The main cause of this disease is the exposure of teeth of children to sugars present in milk, juice and other sweet liquids; for a long period of time. When sugar stays on the tooth for a long time then it combine with the bacteria present in the mouth. It results in the formation of acids which destroy tooth enamel. Teeth present in upper front are at the maximum risk of baby bottle tooth decay.

Tooth decay is also called by the name of caries. You may find no symptoms of caries in the initial stages. A small scrap of demineralised enamel appears on the surface of the tooth at first. Only a dentist can figure out such a patch on the tooth surface. Teeth become sensitive to cold or hot in the advanced stages of tooth decay. Dentists use an instrument called explorer to spot this. When the cavity reaches the pulp stage, pain and swelling may appear. It suggests that a regular check up by the dentist is best for spotting this disease.

If we talk about the treatment of this disease then a lot of processes are there. In some of the cases, the cavities may be so extreme that the teeth of the children need to be pulled out. It is best to try those methods which are effective for the prevention of this disease. Parents should take care that the baby does not sleep while sucking milk or juice from the bottle. Water should be mixed with milk for weaning a baby between the ages of 12 to 18 months.

A large number of doctors are trying to figure out the chief causes of this disease. However, the causes of this disease are not so clear. Some studies suggest that people who have a particular inherited genetic component are more likely to have this disease. Also, improper functioning of hypothalamus (a part of brain) may also be the cause of Anorexia nervosa. People who experience feeding problems as a baby, history of eating less and obsession with perfection are some of the other causes of this condition.

Following are some of the symptoms of this disease. First, the patient may become extremely underweight. This may lead to depression and cut off from society. Second, patient may find it difficult to interact with other people. He may get upset very easily. Third, lack of focus and concentration. Fourth, most people who suffer from this condition becomes obsessed with food and food recipes. They talk and think about food all the time. Apart from these, mood swings, anxiety and personality problems are some other symptoms of Anorexia nervosa.

The treatment of this disease may include hospitalization and outpatient consultation. People who suffer from extreme weight loss due to this disease are first corrected for malnutrition. People are given such foods which help them in gaining weight. They are motivated to interact with other people. Doctors suggest an increase of one to three pounds every week in the body weight of the patient is safe. Along with this, various types of psychological therapies like group therapy, individual therapy, family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy are also given to the patients.

When amalgam fillings were removed from the tooth of various people, various health related symptoms also reported improvement. More than 132 symptoms were reported to show improvement after the removal of amalgam fillings from their tooth. Symptoms related to endocrine, cardiovascular, hematological, central nervous system are included in the list of these 132 symptoms which are connected with amalgam fillings. It was observed that after the removal of amalgam fillings and putting other composite filings in the tooth, people got free from symptoms of various kinds of illness.

Amalgam fillings have various kinds of side effects on the human body. The side effects of amalgam fillings arise out from the poisoning effects of the mercury present in the amalgam. Pregnant women may face different kinds of health problems if they have amalgam fillings because mercury has neurologic, reproductive and enzymatic poison. Different types of chronic diseases may be caused by amalgam fillings. It means the people who have amalgam fillings have higher chances of different diseases related to nervous system and brain. Alzheimer’s disease, learning disability, antibiotic resistance in the body, Parkinson’s disease, Asthma, memory loss, autism and a large number of other diseases may be caused by amalgam fillings.

Eczema, infertility, migraine headaches, irregular heartbeat, Psoriasis, lupus and Insomnia are some other diseases which are linked to amalgam fillings. Therefore, one should always avoid having amalgam fillings in his tooth.

If you are wondering about the meaning of the term “Abscessed tooth” then you should read on. In this article, we will be informing you about causes, symptoms and treatments of an abscessed tooth. First of all, you need to know what is meant by an abscessed tooth. It refers to a kind of infection which is caused between the tooth and the gum or in the root of the tooth. It causes pain to the tooth which is affected by it.

Causes of Abscessed tooth

An abscessed tooth is caused by the development of bacteria, which is caused by the plaque present on the tooth and gums. Cavities are also a cause of tooth abscess. If the tooth is broken or chipped due to some accident then it may also lead to tooth abscess. Cavities are mainly caused by decay of tooth. Sometimes, tooth abscess may also be caused due to dry mouth as it contributes to cavities in tooth.

Symptoms of Abscessed tooth

The symptoms of abscessed tooth may include fever, pain in tooth while eating food, bad breath, sensitivity of a particular tooth to cold or heat, feeling bitter kind of taste in mouth, feeling unhealthy or ill etc. If you see redness on gums, swelling in neck glands or swelling in lower or upper area of jaw then it may be due to tooth abscess.

Treatment of Abscessed tooth

In order to put an end to the infection, the abscess is drained from the tooth. Root canal treatment is done for this purpose. Once the infection ends up, diseased root tissue may also be removed in some cases where required. In many cases, dentists also extract the tooth for draining the abscess.

Incision is also done in some cases in the gum which has swelling. It is for draining the abscess. For preventing the infection, antibiotics are prescribed by the dentists. One should rinse his mouth with warm water having some salt. It reduces the pain and discomfort which is felt by the patients. Drugs like ibuprofen are also prescribed for relieving the pain.

This procedure becomes necessary when the tooth decay penetrates the enamel (crown of the tooth) and goes to the other layer of the tooth which is called the dentin. When the decay reaches the pulp it spreads through out the nerves which are still alive thus causing a lot of discomfort and pain to the person. Pulpotomy can also be done when one is injured or suffers some form of trauma and the pulp is exposed. When Pulpotomy is done well it relieves the pain being experienced, reduces the sensitivity of the tooth and also rescues the surrounding tissues around the tooth from a complete break down.

Pulpotomy can not be performed on a loose tooth or when there is swelling around the tooth. The dentist determines if he will do the Pulpotomy when he examines the tooth and finds that the decay or the injury on the tooth is not that severe and the nerves in the root of the tooth can still be rescued from death.

If one is to undergo Pulpotomy they have to take X-ray pictures so that the position of the tooth is determined, and the infections on the tooth are identified. Pulpotomy is done when a person/ the patient is sedated so that the patient can be calm through the whole procedure. The area near the tooth being worked on is totally numbed.

When the procedure is being conducted on a decayed tooth, the decay is first removed. After removing the decay the affected pulp is then removed and the area is then sealed with medicine. Mostly the medicine used is formocresol. This medicine has a mummifying effect on the remaining pulp and also is used to sterilize the inside of the tooth the procedure is being conducted on. Once the tooth has been medicated, after a few minutes its time to close it up and this is done by using a temporal filling. If the procedure is being conducted on a child then the dentist places a steel crown on the tooth but if being performed on an adult then the dentist places a porcelain crown.

Pulpotomy is very successful although in minor cases the medicines used during the procedure can cause irritation to the tissues outside the viable pulp which will in turn give a burning effect to the area around the tooth. If the nerves in the tooth are affected then it will mean that whole procedure was a fail because the aim of Pulpotomy is to salvage the pulp which is not affected yet to avoid the death of the nerves.

A video demonstration -

Wisdom teeth position is checked with the help of orthopantomogram if it doesn’t erupt, and after the exact position is known, the way of extraction is determined. Abnormal position of 3rd molar is called as impaction. These impacted teeth have no possibility to erupt normally, and surgical extraction of these teeth is the only way to reduce the pain if it occurs, or disturbs the position of the adjacent erupted teeth like the 2nd molar.

Why is a wisdom tooth removed?
There are several reasons for the surgical removal of the wisdom tooth, the main ones include -

1. Erupting in an abnormal position, like tilted, sideways or twisted way.
2. Malpositioned adjacent teeth, leading to trauma while chewing/biting of food.
3. The wisdom tooth fails to erupt due to loss of space for its eruption in normal arch.
4. Tooth decay due to lack of proper care as the tooth is not under the range of normal cleaning habits.
5. Infection from trapped food etc. leading to a condition called Pericoronitis.

The oral and maxillofacial surgeons, depending on the level of impacted wisdom tooth, and other factors, decide the extraction procedure.

Bad breath is said to be caused by both liquids and solid foods, the liquids being more involved in certain reactions and production of compounds, and solids being adherent to tissues and tongue surface, leading to the poor oral health and bad breath.

It’s not just the type of food, but also the contents in it, the temperature, and concentration of sugars that affect the need of oral care. The lesser the risk factors, lesser is the need of specialized oral care techniques. Here are a few fluidic components that lead to bad breath –

Garlic and onion pastes – Although this is not eaten directly, the paste of garlic and onion in foods that adds tastes, but also is responsible for the production of volatile sulfide compounds. These compounds have a rotten-egg odor.

Alcohol – The smell produced from the fermented juices like alcohols give a very unpleasant feel, and these alcoholic compounds are usually alkaloid and reactive, which not only are foul odor producing, but also has many health hazards like damage of liver etc.

Sweet drinks – Drinks that contain sugar or carbohydrates are one of the major reasons for occurrence of bad breath in many people. These sugary foods are attacked by the bacteria, which produce strong acids, leading to tooth decay. This later leads to accumulation of food debris and bad odor from that. That’s the reason it’s advised that consumption of these sweet beverages or fruit juices are to be followed by oral rinsing or tooth brushing.

Carbonated drinks – The cold soft drinks that contain gases like carbon dioxide to make it acidic and strong, actually are strong enough to damage the surface layers of teeth and one of the basic reasons for tooth decay, later the release of foul smell in the oral cavity.

Coffee – The most common beverage that has alkaloid nature, and some compounds remain on the oral tissues, producing the volatile compounds, that cause bad breath.

There has always been a controversial debate on whether it’s solid or fluid components, which lead to bad breath. Solid foods usually adhere on the tongue surfaces, or accumulate in decayed areas of the teeth and get reacted slowly by the bacterial flora, to produce bad breath. But fluids, which people believe to have no effect, are also risky factors due to their acidic nature, presence of carbohydrates and other reactive components.

Solid foods can be washed away usually with the help of saliva that continuously flows in the oral cavity, but the same can’t occur with fluids as they have the same flow and their rate of reaction with microorganisms is greater than that of solid foods.

After eliminating the wounded dental tissues of a carious tooth, the next step is usually filing the cavity with a suitable restoring material. When pulpal tissue is exposed it gets contaminated by bacteria and mostly these are the conditions that warrant the clinician to perform pulp capping. When performing this procedure, the degree of the pain and the pulpal size exposure are considered.

This procedure was traditionally carried out using calcium hydroxide formulations that have bactericidal effects; it has been shown that this dentinal bridge is not a continuous seal thus may allow bacterial leakage through the tooth. Direct pulp capping with adhesive resins on the exposed pulp has been suggested on condition that marginal micro-leakage is prevented so as to restore the tooth; trials in the monkeys and other primates reveals that adhesive systems and the composite resins are naturally compatible with pulpal tissue when correctly placed on the exposed part after bleeding is well controlled.

The level of bleeding is a sign of projection of what might happen to the capped tooth, the adhesive system after it’s used it induces pulpal responses and a varying degree of leak. The style of etching using phosphoric acid at 30% concentration is most used during the restoration process.

The current studies recommend use of adhesives instead of traditional calcium hydroxide on a direct pulp capping. Clinically put, this mode of treating is limited to the exposed pulps of less than 2mm in the diameter.

Canal therapy
When the tooth has large lesions, mechanical pulpal exposure is done and if the tooth is much broken and needs a crown then this is the time the root canal therapy is done so as to prepare the tooth for capping by making it bacteria free.

The big question remains that if the tooth canals and tiny tubes can be made bacteria free, what might happen in the spam of time; do bacteria come back and form more tubes? Indeed this is possible because it happens in the gum disease.
If it so happens, does it pose any danger? And does it respond like when the bacteria were left there during the canal treatment? According to the simple logic, the answer is yes but more research is yet to be done in this problem statement to come up with more compounded facts that help to argue out queries like these.

The mandible is mostly affected in this case giving rise to a condition where the bone protrudes. This is a technical wrong position of the jaws. In Macrognathia it is not only large bones but the teeth are abnormally large too. This condition is characterized by; -
Long maxilla – This is when the upper jaw is quite long and when smiling, the upper gum line is more exposed that it should be.
Macrogenia – this is a large chin that is out of proportion to an individual’s facial features.
Short maxilla – where the upper jaw is shorter and the upper teeth do not show.
Macrognathia – Small mandible and chin due to underdevelopment of the lower chin.

One of the causes of macrognathia is the use of forceps during birth where the baby is pulled out by clamping a pair of forceps on either side of the head. If the temperomandibular joint is badly bruised at this time, the mandible does not develop. At times, this condition is associated with heart disease. Bone is part of skeleton that constitutes calcium therefore; any disease that alters the calcium balance in the body affects the bones in some way. There are two bones that make up the up the lower and the middle third face, these bones are responsible for the shape of the face and its characteristic features to a large extent. One is maxilla and the other is mandible.

Some diseases arise as a result of some problem in later life, while some diseases are developmental in future. Macrognathia can interfere with the infant’s feeding thus children with macrognathia may need special nipples so as to feed comfortably. Many at times, macrognathia may be the only abnormality in a child. It corrects itself during growth, mainly at puberty when the jaw grows quite a bit. It also can be caused by certain inherited disorders and syndromes.

Macrognathia is one of the causes of teeth being aligned abnormally. An individual is able to notice this in the way the teeth close. Most of the time there will not be enough room for the teeth to continue growing. It is advisable to seek advice from an orthodontist when the child’s adult teeth props up or when your child seems to have a very small jaw. Children may develop micrognathia, and it is better to wait to treat the condition when they are older.

Cases of this disorder are not tied to a particular occurrence. It may be hard to relate it to a particular regional area. It might also be hard to relate it to a particular people or race. It is a can only be termed as an abnormal defect with a general occurrence. All details and information used to draw conclusions point out to the fact that the defect is likely to be of generic or hereditary cause. This means that most cases of Micrognathia are inherited. Micrognathia defects are passed along to descendants of those who were diagnosed with the Micrognathia defect. The linage occurrence of this physical condition has been confirmed by medical research.

As a physical defect Micrognathia causes many problems that may be found to be very difficult to live with. The first problem is that Micrognathia prevents the tongue from growing properly. This is caused by the smaller sized jaw pressing the tongue to the roof of the mouth. Having a small jaw also causes the inability to hold the tongue in a forward position. This is because the jaw would be unable to place the tongue in properly normal position. The combination of having a small jaw and short tongue is likely to cause the tongue to block the airway. This limitation also causes respiratory problems that result to having regular or constant difficulty in breathing and difficulty in feeding. This condition may also result to abnormal alignment of the teeth. Micrognathia also denies the teeth enough room to grow.

Immediately after detecting Micrognathia, it is strongly advised to seek the consultation of an orthodontist. This is a doctor specialized with this kind of medical condition or physical defect. The orthodontist will first carry out a thorough medical examination. After the examination is carried out, it will be very important to get to know the facts. So the doctor will get down to asking the questions. The doctor will be very keen to note when the defect was detected. The doctor must also get to know the severe effects and the related symptoms. There has been quite a debate on the best medical diagnosis for Micrognathia cases. Orthodontists have organized many conferences to come up with consensus on matters related to the proper diagnosis for Micrognathia. But the most dominant procure is carrying out a surgical operation to correct the defect caused by Micrognathia.