by Bay Dental | Mar 3, 2016 | Dental Care for Kids
Every parent knows the struggle of getting kids to brush their teeth and floss. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those “lose the battle, win the war” situations – teeth need to get brushed and flossed. It’s of paramount importance to ensure your kids are doing everything they (and you!) can to make sure their teeth are as healthy as possible. Here are some tips to keep your child’s teeth in great condition: 1. Teeth with deep pits and fissures should be evaluated for the risk of developing a cavity. You can discuss this one of our dentists at Bay Dental, who will evaluate any potential for decay. If that potential is there, your child’s teeth should be sealed to ward off cavities. 2. It’s important to educate your child about plaque removal. Show them how to effectively brush and floss to remove plaque from their teeth, and areas of high plaque accumulation should be pointed out. 3. An evaluation should be made with your child’s dentist on an ongoing basis to ensure your child is accomplishing plaque removal. A dentist can best assess your child’s teeth and help you and your child develop good dental health habits that will last a lifetime. 4. Fluoride varnish should be applied to the teeth by a dental professional. If you’re not sure what this is or if your child is receiving this treatment, talk to your child’s dentist. 5. Ultimately, just like caring for adult teeth, your child’s dental health comes down to good brushing and flossing technique. We’re happy to help you with this – in fact, it’s our job. A dentist can...
by Bay Dental | Mar 3, 2016 | Tooth Health
Abscessed teeth are common and many people suffer from them and are treated without ever really understanding what’s going on with their teeth. This common expression – an abscessed tooth – most likely means a few different things. It universally implies infection, which is the presence of bacteria in the pulp (or the most interior aspect) of a tooth. That bacteria may also extend to the bone just beyond your tooth. Bacteria usually first enters a tooth through a cavity in the visible part of the tooth – yet another reason to visit your dentist regularly to treat cavities and other dental health issues as soon as they crop up! Most people will get a toothache at this stage, which is often the first indication that something is wrong. There may be a very small abscess in the pulp of the tooth at this point. Not all people will get a toothache, and sometimes people that have had a toothache will find that the toothache just goes away. In these cases, the bacteria will move further into the pulp of the tooth and follow the root to its tip. At the tip of the root there is a tiny hole, allowing the bacteria to travel through and enter the bone. Once the bacteria are in the bone, a person’s immune system will try to wall off the infection. A variety of symptoms may develop depending on who ‘wins the war’ between the bacterial invasion and your immune system. These symptoms can involve pain on biting, swelling, and tenderness to pressure above the tooth. More severe generalized pain and swelling...
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