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OK, here's one. Age 70, still has most natural teeth, no particular issues. Is it good or bad to give teeth an occasional workout, like with hard crusty bread, pork rinds. Is it better to give old teeth plenty of exercise, or rest them with softer food?
If you are able to come back - (we appreciate this - for having given of your time) - same question - is this okay for all ages and as you progress through the years. I like to chew on ice, hard veggies, etc to keep jawline strong and healthy. Trying to mitigate the inevitable bone loss that comes with time, like working out or running to keep the bones strong.
Hi Dr. S & thanks a lot for helping. Yes, trying my best to stay home more due to COVID. If you can please answer these questions, I'd greatly appreciate it:
1) What can a person do at home themselves if they know they have a cavity? My 82-yr old mother has one, but it's not bothering her yet. She's been trying to chew her food on the opposite side from the cavity so as not to aggravate it. She rinses her mouth w/ water to cut down on build-up, etc...
Quote:
Originally Posted by stresslessdds
Hello
1) There aren't many thing that can be done at home for a large cavity that has already been formed besides doing a filling. A visit with a dentist is important, particularly if she is in pain. In the mean time, rinsing with water helps, but rinsing with a mouthwash that contains fluoride would be better. If there is a hole in the tooth and for some reason a visit to the dentist is out of the question, then getting an over the counter temporary filling material may help her out. It's not perfect, but it could buy her some time...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forever Blue
Thanks a lot, Dr. S for answering! So regarding what you said for answer #2, sounds like I'd have to go see a dentist for that , which is the main thing I'm trying to avoid.
If I have any more questions, I'll let you know.
Hi Dr. S, thanks again. Regarding this question, you answered, but I have a few more questions:
- Now she recently noticed over this past weekend discoloration that looks like white powder. No pain at all.
- Is it OK to put a water & baking soda paste mixture on it?
- Also, it's OK to rinse out mouth w/ benzoyl peroxide & water, right?
Hi doctor, I'm a little confused about gum recession and have some questions. The measurement that is used to determine gum recession--is this the "pocket" measurement? So, what is the amount of pocket measurement that you would consider to definitely need gum grafting? I'm emphasizing "definitely" here, not "nice to have". For example, does a 4-5 mm pocket measurement definitely need gum grafting? If not, what's the measurement that indicates a definite need for this invasive surgery?
Is it possible for a patient to "pass" the dentist's examination (he calls out "Pass" to the hygienist as he's poking the gums) but the patient still has gum recession?
If the patient doesn't have any symptoms and the area in question is not visible during smiling, would you bother to have the gum grafting done?
OK, here's one. Age 70, still has most natural teeth, no particular issues. Is it good or bad to give teeth an occasional workout, like with hard crusty bread, pork rinds. Is it better to give old teeth plenty of exercise, or rest them with softer food?
Hello. Sorry. I've been quite busy this past week. This one is an interesting question. As teeth age, it's natural for teeth to get discolored, chip, fracture, and more. I would say that as long as routine dental visits are happening, even at 70 you shouldn't be thinking too much about what your eating as long as your not chewing ice (which many patients do) or constantly eating hard candy. At an older age, teeth tend to have more minor fractures we call craze lines but it shouldn't stop someone from eating the occasional harder food items.
So to answer your question. Softer foods are always best, but as long as routine dental visits are happening, the occasional harder foods shouldn't be problem..... even at age 70.
If you are able to come back - (we appreciate this - for having given of your time) - same question - is this okay for all ages and as you progress through the years. I like to chew on ice, hard veggies, etc to keep jawline strong and healthy. Trying to mitigate the inevitable bone loss that comes with time, like working out or running to keep the bones strong.
Hello. I didn't see your question before I answered my previous one. I see that you are chewing on ice. This is typically not something that we suggest doing. In fact, I tell all my patients who do this to stop. I see a number of patients who have been doing it for years until one of their teeth fractures while chewing on it. Hard veggies are fine though, especially since veggies are good for you in other ways as well. I wouldn't worry too much about the jawline as the masseter muscle, which is one of the muscles that helps with the jaw, is often quite strong throughout your life.
As far as bone loss goes, minor bone loss with time is inevitable but if you get regular cleanings and have proper at home oral hygiene, you can make sure that the bone loss is very minor.
I have a silly question compared to the others listed here.
A week ago, I had a really old filling replaced that was crumbling. After the new filling was put in, I was too numb to tell if the tooth was smooth. It's not. The back of the tooth feels rough compared to other teeth.
