Wolgin Endodontics
Root Canal Awareness Week
The American Association of Endodontists is excited to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Root Canal Awareness Week, March 27 – April 2, 2016! Root Canal Awareness Week is a national effort that is aiming to raise awareness of the dental specialty of endodontics. We want patients, and general dentists alike, to know when to contact a specialist when a root canal treatment is needed. Root Canal Awareness Week is an excellent time to explain how important the role of endodontics truly has in dental health and within the dental community. Root Canal Awareness Week wishes to educate the public as to what a root canal is, and why root canals shouldn’t be feared!
Root Canal Awareness Week, March 27th-April 2nd, we are aiming to:
- Support endodontists as root canal specialists.
- Educate patients about the benefits of root canal treatment.
- Dispel myths and rumors about root canal treatment.
- Build relationships with other dental professionals.
If you’re a patient and want to learn more about root canals, visit our treatment page and learn about the number of root canal therapy options Wolgin Endodontics offers
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Mar 29th, 2016
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Mouthwash the Multitasker
If you thought that the only benefit of mouthwash was minty smelling breath, you may be pleasantly surprised to know that there are far more benefits that come along with the use of mouthwash. When mouthwash is used as part of your oral hygiene routine you are able to reap the benefits all day long!
Periodontal Disease
It might be obvious but, mouthwash reduces your risk of periodontal disease by cutting down on the quality and quantity of dental plaque.
Cavities
Mouthwash can also lessen your risk of developing cavities if it has fluoride as an active ingredient. When fluoride is present in your mouthwash, be sure to use it as the final step in your oral care routine. Fluoride needs time to absorb without getting washed away by a drink or water with brushing. Let approximately 30 minutes pass before enjoying food or beverage.
Pregnancy
Perhaps the most surprising benefit of mouthwash is that it can aid in preventing pregnant women from going into early labor! Pregnant women who have periodontal disease run the risk of going into early labor because bacteria at the gum line is able to get into her bloodstream. This increases the body’s inflammatory markers which in turn can stimulate contractions.
Providing Comfort
Mouthwash can soothe canker sores by detoxing the area. The reduced amount of bacteria at the site results in a soothed feeling.
If you haven’t already adopted mouthwash into your oral hygiene routine, we suggest you do! Not only will your mouth feel and smell fresher, the added benefits are worth the small amount of effort. Ask us what kind we recommend for you at your next visit.
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Mar 23rd, 2016
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Nanodiamonds: Endodontics in the News!
Could diamonds be the endodontist’s best friend? Previously highlighted for their possible use in dental implant surgery, nanodiamonds are making the headlines again, this time for their potential in assisting with root canal therapy!
What are nanodiamonds? A byproduct of diamond refining and mining, nanodiamonds are tiny particles that are thousands of times smaller than the width of one of your hairs. They have been the subject of research for a variety of health applications relating to cancer, regenerative medicine, imaging and dentistry over the years.
Recently, at the UCLA School of Dentistry, researchers have been experimenting with these fascinating little particles to see if they can improve even further on what is already a successful procedure: root canal therapy.
One possible use they have found for nanodiamonds in the field of endodontics is as an additive to the polymer filling material, known as “gutta percha.” While gutta percha is the optimal filling material after a root canal (due to the fact that it does not react inside the body), it has room for improvement in the area of infection prevention and rigidity.
Nanodiamonds may be just the thing to enhance this tried-and-true material and bring the already high success rate of root canal therapy (97% some studies show) to even higher levels. We are excited to see what the future brings!
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Mar 9th, 2016
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Order of Your Oral Hygiene Routine
You’re awake, congratulations! Now, you are standing in front of the bathroom mirror, you’ve been wanting to upgrade your oral hygiene routine but you’ve heard a lot of conflicting information. There are so many tools and what order should you do them in? We’re here to help! If you’ve ever wondered, “What comes first brushing or flossing?” Read on!
- You’ve probably heard us stress the importance of flossing at your appointments. Flossing is an incredibly important part of your mouth’s health. Flossing your teeth should take place one time per day. We recommend at night so that food does not rest in between your teeth while you sleep. Flossing before brushing is a lot like dusting before you vacuum. The particles will loosen with flossing and the brushing will sweep them away.
