Tag Archives: Gum Disease

What To Do During A Dental Emergency

November 30, 2016blogCrowns, dental anxiety, Dental Emergency, dentist, downtown dentist, Gum Disease, Healthy Teeth, Holiday Tips, minneapolis dentist, minnesota dentist, nicollet station dental, toothachealisha

shutterstock_165405326 Dental emergencies can be frightening and painful. They also seem to happen when it is least convenient like during the Holidays. Often people are unsure of what to do during an emergency so we have put together some guidelines to help get you through.

What constitutes a dental emergency?
-Bleeding That Will Not Stop
-A Loose or Knocked Out Permanent Tooth
-Injured Jaw
-Painful Swelling
-Painful Toothache

Who should you contact?
Always remember to contact your dentist right away if you experience a dental emergency. In the case, your dentist’s office is closed and you are experiencing unbearable pain or bleeding that will not stop, it is best that you go straight to the emergency room.

What can you do at home during a dental emergency?
-Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of hot water and rinse out your mouth to relieve irritation and swelling.
-If the tooth has been knocked out, put it in a glass of milk until you can see your dentist.
-Floss around the tooth if you are experiencing pain in one specific area. It could be possible something has gotten stuck between your teeth.
-Use a cold compress. This will help reduce swelling and numb irritation.

How to prevent dental emergencies?
-Brush and floss daily
-Avoid foods that are tough or very chewy
-Visit your dentist regularly

Dental emergencies are never fun, but knowing how to handle them can help relieve pain, stress and possibly save a tooth! Again, if you experience a dental emergency please reach out to us right away so that we can help.

How To Kick Bad Breath!

October 20, 2016blogbad breath, dentist, downtown dentist, Gum Disease, halitosis, Healthy Teeth, heart health month, minneapolis dentist, minnesota dentist, nicollet station dental, Prevent Gum Disease, tonguealisha

rid-bad-breath Have you ever worried that you might have bad breath? Bad breath (also known as halitosis) is a condition that most of the time can be taken care of. It can result from poor dental health habits and can be made worse by the certain types of foods you eat and possibly other unhealthy lifestyle habits.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Poor oral health – If you skip brushing and flossing teeth daily, food particles can stay in your mouth, fostering bacterial growth between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue. This bacteria can cause major bad breath.

Alcohol – Our bodies consider alcohol as a toxin. Alcohol is converted into an acetic acid, which causes bad breath in addition to tooth decay.

Tobacco products – The strong smell of the smoke left behind from cigarettes or cigars can linger in your mouth causing halitosis.

Coffee – Not only can coffee stain your teeth, it can leave a stench in your mouth that is hard to get rid of.

Lack of H2O – When your mouth gets dry harmful bacteria can begin to grow. This can result in bad breath but also in tooth decay.

Garlic and onions – Garlic and onions both contain the compound allyl methyl sulfide. This compound is known to cause bad breath so try to reduce the consumption of foods that have these ingredients.

Medications – Some medications can cause bad breath, especially drugs that dry out your mouth.
So how can you fix bad breath?
-Brush your teeth and floss daily
-Avoid using tobacco products and limit alcohol consumption
-Avoid drinking coffee when possible
-Drink plenty of water
-Limit the consumption of foods that contain garlic and onion
-Replace your toothbrush
-Visit your dentist regularly

Hopefully, this helps! If you have any questions or concerns around your breath, always feel free to reach out and ask for our help!

When To Be Concerned About A Toothache

September 1, 2016blogCrowns, dentist, downtown dentist, Gum Disease, minneapolis dentist, minnesota dentist, nicollet station dental, toothachealisha

relieve-toothache-1 Toothaches can be very painful and are not uncommon. Symptoms can include sharp or dull pain in and around the tooth, bleeding from the gums, a facial rash, jaw pain, trouble chewing, and possibly even chest pain. Many people wonder if a toothache is something to be concerned about and what actions to take.

You should be concerned about a toothache when
-The toothache has lasted longer than 1-2 days
-The toothache is causing severe pain
-You are experiencing a fever or chills
-You have an earache, or pain when you open your mouth

Many things can cause a toothache. What might be causing the pain?
-Gum Disease- Gingivitis is a cause of not practicing good oral hygiene. The gums can become swollen and begin to bleed causing pain around the tooth. Make sure to brush and floss regularly to avoid this issue.
-Abscessed Tooth- When a tooth is left untreated it can become infected and begin to swell causing severe pain. This is a serious problem that should be discussed with your dentist immediately.
-Tooth Decay- A cavity or tooth decay can begin to cause pain in the tooth if left untreated. Left untreated this begins to cause pain in the tooth so make sure you schedule an appointment for a filling.
-Cracked Tooth- This is obvious, but having a cracked tooth can become very painful. Discuss with your dentist on options such as a root canal, on ways to fix cracked teeth.
-Allergy or Sinus Issues – When sick, your mucus lining can swell. This causes blockage in your nasal passages, which clogs your maxillary sinuses located in your cheekbones. When these get clogged, it traps bacteria in your mouth and can cause a toothache.
-Wisdom Teeth- If you are wondering if this might be the cause of your toothache, the best thing to do is schedule an appointment with your dentist to confirm this is correct and what options are available.

