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Why Do Dentists Often Recommend Taking Out Wisdom Teeth?

bpadmin (lorna.goodman) — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 22:59:34 +0000

Why do dentists often recommend taking out wisdom teeth? Some dentists say that keeping wisdom teeth in will eventually cause the lower front teeth to become crowded or overlap each other. Other dentists say that wisdom teeth may cause problems later in life so they should be taken out now before they affect surrounding teeth. So, what is the truth?

The truth is, there is no study that shows that wisdom teeth will cause crowding of the lower front teeth. When there are no back teeth, the lower front teeth may still become crowded. This happens because the contact between the lower front teeth is very small, so the teeth may slide past each other. The back teeth in fact, tend to move backwards. This is seen more commonly with the top molars. Then, food may get trapped and the teeth may become decayed as they are harder to reach and thoroughly clean.

So when should the third molars (or wisdom teeth) be taken out? They should be taken out if they are partially exposed in the mouth, which allows oral bacteria to enter the body via the bloodstream as inflammation damages the tiny blood vessels in your mouth. If the wisdom tooth is partially exposed and pushing against the tooth in front of it, a deep pocket with bone loss will expose the second molar to decay that can result in the loss of that molar. The bacteria that leaks into a partially exposed third molar can also lower the body’s resistance to infection.

However, if the wisdom tooth is completely buried in the soft tissue or bone, or the third molars are in the upright position and healthy, there is no reason to extract the third molars. To learn more about the third molars in your mouth, feel free to check out our page on Wisdom Tooth Removal.

If you have any questions about third molars in your mouth, please don’t hesitate to call us to learn more or schedule an appointment with our practice. You can reach our Mid Town Dental Services team today by calling 212-697-3946. Dr. Mark Jacobson and our team are here to help you with wisdom teeth removal in New York City, New York.

The post Why Do Dentists Often Recommend Taking Out Wisdom Teeth? first appeared on Midtown Dental Services.

What is Dental Recession and What Causes it

bpadmin (lorna.goodman) — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 21:39:16 +0000

When the gum tissue around a tooth exposes the root, the tooth looks ugly, and may even be sensitive to hot and cold foods and drinks. If an exposed tooth is allowed to proceed untreated long enough, you can even lose the tooth. So what causes gum recession to show up in your smile to begin with?

Contributing Factors for Gum Recession

Contributing factors that cause gum recession are thin bone density, thin gum tissue or even a bad position of the tooth. If the tooth is sticking out, the gingiva will slip down as there is no bone covering and protecting the tooth. Other causes for gum recession are brushing your teeth too hard, flossing around the gumline too hard or in the wrong place (usually on top of the papilla, the connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a developing tooth) and braces, which, if there is not enough of the keratinized gingiva (the harder pink gingiva closest to the tooth) will cause the tooth to move out of the bone).

Treating Gum Recession

The treatment of gum recession can be done in several ways. The gold standard is to take tissue from the palate and place it over the recession. Another way is to use special donor tissue which, while more expensive, works most of the time. Sometimes taking a strip of membrane used to cover bone will take care of multiple recessions (the pinhole technique, but its success is mixed). If a graft is placed prior to orthodontic treatment, the chance of recession is reduced because of the thicker gums. Not all gum recession has to be treated if there is no increase in the recession and the causes (as in aggressive brushing) has been properly addressed. Read our page on gum recession for more in-depth coverage.

Call Today!

If you have further questions about gum recession or want to schedule our Mid Town Dental Services, please call 212-697-3946 today. We are happy to schedule a consultation for you with Dr. Mark Jacobson to learn more about gum recession treatment in New York City, New York. Your smile deserves high quality dental care!

The post What is Dental Recession and What Causes it first appeared on Midtown Dental Services.

8 Dental Myths That Can Wreak Havoc With Your Dental Health

bpadmin (lorna.goodman) — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 23:33:21 +0000

There are several misconceptions involving dentistry, some propagated by dentists themselves. Following are eight dental myths you should be aware of so you can protect your mouth from harm.

