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- Toothache keeping you up
What is a toothache?
The most common cause of a toothache or pain in the jaw and face is, pulpitis–which is inflammation in the pulp of the tooth. Short, sharp pains usually occur in response to hot, cold or sweet stimuli.
What causes a toothache?
- Dental decay
- A fractured tooth
- A cracked tooth. This may be difficult to see and requires confirmation from Dr.Shlafer
- Irritation following dental treatment — your bite may need to be adjusted so please call right away as recommended. An uneven bite will not resolve itself on its own!
- An exposed root, which can occur if the gums recede or are damaged by over-vigorous brushing.
Other problems that can cause symptoms similar to a toothache:
- An abscess in the gum
- Ulceration of the gums
- Inflammation of the gum around a tooth which is in the process of growing/breaking through–like a wisdom tooth
- Inflammation of the sinuses can be mistaken for a toothache in the upper jaw.
It is worth remembering that nerves supplying your teeth sometimes give the wrong message to the brain. This means, although you feel pain in a particular tooth, the problem may actually be in a different tooth–this is known as referral pain.
How do I avoid a toothache?
The best way to prevent a toothache is to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Try to avoid cavities by reducing your intake of sugary foods and drinks. Brush your teeth twice daily using a fluoride toothpaste and don’t forget to floss! Keep on schedule with your dental check ups- this way, problems can be diagnosed and addressed early.
What should I do if I have a toothache?
If you have a toothache, you will want to call the office right away. Keeping in mind, your Family Dentist Dr. Shlafer is always available by phone after hours as well as weekends to advise you what the next step should be. He may even want to meet you at the office, if necessary.
In the meantime:
- Avoid hot, cold and sweet stimuli
- If the pain is prolonged or severe, taking Ibuprofen may provide some relief.
- Warm saltwater rinses can soothe irritated gums.
- If the pain is caused by an exposed root surface, toothpaste for sensitive teeth (like Sensodyne) may be helpful.
Visit us as soon as possible and remember, we’re here to help!
Things My Mother Taught Me
My Mother taught me LOGIC…”If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.”
My Mother taught me MEDICINE…”If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way.”
My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD…”If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job!”
My Mother taught me ESP…”Put your sweater on; don’t you think that I know when you’re cold?”
My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE…”What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you…Don’t talk back to me!”
My Mother taught me HUMOR…”When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”
My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT…”If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.
My mother taught me ABOUT SEX…”How do you think you got here?”
My mother taught me about GENETICS…”You are just like your father!”
My mother taught me about my ROOTS…”Do you think you were born in a barn?”
My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE…”When you get to be my age, you will understand.”
My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION…”Just wait until your father gets home.”
My mother taught me about RECEIVING…”You are going to get it when we get home.”
And, my all-time favorite – JUSTICE…”One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU — then you’ll see what it’s like.”
Happy Mother’s Day!
Fear not, you are not alone! Statistics show that up to 75% of people have some anxiety about going to the dentist. So you have found the right place, we can help you!
For some, the fear may stem from not being exposed to regular dental care as a child, or hearing other people talk about bad experiences at the dentist. For a lot of us, it’s feeling out of control, self-conscious, or vulnerable while lying on your back in a dental chair. The good news is , we can help!
Oral sedation is one option we offer, but if you prefer to try some natural ways to manage your anxiety, here are a few ideas:
- Talk about it. We love questions! We encourage communication between our patients and the staff. Dr.Shlafer is always available and will often suggest a signal, such as raising your hand to indicate that you need a break during treatment.
- Use good scents. Research has found that being exposed to the scent of lavender prior to a dental appointment reduces anxiety. There is a physiological reason for this–the lavender scent increases a specific type of brain wave that induces relaxation. Consider applying lavender-scented hand lotion or dabbing a few drops of lavender oil on your wrists prior to your next appointment.
- Relax your body. Try taking slow, deep breaths to calm your body. Inhale deeply, allowing your chest and abdomen to rise to a count of 4 and then exhale slowly to a count of 4.
- Distract yourself. Tune out with your iPod or MP3 player or watch television. Some patients use mental imagery as a way to distract themselves during treatment too. The next time you find yourself in the dental chair, try picturing a beautiful beach. Then imagine the sea and clear blue sky. Can you hear the sounds of waves and even taste and smell the salty air? You can almost the feel of the sand between your toes!
- Try acupuncture beforehand. Having acupuncture performed before a dental visit can ease anxiety significantly too. Ask Dr.Shlafer to share some of the feedback we have gathered from our patients that use acupuncture for anxiety and pain management.
Most importantly, we are here to help. Let us know what we can do to make your visit as comfortable as possible.
In the spirit of good health, we have some prescription information to pass along to you. Many of our patients have found this very helpful.
