Sensitivity to Cold

Teeth may be sensitive for all sorts of reasons, but if you frequently feel sharp pains after ingesting something cold, you may be suffering from enamel erosion. We at All Coast Dental hope that our patients’ teeth are in good health and serving them well. If you dread a cold glass of water or biting into a Popsicle, read on.

The outer layer of a dental crown is made of enamel. It is the hardest substance in the human body, being made up mostly of minerals, but is unable to regenerate lost material. Below the gum line, the outer layer of a tooth is made of a substance called cementum. It is sticky but thin and provides little insulation. The middle layer of a tooth is made of dentin, a yellow-brown porous substance made up of mini tubules that lead to the dental pulp. The pulp is made up of blood vessels, connective tissue, and nerves, and heat is easily transferred out of it through dentin when a tooth is not sufficiently insulated, resulting in a shooting pain.

If a tooth is only sensitive when it comes into contact with something cold, the problem is likely thin enamel or recession of gum tissue around the root. These can be caused by oral bacteria secreting acid, or possibly from acid reflux. Brushing and flossing are crucial to preventing acidic erosion. A patient may also need a night guard to stop themselves from damaging their enamel by grinding their teeth in their sleep. We can help patients to obtain custom-fitted oral appliances and provide remineralization therapy for enamel that is in the process of eroding. Patients may also want to switch to extra-fluoridated toothpaste.

Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Dental Avulsion

July 15-21 is National Youth Sports Week, and we at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach want to do our part to inform families about what to do in a dental emergency. It may be possible for us to save a permanent tooth that gets knocked out, but only if patients know the right protocol.

We use the term “dental avulsion” to describe when a tooth gets knocked out of its socket. Every first aid kit should contain one of the American Dental Association’s approved emergency tooth containers. The tooth should be lifted by its crown, not its root, rinsed in a saline solution, and placed in the container. If no container is available, the next best option is to place it back in its socket. If that’s too painful, the tooth may be held in the cheek or moved in a jar of milk or saltwater, but remember that open wounds on the face should take priority over saving a tooth.

It is important to note that only permanent teeth can be replanted. A replanted baby tooth could prevent its permanent counterpart from emerging later. If a baby tooth does get knocked out, we may recommend that an orthodontic spacer be used to keep the gap open until a permanent tooth emerges. If a tooth does prove too damaged to save, we can replace it with a partial denture or fixed crown, but if your children wear mouthguards, it is much less likely you will have to make that choice.

Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Pericoronitis

Dentists commonly recommend the removal of wisdom teeth. While our goal at All Coast Dental is to preserve a patient’s natural teeth whenever possible, we recognize that wisdom teeth sometimes cause particular complications. Among these is an increased risk of pericoronitis, inflammation around a dental crown.

Wisdom teeth are the largest teeth and the last to erupt. They often push through in the late teen years, after the patient’s jaws have solidified and the rest of their teeth are no longer as mobile. Consequently, wisdom teeth tend to get stuck. A tooth that is unable to push fully through the gum line is called “impacted” and wisdom teeth tend to get stuck half-emerged. They are often partially covered by a flap of gum tissue, called an operculum, that becomes a trap for food debris, resulting in pericoronitis.

Although a pericoronitis infection may be cleaned, it will likely recur. An operculum can be cut away, but as long as the impacted tooth remains, it will contribute to misalignment problems and be difficult to brush. We offer safe, efficient extractions and will carefully monitor pediatric patients to determine whether their wisdom teeth will become problems.

Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Alzheimer's Disease and Gum Infections

If you want to protect yourself from Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most important things you can do is brush and floss. That’s the conclusion that’s emerging from new research into the connection between oral bacteria and the formation of plaque on the brain’s neurons. We’ve always been interested in the overall health implications of periodontal disease at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach. We want our patients to have a fuller understanding of what gum disease does, too.

There are several species of bacteria that contribute to tooth decay and gum disease, but one called Porphyromonas gingivalis, is especially interesting to researchers. P. gingivalis produce enzymes called gingipains to defend themselves against white blood cells. Although gingipains are common, they are found at elevated levels in the brains and spinal fluid of people who displayed symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. They also trigger the production of neural plaque and can travel to the brain in animals.

Another study, released just a few months ago, proved that P. gingivalis travels between the mouth and the brain in living human test subjects. Although gum disease is probably not the only causative factor in Alzheimer’s disease, we can confidently say it plays a major part. Patients should take care to brush and floss twice a day. If they are still experiencing gingivitis, we can provide them with a deep cleaning.

Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.