If you have no particular periodontal problems and take care with flossing and brushing getting a deep cleaning once every six months should be fine. Sometimes your dentist will recommend coming every three or four months if you already have some troubles with your gums. If there is any tendency for build-up it’s important to take special care with your oral hygiene and not skipped your deep cleanings.

Just as with a pain in any other part of the body a toothache is the body’s way of telling you there is something wrong.

The ache of a tooth is caused by something having broken through the natural defenses of the teeth and gums such as the hard enamel on the outside of the teeth.

A usual cause of a toothache is the cavity. Here bacteria has broken through the enamel and caused a small hole. This exposes, to a greater or lesser degree, the underlying nerve causing pain.

If the gums are infected – perhaps from not flossing on a regular basis – the infection can spread and causing swelling and inflammation around the nerve of the tooth – which will, in turn, cause a bad toothache.

Whatever the reason, if you get any sort of pain in your gums or teeth, see you dentist right away. Taking care of the problem quickly will save time, money and most importantly, pain.

When bacteria accumulate in areas where food has been trapper between the teeth or at the back of the tongue bad breath can result.

It’s important not only to brush well but to get rid of the bacteria that collects at the point farthest in the back of your tongue.

A device used in many other cultures which has recently seen an upsurge in the United States is a tongue scraper. This is a simple device made of plastic or metal. You scrape the device across your tongue and it removes this hard to reach bacteria build up which helps freshen your breath. When you use a tongue scraper every day you’ll notice less and less of a build up as time progresses.

Currently there is no known cure for canker sores. However, there are treatments which can help ease the pain and discomfort and help them heal.

The type of treatment depends in part on the severity of the sore.

Minor canker sores can be treated with home remedies or over-the-counter products.
Some of the home remedies include bathing the area with a salt water and sodium bicarbonate solution and swabbing with a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide.

Saltwater and Sodium Bicarbonate:
Mix ½ tsp sale with ½ cup warm water. Swish this solution around in your mouth and then spit (preferably in the sink). You can also add baking soda to the mix and make a paste. Cover the canker sore with this paste and it should take some of the pain away.

Hydrogen Peroxide Remedy
Mix even amounts of hydrogen peroxide and warm water. With a cotton swap gently dab the solution onto the canker sore. Do not swallow the solution.
Major canker sores such as those that do not go away or have developed secondary infections must be treated by your dentist. These treatments can include prescription antibiotics or steroids. Canker sores is a problem you dentist has seen many times and he or she will be able to help.

When wisdom teeth come in healthy and properly positioned they are a valuable asset to your mouth.

However, too frequently problems occur which make it better to have them removed. Sometimes a person’s jaw is not large enough to accommodate their wisdom teeth. This can make it difficult for these teeth to come through or if they do come through can cause other teeth to go out of alignment.

Sometimes wisdom teeth may only partially comer through, grow sideways or remain trapped beneath the gum and the bone.

Here are some reasons your dentist may want you to have your wisdom teeth removed.

The wisdom tooth only partially comes through leaving an opening for bacteria to get in around the tooth. This can result in pain, swelling, stiffness of the jaw and general illness.

A cyst forms causing problems with the gums or bone near the wisdom tooth.

The poorly aligned wisdom tooth is causing or likely to cause damage to the adjacent teeth.

If you have any doubts about whether your wisdom teeth need to be removed get a second opinion. However, if they do need to be removed remember many, many people have had their wisdom teeth pulled and it has caused no difficulty or change in their looks or eating habits.

The way you look and the way you feel about yourself, your own feeling of self-confidence are affected by your teeth and your smile.

Here are some cosmetic procedures that help, when needed, to give you a brighter nd more confident smile.

Teeth whitening: Whitening, also called bleaching, brightens teeth that are discolored or stained. Teeth whitening can either be done completely in your dentist’s office or can be done with a combination of in-office and in-home procedures.

With Bonding a tooth-colored material is attached or ‘bonded’ to the teeth to improve the appearance of teeth that are chipped, broken, cracked or stained.

Veneers are custom-made shells that are placed on the front part of a tooth that is chipped, worn, slightly crooked or permanently stained

For children or adults braces are the standard treatment for teeth that a crooked, crowded or do not meet properly.

If you have any attention on the look or feel of your teeth talk to your dentist about what cosmetic procedure he or she recommends to give you that perfect smile.

In keeping with my purpose of ensuring patients understand what their dentist is talking about I thought I would give a brief definition of abscessed tooth.

An abscess is an accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. With regards to dentistry an abscess is a painful infection at the root of the tooth or between the gum and the tooth. This is usually caused by severe decay but can also be caused by trauma such as breaking a tooth.

The most obvious, to the patient, symptom of a tooth abscess is a severe and continuous toothache. Other symptoms may include a fever, pain when chewing and redness or swelling on the gums.

The most common reason for bleeding gums is inadequate plaque removal from the teeth at the gum line. This leads to inflamed gums, a condition known as gingivitis. If plaque is not removed through regular brushing and care by a dentist or oral hygienist, it will harden into what is known as tartar. Ultimately, this will lead to increased bleeding and more advanced gum and jawbone problems.

Some other things that can cause gums to bleed during regular brushing include hormonal changes during pregnancy, brushing too hard or with too hard a toothbrush, improper flossing or any bleeding disorder.

If you notice your gums bleeding when you brush chances are it’s just time to see your dentist.