Toothache Myths

St. Pete emergency dentist

There are plenty of theories and misconceptions when it comes to toothaches. When it comes to your health, don’t take any chances; find out the truth about toothaches. Below, Dr. Leeson, your St. Pete dentist, explores the different toothache myths that many patients believe today.

Toothache Myth: Painkillers Treat Toothaches

It’s not the case here. The pain can be momentarily relieved by taking panadol or nurofen, and antibiotics can combat infection surrounding the tooth, none of which is a remedy or permanent solution. The issue is still there and is only going to get worse.

Toothache Myth: A Toothache Equals Cavity

A toothache can often be caused, but not always, by a cavity or early decay. Your bite, scratching, a chip or crack, a fracture, or nerve issues may be associated with a toothache.

Toothache Myth: Toothaches Happen To Everyone

While toothaches are widespread, they are a sign of an issue and should not be ignored. The longer you neglect a toothache or put up with it, the worse the issue will get. If the pain is from a cavity, the cavity will decay more and more rapidly. If the ache is from nerve problems, if left untreated, the nerve will die.

Toothache Myth: If My Toothache Goes Away, My Tooth is Okay

Even if the toothache’s intensity decreases or even appears to vanish, it doesn’t mean that the issue is fixed, explains Dr. Christopher Green sedation dentist Parker CO. Decay can cause pain and sensitivity that comes and goes, or it may mean that because the nerve has died, you simply do not feel the pain anymore. You always see the dentist.

Toothache Myth: Sensitive Toothpaste Will Help Treat My Toothache 

Responsive toothpaste will temporarily alleviate a toothache that responds to hot or cold foods or beverages, but as with any other short-term solutions, this is not a permanent cure and will not necessarily address the cause of the toothache.

Now that you know the truth about toothaches, you can decide whether or not you should visit your dentist in St. Petersburg, FL. If you’re still unsure about seeing your dentist, contact 4th Street Family Dentistry for a consultation. Dr. Leeson will take dental x-rays, give you a full mouth evaluation, and treatment plan.

How to Repair a Broken Dental Crown

4th Street Family Dentistry - How to fix a broken crown

How to Repair a Broken Dental Crown in St. Pete

Sturdy as they may seem, our teeth aren’t immune to damage. Your teeth are susceptible to tooth decay and physical trauma. That’s where dental crowns come in. Said to be the single most productive procedure performed in dental practices, dental crowns are effective ‘caps’ that are placed over damaged teeth to restore their shape, size, strength, and appearance.

Dental crowns are usually used when the tooth is too damaged for dental fillings to restore functionality properly. On average, dental crowns can last between five to fifteen years, depending on the amount of wear and tear and your oral hygiene practices. But did you know crowns can get chipped or broken just like regular teeth? If you notice a chip or fracture in your crown, contact 4th Street Family Dentistry for emergency treatment. 

Before you had your crowns installed, you probably had a conversation with your dentist in St. Petersburg, FL, to determine the type of crown that will work best for you. Crowns are usually made from a variety of different materials, and this determines how resistant they will be to damage. Ceramic and resin crowns are usually the least durable, while crowns made from base metal alloys, gold alloys, and porcelain fused with metal are highly durable.

Signs Your Dental Crown is Fractured or Broken

The best dentists in St. Petersburg, FL, will tell you that spotting a cracked or broken crown may not be easy, especially if you don’t visit the dentist regularly. Digital Doc, the maker of the best intraoral cameras, says that cracks may start out small, making it almost impossible for you to spot them with the naked eye. Seeing your St. Pete dentist twice a year will allow them to catch the issue and treat it while it’s still early.

If the crack isn’t treated soon enough, you may notice increased pain or sensitivity. The sensitivity will occcur while chewing, sensitivity to hot or cold foods, or bleeding at the affected tooth. A crown may break due to a blow to the face, a fall, grinding your teeth, wear and tear, or biting down on something hard. If your crown gets broken from physical trauma or chips off as you chew, contact an emergency dentist in St. Pete for treatment.

In certain circumstances, a painful crown may be a sign that the underlying tooth is the issue. If it can no longer support the crown, your dentist in St. Petersburg may have to extract it and install a dental implant to restore the tooth’s functionality.

What You Should Do if Your Dental Crown Breaks

While broken crowns aren’t usually considered an emergency, you may require emergency treatment if caused by a fall or blow to the face and cause intense pain. If you notice it, the first thing you ought to do is examine the area to see the extent of the damage before contacting a dentist in St. Pete for further guidance. Get a mirror and study the affected area if the broken crown is visible. Use your tongue to check for sensitivity. Are pieces of the crown missing or dislodged? Are there any jagged edges that may cut the inside of your mouth? Does the area feel sensitive to air or food?

