The Importance of Wisdom Teeth Extraction Site Preservation

Before removing a troublesome tooth, you have to figure out how you will care for the space left behind. Consult with Dr. Roopi Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental if you are considering wisdom teeth extraction site preservation in Parker, CO. Preserve those gaps so you can keep your mouth healthy long-term.

Why Is Extraction Site Preservation Important?

Wisdom teeth are not supposed to cause discomfort. If they grow properly, they can even help you chew food thoroughly.

Unfortunately, wisdom teeth may also become impacted as they emerge. If that happens, they will become a constant source of pain. The pain they cause may become so overwhelming that you may have a hard time eating anything.

Getting your wisdom teeth removed is one way to eliminate that pain. However, that brings up another issue.

That gap can be problematic because it can weaken your jaw bone. Fail to do something about that and your teeth may start to move around improperly. Soon enough, even your ability to chew through food may be compromised.

Taking action too slowly can also lead to complications down the line. Even if you want to eventually get dental implants, your jaw bone may not be strong enough to support them.

Sign up for wisdom teeth extraction site preservation in Parker, CO if you want to avoid those potential issues. Entrust the health of your teeth to Dr. Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental. She will ensure that the procedure is done properly so you don’t run into any additional issues down the line.

What Does Wisdom Teeth Extraction Site Preservation Entail?

Extraction site preservation helps maintain dental health, but what exactly does it involve?

In some cases, the procedure may involve the usage of some filler. The filler is used to plug the gap in your mouth. Doing that should prevent the degeneration of your jawbone along with other possible issues.

Site preservation may also be done through bone grafting. The aforementioned procedure involves using transplanted bone to heal or preserve your jawbone. Synthetic material may also be used for bone grafting procedures.

Your dentist will decide what kind of bone grafting procedure will work best. Work with them to preserve your teeth.

Dial 720-459-8420 if you wish to learn more about wisdom teeth extraction site preservation in Parker, CO. Book an appointment with Dr. Kattauras of Ardas Family Dental so you can save yourself from some potentially serious teeth-related problems.

Why Choosing Mini Implants Could Be the Right Decision for You

Missing teeth can impact your quality of life and your self-confidence. Get in touch with Dr. Roopi Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental if you wish to get mini implants in Parker, CO. Those implants could provide the solution to a problem you have been dealing with for a long time.

What Are Mini Implants?

According to the CDC, 26 percent of adults aged 65 or older have only 8 or fewer teeth. Furthermore, around 17 percent of adults in that same age range have lost all of their teeth.

Those statistics reinforce the fact that many people out there could benefit from receiving dental implants. Unfortunately, not everyone can sign up for those implants even if they wanted to.

Remember that dental implants require ample support from surrounding bone so they can situate properly inside the mouth. That’s not an issue if you only lost your teeth recently. However, getting the dental implants to take is not as easy if you have been dealing with tooth loss for a long time.

Simply put, your mouth may no longer be able to properly support the implants at that point.

Still, all is not lost. Mini implants serve as a terrific alternative if you are no longer eligible for their larger counterparts.

Those smaller dental implants will continue to work as intended even if your jawbone is not as strong as it once was. Aesthetically speaking, they can also work as suitable substitutes for your natural teeth even if they are slightly on the smaller side.

How Should You Care for Mini Implants?

You can approach Dr. Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental if you are interested in getting mini implants in Parker, CO. Once the procedure is completed, you’ll be able to eat normally and smile confidently again.

The only thing you have to worry about is maintenance, but that is fairly easy to manage. Simply treat your implants the same you would your natural teeth.

Start by following a regular brushing routine. Brushing your implants twice a day should suffice. You should also take the time to floss at least once per day.

If any unusual issues arise, you can also discuss them with your dentist.

Call 720-459-8420 if you want to learn more about getting mini implants in Parker, CO. Schedule a visit with Dr. Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental so you can evaluate your options and decide if those implants are for you.

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.

Root Canal Therapy at Ardas Family Dental

 

We are experienced providers of tooth restorations at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, but we still work hard to save natural teeth. Although implants, dentures, bridges, and crowns all benefit a patient whose teeth need to be removed, sometimes an injured tooth can be rescued with root canal therapy. This is especially the case with children, whose baby teeth aren’t suited for permanent tooth prosthetics, so to get patients more comfortable with root canals, we wanted to explain more about them.

Our teeth contain chambers of pulp connected to the rest of the circulatory system by blood vessels routed through the tooth roots. If a tooth cracks or suffers severe decay, bacteria can enter the pulp chamber and cause an infection. This would be painful and cause bad breath, but it could get worse if the bacteria spreads further into the bloodstream or builds up at the base of the tooth roots. For this reason, a dentist would remove the infected pulp by performing root canal therapy.

