Bad breath is a very common problem and there are many different causes. Bad breath can be improved by following a daily oral hygiene regime and cutting down on sugary foods and drinks. Regular trips to the hygienist will also ensure your plaque levels are kept under control.

Causes of bad breath include:

• Chronic bad breath usually has an underlying medical cause such as throat, nose or lung infections and sinusitis, bronchitis, gastro-intestinal conditions or diabetes.
• Poor dental hygiene. Without regular brushing and flossing, bacteria and bits of food can get trapped in between your teeth, which release an unpleasant odour after some time.
• Smoking.
• Consuming strong, odorous foods like garlic, onions and coffee.

If you are aware that your breath is not as fresh as you would like it to be, make an appointment with the hygienist for some advice and assistance.

Life benefits

• Fresh breath gives you confidence in social situations.
• Indicates good oral health and clean teeth.
• Healthy gums.

What is a Root Canal?

A tooth has two basic parts, the crown and the roots. The crown is mainly above the gum, and the roots, which attach your tooth to your jawbone, are below. Inside the tooth is a hollow area, called the root canal.

The root canal contains a substance called pulp, which is a network of nerves and blood vessels that nourish the tooth that senses extreme temperatures and pressure on the tooth.

If the pulp becomes injured or diseased, it dies. This can happen because of a deep cavity or damage to the tooth. Bacteria penetrate through a crack or cavity and cause infection. Eventually the tooth becomes loose, the tissue around it swells and abscesses may form beneath the tooth.

Malocclusion of the teeth is a misalignment problem that can lead to serious oral health complications.

It’s also known as:

• crowded teeth
• crossbite
• overbite
• underbite
• open bite

The teeth won’t be able to perform vital functions if they’re misaligned. Learn more about this issue and how it may be treated, to protect your overall oral and digestive health.

What Causes Malocclusion?

Malocclusion is usually an inherited condition. This means it can be passed down from one generation to the next.

There are some conditions or habits that may change the shape and structure of the jaw. These include:

• cleft lip and palate
• frequent use of a pacifier after the age of 3
• prolonged use of bottle feeding in early childhood
• thumb sucking in early childhood
• injuries that result in the misalignment of the jaw
• tumors in the mouth or jaw
• abnormally shaped or impacted teeth
• poor dental care that results in improperly fitting dental fillings, crowns, or braces
• airway obstruction (mouth breathing), potentially caused by allergies or by enlarged adenoids or tonsils

Diagnosing and Classifying Malocclusions

Malocclusion of teeth is typically diagnosed through routine dental exams. Your dentist will examine your teeth and may perform dental X-rays to determine if your teeth are properly aligned. If malocclusion is detected, it will be classified by its type and severity. There are three major classes of malocclusion:

Class 1

Class 1 malocclusion is diagnosed when the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth. In this type of malocclusion, the bite is normal and the overlap is slight. Class 1 malocclusion is the most common classification of malocclusion.

Class 2

Class 2 malocclusion is diagnosed when a severe overbite is present. This condition, known as retrognathism (or retrognathia), means that the upper teeth and jaw significantly overlap the lower jaw and teeth.

Class 3

Class 3 malocclusion is also diagnosed when there’s a severe underbite. This condition, known as prognathism, means that the lower jaw protrudes forward. This causes the lower teeth to overlap the upper teeth and jaw.

Wisdom tooth extraction is generally a surgical procedure to remove one or more wisdom teeth — the four permanent adult teeth located at the back corners of your mouth on the top and bottom.

If a wisdom tooth doesn’t have room to grow (impacted wisdom tooth), resulting in pain, infection or other dental problems, you’ll likely need to have it removed. Some dentists recommend the extraction of wisdom teeth even if the impacted teeth aren’t causing problems, as a preventive measure against potential future problems.

Some Reasons for Surgery

• Insufficient space for wisdom teeth (impacted wisdom teeth).
• As part of orthodontic management (such as braces), .
• Severe gum disease which may affect the supporting tissues and bone structures of teeth.
• Severe tooth decay or infection.

Complications

Although every patient is treated with great care to prevent discomfort, complications do sometimes occur. A few complications that can occur after wisdom teeth surgery include:

• Infection: although rare, it does occur on occasion. The dentist may opt to prescribe antibiotics pre- and/or post-operatively if he/she determines the patient to be at risk because of wisdom teeth surgery.
• Bleeding: The dentist has a variety of means at his/her disposal to address bleeding, however, it is important to note that small amounts of blood mixed in the saliva after extractions are normal.
• Swelling: Often dictated by the amount of surgery performed to extract a tooth (e.g. surgical irritation to the tissues surrounding a tooth).

If you have a chipped tooth, you might not feel any tooth pain unless the chip is large enough to expose the nerves in the inner layer of the tooth. If a chipped tooth exposes the nerves inside a tooth, you might notice increased tooth sensitivity and pain when chewing or when the chipped tooth is exposed to very hot or very cold food and beverages. You might need a crown or a dental onlay to restore the shape of the tooth and prevent further damage or decay.

A cracked tooth might affect only the tooth enamel, or it might affect the entire tooth down to the root. You might only notice pain from a cracked tooth when chewing, or when the temperature in your mouth changes as you eat something hot or cold. But it is important to see a dental professional as soon as possible after you notice a cracked tooth, so it can be evaluated and treated if necessary.

