Category: Oral Health

How Does a Dead Tooth Happen?

If you’re lucky, your teeth will remain in place, alive and well in your mouth throughout your entire life. However, it’s possible for teeth to die, leaving you with a tooth that’s painful and even unsightly. Read on to learn more about what it means to have a dead tooth.

The Death of a Tooth

There are two main reasons why a tooth might die. When a tooth experiences trauma, such as a hard hit to the mouth, a fall, or aggressive tooth-grinding, the blood flow to the tooth may be lost, resulting in the death of that tooth’s pulp, which is the most vital part of the tooth. Decay can also cause a tooth to die. Infection or decay, if not properly treated, can spread to the pulp, killing the tooth.

Signs & Symptoms

So how do you know if your tooth bites the dust? When a tooth dies, it will lose its nice, pearly white color. The tooth will darken to gray and eventually can even turn black as the blood cells die. The discoloration will be permanent. In addition to the change in coloring, a dead tooth will often bring tooth pain, swelling, bad breath, and a foul taste in your mouth.

Dead Tooth Treatment

If you see or feel symptoms that lead you to believe you may have a dead tooth, you’ll want to get in touch with your dentist as soon as you can. Your dentist will determine whether or not a root canal will be able to save the tooth. Otherwise, the tooth will need to be removed.

Great Care at Paris Mountain Dental

If you think you might have a dead tooth, call Paris Mountain Dental and we’ll fit you in as soon as possible. If it’s something else that’s bothering you, we’ll be able to help—we offer a variety of services from general dentistry to cosmetic procedures to orthodontics.

Get in touch with us today!

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What Causes Dry Mouth?

When your saliva production is low, the result is an uncomfortably dry mouth. Many of us may experience occasional dry mouth when we’re nervous, like before public speaking. While occasional bouts of dry mouth are no cause for concern, chronic dry mouth can damage your teeth and negatively affect your health.

man drinking from a water bottle

Why Is Saliva Important?

Although saliva is often overlooked, it plays an incredibly important role in your oral health. Your saliva washes away food particles and debris from teeth before oral bacteria has a chance to feed on them. Saliva also contains an enzyme that not only begins breaking down food, it also breaks down the bad, cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth. When your saliva production is low, you are at an increased risk for developing cavities. Adding insult to injury, dry mouth can also be responsible for bad breath.

What Causes Dry Mouth?

There are many different causes for dry mouth. Many common medications list dry mouth as one of their side effects. Smoking is also notorious for causing dry mouth. In other situations, dry mouth may simply be a sign that you are not drinking enough water throughout the day or that you have a vitamin deficiency. Rarely, dry mouth is a sign of a serious medical condition.

How Do We Treat Dry Mouth?

If you frequently experience uncomfortable dry mouth, let us know. To treat dry mouth, our team at Paris Mountain Dental will first try to determine the cause. Occasionally, the fix is simply asking your doctor for an alternative medication. Other times, we may recommend that you use a mouth spray to simulate saliva production and avoid some of the problems associated with dry mouth.

To ask our team any questions about treating dry mouth or to schedule your visit to our office, contact us today!

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How Can I Fix Calcium Spots on My Teeth?

As you age, you may notice white spots on your teeth. If these white spots are causing you to hide your smile, it’s time to take action.  Our team at Paris Mountain Dental can help treat these white spots and restore your smile. Today, we want to talk about some of the causes for white spots on teeth along with treatment options.

blond woman looking up at question marks pondering.

What Causes White Spots?

There are two common culprits for white spots on teeth: dental fluorosis and calcium deposits. Dental fluorosis occurs when people ingest too much fluoride as children. This condition is usually harmless and develops before teeth break through the gums. Calcium deposits, on the other hand, develop in adulthood.

Calcium Deposits

Calcium deposits occur when the calcium phosphate in your saliva sticks to plaque on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky biofilm composed of bacteria in your mouth that feed on sugar and starches. Without proper care, calcium phosphate can harden into tartar. Not only does tartar attract even more bacteria and plaque, tartar is an irritant that can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and other issues.

How Do We Treat Calcium Spots?

