Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare: Dos and Don’ts

Wisdom Teeth generally develop in our late teens or early twenties. In certain cases, Wisdom Teeth serve as a worthy asset to your mouth if strong and properly aligned. But in most cases, they are not aligned well and generally need removal.  Wisdom tooth extraction is a serious oral surgery.

Whenever we undergo any surgery the first thing we want is to let it heal properly and quickly. Therefore, we have prepared a list of wisdom tooth extraction to-do’s and don’ts.

Firstly the Dos:

  • Rest. Relax for the next couple of days. But that doesn’t mean you need to be completely bedridden.
  • Elevate your head. This will lessen your amount of swelling.
  • Use an ice pack for the first 24-48 hours after the extraction. Icing will minimize your pain and lessen your swelling. Apply the ice packs 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for 1-2 hour time periods.
  • Bite on your cotton gauze. The pressure will aid in stopping the bleeding.
  • Keep it clean. Gargle with a salt-water solution once a day.
  • Intake of liquid and soft food for a few days. For example, soups, mashed potatoes, yogurts, milkshakes, smoothies, etc.

  • Eat on the other side. It’s crucial not to disturb the wound in your gum and allow it to heal.
  • Do jaw exercises by slowly opening and closing your mouth. But you shouldn’t do this immediately after your extraction.
  • Drink sufficient amounts of fluids, especially water – but without using a straw!
  • Take your medicines as prescribed. Don’t skip a dose, or it will be difficult to soothe the pain later.
  • Brush gently. Brush your teeth from the second day after your surgery. But don’t brush the wisdom teeth extraction area.

Now the Don’ts:

  • Avoid using straws. Don’t suck, spit, smoke, or consume alcohol. Avoiding these helps maintain the blood clot that forms over the extraction region. If the clot becomes dislodged, you may experience more bleeding and more pain. A potential side effect will develop termed dry sockets.
  • Don’t eat, drink, or talk immediately after your surgery.
  • Stay away from solid foods. Avoid popcorn, potato chips, and other hard or crunchy foods for at least a week. Stay away from hot or carbonated drinks, spicy foods, sodas, etc. Dentists say you can eat solids only after 4-5 hours of extraction.
  • Don’t ever take aspirin. It’s a blood thinner and will delay clot formation.
  • Stop icing after the first 48 hours after your wisdom teeth extraction. Instead, use hot water on your extraction site. It will soothe your pain and promote healing.
  • Don’t poke into the gap created with your tongue, finger, tissue, or toothpick. It may delay your healing. Thus it may provoke bleeding and can also result in a dry socket.
  • Don’t rinse your mouth too strenuously. The pressure might dislodge the blood clot and result in complications.

Finally, visit your dentist if bleeding continues after 24 hours or if you experience great discomfort or fever.

Schedule Your Wisdom Teeth Extraction Today

We at Advanced Solutions Family Dental prioritize your safety and comfort. Our Surgeons are experts at wisdom tooth removal. We use the least invasive techniques possible to reduce discomfort post-surgery. So if you’re searching for a dental surgeon near me in Oak Forest, IL, then surely visit our office for your extraction.

 

Retrieve Your Beautiful Smile With Dentures!

Dentures or artificial teeth are an alternative way for missing tooth or teeth and surrounding tissues. This dental practice comes under Restorative Dentistry. Dentures are built from nylon, acrylic, or metal. Tooth decay, gum problems, poor oral care, tooth extraction, and other causes are the reasons for tooth loss.

When you are missing all your teeth, it might make your facial muscles look saggy, the reason for which you will look aged. Dentures are used to fill the gap restore your smile and provide protection to your other teeth. This helps the person to eat, chew, or speak smoothly.

Common kinds of dentures:

1. Complete (Full) Dentures – The best treatment for patients who lack all of their teeth. They are positioned on top of the gums and are anchored to existing teeth. They are generally placed within 8-12 weeks after the teeth have been removed.

2. Partial Dentures — Partial dentures are done when a patient still has some of his or her natural teeth in the upper and lower jaw. There is a pink-colored base which is connected to a metal piece. These pieces support the denture in your mouth. They are easily removable, meaning you can easily pull them out whenever you feel like.

3. Immediate dentures – Immediate dentures are generally implemented on the same date when your teeth are being removed or extracted.

What will your Dentist treat In Oak Forest, IL?

The denture treatment procedure requires several weeks and appointments. When your doctor or prosthodontic in Oak Forest, IL decides what kind of dentures is relevant for you, then the expertise will take a few impressions of your jaw and also the measurements. Then your doctor will start to create models, wax forms, or plastic patterns as per the apt shape and position of the dentures to be developed. Now you will have to try this model several times and the denture will be checked and verified for color, shape, and fit before it is finally built and handed over to you. You will have to visit our Advanced Solutions Family Dental office whenever adjustments are required.

