Dental bridges help restore your appearance after losing a tooth and prevent further dental problems. Missing teeth can cause a change in your bite, allow your remaining teeth to shift out of place, cause speech impediments and increase your risk...
An alcoholic's dental problems can easily become serious, because he may not practice good oral hygiene and let problems go too long. Further, if he doesn't eat right, his teeth suffer. If you are an alcoholic, be advised that years of drinking...
Maintaining good oral health before, during and after chemotherapy treatment is important to prevent unnecessary complications related to chemotherapy side effects. These side effects involve the teeth, gums and mucous membranes of the mouth. They...
Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and prevents tooth decay by hindering the growth of plaque-forming bacteria. Public water supplies often add fluoride to the drinking water. Communities that fluoridate their water can reduce tooth decay rates by...
Sleep apnea, a pause in breathing, is a common condition that affects millions of people. Symptoms in include snoring, gasping and sleepiness. According to a 2010 survey in "Sleep Medicine," this disorder affects 33 percent of the population....
A dental or tooth abscess is the accumulation of pus in the center of the tooth that may occur as a complication of tooth decay or from injury to the tooth. The infection starts at the center of the tooth and spreads to the root of the tooth and...
Beneath the hard outer structures of a tooth lies a small quantity of soft tissue known as the dental pulp. This tissue contains blood vessels, nerve fibers and connective tissue that build the tooth during its development, according to the...
Many mistakenly believe that getting a filling or crown will prevent a tooth from having problems in the future. Possibilities for a toothache to develop years after receiving dental treatment exist because of the anatomical complexities of a...
Periodontal disease, also called gum disease, is a common oral problem that affects many adults. It can be a mild inflammation of the gums, or it can be a serious disease that damages the tissues and bone that support the teeth, according to the...
A throbbing toothache can occur without warning. The severity of pain can interrupt work, school and routine daily activities. The pain may be localized to a single tooth or diffuse, involving the whole head. Dental treatments such as fillings or...
Tooth pain can come on suddenly or gradually over several weeks. Diagnosing the source of pain may be challenging because of the complex anatomy of the tooth and surrounding jaw. Early treatment of symptoms can usually help ward off a more severe...
You may be worried that getting dental treatments isn't safe during pregnancy, especially considering how what you do directly impacts your growing baby. Yet getting your teeth cleaned and examined regularly is not only safe for the health of your...
Pain in a tooth is commonly linked in the minds of many with a dental cavity. Yet the complexities of the inside of a tooth and its connections with surrounding tissues make tooth pain without a cavity a common finding. Understanding the possible...
Some throbbing toothaches occur suddenly and without warning. Others begin as a slight sensitivity and become increasingly painful over days or weeks. According to the American Dental Association, people experiencing toothaches turn to dentists,...
According to the American Dental Association, older adults often have dental needs different from those of younger individuals, yet the dental community still places much of its primary focus on treating younger patients. But with the demographic...
A toothache can unexpectedly strike while eating a meal, or even sleeping. What begins as a mild twinge of pain can turn into an emergency dental visit. Knowing the causes of toothache pain can help prevent a more serious problem.
More than 20 million children in the United States lack dental insurance that covers preventive oral health care and treatment. The most common chronic illness in children is tooth decay; left untreated, cavities cause problems with speech,...
Insurance comes in various forms to protect you from minor incidents and major disasters. For example, a good auto insurance policy pays for minor car repairs caused by a fender bender or a new vehicle if a major accident totals the old one....
Few people look forward to the types of procedures often required to resolve a toothache. Prevention, through proper dental hygiene and regular, professional exams, is always a better option. But, it is good to know that, if necessary, dentists...
A dental implant is a small rod, usually made of titanium, that is pushed into the gum to a hold a false tooth. Dental implants are a method of replacing missing teeth. It possible to replace several missing teeth with one implant. According to...
According to the Academy of General Dentistry, 30 percent of Americans experience at least one episode of fever blisters, also known as cold sores or oral herpes. Fever blisters typically follow five characteristic stages and complete healing can...
If you are looking for a natural way to improve your dental health, then you should consider products that contain the herbal supplement neem leaf. Derived from a tree bearing the same name, neem has long been used for the treatment of many...
Local anesthetics numb a small area of the body during a procedure while leaving the patient conscious. The anesthesia acts on the membranes of nerve cells, providing relief of pain but keeping the sense of touch and pressure intact. Local...
Ginkgo is widely used to treat poor circulation, depression and memory problems. Despite its popularity, ginkgo is not 100 percent safe and should be taken with precaution. Before taking ginkgo, talk to your doctor about dosage, possible dangers...
Facial swelling can occur for three main reasons: an underlying medical condition, water retention or a serious blow or hit to the face. If you recently had an accident or invasive dental treatment, swelling might be hard to avoid. Ask your doctor...
Although it is virtually impossible to avoid all sugar in your diet, you can benefit from reducing your total intake. Foods with added sugar are likely to undermine your diet and health goals when consumed in excess. According to the American...
Pain from a toothache can affect your entire mouth and even spread to your head, ears and neck. Many dental problems can lead to toothaches that range from mild to severe. While some toothaches are not the result of a serious dental problem, see...
Receding gums expose tooth roots to the air, causing pain and potential tooth loss if the cause of the condition isn't identified and treated. The condition is particularly common in people over age 40, according to the California Dental...
Sings of a receding gum line are red and swollen gums that have begun to withdraw from the teeth. Several conditions can cause receding gums, but the most common is gum disease. If you have receding gums or you think you might have gum disease,...
TMJ, or TMJD, or temporomandibular joint disorder, occurs as inflammation of the temporomandibular joint. Learn more about TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder, including symptoms and treatments, in this health video.
