Dr. Barbara A. Tarnoski, D.M.D.

Your tooth was INFECTED. The nerve, artery and vein complex in the chamber and roots were infected. You were placed on antibiotics to help fight any bacteria that may be around the root area. Dentists prescribe antibiotics because there is an infection. Dental infection can flare up and make you very sick. There is nothing wrong with taking antibiotics when there is a need for them. Patients have the idea that they should not take them. This is wrong. You take the antibiotics by taking the dose prescribed for the number of days that you need to take them.

You should be flossing and brushing at least twice a day. If you DON'T floss. you can't remove the plaque, bacteria and their toxins from the tooth-gum line area. Tooth brushing can't fit in to remove it. Not flossing is the major cause of tooth loss. If you are careless about flossing and brushing and don't do it every day, imagine the food, bacteria and their waste that is collecting around your teeth. It can have an odor. For those who don't floss or brush daily, every 6 months is not enough. Patients with careless home care will eventually lose their teeth. When you eat after someone do you first ask to look in their mouth? If someone asked to look in your mouth first how would you feel?
There are many people who don't do daily mouth care. Gum disease bacteria can be transmitted to others. Your body may be fighting
if you are careless with your mouth care. Bacteria that you get from close contact and infections elsewhere in your body can be overwhelming. You won't know if your body is unable to handle your mouth bacteria. THAT'S when your bacteria starts attacking your tooth supporting structures. Seeing your dentist twice a year is to see that every thing is OK. You not doing daily mouth care, twice a year visits will not save your teeth. If you are doing daily flossing and brushing correctly, visiting your dentist is to see if there are problems starting they can be restored. Mouth care affects you now and plays a major role in your future health.

Follow your doctor's instructions. Once your numbness wears off you can eat or drink. Just make sure your coffee is not too hot. You will be able to eat on the side that was not worked.
After you finish drinking or eating rinsing your mouth with warm water or warm salt water will be good for your mouth tissues.

Most bone grafts are done under local anesthesia. Follow the instructions your doctor gave you. If nothing was stated about eating, you can eat and of course clean your teeth.

Bleeding gums are a sign that your gums are infected. Are you doing home care every day? The first thing most people do when their gums are bleeding is to stop flossing and brushing. Your gums are INFECTED. Your body is sending fighter cells to fight the infection. You may have gingivitis. There was a thought about 40 years ago, that gingivitis leads to periodontitis. Periodontitis destroys the bone and supporting tissue surrounding your teeth. Gingivitis means your gum tissue is inflamed/ and or infected. GINGIVITIS IS REVERSIBLE. Your body is fighting this. You should visit your dentist. Until your appointment, you should be doing daily home care, every day. You have to floss each tooth every day. Then you take a soft toothbrush and starting at the last tooth in your mouth, UPPER or lower. You place your toothbrush half on the tooth and half on the gum line. You brush back and forth gently. You move all around your mouth to the opposite side. You brush behind the last tooth in your mouth then you brush the tooth-gum line area where your tongue is. You are brushing back and forth. If your gums are bleeding, let them bleed. You are brushing gently. Then you do your top teeth. Place your toothbrush on the tooth-gum line area brushing back and forth gently. You go all around to the other side. Brush in back of the last tooth's gum line-tooth area. You brush the palate tooth-gum line area all around. Now you brush all the flat surfaces, upper and lower. Now you take a tongue cleaner or a teaspoon turn the spoon with the round side towards your palate. Place the spoon as far back on your tongue without gagging. Scrape your tongue gently, towards the outside of your mouth. You will see a slimy whitish mass. That's what was hiding out in the nooks and crannies of your tongue. Rinse your mouth with salt water. Then gargle. You can use a water irrigator. Nothing replaces finger flossing, but will remove debris as much debris as possible. You must have a bad taste in your mouth. If you have gingivitis, your body is able to fight. Your body is fighting for you! What are you going for your own body? There may be a time when your body is fighting more than it can handle. You may not feel any different. But now your gums and tooth supporting bone are being attacked. This is what is called Periodontitis. PERIODONTITIS IS NOT REVERSIBLE. YOU CONTROL PERIODONTITIS WITH GOOD HOME CARE.

The fact that you are having pain is an indication that your tooth is infected. You stated the tooth is dead. Is there a cavity in your tooth? The nerve, artery and vein system comes out of the roots of your tooth to merge into a larger system. When you have an infection, your body is going to fight it. When you bite down, you are placing pressure on the tooth membranes surrounding your tooth. Does your tooth pain feel like it is throbbing? You need to see your dentist. Advil is an anti-inflammatory agent. Each tablet or capsule has 200mg. Over-the-counter medicines are meant to be that way. Prescription Advil (ibuprofen) is in the 600mg to 800mg range. The directions on the prescription Advil is you take one tablet every eight hours. I have patients call me that they are taking this amount every 2 hours and it's not working. Advil is hard on your stomach and toxic to your kidneys. Your tooth may be getting ready to act up. Patients with tooth pain may have financial concerns, but you have to take care of your teeth. Get all the work needed completed. Then do your home care. You have the ability to prevent cavities and gum disease.