While dentists don’t always recommend it, you may have to pull off the crown if there is a risk of swallowing it. If there is any bleeding, use a piece of gauze to gently apply pressure to the area. Dr. Ben Kacos, a sedation dentist in Shreveport, LA, says you can apply a little clove oil with a cotton swab or dental cement directly to the tooth surface if it feels sensitive. This will protect the remaining tooth and reduce the pain and sensitivity until you can finally see a dentist. 

Treatment for a Broken Crown

Make sure you see a dentist within 5-7 days of your dental crown breaking, even if it isn’t causing you too much pain. Leaving it for too long creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and leads to infection down the road. If you are afraid of brushing around the broken crown before your dentist’s appointment, you can use mouthwash or a saltwater solution after brushing to kill off bacteria.

The dentist will thoroughly clean and examine the remaining tooth and crown to assess the damage’s extent. If the crown is too damaged to be reapplied and the tooth is strong enough to hold a new dental crown, you will be fitted with a temporary crown while a new permanent crown is fabricated. Your St. Petersburg, FL dentist can also bond a composite resin to a porcelain crown to repair the crown if it has a minor crack or fracture. However, this requires a very specific porcelain repair kit, and not every dentist has it.

If it turns out that the underlying tooth was the problem, you may have to undergo a tooth extraction. Then have a dental implant installed once you heal. While they can be uncomfortable, broken dental crowns are entirely fixable. Whether through bonding with a composite resin or outright replacing them. Leaving a broken crown in could lead to more severe dental problems down the road. Are you looking for a dentist to fix a broken crown? Contact 4th Family Street Dentistry for emergency treatment today.

Root Canal Therapy Procedure

Root Canal Therapy Procedure - 4th Street Family Dentistry

Root Canal Therapy Procedure

For many people, the term root canal is scary. Plenty of folks believe that the treatment is extremely invasive and painful, but that is far from the truth. As we all know, most dental procedures are preventive, designed to treat issues and prevent them from becoming more severe down the road. Similarly, root canal therapy is known as one of the best and most effective dental treatments out there.

Root canal therapy is endodontic, meaning it treats the inside of the tooth. To get a good idea of what root canal therapy is, you’ll first have to get a better understanding of a tooth’s inner workings. With a good defense, however, you may never have to know what a root canal is. This includes practicing a consistent and thorough oral hygiene routine and visiting 4th Street Family Dentistry every six months to prevent any dental issues from progressing and becoming severe.

What is a Root Canal?

The teeth are made of three layers; enamel, the outermost protective layer, dentin, a hard layer below it, and soft tissue called the pulp. The pulp, which is located right in the middle of the tooth, contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues. It extends from the crown of the tooth down to the tip of the roots inside the root canal.

It connects the nerves and blood vessels in the tooth to the ones in the jaw right below the tip of the tooth root. The pulp is crucial during the developmental stages as it aids in the tooth’s growth and development and supplies nutrients needed to sustain its growth. Once the tooth is fully mature, however, it can easily survive without the pulp. Root canal therapy essentially removes pulp that has been infected from the root canal. This saves the tooth and surrounding teeth from further degradation. But how does the pulp become infected?

It can happen in two ways, deep tooth decay or a fracture that creates an opening for bacteria to enter the pulp. All the best dentists in St. Petersburg, FL, recommend brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing for a good reason. If you don’t, bacteria in the mouth will feed on food debris and form plaque. 

Plaque is acidic, and it strips the enamel of minerals, resulting in tiny holes or openings. The cavities will eat into the enamel and dentin if they aren’t treated. Over time, the bacteria enters the pulp causing an infection. If you have dental decay, contact a St. Pete dentist near you to prevent it from progressing to something more severe like dental decay.

Root Canal Treatment Procedure

Once bacteria have breached the pulp and it becomes inflamed, an emergency root canal therapy in St. Petersburg becomes a necessity. If you don’t seek treatment from a dentist in St. Pete soon enough, the infection can spread to the surrounding nerves, bones, and other teeth. Root canal therapy removes the infected pulp from the root canal and fills the space with a rubbery filling material.

