Signs of a Fluoride Allergy
If you have a fluoride allergy it could make you sick. However, having a fluoride allergy is quite rare and for the people who do have it, it can be a mild to severe reaction and will need to be treated immediately. Here at Belmont Dental Associates in Belmont, North Carolina, we care about our patients and we make sure we have a full workup of your medical history along with all of your allergies. That’s why we are one of the best dental offices in Belmont. In this article, we will be going over the signs and the main symptoms of a fluoride allergy and also how to prevent and treat it. What are the Signs and Symptoms of a Fluoride Allergy? What happens when you have a fluoride allergy is when you ingest the fluoride your immune system sees the fluoride as a harmful bacterium that needs to be dealt with. So, what your immune system does is that it produces antibodies to ward it off and this is how you get the reaction from the fluoride allergy. Fluoride can be found in many dental products, but you can also find it in certain foods and drinks. Here are the main signs and symptoms of a fluoride allergy. Cuts or lesions in your mouth. Mild to severe headaches. Weakness in your muscles or joints. Joint and muscle pain. Nausea, upset stomach. Feeling tired or mental weakness. Blurred vision or trouble seeing. Any swelling of your mouth, tongue, or your face. Emesis In some extreme cases of a fluoride allergy you may experience an anaphylactic shock, which is a condition that causes your body to shut down. How to Treat a Fluoride Allergy When you have this allergic reaction, antihistamines are commonly prescribed, and it can take up to 10-15 minutes to take effect. Try to steer clear from any sodas, juices that are bottled, processes cereals, chicken and fish. They can contain a high amount of fluoride and that can also give you the reaction. Avoid drinking tap water. Tap water is full of rich fluoride instead, drink bottled water or natural spring water. There has been so much debate weather fluoride will help you or hurt you and recent studies have shown that a number of people has had allergic reactions to it. So, please let us know if you are allergic to fluoride when you come to see us at Belmont Dental Associates. We take pride in our work and strive to give you the best patient care possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call us or stop by the office in Belmont, North Carolina. We’re always here to help in any way we can.
What is Root Canal Therapy (RCT)?
Endodontic Treatment We offer the following endodontic treatment; root canal therapy and retreatment of some previously treated root canals. In spite of what your family and friends may tell you endodontic treatment has come a very long way of the past years and now like a normal, routine filling appointment. Root canal therapy is treatment for the pulp of your tooth once bacteria have reached the pulp causing it to become infected. Root canal therapy helps preserve your tooth as long as possible so that you do not have to have it removed. Often after having treatment your dentist will strongly recommend that you have a crown placed on the tooth. What to expect during your appointment? During your root canal appointment the dentist will start by giving you local anesthetic so that you will not feel any discomfort throughout the procedure. After the anesthetic has taken effect, your dentist will began by removing decay and making an access to the pulp chamber of the tooth. Once this opening has been made he/she will began to remove the unhealthy pulp and infection from the tooth by using different size and length files; the files will allow your dentist to shape the canals so that they can properly fill it later in the appointment. Before filling the canals the dentist will irrigate the canals to remove any debris that may have not came out with the files. After irrigating, the assistant will dry out the tooth so the sealer can adhere to the canal within the tooth for a proper seal so that bacteria and infection may not return. The canals are filled with a rubbery material called gutta percha. Once the tooth has been properly filled and the access to the pulp has been built back up, the crown process for the tooth will start. Sometimes the dentist may wait a few weeks before starting the crown (this is decided case by case). What is an Endodontic retreat and why do I need this? Non- surgical retreats are much like your typical root canal appointment. The dentist starts by gaining access to the roots or the tooth again so that he/she may remove your dental crown or in some cases drill through the crown itself. Once the access has been made and the dentist can reach the canals again they will began using files to remove the currently places gutta percha and clean and reshape the canals. Once the canals have been cleaned your dentist will place new gutta percha within the tooth and began to fill the tooth once again. Why would I need to have my tooth retreated? If you are not properly brushing and floss new decay can form on the tooth and can leak beneath the crown or composite and into the canals of the treated tooth. Sometimes the canals are not completely and properly cleaned out. If a tooth has roots that are curved it can prove difficult to clean thoroughly. You crown my break, crack or come off allowing bacteria into the canal space. The canals were not properly dried making the canals contaminated and the gutta percha to not seal correctly. If you have any questions about root canal treatment or if you believe you may need a root canal, please call our office as soon as possible to speak with one of our Belmont NC dentists.
Should you try brushing dry?