Unlike plaque, tartar cannot be removed by brushing.  The only way to remove tartar is through a professional cleaning at our office. Our team will use special tools to remove tartar both above and below your gum line. If the tartar buildup is more severe, we many recommend root planing and scaling, a deep cleaning treatment that involves cleaning the root surfaces of your teeth and removing all tartar.

Restoring the Appearance of Your Teeth

Once white spots on your teeth are a thing of the past, you may want to take advantage of our professional whitening services to get that bright, white smile you’ve always wanted. To ask our team any questions about white spots on your teeth or to schedule your next appointment, contact our office today!

Get a whiter smile at Paris Mountain Dental!

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The History of Dentistry

Dentistry is one of the oldest medical professions, but like other medical professions, it was very primitive until relatively recently. In this article, we offer a brief summary of dentistry’s history, which we hope you’ll find both educational and entertaining.

cartoon cave family concerned about dental hygiene

Primitive Dentistry

Archaeological evidence suggests that humans have been trying to fix bad teeth since at least 7000 B.C. Unfortunately, their contributions to dentistry were largely worthless. The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle, for example, believed that women had fewer teeth than men. Although he was married twice, he apparently never bothered to count the teeth of his wives, because he would have quickly learned that he was wrong. And the ancient Sumerians theorized that tooth decay was caused by tooth worms. Although their theory was totally wrong, it was generally accepted as fact until the 1700s.

The Birth of Modern Dentistry

The French surgeon Pierre Fauchard almost single-handedly invented the modern dentistry profession in 1723 when he published his book “The Surgeon Dentist,” which defined a comprehensive system for caring for and treating teeth.

Fauchard is also credited with being the first person to figure out that tooth decay is caused by acids from sugar instead of worms. He also pioneered the use of dental fillings, and was the first dentist to keep dentures in place by anchoring them to molars—a technique that provided the foundation for modern braces.

Dentistry in the USA

The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, established in 1840, was the first dental college in the United States. Harvard University Dental School, founded in 1867, was the first university-affiliated dental institution. The dental profession’s first official organization, the American Dental Association, was formed in 1859.

In the marketplace, Colgate introduced the first commercial toothpaste in the 1870s, and mass-produced toothbrushes appeared soon thereafter. The first fluoride toothpaste appeared in 1955, when Procter & Gamble introduced its Crest brand, and fluoridated toothpaste has been the industry standard ever since.

And of course Paris Mountain Dental contributes to the history of dentistry by providing the highest quality of treatment and personalized care. If you have any dental issues, or if you’re just overdue for a checkup, be sure to contact us and set up an appointment today!

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Save Your Existing Teeth with Our Root Canal Services

Let us take a guess: When you hear the phrase “root canal,” your first thoughts are probably something to do with pain, right? At least, that seems to be the case for many people. The problem is, that doesn’t actually reflect root canal treatment! A common belief is that a root canal is the worst thing you could possibly get done at the dentist when in reality it’s a routine, effective way to save you from tooth pain—and from losing the tooth itself.

girl holding her jaw in pain needs root canal treatment

Root Canal Treatment vs. the Alternative

When you avoid necessary root canal treatment, you’re only setting yourself up for more pain and hassle in the future. A root canal is necessary when the inside of your tooth known as the pulp becomes infected. If you don’t get that infection cleaned out, it can spread further and further down your tooth and into your jaw. That means your likelihood of experiencing an abscess, swelling, pain, and sensitivity all increase. All of which we don’t think you want to deal with!

If you wait too long to address the infection, then there comes a point where your tooth can’t be saved anymore, which means you need to have it removed. Keeping your natural tooth is always a preferable choice since you won’t have to deal with a gap in your smile or pursue further (and more costly) dental work to get a replacement tooth. Don’t let your tooth deteriorate past the point of repair when you can save your beautiful, natural smile!

Stress-Free Sedation Options

You may be convinced that root canal treatment is right for you but still remain a little worried about how it’ll feel. Let us ease your concern! Modern root canal services involve using local anesthesia and dental sedation options so that patients don’t have to experience discomfort during the treatment.

Paris Mountain Dental, for example, has nitrous oxide available to help nervous and anxious patients feel completely calm during their procedure. We also have topical anesthesia and DentalVibe®, which significantly minimizes pain during injections.

