Bite Checks

We provide general dental services to whole families at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park and carefully monitor the oral development of our pediatric patients. This National Children’s Dental Health Month, we thought it would be a good idea to discuss one of the less appreciated aspects of the biannual dental check-up: the bite check.

Bite checks consist of visual and tactile examinations. Using our office’s panoramic x-ray machine, we’ll determine whether a child’s teeth are at risk of coming in jumbled or impacted. We’ll also examine their teeth for unusual signs of wear on the enamel. Certain wear patterns could be caused by nighttime teeth grinding or clenching, also known as bruxism, and could be related to jaw pain, obstructive sleep apnea, or temporomandibular joint disorder. We will also feel the child’s temporomandibular joints (the ones connecting the lower jaw to the skull) and ask them to demonstrate closing their teeth together.

If we find evidence of a bite problem, there are a few solutions. A customized night guard can be used to protect teeth from bruxism and keep the child’s airways open at night. Typically, children get their first orthodontic assessment when they’re about eight. Treatment would usually not begin until they’re about eleven, but it could begin earlier if a dental misalignment is already causing problems. A bite check could also reveal whether we’ll need to extract wisdom teeth or a set of premolars to prevent overcrowding.

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.

 

Post-Extraction Swelling

Are you anticipating getting a tooth removed? There’s probably nothing to worry about. Here at Bayberry Dental Care, we routinely perform simple extractions that leave patients more comfortable and in a better position to care for their oral health in the future. We provide patients with instructions to stay safe and minimize discomfort while recuperating, but we thought it would be a good idea to teach people how to deal with swelling ahead of time.

Swelling prevents harmful pathogens from entering through the socket and makes membranes more permeable to peptides the immune system uses. But normally, the blood will quickly clot, sealing off the empty socket. In the first forty-eight hours after an extraction, the patient may try to minimize swelling by holding a cold pack against their mouth. The pack should be dry and they should use it for no more than fifteen minutes at a time. They should also allow fifteen minutes to pass before putting the cold pack back on.

Usually, swelling peaks within three days of an extraction. After that, a patient may try to speed its reduction by applying hot packs, again using the fifteen on/fifteen off rule. It will take a few days for the swelling to go down completely. Black or white discoloration around an extraction site requires urgent attention, but red discoloration is expected and will fade with the swelling.

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.

 

Reasons for Extractions

There are times when a tooth needs to be extracted. We try our best at Bayberry Dental Care to make sure that’s not often, but when it does happen, it’s for a good reason. Although extractions are routine procedures that almost always go smoothly, we thought it would be a good idea for patients to know why they might be recommended.

Baby teeth usually fall out naturally when the adult tooth is pushing them. But sometimes they may get stuck and create a risk that the other teeth will not be able to erupt in the right place. Even if the adult tooth is able to emerge, a stuck baby tooth is a challenge for oral hygiene. More commonly, it is an adult tooth that is causing problems for other teeth’s alignment due to overcrowding. The wisdom teeth are often extracted because they do not erupt until teenagers are already past the age when orthodontic therapy is most effective for major problems. It is also common in overcrowding cases for a set of premolars to be removed, since their function can be taken up by the remaining teeth.

A tooth may also have to be removed if it is badly damaged. Cracked crowns can be repaired, but there is no way to repair a cracked root or implant. In such cases, the patient will be in pain and at risk for infection. A dental pulp infection can also motivate an extraction, although a root canal is usually a viable option for saving the tooth.

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.

 

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

If wisdom teeth are impacted and embedded into the bone, this simply means that they don’t have room to emerge normally inside the mouth. Additionally, impacted wisdom teeth may try to emerge, but if they succeed, they will grow at an angle that keeps them from fully erupting. Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS of Bayberry Dental Care will likely suggest extraction for impacted wisdom teeth because keeping them will only result in pain, and/or infection.

Impacted wisdom teeth can cause serious periodontal issues and can make brushing and flossing both painful and difficult. As the condition worsens, impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain in the jaw, as well as frequent headaches, and even cysts. If your wisdom teeth are still intact and you fear that they may be impacted, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS to discuss your treatment options.

If you have questions or concerns regarding wisdom teeth extraction, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300.

Post-Operative Extraction Care

If Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS recently performed a tooth extraction on you, the good news is that the hard part is over. You aren’t out of the woods yet, however, because following post-operation instructions are critical to the healing process. Before you leave the office, you will receive a list of post-operative instructions. In case you decided to toss yours in the trash or leave it out of sight, we are here to remind you what steps to take.

Bleeding, pain and swelling are normal occurrences after oral surgery. Swelling is the body’s natural response to surgery and healing and it can be minimized by utilizing ice packs. If bleeding doesn’t subside, the best way to stop it is by placing two pieces of damp gauze over the extraction site. Most importantly, you’ll need to stick to a soft food diet. It may be hard, but remember that it’s not permanent. While numb, patients should avoid hot food and liquid, but cold foods such as applesauce, pudding, or Jello.  

If you have questions or concerns regarding tooth extraction or post-operative care, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300.

Experienced Tooth Extractions in Tinley Park, IL

While the best outcome is to save natural teeth, sometimes they do have to be extracted. Here at Bayberry Dental Care of Tinley Park, IL, we are well-experienced in extractions and perform them for patients when a tooth is not able to be saved. Removing a problematic tooth can prevent infection from spreading, relieve major pain, and improve the overall health of your mouth.

There are many reasons a tooth may need to be extracted including damage, decay, infection, overcrowding, and more. Very commonly-extracted teeth are the wisdom teeth. While some people experience no problems with their wisdom teeth, many experience overcrowding and impaction. When a tooth is impacted, it does not have enough room in the mouth to fully erupt. This can cause damage to other teeth, cause gum infection, and be very painful. In other cases, wisdom teeth are just too far back in the mouth to clean properly.

To extract a tooth, your dentist will use a local anesthetic to numb the area, or a more general anesthetic, depending on the complexity of the extraction. If an incision is needed to remove the tooth, your dentist will make that incision and remove any bone tissue, if necessary. The tooth is rocked back and forth until it is loose enough to be pulled out. Some cases need the tooth to be broken into pieces first. Afterward the area is stitched together if necessary.

If you are struggling with a painful tooth, come in for an examination. Appointments may be made in our Tinley Park, IL office by calling (708) 802-8300. For more information, visit the Bayberry Dental Care website, www.bayberrydentalcare.com.