Did you know? That Meijer offers free antibiotics and prenatal vitamins! The program covers leading, oral generic antibiotics and prenatal vitamins with a doctor’s prescription.
Did you know? Wal-Mart; Sam’s Club; Target; and Kroger offer over 300 perscriptions for $4.00 each!
Did you know? If you are wondering if a generic is available you can check http://www.theunadvertisedbrand.com/ for updates.
Did you know? There is a website to comparison shop costs for prescription drugs. http://www.michigandrugprices.com/ They also have information regarding assistance programs and other helpful resources.
Five minutes. Not a lot of time, but just enough for you to do one thing–and maybe that one thing will turn your day around. Take 5 minutes and try some of these simple ways to lower stress and boost your mood and energy levels.
- Make your bed. Starting off the day with this small ritual can help create a calm environment for you in your bedroom
- Pack a snack. Before leaving in the morning, grab a healthy snack, like a banana, apple,unsalted nuts, or low-fat cheese. This way when the munchies strike later in the day you won’t be reaching for a bag of chips.
- Clear your desk. De-clutter your outer environment and you will feel lighter on the inside and more motivated to concentrate on the task at hand.
- Sniff a lemon. For a quick de-stressing trick, turn to an underrated sense–your sense of smell. Studies have shown a substance in lemons has anti-inflammatory properties and may reduce the flight-or-fight stress response. Other scents like basil, juniper, and lavender have been found to lower stress as well.
- Stretch. Stretching can help improve your circulation and flexibility, and may help ease the tight muscles that accompany stress.
- Turn off electronics. Just because we live in a wired world doesn’t mean you need to stay connected every minute of every single day. Staring at computer screens and electronics all day can zap your energy and encourage inactivity.
- Prioritize. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have multiple tasks crowding your mind. Make a list and check off each task as you complete them.
- Meditate. Try meditation and deep breathing to relax and turn your mind off.
A balance of body, mind and spirit mean a healthier body to live in.
Have you ever wondered about the effects scent has in providing help with patient’s dental anxiety? Some studies have found that the scent of orange, lavender or vanilla reduce anxiety in people waiting for dental treatment.
Smell is often said to be the sense that is most closely tied to human memory and emotion. That may be because the part of the brain that processed smell is enmeshed with the area that stores emotional memories.
Dental anxiety is the leading reason people avoid going to the dentist. The good news is we have several tools at our disposal to help ease the anxiety and make your visit more comfortable. If you suffer from dental anxiety or just dread the thought of your next dental appointment, why not consider ways to improve your experience? We have pillows, warm blankets, headphones,oral sedation and nitrous oxide. Would you believe that the scent of lavender could also calm your dental anxiety while you see the dentist?
Aromatherapy involves inhaling certain scents to relieve stress and anxiety. Lavender is deemed the most helpful because of it’s sedative effects. Research shows the patients exposed to the scent of lavender had a significant reduction in their anxiety level. The results applied no matter what type of dental treatment people were awaiting.
Dr.Shlafer and the team are your best advocate when it comes to reducing dental anxiety. We will be sure to carefully review your health history and discuss all the medications you currently take, including vitamins and herbal supplements and see what we can do to help you have the best visit possible.
Preventing Acid Erosion: What you can do: Go easy on the sugary foods, especially carbonated soft drinks and sports drinks. Avoid frequent snacking, if you get a craving for something sweet, chew sugarless gum. Brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes and floss daily. Stay on schedule with your regular hygiene visits.
Preventing Mechanical Wear and Tear on Your Teeth: What you can do:Avoid chewing ice and other very hard foods. Double check pitted foods before biting into them. See Dr.Shlafer regularly to check for cracked or broken fillings, or signs of bruxism damage.
Preventing Stains on Your Teeth: What you can do: Avoid food and drinks that are dark in color. Blueberries, red wine and coffee are just some of the things that stain teeth. If you do find yourself eating or drinking these things and are unable to brush your teeth, be sure to rinse with water afterwards. Brush regularly to remove plaque build up. Have your teeth cleaned professionally. If you are still unsatisfied with the color of your teeth, there are whitening options that can be discussed with Dr. Shlafer.
Preventing Gum Problems: What you can do: Brush and floss regularly to remove bacteria. For added protection, use an antibacterial mouthwash. Since gum disease is an inflammatory process, eating foods that suppress inflammation may help. Growing evidence suggest that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation, this includes fish, nuts, flax seed and fish oil.
Preventing Dry Mouth: What you can do: A drop-off in saliva levels can very quickly cause problems. So at the first sign of a dry mouth, talk to your doctor. A change in prescriptions may help alleviate the problem. If not, your doctor may recommend chewing sugar free gum. Also available, are specially formulated mouthwash and sprays that effectively relieve dry mouth.