Diagnosing a Chipped or Broken Tooth

At Metro City Dentistry, your dentist can make a diagnosis of a broken tooth via visible inspection of your mouth. They will also take into account your symptoms and ask you about events that may have caused the chipping.

Broken Tooth Treatment Options

The treatment your dentist gives you for a chipped or broken tooth depends on the severity, location and symptoms. Unless a chipped tooth is causing severe pain and significantly interfering with eating and sleeping, it’s not considered a dental emergency but you should make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to avoid infection or further damage to the tooth.

Chipped Teeth

If it’s a small chip, your dentist may smooth out the sharp edge and polish it. With a moderate chip, your dentist may need to place a filling or a crown over the chipped tooth so you can chew normally and have a natural appearance. If the chip is large enough that the nerve is exposed, you will probably need a root canal and then a crown on top of that.

Cracked teeth

A mildly cracked tooth may not need treatment, but it’s safest to visit a dental professional. They may have to simply polish the tooth to smooth out rough edges. However, with a more serious crack, the crack may have gotten to the root.

And if it has cracked through the enamel and dentin of the tooth, it may become loose, leading to a lost tooth or bleeding gums. Depending on the severity, a cracked tooth may require a root canal or tooth bonding.

A cavity, also called tooth decay, is a hole that forms in your tooth. Cavities start small and gradually become bigger when they’re left untreated. Because many cavities don’t cause pain in the beginning, it can be hard to realize that a problem exists. Regular dental appointments can detect tooth decay early.

According to the Metro City Dentistry, cavities and tooth decay are some of the most common health problems in the world. Anyone with teeth can develop cavities, including babies. Finding out that you have a cavity might come as a surprise. This is especially true if you think you have a good oral hygiene routine. However, even if your dentist delivers this news, there are ways to treat a cavity and prevent new ones from forming.

Everyone is at risk for cavities, but some people have a higher risk. Risk factors include:

• too many sugary or acidic foods and drinks
• a poor oral hygiene routine, such as failing to brush or floss daily
• not getting enough fluoride
• dry mouth
• eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia
• acid reflux disease, which can result in stomach acid wearing down your tooth enamel

Treatment options for tooth cavities

Tell your doctor about uncomfortable symptoms like tooth sensitivity or pain. Your dentist can identify tooth decay after an oral exam. However, some cavities aren’t visible from an oral exam. So your dentist may use a dental X-ray to look for decay. Treatment options depend on severity. There are several ways to treat a cavity.

Tooth fillings

A dentist uses a drill and removes decayed material from a tooth. Your dentist then fills your tooth with a substance, such as silver, gold, or composite resin.

Crowns

For more severe decay, your dentist may place a custom-fit cap over your tooth to replace its natural crown. Your dentist will remove decayed tooth material before starting this procedure.

Root canal

When tooth decay causes the death of your nerves, your dentist will perform a root canal to save your tooth. They remove the nerve tissue, blood vessel tissues, and any decayed areas of your tooth. Your dentist then checks for infections and applies medication to the roots as needed. Finally, they fill the tooth, and they might even place a crown on it.

Early stage treatment

If your dentist detects a tooth cavity in its early stage, a fluoride treatment may restore your tooth enamel and prevent further decay.

Dealing with pain

Cavities and tooth decay can be the cause of a lot of pain and discomfort. You may want to find ways to soothe irritation while you wait for your dentist appointment. According to the Metro City Dentistry, there are a few things you can do to deal with discomfort temporarily:

• Keep up your oral hygiene routine.
  Continue to brush and clean all parts of your mouth, including any sensitive areas.
• Try over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers.
  Check with your doctor if you can use OTC anesthetics.
• Watch what you eat.
  Stay away from extremely hot or cold foods when eating or drinking.

A toothache or tooth pain is most often caused when the nerve to a tooth is irritated, but there are numerous other reasons for a person to experience tooth pain. Risk factors for toothache include dental infection, gum disease, plaque, dental decay, injury, cracked teeth, poorly placed fillings or crowns, failing or leaking fillings or crowns, loss of a tooth (including tooth extractions), temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea. There are instances, however, where pain originating from outside the mouth radiates to the mouth, thus giving the impression that the pain is of tooth origin. This often happens when there is a problem with the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint or TMJ), ears, nerves, sinuses, or muscles. Occasionally, heart problems can give a sensation of tooth pain. Pregnancy can also be a risk for tooth problems that lead to pain. Due to fluctuating hormone levels during pregnancy, pregnancy gingivitis and tooth decay can occur.

A medical history and physical exam will usually indicate the appropriate diagnosis. Sometimes radiographs, often referred to as X-rays, can be used along with other diagnostic aids. Panoramic radiographs and cone beam computed tomography views are used to further evaluate the teeth and bones throughout the mouth and skull. Occasionally, lab evaluation including ECG tracings of the heart will assist the doctor. If the cause is something other than a dental or jaw problem, the doctor may prescribe medications directed at the problem. If the condition is more severe, the doctor may admit the patient to the hospital for further care. The patient may be referred to a dentist for further treatment.