You may experience discomfort after dental surgery, but it can be minimized by following certain guidelines. If you care for your mouth properly, the pain should dissipate and the wounds heal quickly. Follow these tips after surgery to achieve the best results.
Delay rinsing
Avoid rinsing your mouth for at least 24 hours following surgery. After that time period, try adding ½ teaspoon of salt to lukewarm water and gently swishing it around your mouth. Rinse with that mixture 4 to 6 times a day to help reduce germs, because keeping your mouth as sterile as possible is important to the healing process.
Limit brushing
Avoid using a toothbrush for at least a week if you had a gum graft or root canal treatment. For other surgeries, ask your dentist when it is safe to begin brushing. An alternative to brushing is soaking a sterilized cloth in salty water to gently clean around your teeth.
Watch where you chew
You may initially have a gauze pad in your mouth to stop bleeding. Do not chew on the gauze or the wound in your mouth. When you’re able to begin carefully eating, do not chew on that area of your mouth and avoid hard foods.
Do not touch
Resist the temptation to use your tongue, finger, or other objects to touch the treatment area. This can damage the wound or cause infection.
Open your mouth carefully
Do not try to open your mouth too wide following surgery because your jaw will likely be stiff after being open for extended surgery time. Massage your face and jaw gently with a moist cloth, and do not force your mouth open too wide.
Avoid heat
Applying heat tends to increase blood flow to the area, which in turn can increase swelling. Inflammation is normal for most oral surgeries for up to a week, so ask your dentist about applying cold packs instead of heat.
Oral surgery dentist in Toronto Ontario.
Most of the time you think of dentists as professionals who protect and repair smiles, but there’s another branch of dentistry that is more like detective work. It’s called forensic dentistry. These dentists use their specialized skills to assist with investigations, such as identifying victims or analyzing crime evidence.
A person’s teeth are actually a bit similar to fingerprints. Everyone’s teeth markings are different. This is useful at the scene of a crime, allowing forensic dentists to analyze bite marks to provide evidence for solving a case. Additionally, these specialized dentists can note dental work or missing teeth that may be compared to dental records to help identify a body or to catch a criminal.
Forensic dentists also use dental x-rays, because x-ray images highlight the unique characteristics of a person’s teeth. Even just one tooth can help a forensic dentist identify someone who died in a natural disaster or an accident. Dentists also perform DNA testing on tissue from a tooth or mouth to help with identification.
This branch of dentistry employs forensic tools to help them complete tasks. An example is the scanning electron microscope, used to examine the surface of a tooth. If a tooth has been damaged during an attack, the scanner can detect microscopic injuries that provide clues about how the injury might have occurred. This can help police with their crime investigations.
Not every situation requires the help of forensic dentistry, but this type of dental science has proven to be valuable in many cases.
Family dentist in Toronto – Dr. Yolanda Cruz
Everyone knows what teeth are, but there may be some facts about them that you haven’t learned. Here are some interesting things to know about your choppers.
Fact: You have two sets of teeth.
Your first set of teeth grows in when you are an infant, from about six months to two years of age. These are your primary, or baby, teeth. Your second set of teeth are permanent teeth, and erupt from age six through your early 20s.
Fact: Teeth erupt in a certain pattern.
Your first teeth to grow in are the incisors, which are in the center front of your mouth. These are followed by your first molars, canines, and second molars.
Fact: Teeth have different purposes.
Your front teeth are used for biting and your back teeth are for chewing. Your top teeth work with your jaw to tear, cut, and grind your food.
Fact: Teeth help with digestion.
Teeth are an important part of the digestion process, because digestion begins in your mouth when you chew your food.
Fact: Teeth help you talk.
Your teeth enable you to speak. Without them, your syllables would not be as clear.
Fact: Teeth support your face.
Your teeth help by supporting the muscles in your face, and help create the shape of your face. Without teeth, it is possible for your face to become disfigured without their support of your facial structure.
Fact: There are 32 permanent teeth.
Once all of your teeth have erupted, you should have 32 of them.
General dentist in Toronto Ontario
There are lots of reasons that you may not have a brilliant white smile. Age, personal habits, foods, medication side effects, and other factors can impact the color of your teeth. If you are unhappy with your smile and want to brighten it up, but don’t want to spend the time or money to have it professionally done, here are some ways you can whiten your teeth at home.
