To learn more about your dental problem, you may find your symptom and recommended solution among the selections listed below.

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Jaw Joint Pain:

TMJ - Jaw Joint Problems:

"TMJ Syndrome" is a cycle of pain, muscle spasms, and joint imbalance in the area where the jaw meets the skull.  T.M.J. is an acronym for Temporo-Mandibular Joint.  This joint connects the temporal bone of the skull with the mandible bone of the jaw.  Cushioning these two bones is a thin disc of cartilage, and five muscles support this joint.

When the balance of these bones, cartilage, and muscles is lost, the result can be:

The condition can be caused by:

Clenching and grinding will often go away once any potential stress has been reduced; thus, ending the cycle of T.M.J. syndrome.

In the meantime, there are other ways to break this cycle. You can:

To restore balance to the joint, your Dentist may recommend:

In extremely severe cases, surgery may be necessary to repair the damaged part of the joint.

A splint, which is a plastic mouthpiece, can reduce clenching and grinding and help restore harmony to the joint.

Millions of people suffer from TMJ disorder.  Treatment and lifestyle changes can break the TMJ disorder cycle and restore comfort to the joint.

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When Chewing:

Jaw-joint pain when chewing is a symptom of Temporo-Mandibular Disorder (TMD) or more commonly called "TMJ Syndrome".   The syndrome is most prevalent with women between the ages of 25 and 40.   TMJ can be caused by:

            Treatment:

Have your Dentist (or a Dentist who focuses on this disorder - there is no official specialty in dentistry for TMJ problems) perform a complete diagnosis to determine the causes so that a treatment program can be established.  A wide range of treatments are available.   

For a more comprehensive explanation see "Take this Book to the Dentist with You", by Charles B. Inlander.

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After Sleeping:

Experiencing jaw-joint pain in the mornings is an indication that you are grinding and clenching your teeth during the night.  This is one of the causes of Temporo-Mandibular Disorder (TMD).   

The syndrome is most prevalent with women between the ages of 25 and 40.   TMJ can be caused by:

            Treatment:

Have your Dentist (or a Dentist who focuses on this disorder - there is no official specialty in dentistry for TMJ problems) perform a complete diagnosis to determine the causes so that a treatment program can be established.  A wide range of treatments are available.   

For a more comprehensive explanation see "Take this Book to the Dentist with You", by Charles B. Inlander.

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Loose Filling Or Crown:

It is important to quickly attend to a loose or broken filling or crown, because once a filling or crown has lost its seal, a cavity will quickly form.  Also, a cavity in the area of a restoration is already past the first line of defense of the tooth.   Waiting beyond a few days may allow the decay to reach the nerve.  Should this occur, the only treatment option is a root canal.  An additional risk of waiting is that the filling or crown might fall completely out of your tooth during the night.  If it enters your windpipe, you could end up in surgery at the hospital.

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Tooth Sensitivity:

Many conditions can cause your tooth to be sensitive to heat, cold or pressure. These include:

Careful examination and evaluation by your Dentist can keep problems from worsening through appropriate treatment.

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Bleeding Gums When Brushing, Flossing, or Eating:

Normal gums do not bleed when you brush, floss, or eat (unless you have recently began brushing or flossing).  If bleeding continues, you have either gingivitis (early gum disease with no bone loss yet) or periodontitis (more advanced gum disease with bone loss).

Treatment:

Visit your Dentist or Hygienist or both.  You likely require a combination of teeth cleaning, root planing, and a major modification to your home-care techniques.  Once all the tartar ( the hard deposits of calcium salts and bacteria on your teeth) has been removed from your root surfaces and you are keeping all the plaque ( the soft film of food particles and bacteria) from your teeth through modified home-care techniques, all bleeding will cease.

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Bleeding From One Spot Above a Single Tooth:

A tooth infection causes pus to build up at the tip of the root and produces a hole in the bone.  It is possible for this infection to work its way to the surface of your gums and form a "gumboil", which may bleed.

Treatment:

Visit your Dentist and have the tooth and gum area checked.  Infected teeth can be repaired by root canal procedure and is often followed by a crown (also called a cap).  If you procrastinate for a prolonged period of time, you may experience a major toothache, as well as, a very nasty infection that could ultimately become life threatening.

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Bleeding After A Tooth Extraction:

It is common for the extraction socket to seep a small amount of blood for several days following a tooth extraction; however, it is not normal for the area to bleed substantially.

Treatment:

To reduce the potential of bleeding, apply pressure to the extraction site with a gauze pad which your dentist will provide following the procedure.  Some dentists also recommend for you to bite on a moist tea bag for five to ten minutes, because the tannic acid in the tea assists in stopping the bleeding.  Contact your Dentist immediately if bleeding persists or if there is substantial bleeding.

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Discolored Teeth:

Front Teeth:

Many situations result in discolored front teeth: 

Treatment After Root Canal:

After a root canal, if the tooth isn't broken, whitening may solve the problem.  The procedure involves your Dentist making a small opening in the back of the tooth and inserting a cotton pellet that contains a whitening agent, also called bleach.  In some cases a heated instrument is applied to activate the bleach.  The procedure may be repeated through a series of appointments to achieve the desired result.  Periodic re-whitening (once a year or once every several years) may be necessary to maintain the tooth's whiteness.

If the tooth has received root canal treatment and is broken or chipped, it may be necessary to crown the tooth.  A crown covers and protects the tooth from further damage.  Crowns made of porcelain or porcelain-covered metal can correct the discoloration that often occurs after root canal therapy.

If a front tooth is only minimally damaged and discolored, it may be possible to whiten it with the use of a porcelain veneer or with whitening followed by a veneer.  A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that generally covers the front and top of a front tooth.  Since veneers are translucent, it may be necessary to periodically bleach the tooth to keep it looking white and natural.

Stain Or Discoloration Caused By Foods Or Smoking:

A whitening solution may be applied during a series of appointments in the Dental office.  The solution is activated with a special light or by a laser.

Home whitening has become very popular in recent years.  A whitening tray is custom-fabricated, filled with whitening solution and then worn for several hours each day.  Home whitening is generally more predictable, less expensive, and longer lasting than in-office whitening procedures.  Over-the-counter whitening kits contain whitening solutions that are generally much weaker than those provided by a Dentist.

For a one-appointment solution to discolored teeth, bonding may be the answer. After lightly roughening the teeth, the Dentist places a plastic bonding material on the teeth, sculpts and shapes it, then hardens it with a high-intensity light.

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Back Teeth:  

As with front teeth, many situations result in discolored back teeth: 

Today, Dentists have several varieties of white filling materials that  can be used to replace dark silver fillings and are described as follows:

Direct Resins:

Indirect Resins:

Indirect Hybrid Resins:

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Treatment Following A Root Canal:  

Root canal therapy often takes two or more appointments to complete.  A temporary filling or crown is placed to protect the tooth between appointments.

After each appointment when anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours.  Avoid any chewing until the numbness has completely worn off to keep from biting the inside of your mouth or tongue.

Between appointments, it is quite common (and not a problem) for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear away or break off.  However, if the entire filling falls out, or if a temporary crown comes off, call your Dentist immediately so that it can be replaced.

It is quite normal to experience some discomfort for several days after receiving root canal therapy, especially when chewing.  To control your discomfort, take pain medication as recommended.  In the event antibiotics have been prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are no longer present.

To further reduce pain and swelling, rinse three times a day with warm salt water.  The salt solution can be prepared simply by dissolving a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, then rinse-swish-expell.

To protect the tooth and help keep your temporary in place:

It is extremely important to brush and floss normally.  Usually, the last step after root canal treatment is the placement of a crown on the tooth, because a crown covers and protects the tooth from breaking in the future.

If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or in the event you have any questions or concerns, it is recommended that you call your Dentist immediately.

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Crooked Teeth: 

In the event you have crooked (misaligned) or crowded teeth, several treatment choices are available:

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Recontouring:

Recontouring is a process of reshaping and contouring teeth that are only slightly crooked.  Your Dentist can perform this process during your visits.

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Braces:

In cases involving severe crowding of the teeth, braces are often the ideal solution for straightening.  Wearing braces to rectify crooked teeth is not a fast developing process; thus, one must be willing to wear them for a period of  two to three years, plus the extra care to maintain good dental hygiene.  

Braces (orthodontia) is a very common procedure for adults.  Today, 40 %  of orthodontic applications are for adults.  Also, to help maintain improved cosmetic appearance, braces are now available with small, clear brackets that are bonded directly to the front of the teeth.  These eliminate the "metal mouth" appearance from years ago.

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Determining If You Require Braces:

If your teeth do not fit together properly (malocclusion), orthodontics (braces) is the branch of dentistry that corrects malocclusion problems.

Teeth size and how they fit into one's jaw are inherited traits.  Some of us are more fortunate than others and naturally have straight teeth.  Some causes of malocclusions are:

An uncorrected malocclusion can substantially affect one's profile and appearance.  It may also contribute to:

Thus, correcting your tooth alignment and bite through orthodontic treatment can substantially improve your dental health.

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Braces For Adults:

One's teeth can be straightened at any age.  Today, 40 % of all orthodontic patients in the U.S.A. are adults.

