dental in Parker provide restorations to people of all ages with a wide range of needs. If a patient is missing a tooth or needs one extracted, we can provide replacements that are not only durable, but which preserve the mouth’s aesthetic by matching the other teeth’s color. But most restorations don’t require as much intervention as replacing an entire crown or tooth root. Among the most common kinds of restorations is bonding, which can be done in a single visit for patients suffering from minor chips and imperfections.

Dental bonding is done when a small amount of the tooth’s enamel has been chipped, or when a tooth has a small crack or stain or its surface area needs to be increased. It may be provided as an alternative to veneers if a patient wants their teeth to look longer or close small gaps between them. After the teeth have been cleaned, we will apply an etching acid to the ones undergoing bonding to increase their surface area. The bonding material is applied as a soft resin and shaped with tools called burnishers. It is then hardened with a blue light and polished.

The process of applying bonding to a single tooth usually takes an hour or less. It may not even require anesthetic, if the patient doesn’t have an exposed nerve or decay. Bonding is also sometimes done in conjunction with periodontal treatment if a patient’s gums have receded to expose their sensitive tooth roots. However, once the bonding is solidified, a patient may take care of it through regular brushing and flossing and expect it to last for as long as ten years.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Acid Reflux in Parker, CO

If your teeth are sensitive, it means something is wrong with them and you should get them examined. Ardas Family Dental in Parker provides treatments for a wide range of dental problems, and we believe everybody is entitled to comfortable, functional teeth. There are several potential contributors to tooth sensitivity, including bacterial infection and nighttime jaw clenching. But if you’re older or a smoker, one source of toothaches to consider is acid reflux.

The powerful acid in our stomach is sealed off from the esophagus by a sphincter. Normally, this sphincter only opens to admit food into the stomach, but there are times when it can get stuck open or open in response to swallowing or upheaval in the stomach. When that happens, acidic gas bubbles up, causing chemical damage to the esophagus and the painful sensation we call heartburn. Although enamel is much harder than esophageal lining, if acid is frequently entering the back of the mouth, it can slowly dissolve enamel, starting with the upper back teeth. This would ultimately leave teeth with less shielding for their nerves.

Acid reflux is more likely to occur in people who smoke, consume alcohol, or who eat foods such as red meat, onions and garlic, chocolate, or citrus fruits, particularly in large quantities before bed. Preventing acid reflux would usually require a change in lifestyle, although a gastrologist may be able to provide medication. A dentist may be able to recognize acid reflux by the distinctive pattern of wear it leaves. If acid reflux is suspected, patients may benefit from the application of sealants and fluoride treatments for more shielding, and from chewing artificial gum to stimulate the production of more saliva, diluting the acid.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Mouthguards at Ardas Family Dental

Taking care of your teeth means more than daily maintenance. Brushing and flossing are important, but so is protecting your teeth from the sort of injuries that could leave them chipped, cracked, or broken off. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we provide a wide variety of restorations for people whose teeth are in all sorts of condition, but we also want our restorations to last and for patients to avoid needing emergency care. One of the most simple things everyone can do to protect themselves is to use a mouthguard, so we wanted to explain a bit about them and how to choose the one that’s most appropriate for your needs.

The American Dental Association classifies mouthguards by three types: stock, mouth-formed, and custom-made. Stock mouthguards are those which are purchased pre-shaped and cannot be reshaped. They provide better protection than using nothing, but are not as good as a mouthguard that fits a specific wearer. Mouth-formed mouthguards are those which can be boiled to soften them and then reshaped around a wearer’s teeth. They are often used for children and teenagers, whose teeth are rapidly shifting. Shaping a mouthguard on someone with fixed orthodontics may require a dentist’s supervision, but is essential for protecting an athlete undergoing orthodontic therapy from the risk of broken wires or brackets.

Customized mouthguards are those which are shaped specifically for a patient based on an impression of their teeth. They are made from the most sturdy material and provide the best protection. Mouthguards of all sorts need to be cleaned regularly, as do their cases, and they shouldn’t be exposed to high temperatures that might warp their shape. But when used properly, mouthguards can reduce dental injuries by forty percent, and are particularly beneficial to people playing contact sports.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Treating Loose Fillings at Ardas Family Dental

Fillings are one of the less invasive ways of repairing a broken or decayed tooth. But they do eventually break down, and when they do, they need to be replaced as quickly as possible. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we strongly encourage our patients to maintain regular dental appointments so we can repair fillings before they come loose. But even if they do, a filling could still come loose due to an accident, so we want our patients to understand the warning signs and dangers of filling failure.

