Jul 10, 2017 | Blog, General Dentistry
Other than your regular dental exams and cleanings, when should you see a dentist?
Dr. Robyn Moreau
If you have a toothache.
Any tooth pain should be investigated by your dentist. It could be a sign of an infection, a broken tooth or a cavity. By acting quickly and seeing your dentist, he or she can diagnose your problem and help treat it before the pain and the problem get worse. Dr. Moreau and Dr. Martin always make room in their schedules to accommodate emergency patients. If you are in pain, call us today so we can see you right away.
If you notice swelling or a lump.
A new swelling may be a sign of an infection. A lump could be related to an infection or could be a sign of cancer. It is important to have these looked at by one of our dentists or your family doctor. Most of the time, these lumps and bumps are signs of infection and need to be addressed before the infection gets worse. In the rare chance that it is a sign of cancer, you want to have it diagnosed as soon as possible to be able to have it treated quickly. There are other reasons for swellings or lumps to appear in your mouth, head or neck area and having them checked out by a dentist or physician is always recommended.
If you notice a tooth has gotten loose.
Loose teeth can be a sign of progressing gum disease (periodontitis), infection, trauma or oral cancer. Any looseness should be looked at by one of our dentists so it can be treated. A tooth that is loose can fall out if the cause is left untreated. Oral cancer and infection can spread to affect other teeth, the bones of your face and into soft tissues. An infection or cancer left untreated could be life threatening. Gum disease can be managed with routine dental cleanings. Most loose teeth can be treated so call us today to have Dr. Moreau have a look at it and come up with a treatment plan for you.
If your gums start to bleed.
Bleeding gums can be a sign of gum disease, a nutritional deficiency or infection. If you notice your gums bleeding when you eat or floss, call us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Moreau. Your mouth should not be bleeding so don’t let it go unchecked.
If you notice a white, red or other coloured area in your mouth.
Changes in the colour or texture of the soft tissues in your mouth can be a sign of infection or cancer. Dr. Moreau and Dr. Martin will have a look at the area for you and if necessary, send you for a biopsy. It is always better to be safe then sorry with any change in your mouth.
If you break a tooth.
A broken tooth could be from trauma, a weak tooth that broke down over time or a cavity. Even if your broken tooth doesn’t hurt, it is important to have it looked at as it may be the first sign of a bigger problem. Most broken teeth can be fixed by either a filling or a crown, but sometimes they need to be extracted. Dr. Moreau or Dr. Martin can have a look at your broken tooth and give you your options. Chances are they will want an x-ray of the tooth to assess the damage and that can be done when we see you. By addressing the broken tooth early, hopefully it can be easily fixed.
If you notice a dark spot on your tooth.
A dark spot on one of your teeth could be a cavity forming or some stain that is collecting in the tooth surface. It is always best to have one of our dentists check it out so that if it is a cavity, it can be fixed before it starts to cause you pain.
If you lose a filling.
A lost filling may be simply that, a filling that was lost, or it could be a sign of something more serious going on. If you lose a filling, even if you think it is no big deal, call to schedule an appointment. It could be a sign of a cavity or fracture that should be addressed sooner than later. Even if it is just a lost filling, a lost filling puts your tooth at higher risk of developing a new cavity as the now exposed area of your tooth is more porous then the outer enamel and harder for you to keep clean. Drs. Moreau & Martin will likely recommend the filling be replaced so you can avoid a cavity forming there.
Any trauma to your teeth or mouth.
If you are in an accident or have any other source of trauma to your teeth or your mouth, you should be seen by a dentist, even if you do not see any damage. Having x-rays and an exam done on the affected area gives your dentist a baseline in case something happens in the future due to the trauma and helps them diagnose problems that you may not be able to see from the trauma but that they can. A bit of extra attention after a trauma can help prevent pain and problems in the future.
Overall, if something in your mouth changes, or it doesn’t feel right, you should schedule an appointment to have it checked out. Dr. Moreau always says that it is better to have something checked out and it be nothing, then to ignore something and it be serious. So if something doesn’t feel right, let us know and we will schedule you an appointment as soon as we can.