The treatment usually consists of two steps, the root canal therapy itself and other dental procedures to restore the function of the tooth. First, your St. Petersburg, FL dentist, Dr. Leeson will take an x-ray of the tooth to see the shape of the root canals and to determine if the surrounding bone shows any sign of infection. A local anesthetic will be applied to numb the area around the tooth and to make you more relaxed and at ease during the procedure.

Your dentist will then place a rubber sheet around the tooth to keep the area free from saliva and to prevent the bacteria in your mouth from entering the tooth. Once this is done, the dentist will drill a small access hole into the tooth using a dental drill. The pulp, along with the decayed nerve tissue, is removed from the root canal. A series of root canal files of increasing diameter will be inserted into the access hole and used to scrape and scrub the sides of the root canals while water or sodium hypochlorite is used for flushing away the debris.

Post Treatment

Some dentists in St. Petersburg prefer to wait a week before sealing the root canal, especially if the pulp was infected. In that case, they may put medication inside the root canal to clear up the infection before sealing it. In the meantime, a temporary filling is placed to keep out contaminants like saliva and food. Once the infection is cleared, the now hollow root canal is sealed with a soft, rubbery material.

Depending on your smile, you may have to undergo further dental treatments to restore 100% functionality. Our friend Dr. Ben Kacos, an endodontist in Shreveport, LA, says most dentists recommend a buildup to fill the hole in the middle where the access is made and a crown to protect the exterior of the tooth. You may experience some pain and discomfort for 3-4 days after the treatment, which is completely normal. If over the counter pain relievers do not work and you are in pain for five or more days after the root canal therapy, contact your emergency dentist in St. Pete immediately. 

Root canal therapy is a treatment designed to save the tooth, the surrounding teeth, and bone and to restore functionality. If you are suffering from deep tooth decay or had an injury to the teeth and are looking for a dentist for treatment, we’ve got your back. Contact 4th Street Family Dentistry for a consultation today.

When Does a Tooth Need to be Extracted?

when does a tooth need to be extracted - 4th Street Family Dentistry

When Does a Tooth Need to be Extracted?

Your permanent teeth are quite strong and ideally, they should last your entire life. With proper oral hygiene coupled with regular dentist appointments and a little bit of luck, your teeth will remain strong and healthy even as you advance in age. However, it doesn’t always play out like that in real life. Despite being sturdy and hard, teeth are susceptible to damage. If the damage is extreme enough, it can result in tooth loss. So under what conditions does a tooth need to be extracted?

Dentists in St. Petersburg agree that teeth are important and no one should let their oral health get to the point of tooth loss. In fact, Dr. Leeson, a dentist at 4th Street Family Dental, would prefer to save your teeth rather than pull it out. This can only be done if the problem is caught early enough. On top of a consistent oral health routine, you should visit the dentist every six months for a comprehensive exam and dental cleaning. However, if a tooth is too damaged to be restored, extracting it may be the only way to prevent the damage from spreading to the rest of your teeth. 

Seeing as the procedure is usually done after most other restorative measures have been ruled out, tooth extractions in St. Petersburg can only be carried out under certain circumstances. Additionally, you will later have to replace the missing tooth with an implant to fully restore bite function, aesthetics, and to prevent additional bone loss.

Extensive Tooth Decay

Your teeth require proper care to stay healthy and strong. This requires daily brushing and flossing coupled with regular dentist visits. If your oral hygiene is poor, plaque and bacteria will build on the surface of your teeth over time, resulting in tooth decay and cavities. If your cosmetic dentist in St. Pete catches the tooth decay in time, it can easily be treated. 

If the decay isn’t reversed in time, it will eat through the enamel and the dentin, granting bacteria access to the sensitive pulp underneath. Once the pulp becomes infected, your emergency dentist in St. Petersburg will prescribe a root canal to save the damaged tooth and to prevent the infection from spreading to the other teeth. If the damage is too extensive, pulling out the tooth may be the only viable option. 

Overcrowded Teeth

Also called dental crowding, this happens when there isn’t enough space on the jawbone for permanent teeth to grow in straight. This results in crooked teeth that overlap each other, affecting your bite. Not only does this make it difficult to chew and eat, but it makes it virtually impossible to properly clean and floss. Depending on the size of your jaw and how many teeth you have, the overcrowding can either be mild, moderate, or severe.

Since they are hard to clean, overcrowded teeth can collect plaque and germs. This increases your chances of tooth decay and gum disease. If you are suffering from overcrowded teeth, a dentist in St. Petersburg will have to extract one or more teeth to create room in your jaw. This will be followed up by braces to correct the position of the teeth. 