Care for your Dentures

Generally, our mouths are covered with bacteria. Therefore, it’s not astonishing that you will require cleaning your artificial teeth regularly. Like natural teeth, you should brush daily. You can also use liquids, of course with doctor’s recommendations! To expand the durability of your dentures, you should handle them very carefully. Also, never bend them while cleaning, and avoid damaging the clips during brushing or cleaning. You should soak your dentures while you go to sleep and ensure that the dentures do not dry out. The dentist might also recommend you keep away from specific foods and drinks.

How To Know If You Need Root Canal Treatment?

A root canal is a procedure in which the dentist makes a small hole in an infected tooth and removes the tooth pulp, which often consists of blood vessels and nerve endings. Effectively, the procedure ‘deadens’ the tooth and thereby removes the discomfort you have felt. So the channels within the tooth are filled in with gutta-percha (a resin type) so the tooth is not left hollow and weak. It is sealed with another form of resin after the hole is filled (similar to what is used for a cavity) so that nothing can enter the tooth after the root canal treatment. Based on your dental background, the dentist may or may not agree on a dental crown, depending on the tooth in question.

How to know if you need a root canal?

A few things can help you determine whether or not you need a root canal. First, if you have a tooth significantly more sensitive to hot or cold temperatures than your other teeth, it may be a sign that you need a root canal. Second, if you have pain in your tooth when you bite down, this may also be an indication that a root canal is necessary. Finally, if you see visible decay or damage to your tooth, you may need a root canal to save the tooth. If you are unsure whether or not you need a root canal, it is always best to consult your dentist to get their professional opinion.

Signs that indicate that you need a root canal

#1 Persistent pain: If it hurts to put pressure on your tooth over several weeks, whenever you eat, it is not natural and should be tested.

#2 Hot or cold sensitivity: If drinking hot coffee or tea is causing toothache, this indicates that you have a problem. Similarly, it hurts when you eat or drink something cold, and/or you avoid using cold items on one side of your mouth because it causes toothache. This is a prolific symptom that indicates that you need a root canal.

#3 Tooth discoloration: Pale/discolored teeth may not necessarily need a root canal. Sometimes it may be due to poor oral hygiene or due to regularly consuming or drinking foods that are known to cause darkening of the teeth (such as coffee, alcohol, certain spices, etc.), but if the discoloration is limited to a single tooth, such symptoms mean that nerve or blood vessel damage has occurred and you should contact your dentist.

#4 Broken or chipped tooth: This may come by playing sports, constantly eating very hard or crunchy foods, or any variety of items, and so if a tooth has been chipped or broken, it needs to be replaced. Bacteria can get inside the tooth easily and cause an infection. A tooth infection can spread to the bloodstream due to the number of blood vessels in each of our teeth, producing a new set of problems! If you have a chipped or broken tooth, call your dentist immediately.

#5 Swollen gums: Anything triggers inflammation if the gums are swollen, sore, and painful. It could mean you have inflammation or something stuck in your gums, so your dentist will have it tested if it hasn’t subsided in a day or two to make sure you don’t need a root canal.

#6 Deeper decay: When decay sets in at the root of a tooth is a clear sign that you need to get a root canal. Decay will not be healed by a renewed approach to brushing or flossing. Also, something as simple as an overlooked cavity can expand and worsen to the point where it’s no longer an option to fix it, and more drastic steps are needed. If you postpone appointments for too long, a root canal can become your only real option.

Conclusion

It’s a priority for us all to keep our smiles perfect. Keeping your teeth clean can make your life significant, but frequent dental check-ups will keep your mouth clean and the rest of your body. Just as we sometimes get a cold, we may need to do dental work occasionally. Doing your best to keep your dental appointments up-to-date would go a long way to help reduce the amount of repair you need!

As a curative measure, it’s never too late to treat a root canal treatment, though. Get in touch with Advanced Solutions Family Dental, and we will give you the best root canal treatment in Oak Forest IL, for your root canal treatment.

5 Signs of Gum Disease

When we think of dental health, we probably think only about the teeth. Yet gum disease is very common—nearly half of American adults suffer from this condition. Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease that can progress into periodontitis, a serious condition. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to infections, gum recession, and even tooth and bone loss. Not only are your gums an important part of your oral health, but they also impact your overall health.

