Smoking and Pulp Infections

It’s well-known that smoking will stain the teeth and put the smoker at risk for oral cancer. But only recently have scientists started investigating what it does to the inside of a tooth. We’re experienced providers of root canal therapy at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park and we’ve been able to save many teeth that would have otherwise been extracted. But a new study shows that smokers face additional challenges combatting dental pulp infections.

Pulpitis, or dental pulp inflammation, is an immune system response that isolates harmful bacteria. It can be triggered by a dental injury or by an infection. One of the immune system’s core components is the antimicrobial peptide, which is an amino acid that kills bacteria. However, pulp infections often prove difficult to fight, and if they progress, they can cause pain, bad breath, and facial abscesses.

A recent study found that smokers lack antimicrobial peptides in their dental pulp. It was already known that smokers had weakened immune systems and were more vulnerable to gum infections, but now we know they suffer more recurring pulp infections, as well. We will continue to work hard to prevent the spread of pulp infections, but we want patients to understand why smoking complicates their treatment. We also wanted to pass along the researchers’ observation that antimicrobial peptides sometimes grow back after people quit smoking.

Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171^st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit Bayberry Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Electric Toothbrush

There is nothing wrong with using a traditional toothbrush to clean your teeth as long as you’re cleaning the right way. When using a traditional toothbrush it is crucial that patients brush their teeth for all two minutes to clean properly. But studies have shown that a large number of people don't clean their teeth for the appropriate amount of time. Dentists at Bayberry Dental Care recommend an electric toothbrush to get the most effective clean possible.

With a traditional toothbrush, there are an estimated 300 strokes per minute while cleaning, compared to the thousands of strokes per minute an electric toothbrush produces. This translates to cleaner teeth with less plaque buildup and gum disease. There are a variety of electric toothbrushes to choose from and a variety at different prices. It is recommended that you ask someone at Bayberry Dental Care to find out which toothbrush is best for you.

Dr. Kathleen Falsey stresses brushing properly is the most important thing, but for anybody who has trouble brushing and is looking for better oral hygiene should consider an electric toothbrush. The electric toothbrush will clean the spots you may miss with your traditional brush and help prevent additional plaque buildup from occurring.

Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171^st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit Bayberry Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

When Baby Teeth Don't Fall Out

Are you embarrassed to smile because you’re an adult with baby teeth? We at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park would like to help you. Retained deciduous teeth, or baby teeth, are a somewhat unusual phenomenon, but not all that rare. Treatment will depend on the teeth’s exact position, but we want patients to understand that extractions may be the best thing for their dental health and bite comfort, as well.

Typically, the roots of the baby teeth dissolve as the permanent teeth erupt. There are a few reasons why this may fail to happen, such as if the roots are fused to the jaw bone. But in a lot of cases, the adult teeth simply never develop. The lateral incisors in the upper jaw are the teeth that are likeliest to be congenitally missing. The baby teeth would never fall out if nothing is pushing them, but we can still extract them. After that, we may place an implant to mount an artificial crown or provide the patient with a denture.

Sometimes the adult tooth develops but pushes through the gum line at a different place from its baby equivalent. This most often happens with the central incisors in the lower jaw. As a result, a person could have two sets of teeth. Overcrowding and dental infections would likely ensue, since teeth are very hard to brush when they are jumbled behind each other. After extracting the baby teeth, we would likely refer the patient for orthodontic care.

Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171^st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit Bayberry Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.