Impacted teeth

As our baby teeth fall all out, they are replaced by a permanent set designed to last the rest of our lives. However, when the permanent tooth doesn’t properly erupt through the gums, it is considered impacted. This happens when the jawbone doesn’t have enough space to hold the new tooth, and it usually involves the wisdom teeth. Dr. Cody Boals, an emergency dentist in Colorado Springs, says it can also be caused by irregular tooth growth, over-retained baby teeth, having extra teeth, and dental trauma.

An impacted tooth may result in:

  • Bad breath and a constant bad smell in your mouth, especially near the impacted tooth.
  • A gap in the teeth where the impacted tooth should emerge.
  • Tender, red and swollen gums.
  • Pain while opening or closing your mouth.
  • Persistent headaches that come on suddenly.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you may have an impacted tooth. Contact a St. Pete dentist near you to have the tooth extracted to prevent further damage. 

Gingivitis

Periodontal or gum disease is caused by continued poor oral hygiene, and it is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. When food debris isn’t removed from the surface of your teeth and gums, plaque and bacteria build up over time, inflaming and irritating the gum tissue. Your gums may bleed if you brush your teeth. If the condition isn’t treated at this stage, it advances to a more severe form of gum disease called periodontitis.

The plaque will spread and grow below the gum line, breaking down the tissue and connective bone that holds the tooth in place. As this progresses, the teeth become looser and looser and they may even fall. You may notice some of the following if you have gingivitis:

  • Red, swollen and tender gums.
  • Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth
  • Gums that bleed during and after tooth brushing
  • Receding gums
  • Looser or shifting teeth

For most emergency dentists in St. Pete, tooth extraction is often the last resort. Taking proper care of your teeth and visiting the dentist every six months will keep major dental issues at bay. However, if you are experiencing any of the conditions described above, do not suffer in silence. Contact 4th Street Family Dental today for a consultation.

Causes of Tooth Pain

common causes of tooth pain - 4th Street Family Dentistry

Common Causes of Tooth Pain

If you have ever felt the misery of tooth pain, you know how rotten it can make you feel. When it comes to toothaches, our St. Petersburg patients know that they can rely on us to relieve their tooth pain. The first step to getting you out of pain is finding out what the cause of your tooth pain is. Do you know what some of the most common causes of tooth pain are? Read below to learn more.

Decay of One or More Teeth 

Cavities are perhaps the most common cause of tooth pain. Tooth decay happens as a result of the bacteria in the mouth eroding the tooth enamel. If the decay is not addressed in its early stages, it can eventually expose the nerves inside of the tooth.

Tooth decay is quite preventable, with good oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing once a day, and using quality mouthwash can help to keep the bacteria in your mouth under control. If you do have tooth decay, you’ll appreciate how Dr. Leeson, the best dentist in St. Petersburg FL, treats the decay and restores your smile.

Periodontal, or Gum, Disease

Gum disease is a common concern faced by men and women of all ages. It becomes a reality when the bacteria in the mouth forms tartar on the teeth, at or below the gum line. The bacteria can lead to pockets of inflammation that can quickly cause a tooth abscess. Most patients have no idea they have gum disease. That’s why our friends at Digi-Doc recommend that all dental offices have intraoral cameras or high-quality dental x-ray systems. If you are experiencing pain from gum disease, then it is time for you to schedule your deep dental cleaning. A professional dental cleaning at 4th Street Family Dentistry will help to clean and clear up the infection and inflammation.

A Direct Tooth Injury

When you experience a tooth injury, the tooth can become chipped, cracked or completely broken. Even if you don’t immediately feel pain in that tooth, you should consider it an emergency. Only a professional will know the extent of the damage. So, if you have a broken or chipped tooth, contact the best emergency dentist St Petersburg, Dr. Leeson. X-rays and an examination can be done and the tooth will be repaired if needed. Failing to address a broken tooth can lead to decay, resulting in the need for root canal therapy. It can also ultimately lead to tooth loss.

Impacted Teeth

Teeth that never fully erupted can become infected. This is quite commonly seen with wisdom teeth, which is why during a visit to our dental office in St Petersburg, FL, the dentist may recommend extracting the wisdom teeth sooner than later. The impacted tooth may simply exist for years, without causing any issues at all. Or it may become infected, and start to cause you significant pain. It’s often not worth taking the time to address the infection in wisdom teeth, but the recommended plan of treatment is to extract the impacted tooth/teeth.

