Tooth absess

Abscess is basically the collection of the pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue. The organisms or foreign materials kill the local cells, resulting in the release of toxins. The toxins trigger an inflammatory response, which draws large numbers of white blood cells to the area and increases the regional blood flow.

Similarly an Tooth Abscess is the collection of the pus in the Pocket of the bone, at the apex of the root, near the opening of the apical foramen.

it result due to the bacterial infection.Infection results in a collection of pus (dead tissue, live and dead bacteria, white blood cells) and swelling of the tissues within the tooth.This causes sever pain

continue reading cause of tooth abscess

Causes of Tooth Abscess

Abscess is basically the collection of the pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue. The organisms or foreign materials kill the local cells, resulting in the release of toxins. The toxins trigger an inflammatory response, which draws large numbers of white blood cells to the area and increases the regional blood flow.

Similarly an Tooth Abscess is the collection of the pus in the Pocket of the bone, at the apex of the root, near the opening of the apical foramen.

it result due to the bacterial infection.Infection results in a collection of pus (dead tissue, live and dead bacteria, white blood cells) and swelling of the tissues within the tooth.This causes sever pain



Causes of the Tooth abscess.

• Tooth decay


• Trauma to the Tooth, fracture


• Poor oral hygiene, (such as not brushing and flossing properly or often enough


• faulty tooth restoration


• Carious formation


• pulpitis

Symptoms

Toothache

Severe, continuous pain

Pain when chewing

Sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold

Bitter taste in the mouth

Breath odour

Swollen glands of the neck

General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling

Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw -- a very serious symptom

sometimes causes difficulty in breathing.



Treatment

People who have cavities or toothaches can take medicines, such as ibuprofen or naproxen as needed for relief of pain and inflammation.

If an abscess ruptures by itself, warm water rinses will help cleanse the mouth and encourage drainage.

Surgical drainage of the abscess or extraction of the affected tooth may be necessary.

Root canal therapy may be recommended in an attempt to preserve the tooth.



Complications

Loss of the tooth

facial cellulitis, Ludwig's angina

spread of infection to the jaw bone (osteomyelitis of the mandible or maxilla)

Spread of infection to other areas of the body resulting in brain abscess, endocarditis, pneumonia, or other disorders



Prevention

• Remember to brush and floss after every meal and at bedtime.


• Avoidance of cigarette smoking and excess alcohol.


• early diagnosis of caries and treating it.


• should treat fracture tooth

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Causes of Toothache

Toothache" is pain around the teeth or jaws. Toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint (temporo- mandibular joint), or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. The pain can be mild to sever The pain may be aggravated by chewing or by cold or heat.


Pain around the teeth and the jaws can be symptoms of diseases of the heart (such as angina or heart attack), ears (such as inner or external ear infections), and sinuses (air passages of the cheek bones). For example, the pain of angina is usually located in the chest or the arm. Infections and diseases of the ears and sinuses can also cause pain around the teeth and jaws. Therefore, evaluations by both dentists and doctors are sometimes necessary to diagnose medical illnesses causing "toothache."


Causes of Toothache

• dental caries
• dental abscess
• gum disease
• irritation of the tooth root
• cracked tooth syndrome
• temporomandibular disease
• impaction, and eruption.

Cracked Tooth syndrome: It id refers to toothache caused by a broken tooth or tooth fracture. Biting on the area of tooth fracture can cause severe sharp pains. These fractures are usually due to chewing or biting hard objects.

Dental caries: it is most common form of toothache. Dental caries(cavity) is define as irreversible microbial disease of hard tissue of tooth causing dismeneralization of the inorganic substance and destruction of the organic substance resulting into cavity formation. Certain bacteria in the mouth convert simple sugars into acid. The acid softens and (along with saliva) dissolves the enamel and dentin, creating cavities. Small shallow cavities may not cause pain and may be unnoticed by the patient. The larger deeper cavities can collect food debris. The inner living pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins or by foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet-causing toothache.

