TMD and Complicating Conditions

Everybody’s been under a lot of stress lately, and at greater risk of developing a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). But some people, such as those with autoimmune disorders, were already at higher risk, and may especially be familiar with jaw pain. We at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs don’t want any of our patients to suffer or to underestimate the damage jaw clenching can do to their teeth, so we wanted to discuss how it works and what we can do.

 

Our lower jaws are connected to the skull by the temporomandibular joints. These joints are complex, needing to be able to exert a great deal of force and move in all directions. In people with autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, the lining of the joints may be swollen. This would create difficulty opening the mouth and may cause a person to clench their jaws or grind their teeth in their sleep, which is a habit called bruxism. However, other people may also develop TMD if they are under psychological strain or they have obstructive sleep apnea, in which case they would move their jaw forward in an attempt to widen their airway.

 

TMD may cause pain to radiate to the ear or down to the shoulder, and teeth can crack under extreme pressure. If the cartilage of the joints is worn away, it will be much more difficult and uncomfortable for them to function. But we can provide patients with custom-fitted night guards, which are a removable oral appliance similar to a retainer that is worn during sleep. Night guards keep the jaws separate, shield the teeth, and can help to keep the jaw in a position that will leave the airway unrestricted and the joints under less stress.

 

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental.

Flossing Technique

Flossing is always an important part of oral hygiene, but that’s especially true if you missed a regular cleaning during the stay-at-home order. We at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs want to ensure that our patients are still taking good care of themselves while socially distancing, so we thought it would be a good time to discuss flossing technique.

 

You’ll need about fifteen to eighteen inches of floss to do a thorough job. Wrapping the floss around your middle fingers will allow you to more easily manipulate it using your index fingers and thumbs. Keeping about an inch of floss taut, you’ll want to slide it along the side of each tooth as far as it will go without hurting your gums, and then pull it toward the tooth to wrap it along the tooth’s side. Wiggle it back and forth as you move it back out to make sure you’re gathering as much plaque from the tooth as possible. Keep unspooling more floss as you move from tooth to tooth so you don’t just spread the plaque around, and don’t forget to floss the backs of your back teeth.

 

Remember, plaque can accumulate on the sides of prosthetic teeth, and needs to be cleaned from them, as well. If you have trouble moving the floss, you may benefit from a flosser. If you have braces, you may want to look into floss with stiffened tips that will be easier to thread behind orthodontic wires. You may floss before you brush your teeth or after, but don’t forget to floss at least once a day, and to schedule your make-up appointment as soon as possible.

 

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental.

Periapical Abscesses

During the coronavirus outbreak, we at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs are limiting our services to emergency treatment. However, this does not mean patients should hesitate to seek help for an emergency. One of the most urgent matters a dentist deals with is a periapical abscess, which is what happens when the pulp chamber of a tooth is infected. We wanted our patients to be able to recognize the signs of one and understand why they should seek care.

 

When there is an infection in the tooth’s pulp, a buildup of pus, called an abscess, forms at the tip of its root. Common infection symptoms include fever, swelling, throbbing pain, difficulty swallowing, and a foul taste in the mouth. The pulp chamber likely became infected because of a fracture in the enamel that allowed bacteria in, or because a bacterial infection on the tooth surface caused a deep enough cavity for the bacteria to spread to the pulp. If it is not treated, the infection could spread to the jawbone or the sinus cavities.

 

Treating a periapical abscess will require a root canal. This means that after the patient has been numbed, the infected pulp will be removed and the tooth will be resealed. They will also be prescribed antibiotic medication. In severe cases or when the infection recurs, it may be necessary to remove the tooth. If this happens, we can discuss replacement options with the patient, but ideally, patients can avoid abscess by wearing mouthguards when exercising and maintaining good oral hygiene.

 

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental.

Oral Cancer Diagnostic Process

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, and this year, we wanted to discuss the process of getting a diagnosis. Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs accepts Medicaid and patients of all ages. As such, we play a crucial role in many people's health by identifying suspicious growths, and we want our patients to feel comfortable with being examined and to know when they should request assistance.

 

Some visible signs of potential oral cancer include bleeding and persistent, irregularly-shaped red or white spots on the soft tissues of the mouth. A tumor that is further back in the throat may cause a patient to experience ringing in their ears or to feel like there is a lump they can’t swallow. As part of an examination, we’ll do visual inspections of the tongue and the insides of the cheeks, using handheld mirrors to see areas not normally visible to patients. We may also use an ultraviolet light to check for unusual growths in the deep layers of soft tissue. Not all growths turn out to be cancerous, but that doesn’t mean we won’t treat issues associated with them.

