Gum Abscesses

Do your gums often bleed when you brush your teeth? Do you sometimes suffer from fevers and a bad taste in your mouth? If the answer to all those questions is yes, you may have a gum abscess. This condition is extremely serious, not to mention painful, and it develops from gum disease. We at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs can provide treatment for it, but we encourage all of our patients to understand why they should prevent an abscess from forming.

Abscesses are pockets of pus, which is a mixture of bacteria, dead tissue, and acid. A gingival abscess is one that forms near the gum line, often as a result of poor oral hygiene. A periodontal abscess is one that forms deeper in the gum pocket when gum disease is severe. Periodontal disease causes the walls of a gum pocket to recede from around a tooth root, leaving the tooth loose and bacteria with more space to colonize. When periodontal disease gets bad enough, it can also cause recession in the jaw bone.

After administering local anesthesia to a patient, we can treat gum abscesses by draining them and removing the dead tissue. We will also determine whether any of the teeth’s pulp chambers are infected or if they have abscesses at their roots. After removing the dead tissue, we’ll plane down the tooth root so that it will be easier to clean in the future. The patient will also take antibiotics in the days following the successful treatment of an abscess.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Treating Deep Dental Stains

Don’t be shy about having stains on your teeth examined. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a nice smile, but in some circumstances, discoloration can also be a sign of a major health problem. Recently, we at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs posted about white spot lesions. Today, we wanted to talk about intrinsic stains: a sign of dental problems in the tooth’s pulp chamber.

Usually, dark stains are a cosmetic issue caused by the teeth being exposed to dark substances, such as coffee or smoke. They can be treated with bleaching and are harmless. An intrinsic stain may be caused by excessive exposure to fluoride or tetracycline antibiotics during the tooth’s formation, in which case it will also be harmless, but may not be treatable with whitening. More often, intrinsic staining is due to infected dental pulp. The infection will likely cause sensitivity and bad breath, and if it becomes severe, it may lead to a facial abscess and sepsis.

An intrinsic stain caused by infection will appear black, red, or purple. We can treat it with root canal therapy, which will eliminate the threat to the patient’s health. Afterward, we may pack the tooth with whitening solution or discuss other cosmetic options with the patient, such as a veneer. We encourage anyone with discolored teeth to come in for an examination quickly; the sooner a stain is treated, the better the outcome.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Family Dentistry and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Details on Dental Emergencies

Any trauma to the mouth that may cause bleeding and lacerations to the gums, dislodge, or fracture teeth, and may require medical attention is defined as a dental emergency. If left untreated, trauma to the teeth and gums can lead to serious complications. At Southern Cross Dental, if an accident occurs, it is important to visit us a call right away. In the meantime, here are some tips for handling common dental emergencies before you visit our office.

• For a knocked-out permanent or adult tooth, keep it moist at all times. If you can, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If that’s not possible, place it between your cheek and gums, or use a tooth preservation product that has the American Dental Association (ADA) seal of acceptance.


• For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse the mouth with warm water to clean the area.


• If you bite your tongue or lip, clean the area gently with water and apply a cold compress.


• For toothaches, rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between teeth.

If you experience a dental emergency, please give us a call immediately. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.southerncrossfamilydentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.