Loose fillings are usually painful and can be easily identified by the patient. But one warning sign you might not know to look out for is a steady trickle of saliva coming from the filling. This is caused by the seal holding the filling in place breaking down and saliva pooling into the crevices. If you are in pain, you may want to apply an over-the-counter topical gel, or hold a cold compress to your face. A failing filling is a dental emergency and you can call us to request it be replaced as soon as possible. The longer it goes untreated, the more likely it is to become infected, since you won’t be able to brush bacteria out of the crevices in the seal.

Replacing a filling is usually a simple matter, and may be planned for during regular dental examinations. Typically, fillings are expected to last for ten years, although they may have to be replaced sooner if they are large and subjected to a great deal of stress. The sealants holding them in place are less durable than natural enamel, and forces such as chewing and night-time jaw clenching take more of a toll on them. If replacing a large filling frequently is troublesome for you, you may want to consider a sturdier replacement, such as an artificial crown.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Tray Whitening at Ardas Family Dental

Your smile should be a source of pride. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, patients’ health is our top priority, and we’ve helped many patients to combat dental and gum infections and restore the structure of their teeth. But cosmetic problems also deserve attention, and feeling confident in the appearance of your teeth is also a major factor in your wellbeing. If your teeth don’t shine the way you would like, you may benefit from the use of tray whitening.

Although there are numerous reasons why teeth can be discolored, most stains are on the outside of teeth and result from the consumption of dark-colored fluids. Coffee, tea, and cola are frequent culprits, although some darkening is inevitable with the passage of time, and smokers also experience high rates of discoloration. Dental bleaching paste breaks down the dark-colored molecules in the outer layers of teeth, but it’s important to use it only as directed. An impression will be made of the patient’s teeth and used to manufacture a series of trays. At home, the patient will fill the trays with whitening paste and wear the tray for the amount of time prescribed.

How long patients will have to wear the trays will depend on their goal. People frequently use at-home whitening for touch-ups before special events, but if a person’s teeth are dark-colored to start with, the process may take a few weeks. Nevertheless, they can expect their teeth to turn four to eight shades lighter, and remain so for about a year. Whitening can make the teeth more sensitive, but the custom-fitted trays should prevent the bleach from coming into contact with the patient’s gums, and patients will be able to brush their teeth as normal once their whitening process is finished.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Tooth Sensitivity in Parker, Colorado

You shouldn’t have to be afraid that cold or hot drinks will sting your teeth. And you certainly shouldn’t be afraid that having your teeth polished will make them sore. But unfortunately, many people suffer from tooth sensitivity. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado, we work with our patients to keep them as comfortable as possible, and encourage everyone to share any concerns they have about getting dental work done. We hope that if people understand what causes their teeth to be sensitive, they’ll feel more motivated to seek help.

The pulp in each tooth contains a nerve. And although the outside of each crown is made of hard enamel, in between the enamel and the pulp is a porous substance called dentin through which heat is easily transferred. If a tooth is cracked, the pulp could be exposed to infection, but even just a thinning of enamel would leave the nerve more vulnerable to heat transference and pressure. Tooth roots have outer walls made of a substance called cementum, which is softer than enamel, and therefore can be eroded or ground down more easily. Acid or mechanical damage that is eroding enamel could also result in gum recession, exposing cementum.

Toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth is readily available in most stores. It contains chemicals that limit sensations in dentin. However, it has to be applied several times, and the problem may be that the patient is brushing too hard, using a brush with bristles that are too stiff, or skipping over large parts of their tooth surfaces. People with sensitive teeth may also be suffering from acid reflux or bruxism, which is when they clench or grind their teeth in their sleep. Acid reflux can be mitigated by avoiding eating before bed, and an oral appliance called a night guard can keep teeth from rubbing against each other during sleep. We can help people suffering from sensitivity to obtain night guards and get fluoride treatment to further reinforce their enamel.

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.

Bite Checks at Ardas Family Dental

Family dentists are entrusted with great responsibility for ensuring children’s health as they grow. Among those responsibilities is checking a child’s bite at each visit. But children aren’t the only people who can have issues with tooth or jaw misalignment. Jumbled teeth can be harder to clean, harder to chew with, and contribute to problems in the rest of the head and neck. If there’s a problem with your dental alignment, the first step toward fixing it is getting a bite check.

X-rays will help us to notice some issues with misalignment, but they aren’t the whole bite check. During that, we’ll ask patients to demonstrate closing their teeth together. If aligned properly, the top front teeth will rest outside the bottom ones, and the outer halves of the top ones will hang outside the bottom teeth’s outer halves. But none of the teeth should be tilting, and a bottom back tooth shouldn’t be completely inside the top arch. When a patient presses their teeth together, we’ll feel their temporomandibular joints, which is where their lower jaws connect to their skulls, to determine if anything is swollen or having difficulty moving.

If a person is having trouble biting down, they may feel soreness in their temporomandibular joints. The soreness could radiate outwards and cause swelling that would make it harder for them to fully open their mouths. Pressure from an uneven bite could also push teeth further out of place or cause them to break apart. This is especially concerning for dentures or crowns supported by implants, since implants have to be removed if they break and dentures are fragile. However, patients can learn to loosen their temporomandibular joints through stretching exercises, and we can refer patients for orthodontic work and denture repair. We can also reconstruct teeth once they’re no longer in danger from excessive pressure and help clean them while they realign.

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.

Halitosis in Adults at Ardas Family Dental

Do you suffer from bad breath? If so, you shouldn’t have to put up with shame or discomfort any longer. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we want all of our patients to be proud of their smiles, and that’s not limited to the way their teeth look. A healthy mouth should also smell and feel good, so this week, we’re taking a closer look at bad breath, also known as halitosis.

Oral bacteria give off bad odors as part of their respiration process. Usually, most of these bacteria live on the surface of the tongue, hiding in the bumps called papillae. They eat food debris, and dentists recommend scraping the tongue once a day to remove them and their food source. We also recommend brushing the tongue. The best preventive measure against tongue bacteria is drinking plenty of water. Besides washing them out, this will help ensure an adequate flow of saliva, which contains anti-microbial enzymes and neutralizes the acid produced by oral bacteria.

There are occasionally other sources of food for bacteria, and other things that can contribute to bad breath. If a person has a sinus infection, nasal discharge may drip onto the back of their tongue and provide more food for bacteria. Foods such as red meat, onions and garlic, and chocolate can trigger acid reflux, allowing acid from the stomach to get as far as the mouth. People with diabetes may also experience bad breath as fat breaks down in their bodies in place of sugar. Over-the-counter mouthwash can assist with most of these problems, as can stimulating more saliva production through use of sugar-free gum and hard candy. Acid reflux can be reduced through lifestyle changes, but patients should also consider getting fluoride treatments to protect their enamel.

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.

Toothroot Cavities in Parker, Colorado

Tooth decay is a common problem. It is particularly devastating to children, older adults, and people with certain disabilities, who have a harder time caring for themselves and may develop more extensive decay more quickly. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we assist people of all ages with preventive care as well as dental restorations. But if decay is occurring at or below the gum line, a patient may require more intensive treatment, which is why we wanted to focus on it for this week’s blog.

The crowns of our teeth, which are the parts we can normally see, are covered in a hard substance called enamel. It takes a lot of decay to dissolve enough enamel for an infection to reach the pulp of a tooth. However, the tooth roots are covered in a much softer substance called cementum, which serves to seal them to the walls of a gum pocket. Plaque and tartar, which develop from acid-producing bacteria getting caught on tooth surfaces, tend to accumulate at the place where crowns meet the gum line. They can cause gum tissue to recede and expose the tooth roots, which are then vulnerable to decay. The gum pockets may also become looser, allowing bacteria to colonize the space in between the gum wall and the tooth roots while remaining out of reach of a patient’s toothbrush. As the hardest teeth to brush, the back molars are the most vulnerable to developing tooth root cavities.

During regular dental appointments, we remove the tartar that builds up near the gum line. Our x-rays also help us to determine if a patient is experiencing decay on their tooth roots. If so, they will require a deep cleaning, which means that we will scrape bacteria out of their gum pockets after providing a local anesthetic. But if a tooth root is damaged, the tooth may have to be replaced with an implant. Restorations work best when decay is caught early, so don’t neglect regular dental cleanings. And if you are experiencing tooth sensitivity or gum bleeding, don’t hesitate to see us right away.

