Symptoms for Tooth Abscess

Having a tooth abscess can be a very uncomfortable, if not to say painful experience. An abscess consists of an infection that has either reached a tooth, or the gums around a tooth. People notice they have an abscess when they start feeling pain, even though an abscess can develop for weeks without really feeling anything. Therefore, the main symptom is intense pain in the mouth, that comes from the infected tooth, but that can also spread throughout the whole side of the face.

Other symptoms can also tell if a dental abscess is about to take place:

• Gums might become red and puffy, with swelling around the tooth.
• Chewing food can become painful as the abscessed tooth is in contact with food or with other teeth.
• Infections can cause fever, which leads to general fatigue and even headaches.
• After the swelling occurs, pus might come out by itself and flow into the mouth. The pus’ taste is very bad, and it’s recommended to spit out the pus instead of swallowing it, but pain does calm down after this happens.

Full article: What Are the Symptoms of Having a Tooth Abscess?
Source: Dental Abscess
In French: Symptômes d’un abcès dentaire

Pregnancy and Dental X-Rays

If you are a pregnant woman and if you have a tooth ache, you might hesitate seeing a dentist if you wonder how safe X-rays are. Moreover, if you are in a situation where you just learned that you are pregnant and you are wondering if you should schedule a routine check-up with your dentist.

These worries are normal for a pregnant woman to have, especially if it’s your first baby and you want to take every precaution not to harm him. If you are suffering from toothache or if you have a dental emergency, your dentist would ideally need a proper X-ray to detect what the problem is.

Dentists and physicians generally do not recommend taking any X-rays during the first trimester of pregnancy. Furthermore, routine X-rays, which are usually taken during a dental check-up, should be postponed until after childbirth.

Emergency X-rays can be safe, if not carried on during the first three months of pregnancy. Your dentist would use a lead blanket to cover your body and protect your uterus from any radiation. Some dentists would also do treatments needing multiple X-rays, such as root canal therapy, but that remains controversial. Put in mind that major treatments can be also started while you are pregnant and continued after you have given birth. Therefore if you are suffering from dental pain, do not ignore it and call your dentist!

Complete article: Are Dental X-Rays Safe for Pregnant Women?
Source: Pregnancy and Dental Care
In French: Grossesse et radiographies dentaires

What Should You Eat if You Have Cancer?

If you have cancer and you are undergoing treatments, whether it’s chemotherapy or radiation therapy, your ability to taste changes, and you might find it more difficult to eat the foods that you are used to eating. But despite these uncomfortable difficulties, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet as it is recommended by your physician.

It’s important to get the right amount of calories and nutrients. Protein intake is something to consider everyday. You must also make sure you get enough vitamins by eating enough fruits and vegetables. If needed, you may take vitamin supplements that also provide minerals and calories.

Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol during cancer treatment. Tobacco is a strong carcinogen and should never be used in the first place, even less if you are diagnosed with cancer.

Acidic foods can cause irritation in your mouth. You should therefore avoid acidic, high-sugar beverages like soft drinks and energy drinks. Consumption of grapefruit, orange juice, and tomato juice should also be reduced because they are acidic natural foods.

Full article: Cancer Treatments and Oral Health
In French: Que faut-il manger si on est atteint d’un cancer?

What Can a Patient with Cancer Do about Dry Mouth?

One of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment is xerostomia (dry mouth). It’s an unpleasant sensation caused by a reduced production of saliva in the mouth. This condition can increase the risk of developing tooth decay and can also cause a burning or painful feeling on the tongue and all around the mouth.

If you have cancer, you should clean your teeth and mouth at least four times a day, and floss at least once a day. If there are areas in your gums that are bleeding or that are sore, floss gently around them.

You also need to use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, in order to give a higher protection to your teeth against cavities. You can rinse your mouth with a solution of baking soda and salt in warm water several times a day, and this followed by rinsing with water alone. Other commercial mouthwashes may also be used to rinse your mouth, but as long as they don’t contain alcohol.

Full article: Cancer Treatments and Oral Health
In French: Que faire si on est atteint du cancer et on souffre de bouche sèche?

What Should You Do about Your Mouth before Beginning a Cancer Treatment?