What to do When You Have a Toothache
-Take a Painkiller
-Apply a Cold Compress
-Apply Numbing Gel
-Go to the Dentist
-Keep Your Teeth Clean

If you are currently experiencing tooth pain, contact us immediately. We will help assess the situation and determine what is causing the pain and what actions are needed to fix the problem.

Preventing Bad Breath

June 22, 2016blogbad breath, dentist, downtown dentist, Gum Disease, halitosis, minneapolis dentist, minnesota dentist, nicollet station dental, Prevent Gum Diseasealisha

Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a common problem. In fact, an estimated 65% of Americans have bad breath. So what causes bad breath? Bad breath can be caused by food trapped in the mouth, poor dental hygiene, dry mouth, mouth infections or possible health problems.

So how can you combat bad breath?
1) Brush and floss daily. Plaque stuck on the teeth can trap bacteria left behind by food. Brushing and flossing daily can help remove this bacteria.
2) Use a mouth rinse. A mouthwash can be an extra step in helping remove bacteria, but make sure you use a rinse that kills germs stopping bad breath at its source.
3) Scrap your tongue. A tongue scraper can help remove residue that may be building up between the taste buds and folds into the tongue.
4) Avoid certain foods. Garlic and onions are big offenders. That’s because the sulfur compounds in garlic and onions linger in your mouth and are absorbed into the bloodstream and expelled when you exhale. Try to avoid these before social situations.
5) Avoid tobacco products. Tobacco tends to dry out your mouth and can leave an unpleasant smell that lingers even after brushing your teeth. Smoking can also damage your gums, stain your teeth and cause cancer.
6) Drink plenty of water. This can help avoid dry mouth and also wash away food particles and bacteria, the primary cause of bad breath. If you suffer from chronic dry mouth, make sure you talk with us at your next appointment. We can help discuss options to combat this disorder.
7) Keep your gums healthy. Bacteria gather in pockets at the base of teeth, which creates an odor.
8) Visit your dentist! The best way to make sure that you are maintaining good oral hygiene is to visit your dentist regularly.

If you suffer from chronic bad breath, let us know. We can help diagnose the situation and let you know if your bad breath might be a side effect from a medical condition.

Dental Fear & Anxiety

May 11, 2016blogdental anxiety, dental fear, dentist, downtown dentist, Gum Disease, minneapolis dentist, minnesota dentist, nicollet station dental, Prevent Gum Diseasealisha

dental fear Are you apprehensive about going to the dentist? Well, you’re not alone. A survey by the British Dental Health Foundation found that it is estimated 9-15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of fear and anxiety.

People who fear going to the dentist have a higher risk of gum disease and early tooth loss. This can cause damage or discolored teeth and in turn make people feel self-conscious and insecure.

Causes of Dental Anxiety and Phobia
-Past Painful Experiences
-Loss of Control
-Embarrassment

Symptoms
-Becoming tense or having trouble sleeping the night before a dental exam.
-Becoming increasingly nervous while you’re in the waiting room.
-Crying when you think of going to the dentist.
-Becoming physically ill at the thought of a dental visit.
-Panic or troubled breathing when objects are placed in your mouth during a dental appointment.

If you are someone that suffers from fear of the dentist please tell us about your feelings, concerns, and fears. At Nicollet Station Dental we have TV’s in the rooms to help distract patients and to make time fly by, we offer the use of nitrous gas to calm anxiety and for extreme cases the option to prescribe valium.

American Heart Health Month

February 27, 2016blog, Uncategorizeddentist, February Heart Health Month, Gum Disease, heart health month, minneapolis dentist, minnesota dentist, Prevent Gum Diseasealisha

heart-213747_1280-1024x947 February is American Heart Health Month and is used to address the fact that heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States for both men and women. Did you know that there is a direct correlation between heart health and gum disease? Although, many factors can be taken into account such as getting older or having a family history of heart disease, gum disease should be evaluated because leaving it untreated can cause serious heart problems. When gums are swollen and bleed this is a sign of gum disease and the bacteria from infected gums can dislodge, enter the bloodstream, attach to blood vessels and may also trigger clot formation.

Here at Nicollet Station Dental, we pay particular attention to the health of the gum tissues. Gum (periodontal) disease is generally a painless disease until its later stages, so many patients don’t know they have a problem until permanent damage has occurred. We will make sure your gums will be thoroughly examined at each cleaning and comprehensive exam appointment.

As a general rule, most patients should have a dental cleaning every six months. Regular cleanings make a huge difference in preventing gum disease and cavities.
Sometimes using an ultrasonic cleaner is a big help. For our patients who build up calculus (tartar) more readily or who don’t care for the hand scaling, this instrument can be of great assistance. If a patient has gum disease, we can usually treat the condition right in our office!