Patients are always numbed during root canals. We also offer sedative options for those who are nervous. During the procedure, the dentist drills a hole into the tooth that the pulp can be removed through. The chamber and incision are then sealed. Sometimes, the damaged crown also needs to be replaced. In a baby tooth, this can be done with a metal cap that can be shaped in the office. For adult teeth, a replacement crown would mean a return appointment, but the finished crown would be permanent and colored like a natural tooth. If the infection recurs, we could consider options such as extraction, in which case an adult tooth might be replaced with an implant and the gap from a baby tooth might be held open with a retainer. But most root canals are successful and leave the patient much more comfortable with their teeth and in better health.

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

Bridges at Ardas Family Dental

 

Even if you have a lot of damaged teeth, it’s not too late to get them repaired. We frequently perform dental restorations at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, and we offer solutions for patients in a wide variety of circumstances. For many, a classic dental bridge may be the best way to restore multiple teeth, and if they already have a bridge, we’ll be happy to perform maintenance on it.

Dental crowns are the part of the tooth that is visible. To place an artificial crown, a dentist would smooth down the natural tooth into a cylindrical abutment, and then cement the artificial crown on top of it. A bridge is several artificial crowns that have been fused together so they can replace teeth in a row, with the crowns at the end of the bridge being placed over reshaped teeth and the middle crown being suspended between them. Typically, placement would be a multi-appointment process, with the natural teeth being reshaped and an impression taken at the first appointment, and the finished bridge being placed during the second. A patient would wear a temporary bridge during the weeks in between appointments.

Bridges are used when several teeth in a row are broken, decayed, or already absent. Most dentists would not remove a healthy tooth to make room for a bridge, and would instead commission a partial denture with a hole to slide over the healthy tooth. But a partial denture needs to be able to clasp onto mostly-intact teeth on either side of it, so a bridge might be preferable if that’s not an option. Patients with bridges need to learn to floss under the suspended crown using a floss threader, but when cared for properly, dental bridges can last for ten years without needing to be removed.

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

Dry Socket Prevention in Parker, CO

Tooth extractions aren’t something we recommend lightly at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, but there are a lot of situations in which they are likely to be appropriate. Wisdom teeth, in particular, often need to be removed in order to prevent them from causing malocclusions and soreness or becoming traps for oral bacteria. We have a lot of experience extracting wisdom teeth in pediatric patients and their outcomes are overwhelmingly good, but there are a few things patients need to keep in mind in order to avoid developing a dry socket while they recover.

During a simple extraction, the tooth is wiggled and raised out of its socket. This doesn’t leave any incisions, but the jaw bone at the base of the socket is briefly exposed to air. Usually, a bit of blood will form a scab, sealing the socket off and protecting it from dryness and airborne pathogens. However, there are certain medications that interfere with blood clotting, which is why we ask that patients disclose them to us prior to procedures.

Following the extraction, the patient should avoid eating or drinking anything that could cause the scab to dissolve or be torn loose prematurely. For this reason, they should avoid sucking through straws, and we especially advise adults getting tooth extractions against smoking during this period. Sipping soup could also create a vacuum that might remove the scab. If the socket does dry out, the patient will likely experience a great deal of pain and need to undergo antibacterial treatment. If a patient notices that the scab has broken off before their scheduled follow-up, they should request an emergency appointment. However, following the post-surgical guidelines will usually allow them to make a full and quick recovery.

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

Understanding Peri-Implantitis in Parker, CO

 

Implants are one of the most reliable means of replacing missing or failing teeth. Not only are they sturdy prosthetics that can last for as long as a decade, they also stimulate the production of new jaw bone tissue, which will stabilize the other teeth and prevent changes in the patient’s face. But implants do need to be cared for, and when they aren’t, they may fail. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we dearly hope that all our implant patients will be successful, so we thought we would remind them of how to avoid falling prey to peri-implantitis.

An implant is a metal post that is inserted into the jawbone. The implant supports an abutment, which a prosthetic tooth crown is cemented to. Osseointegration is the process by which jaw bone tissue grows around the implant. When it goes right, which is nearly always, it results in the implant being immovable. However, if osseointegration is failing, the gum pocket around the implant and its crown may become inflamed. This may be due to excess cement from under the crown irritating the gum, but if inflammation develops long after the implant was placed, it is more likely due to infectious disease.

Gum disease is caused by bacteria under the gum line secreting acid. Implant posts are not immune from acid, and like natural tooth roots, they can be eroded. If an implant becomes mobile, it will have to be removed. However, there is usually a period in between when peri-implantitis, as we call this pattern of inflammation, develops, and when an implant has lost too much integrated bone tissue to remain stable. We urge anyone experiencing peri-implantitis to schedule a deep cleaning with us as soon as possible. For all other patients, we encourage brushing and flossing twice a day as well as twice-annual teeth cleanings in order to minimize the risk of gum disease.

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

Cleaning Dentures in Parker, CO

At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we believe that everyone is entitled to a smile they feel proud of. People who wear dentures are no exception. But although modern dentures are made to fit well and be indistinguishable from natural teeth, many people still hold an outdated perception of them. It’s true that dentures need to be cleaned daily and that this is an adjustment for people who are new to them, which is why we wanted to provide this reminder on denture hygiene.