Will it just wear down smooth over time or do I need to go back to get it smoothed out. My dentist is so nice she will tell me to come in, but I can wait if it will smooth out on its own. Besides, I don't like the tool she uses to smooth it out. haha
Hi Dr. S, thanks again. Regarding this question, you answered, but I have a few more questions:
- Now she recently noticed over this past weekend discoloration that looks like white powder. No pain at all.
- Is it OK to put a water & baking soda paste mixture on it?
- Also, it's OK to rinse out mouth w/ benzoyl peroxide & water, right?
Thanks again for answering!
I understand that you are trying to avoid seeing the dentist, and I completely understand this considering the times that we are living, however, I would recommend a dentist visit here. I cannot help without seeing exactly what it is and I cannot offer proper advice because of this. A water/baking soda paste is also something I cannot recommend as again, I cannot diagnose over the internet.
Please do not rinse mouth with benzoyl peroxide to rinse out the mouth. Benzoyl peroxide is not to be used intra-orally. If you mean hydrogen peroxide, I would still not recommend using at home mixtures as a proper mixture is very important. Using hydrogen peroxide is fine but only if you buy one over the counter. I would recommend Peroxyl by Colgate which already contains the proper mixture of hydrogen peroxide.
Hi doctor, I'm a little confused about gum recession and have some questions. The measurement that is used to determine gum recession--is this the "pocket" measurement? So, what is the amount of pocket measurement that you would consider to definitely need gum grafting? I'm emphasizing "definitely" here, not "nice to have". For example, does a 4-5 mm pocket measurement definitely need gum grafting? If not, what's the measurement that indicates a definite need for this invasive surgery?
Is it possible for a patient to "pass" the dentist's examination (he calls out "Pass" to the hygienist as he's poking the gums) but the patient still has gum recession?
If the patient doesn't have any symptoms and the area in question is not visible during smiling, would you bother to have the gum grafting done?
This is a great question, and I'm going to get a little technical with you since you seem to understand a little more than most people. What we look at when we are checking the pockets is something we call clinical attachment loss. We do this by adding the amount of recession and how deep your pocket is. Typically 2 mm to 3 mm are what is considered normal attachment loss, anything more than this means bone loss. For the sake of simplicity, we can assume your bone loss and recession is one in the same, which many dentists assume anyways.
Unfortunately, there is no number where a patient definitely needs a gum graft or not. I, for one, rarely recommend this procedure to patients but it can be quite useful in certain cases. For a 4-5 mm pocket (again assuming that there is no more bone loss on top of the recession), I would not consider it definitely necessary. The most important thing to consider here is WHY did you get the recession in the first place. Was it because you brush too hard? Was it because you use a hard bristled toothbrush? Do you wear partials that rub against your gums? Are you commonly drinking something quite acidic? It's very important to find the cause, so that you can stop it. If you are not having sensitivity to cold, I would also be inclined to not recommend a procedure like this. Also, if it isn't in what we call the "esthetic zone" where the recession is visible during smiling, then again I would lean towards not recommending this treatment.
As always, please take what I say with a grain of salt as I have not done an examination on you. For example, you may have recession on your molars (your back teeth). Sometimes food can get lodged underneath the tooth itself if you have enough recession and bone loss. In cases like this, I would be more inclined to recommend a gum graft. Gum grafting can indeed help with preventing more bone loss in a patient suffering from periodontal disease.
As for the "pass" that your dentist says to your hygienist, I'm not sure exactly what that is. Seems like a system that they have. Typically, I call out the actual numbers out loud for every tooth, and I believe most dentist do this (if they are doing pocket probing depths at all).
I have a silly question compared to the others listed here.
A week ago, I had a really old filling replaced that was crumbling. After the new filling was put in, I was too numb to tell if the tooth was smooth. It's not. The back of the tooth feels rough compared to other teeth.
Will it just wear down smooth over time or do I need to go back to get it smoothed out. My dentist is so nice she will tell me to come in, but I can wait if it will smooth out on its own. Besides, I don't like the tool she uses to smooth it out. haha
This isn't a silly question. Depending on the material that was used, it has different wear properties so it can become smoother at different rates. With that said, I would go back to the dentist, especially since you like her. I say this because if it feels as though you are biting on a little rock or pebble when you close all the way, it could be that the filling is too high. If you keep it like this for a while, your periodontal ligament (which you can consider the shock absorbers of your teeth) can become inflamed and eventually bother you when you bite down. Just communicate with your dentist exactly what you wrote here. Tell her that you wanted to get the filling adjusted but was worried about the tool that she was using. Ask her if she can use a different drill bit (which we call burs in dentistry).
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So regarding what you said for answer #2, sounds like I'd have to go see a dentist for that , which is the main thing I'm trying to avoid. 