All over-the-counter medications have are modified. Before tooth whitening, you should see your dentist. If you have not been flossing and brushing daily, your gums may be irritated. Many patients have used over-the-counter whitening systems including strips. Even though the percentage of whitening agents is reduced, patients had a significant level of irritation and discomfort. The FDA places restrictions on how high the percentage of whitening agents can be. Professional whitening strips have the highest level. If it is time for a checkup, visit your dentist. While your teeth are being cleaned, ask questions about home care. Ask how to floss. Make sure you brush correctly. Home care has to be done daily. You can find out the cost of professional whitening strips. Then you can decide what you want.

Dry sockets are painful. It is believed that losing the blood clot that has formed in the extraction site is major. Smoking is another. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water frequently. When you eat, rinse. Have you contacted your dentist? There are predicaments that can be placed in the socket.

First, visit your dentist. You may have some cavities. Cavities do not heal themselves. Cavities just get bigger. Sugar is IMPLICATED in everything. And the research is backing it up. I have patients who do not like sweet anyway. They don't drink carbonated beverages. They are in their 60's. Their teeth and gums are in excellent condition. Cutting down on sugary foods is a good thing.

When you are doing mouth care, you want to take your removable bridge out of your mouth.
Cleaning your appliances first. Brush the food particles off. You have to clean the outside of your removable bridge, the part that is in your mouth. You have to clean the part of your removable appliance that rests against your tissues. Clean the clasps, the metal or acrylic
"WINGS" that wrap around your teeth. If food or debris is left on wings that wrap around your teeth, your natural teeth can start to decalcify. Those white spots on your teeth can lead to decay. Place your appliance in a container with warm water. You can use the tablets or baking soda. Most important change the soaking solution daily. Food particles on your appliance will fall to the bottom and start to rot. This stale water can make you sick. Now you have to clean your own natural teeth. Floss first, brush the gumline, the flat surfaces of your teeth. Clean your tongue. rinse with salt water and gargle. Some patients who do not take care of their appliance have calculus buildup so thick that the removable appliance doesn't fit.

If you feel your filling is loose, go back to your dentist. If you had a tooth-colored filling, these materials are great, but they are technique sensitive. Or you may have bitten down hard on
something while you were still numb. Get an appointment with your dentist and have the filling replaced.

Dental plaque is a semi clear sticky substance that forms every day. If it is not removed by flossing it starts to crystallize. Now we constantly are putting food and drink in our mouths. Combine the plaque that forms every 24 hours. the microscopic size food particles. living and dead bacteria and their toxic waste and the mineral content of your saliva you could be feeling tartar. Tartar consists of layers of plaque, rotting food, dead bacteria hardened calcium increasingly getting thicker. Living bacteria and their toxic waste are on the surface of this hardened layer. This toxic material is irritating your gums. Flossing is the only way to prevent the buildup of this material that hardens and becomes tartar. No tooth brush can reach the areas floss can reach. Plaque starts off as a
sticky liquid layer. Flossing around the gum line-tooth area removes the plaque. You have to floss all your teeth. Now you have to brush. With a soft toothbrush. You start in the back with the last tooth in your mouth, place the toothbrush at the tooth-gum line area - 1/2 tooth. 1/2 gum and gently brush back and forth. You start on the cheek side -brush behind the last tooth at the gum line. Behind the last tooth, not flossing or brushing irritates this area. You brush all around to the opposite side and do the tooth-gum line area where your tongue and palate are
located. Then you brush the flat chewing surfaces- upper and lower. You clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner. You can take a spoon and turn the round side facing your palate. You place the spoon in the middle of your tongue. Go back as far as you can without gagging. Scrape forward out of your mouth. You will see a slimy mass of a white. That is what had been hiding out in the nooks and crannies of your tongue. Then do the other two sides of your tongue
Rinse with some warm salt water (1/2 tsp salt to
8 oz.. glass of water) and then gargle.
You may ask- Why is this happening? Our bodies have been fighting this battle alone. Neglecting good home care has affected your mouth. The bacteria in your mouth can be working around your root area with bacteria entering your blood stream. Infection in your mouth is affecting your body. You can't be feeling that great. You may have to go to your dentist to remove the tartar. Ask how to floss and brush. We all need a mouth care review.
Flossing and brushing should be like massage.
You may want to use a water irrigator. If your mouth feels yucky. Before you even floss, irrigating around and between your teeth will show you that YOU can make a difference. You eat every day and mouth care is what you have to do. Flossing and brushing on a daily basis will
eliminate that bad taste you have in the morning.
Gum disease bacteria is passed on to others. Close contact, kissing. eating after one another.
We don't ask if you can look in some one's mouth before you kiss them or eat after them.
If you are told you have gum disease. get it treated. If not treated, it will get worse. Untreated gum disease can lead to tooth loss.
GUM DISEASE IS CONTROLLED WITH GOOD HOME CARE. THERE IS NO CURE. If you need gum disease treatment the latest treatment is LANAP. With LANAP all gum disease bacteria is removed in one treatment. Even if the bone around your teeth is infected the laser will destroy the bacteria. With the LANAP PROTOCOL, patients are shown how to clean their teeth. LANAP TREATMENT uses a special laser, the PerioLase, MVP-7 Laser. This laser and the LANAP PROTOCOL has been FDA approved.
The LANAP PerioLase Laser stimulates your body's own stem cells so you can rebuild your tooth's supporting bone and membranes. The thought of "IF ONLY I HAD A CHANCE TO START
ALL OVER AGAIN". THIS IS YOUR SECOND CHANCE.