If you need a root canal, or need help deciding if one is necessary for you, we welcome you at our Travelers Rest dental office. We perform gentle root canal therapy to help you get back on track with your oral health. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

Do you need root canal therapy or have questions about how much a dental procedure will cost?

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How to Teach Kids About Good Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene habits should begin before adult teeth come in, and even before children start to lose their baby teeth. As your one-stop dental practice for the whole family, all of us at Paris Mountain Dental are excited to share the importance of teaching kids good oral hygiene habits.

baby boy practiving good oral hygiene brushing his teeth

Why You Should Teach Your Kids About Oral Hygiene

We tell our kids to eat their fruits and veggies because these foods include important vitamins and minerals to help them grow up to be healthy and strong. In that same sense, that is also why we should all strive to teach our children about good oral hygiene, so that their smiles grow up healthy, strong, and bright too!

Why Are Baby Teeth Important If They Fall Out Eventually?

Baby teeth serve an important role in children’s growth and overall well-being. Without baby teeth, children wouldn’t be able to smile, chew, properly bite down. Baby teeth also play an important role in how the adult teeth will erupt. If a child loses baby teeth too early, the adult teeth might erupt too soon, making it difficult for the surrounding teeth to find space to come in, which can lead to crooked and/or crowded teeth.

3 Tips to Make Good Oral Hygiene Fun for Kids

1. Brush Your Teeth Together

You know what they say—monkey see, monkey do! Showing your children that you make a habit of brushing your teeth carefully and regularly helps show them how important it is.

2. Make It Special With a Unique Toothbrush

You can help keep children interested in brushing their teeth by using a fun, colorful toothbrush or one that features their favorite cartoon character!

3. Make the Time Count

Duration is extremely important when brushing teeth, so it’s a good idea to get kids used to brushing for a full two minutes. There are lots of tooth brushing songs on YouTube. The ADA even made a curated list of several songs with some familiar characters.

Just as parents need to visit our team at Paris Mountain Dental twice a year, so do children. Our office is equipped with a kids’ play area to help children stay comfortable during their visits and our friendly team knows how important it is to be fun and friendly. We never want our young patients to fear the dentist so we do everything we can to make their dental checkups fun!

Have your children been to visit us at Paris Mountain Dental in the last six months? If it’s been a little longer, don’t wait.

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Teeth X-Rays 101

dental x-ray

If you’ve visited Paris Mountain Dental lately, our team has probably taken a set of dental X-rays as part of your exam. Often, our patients wonder why we need to X-ray teeth—since after all, your teeth are visible and easy to see. Today, we want to explain why dental X-rays are such an important tool for Dr. Ghimire and our team when it comes to diagnosing and treating a variety of dental issues.

Why Do We Need Dental X-Rays?

Even when we use mirrors, lights, and cameras to get a good look at your teeth, we still can’t see everything! X-rays help us view damage and decay to your teeth and jawbone that are not visible to the naked eye. They can even help us diagnose cavities that we would not be able to catch otherwise!

The Different Types of X-Rays for Teeth

Just like an X-ray of a broken bone, we use different types of X-rays from different vantage points to build a full picture of your oral health. The most common types of X-rays we use are bitewing, periapical, and panoramic. Bitewing X-rays capture both your upper and lower teeth as you bite down and are a great way for us to spot any decay between your teeth and make sure that your alignment is good. Periapical X-rays provide us with a comprehensive image of an individual tooth from root to crown that shows us any potential issues with root structure, bone level, cysts, or abscesses. Panoramic X-rays show your entire mouth and help us make sure that your teeth are developing correctly.

Are Teeth X-Rays Safe?

While any X-ray exposes you to radiation, dental X-rays contain an extremely low dose. In fact, the level of radiation you receive from a dental X-ray is about the same as during a short airplane flight.

Dental X-rays help us provide you and your family with quality dental care. To ask our team any questions or to schedule your next visit, call our office today!

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Can I Check for Cavities at Home?

A brunette woman wearing a red shirt and large necklace rests her chin on her hand as she wonders how to detect cavities

The majority of American adults have had a cavity at some point in their life. If you’re conscious of getting a cavity, you might want to know how to detect them.

