Tooth Decay in Seniors

We of Alta Loma Dental Care want patients of all ages to be able to enjoy healthy, comfortable teeth. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control found that the rate of untreated tooth decay in adults is surprisingly high and that as many as one in five seniors have untreated caries.  We don’t want our patients to ever resign themselves to bad oral health, so we need to examine why caries in seniors are common.

The survey indicated that there’s a lot of tooth decay in general, but seniors face some particular challenges. Some of them change their diets to include food that is softer, but higher in sugar. Forgetfulness is a problem with oral hygiene, but so is limited dexterity.  Dry mouth, which is a common medication side effect, damages the body’s ability to fight off oral infections, allowing decay-causing bacteria to flourish. Compounding all of this is the fact that seniors often did not benefit from water fluoridation when their teeth were forming, which leaves them more vulnerable to decay.

Regular dental hygiene appointments are crucial opportunities to spot and treat decay in seniors. They’re also opportunities to identify problems and recommend products which can provide solutions. Some toothbrushes come with specialized grips that are easier for people with manual problems to use. There are also products which make flossing easier and moisturizers to combat dry mouth.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Will Fillings Make My Teeth Sensitive?

When people are suffering from toothaches they can find relief at Alta Loma Dental Care. But some people have questions about whether removing decayed material and filling it in will cause additional discomfort, which is why we want to assure them treatment is in their interest.

It is true that a tooth may be sensitive immediately after the decayed material is drilled away, but this will only last for about two days, at most. However, at no point should the filling prevent the patient from fully closing their teeth together. If it does, it is too high and needs to be re-contoured, which is an easy fix but should be done quickly.

It is very unlikely that a filling will be too high, but fillings are not permanent. They have about a ten-year lifespan before the bonding holding them in starts to crack. At that point, the filling will have to be replaced with one that is given new bonding because bacteria will colonize the cracks in the old restoration and produce more acid. If the patient keeps regular appointments, we will be able to remove old fillings before decay causes more pain or does greater damage to the tooth.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit AltaLomaDentalCare.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Does Your Tooth Still Hurt After a Root Canal? Dr. Michael Kim Can Help

If you’re still experiencing pain after a root canal, you may be wondering why. Aren’t root canals meant to take your pain away? There are many reasons why your tooth may still be hurting. It is possible that the base of your tooth root (periapical) is still slightly tender or that your pain is caused by a temporary filling that is a bit too high. In these cases, taking OTC painkillers, preferably ibuprofen, may be all you need to alleviate your pain while your root canal heals.

However, if you’ve had a root canal at our practice in Alta Loma, CA and are still experiencing pain that is severe or persistent, you should call our office immediately. The dentist may need to prescribe you an antibiotic to make sure the infection does not remain, or she may need to perform retreatment.

At your follow-up appointment, Dr. Michael Kim will want to know what type of pain you are experiencing. Is your tooth sensitive to hot and cold? Is it the tooth root that is sensitive or the gums that are over the tooth? Is it a constant ache, or does it only hurt when biting? Is there any swelling, drainage or pus? The answers to these questions will give Dr. Kim the information he needs to diagnose your pain.

Root canals don’t always work, and there are many reasons for this, including fractures of the root, convoluted or twisted root structures and failure to protect the root canal after the procedure. If this occurs, you may need further treatment. If the root canal was successful, it should feel normal most of the time.

To schedule an appointment at Alta Loma Dental Care, call (909) 987-6268. For more information about the dentist, visit www.altalomadentalcare.com.   

Alta Loma Dental Care Performs Teeth Extractions

If decay has reached too deeply into one of your teeth or if an infection has damaged too much of the supporting bone or tissue, you will be in need of a tooth extraction. You may also need one if one of your teeth does not enough room in the mouth. When teeth are impacted, it can cause damage to the roots of nearby teeth, so they must be removed before damage is done. At Alta Loma Dental Care, Dr. Michael Kim can help you restore your oral health by performing tooth extractions.

Before the procedure is performed, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area around the extraction site. During a simple extraction, the tooth is loosened with an elevator and then extracted with forceps. Once removed, Dr. Kim may choose to smooth and contour the underlying bone. Then the gums are sutured.

After the extraction, it is critical to keep the area clean to prevent infection. A dry, sterile gauze will be placed over the gums to limit bleeding. You must make sure to keep it in place for 30 to 45 minutes while the blood clots. During the 24 hours after the procedure, you should not smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously or clean the teeth immediately adjacent to the extraction site. Strenuous activity, hot liquids and straw drinking should also be avoided. A certain amount of pain and discomfort accompanies an extraction, so a painkiller may be prescribed.

If you are suffering pain from decay, infection or impaction, Dr. Kim can determine if a tooth extraction is required to save your smile. Schedule an appointment at our practice in Alta Loma, CA by calling (909) 987-6268. For more information, visit www.altalomadentalcare.com.

Alta Loma Dental Care Performs Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Your third and final molars to emerge are your wisdom teeth, which usually come in when you are between 17 and 25 years old. While many people do not experience problems with these new teeth, many others find that theirs must be removed. If your mouth does not have enough room for these molars to come in, a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, and at our office in Alta Loma, CA, Dr. Michael Kim can determine whether a wisdom tooth extraction is the best course of action for you.

Wisdom teeth are usually removed because they become impacted, which means that the tooth does not have enough room to come in straight through the gums and instead emerges at an angle. This can cause pain, damage to the jaw and a more crooked smile. Additionally, the site of impaction can become a bacterial hotspot since impacted wisdom teeth are hard to clean.

Wisdom teeth extractions can range from removing a single tooth to removing all four teeth at once. Dr. Kim will let you know what he thinks is best for you. For the procedure, he will use either a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate you while the teeth are extracted. The tooth will then be accessed through an incision in the gums and wiggled until it is loose enough to be lifted out. If the tooth is too deeply embedded to be removed this way, it will be broken up into pieces before being removed.

Whether you are already feeling pain due to impacted wisdom teeth or have not yet felt them come in, we can determine if your wisdom teeth will cause problems for you. To schedule an appointment at Alta Loma Dental Care, call (909) 987-6268. For more information, visit www.altalomadentalcare.com.