YOUR DENTURE CARE

complete upper removable denture





Partial removable upper denture










A denture is a removable/fixed appliance employed in dentistry to replace missing one or more teeth. It can be a partial denture when it replaces one or more teeth in the mouth but not the entire teeth while it is called a complete denture when it replaces all the teeth in the mouth. A removable partial denture is available, affordable, comfortable to wear, easy to use and maintain .It’s a must have for people with missing upper teeth to restore esthetics and other functions.

Functions of dentures

1.       Replaces your missing teeth

2.       Improves esthetics

3.       Restores functions of speech, deglutition and respiration

4.       Restores your self-confidence/self esteem

5.       Bestows a good psychological status

Care of Fixed dentures

Fixed dentures in the mouth are advanced restorative procedures to replace missing teeth. Their care is of utmost importance for optimal function and longevity of service.

1.     Adequate and efficient tooth brushing of mouth with medium textured toothbrush and fluoride containing toothpaste.

2.     Regular mouth rinse after every meal

3.     Regular interdental cleaning with dental floss

4.     Regular check up with your dentist

5.     Report complaints and faults of your prosthesis to your dentist.

Care of removable dentures

 

Denture in a glass of water

    1.  The first care is the fact that your spouse must be aware that you wear a denture. This allows you to remove and wash appropriately.

    2.    Wash it over a basin of water to avoid breakage from fall or complete loss.

    3.    Clean daily with mild hand soap and not a toothpaste to avoid the abrasive    effect of a tooth paste and rinse after each meal.

    4.    When not in the mouth keep in a glass of water as shown above

    5.    Do not keep carelessly in the house as a rat/pet may carry it.

DO NOT:

-Keep in hot water as this distorts the shape and fit of the denture

-Use bleach on your denture

-Glue together broken pieces of your denture rather report to your dentist

-Manage to use an ill-fitting denture as it predisposes you to soreness of the mouth, pain and infection.

INFORM YOUR NEIGHBOURS WITH MISSING TEETH ABOUT THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT.

DO THEY HAVE A TOOTHBRUSH?

They are cute babies with 2 or more teeth in their mouth.
Born 8months to 2 years ago.
Brush their teeth as soon as they are in the mouth,initially without toothpaste and as they age with more teeth in the mouth commence the use of baby toothpaste with little fluoride.
See them below:

 

2YEAR OLD

1YR OLD

18MONTHS OLD

4YEAR OLD

7YEAR OLD WITH ERUPTING PERMANENT LOWER TEETH


 Baby toothbrushes are available get one for your babytoday.
 

 

REPLACE YOUR BRUSH




NOT IDEAL

If your toothbrush has any resemblance to this ,replace it at once irrespective of its age.
If your toothbrush bristles has taken this form in less than or equal to 3months ,replace it.
If in 3months your toothbrush bristles are still straight ,replace it.
Toothbrush with flying bristles as shown above will not give the mouth the adequate cleaning required as they are in different directions.
Long term usage of toothbrush weakens the bristles and also causes accumulation of dirts at the base of the toothbrush.

REPLACE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH EVERY 3MONTHS AND HAVE SCALLING AND POLISHING DONE EVERY 6MONTHS TO ACHIEVE A HEALTHY ORAL HEALTH.





IDEAL

REPLACE YOUR MISSING TOOTH

 

Do you know that this missing tooth can be replaced to restore your smile and utmostly self confidence?
Do not go about with this missing tooth,your appearance will be better if replaced and you can smile and socialise with confidence.
Several options are available depending on your choice and findings from examination of your mouth.
You can have a removable replacement or a permanent one.
Contact a dentist near you for evaluation.
For help contact us through your comments.
Beyond esthetics ,replacement of your missing teeth serves a phonation purpose ,prevents drifting of your teeth and subsequent periodontal infections.
Periodontal infections and diabetics have a close interelationship in such a way that an uncontrolled diabetes mellitus can worsen periodontal infection and vise versa.