May 31, 2017 | Blog, General Dentistry, X-rays
Our dentists recommend that everyone have a panoramic x-ray taken every 5-8 years.
You may ask:
- What is a panoramic x-ray?
- How is that different than a regular x-ray?
- What is it for?
Let me explain.
What is a Panoramic X-ray?
A panoramic x-ray, or pan, is an x-ray that shows the dentist your entire jaw, all of your teeth and the structures that surround them. The dentists are able to see the location of major nerves, your sinuses, developing teeth and pathologies. They can look at your jaw joint (TMJ) and the bones of your mouth. A panoramic x-ray is a great overall screen for the health of your mouth.
How is that Different than a Regular X-ray?
Regular intraoral x-rays (the ones you bite on) show 2-6 teeth, depending on the location and type of x-ray being taken.
Bitewing X-ray to look for cavities and monitor bone levels
Bitewing x-rays (the ones we take to check for cavities) only show half of each tooth.
Periapical X-ray showing the whole tooth structure
Periapical x-rays show the whole tooth, but only a few teeth are captured here.
The panoramic x-ray shows all of the teeth in one x-ray. The detail in a panoramic x-ray is not as clear as a bitewing or periapical but is great for showing development, lesions and as an overall health screen. Bitewings and periapicals will be recommended as well when necessary to check for cavities, bone levels or infections. Dr. Moreau & Dr. Martin will recommend certain x-rays for specific reasons and are more than happy to discuss this with you.
What is it for?
Let’s talk about specific reasons to take a panoramic x-ray.
We recommend that all of our new patients have a panoramic x-ray done, unless a recent one is available from your previous office. This allows our dentists to have a baseline of your oral health to compare to in the future, and also allows them to diagnose many dental issues. After that, and for all other patients in our office, we recommend a panoramic x-ray every 5-8 years, depending on your specific situation.
We routinely recommend children have a panoramic x-ray between ages 6 and 8 to check that all of their adult teeth are developing properly and in the right position. This allows our dentists to intervene early if they notice a problem with your child’s developing teeth. Then around 18 years old, we will take another panoramic x-ray to look at the development of your child’s wisdom teeth. Many people do not have the space in their mouth to allow the wisdom teeth to come in. Our dentists want to diagnose that early so we can make recommendations on if and when the wisdom teeth will need to be removed.
For any patient who is considering orthodontic treatment, a panoramic x-ray is needed for planning your treatment. The pan allows the dentists coordinating the orthodontic treatment to properly plan the phases of treatment. It allows the dentist to see the position and location of your teeth as well as your roots. Follow up panoramic x-rays are often taken during and after orthodontic treatment to evaluate the progress and final result of the treatment.
Any patient who is having jaw pain should have a pan taken. It allows the dentist to look at your jaw joint as well as evaluate your mouth for any lesions that may be the source of the pain.
Wisdom teeth are a common source of jaw pain. The panoramic x-ray will show our dentists if you have any wisdom teeth as well as where they are located. The pan will allow the dentists to safely plan for the extraction of any wisdom teeth that need to be extracted. By showing the dentist not only the location and position of the wisdom teeth themselves, but also the location of your mandibular nerve and maxillary sinuses, the panoramic x-ray allows the dentists to evaluate the risks of the surgery and plan accordingly.
Lastly, panoramic x-rays are used to check the bones of your mouth for infections and lesions. Infections can grow in your bones without you knowing about it, but will show up on a pan. Lesions such as oral cancer, cysts or other anomalies can be found on a panoramic x-ray that would otherwise go undetected until more advanced. Routine panoramic x-rays allow our dentists to diagnose these problems hopefully in the early stages so that they can treat you better.
If you have any questions about panoramic x-rays or if you should have one done, please don’t hesitate to ask our dentists at your next visit.
Panoramic X-ray Machine
May 29, 2017 | Blog
Nicole, our receptionist, handing out toothbrushes in Cuba
During our recent office holiday, Nicole, one of our receptionists, and her husband traveled to Cuba. She took some of our toothbrushes with her to hand out to local children and adults. She also bought an assortment of toys, clothes and other items to hand out to people in need. A big thank you to her and her husband for their generous spirit in thinking of others while away on a tropical vacation.