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 Cracked Teeth at Ardas Family Dental

Tooth sensitivity is unfortunately common, but don’t think that means you have to live with it, or that it’s not a big deal. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado, we provide patients with all sorts of restorations, including implants. When a tooth is especially sensitive, or when the gum is inflamed around it, the tooth may be cracked. In those cases, we’d have several treatment options available, but patients need to be aware of the importance of getting treated as soon as possible.

Cracks can develop for all sorts of reasons, including biting down on something too hard, loss of structural integrity to tooth decay, and teeth clenching or grinding. (The last has gotten more common during the pandemic.) Sometimes, small cracks called craze lines can develop simply due to age. A craze line could be covered with a veneer, but a crack in the crown may necessitate the placement of a partial crown, or for the entire natural crown to be filed down and replaced with a prosthetic. If the crack is deep enough to reach the dental pulp, we would also do a root canal to ensure the patient is not suffering from an infection that could progress into an abscess or blood poisoning.

If a tooth is cracked below the gum line, it would likely have to be replaced entirely. If so, it may be possible for us to replace it with either an implant-supported crown or a partial denture. An implant would have the advantages of preserving the patient’s jaw bone structure, allowing them to continue their regular oral hygiene routine, and wouldn’t need to be refitted, but would also have to be replaced if the implant were to fracture. Regardless, a cracked tooth won’t heal on its own, and is likely to continue to cause the patient pain and may become an avenue for infection until it is treated.

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.

Diabetes and Thrush

At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado, we provide general dental care for people of all ages and facing all kinds of oral conditions. People with diabetes are especially at-risk for a host of oral health problems, and in the past, we’ve described how we help them to combat gum disease and to qualify for the placement of dental implants. But people with diabetes are also at risk for the development of thrush, particularly if they have removable dentures, so we wanted to give that a bit of focus and help our patients to recognize it.

We always have a variety of microbes growing in our mouths, and for the most part, these are harmless or even helpful. But when fungus called candida grow out of control, a patient develops a yeast infection, or thrush. A person suffering from thrush may experience cracks in the corners of their mouth, as well as the development of painful white or red patches and the loss of taste. Thrush is especially common in places covered by the ridges of dentures, which people sometimes have difficulty cleaning.

Thrush rarely develops in healthy adults, but it can appear in people with uncontrolled diabetes. Why is unclear, although people with diabetes have more difficulty fighting off infections in general, and their saliva contains elevated levels of sugar, making it a better food source for candida. There are oral antibiotics to combat thrush outbreaks, but people can also practice prevention by brushing their teeth twice a day and drinking enough water to wash away sugary residue. People with dentures may also want to look into using an American Dental Association-approved cleaning solution and to be sure they’re using specialized toothpaste to avoid scratching their dentures’ 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.

Floss to Prevent Plaque in Parker, CO

Flossing is one of the most essential parts of oral hygiene. It needs to be done everyday, and preferably before food debris has had much time to fuel the growth of oral bacteria. But it’s not enough to just rub floss in between the teeth. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we provide comprehensive dental care to people of all ages, and as part of our preventive care efforts, we want to ensure our patients are flossing correctly.

The first step of proper flossing is to use a long enough strand. We recommend using fifteen inches, so that each end of the floss can be wrapped around the user’s middle fingers. The user can manipulate the floss using their index fingers and thumbs, and as they move from tooth to tooth, they can unspool the strand from one middle finger and wrap it around the other. This will prevent them from transferring food debris between teeth.

Flossing is meant to remove plaque from the teeth as well as food debris, so it’s necessary to rub the floss against the side of each tooth, and not just to clear space between them. Users should bend the strand into a c-shape and rub it along the tooth and slightly into the gingival margin. They shouldn’t go deep enough for this to be painful or cause bleeding, but they should be thorough. They’ll also need to get the backs of the back teeth. A person may experience some irritation if they already have a mild gum infection, but we can provide flossing during a regular deep cleaning and offer an in-person demonstration of proper technique for people who are still struggling.

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.

Pericoronitis and Wisdom Tooth Removal in Parker, CO

Wisdom tooth extractions aren’t taken lightly, but they are a common form of preventive care. One of the most important reasons for that is to prevent pericoronitis, which is inflammation surrounding an impacted dental crown. Dr. Roopi Kattaura, of Ardas Family Dental, regularly removes patients’ wisdom teeth efficiently after discussing their full range of options, so we wanted to take this opportunity to make sure everyone understands what pericoronitis is and how it is treated.