Dentures, like natural teeth, will fill up with debris whenever their wearer eats. However, some debris will end up in places that can’t be reached with a toothbrush without removing the denture, such as on top of the upper palette. Although patients are typically told to brush their dentures once a day, it may be a good idea to remove them and rinse them off after every meal. When a denture is being brushed, the patient should gently scrub the entire thing, and not just the bits that resemble teeth. Patients should also use a separate toothbrush to clean the inside of their mouths before bed and before putting their dentures back in each morning.

There are a variety of specialty products made for denture cleaning. Many of them are approved by the American Dental Association, although lots of people get good results from simply soaking their dentures overnight in soap and water. However, patients should not use the same products on dentures that they use on natural teeth, since plastic isn’t as hard as natural enamel and can easily be scratched. Patients should also avoid applying denture cleaning solutions while their dentures are still in their mouths. Dentures should be kept submerged in liquid whenever they’re not being worn, but patients should be careful to avoid exposing them to excessive heat, and never run them through the dishwasher or leave them in a case in the sun.

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.

Swollen Lips and Post-Extraction Instructions in Parker, CO

 

We place high priority on patient comfort at Ardas Family Dental in Parker. When a patient needs a wisdom tooth extraction or any other kind of series procedure, we provide safe numbing and sedation and clear post-operation instructions. We’re proud to say that most of our patients never experience any serious problems. However, one issue that might come up if a patient isn’t careful is a swollen lip.

Sensation to much of the lower jaw is provided by the alveolar nerve. We use an injection to numb it when we’re doing work on the teeth in the lower jaw, and the patient will be able to feel it again a few hours later. But while the nerve is numb, the patient’s lower lip will feel heavy and rubbery. Many, especially children, bite down on it out of curiosity. But the lip isn’t actually any tougher than usual; the patient just can’t feel how hard they’re biting. As a result, their lip may swell up significantly and feel sore once the anesthetic wears off.

The swelling usually looks more dangerous than it really is. If it’s infected, it will turn red and cause a fever, in which case it will need to be treated with antibiotics. But most of the time, it goes down after about a week. Following an extraction, patients are advised to hold cold packs against their faces for fifteen minutes at a time, alternating with fifteen minute breaks. After forty-eight hours, they can switch to hot packs. The same advice applies when a patient has a swollen lip, but knowing the danger of one is often enough to avoid it.

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.

Getting Crowns at Ardas Family Dental

 

Artificial crowns are one of the most common types of dental prosthetics. They replace the part of the tooth that is visible, also known as the cap, and stand independently of other teeth. But we know some patients at Ardas Family Dental in Parker may still be confused about what makes artificial crowns different from prosthetics such as inlays and implants, so we wanted to provide a brief run-down on what crowns are for and how they are placed.

Crowns are used in circumstances in which a tooth is too badly damaged or decayed to be held together with a filling or partial crown. That could be due to the tooth getting chipped, or it could be because we intentionally filed a tooth down so that it could receive a new crown after drilling into it for root canal therapy. The tooth’s remaining natural enamel has to be filed into a cylindrical shape called an abutment for an artificial crown to be placed over. If the entire tooth is gone and being replaced with an implant, the implant will include a metal abutment that sticks up from the gum.

The patient is numbed while their tooth is filed into an abutment, and a mold is subsequently taken of their mouth. They will leave the office wearing a temporary crown while the mold is sent to a dental laboratory, where their permanent crown is made out of porcelain or something similarly hard and colored like a natural tooth. We will help a patient ensure their new tooth matches their natural ones. At a second visit to our office, the permanent crown is cemented onto the abutment. Dental crowns have to be cared for like normal teeth, or they will decay or crack. But when properly cared for, they can last for over ten years and function just like natural 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.

Caring for a Toothbrush in Parker, CO

 

You may think of your toothbrush as nothing special, but it’s among the most important tools you use to maintain your health everyday. Preventing gum disease and tooth decay is linked to reducing the severity of everything from Alzheimer’s to high blood pressure. But a worn-out toothbrush is more of a hazard than a help, and you need to know how to make a toothbrush last. If you aren’t sure whether your toothbrush is still in good working order, this post is for you.

A toothbrush that is being used twice a day for two minutes at a time will usually last three to four months. You’ll be able to tell when it’s not working by whether the bristles are crushed into a flare. At that point, it’s no longer reaching between your teeth or scrubbing plaque from around your gum line. However, a toothbrush may need to be replaced sooner if you have reason to think it’s been contaminated.

To avoid the growth of mold on a toothbrush, let it dry upright in the open air. Do not keep it in a travel case all the time, and don’t let different people’s toothbrushes touch each other. You should also replace your toothbrush if you’ve been sick. It may be possible to clean a standard toothbrush with hot water, and electric toothbrush manufacturers commonly provide devices for cleaning detachable toothbrush heads. But a toothbrush should never be put in the dishwasher or boiling water, or it will become deformed and bacteria will be able to colonize fissures in its handle.

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.