Prior to the 1980's, the materials used for braces consisted of a steel band that encapsulated each individual tooth like a ring.  The wire used to pull the teeth into line was attached to a small bracket on the front of the steel bands. These style braces of old gave one the appearance of having a mouth full of metal!

Today, these bands have been replaced with brackets that are bonded with an adhesive directly to the front of each tooth.  These style bands are much more comfortable, substantially smaller, and much less noticeable than the bands of old.  For much less noticeable applications, also available are clear sapphire brackets, but these are usually more expensive and more difficult to keep clean.

To connect the brackets, a stainless steel wire continues to be used, and different sizes provide pressure to move the teeth.  Elastics that are available in a broad variety of colors are used to hold the wire in place.  Special elastic bands may be added to speed up tooth movement; plus, additional wires and attachments may be used in more difficult cases.

The process of straightening teeth with braces involves "moving these teeth through bone". Your bone responds to the tension created by the brackets and wires by developing special cells on each side of the tooth.  These cells remove bone on one side of the tooth and develop bone on the opposite side. This phenomenon is what allows the tooth to move.

Once your braces have been installed, it is much more difficult to clean your teeth; thus, regular cleaning appointments are substantially more important than before.  If one does not practice good dental hygiene while wearing braces, permanent white stains may form on the teeth if plaque isn't removedregularly.

Following removal of the braces, retainers are used to hold the teeth in their new alignment.  Some retainers are designed to be removable, while others are cemented in place.  With orthodontic treatment, one is never too old to improve their smile and the health of their mouth.

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Bonding:

Bonding is the name of a procedure for applying a plastic material (resin) to an existing tooth structure, and generally refers to a single appointment procedure where resin is applied to front teeth to change their cosmetic appearance.  Bonding is an effective aesthetic technique and the result generally lasts approximately the same length of time as veneers.  However, application of the process is technically more difficult and is less commonly offered by Dentists.

Bonding applications include the following:

Through the technique of bonding, a single tooth can be shaped and colored, or your entire smile can be changed!

If your teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, bonding can be applied to protect them from damage and to restore their original appearance.   The procedure is typically accomplished in one-appointment and includes the following:

The teeth to be bonded are roughened, followed by application of a conditioning gel.  Then a tooth-colored resin material is placed on the teeth, and sculpted to the desired shape.  A harmless high-intensity light hardens the resin, and, thus, bonding it to the teeth.

Bonded restorations are very strong and can greatly improve the appearance of your teeth, resulting in a more beautiful, natural-looking smile.

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Tooth-Colored Restorations:

To accomplish the replacement of a silver filling with a resin onlay, normally this can be accommodated in two appointments.

During the first appointment, any old filling and additional decay is removed.  Your Dentist then will take an impression of your teeth.  A temporary onlay is then placed in your tooth, and models of your teeth are made from the impression, and are sent to the lab.

Between appointments, the laboratory using the model of your tooth, will carefully place resin material into the model.  Thus, the onlay is custom designed by the laboratory to achieve a natural and lifelike appearance.

On your second appointment, the temporary onlay is removed, and a conditioning gel is applied to the surface of your tooth to prepare it for bonding to the new onlay.  Bonding cement is then placed in the tooth, and a harmless, high-intensity light bonds the resin onlay to the tooth.  Excess cement is then removed, followed by polishing the onlay to a high luster.  Resin onlays look great!  Also, since they're bonded to your tooth, they provide strength and protect the tooth.

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Crowns:

Crowns (or caps) cover the entire portion of the tooth above the gumline and are most appropriate when teeth have been significantly damaged or altered.  They are also applicable in lieu of fillings, or for the repair of broken teeth and large cavities.

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Porcelain Veneers:

Veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are most commonly bonded to the fronts and tops of the teeth.  Applying veneers is one of the most effective and common methods for creating "color" and "shape" related cosmetic changes and to beautify your smile. 

Veneers can also be used to close gaps between teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained teeth.  For chipped teeth or teeth that are beginning to wear, veneers can protect them from damage and restore their original look.

Typically,  two or more appointments are required to restore teeth with veneers.  On the first appointment, the teeth are shaped and roughened. From impressions, precise working models are made of your teeth for the laboratory that will custom fabricate the veneer to exactly fit your teeth.

On the second appointment, your prepared teeth are polished and cleaned. Then an adhesive is used to bond the veneers to your teeth.  A harmless high-intensity light hardens the adhesive.

Veneers virtually become part of your teeth.  You can use them the same as your natural teeth, because the bond is extremely strong.  The final result is more beautiful and natural looking smile!

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