Gum disease: it is refer to inflammation of the gingiva and abnormal loss of bone that surrounds the teeth.Gum disease is caused by toxins secreted by bacteria in "plaque" that accumulate over time along the gum line. This plaque is a mixture of food, saliva, and bacteria. Early symptoms of gum disease include gum bleeding without pain. Pain is a symptom of more advanced gum disease as the loss of bone around the teeth leads to the formation of gum pockets. Bacteria in these pockets cause gum infection, swelling, pain, and further bone destruction. Advanced gum disease can cause loss of otherwise healthy teeth.

Tooth Root Sensitivities : The bacterial toxins dissolve the bone around the roots and cause the gum and the bone to recede, exposing the roots. The exposed roots can become sensitive to cold, hot, and sour foods because they are no longer protected by healthy gum and bone. The sensitivities may be so severe that the patient avoids any cold or sour foods.

Impaction & Eruption:Impacted (teeth pressing together) or erupting (tooth growing out or "cutting") molar teeth (the large teeth in the back of the jaw) can cause pain. As the molar teeth erupt, the nearby tissues can become inflamed and swollen

Temporo-Mandibular Joint Syndrome: Pain in the temporo-mandibular joints can be caused by acute trauma (such as a blow to the face), inflammatory or degenerative arthritis or by the mandible being pushed back towards the ears whenever the patient chews or swallows. Sometimes, muscles around the TMJ used for chewing can go into spasm, causing head and neck pain and difficulty opening mouth normally. These muscle spasms are aggravated by chewing or by life "stress," which cause the patients to clench their teeth and further tighten these muscles.

Tooth Anatomy

People use their teeth to bite and chew food - they are the first step in the digestion of food. The long, sharp canine teeth tear up food (like meat). The wide, flat molars grind and mash up food. While we chew food, the tongue pushes the food to the teeth and saliva helps digestion and wets the food. Teeth also help us say certain sounds. People have two sets of teeth in their lives, the primary teeth (also called the baby, milk or deciduous teeth) and the permanent teeth (also called the adult or secondary teeth). Children have 20 primary teeth; they are replaced by the permanent teeth by about age 13. Adults have 32 permanent teeth.

Primary Teeth:Most babies are born with no visible teeth -- the teeth are forming inside the gums. The 20 primary teeth (also called baby teeth or first teeth) erupt (poke through the gums) over the time from when a baby is from about 6 months to a year old.
Permanent Teeth:Primary teeth fall out and are replaced by 32 permanent teeth (also called the adult teeth). This happens over the time from when a child is from about 6 to 14 years old.
As a permanent tooth forms under the gums and in the jawbone, the roots of the primary tooth it is replacing dissolve. Then the primary tooth becomes loose and falls out. The permanent tooth will fill the space.
Wisdom Teeth:
Wisdom teeth (also called the third molars) are molars that usually erupt from the ages of 17 to to 21.
Tooth Glossary:
Cementum - a layer of tough, yellowish, bone-like tissue that covers the root of a tooth. It helps hold the tooth in the socket. The cementum contains the periodontal membrane.
Crown - the visible part of a tooth.
Dentin - the hard but porous tissue located under both the enamel and cementum of the tooth. Dentin is harder than bone.
Enamel - the tough, shiny, white outer surface of the tooth.
Gums - the soft tissue that surrounds the base of the teeth.
Nerves - nerves transmit signals (conveying messages like hot, cold, or pain) to and from the brain.
Periodontal membrane/ligament - the fleshy tissue between tooth and the tooth socket; it holds the tooth in place. The fibers of the periodontal membrane are embedded within the cementum.
Pulp - the soft center of the tooth. The pulp contains blood vessels and nerves; it nourishes the dentin.
Root - the anchor of a tooth that extends into the jawbone. The number of roots ranges from one to four

What Discolor Your Teeth

Stained or yellow Teeth

Stained Teeth is a very common dental problem that makes a lot of people to feel uncomfortable when they have to talk or smile, due to the color of their teeth. Discolored teeth require teeth whitening treatment. The acquisition of colored substances onto the tooth pellicle is the main reason that makes teeth to lose their natural white color. Human teeth naturally vary in color. Not all are lucky to have a bright white as the natural color of their teeth. Slightly yellow teeth is normal for most people.
Enamel is more or less translucent, so it is the underlying dentin's color that determines the tooth color. Normal variations in dentin structure can affect the color of the reflected light, resulting in not perfectly white teeth.