 

A patient with suspicious growths may need to visit an oral surgeon for further testing. A surgeon would likely take a biopsy, which is a simple procedure in which a portion of the growth is cut away and subjected to chemical analysis. If a patient has oral cancer, we will continue to provide them with dental treatments, which will become especially important if their medication causes them to develop dry mouth and be at higher risk for tooth decay. Oral cancer is much easier to treat when it is caught early. If you’re in a high risk-group, such as older people who smoke or drink alcohol, it’s especially important for you to maintain regular dental examinations.

 

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental.

Diet and Tooth Erosion

No matter what you eat, you need to protect your teeth from decay and erosion. However, some diets present more of a threat to oral health than others. At Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, we provide high-quality, affordable restorative care to people suffering from mechanical and infection-induced damage to their enamel. But since we also value preventive care, we wanted to spotlight some common areas where people can improve.

 

Tooth decay occurs when certain species of oral bacteria eat the sugar in food debris. The bacteria secrete acid as a metabolization waste product, and the acid gets trapped in the film of biological material covering each tooth. Although bacteria can metabolize simple sugars more rapidly, given enough time, they can consume starches, as well. Some sugary substances, such as soda and citric juice, are also highly acidic and can directly erode the structure of enamel. Citric juice is commonly used as a flavoring in sour candy and energy gel, which can easily get stuck between teeth.

 

Problems with tooth decay and acidic content can be mitigated by brushing and flossing regularly, and by drinking plenty of water. Keeping the mouth wet will allow it to produce saliva, which washes away sugary residue and chemically counteracts acid. Chewing sugar-free gum is another way to stimulate saliva production and remove some food debris. But patients also need to avoid acid reflux disease, which introduces acid into the mouth from the stomach. This may require them to reduce their intake of red meat, onions and garlic, chocolate, tomatoes, and alcohol, especially right before lying down at night.

 

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental.

Swollen Lips following Extractions

Although we don’t advise patients to get teeth extracted needlessly, the process is usually a simple one. Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs serves patients of all ages, and often performs dental extractions on children in preparation for orthodontic work or to prevent overcrowding from wisdom teeth. When we do this, we do our best to provide clear instructions and arrange follow-ups. However, there are some issues that are known to pop up after extractions, including swollen lips.

 

When we extract teeth from the lower jaw, we usually use local anesthetic to numb the alveolar nerve. This nerve also supplies feeling to the chin and lower lip, and for many children, a numb lower lip is a strange new sensation. Unfortunately, they often experimentally bite on their lower lips, and being numbed, can’t tell when they’re biting too hard. This could result in a lesion and the lip swelling to many times its usual size.

 

Typically, this kind of swelling isn’t dangerous. If the lesion remains white and doesn’t produce any odor, and the patient doesn’t have a fever, it is probably not infected and doesn’t need to be drained. It will likely recede to normal after a few weeks, and patients can take over-the-counter painkillers and apply cold packs to their faces for the first forty-eight hours after the extraction. (They can switch to hot packs after that.) Hopefully, simply informing children of the risk of a swollen lip is enough to prevent them from biting, and they’ll be on a soft foods diet immediately after the extraction that will prevent them from biting their lips accidentally. If a swollen lip does show signs of infection, it will need to be cared for professionally.

 

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental.

Tips for Cleaning Dentures

Plaque build-up is a  problem everybody has to deal with.  The mouth is an ecosystem that is home to all sorts of bacteria, including a few that will cause decay if left unstopped. When a person gets dentures, they’ll have to make some changes in how they practice their oral hygiene, or else their artificial teeth could also become decayed. As long-time providers of dental care to people of all ages, we at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs wanted to provide some advice on denture maintenance.

 

Dentures need to be brushed twice a day; in the morning and at night. Although they allow people to chew normally, they aren’t as hard as natural teeth, and can be scratched by the fluoride in regular toothpaste. Instead, patients should brush them with American Dental Association-approved specialized toothpaste and maintain separate soft-bristled toothbrushes for their dentures and natural teeth. They should also brush the whole denture, including the pink part that mimics gum tissue, and floss between the false teeth.

 

There are several safe cleaning solutions dentures can be soaked in overnight, although many people get good results just using soap and water. But it is important for dentures to always be kept wet, and for them to be kept at room temperature. Being put in boiling water or being left in a case under harsh sunlight could cause their shape to distort. Patients should also brush their gums and around implant abutments prior to putting their dentures in each morning, and remember to scrape their tongues as they normally do.

 

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental.