When Can You Repair A Denture?
There a lot of considerations that go into whether your denture can be repaired after it has been damaged. The most important things to keep in mind are what type of denture you have as well as the type of damage or wear it has. The information below will give some rules of thumb as to what kind of damage can be repaired and when you would be better off having a new denture made. Over the course of my career I’ve made most of the mistakes already so I can tell you what works well long term and what doesn’t!
Full Dentures
Repair or reline
- A tooth fell out. This is usually the easiest type of repair and can often be done at your dentist’s office.
- The denture is loose but there isn’t a lot of wear to the teeth or pink acrylic . A reline is the best option here.
- A small crack that doesn’t extend all the way through the denture. As long as the crack hasn’t changed how the denture fits, you can usually get a good result with a repair.
Replace
- Cracked in half or cracked enough to change how it fits. Even the best repairs in this case won’t hold up forever.
- Severely worn teeth. A lot of people will ask if they can just replace the teeth on their denture. Technically it can be done but it isn’t a good idea. Making a new denture is the only way to get a good result.
- Holes in the denture. It is pretty rare to see holes in dentures unless they have seen some pretty significant use over time. Once the wear has progressed to this point the only option is a new denture.
- Cosmetic problems with tooth size, alignment, or position. Cosmetic problems can rarely be fixed without making an entirely new denture.
Flexible Partial Dentures
Flexible partial dentures are some of the most difficult types of dentures to repair. Traditional types of dentures use hard acrylic or metal substructures that can easily be added to. Flexible partial dentures on the other hand use a nylon type material that doesn’t lend itself easily to repairs. This makes them lighter, better looking, and resistant to breaking but challenging in other ways.
Repair
- A tooth fell out.
Replace
- It doesn’t fit anymore or stay in place.
- Need to add a tooth where you had one extracted.
Partial Dentures With Metal Clasps
Cast metal partial dentures with metal clasps are the easiest types of dentures to repair. Their big advantage is the fact that they have a very durable metal structure as their base. New clasps and teeth can be relatively easily attached to this structure without making an entirely new denture.
Repair
- One or possibly two broken metal clasps.
- A tooth fell out.
- You had to have a tooth extracted and would like to have it added to your partial.
Replace only the teeth and acrylic
- Severely worn teeth.
- The pink acrylic part no longer fits to your gums.
- The acrylic is broken.
Replace the entire partial
- Any portion of the metal is cracked.
- Multiple clasps missing.
The Repair Process
If you do decide to get your denture repaired there are a couple of things you can do to make the process go more smoothly.
- Be prepared for some impressions!
- For partial dentures they’ll take an impression with the partial already in place (in most cases).
- For full dentures they’ll usually have to remove some material from your denture and then use the actual denture to take an impression of your gum tissue.
- Most dentists will send your denture out to a lab for the repair. Be prepared to be without it for several days. Repairs in a dental lab are usually far more permanent than if the dentist does the repair themselves.
As with all advice on this website, please check with your dentist for a final recommendation. These recommendations may not apply to your specific case!
Why Does My Tooth Hurt After Getting A Filling?
You thought you did the right thing. You got your filling done like the dentist recommended. Now your tooth hurts when it didn’t hurt before. What gives?
There are a couple of reasons why your tooth might hurt after getting a filling done. The good news is that most of them will get better with some time.
The most likely (and fortunately most common) reasons your tooth might hurt…
- The nerve in your tooth is irritated. Every time a tooth is drilled on it causes some amount of irritation to the nerve of the tooth. This is a result of all the vibrations, heat, and removal of tooth structure during the preparation of the tooth. You may have some sensitivity to hot and cold that goes away quickly. In technical terms this is known as “reversible pulpitis”, literally meaning inflammation of the pulp (nerve) of the tooth. Once your tooth has had a chance to recover this sensitivity usually goes away. The amount of time for this to occur is different for every person.
- Your muscles are sore from the injection. Depending on the type of injection given you may have some soreness in the area where the needle was inserted and you may have some muscle pain. It can be difficult to open and close. This type of pain goes away within a week or two at most.
- Your gums are sore from the work. Some cavities extend under the gumline. In other cases the bands and rings used to keep your filling in place can cause some minor irritation to your gums. Most issues of gum irritation will go away within 2-3 days after your appointment.
- Your bite is high. When you’re numb, it can be very difficult to tell if your bite feels right. You can also struggle to bite in the correct place. A high bite can cause a tooth to become very sensitive to hot, cold, and pressure. The tooth doesn’t even necessarily have to feel like the bite is off for you to develop some symptoms. Once your dentist adjusts the filling, the pain usually goes away within a couple of days.
- The bond to the tooth may not have set up correctly. White fillings are generally bonded to your tooth with an adhesive system. These adhesives are very sensitive to any contamination from saliva or blood in the area. It can even be microscopic particles that contaminate it. Even the best dentists occasionally get bond failures. In the case of a bond failure the filling will need to be replaced.
The rare (and not so much fun) reasons why it might hurt…
- You need a root canal. Every time a tooth is drilled on, it causes irritation to the nerve. This damage over time is cumulative… that is, every time your tooth is drilled on it causes a little more damage that adds up. When the total amount goes beyond a certain point the nerve can become so inflamed and irritated that it is no longer able to recover. This point is different for every person and every tooth. The best you can do is minimize the number of times your tooth needs to be worked on. This condition is known as “irreversible pulpitis” and is the type of tooth pain that people associate with a bad toothache. This type of pain usually is moderate to severe, radiates all over, can make the tooth hurt all it’s own, and often wakes you up at night. If you’re having these types of symptoms, you should get checked out at your dentist. The only solution when a tooth has reached this point is either a root canal or an extraction.
- Your tooth is cracked. Contrary to popular belief, fillings do not strengthen teeth. They actually weaken them. Some teeth will develop cracks in them following a filling procedure. This is another difficult to predict complication of dental treatment. If you have a cracked tooth it can cause random symptoms including pain while chewing, hot and cold sensitivity, and random pain. Depending on the extent of the crack, treatment can range from just needing a crown to needing a root canal all the way up to needing an extraction because the tooth is no longer able to be saved.
Are Mini Implants Any Good?
Have you seen dentists advertising the use of mini implants to stabilize your denture? If you’re like most people, you’re probably wondering what makes mini implants different than regular implants… and are they a good solution for stabilizing your denture?
Dental implants are the best solution for the replacement of teeth today. Your dentist or oral surgeon completes a surgical procedure to place a titanium screw into the bone. These implants can be used to replace individual teeth as well as anchor dentures or bridges. Dental implants are described in many ways including by brand, length, and especially by diameter. Regular size implants are approximately 3.3 mm up to 6 mm in diameter. Mini implants are those implants with diameters of 1.8 mm up to 3.3 mm. Those are what we’re going to talk about here.
Traditionally, mini implants were only used as temporary devices. While waiting for the full size implants to heal, the temporary mini implants were used to hold a temporary appliance in place. When they were ready to use the full size implants they would just remove the temporary ones.
The next stage in the development of mini implants was that some people started using them as a permanent solution for stabilizing dentures. For lower dentures they would place four separate mini-implants. For upper dentures they would place six total. The first company to do this was Imtec who developed the MDI system. They were eventually bought out by 3M ESPE. These are still the most common mini dental implant system out there.
This diagram shows what the mini implants actually look like and how they attach to your denture. The implants are all one piece which includes the top “ball” portion, a tissue portion, and the actual titanium screw that is inserted into the jawbone. Metal housings with o-rings inside of them are placed into the denture and these snap onto the implant over the top ball portion. This is different than most traditional implants. Most traditional implants that are placed only have the screw portion. Separate pieces called abutments are used to attach dentures or create teeth to attach.
I’ve taken their weekend course and placed mini implants on some of my patients. I’ve also had plenty of patients who have had traditionally sized implants placed at the oral surgeon that I then used for dentures or other types of tooth replacement. I think my experience has given me some good insight into the limitations as well as the advantages to using mini implants.
The Advantages to Mini Dental Implants
- They are usually less expensive.
- The are usually placed and loaded (the denture attached) the same day.
- Less surgical trauma on average
- Can be used when only a thin ridge of bone is available under a denture without bone grafting.
The Disadvantages to Mini Dental Implants
- The only qualifications for placing mini implants are an 8 hour weekend course.
- Most mini implants are placed by general dentists with far less experience placing implants than oral surgeons, periodontists, or general dentists who focus on implants.
- Studies have indicated that mini implants may have a higher failure rate than traditionally sized implants.
- Minimal long term studies have been done as compared to traditional dental implants.
- Because they’re only one piece, if the attachment breaks, the entire implant must be removed.
With all that, do I recommend mini dental implants? Very honestly, it depends on your situation and who will be placing them. With a good surgeon they can be a perfectly acceptable option as long as you’re aware of their limitations and possible risks. I’ve found that the people who benefit most from mini implants are more elderly, with a good bit of bone loss, and who would like a solution to moderately stabilize their denture without bone grafting or other extensive surgery. If you’re a bit younger and still have good bone left I would recommend having traditionally sized implants placed. The long term statistics on traditionally sized implants are very good. The failure rate is in the low single digits. This will give you the best possible chance of a solution that will hold up in the long term.
Invisalign
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign uses a system of clear aligners that snap down over your teeth. These aligners are changed periodically and slowly move your teeth into position without having to wear unsightly braces. Most people won’t be able to tell you are wearing anything.
What kind of impressions, x-rays, or pictures are needed?
At a minimum your dentist will need to take a set of 8 photographs of your face and teeth and take special upper and lower impressions of your teeth. Most dentists will also take a panoramic x-ray and occasionally a lateral cephalometric x-ray. All of these help them create a customized treatment plan to align your teeth.
What happens in the first appointment?
In the first appointment your dentist will bond some “composite buttons” on your teeth. These “buttons” are made out of the same material used for fillings on your teeth. The buttons allow the Invisalign trays to apply special forces to your teeth and move them more effectively.
If necessary, your dentist may also do some reshaping of the enamel between your teeth. This is known as “interproximal reduction”. Small sandpaper strips or discs are usually used to do this.
Once those two things have been done, your dentist will try in your first set of Invisalign trays. The trays will snap down over your teeth and they will feel super tight! You may struggle getting them back out. If the trays fit correctly your dentist will give you the next couple of sets of trays and have you change them out every one to two weeks. Invisalign has actually adjusted the recommendations recently and now say that trays should be changed once a week instead of every two that they used to recommend. That’s it for the first visit.
What will it feel like?
The first couple of days to a week after you put the first set of trays in, your teeth will be very sore and sensitive. This is normal and will go away with some time.
Each time you switch to a new set of trays you’ll experience a little bit of soreness again. Again this is normal. The soreness shouldn’t be nearly as bad with each successive set of trays.
You may also struggle to speak correctly for the first couple of weeks after starting Invisalign. It takes a couple of weeks for your tongue to get used to the new position it needs to go to. If you practice speaking to yourself, you’ll get over this learning curve faster.
How often do I have to wear my trays?
You’ll want to wear your trays for a minimum of 22 hours a day. That means you can take them out to eat and when you brush and floss. That’s about it. The more consistent you are with wearing your trays, the better results you’ll get. If you don’t wear them often enough your teeth can actually move backwards several trays! I’ve seen this happen before.
What kind of complications can I expect?
There aren’t usually too many complications associated with Invisalign treatment and most are temporary or can be fixed easily…
- Rarely people may be allergic to the material used to make the trays
- Trays can break occasionally, especially if you’re rough with them
- People tend to throw their trays away accidentally
- Occasional TMJ or jaw pain
- Speech problems
- Mild-moderate tooth soreness
- Teeth may not move as expected which requires extra trays and time
Are there any tricks to make Invisalign more effective?
- Your dentist may give you something called “chewies” to bite on when you first put your trays in. This helps to push them all the way in so that they are able to create the best forces on the teeth. If they don’t give you chewies you can either buy some from Amazon or you can use something else. Cotton rolls or plastic pens work well. Basically you want to bite on something firm in order to push the trays all the way on to your teeth. This is what it looks like…
- Wear your trays as much as you’re possibly able to
- Wear your retainers when treatment is over! You don’t to waste your big investment by not doing this.
Is there any way to speed up treatment?
Yes, there are a couple of options that can be used to increase the speed of treatment by 20-50%. Not all dentist and orthodontists offer this.
Acceledent – This is a special device that bite on for twenty minutes a day. The device generates small vibrations that help your teeth move more quickly. The biggest challenge is doing this consistently every single day. You can expect a 20-30% decrease in overall treatment time with this device.
Propel – Propel helps treatment go more quickly than with Acceledent but it is much more invasive. This protocol involves your dentist or orthodontist make small “micro-perforarations” in the bone around your teeth. These small holes create changes in the bone that allow your teeth to move more quickly. Treatment can be sped up by 30-50%.
How do I clean my Invisalign trays?
Rinse out your trays with water after you take them out and before you put them back in. You can brush them with your toothbrush but don’t use toothpaste as this will scratch the surface and make it accumulate more build-up and stain. You can use regular dish soap to clean them if you’d like.
Is there anything special I need to do for my teeth while I’m wearing my Invisalign trays?
- Avoid sugary foods and drinks as the sugar can get trapped in the trays and rapidly cause decay on your teeth
- Brush and floss better than normal
- Avoid foods and drinks that are heavily colored and can stain teeth (coffee, dark tea, dark sodas, red wine). If the stain sits in your trays it will stain your teeth quickly.
- Always brush your teeth before putting your trays back in. I know it is a pain to carry a toothbrush with you everywhere but it is definitely worth it to avoid developing cavities during treatment.
Can I whiten my teeth with my Invisalign trays?
Yes! Invisalign trays work great for whitening because they seal against your teeth really well. Place a small dab of whitening gel in the tray and seat it in place over your teeth. You can do this for about 30 minutes every day until you get the whitening results you want. For more information on the different concentrations used and where to get them, check out my whitening product guide.
Can Invisalign be used to treat anyone?
Invisalign can treat most orthodontic cases today, especially if used by a very experienced provider. I personally work with some orthodontists who use it almost exclusively. There are some specific situations, especially with younger children, impacted teeth, and severe jaw problems that cannot be treated with Invisalign though. Age doesn’t make a difference in whether you are a good candidate for Invisalign or not. My grandfather did Invisalign at age 70!
Do You Need A High Fluoride Toothpaste?
Did you know that brushing with a fluoride toothpaste consistently is one of the single easiest ways to reduce the number of cavities you develop? A 1000 ppm fluoride toothpaste reduces cavities by approximately 23% while a toothpaste in the range of 2400-2800 ppm reduces cavities by about 36%. A 5000 ppm high fluoride toothpaste reduces the cavity risk even more, estimated to be about a 42% reduction. This is huge for something you only have to spend about 4 minutes doing!
Over the counter toothpastes come in an array of different concentrations. Typical over the counter concentrations range anywhere from 1000 parts per million (ppm) to 1500 ppm in the United States. Other countries allow higher concentrations. It gets even more confusing on the packages because they aren’t always labeled with their fluoride in parts per million. Instead they like to label them as a percentage of their fluoride compound. Here are some conversions to give you an idea of what the different concentrations are equal to.
1000 ppm = 0.4% stannous fluoride, 0.22% sodium fluoride, or 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate
1500 ppm = 0.6% stannous fluoride, 0.33% sodium fluoride, or 1.14% sodium monofluorophosphate
5000 ppm = 1.1% sodium fluoride
Confusing right? I’m a dentist and I struggle to keep up with all these different percentages! Don’t worry, I’m going to make this easier on you though. If you have a low risk of developing cavities start using Colgate Total. It’s a good toothpaste with 1100 ppm of fluoride, low abrasiveness, and is helpful for reducing gingivitis and inflammation. Fluoride concentration isn’t going to be as big a deal for you. If you have a higher risk for cavities or any of the following conditions, we’re going to get to what you need here soon…
Who should use a high fluoride toothpaste?
I think more people should be using a high fluoride toothpaste than currently are. As of now it is a relatively rare to see patients using a prescription strength, high fluoride toothpaste. People at the most risk will benefit from it the most…
- Active cavities
- History of cavities in the last couple of years
- Exposed root surfaces
- Large numbers of fillings or crowns present
- Dry mouth
- Sensitivity
- In braces
There a lot of people who fall into these categories. I’d estimate upwards of half of all people I see fall into one, if not more of these categories.
What are the benefits of a high fluoride toothpaste?
- It reduces your risk of developing cavities
- It can remineralize areas of demineralized enamel
- It can stop existing cavities from getting larger
- It can reduce sensitivity
- It has low abrasiveness values (in all the products I’ve seen anyway)
To give you an idea of just how effective high fluoride toothpaste can be let’s take a quick look at one specific study. Researchers compared high fluoride toothpastes to regular strength toothpastes on patients at extremely high risk of decay. Who were these people? Elderly patients in a nursing home. Elderly patients are especially at risk because they usually have a dry mouth from medications, they struggle to keep their teeth clean with reduced dexterity, and they usually have plenty of root surface showing on their teeth. These root surfaces are at an extremely high risk of decay. In these nursing homes they didn’t treat these root surface cavities with fillings. They just brushed twice a day with either regular strength fluoride toothpaste or with high fluoride (5000 ppm) toothpaste. The results? There were far less active cavities and far more arrested cavities in the group using the high fluoride toothpaste. The high fluoride toothpaste actually helps to stop the spread of existing cavities and even reverse them in some cases.
What are the instructions for a high fluoride toothpaste?
- Most dentists will recommend that you brush with it once a day for two minutes. Brush with regular toothpaste another time during the day.
- Spit out any excess toothpaste but don’t rinse. This allows the fluoride to absorb into your teeth better.
- You should avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after brushing.
Can kids use a high fluoride toothpaste?
Children age 6 and up, up to age 16 can use this toothpaste with some special rules.
- Only a tiny smear should be used on their toothbrush.
- They must be able to spit it out effectively.
- They should rinse their mouth out thoroughly with water after brushing and spit that out as well.
What are the common brands?
Clinpro 5000, Prevident 5000, and Denta 5000 are the most common brands you’ll see. All are good.
How do I get a high fluoride toothpaste?
Toothpastes with 5000 ppm require a prescription. Easiest way to get a prescription? Ask your dentist for one. Pretty much any dentist will be thrilled that you care enough to use a high fluoride toothpaste and will quickly write it for you.
What are the dangers of high fluoride toothpaste?
The biggest danger with high fluoride toothpastes is if a child gets a hold of them and eats a lot of the toothpaste. Please keep high fluoride toothpastes out of reach of children.
Otherwise, there are very few other complications associated with high fluoride toothpaste. It is a topical product so there is very minimal exposure to the rest of your body.
Loose Adult Teeth
Most kids are so excited when they loose their last baby tooth. They think they’ll never have to deal with a loose tooth again. Unfortunately there are some situations where you’ll find that one of your adult teeth is actually loose too.
Gum Disease
Gum disease is the most common reason for loose teeth. Over the course of years and years being affected by gum disease, you slowly lose bone around your teeth until there isn’t enough support to keep the tooth securely in place.
If your teeth are so loose from gum disease that you can notice it, the odds of being able to save the tooth long term are pretty low. It takes a lot of bone loss to get a tooth noticeably loose. You should see a dentist or periodontist ASAP to see if there is anything that can be done.
Abscess
A dental abscess is an out of control infection around your tooth. Your body sends in white blood cells and other factors to help fight the infection. This creates pus and swelling in that specific area which can be very painful. Most abscesses form when the nerve inside of your tooth dies and the infection coming from your tooth causes a larger infection outside of it. Occasionally abscesses form just from severe periodontal disease (this is known as periodontal abscess). When an abscess forms around a tooth it destroys the bone in the area. When enough bone has been destroyed the tooth will get loose.
Abscesses must be treated by either extraction of the tooth or a root canal. Just taking antibiotics may help temporarily but it will come back once the antibiotics have worn off.
Traumatic Occlusion
Some people have teeth that hit harder in certain spots than others. Or they’ve lost most of their back teeth so that only their front teeth touch. When teeth take more pressure during regular biting, chewing, and sleeping than they are used to, they can develop some amount of movement. This is known as traumatic occlusion.
The best treatments for traumatic occlusion are either a nightguard to reduce the effect of nighttime grinding or to splint the teeth together with a wire / fabric strip. The teeth are much stronger when they are connected together than they are alone.
Braces
If you’re in braces or Invisalign and your teeth are loose, no worries! This is actually a good thing. Putting pressure on teeth literally causes the bone on one side of the tooth to start breaking down and bone to be created in the area where it is moving from. A consequence of this movement is that the teeth will be loose during the whole process. Once the teeth have moved into the correct position they’ll tighten up again and you won’t notice a difference (except for how they look!).
Trauma
If you’ve recently hit your tooth hard some amount of movement on it is pretty normal. Your tooth should tighten back up within a couple of weeks maximum. Keep a close eye on that tooth after that. Sometimes it will turn colors, the nerve can die, or it can be more likely to crack in the future. Also let you dentist know about the trauma so that they can keep a closer eye on the tooth in the future.
Your Dentist’s Philosophy
One of the hardest things to get to know about your dentist is their philosophy of dental treatment. Did you know that most dentists can’t agree when a cavity first needs to be filled, when a tooth needs a crown, or the best way to get your mouth healthy again? The calculations that go into figuring out the answers to these questions are often subconscious and a complicated mix of the dentist’s training, experiences, and state of mind. So how do you know whether your dentist is a good fit for you in terms of their philosphy? Let’s find out!
Let’s take this tooth as a specific example. It has an old amalgam filling in it with some staining around the edges and a nice crack running down the side of the tooth. When a random set of dentists was surveyed, here were their responses…
- 6 Dentists said do nothing
- 14 Dentists said just watch it for now
- 6 Dentists said they would remove the amalgam and place a new filling
- 1 Dentist said he would do an inlay restoration
- 22 Dentists said they would put a crown on this tooth
Wide range of responses right? There is literally everything from “do absolutely nothing at all” all the way to doing a full crown to cover the entire tooth. If asked, most dentists would be able to justify their decision with a good reason too.
- Some would say, well if it breaks we’ll take care of it then.
- Others would say a crown is overkill but that filling is starting to break down and needs to be replaced.
- And other would say that there is a risk of the tooth breaking catastrophically and it needs a crown to protect against that risk.
Honestly, they’re all good arguments and none of them are necessarily wrong or right.
A lot of dental treatment really comes down to your risk tolerance and I think it is important to have that conversation with your dentist when they are making recommendations.
Most dentists are somewhere along this scale. Your job is to figure out where they are on it.
No treatment unless there is a definite problem ———-> Some preventative treatment ———> Fix everything before it becomes a problem
I’ve worked with dentists who are all along this spectrum. I personally lean more towards the “no treatment unless their is a definite problem” side of things. Every single time a tooth is drilled on it shortens that tooth’s lifespan. I’d like to hold off on that as long as possible. The downside to this approach is that you’ll occasionally have teeth that break catastrophically, cavities you were watching that get super big all of a sudden, and other rare problems occur.
Have that conversation with your dentist about their specific philosophy and what you like. Most will be more than happy to explain where they are at. If they won’t have that conversation with you, they may not be a good fit for you. A good dentist who talks about this with you will also be more likely to take your risk tolerance into account when making treatment recommendations.
Does Ozone Work For Dental Treatment?
If you go to a holistic dentist you may have heard them recommend using ozone for the treatment of various dental conditions. I’ve seen it recommended for almost every scenario in dentistry including reversing cavities, treating gum disease, whitening teeth, disinfecting root canals, and treating sensitive teeth. Now anytime someone says they’ve got a product that cures everything, I get a little nervous. Most things that sound too good usually are. Let’s take a look at the evidence out there to see if it is worth doing.
The Claim:
Ozone gas is known to kill microorganisms very effectively. It is claimed that if you flow this gas on teeth or put it in place in an oil or water suspension you’ll get excellent disinfection results.
The Evidence:
I usually start with the Cochrane Collaboration on topics like this. Here is the conclusion they came to after studying all the available evidence…
“There is no reliable evidence that application of ozone gas to the surface of decayed teeth stops or reverses the decay process. There is a fundamental need for more evidence of appropriate rigour and quality before the use of ozone can be accepted into mainstream primary dental care…”
Researchers have also tested ozone therapy on patients with diabetic foot ulcers to see if it speeds healing. As with dental ozone therapy, there just isn’t a whole lot of good quality research out there. They couldn’t say if it was effective in this situation either.
I did a pretty extensive search for other topics related to ozone use in dentistry. I couldn’t find any other positive research except from the same group that initially developed this procedure. I worked in a research lab for a while before I was a dentist and I saw firsthand how researchers like to “spin” their research to come to a specific conclusion. I personally like to see independent research on a topic before believing it.
It’s important to note on these reviews that they didn’t say that ozone definitely doesn’t work. They just said that there is no evidence proving that it does work. I’ll keep an open mind until such time as research proves or disproves it’s effectiveness.
Some other questions to consider with ozone…
- Ozone is provided as a gas most times. Gases don’t stay in place and are quickly diluted. How would it disinfect your tooth if it doesn’t stay in place long enough?
- How do you get enough ozone gas down below the gumline to treat gum disease?
The Conclusion:
Ozone may have some effect but current research doesn’t provide us with any evidence that it is effective. I personally wouldn’t bet the health of my teeth or the rest of my mouth on something that may or may not be helpful. There are a lot of other standard treatments that are known to be effective and I’d stick with those. Some of these treatments have risks associated with them. No doubt. But we do know that they work. Unless better research comes out proving the efficacy of ozone, I’d avoid it.
Seven Things Your Dentist Wants You To Know
1. Avoiding cavities is primarily about limiting HOW OFTEN you get sugar.
Cavities are directly related to how often you consume sugar or acidic drinks. Everytime you eat or drink something with sugar or acid, it bathes your teeth in it. The pH in your mouth drops and the bacteria get to work breaking down your tooth enamel. If you’re taking a sip or bite every 20 minutes your teeth never get a rest! Limit eating to mealtimes and one or two designated snack times. You can do everything else right, but if you don’t do this you’ll still continue to get cavities.
2. We don’t recommend flossing just to be annoying! It helps you keep your teeth and keep the rest of you healthy.
The most common area we see a lot of build-up on teeth is in between them. You can’t see or remove this yourself. It is this build-up between teeth that often leads to gum disease (bone loss, infection, and eventually loss of teeth). Flossing, using softpiks, or a Waterpik are the only ways to clean in between your teeth.
3. Please take that little extra time to brush your teeth well!
Brush for a full two minutes. Most people only brush for about 30 seconds on average. You can’t even get close to removing all the plaque on your teeth in 30 seconds no matter how hard and fast you brush. Don’t believe me? Get some disclosing solution and put it on your teeth before you brush. See if you can remove it all in 30 seconds of brushing. I guarantee you can’t do it. Brushing that full two minutes will help protect your teeth from cavities, gum disease, and give you minty fresh breath throughout the day.
4. Don’t wait until something hurts to see your dentist.
Most dental problems don’t hurt until they are really bad! Would you wait until you had a heart attack before getting treatment for heart disease? Of course not. It should be the same with dental problems. They should be taken care of while they are small and uninvolved. Major dental work is also far more expensive than minor fillings and scaling and root planing. A crown is at least 4 times as expensive as a filling. If you need a root canal, you’ve just doubled that cost. Get things taken care of early!
5. Your mouth is closely connected to the rest of your body.
Chronic gum disease has been linked with a huge number of other medical issues including heart disease, diabetes, pneumonia, pancreatic cancer, and a variety of other conditions. Treating the gum disease can positively affect these other areas.
6. The more still and cooperative you are during treatment, the faster it will be over.
Your dentist can work about twice as quickly if you stay still, open big, and follow directions. I know that dental treatment can sometimes be uncomfortable but if you can stay calm it can be over much more quickly. Also please don’t sigh and moan throughout the procedure if you’re not in pain. Again this makes everything go much more slowly as the dentist is worried that something is wrong.
7. Don’t be embarrassed to come in even if it has been a long time.
No matter what you have going on you’re not going to surprise your dentist or hygienist. We’ve seen just about everything and most of us aren’t going to be judgmental in any way. Our #1 priority is getting your mouth healthy again.
Mouth Sores
Canker Sores
Canker sores (also known as ulcers) are the most common type of mouth sore for someone to get. They can be related to a variety of different triggers including…
- Trauma (such as biting your cheek or tongue)
- Crohn’s Disease
- Vitamin deficiency
- Allergies to chemicals in your toothpaste or mouthwash
- Foods especially citrus and spicy foods
- HIV
- Autoimmune diseases such as Lupus or Behcet’s Syndrome
Some people get small single ulcers, some people get a couple of large ones, and some people will develop a lot of small ones. They show up differently in every person. Some people have them show up constantly while other people only develop them once or twice a year.
Virus Related Sores
- Hand, Foot, and Mouth – This is usually a pretty easy one to figure out based on the name. If you’re infected with this virus you develop small clusters of blisters on your hands, feet, and in your mouth. You can also get the little blisters on your legs and arms as well. Most cases don’t need any treatment other than letting it run it’s course.
- Primary Herpetic Gingivostomatitis – This happens in children most often. When children are first infected with this specific type of herpes virus, they can develop a reaction to it where they get blisters and ulcers all over their lips and inside their mouth everywhere. This is another one where it needs to run it’s course. Treating the symptoms is the best you can do.
- Chicken Pox – This is much more rare to see these days as a result of the vaccine that started to be adminstered about 25 years ago. Chicken pox can cause small blisters to form all over your skin and occasionally in your mouth as well.
- Shingles – Shinges is related to the chicken pox virus (herpes zoster). The virus reactivates causing severe pain in a specific area. Mouth sores and pain are a pretty typical with shingles.
Cold Sores
- These are usually caused by the herpes virus reactivating within your nerve. They most commonly occur on or around you lips. Before you can actually see the sore, you’ll start to feel an uncomfortable or tingly feeling in the area where it is about to appear.
- If you notice it before it breaks through you can place medication on which will help reduce it’s duration. Some dentists will also use a diode laser on these areas which has also been shown to reduce the length of the outbreak.
Tooth Related Sores
- Abscess – An infected tooth cause infection to travel from the bone all the way out through your gum tissue. This will usually look like a small swollen area, similar in appearance to a pimple, and will often have some pus that comes out of it if pressed. A bad taste often accompanies this.
- Periodontal infection or abscess – You can also develop painful infections from periodontal disease that leads to ulcers or sore areas. These can look similar to an abscess from a dead toth.
- Antibiotics may make these areas go away temporarily but you need permanent treatment at a dentist when it gets to this point. Teeth where the nerve has died either need a root canal or need to be extracted. A periodontal abscess requires either scaling and root planing, periodontal surgery, or the tooth to be extracted.
Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (NUG)
People under a lot of stress will sometimes develop this condition. Dentists who work near a college or university see a lot of these cases right around the time finals comes around. The gum tissue right around their teeth becomes extremely sore and starts to break down. You can get an almost white appearance of the gums right around and in between the teeth. A lot of pain goes along with this. Your dentist will usually prescribe a chlorhexidine mouthrinse to help treat it.
Mouth Sores Associated With Dentures
If you are wearing your denture all night long, you can develop denture stomatitis underneath the denture. This happens most often with top dentures. This is usually a combination of a fungal and bacterial infection on the roof of your mouth that causes some significant irritation. Leaving your denture out at night will help to head this off.
If you have an area of your denture rubbing too hard you can develop an ulcer in that area. These usually won’t go away on their own without your denture being adjusted. This is most common with a denture that has been recently made or a denture you’ve had for a long time and no longer fits as well as it used to.
Angular Cheilitis
This is when the corners of your mouth get red, cracked, and sore. The most common causes are having few or no teeth (so your mouth closes more than usual), licking your lips, vitamin deficiency, or an infection. Most infections here are at least partially fungal related. Most dentists will prescribe an antibacterial and antifungal ointment to place on the area. In most cases this will be sufficient to solve your problem.
Sore Tongue
Your tongue can develop sore areas for a variety of reasons…
- Thrush (fungal infection) – This will appear as whitish coating on the surface of your tongue that you can rub off. Underneath it will be red and painful. This most commonly happens when you’re taking an antibiotic.
- Burned tongue from something hot
- Biting your tongue
- A sharp or broken tooth
- Vitamin deficiency (especially B vitamins)
Oral Cancer
Most other types of sores in the mouth heal within two weeks. If you have a mouth sore that isn’t healing you should have it checked out. Another warning sign that it may be oral cancer is if it doesn’t hurt. Most canker sores hurt quite a bite, especially if something touches them. Sores caused by oral cancer usually don’t hurt at all.
Strep Throat
A specific type of streptococcus bacteria can infect the tissues and tonsils at the back of the throat. This specific bacteria causes the tissues to break down leading to pain, especially while swallowing. Most doctors treat this with antibiotics.
Tonsillitis
Your throat or tonsils can become inflamed for a variety of reasons including allergies, colds, the flu, and other types of infection in the area. Most cases don’t need any treatment except for gargling with salt water and some time for your body to heal.
If you’d like to know what the best over the counter medications are for mouth sores, check out my recommendations here.