What stains your teeth:
Stained teeth, that have lost their natural white color and need teeth whitening, may be the result of many different reasons :

• Colored organic compounds from some foods and drinks - tea, coffee, red wine, blueberries, curry and other - are absorbed on teeth enamel, resulting in yellow teeth. Other foods that contain much chlorophyll may result in green stains.
• Common dental restorative materials, as the amalgam in silver-colored fillings, may turn adjacent areas of teeth black or gray.
• Prescribed antiseptic mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine are associated with causing yellow-brown stains on teeth. Repeated use of stannous fluoride can result in a light brown or yellowish stain.
• Metallic stains can be caused by metallic salts, such as in iron supplements.
• Systemic disorders (as alkaptonuria, erythropoietic porphyria, hyperbilirubinemia etc.) also can cause tooth discoloration or enamel hypoplasia.
• In fluorosis, chalky white spots or brown marks are caused by excessive fluoride intake. (Whitening does not remove the white spots but lightens background so they are less noticeable).
• Trauma may cause tooth discoloration by allowing hemosiderin to enter to dentinal tubules. Trauma may change a tooth to a pink, yellow, or dark gray color. Chips or other injuries that damage the pulp of a tooth can also cause discoloration and yellow teeth.
• Some medications, such as the antibiotics tetracycline and minocycline, may become incorporated into the structure of a tooth, causing intrinsic staining of the teeth with a brown-gray color. Use of tetracyclines should be avoided during the period of tooth formation, from 4th month of pregnancy until 7 years of age.
• Other habits as smoking are also responsible for stained teeth.
• Teeth also change with age. As the mineral structure of the tooth becomes less porous it appears darker. Aging also contributes to the yellowing of teeth. The enamel wears thin, allowing the underlying layer of yellowish dentin to show through.

Tooth discoloration may be classified as either extrinsic (external) or intrinsic (internal

• Extrinsic discoloration — This occurs when the outer layer of the tooth (the enamel) is stained as by some drinks or foods or by smoking.
• Intrinsic discoloration — This is when the inner structure of the tooth (the dentin) darkens or gets a yellow color. Fluorosis or tetracycline stains are examples of common intrinsic stains.
• Age-related discoloration — This is a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors

contiune reading how to get rid of bad breath

how to brush your teeth

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Malocclusion

Many treatment options are available for malocclusion (poor bite), and expert opinions differ about timing. Your dentist or orthodontist may give you a choice between early or later treatment or may prefer one particular approach. Adults have effective treatment options as well.
The general categories of orthodontic devices (appliances) are functional and fixed.

Functional appliances use the movements of the muscles and jaw to create gradual bone movement.

• Some functional appliances are removable, while others are bonded to the teeth.
• A functional appliance may fit between the upper and lower teeth (a splint) or may span across the mouth between the molars, pressing the bone outward.
• Headgear can attach to bands on the teeth to speed up treatment time.

Fixed orthodontic appliances are sets of wires and brackets that are cemented to the teeth. These are commonly called braces. Over a period of months, the wires are tightened and adjusted, gradually applying enough force to move the teeth (bone remodeling).

• Retainers are removable appliances made of molded plastic and wire. They hold the teeth in place after braces are taken off. If the teeth start to move back out of position, the orthodontist may bond a short retaining wire to the back of some teeth. This will hold the teeth in place until the wire is removed.