An impacted tooth is one that is unable to fully emerge. The wisdom teeth, being much larger than other teeth and the last to come in, frequently become impacted, leading to soreness and disruption in the alignment of the rest of the teeth. But when a wisdom tooth partly emerges, the flap of gum tissue covering it, called an operculum, becomes a trap for food debris. This allows bacteria to feed in a place they can’t be brushed or flossed out of, resulting in an infection that will cause swelling and the discharge of pus and has the potential to spread to other parts of the body.

A dental hygienist could clean an operculum, but that wouldn’t prevent a new infection from developing. A more lasting solution is to cut the operculum away. But even then, there is a possibility it will grow back, and if the impacted wisdom tooth is causing other problems, the best option may be to remove the tooth. Sometimes, only the crown needs to be removed, but there are also times when removing the roots will help to reduce overcrowding and remove the risk that they’ll continue to emerge and create a new gum flap.

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.

 

Veneers at Ardas Family Dental

Everybody should be proud of their teeth. If yours are stained, chipped, or don’t show as much enamel as you would like, the good news is that the process of restoring them may be simpler and easier than you think. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, our experienced practitioners provide veneers to healthy patients who are looking for a cosmetic improvement. 

A veneer is a shell, usually made of porcelain, that fits over a natural tooth and provides it with a new surface. If a patient expresses an interest in them, we’ll conduct an examination to ensure they’re not suffering from gum disease and discuss their goals for treatment. At their second appointment, we’ll numb the patient and shave down their enamel to make room for the veneer, and make an impression of their reshaped teeth. A dental laboratory will then use the impression to manufacture the veneers according to the patient’s specified color. Once we receive the veneers, the patient can return to our office, where we’ll cement the veneers into place. In between treatments the patient will have been wearing artificial temporary tooth-covers, but the real veneers are designed to last.

As with natural tooth surfaces, veneers need to be brushed twice a day and flossed. They also shouldn’t be subjected to anything too hard or sticky, and patients will need to continue to wear mouth guards when playing sports. But well-cared for veneers can last for over a decade and allow a patient to chew and speak just as they would normally. Veneers are also a more moderate treatment option than whole-crown restorations or orthodontics, and can be used when a tooth is mildly cracked or impacted. 

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.

 

Differences Between Mouthwash in Parker, CO

Store shelves are filled with all sorts of mouthwash, and it’s easy for a consumer to become confused about which they should pick. You may even be wondering whether you should buy any at all. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we provide for the needs of patients of all ages and with all sorts of conditions. We’re happy to help patients determine what’s best for their own oral care, which is why we wanted to talk about what mouthwash can and can’t do.

Mouthwash may supplement twice-daily brushing and flossing, but it can never replace them. Therapeutic mouthwash kills oral bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease, but cosmetic mouthwash simply masks bad breath. Often, a patient would be prescribed therapeutic mouthwash if they had a tooth injury or were recovering from oral surgery and needed something that could dull their pain as well as provide additional defense against bacteria. Some mouthwashes come with other features, such as providing fluoride to make a patient’s enamel slightly stronger.

There is no evidence that the alcohol in mouthwash increases the risk of oral cancer, but non-alcoholic versions are available. Children under the age of six should not even use non-alcoholic mouthwash, and they should demonstrate that they are able to spit instead of swallowing it so they don’t risk over-exposure to fluoride. However, many people find that keeping some cosmetic mouthwash onhand is helpful for social situations, especially if they wear braces or dentures and can’t rely on sugar-free gum to combat halitosis. Just remember that the tongue needs to be scraped later to remove the source of the odor.

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.

 

Diet and Dental Erosion at Ardas Family Dental

Whether you’re suffering from a dental infection or mechanical damage to your teeth, we’re happy to help you at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado. Our team of experienced dental professionals will provide you with comfortable fillings and fluoride treatments to protect your teeth from further damage. But once you’re home, you’ll need to know how to protect your own teeth, so we thought it would be a good idea to examine some of the ways our diets contribute to dental erosion and decay.

 

Tooth decay is the result of an infection in the tooth’s outer layer, the enamel. Certain species of oral bacteria produce acid as a by-product of their cellular respiration, and the acid gets trapped in a sticky matrix of bacteria and the teeth’s biological film. The bacteria is able to quickly break down simple sugars, and they can also digest starch if it is left on the teeth for long enough.

