2/19/13

Dealing with Dental Emergencies

Accidents happen all the time and not all of them require immediate care. But if you've had an injury to your teeth, mouth or jaw, you should see a dentist right away. If you’re not sure your problem is an emergency, here’s a list of the most common ones -- plus a few things you can do to minimize pain and damage before seeing your dentist:

Broken Tooth -- Save any pieces of the broken tooth and rinse your mouth out with warm water. Apply a cold compress to the area to decrease swelling and pain until you can be seen by the dentist.

Broken Jaw -- Apply a cold compress to limit swelling and see your dentist right away.

Knocked-Out Tooth -- Gently rinse off the knocked out tooth without removing any attached tissue. If possible, hold the tooth in place in the socket. Otherwise, put the tooth in a glass of milk and get to your dentist right away.

Something Stuck in Your Teeth -- Carefully try to remove the object with dental floss. (Don't try using a sharp instrument!) If you're unable to dislodge the object with dental floss, contact your dentist.

Toothache -- Rinse your mouth out with warm water. Then use dental floss to make sure there isn't any food or other debris causing the pain. If the pain persists, call the dentist.

Lost Dental Filling or Dental Crown -- For dental fillings, seal the area with a piece of sugarless gum or over-the-counter dental cement. If a dental crown has come loose, try to put it back in place with dental cement. If that doesn't work, bring it with you to the dentist.

Dental Abscess -- If you notice a painful, pimple-like swelling on your gums, rinse with salt water and immediately contact your dentist. Dental abscesses can lead to more serious infections if not promptly treated.

Tagawa & Curtis Orthodontics 714-990-5414 www.breasmiles.com
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2/18/13

Media Spotlight Falls on Singer Faith Hill’s Braces

At the Grammy Awards ceremony on February 10, singer and ceremony presenter Faith Hill wore ceramic braces. She also had appeared at the 2012 Country Music Awards in October wearing her braces. The singer explained that she had orthodontic treatment while growing up but neglected to wear her retainer after her braces were removed, necessitating additional treatment as an adult. Two of her children are also now in orthodontic treatment.

A series of media interviews with the singer included a February 12 segment on the Today Show on NBC, which included information contributed by the AAO.
 
View Interviews with Faith Hill about Her Braces:
 
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2/7/13

How Medications Affect Your Dental Health

If you're taking medications for certain health conditions, it may not have crossed your mind that they can also impact your oral health. After all, medications are supposed to bring equilibrium back to your system, not stir things up, right? Truth is a variety of prescribed medications can affect your teeth.
 
Antihistamines may cause dry mouth syndrome, which can lead to sore gums, making the mouth more prone to infection. Contraceptives and blood pressure medications may cause mouth sores, gum inflammation and discoloration. Blood thinners can interfere with your ability to form blood clots or cause heavy bleeding after a tooth extraction. Anti-seizure medications can cause an overgrowth of gum tissue (gingival hyperplasia) and make it difficult to practice good oral hygiene.
 
When you're taking medications and start taking other medications — whether prescribed, over-the-counter or illegal - it can change the effects of both the original and the new medications. Simply put, when certain drugs interact, they may increase or decrease the effects or produce another, unintended effect. This is why it's so important to keep your dentist informed about all the medications you take; any teeth medications you are prescribed will take this into consideration. 
 
- Tagawa & Curtis Orthodontics: 714-990-5414
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