- You may have guessed it: the second part of your oral hygiene regimen should be a 2-minute brushing. Dentists look at your mouth in terms of quadrants. Therefore, your mouth consists on four separate quadrants and to ensure proper use of your two minute brushing session, we recommend spending 30 seconds in each quadrant. This brushing routine should take place two times a day!
- Brushing your teeth alone will not eliminate the majority of the harmful bacteria in your mouth. Cleaning your tongue is an easy addition to your routine and will benefit your mouth greatly. Take your toothbrush, apply a very small amount of toothpaste and brush your tongue in gentle, circular motions. You may opt for a tongue scraper instead, they can be purchased at most grocery stores.
- The finishing touch for optimum oral health is mouthwash. Sip a small amount and swish for 30-40 seconds. Spit it out and you are done!
It may seem like a lengthy routine but it actually only totals about 4 minutes. If you value your oral health and want to spend less time in a dental chair, it will be worth your time, we promise!
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Feb 24th, 2016
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What Type of Floss Should I Use?
We know we don’t have to tell you this—but flossing at least once a day is key to healthy gums and teeth! And while studies have shown it doesn’t really matter what kind of floss you use (as long as you do it!), people are more likely to use floss that’s easy for them to use. We’ve broken down the different types of floss, so you can decide which is best for you!
Waxed and Unwaxed
Waxed floss will glide easier, but there isn’t really any other difference between waxed and unwaxed floss. If your teeth are close together, try one of these.
Ultra Floss
Ultra floss is a thicker floss that can be stretched to fit between tight spaces between your teeth; this is a good option if the closeness of your teeth varies.
Tape
Dental tape is a relatively new addition to the floss family. This fatter floss option is made from plastic and has a bit more stretch. If you have wide spaces between your teeth or have sensitive gums, try this ribbon-like floss.
Flossing picks
If you find yourself on the go—or if you hate the feeling of floss wrapped around your fingers—try disposable picks that have handles to make flossing a little easier!
Oral Irrigators
Recent trials are inconclusive on whether using a water flosser is as effective as traditional floss, but studies agree that using an oral irrigator is better than not flossing at all!
So which one is the best? Any one you’ll actually use! Don’t hesitate to ask us for different types of floss at your next cleaning to see what works best for you!
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Feb 10th, 2016
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Avoidance Tactics: Top 10 Tips to Avoid Root Canal Treatment
We love seeing you in our office, but we wish we didn’t have to! Root canal treatment is a wonderful tool, and often the best tooth-saving tool that is available. Advancements in treatment have increased the success rate of endodontic treatment, while modern techniques and tools have decreased recovery time and pain. However, in spite of the advancements that excite us as professionals, we understand that most people would prefer to never experience root canal treatment!
If you are one of those people, read on for our top ten tips to avoid having to have a root canal down the road:
- Brush twice daily. Sounds simple, but far too many adults and children skip this step at night. Brushing your teeth before bed should be just as automatic as turning off the light.
- Floss once daily. Skipping the floss is like only washing 70% of your body when you shower. This doesn’t just contribute to bad breath – it also gives root-damaging bacteria a place to hide and thrive!
- Avoid hard foods such as hard candies and lollipops. Both of which cause cracks that allow bacteria to enter your root system.
- Weak teeth be wary. If you already have weak teeth or restorations, you should also skip crunchy fruits and vegetables such as carrots and apples, which just so happen to be two of the biggest tooth-crackers.
- Back away from the ice! Many people are tempted by the cool, fresh taste of ice at the end of a beverage. But chewing on ice can easily fracture, crack or break a tooth or filling! Once that happens, bacteria have an easy route into the nerve center of your tooth.
- Wear a mouth guard at night. If you are a grinder or clencher, make sure that you wear a night-guard to protect teeth from fractures, which eventually can expose the tooth’s roots.
- Wear a mouth guard while playing sports. No longer just for football and hockey players, mouth guards are an important part of equipment for nearly every sport, from soccer to snowboarding.