The LANAP

Tooth sensitivity can have many causes. When you talk about extreme temperatures, how extreme? Visiting your dentist would be a good idea. Dentists will gradually look over your x-rays. You will be checked for gum disease. Sometimes teeth can move slightly and when your teeth come together you may be biting on areas too hard. Adjusting areas that are hitting each other too hard can settle sensitive teeth. Visit your dentist so you can get some relief.

Before you use the whitening strips, are you flossing and brushing? Is there anything you do after you remove these strips. Some debris may have settled on your front tooth. Brush your teeth gently not raking them. If you are using a broom, you clean better if you sweep lightly. Digging bristles into any area does not clean better, Is your dentist keeping track of you while you are using these strips. You might want to visit your dentist.

Sensitive teeth can have several causes. Are you flossing and brushing your teeth on a daily basis. When was the last time you visited your dentist? You may have sensitivity because of cavities. Are you a smoker? Gum Disease can make your teeth sensitive. Do you eat hot spicy foods? You should visit your dentist.
Using harsh mouthwashes irritates everything. Warm salt water rinses are soothing to your tissues. Is your tongue irritated?. All of these things hurting at the same time, can make it difficult to isolate where your problems are coming from. Don't chew ice. Be careful with hot foods.

Biting on hard things. Biting into apples. Using your teeth like tools is a risk. Chipped teeth are an esthetic problem. But chips on front teeth can cause a tooth to fracture vertically. If the chip is not that large, you can modify all the incisal edges and modify the smile. In our office, we will remove all the chips if the patient agrees. I know money is tight. Talk to your dentist and see if your chip can be smooth out. This is to protect your tooth from fracturing. I know your chip was an accident, but be careful with nuts, nut shells.

Tooth sensitivity has been increasing. Are you flossing and brushing your teeth daily? Are you making sure you are brushing the gum line- tooth area? Are you flossing this area first? The popularity of hot spicy food can be irritating. Eating hard very salty foods-crunchy snacks, scrapes your gum and mouth membranes. Is your tongue irritated? One cause of tooth sensitivity is gum disease. Gum disease can be difficult to diagnose. Floss your teeth, brush your teeth starting at the gum line and brushing back and forth gently. Using a water irrigator, and adding a little salt water to it. Do you have a bad taste in your mouth? Do your gums bleed? Right now be gentle with the foods you eat, drink. I would like to know what is happening. No harsh mouthwashes.

You need to visit your dentist. Gum pain means there is something wrong. It could be your gums. Or it could be your teeth. Even if your gums are infected, you can have your gums treated. Most important is you get treatment and then start on a good home care routine. The latest treatment LANAP, REMOVES ALL GUM DISEASE BACTERIA IN ONE TREATMENT. WITH LANAP A SPECIAL LASER TREATS THE INFECTED BONE AND TISSUE. THERE IS NO CUTTING OR SEWING. THE MAIN POINT IS YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE YOUR TEETH. FLOSSING CORRECTLY FIRST THEN BRUSHING CORRECTLY AFTER YOU HAVE YOUR PAINFUL AREA TREATED, WILL CONTROL GUM DISEASE. THERE IS NO CURE FOR GUM DISEASE. WE CONTROL IT WITH GOOD HOME CARE. DOING GOOD HOME CARE NOT ONLY SAVES YOUR TEETH, BUT THE LATEST RESEARCH IS SHOWING GUM DISEASE IS RELATED TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, STOMACH, KIDNEY, LUNG, LIVER, AND JOINT PROBLEMS, PANCREATIC CANCER, AND CONTROLLING BLOOD SUGAR AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. A LARGE PORTION OF THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES HAVE GUM ISSUES AND SYSTEMIC DISEASES EITHER CAUSED OR WORSENED BY POOR MOUTH CARE. WAITING AND WORRYING IS NOT HELPING YOU SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM. FIND OUT WHAT IS CAUSING YOUR PROBLEM AND TAKE CARE OF IT.

Mini implants are small implants usually placed on the lower front teeth area to give an appliance more support for eating and talking.
Dentists are creative and mini implants can be placed in other areas when more support is needed to keep an appliance in place.

Sensitivity tooth pastes work quite well. It will take a few days for the special tooth pastes to work. As long as the tooth paste is used, the sensitivity will be gone.