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are cancer treatments that have side effects which can cause discomfort, problems, or even pain in your mouth. Dentists recommend having a thorough dental exam at least two weeks before cancer treatment begins in order to reduce and manage the undesirable side effects.

Before the exam, you should notify the dentist of your health state with cancer and update your medical history. Your dentist should know who your physician is, what your cancer treatment will be, and other aspects of your cancer diagnosis. All this information will help your dentist understand and plan how to treat you, make the right recommendations and support your physician’s treatment plan.

Full article: Cancer Treatments and Oral Health
In French: Qu’est-ce qu’il faut faire à propos de sa bouche avant un traitement du cancer?

Can Cancer Treatment Affect Your Mouth?

Yes it can.

A patient who is diagnosed with cancer in any area of the body might need to go through radiation treatments and chemotherapy. These cancer treatments can affect your mouth causing many side effects:

• Xerostomia or dry mouth, which follows a reduced production of saliva.
• Pain or burning feeling in the mouth, tongue and gums which might follow a low amount of saliva in the mouth.
• Cavities because of the low amount of saliva.
• Jaw stiffness.
• Problems with eating, speaking, and swallowing.
• Decreased ability to taste foods.
• Periodontal disease.
• Weakened immune system in general.

If you have to go through a cancer treatment, it is important to consult your dentist to make sure your teeth and mouth stay healthy.

Full article: Cancer Treatments and Oral Health
In French: Est-ce que les traitements du cancer peuvent affecter la bouche?

Abscess Fracturing a Tooth

Can a tooth abscess really fracture a tooth? Of course, if it’s left there for a long time! A tooth abscess that has originated from a tooth is caused by a big cavity that has reached the pulp chamber. When the abscess is big and painful, there is a good chance that the cavity is also huge and compromises the integrity of the tooth. If it is not treated, the tooth might break apart to a point that no treatment can restore it, eventually needing to be extracted. If the fracture is not too big, the tooth might be restored by a root canal and a crown.

An abscess might also originate from the gums and not from a tooth itself. In that case, gum disease must be treated in order to eliminate the abscess. Daily oral hygiene care, including brushing and flossing, are very important to prevent gum disease.

An abscess is made of infection, and whether it originates from the gums or from a tooth, it is a bad thing to have in the mouth because the bacteria can enter your body and reach other organs. This can complicate diseases such as diabetes and caridiovascular disease.

Depending of how big the abscess is, usually prior to any treatments, antibiotic medication should be taken to control it. But put in mind that the antibiotic effect is only temporary and permanent treatment should be done.

Full Article: Can an Abscess Cause a Tooth to Break Apart?
In French: Abcès qui fracture une dent?

How Should Patients with Cancer Care for Their Oral Health?

If you have cancer it’s important for you to continue regular and thorough oral hygiene, which includes brushing and flossing two to three times a day. Remember that when you brush, use a soft or ultra-soft bristle toothbrush, and if the bristles are too hard, rinse the toothbrush in hot water for 15 seconds.

Also, when you brush your teeth, use a mild-tasting toothpaste because if too much flavour is added the toothpaste can irritate your mouth. If even the mild-tasting toothpaste irritates your mouth, rinse with salt and water after brushing your teeth.

To avoid gum disease, rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash, but it’s important to avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Since many mouth rinses sold in pharmacies do contain alcohol, you can ask either your pharmacist or your dentist to help you find a brand that does non-alcohol containing.

Last but not least, flossing in between your teeth is very important. When you go through chemotherapy or radiation therapy your mouth becomes drier from low saliva flow. You have more chances of developing tooth decay and gum disease. That is why you should floss at least once a day.

Full article: Cancer Treatments and Oral Health

Dental care for people with diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that is still incurable but that can be controlled by taking many precautions. If you have diabetes, you must look out for what you eat, exercise regularly, take your medication diligently, and also pay special attention to your oral health.

Among the oral problems that diabetes can trigger, dry mouth (xerostomia) and infections are the main ones. Xerostomia, or lack of saliva in the mouth, can have serious consequences, including tooth decay (cavities), the appearance of ulcers and fungal infections, and the difficulty of wearing dentures and partials.

Oral infections that diabetics encounter are the cause of periodontal disease. Gum disease, or periodontal disease, affects the gums and the bone that support teeth. Gum disease is more difficult to cure when you have diabetes. It is therefore important to maintain your gums healthy and have them checked regularly.

Furthermore, if you are diabetic and undergo oral surgery, healing will be more slow than usual. So whether you have a tooth extraction, wisdom teeth removal, or gum surgery, you must expect longer healing time.

Dentists recommend people with diabetes to have meticulous oral hygiene, by brushing and flossing preferably after every meal. It is also cautious to see your dentist for regular checkups, every three months if possible, for a tooth and gum exam, and a tartar scaling. At each visit, your medical history must be updated by informing any change of your diabetes state and the medication that you are taking.

If you feel that your gums are bleeding more than usual, it would be important to consult your dentist immediately. Gum disease is the worst oral complication that you can get when you have diabetes and it must be controlled. You must also notify your physician of the state of your oral health.

A lot of attention is needed to keep your mouth healthy. But if you act with the recommendations of your physician and your dentist, you can lead a healthy life for a very long time.

Full Article: Diabetes and Dental Care
In French: Soins dentaires pour les gens atteints du diabète

What if an Adult Tooth Falls out Completely after an Accident?

Sometimes accidents happen where a front tooth falls out completely after shock, without fracturing itself. This situation is serious and can cause stress, if it happens to us, or if it happens to our child. In these cases it is possible to put the tooth to where it was, but we must proceed immediately.

Here are the instructions to follow:

• A tooth that fell out, and which maintained its whole structure without any major fracture must be re-implanted within 60 minutes after the accident for having the best chances to remain in position. This applies to adult teeth only and not for deciduous teeth.
• The best option is to re-implant the tooth at the accident site. The tooth should be placed by an adult, either by the person who lost his tooth, or by another adult if it is a child who has suffered from the accident.
• It is important that the tooth is placed in its exact position, so it does not move when the patient bites his teeth together.
• If the tooth is dirty, it is important that the patient cleans it with his own saliva by putting it in his mouth. It should then be removed from the mouth and spit all the debris. By spitting hard, you can remove the blood clot that would have formed in the hole where the tooth was located, making the re-implantation of the tooth easier to do.
• The more quickly this is done; the better will be the chances of success.
• If for some reason the tooth cannot be placed in its right position, then it must be brought the dentist as soon as possible. The tooth can be kept in the mouth of the patient if it is an adult. If it’s a kid that had the accident, he or she may swallow the tooth; it is therefore better to keep it in a cup of milk, or in a saline solution (one cup of water mixed with half teaspoon of salt). The patient and the tooth must be taken to the dentist as soon as possible.

By following these instructions there are good chances that the tooth remains in the mouth for a lifetime. There are risks that it may need a root canal later, or it might need to be extracted and replaced by an implant, a bridge or a partial.

Full Article: Avulsed Tooth – What to Do When a Tooth Falls after an Accident
Source of pictures: Journal de l’Ordre des dentistes du Québec.
In French: Que faire si une dent adulte est complètement tombée suite à un accident?

What Causes Sensitive Teeth?

It is such a burden to suffer from a sensitive tooth. It bothers during meals, while drinking something hot or cold, even sometimes while breathing air through the mouth.

There are many factors that can cause sensitive teeth:

• Brushing the teeth in a hard or strong way can wear out the enamel and cause tooth sensitivity.
• If the gum level recedes, due to gum disease or vigorous brushing, the root becomes exposed, making the tooth sensitive.
• A fracture of a tooth can expose the dentin.
• Cavities and tooth decay can of course cause the teeth to be sensitive.
• Grinding the teeth wears down the enamel.
• Tooth whitening products can cause a temporary sensitivity to the teeth.
• Certain mouthwashes are acidic and long term use can wear away the enamel of the tooth.
• Foods high in acid content, such as soft drinks, citric fruits, or ice-tea, wear out the enamel if consumed excessively.
• Recent dental treatments (fillings, cleanings, root canals or crowns) can cause sensitivity to the repaired tooth for a few weeks.

A severe tooth ache, that is constant and prevents sleep, can be the cause of more serious problems and should be checked by a dentist as soon as possible.

Source: Sensitive Teeth
In French: Dents sensibles