 

But teeth can also suffer from direct exposure to acid. Citric juice and soft drinks have a large amount of acid as well as simple sugar, and citric juice is often used as a flavoring in sour candy and energy gel. Citric acid can also trigger acid reflux from the stomach, as can alcohol, onions, garlic, and red meat. Besides reducing our intake of these foods, we can also combat acidic erosion by making sure we are properly hydrated. Water not only washes away acid and sugar, but also helps us to produce more saliva, somewhat balancing acid’s chemical effect. We can also produce more saliva by chewing sugarfree gum, which will remove food debris. And as always, brushing and flossing will remove bacteria, the food debris they consume, and the acid they produce.

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 TMD and Toothaches at Ardas Family Dental

Amid all the extra stress people are under, many have noticed that they’ve developed pain in their jaws, necks, and teeth. If you’re one of them, you may be suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. Besides being painful, this disorder may lead you to crack your teeth, or at least make it difficult for you to speak or chew. At Ardas Family Dental, we help patients suffering from TMD to find personalized solutions, but first, let’s take a closer look at what contributes to it.

The temporomandibular joints are the place on either side of our head where the lower jaw (the mandible) connects to the rest of the skull. Each temporomandibular joint needs to be able to exert a great deal of force, but be able to move freely in every direction. When people are under stress, they tend to clench their jaws, and during their sleep, they may grind their teeth together, which is a habit called bruxism. The pressure generated by bruxism can inflame the temporomandibular joints, causing them to become stiff and painful. It can also wear down tooth enamel, push teeth into new positions, or cause them to break completely.

Sometimes, a rheumatoid condition could be contributing to TMD, and patients who are under severe stress may need psychological counseling. But a dentist can help by providing patients with custom-fitted night guards. These oral appliances will comfortably keep the jaws separate, preventing the teeth from grinding together. We can also provide patients with partial crowns and other restorations for teeth that have already suffered damage and help them determine whether orthodontic therapy is needed.

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 Instruments at Ardas Family Dental

Dental instruments are a source of curiosity for a lot of people. We’ve used them to clean and repair a lot of teeth, providing patients at Ardas Family Dental in Parker with oral care that is vital to their overall well-being. But for some people, dental instruments can also be intimidating. We’ve found that when people know more about them, they tend to feel more comfortable at our office.

In the course of a regular cleaning, a hygienist will use a mirror and an explorer. The handheld mirror allows a hygienist to view the back sides of a patient’s teeth and to move the cheek away from the molars. The explorer is the wand with small sickles on either side. It is used to pick apart plaque, which is the hardened build-up that forms at the base of teeth and triggers gum recession. An explorer is also used to test how hard enamel is and whether gum pockets are adhering closely to tooth roots.

When tartar is broken up, it is sucked out with a vacuum called an evacuator. Larger evacuators are used when a dentist needs to drill away decayed enamel. If a dentist needs to place a filling, they will mix it on a small spatula and apply it with a rounded instrument called a burnisher. Differently shaped burnishers are used to contour fillings, bonding, and dental cement. If a patient comes in for an extraction, we will use a flat spoon called an elevator to wiggle a tooth until it is loose enough to be lifted out with forceps. This is done while the patient is anesthetized, and if they are still anxious, we can discuss sedation options.

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.

 

Panorex Machine at Ardas Family Dental

Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado is a provider of comprehensive dental services. As providers of prosthetic teeth and endodontic care, we utilize the latest technology to ensure that our patients are treated appropriately. Among the devices our patients may have noticed is the Panorex, and we thought people might be curious about it.

A Panorex is an x-ray machine that provides a panoramic view of the patient’s mouth. It does not require any special effort from the patient. They only need to remove metal objects from their person, wear a lead apron and bite down on a piece of plastic. It will take about twenty seconds for the Panorex’s panels to rotate around their head. The Panorex subjects a patient to fewer x-rays than a traditional machine and can be adjusted for people of different heights.

As an x-ray machine, the Panorex cannot provide us with a detailed view of the patient’s soft tissues. But it does provide crucial information about how well a patient’s implants are integrating with their jaw bone. It also allows us to strategize where to place new implants, determine whether unerupted teeth will need to be extracted, and plan how to remove them with minimal inconvenience to the patient. We can also use its highly detailed images to more accurately determine whether a patient is developing an infection or jaw tumor.

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.