More than Teeth and Gums

Your mouth is more than teeth, making good oral hygiene habits even more important. Your mouth is made up of the lower and upper jaw, oral mucosa, gums, salivary glands, the tongue, the frenulum, and the uvula. All of these play a very important role in your overall dental health.

Upper/Lower Jaw

Your jaws are what give your mouth structure and your face shape. You need both to speak and chew. Humans have two bones in the upper jaw that are fused together. Your upper jaw is also fused to your skull. The lower jawbone is separate from your skull as it enables your jaw to move both up and down when you talk and eat.

Oral Mucosa

Open your mouth and you will see that everything, besides your teeth, is covered with oral mucosa. This protective liner is a mucous membrane that is like the mucous membranes in your inner ears and nostrils. The mucosa plays an important role when it comes to maintaining your overall and oral health. Your oral mucosa contains keratin, which is also found in your hair and fingernails making it resistant to injury.

Gums

The pinkish tissue surrounding your teeth is known as your gums. Covered by oral mucosa, your gums play a crucial role when it comes to your overall health as recent studies have indicated that your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body. Healthy gums cover the roots of your teeth, are firm, and will not bleed when you brush and floss. Gingivitis and the more serious periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss and other problems such as heart disease and stroke.

Salivary Glands

There are three sets of salivary glands in your neck and mouth. The submandibular, the parotid, and the sublingual glands. All of these glands produce saliva that will help break down the food you consume. Saliva is vital to oral health as it protects your gums and your teeth by rinsing away the bacteria and the plaque. Saliva also counteracts with the acidic foods that will wear down the enamel on your teeth.

Tongue

Your tongue is a very powerful muscle that is covered in a special type of mucosal tissue. That tissue also contains your taste buds. Your dentist explains that your tongue is vital to your oral health as it aids in digestion. Your tongue moves food to the teeth, and when it has been chewed is swallowed thanks to the tongue moving it to the back of your throat before heading to the esophagus.

Uvula

The tissue that hangs at the back of the throat is called the uvula. Composed of glandular and connective tissue and muscle fibers it has had scientists baffled about what it really does and while all of the functions are not totally understood, it does seem to play a role in talking and keeping your mouth moist.

Frenulum

The flap of oral mucosa, the frenulum, connects the floor of your mouth to your tongue and allows it to do its job by moving your tongue. If a baby is born with a short frenulum, or one that isn’t elastic enough, he or she will have trouble breastfeeding. A short frenulum can also affect your child’s speech. 

There is No Need to Fear Root Canal Therapy

It used to be when the words, “Root Canal,” were mentioned people would either grimace in pain, run for the hills, or consider pulling the offending tooth rather than deal with a Root Canal, but thanks to modern dentistry and Dental Care of Corona, you can have your deep cavity or cracked filling repaired with painless Root Canal therapy.

According to Wikipedia, a Root Canal is used to save and repair a tooth that has become infected or is badly decayed. Root Canals are also used to repair broken teeth or restore old fillings that are too large to refill.

During your Root Canal, your dentist will remove the pulp and the nerve located within your tooth before cleaning and sealing the tooth. Without Root Canal therapy, the tissue that surrounds your tooth or teeth will eventually become infected increasing your risk of an abscess.

Your dentist will tell you that the nerve in your tooth is not important to the health or function of the tooth after the tooth has erupted. The only function of the nerve is sensory providing you the sensation of cold or hot. If you have a Root Canal, your tooth will not be affected by daily actions such as eating, drinking, flossing, or brushing.

The soft tissue on the inside of your tooth, also called pulp, is protected by dentin. Above your gumline, the dentin is protected by enamel. Your dentin is protected below your gumline by cementum. When bacteria occur in your mouth causing decay, the pulp in your tooth becomes exposed as well resulting in infection, inflammation and eventual pulp death or necrosis. Without treatment, the diseased portion of the tooth could reach the bone causing serious problems.

Having a Root Canal also allows you to save an infected tooth. A pulled tooth could result in a shift of your adjoining teeth making chewing, biting and even speaking more difficult. Of course, you could have the tooth replaced, but there is no artificial substitute that is as good as your natural tooth.

If you suspect you may need a Root Canal, do not put it off any longer and schedule an appointment with your Dentist who can determine the next course of action. Call today. 

Laser Dentistry in Corona

With more than 40 years of combined experience, Dental Care of Corona has the expertise to provide you with the best dental care whether you need to replace your silver amalgam fillings or require extensive restorative dental treatment.

Laser Dentistry involves the use of a soft-tissue laser that takes the guesswork out of identifying tooth decay. In the past, your dentist had to resort to painful prodding and poking in order to identify a cavity, as tooth decay can hide on the back molars and along the fissure lines.

Lasers are used for a variety of dental procedures include gum reshaping if periodontal disease is detected. Laser Dentistry can also help with root canal procedures and are used to remove tooth decay and for tooth whitening.

These days your dentist can use Laser Dentistry in Corona using a Diagnodent, which is revolutionary in detecting cavities making your dental checkup, fast, easy, and most importantly, painless.

Laser Dentistry can also be used to recontour your gum line, remove lesions that look suspicious for biopsy and treat contaminated gum pockets. Laser Dentistry in Corona is also used for fever blisters and canker sores.

According to Web MD, Laser Dentistry has been used since 1994 after being approved by the FDA. The lasers that your dentist uses are different from cold lasers that are often used to treat inflammation and pain.

Dental Lasers deliver energy, and when used for dental procedures vaporize the tissue. If your dentist is using a dental laser to fill a tooth, the laser helps strengthen and harden the material that sits between your tooth and the filling. When your dentist uses a laser for tooth whitening, the laser enhances the tooth-bleaching product while acting as a heat source.

Laser Dentistry often reduces the need for an anesthetic as Laser Dentistry may cause the patient less pain. Patients who have a fear of the dentist can also benefit with the use of Laser Dentistry as it helps reduce anxiety. Laser Dentistry can minimize swelling and bleeding, especially during soft tissue dental treatments and can help your dentist preserve the healthy part of your tooth if a dental filling is required.

For more information regarding Laser Dentistry, schedule an appointment with your dentist today.