May 16, 2017 | Blog, General Dentistry
Well, we do think you are special and your teeth are too!
Dr. Robyn Moreau or Dr. Tom Martin probably recommended a crown to protect one of your teeth from breaking. Or, if you already broke a tooth, to restore it to its proper shape and function. Crowns are used to protect your root canal treated teeth from breaking and from getting reinfected. If a tooth is weak from a large filling or has crack lines running through it, a crown can help protect your tooth from breaking. Crowns are also a great option to change the shape or colour of a tooth that you are not happy with. Small, misshapen or discoloured teeth can be improved with a porcelain crown in the colour of your choosing.
A crown or “cap” covers over the top and sides of your tooth to protect it. On your first appointment, we will shape your tooth to get it ready for the crown. Then we take some impressions of your teeth and make you a temporary plastic crown to cover over your tooth until we see you again. We send your impressions to a dental lab here in Kelowna to make your crown. Each crown is custom made by the talented dental technicians for each tooth, taking into consideration form, function, and esthetics.
Model of prepared tooth
When you come back about 2 weeks later for your second appointment, we will remove your temporary crown. We try your new crown in to make sure it both fits well and looks nice and then permanently cement the crown in place. Your tooth will now be restored and protected.
Porcelain Crown
Crowns can be made from porcelain or gold. Some crowns even have porcelain and metal fused together into a Porcelain Fused to Metal crown. All three types of crowns are good materials, some are just better for some situations then others. Talk to one of our dentists to find out which option would be best for your situation.
Gold Crown
Putting a crown on your tooth helps to protect it from damage, but is not a forever fix. On average, crowns last about 10 years with proper care. You will need to brush and floss your new crown just as you would your natural teeth. As your crown is cemented onto the natural tooth, you can still get decay forming around the edges of the crown if not properly cared for. Regular x-rays will help us monitor the health of your crown so we can help you maintain healthy teeth.
Mar 9, 2017 | Antibiotics, Blog, General Dentistry, Medications
“Do I need to take antibiotics before I see my dentist if I have had a joint replacement done?”
This is a very common and confusing question for patients of our office who have had joint replacement surgery, either for their knee or their hip. The problem is the guidelines keep changing. That is why the dentists at Kelowna Family Dental stay up to date with the recommendations on antibiotics for dental patients with joint replacements.
Our society is plagued with many antibiotic resistant infections which is causing alarm in the medical community. And rightly so. We all want medications to work when we need them to. This has caused a movement to try to limit the unnecessary use of antibiotics. In considering this, the Canadian Dental Association, the Canadian Orthopedic Association and the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada have released new recommendations for antibiotics for dental patients with joint replacements based on the most up-to-date scientific research. These new recommendations are guidelines only and our dentists will defer to your medical doctor or surgeon for their professional opinion.
Simply put though, unless your surgeon or medical doctor has recommended that you take antibiotics for dental procedures following your hip or knee replacement surgery, we do not recommend you taking them. If your surgeon wants you to take them, then our dentists can write you a prescription for the antibiotics so you can take them before arriving for your dental procedure. If he or she has recommended antibiotics, then they are trying to protect your artificial joint from infection and we want to support you and them in doing the same.
If you have had a hip or knee replacement surgery, please talk to one of our dentists or your surgeon to find out if you still need to be taking these antibiotics or not.
Antibiotics Premedication for Joint Replacements
Dentists recommend that patients undergoing total joint replacement or those who have already had their hip or knee replaced maintain optimal oral health. Daily brushing and flossing as well as regular hygiene appointments will help decrease the number of bacteria in your mouth that may affect not just the health of your teeth and gums, but also your whole body. The healthier your mouth is, the healthier your whole body will be. By lowering the number of bacteria in your mouth, you can lower the risk of bacteria infecting your new joint replacement. Ask our dentists or hygienists what you can do to improve your oral health at your next visit.
*This is for your information only and should not be used to replace proper medical or dental advice.