Removable denture replacing the missing tooth of the above patient



 

 

This is the same patient as above following the central tooth replacement.
Stay glued to this site and get informed about your oral health,a key to general and mental health.

IMPROVE YOUR SMILE

Fractured anterior tooth

 

same patient as above with restored fractured tooth

 Restore your self esteem with an improved smile.
Your fractured anterior tooth can be taken care of . Adentist could build it up with composite restoration ,cover it with a jacket crown depending on the extent of fracture.
Those yellow stains are accumulated plaque and calculus (dirts) that your toothbrush can not remove rather scaling and polishing by professionals.
The crowding of your teeth (teeth overlap) can be properly aligned with orthodontic dentistry.

That baby tooth should not be in your mouth at this stage,if its causing crowding and pain as shown above then it should be removed.

 

                   YOU CAN HAVE IT AS BEAUTIFUL AS THIS .
        CONSULT YOUR DENTIST FOR THIS AND MORE.

TEETHING PERIOD AND BABY CARE

Teething is a normal physiologic process of eruption of teeth into the oral cavity (mouth).It begins at age 6months and span for a period of 2years for the complete eruption of 20 deciduous (milk) teeth in a 2 year old baby.

If your child is over 2years without any tooth in the mouth consult your dentist for evaluation and possible management.

The idea of teething being considered as a cause of serious illness is a myth not the truth. The same age of teeth eruption coincides with the period of dwindling maternal antibodies i.e. baby’s protection by the maternal antibody is reduced.

Journey of the tooth into the mouth

This involves the movement of the developing teeth within and through the jaw bone and gum to appear in the mouth. During this period baby experiences certain tingling sensations and the gum itches. In an attempt to itch baby picks any object in view to itch e.g bunch of keys, shoes etc which are usually not clean enough to be introduced into the mouth. This essentially results in infection coupled with the fact that baby’s passive immunity from the mother during this period is reduced (a normal phenomenon which allows the baby to build its own immunity).This forms the basis of erroneous beliefs of serious illness associated with teething.

Often times the general illness observed at this period are viral infections termed herpetic gingivostomatitis, which are not diagnosed by the dentist because mother believes it’s the normal teething period.

True signs and symptoms of teething

-Redness and/or swelling of gingiva

- Slight increase in temperature

 

 

 

False signs include

Diarrhoea

Marked fever

Vomiting

Increased salivation

False signs and symptoms attributed teething are results of :

-Reduced protective immunity from mother.

-Baby is crawling at this age and takes anything in sight to the mouth.

-Food supplements have been introduced at this period which is strange to the baby’s digestive system.

-Increased salivation observed is due to normal functioning of the baby salivary gland sensitized by the itching sensation.

Care of a teething baby

-  Use of clean teething toys/rings (refrigerated)

 - Teething foods like hard rusk and biscuits, which consist of flour and fats (no sugar)

- Refrigerated carrots

All these serve as hard substances to enable child itch the gum where tingling sensation is experienced but in a clean environment.

UTMOST CLEANLINESS IS REQUIRED FOR A SAFE TEETHING

 

 

 

 

TOOTHACHE

This is the commonest reason patients visit the dental clinic however majority of them do not present until they have suffered repeated episodes of pain which  is so severe as to disturb sleep, then some of them remember that there are professionals called dentists.

Most of the time the cause of the toothache  which is usually dental caries ‘HOLE IN THE TOOTH’ would have progressed to the stage of utmost destruction of the tooth necessitating extraction of the tooth hence the nickname of the dentists by patients ‘YOYINYOYIN’ meaning tooth extractor.

Please be informed that tooth extraction is not the only treatment for toothache, neither is that the only treatment performed by dentists. It is only a tooth/teeth that cannot be restored back to function due to certain factors that are extracted to prevent further damage to the jaws and general health.

An unrestorable tooth is usually caused by prolong delay in presentation of your case at the dental clinic. The degree of tooth destruction by microorganisms which is a continuous process unless arrested is a major determinant of the treatment option,which is modified by patients financial status ,health condition and patient's choice.