If you spot the early signs of gum disease, you can prevent the condition from advancing and get periodontal treatment early on. Gum disease is difficult to treat when it reaches its advanced stages. This is why it is necessary to recognize the signs of gum disease. This is why we want you to be aware of these five signs of gum disease:

Early signs of gum disease

#1 Red or Swollen Gums are the primary symptoms of gum disease

Redness and swelling are a few early warning signs of gum disease or gingivitis. You might notice swelling in one isolated area or across your gum line. Swelling, or inflammation, is caused by irritation from bacteria and tartar build-up on the teeth. Swollen gums are likely to be painful and sensitive to hot or cold temperatures.

#2 Another symptom of gum disease is Bleeding 

You should not experience gum bleeding when you floss or brush. This is another common early sign of gum disease if your gums bleed. It is a serious warning sign, but we can easily help you restore your oral health at this stage with the correct treatment. So if you see blood when you brush, inform your dentist.

#3 Bad Breath

Chronic bad breath, or halitosis, can also be one of the signs of gum disease. Gum disease creates pockets in your gums, where odor-causing bacteria can build up. These pockets of bacteria can be healed with a thorough gum cleaning.

#4 Receding Gum Line is an early sign of gum disease

If you’re wondering whether your gums are receding, one way to tell is by looking at your teeth. Do they look longer? This might be an indication of receding gums. By the time this symptom appears, your gum disease has progressed to a serious level. As the gums pull back, the tooth root may become exposed, leaving it vulnerable to bacteria and decay. Scaling, root planning, and antibiotics are required to treat gum disease at this stage. A graft may even be necessary to rebuild the gum line if the gum recession is extremely advanced.

#5 Loose Teeth

In advanced periodontitis, the fibers and bone supporting your teeth are destroyed by bacteria because the receding gums leave them exposed. This can cause your teeth to shift or loosen, affecting your bite. If aggressive treatment can’t save them, the loose teeth may need to be extracted.

Periodontal disease is a serious infection of the gums and bones supporting teeth. It is caused by plaque, a sticky film of food and bacteria that forms on the teeth. Plaque leads to inflammation of the gums, which can eventually destroy the gum tissue and bone that support the teeth. Periodontal disease symptoms include bleeding, red and swollen gums, bad breath, loose teeth, and chewing pain. If left untreated, periodontal disease can cause tooth loss. Treatment for periodontal disease includes professional cleaning, scaling and root planing (a deep cleaning), antibiotics, and surgery.

Preserve Your Smile with Gum Disease Treatment

It is necessary to understand that your gum health plays a significant role in your overall health. The good news is that gum disease can be easily prevented with good oral hygiene practices and early gum disease can be reversed with regular professional teeth cleanings. If you are concerned about any of these signs of gum disease, reach out and make an appointment today with the best dentist for periodontal therapy in Oak Forest, IL today.

Importance Of Regular Dental Visits

Did you know that 61% of adults all around the world have dental anxiety? If you’re one of them, don’t feel bad about it! It’s really common. However, one thing that you should be concerned about is your oral health. 4% of all the adults around the world who have dental anxiety have never visited the dentist, as per a study published by Dental Products Report. Not visiting the dentist regularly (at least twice a year) can have adverse effects on your oral health.

Thus, here are the reasons why you give regular dental visits:

Why you must visit the dentist regularly

1. To get scanned

X-rays and other digital imaging technologies help in determining if there’s anything to be concerned about with your oral health. Complications in your oral health could give you signs so subtle that you may not even notice them. These are the subtle signs that give way to irreversibly dangerous oral diseases. Such signs could be as subtle as a mere toothache.

Technologies like Radiograph help in getting the most enhanced and refined digital pictures of your oral health, to spot even the most minute issues vividly.

2. Detecting oral cancer

Oral cancer screening with Velscope has made oral cancer detection at the earliest stages a possibility. A visit to the dentist for screening could be a highly preventive measure since a Velscope can spot oral cancer in its premature stages with absolute accuracy.

3. Preventing gum disease

Gum disease is more severe than it sounds. It’s even linked to heart attacks. Most people don’t show any signs of gum disease until their gums start to bleed. That’s too late, though! A regular dental visit, however, can spot the signs in its earliest stages, and keep your gums healthy in the long run, while also determining if you need periodontal therapy.

4. Keeping plaque, tartar, and cavities at bay

A visit to the dentist will get you professional dental cleaning. This is important to get rid of plaque and tartar that cause cavities and decay. Brushing can never get rid of tartar, which causes cavities and decay. Thus, regular dental visits can save your tooth from any dental infection.

5. Expert consultation

Most of us have something about our oral habits that we want to change- like some people have the habit of grinding teeth (bruxism). Such habits can actually prove to be harmful to your dental or overall oral health and only regular professional consultations with a dentist can solve the problem.

To get the best out of your investment at the dentist’s clinic, you must choose the best dentist in the first place. If you’re in Oak Forest IL, you can get the best dentist in Oak Forest IL near you open today!