- Avoid acidic drinks and foods like soda and citrus juices. These beverages present a double whammy to teeth: First, they break down enamel. Then, they saturate the tooth in sugar for bacteria to feast on!
- Have regular dental checkups and cleanings. A cracked tooth found early can often be spared root canal treatment.
- Get your tooth pain checked out immediately! Any pain is a sign that something is amiss in your mouth and ignoring it will only make treatments more serious down the road.
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Jan 27th, 2016
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From Chips To Craze Lines: All About Cracked Teeth
You may be wondering, “What does a cracked tooth have to do with endodontics?” Great question! In fact, it has everything to do with endodontics! You see, without fractured, chipped and broken teeth, there would be almost no need for root canal therapy ever!
Here are some of the most common types of tooth fractures, and what can be done about them:
Cracked Tooth: When we think of a cracked tooth, we are talking about a crack on the crown that extends down toward the root. If the crack has not reached the pulp yet, your dentist may be able to save the tooth with a crown. If it has reached the pulp, we may treat you with a root canal first to remove the pulp and place a crown for protection.
Chipped Tooth: As long as the pulp hasn’t been affected, your dentist can place a crown to fix your chipped tooth.
Craze Lines: These tiny cracks are common in adults and only exist in the outer enamel. They are not a problem and require no treatment.
Fractured Cusp: Many times, an old filling will give way and a piece of the tooth’s chewing surface will break off. If the pulp is exposed, we will perform a root canal prior to the crown to remove the pulp and save the tooth.
Split Tooth: Split all the way down to the roots, a tooth in this state cannot be saved 100%. However, sometimes a root canal treatment and crown can help to save part of the tooth. Often a split tooth started off as simply a cracked tooth, which is why it’s so important to get care early on if you have any tooth injury!
Vertical Root Fracture: In this scenario, the fracture starts at the bottom of the root of the tooth and extends upward toward the crown. Often they go unnoticed until the bone and gum become infected. Sometimes extraction is necessary. However, we will check first to see if we can save the tooth by removing the fractured portion with endodontic surgery.
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Jan 13th, 2016
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Vaping: Is it harmless?
You may have noticed a shift in the smoking world over the past few years. Smokers have been seemingly taking a step in the right direction. Smokers are transitioning away from the traditional cigarette to the e-cigarette, this act is also known as: vaping. Transitioning to an e-cigarette from a chemical-filled cigarette that decades of research have proven is deadly seems like a good thing, right? Think again. There are many people venturing into the world of e-cigarettes blindly. While e-cigarette advertisements and companies are currently unregulated, we wanted to uncover a few potential dangers of this popular fad.
The e-cigarette anatomy consists of a battery, a heating element and a cartridge that holds the nicotine, liquid and flavoring. If anyone has tried to convince you that e-cigarettes are not addictive, they’re wrong. Nicotine is highly addictive, and while many teens and young adults believe that vaping is harmless, nicotine is known to negatively affect brain development in this age group. The act of holding an e-cigarette and the presence of nicotine has indicated that it could be a very strong gateway to smoking real cigarettes for these young adults. That correlation has big tobacco firms excited for the future. Tobacco companies have been severely restricted in their advertising campaigns. In the recent past, they were forced to rely on the ‘cool-factor’ of smoking, something they hoped that celebrities and young adult’s peers would embody. E-cigarettes present a gateway to becoming addicted to the real thing. This is just what tobacco companies had been hoping for! Speaking of advertising, while tobacco companies are highly restricted in their advertising campaigns, no one is regulating e-cigarette companies. In fact, these companies can make any claims they wish. With regard to the manufacturing aspect of the e-cigarettes and their cartridges, there is also no regulating body that creates standards for the products.
We have talked about the anatomy of the actual e-cigarette, but what makes up the vapor that is exhaled by the smoker? The cloud that you see consists of aerosol, nicotine, propylene glycol, flavoring and fine particles. The hotter the body of the e-cigarette gets, the more harmful the chemicals contained in them becomes. This means that the deadly carcinogens present in a traditional cigarette are also present in their electronic counterpart.