Bear in mind that toothache when it starts as a result of dental caries does not usually stop on its own unless patient/dentist intervenes.

Patients intervention methods include

Adequate and appropriate toothbrushing
Use of fluoride containing toothpaste
Regular flossing to clean inbetween the teeth
Diet modification which involves avoidance of refined carbohydrate food in between meals
Consult your dentist when pain persists

Dentist intervention
This is dependent on the stage at presentation.The earlier the patient present the better for the patient because the disease will be diagnosed at a stage where little or no therapy is required.
The treatment options ranges from reassurance,to fluoride therapy,dentine dissensitization, ,amalgam filling,root canal therpy with or without advance restorative care,tooth extraction with or without incision and drainage and hospital admission for to monitor patient's health.Note that at advanced stage all the above will not help the patient because death can occur from Ludwigs angina,a dental emergency resulting from toothache.

For more information on your oral health ,stay glued to this blog and send your complaints through the comment box.
Always remember that good oral health is important for a good general health.

CAUSES OF TOOTH DISCOLOURATION

Tooth discolouration is the reason many people cannot smile in public hence a low self-esteem.

Tooth discoloration can affect a single tooth/more than one tooth (localized) or all the teeth (generalized).

The causes of tooth discolouration are:

Hereditary and acquired causes

Hereditary causes:

Inherited from one or both parents in forms of amelogenesis imperfect and dentinogenesis imperfect. This results in appearance as shown below which is quite unsightly!

 

Acquired causes include:

1.  Trauma


14 year old Nigerian male

From fall, domestic violence and motor accident.

Trauma is the commonest cause of a single tooth discoloration which hinders your smile.The colour varies from grey to brown and results from hemorrhage and products of pulp death. This can be taken care of by the dentist to improve your smile and ultimately regain your self-esteem. What you need is pulp therapy and an advance restorative procedure which could be a veneer or a jacket crown to cover the teeth amongst other treatment options which is case specific. 



2.Infection
e.g measles and syphilitic infection of the pregnant mother will cause abnormal development of the developing baby teeth giving  appearances such as this shown below.

 

 
 

3. Drugs
e.g tetracycline intake during pregnancy and in infancy. The drug crosses the placenta to affect the teeth of developing baby to give the appearance shown below.

 

 

4. Poor oral hygiene
From improper tooth brushing techniques and inadequacy of tooth brushing will result in plaque and calculus accumulation in the mouth,this inturn causes periodontitis and subsequent abscess.If this is left unattended to,it causes osteomyelitis of the jaw.
 

5.Others:
Smoking, Excess fluoride in water, Malnutrition e.g Vitamin D deficiency and maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy are other causes of tooth discoloration.  
Stains from food,colanut ,beverages and blood tonic are included in the list.         

Which of the above conditions best describe what you have? Contact us for help towards an improved smile and ultimately restore your self-esteem.
Make your complaints heared on this blog for help towards a healthy oral health.

 

 

AVULSED TOOTH

AVULSED TOOTH

Empty socket of an avulsed tooth

This refers to a tooth out of its socket usually following trauma which could result from an accident (by car/motor cycle) a fall, or domestic violence. It is a dental emergency necessitating immediate treatment. It is a common occurrence in children and usually due to a fall in this age group.

An avulsed tooth can be re implanted back into the socket if certain criteria are met.

Only the permanent teeth can be re implanted and not the deciduous teeth.

Parents, guardian and neighbors should note the safe keeping of these teeth as will be described.

How to keep an avulsed tooth

Pick tooth up by the crown

Do not touch the root

The teeth are best kept in a moist medium as a transport route to the dentist for re implantation. They are best re implanted within the first hour for optimum prognosis.

Transport media

Hanks balanced salt solution (HBSS), Saliva, Normal saline, Fresh whole milk.

HBSS is the best medium of transportation while others serve as substitutes.

It is important for a school establishment involved with children to make hanks balanced salt solution (HBSS) a component of their first aid kit because the school playground is a possible location of the accidents that result in avulsion of teeth.