Referred Pain From Sinusitis

If you have a sinus infection or sinusitis, you may have a fungal, viral, or bacterial infection that is causing inflammation and pain. The roots of the teeth on your upper jaw are close in proximity to your sinuses. This can lead to referred pain in your upper teeth. If x-rays and an examination don’t reveal a cause for your toothache, you may be referred to your primary care physician for further testing. It could just be that you need a round of antibiotics and steroids to resolve your sinusitis.

Resolving Tooth Pain

The best way to resolve the pain that you are feeling is to visit your St. Petersburg dentist. If x-rays and an examination of your mouth determine that decay is responsible for the pain, the answer may be a filling, root canal, or potentially a tooth extraction.

If, on the other hand, gum disease is responsible for the toothache, it may be that a root planing and scaling are necessary. You may also need antibiotics to control the bacteria in your mouth.

If the tooth is broken, chipped, or cracked, a filling may not be sufficient to restore stability and functionality to the tooth. A dental crown may be the better option to stabilize and protect the remaining natural tooth. 

Preventing Tooth Pain

While there are some very effective ways of treating tooth pain, the best cure is truly prevention, says Dr. O’Grady, an emergency dentist in Denver Highlands. Some types of toothache can’t necessarily be prevented, but gum disease and decay can be prevented simply by practicing good oral hygiene routines at home. Visiting our office for a dental cleaning and routine examination every six months can also help to prevent dental problems. 

Don’t ignore tooth pain. If you’re wondering, “Can a dentist near me help with my toothache?” You’ll be happy to learn that we offer comprehensive dental solutions to get you out of pain and get you smiling once again. 

Do I Need a Root Canal?

4th Street Family Dentistry - Do I Need a Root Canal?

Do I Need a Root Canal?

For many patients, just hearing the simple words “root canal” are enough to strike fear and set off anxiety. According to Dr. Leeson, the root canal procedure has a bad reputation, which is very much undeserved. If your tooth pain is severe enough to warrant the procedure, you’ll find that undergoing the procedure can prove to be a relief. It can also reduce your risk of losing the tooth.

You may be wondering if you will need a root canal when you next visit with your St. Petersburg FL dentist Dr. Leeson. While you truly won’t know whether or not you could benefit from the procedure, there are some signs that you may need to have root canal treatment. 

Severe Tooth Pain

The clearest sign of an issue with a tooth is experiencing tooth pain. It’s not unusual to experience tooth pain, but what sets this pain apart will be the fact that you experience more pain when you eat, chew or otherwise apply pressure to the tooth.

The pain may be serious enough that it keeps you up at night, and does not respond well to over-the-counter pain relievers.

Discoloration in the Tooth

A tooth that is infected and suffering from serious decay may also change color. You may start to notice that a tooth that has been giving you a bit of trouble is starting to darken. Dr. Moghadam, a dentist in Easton, PA, says that this is due to the dentin inside of the tooth being infected or dead as a result of the infection. While this may give cause for embarrassment and concern, your cosmetic dentist Dr. Brian Leeson can offer solutions to restore the look of your tooth. A crown is often used after the root canal treatment to reinforce the tooth. A crown can restore the look of a healthy tooth instantly.

Tooth Sensitivity 

Tooth sensitivity isn’t entirely rare. Many people do have some type of sensitivity in their teeth. The fact that you experience sensitivity when enjoying cold or hot food and drinks do not necessarily mean that you will need root canal therapy. The key difference is that once you remove the source of the sensitivity and discomfort, the pain should stop if it’s not severe decay in the tooth. If it is, and you are in need of a root canal procedure, the sensitivity and discomfort will linger for some time. You may need to consider taking pain relievers before you can get the relief that you need.

Inflammation of the Gums

Did you know that it’s not just the tooth that can be symptomatic when it comes to an infection inside of the tooth’s root canals? Your gums can show some signs that the nearby painful tooth is in need of root canal therapy. Your gums may be swollen, tender to the touch and you may see a small, raised white bump on them. Our friend Dr. Josh Eastham, an emergency dentist in Grand Junction, says that if you are experiencing gum inflammation, that it’s important to see a dental professional before the problem worsens. Gum inflammation can lead to gum disease, which eventually causes permanent tooth loss.

According to your emergency dentist in St. Pete, there may be no immediate and outward indication that you are in need of root canal therapy. This is why it is so important to keep up with your routine checkups every six months. Pay a visit to the best dentist in St. Petersburg and learn more about the overall health of your teeth and gums. At 4th Street Family Dentistry, we love to keep you smiling.