Toothpaste
Possibly the simplest of all home products is whitening toothpaste. Just select one of the brands specializing in teeth whitening and brush with it instead of your regular paste. You must be patient though, because it must be used for at least a month before you can see a difference in your teeth. The results typically aren’t dramatic, but consistent use is helpful in maintaining a whiter smile.
Strips
Another popular choice is whitening strips, which are thin strips that contain a bleaching agent. You apply them to the fronts of your teeth and leave them in place for thirty minutes each day for a couple of weeks. They are easy to use, cost effective, and produce good results with proper use. The downside is that some people experience gum sensitivity if the peroxide ingredient touches the gums. Apply the strips carefully, avoiding your gums to reduce the risk of discomfort.
Pens
One of the most successful whitening options for home use is a gel pen, which is a device containing hydrogen peroxide gel that you paint directly on your teeth. It’s simple to apply the gel to the fronts of your teeth, and then leave it to dry for thirty seconds. You can do this 2 to 3 times daily after brushing, and results are often immediately visible. It should be used up to a couple of weeks, and then can be used anytime for quick touchups. It is portable and provides a great way to brighten your smile at the last minute. It can be difficult to reach all areas of your teeth with the pen, but in general it is a valuable whitening method.
Contact our Toronto dental office for professional teeth whitening.
Having your wisdom teeth removed is a common oral surgery. Dentists often recommend having them extracted because of the problems they causing already, or are predicted to do in the future. Wisdom teeth are usually the last teeth to come in, and can crowd an already full mouth. Or they might erupt in bad positions, causing both functional and cosmetic issues. Wisdom teeth sometimes become impacted, so that they cause pain or other problems under the surface. No matter why your dentist advises their removal, it’s follow through with the surgery.
Wisdom teeth removal is different for every patient. Some have an easy, painless experience while others say it was a horrible process. The best thing you can do is ask lots of questions up front so that you know what to expect, and to follow your dentist’s instructions for after care as well.
You will likely receive some level of anesthesia to have your wisdom teeth removed. If it’s a simple case, this might include only local anesthetic. Laughing gas is another option that relaxes you to allow the dentist to perform the procedure. Several levels of sedation are also possible, all the way up to general anesthesia which puts you completely asleep during treatment. Discuss with your dentist what your options are and which is recommended for your case.
After the procedure, make sure you have someone available to drive you home. You will require some help getting home and settled comfortably and safely. Restrict your activity as your dentist advises. Over-the-counter pain relievers may be enough to manage your pain, or your doctor might prescribe stronger medication. Drink plenty of liquids without using a straw, and eat soft foods for your own comfort as well as oral healing. Do not rinse your mouth for the first day or two after surgery to avoid further bleeding or pain. If you have questions about how you feel or the symptoms you experience, call your dentist to make sure all is well.
Wisdom teeth dentist in Toronto
In the past, replacing lost teeth meant getting dentures or bridges. Even though these offered the best way at the time to restore your mouth’s appearance and function, technology has improved through the development of dental implants. The main drawbacks of bridges and dentures is that they do not feel or look just like real teeth, and it is difficult to chew tough foods. The advantage of implants is that they look and perform so well that you can’t even tell they are not your natural teeth.
Made from titanium, dental implants are screws that are surgically placed directly into your jawbone. They are light and malleable, but durable and strong. The titanium screws are implanted into your jawbone and given time to heal. Once healing is complete, one or multiple crowns are placed on top of the implant to recreate your missing teeth. One implant can hold more than one screw, so it is possible to attach as many crowns as needed to replace your missing teeth.
Dental implants look so much like real teeth that others won’t even be able to tell that you have any artificial teeth. You might even forget about it yourself, as they feel real as well. Since the implants are securely placed in your jaw, they are as strong as real teeth and you are able to chew and bite anything that you would normally eat. Another great thing about implants is that they don’t impact any of your adjacent healthy teeth. While bridges and dentures can sometimes damage neighboring teeth because those teeth are necessary for support, implants avoid this problem. You are left with a fully restored and comfortable smile.
Dental implants dentistry in Toronto
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