by Bay Dental | Apr 14, 2016 | Tooth Health
And what is that, anyhow? The surrounding tissues in your mouth are very susceptible to inflammation, which is otherwise known as periodontal disease. In fact, over half of the adult population will have inflammation present in their mouth. In the last 5 to 10 years, there has been a shift in thinking about the consequences of this chronic inflammation. In the past, it was generally agreed that the consequence of this inflammation was that it lead to tooth loss. In recent years, however, there has been rapid change in understanding inflammation and its consequence in humans. The consensus is that there is a connection and linkage between all inflammatory processes. Those inflammatory processes don’t just include the periodontal disease we’re talking about here, but also systematic disease such as cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes. Looking at the body from this perspective, it’s clear that tooth loss is not the only consequence of periodontal disease. While in the past, your dentist might only have been concerned about your oral health, we at Bay Dental want to ensure you’re healthy from head to toe. From a total body health perspective, that means we need to assess whether a patient has periodontal disease or not and how advanced it is. To assess periodontal diseases, we of course need accurate data to establish a diagnosis and a baseline for examinations in the future. This can only be done with a comprehensive periodontal examination. As you’ve just read, periodontal disease can be related to other diseases in the body – meaning this examination is just one more way Bay Dental is looking after your...
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...
by Bay Dental | Feb 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
It’s strange to hear about our teeth having roots – aren’t those normally reserved for things like plants? Just like a tree’s roots keep it in place in the earth, our teeth’s roots keep them anchored in our mouths – an important job! The first three teeth in both the top and bottom job have only one root. The fourth and fifth teeth have one root on the bottom jaw (usually) and the top fourth tooth usually has two small roots, like the tops of rabbit ears. The fifth tooth usually has one root. The sixth and seventh teeth (molars) usually have two roots on the bottom jaw and three roots on the top jaw. The third molar (wisdom tooth) demonstrates a lot of variability, from 1-3 roots. Usually, the lower wisdom teeth have...
by Bay Dental | Feb 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
We hear a lot about fluoride – it’s likely in your toothpaste and maybe even in your drinking water. What we don’t often hear, however, is what this useful element actually does for our teeth. To start with, our teeth are covered in a mineral called enamel. Enamel has a crystalline structure to it called hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite has a certain strength to it that helps to protect our teeth and keep them healthy. When acids from the foods we eat attack hydroxyapatite, it can break it down and begin the decay process. This is where fluoride comes in. When fluoride interacts with a tooth there is a change in the crystal. A new crystal, called fluorapatite, is formed. Fluorapatite is actually stronger than hydroxyapatite! This means the tooth, with its new crystalline structure, is more resistant to acid attack and therefore, decay. With use of fluoride, there is approximately a 50% reduction in decay. I know there might be some chemistry folks out there who are interested in how this happens – in fact, the OH (Hydroxyl ion) in hydroxyapatite is replaced with a Fl (Fluoride ion) to make fluorapatite, which has a higher bond strength. If you have any questions about keeping your teeth healthy give us a visit at Bay Dental located on West Georgia downtown Vancouver. Feel free to give us a call at 604-569-0099 to book an appointment....
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