What is dry brushing? “Dry brushing” is when you brush your teeth without the use of water or toothpaste. The main reason that people dry brush their teeth is that it helps them to learn how to clean their teeth more efficiently and in the correct way. Many kinds of toothpaste that you see on the shelves of your local store or supermarket may contain oils like glycerin, which will leave a coating on your teeth and tongue. This will leave your teeth feeling smoother and cleaner than they really are. This may result in you brushing your teeth for a shorter time than what is actually required. This will happen when your tongue also gets coated in the oil because it will make your teeth feel smoother against your tongue. When you are dry brushing your teeth as opposed to using toothpaste with glycerin, your tongue can really feel everything how it actually is. Dry brushing will help provide brushing accuracy due to you being able to feel the spots in your mouth that require more cleaning, unlike when using a toothpaste containing glycerin. Another common problem while using many types of toothpaste to brush your teeth is that the minty fresh taste and cool feeling may lead you to believe your mouth and teeth are cleaner than they actually are. This minty fresh feeling you get from your toothbrush may result in you feeling like your teeth are cleaner than they actually are which will result in you missing teeth or spots and brushing your teeth less than you actually need to. If you switch to dry brushing you will often notice or find yourself brushing your teeth for longer than you normally do. This is because you are actually able to feel the bacteria and unclean parts of your mouth that still require attention. Without your toothpaste making you think your teeth are clean and fresh you will be continuing to brush them until you actually feel and have clean fresh teeth. Of course afterwards, you can use a mouthwash or mint if you really must have that sense of a fresh cool feeling mouth. Today most toothbrushes have nylon bristles, these bristles are often soft and do not require being soaked in water before use, unlike toothbrushes of the past. In older times, toothbrush bristles were made of horsehair and other hard solid bristles. These required to be soaked in water before use due to them being so hard and sturdy, unlike today’s soft-bristled brushes. This is another reason why dry brushing our teeth is a great option. Wetting your toothbrush before using it will increase the amount of splatter you experience while brushing. Wetting your toothbrush before use will also soften the bristles even further to the point that they are less effective at brushing your teeth and removing plaque and pieces of food due to them being too soft. Consult your dentist about dry brushing and ask them if they think it is right for you or will help improve your teeth brushing technique.
How to treat and care for dry socket
When teeth are pulled, especially wisdom teeth, you may experience something that is commonly referred to as, “dry socket.” Dry socket is a painful condition that can accompany the removal of a tooth. It’s treatable, though it’s best if you can prevent dry socket from happening altogether. Dry socket happens when a bone or nerve in the socket is exposed after an adult tooth has been pulled out or removed. If everything goes according to plan, you would have a blood clot to form that would protect the socket. When this clot doesn’t happen, your mouth becomes prone to infection, especially from the food, drinks, and even air around you. You might notice that you’re suffering from dry socket if you’re noticing intense pain following your wisdom tooth being extracted. However, if you notice that the pain is excruciating and accompanied by a radiating nerve pain heading towards your ear, contact us immediately. This can be a symptom of dry socket. You are at risk for dry socket if you have had dry sockets in the past. If you have had wisdom teeth extracted, use birth control, smoke, drink alcohol, have poor dental hygiene, or have had an extraction due to an accident or an infection in the mouth, you are at a higher risk for dry socket. If you take medication that doesn’t allow your blood to clot, it’s important to let us know. Taking medication that inhibits blood clotting can also cause dry socket since the open wound is not allowed to properly clot. To continuously prevent dry socket, it’s important to follow the oral care plan that your dentist gives you, after your procedure. If you were prescribed oral antibiotics or antiseptics, be sure to use them as instructed. Following your dentist’s post-op plan is one of the first means of preventing dry socket. Some of the methods that you will be given may include not rinsing for 24 hours, not drinking from straws, no smoking, avoiding hot foods and drinks, avoiding anything that’s crunchy such as nuts or potato chips, avoiding alcoholic beverages, and being aware of the amount of physical activity that you are going through for the next week. While these are not guaranteed ways to ensure you don’t suffer from dry socket, these are the major steps that can prevent dry socket from happening after an oral procedure. If your dentist prescribes or instructs anything else to help, be sure to follow those instructions. Dry socket is uncommon. In the event that you still suffer from dry socket, there are several ways that it can be treated. Of course, you want to contact us immediately if you are concerned about dry socket. We would be able to give you the best recommendations on how to treat your condition. Some of what we would recommend would include painkillers, topical medication, flushing and rinsing, and going through the same care methods as listed above. You will still have to avoid straws, drinking, smoking, and strenuous physical activity.