“Post-Surgical Care?”

Posted by drgracesun on July 18, 2009 under General Dental Knowledge, Information, Smart Smile | Be the First to Comment

Summer break is a busy time for oral surgeons, who are often busy extracting the wisdom teeth of college bound or high school students. This wisdom teeth removal surgery could be the biggest medical and dental procedure for a young person.  As long as as you are under the care of a capable and well-experienced oral surgeon, the procedure should run smoothly, but proper home care after having the wisdom teeth removed is very important to assure a healthy and speedy recovery.

Anesthetics or sedatives used during oral surgical procedures will often take a couple hours to wear away – the first 72 hours are crucial for normative recovery. Pain medication like anti-inflammatory Ibuprofen or narcotic Tylenol #3 with codeine often is prescribed depending on the severity of the procedure in addition to a 3-times-daily antibiotic, such as amoxycillin.

Regarding eating and drinking after oral surgery, avoid soft drinks for a week and avoid alcohol for 3 to 5 days .No smoking forever is the best, however if you really are dying for a draft,wait as long as possible, at least for 24 hours for being kind to your body. The first day at home should consist of using a cold compression (ice bag on 15 minute off 15 minutes for few hours), which can eliminate swelling. Stay away from straws and any mouth-opening activities to prevent loosing blood clots which lay a foundation for regenerate tissues as part of the natural healing process. Using a straw can cause the painful condition known as “dry socket.” Both preventing infection and timely healing are pivotal for post-surgery patients; follow the instructions from your surgeon on medication, diets, hygiene and habit. You’ll fully recover in no time.

Other than chipmunk cheeks for a couple days, the other common complication related with wisdom teeth extraction is the discomfort associated with dry socket. What causes dry socket and the prevention of dry socket are still being researched, but as a general rule the surgeon’s technique should be gentle and precise, so as to not traumatize the bone during the procedure. If the tooth is impacted or laying side ways, instead of forcing it out with forceps (which can create excessive compression on the bone), the surgeon should use a rotary tool with a saline cooling system to create access to the impacted molar . The molar will be dissected into smaller pieces and removed, without traumatizing the bone. On the patient’s part, there should be no rinsing, spitting, smoking or sucking of any kind for the first 24 hours after oral surgery. This will prevent disruption of the blood clot from a physical force in the mouth. Better oxygen saturation and circulation of the blood from not smoking is also important for healing. A good diet rich in antioxidants and vitamin c, lean proteins are good for tissue regeneration, for overcoming the negative influence on our body from consuming antibiotics. Eat yogurt or take acidophalus to restore the friendly flora in our body to prevent a yeast infection.

If your are healthy, forget all the above mentioned, you will be just fine after surviving the oral surgery!

“Do I Need A Root Canal?”

Posted by drgracesun on April 27, 2009 under Healthy Smile | Be the First to Comment

Mark came in with a severe tooth ache, and after an examination, I could see the tooth was severely broken down. The basic options were to either save the tooth – going through root canal therapy and finishing with a post and crown restoration, or to remove the tooth and restore with a dental implant and crown. “Should I save my tooth, or should I pull it!” This is the eternal question!

Root canal therapy (also known as endodontic therapy) is a procedure of treatment for the pulp of a tooth once it has become infected – the inner pulpal material  must be removed, in order to protect and decontaminate the tooth from future microbial invasion to the jaw bone. Once a root canal procedure is performed, however, the lack of nutritional supply in the tooth (once the organic tissue is removed from the tooth during the procedure) will render the tooth brittle, the weakened tooth should be reinforced and restored properly, with a post and crown.

Root canal treatment does have a bad reputation due to the pain and the stigma associated with the procedure. Often times, a patient will have a root canal performed and think the procedure was a success, only to have pain and infection return several years down the line. The complexity of the anatomic root variation could be an obstacle and techniques can often be tedious, which is why specialized service is usually performed by a highly trained dentist or endodontist. Special tools like microscopes are also often necessary for a successful procedure. Advanced instrumentation and technique will ensure long-term success.

Regular dental checkups are vital to properly maintain your dental health. If the unhealthy dental condition requires a root canal treatment or an extraction, have your dental professional explain the pros and cons of each option, then make an educated decision. If there is a mystery pain, a 3-D image (Morita Survey of CT scan ) would be invaluable for proper diagnosis . Regular dental x-rays are not capable of capturing images of a cracked tooth nor accessory root canals (which are small and difficult to see). These tiny cracks or canal issues can lead to prolonged discomfort, which you may have thought was a figment of your imagination! If the prognosis was poor, or a tooth has broken down so much that it has become unrestorable, extraction and a dental implant might be a more sustainable investment to you dental health.  Prevention is always the best treatment! Brush and floss your teeth twice daily and after meals. If you have any dental pain, schedule an appointment with your dentist sooner rather than later.