Gum Abscesses

Are your gums red and swollen? Do you see blood when you spit toothpaste? If so, that’s common, but it’s not healthy. At All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, we take gum disease very seriously, and want our patients to understand all of its signs and complications. We encourage you to see us for a cleaning soon if you’re experiencing gingivitis, because if left untreated, you could develop a gum abscess.

An abscess is a hollow space where pus accumulates. Pus is the mixture of bacteria, dead tissue, and acid that builds up as the result of an infection. When a person has gingivitis, which is the lesser form of gum disease, an abscess may develop near the gum line. This would be called a gingival abscess. By contrast, a periodontal abscess forms when a person has periodontitis, the more severe form of gum disease. When a gum infection is advanced, it will cause the walls of the gum pocket to loosen and recede from a tooth root. Pus could accumulate in this hollow space, leaving the patient not only in pain and with a persistent bad taste in their mouth, but also at risk of fever and jaw bone deterioration.

We can lance and drain the pus from an abscess, but to truly kill the infection, we’ll have to remove the dead tissue. X-rays will reveal whether a patient’s dental pulp is also infected, in which case they’ll need a root canal procedure. Once the infection is removed, we will smooth down the tooth’s root by a process called planing so it will be easier to clean at future appointments. Patients will also need to take antibiotics following treatment for an abscess to ensure the infection won’t return.

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.

 

Denture Stomatitis

When people get dentures, they instantly experience a massive boost in their dental function, comfort, and self-confidence. But they will also have to make some adjustments to their oral hygiene in order to keep their new oral appliances in good working condition. We’ve assisted a lot of people with prosthetic teeth at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, and to further our patients’ oral hygiene aims, we wanted to discuss denture stomatitis.

Yeast infections, known as stomatitis, are caused by species of fungus called Candida. Although they are normally present in the mouth, saliva contains enzymes that breaks them down and keep their population under control. When a person is suffering from dry mouth, yeast may develop into large enough colonies to cause red sores, which often may be found on the roofs of the mouths of people who wear dentures. It seems that the soft plastic of the denture covering the upper palate prevents saliva from reaching that area. Yeast infections may also develop on the undersides of dentures, where they rest on the gums.

For most people, yeast infections can be avoided by brushing the mouth and the denture twice a day. We recommend brushing the gums before inserting the denture in order to increase their bloodflow. Using a separate toothbrush for the denture ensures it won’t be scratched by fluoridated toothpaste, which is more appropriate for natural teeth. Stomatitis often isn’t painful at first, so patients will have to regularly examine themselves for it.

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.

 

Tooth Extraction Site Preservation

Sometimes pulling teeth is a necessary procedure for overcrowding in the mouth or infection due to tooth decay. It isn’t a procedure to be taken lightly. Like wisdom teeth removal where they are located in the back of the mouth and sutures are used, the tooth extraction site essentially becomes an open wound, one that needs to be monitored and given time to heal. We at All Coast Dental understand that getting a tooth pulled isn’t very fun, but we are committed to making the procedure and healing process as comfortable as we can for our patients. 

If you ever think your healing process doesn’t feel normal, you should contact your Pacific, CA dentist. Signs of complications include:

- Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain

- Severe nausea or vomiting

- Redness, swelling, or excessive discharge from the extraction site

- Signs of infection, such as fever and chills

Something else to keep in mind when removing teeth is what to do with that open space once it has healed. If a tooth is removed and nothing is done to the extraction site, your jaw bone will degenerate and change shape while the site heals. This can create problems in your bite and may affect chewing and speaking. Make sure you and your dentist come up with a plan to fill this space.

All Coast Dental is located at 2180 Garnet Ave., Suite 1-K, in Pacific, CA 92109. For more information about nightguards or to schedule an appointment, please visit allcoastdental.net or call 858-270-4904.

 

Nightguards

Nightguards are placed in the mouth to act as a “cushion” during sleep to prevent someone from grinding or gnashing their teeth together. Some people actually do this during the day as well. Grinding your teeth, also known as bruxism, damages enamel, wears down teeth, causes jaw pain, and irritates gums. If you think you are grinding your teeth, we at All Coast Dental in Pacific can help.

Severe teeth grinding can lead to tension-type headaches and disorders in the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), where a clicking noise is heard when you open and close your mouth. Teeth grinding has also been seen in quite a few children. According to WebMD, “approximately 15% to 33% of children grind their teeth.” The first step to preventing teeth grinding is to determine what is causing it. Sometimes a nightguard or change in lifestyle is all you need to prevent it.

There are several factors that increase the chances of grinding your teeth:

- Stress and anxiety

- Age (though common in children, bruxism goes away by adulthood)

- Aggressive or competitive personality type

- Psychiatric medications

- Smoking tobacco

- Consuming caffeine or alcohol

- Family history of teeth grinding

- Other disorders such as Parkinson's, dementia, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), epilepsy, night terrors, sleep apnea, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

All Coast Dental is located at 2180 Garnet Ave., Suite 1-K, in Pacific, CA 92109. For more information about nightguards or to schedule an appointment, please visit allcoastdental.net or call 858-270-4904.