What Are Cavities?

First, let’s understand what cavities are. Cavities happen when tooth enamel is destroyed and tooth decay develops. The most common cavities are called coronal cavities and occur in between your teeth or on the chewing surfaces. Root cavities are less common and mainly occur in older adults with receding gums and gum disease because their tooth’s root is exposed. If left untreated, cavities can develop into an abscess, which is an infection at the root tip that will need to be treated by tooth extraction, root canal therapy, or surgery.

What Causes Cavities?

Cavities develop when food particles are left in your mouth. If foods with sugars and carbohydrates aren’t washed away after you’ve eaten, the bacteria in your mouth turns them into acids. That acid combines with food debris, saliva, and bacteria in your mouth to form plaque, which destroys tooth enamel. Though children are more susceptible to developing cavities, adults need to be just as careful at keeping up with their oral hygiene and watching their sugar and carb intake.

Can I Check for a Cavity at Home?

In the early stages of a cavity, you won’t be able to detect it at home. This is because your tooth’s enamel doesn’t have nerves so when decay is entering that layer, you won’t feel anything. If the cavity and decay has progressed to reach the soft tissue inside your tooth, where dentin and nerves are, you may notice tooth sensitivity and pain, which could be anything from a mild to a more intense sensation. If a cavity has really progressed, you may be able to see holes or pits in your teeth and stains that are black or brown. If you do, schedule an appointment with us ASAP!

How Do I Prevent Cavities?

The best way to prevent cavities is by practicing good oral hygiene. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day for 2 minutes each time, floss at least once a day, and use toothpaste with fluoride. Eating healthy foods and staying away from sugary and carbohydrate-heavy foods is also vital to cavity prevention.

Come See Us Every 6 Months!

Another way to detect and prevent cavities is to visit us for biannual cleanings and checkups. Dr. Ghimire will evaluate any unusual tooth pain and confirm the presence or absence of tooth decay. She’ll prod your teeth to check for soft spots and take X-rays to look between your teeth, where cavities often occur. Call us today to schedule your next appointment!

Is your mouth cavity-free? Find out by visiting us!

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Fixing Bad Breath

Brunette woman covers her mouth with the collar of her black shirt

We all occasionally have bad breath – especially after eating foods full of onion and garlic. For most of us, it’s a temporary annoyance fixed by brushing our teeth, using mouthwash, or even chewing some sugar-free gum, in a pinch.

However, for others, chronic bad breath can be a sign of something more serious. Today, we want to talk about some of the causes of bad breath and some of the ways that Dr. Ghimire and the rest of our team here at Paris Mountain Dental treat it.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Bad breath has a variety of causes. Sometimes, it’s as simple as the food we eat. But other times, bad breath is the result of a more serious health condition.

  • Smoking is known to cause bad breath. Additionally, smoking increases your risk of developing gum disease, which is another source of bad breath.
  • Dry mouth can also cause bad breath, as it indicates that your saliva production has decreased. A variety of medications list dry mouth as a side effect.
  • More serious conditions such as tonsil stones, chronic inflammation, and cancer are also known to cause bad breath.
  • How Do I Fix Bad Breath?

    If you notice any sudden or severe changes with your breath, let Dr. Ghimire know during your next dental visit. Dr. Ghimire will diagnose your issue, and then come up with a treatment plan.

  • For some patients, a more thorough preventive care routine (brushing twice daily for two minutes each time and flossing every day) will solve the problem.
  • For almost all of our patients who complain about bad breath, we recommend increasing their water intake. Water cleans your teeth in between brushing, and helps you stay hydrated to ensure that your saliva is functioning properly.
  • For others, Dr. Ghimire may prescribe a mouth spray that increases saliva production and can eliminate dry mouth.
  • If it turns out that your bad breath is a result of gum disease or another more serious issue, Dr. Ghimire will treat the underlying issue in order to fix your bad breath.
  • Contact our office to ask any additional questions about bad breath or to schedule your next appointment with Dr. Ghimire.

    Do you have chronic bad breath?

    Let Us Help Freshen Your Breath!