Do I have dry socket?

Question:

Last week,  I had 2 teeth taken out by the dentist.  But today, there was some type of bloody-white “ooze” coming out of the area where one of the teeth came out.  I haven’t had any pain, just the ooze.  Is this dry socket?

Answer:

From what your describing, it definitely isn’t dry socket.  Dry socket is quite painful and occurs when you’ve lost the blood clot in your tooth socket and the bone is exposed.  This sounds like an infection.  After an extraction, for the first couple of hours you can expect some bleeding and some slight pain.  The dentist should have prescribed pain pills and antibiotics so as to avoid an infection.  Depending on the severity of the infection now, the dentist may just prescribe some more antibiotics.  But please visit your dentist right away and tell him/her that you have an infection.

Good luck!

My tooth hurts when I eat hot or cold food or drinks

Question:

My tooth hurts whenever I eat hot or cold food or drinks.  If feels like a sharp pain, then it goes away.  What does this mean?

Answer:

This is a sure sign of a condition called reversible pulpitis.

What is Reversible Pulpitis

Reversible pulpitis essentially means that the nerve is starting to feel irritated, however it’s still fairly early and the sensation can easily be reversed by a dentist.

Exposed Dentin Causes Pain

The feeling that you are experiencing is caused by exposed dentin.  Remember that dentin is normally covered by enamel (see article on tooth anatomy), if for some reason a portion of dentin is left uncovered, you will usually feel sensations of short, sharp pain when exposed to hot or cold substances.  Exposed dentin can be caused by a cavity, a defective filling/restoration, or recent dental work.

Reversible Pulpitis Solution

The good news is that this problem can be fixed easily, the dentin just needs to be covered.  Your dentist will be able to give you a filling, simply fix your existing filling, or a pulp cap if necessary.  However, don’t wait too long.  Reversible pulpitis, if left untreated, can turn into irreversible pulpitis.  Unfortunately, irreversible pulpitis can only be treated with root canal therapy, which costs a lot more in the end.  So be sure to act now by visiting your dentist.

Good luck!

I take care of my teeth. Why do I still get cavities?

Question:

I brush regularly and floss when I can.  Overall, I take very good care of my teeth.  But why do I still get cavities?

Answer:

A number of factors come into play when it comes to keeping your teeth clean.

Are You Brushing Correctly?

First off, though you brush your teeth often, are you brushing them correctly?  Make sure the bristles of your toothbrush reach every area on the tooth, including the back surface and especially the surface closest to the gumline, these are areas where bacteria usually build up.

Are You Flossing Correctly?

When you floss, do you guide the floss down below the gumline, following the curvature of the tooth?  Flossing takes more than just moving the strand between the teeth, be sure to see our article on flossing for more details.

Number of Cavities Can Be Hereditary!

And sadly, research has shown that an individual’s ability to get cavities is hereditary…that’s right, HEREDITARY!!!  So if your mother or father had a high number of cavities, than your risk of getting cavities is greatly increased.  It’s not inevitable, it just means that your mouth’s pH is more favorable to bacterial growth and development.  This means that you must take extra caution in your daily oral hygiene habits and the types of food that you consume.

Are You Eating the Right Foods?

Yet another factor that plays a large role in the development of cavities is diet.  Of course, if you have a diet that’s high in carbohydrates and sugars, you can expect more cavities.  So try to stay away from soda, candy, and a lot of bread on a regular basis.

Hope this helps and good luck!

If a tooth is knocked out, can it be saved?

Question:

I’m a mother of three boys whom are very active in sports.  Is it true that if a tooth gets knocked out, it can be saved if I stick in back into the socket and leave it there until we can visit the dentist?

Answer:

This may sound awkward to some but its actually true!!  The sooner you return the tooth to the “socket”, the greater the chances of the tooth’s survival.  Of course, it’s best to rinse the tooth out with Milk first…yes Milk!

If a child’s tooth, or any tooth for that matter, is knocked out, here are some steps to take:

• If the tooth is covered in dirt or other debris, rinse the tooth off with either Milk or saliva.  Actually, its best to rinse the tooth out with a solution called “Hanks Balanced Salt Solution” or even “Viaspan” (an organ transplant solution), but no one realistically walks around with these solutions on hand.
• If possible, place the tooth back in the socket ASAP!!
• If this is not possible, place the tooth in milk, or saline, or saliva, and go to the dentist immediately.  The tooth can survive for 6 hrs in milk and only 2 hours in saliva, so the sooner you can make it to the dentist, the better.  If not possible, the tooth can be transported in water, but it won’t survive very long.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Tooth Crown Pain

Question:

Help!!  The tooth under my crown is hurting.  What does this mean and what should I do?  I’ve only had this crown for one year!!

Answer:

Sorry to hear that your tooth is in pain.  This can mean a number of things.  Let’s take a look at the many reasons for pain under a tooth crown:

Carious lesion/cavity under your crown

Sometimes, bacteria are able to find its way under the margins of crowns if not cleaned properly (see article on brushing).  If this happens, it could result in a painful situation, especially if the tooth nerve still remains in the tooth.

Bacteria not completely removed while preparing tooth for crown

In order to prepare a tooth for a crown, alot of tooth structure must be removed.  However, sometimes bacteria may still remain on the tooth structure that cannot be visibly seen by the dentist.  If this occurs, pain will occur at a later time.

Crown not being correctly adjusted in mouth

It could be “too high”, which means your bite could be off, and may need to be reduced by the dentist.  It could also mean that the crown isn’t adjusted to tightly “hug” the tooth and seal off the margins.  If the margins aren’t tight and snug, bacteria could easily creep in and eventually cause tooth crown pain.

Be sure to visit the Dentist to fix the problem

Your best bet is to go to the dentist to evaluate your options.  First, make sure the dentist runs a couple of tests to ensure that the pain is indeed coming from that tooth.  Sometimes, pain in one area is projected to a nearby area, this phenomena is called referred pain and occurs quite frequently.  If the dentist identifies this tooth as the source of the pain, then you’ll have a couple of options.  The crown may just have to be readjusted, which will only take a few moments, or it may have to be removed and the situation assessed from there.  Depending on the extent of bacterial invasion, you may just need the crown re-prepped, a root canal, or even an extraction.  Also, depending on your dentist’s office polices, he/she may offer to re-do your crown for free.

Good luck!

My teeth bleed everytime I brush

Question:

My teeth bleed every time that I brush.  What should I do in this case?  And also, my mouth is hurt each time I use antiseptic to rinse.

Answer:

How often do you floss? From what you’re telling me you may have some minor inflammation on your gums. This often happens if you don’t floss regularly. Minor inflammation is called gingivitis and is usually easily cured if you start flossing more often or visit your dentist for a cleaning. If you continue not to floss, gingivitis can turn into periodontitis which can lead to a host of other problems including bone recession, loose teeth, etc.

Now remember when you start flossing you will definitely see bleeding. This goes away as you floss more often. Being that your gums are inflammed, your immune system is sensitive in that area and can easily become aggravated. However, you need to be able to clean away the bacteria below your gumline so please continue to floss.

Hope this helps

SaveMySmile Team