Research is currently underway to determine the long-term effects of vaping. While current research indicates that an e-cigarette is safer than smoking an actual cigarette, research also proves that e-cigarettes are far from harmless. If you are looking to improve your mouth and lung health, experts agree that quitting smoking devices altogether is still the only 100% risk-free option available.
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Dec 30th, 2015
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Root Canals: Your Toughest Questions Answered
For most people, the mere mention of a root canal sets off alarm bells in the body. These bells come in the form of nervous thoughts and sensations – that fight-or-flight response we’ve all heard about. While this is a totally normal response, most fear of root canals is based on mis-information. We feel that by giving you the right information, we can help you understand the process better and calm your fears about this routine procedure.
Here, we aim to tackle the toughest questions that you can throw our way.
I’ve heard that root canals aren’t as painful as they used to be. How can that be true?
- Better Instruments: Endodontic instruments have improved greatly over the years. They are more precise than ever, allowing us to target only necessary areas and avoid excess irritation.
- Better Anesthetics: The anesthetics we use today are more effective and less likely to cause negative reactions than in the past. In addition, we can use an anesthetic that has adrenaline or epinephrine added to it to make it last longer. The longer it lasts, the less pain you will feel.
- Better Imaging: Modern imaging allows for a more precise treatment and lessens the need to cause irritation in non-infected areas.
- Better Understanding: Today, we have a better understanding of both your body and the microorganisms that cause infected roots. This results in less invasive treatments and better overall care for you.
What can I do to calm my nerves?
- Know the Facts:
- Over 15 million root canals are performed each year.
- Root canals save your natural teeth and save money down the road.
- Root canals are safe.
- Root canals relieve pain caused by infection – they don’t cause pain!
- Ask Questions: Sometimes patients are unsure about a specific part of the procedure and remain silent. We want you to ask questions! Usually we are able to set your mind at ease if you simply ask us.
- Plug In: Many patients bring music and earphones to the appointment to help pass the time in the chair. Ask us if this is an option for you before your appointment.
Why not just remove the tooth?
When a tooth hurts, often a person’s first reaction is to get rid of the tooth. However, we know that missing teeth cause bigger health problems and expenses down the road. The first choice in dental care is ALWAYS to save the tooth when possible. Root canal treatment saves teeth. In fact, a tooth that has undergone endodontic treatment can last just as long as the healthy teeth in your mouth!
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Dec 16th, 2015
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Tooth Trauma – Uncomplicated Crown Fracture – What Now?
Tooth trauma can happen at any time. It could happen during a sports game, a car accident or as a result of something as simple and unexpected as a fall. The more information you have about correctly handling these situations the better. This knowledge could very well mean the difference between life and death for the tooth. The goal in treating a tooth trauma case is always to maintain or regain pulpal vitality in the affected tooth/teeth. In the previous tooth trauma entry we covered: avulsion (when a tooth is out of the socket). In this entry we will investigate a different kind of tooth trauma: an uncomplicated crown fracture. In this tooth fracture, the damage is limited to the crown of the tooth. There will be dentin exposed, but no pulp exposure.
In the instance of an uncomplicated crown fracture the first step an individual should try to accomplish is finding the piece of broken tooth. If a saline solution or distilled water is readily available, place the broken piece of tooth in this solution. Once you reach the dental professional, the rehydrated piece of tooth will be easier to bond, as the hydration increases its bonding strength.
What to expect during your visit, following an uncomplicated crown fracture:
- X-Rays will be taken
- Mouth will be checked for soft tissue lacerations and the presence of any other foreign bodies
- A sensitivity analysis will be performed
- The doctor or staff member will collect the tooth segment from you if you were able to find and preserve it
- We will assess the prognosis for the tooth
If the tooth is still vital, the process of reattaching the segment of tooth and the subsequent bonding will occur. Filling the dentin wound and applying calcium hydroxide to the vicinity of the pulp is the second to last step. Finally, smoothing and fluoridating small enamel defects.
Stay tuned in the upcoming months for the conclusion of the “What Now?” blog series!
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Dec 2nd, 2015
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