Information for parents

Rinse the tooth with water without touching the root

If the tooth is devoid of dirt (in case of avulsion on a rug in the house) place it back in the socket and tell affected person to bite on a clean handkerchief, but in case it happens on the road/playground it is better to transport in the available medium to the dentist for evaluation and treatment.

Please do not keep the tooth in a handkerchief, tissue paper or other dry media

The cheek of the patient or parents of patients are better media in the absence of the media listed above. Water should be the last resort in case of absence of HBSS, saliva and Normal saline but note that it is associated with poor prognosis.

Consult only the dentist for the treatment of this condition as soon as possible

Prompt treatment is the best because the earlier the implantation the better the prognosis

HAVE YOU SEEN A BABY BORN WITH TOOTH/TEETH

If yes,

what was your reacion?
what do you think of the baby?
How do you relate with the parents?
what advice /help did you render?
If no,then learn today that it is possible.

Baby born with tooth/teeth is a physiological occurrence.

It is possible for a child to be born with tooth/teeth.

The tooth/teeth can be found in any area of the gum but the lower gum is commonly affected.

Baby is only considererd an early erupter because the tooth/teeth are usually part of the deciduous

(milk teeth) series which have erupted prematurely while others are supernumerary teeth (extra teeth).

At times they may be calcified tissues in the mouth resembling tooth structure and not actuallly

a tooth.When these teeth are noticed at birth,they are called natal teeth and when found in the first

28-30days of life they are called neonatal teeth.

Many of the teeth may be loose in the mouth which eventually becomes firm with time while some are rigid at the onset.
Research have shown that they lack root development.

What to do:
Take your baby to the dentist/physician close to you not a nurse or other paramedics.

The dentist will remove them without difficulty after thorough evaluation
The dentist will also assess the baby for possible conditions that natal teeth are associated with and refer appropriately if present.
Please do not forcefully remove the tooth/teeth on your own in the house because certain requirements must be met before the doctor removes the teeth.
Please do not hide the baby because that could be dangerous.
The dentist removes them to prevent child from aspirating them during breast feeding , to prevent trauma to the nursing mother's breast as well as prevention of psychological and emotional trauma to both parents.
Rest assured that baby will grow normally if child does not have a syndromic state necessitating further treatment.

If you are a neigbour:

Inform the parents that there is no problem with the baby.

Baby is not abnormal and no superstitious belief is correct about this condition.
Reasure the parent and encourage them to feed baby normally.

Please do not advise them to consult herbalist for there is no reason for that.
For more information contact us.

NATAL TEETH

Mobile teeth

Bone loss around teeth hence mobility

Gingival recession around a mobile tooth

This is the medical term for teeth that are "shaking"
Your teeth are mobile when they are not rigid within the socket. Causes of teeth mobility includes the following:
1. Chronic irritation from plaque/calculus
Prolonged accumulation of plague and calculus results from inadequate toothbrushing with or without improper brushing technique.This settles at the bottom of teeth(root area)to irritate the gum and the teeth socket hence destruction of the bone holding the teeth and mobility. 2. Trauma
Injury sustained to the jaws in an accident or domestic violence can displace the tooth from it's socket hence it's mobility . 3. Infection e.g periodontitis
Periodontitis is the inflammation of the periodontium i.e the structures that hold the teeth in place namely the gingiva,cementum and the periodontal ligament.Infection of this structure leads to mobility of teeth.
Infection causes inflammation of the structure (periodontium) holding the teeth thus the mobility. 4. Neoplasia e.g cancer
Neoplasia is abnormal tissue growth which can be benign or malignant .This can originate from soft or hard tissues of the mouth and face. 5.congenital conditions
Certain syndromic states found at birth can be responsible for tooth mobility.e.g chidiak-higashi syndrome. 6. Kidney disease can also cause periodontitis and subsequent mobility of teeth Effects of mobile teeth include:
1. Pain
2. Difficulty in eating
2. Malocclusion
3. Tooth loss
For solutions to teeth mobility: consult your dentist.
For more information and help: contact us.