Child and adolescent treatment

During the childhood and teen years, the orthodontist will time the treatments to match with your child's natural growth spurts to move permanent teeth into place.
Treatment for crowding, the most common malocclusion problem, may mean removing (extracting) some permanent teeth, but orthodontists avoid removing permanent teeth when they can.
The malocclusion treatments for children and adolescents are:

• Growth modification. This involves wearing fixed or functional appliances during the day and night to move the jaw into a better position.
• Extraction (serial removal). Removing some baby teeth may ease severe crowding.
  Fixed appliances (braces). For children and teens, this treatment phase usually lasts about 24 months; for adults, about 28 months.
• Retainers. Retainers hold the teeth in place after orthodontic treatment. Some orthodontists recommend that retainers be worn for many years, because teeth have a natural tendency to drift out of place.
• Space maintainers, made of metal or plastic. Spacers keep the surrounding teeth from moving (drifting) into open spaces created when teeth are pulled or lost in an accident.

Adult treatment

• Most adults have little or no jaw growth. This means that surgery is the only way to correct jaw-related bite problems. Some adults may benefit from simply camouflaging, or hiding, a jaw-related problem. Using braces, the orthodontist can move the teeth so that they fit together, despite the jaw discrepancy. 2 However, surgery is the best way to treat more severe jaw problems.
• Orthodontic treatment for malocclusion is a popular option for adults, due in part to better technology. In the past, wide silver bands held braces in place. Today they are less obvious. Instead of the wide bands, a small metal or ceramic fastener is bonded to each tooth, and a narrow wire passes through the fasteners.

New options include:
Clear plastic instead of silver wires.
Lingual braces. These braces attach to the back of the front teeth.
Removable clear plastic aligners (Invisalign). These are molded specifically for you.
Lingual braces and aligners don't work for everyone. They aren't options for children. Your orthodontist can tell you the best choices for your situation.
Orthodontic treatment for adults may also involve:
Removal (extraction) of teeth to create more space.


Orthognathic surgery of the jaw.
A retainer, after braces are removed.
Adjustments, such as grinding of high tips of teeth, to prevent continued or increased malocclusion for adults
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What is Crowding of Teeth or Malocclusion

"Malocclusion" or crowding of teeth is simple term abnormal position of Teeth.Incorrect relation between the teeth of the mandible and maxilla

Most people have some degree of malocclusion, although it isn't usually serious enough to require treatment.Those who have more severe malocclusions may require orthodontic and sometimes surgical treatment (orthognatic surgery) to correct the problem. Correction of malocclusion may reduce risk of tooth decay and help relieve excessive pressure on the temporomandibular joint. Orthodontic treatment is also used to align for aesthetic reasons.

Malocclusion is capable of adversely affecting the facial appearance of an individual

As Treatment take a long time, depending upon severity.It is necessary to identify malocclusion early in life. Parent should be educated enough to identified abnormality in occlusion of their chlid.

BAD HABIT: Such as "Thumb sucking" should not be taken lightly. It may result in

• Tongue Thrusting
• Lip sucking and lip biting
• Nail biting
• Posture

Effect of Malocclusion

• Risk of Trama: Their is high risk of injury especially during play or by an accidental fall
• Abnormalities of funtion: Many malocclusions cause abnormality in the functioning of the stomatognathic system such as improper deglutition, defects in speech, improper respiration
• Temperomandibular joint problems: Malocclusion associated with occlusal prematurities and deep bite is believed to be a cause of TMJ problems such as pain and dysfunction.
• Risk of caries: it make oral hygiene maintenance a difficult task, thereby increasing the risk of caries.
• Predisposition to periodontal disease: Malocclusion associated with poor oral hygiene is a frequent cause of periodontal disease. In addition, teeth that are placed in abnormal position can be a cause for traumatic occlusion with resultant periodontal tissue damage.
• Psychological disturbances: Malocclusion that adversely affect the appearance of a person leads to psychological disturbances. Unsightly appearance of teeth makes a person highly self-conscious and turns him into an introvert. Thus treatment of malocclusion im such patients helps in improving the mental well being amd confidence

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