1-Rinsing with salt water does not do anything for an oral wound. It just adds salt to your diet. A better rinse is chlorahexidine, otherwise know as Peridex™. Studies show that it kills the bacteria on the wound in your mouth. It is not used on a regular basis because over time it will turn the teeth brown. Of course, that is alright if you want to match your brown tie. Listerine is not as effective, but does decrease gingivitis. In any case, one should not rinse for the first 24 hours after surgery with anything, or spit out, because this will dislodge the blood clot that allows you to heal and form bone. Disturbing the clot will cause the area to start bleeding again.

2-Another common myth involves wisdom teeth. It has been told over and over that the wisdom teeth, if left in the mouth, will cause cause crowding of the lower front teeth. Ever wonder why no one says it will cause crowding of the top teeth? Actually, the lower and upper wisdom teeth do not cause crowding of the front teeth. Lower front teeth get crowded because they have very little contact with each other and will just slide past each other. In reality, the back teeth actually move backwards, not forwards.

3-Another myth involving wisdom teeth is that they could become infected if they are left in the mouth. That is only partly true. If they are partially exposed in the mouth, they can and frequently do become infected. But when the wisdom teeth are totally embedded in bone it is unlikely that any problems will develop. They should be monitored, as in rare cases, like other areas of the mouth, cancer can develop.

4-Speaking of which, teeth do not develop cancer. But the tongue, floor of the mouth, and any soft tissues in the mouth can become cancerous, which is why the dentist should be looking at those areas every six months.

5-There is a myth that ice should be used for all infections, all the time. It should only be used for an injury or a surgery, and not for more than 4 hours. On the one hand, it slows down the enzymes that break down the tissues, causing the blood vessels to dilate and thus causing swelling and pain. On the other hand, it should never be used for an infection that has swelling. Cold constricts the blood vessels and that keeps antibiotics from reaching the area of interest. This is another reason ice should not be used for too long on a surgical or injured area.

6-Another common misconception is that you should see a dentist every six months for a cleaning. There is no factual basis for this. This idea was based on a 1955 Pepsodent toothpaste commercial. Studies in Sweden demonstrated that the optimal time between cleaning the teeth was 12 weeks. Almost 80% of the population has periodontal disease, so everybody should get their teeth cleaned every 3 months. Also, insurance does not dictate what is healthy for patients, only what they will pay for.

7-Dried fruits are healthy. True, but not when eaten just before bed. When we go to sleep, the saliva in our mouths slow down its secretions. Saliva has a pH that neutralizes the acids formed by bacteria that digest the sugar, and the bacteria that causes cavities have a field day producing acid as a result. This is true of any sweet, sticky foods, including bread. Diet soda is acidic, and that will encourage the growth of bacteria that causes tooth decay. Incidentally, Israeli studies show that diet soda will change the bacteria in the gut, predisposing the person to develop diabetes.

8-The last myth is that diseases of the mouth won’t harm you overall. No, it will kill you. Really. An untreated abscess can cause septicemia, bacteria in the blood which causes your organs to shut down, or choke you to death if a lower molar is involved, Periodontal disease has been shown to cause diabetes, strokes, and heart disease.

Our dentist and team at Mid Town Dental Services offer a variety of services combined with advanced technology to take care of all your dental needs in New York City, New York, nearby the areas of New Rochelle, Scarsdale, Manhattan, Bronxville, Riverdale, Stanford, White Plains, Larchmont, Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York. Please call 212-697-3946 for more information or to schedule a visit with us!

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Welcome to Our New Blog!

Site Admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Here at Midtown Dental Services, we endeavor to use our new blog as a regular means for publishing valuable content for our community through monthly blog posts. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, we’re able to further explore some of the most important topics pertaining to our industry and area of expertise here on our website through these articles.

Each profession tends to be its own little niche, which is a good thing because it creates a unique space for our services and a place for you to learn and implement helpful ideas that can benefit you and the people you care about.

We’re excited to share this ongoing knowledge base of blog articles with this online community. These blogs provide timely and relevant information that’s conveniently accessible online. Indeed, we hope that this community will use the valuable information found in our regular blog posts, because they are an effective way for us to reach out to you on a monthly basis, while you still enjoy the comforts of your own home.

If you have any questions or want more information, we invite you to call our team at Midtown Dental Services in New York City, New York, today at 212-697-3946. We look forward to helping you in any way we can, and we thank you for the opportunity!

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