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It’s human nature to delay tackling problems. We even have the clichés to prove it: “Leave well enough alone.” “Out of sight, out of mind.” “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!” But when it comes to your health, proactive care is always best. And when it comes to dental health, your wisdom teeth are certainly something to be proactive about!
Children have 20 baby teeth that are replaced over time with 32 adult teeth. The last to arrive, in our late teens and early twenties, are the four third molars, or wisdom teeth. But that “32” total is a little flexible. Some people never develop wisdom teeth at all. You can stop reading here if you are one of this carefree group. The rest of us have from one to four wisdom teeth, and it’s a smart idea to ask our dental professionals just what we have going on below the gumline.
Your dentist might be the first to mention your wisdom teeth at your regular checkup, or you might be surprised to see a new tooth emerging while you are doing your nightly brushing and flossing. Wisdom teeth can remain trapped under gums and bone, a condition called “impaction,” they can erupt partially, or sometimes even erupt completely. They can be symptom-free, or may present with pain, redness, swelling, or bad breath. But whenever the first signs of wisdom teeth appear, in an X-ray or in your mirror, it’s time to discuss your options.
Completely Impacted Tooth
A wisdom tooth may never erupt, remaining trapped below your gums because it has no room to emerge. Even though it isn’t visible, an impacted wisdom tooth can pose serious risks requiring its extraction:
Even if you are symptom-free, regular exams and X-rays are important for monitoring the condition of impacted wisdom teeth to make sure that they remain problem-free.
Partially Impacted Tooth
A wisdom tooth can also begin to erupt, but never break completely through the gums. The partially exposed tooth and the gum tissue are very difficult to clean effectively, trapping food particles and bacteria. Partially erupted teeth:
When infection and rapid decay are present, or the tooth is emerging at an angle which can damage nearby teeth or bone, extraction is often considered the best treatment option.
Preventive Extraction
Some people have enough room in their mouths to accommodate wisdom teeth without affecting the alignment of their other teeth or their bite. Some wisdom teeth never erupt at all, staying within the jawbone without affecting other teeth. If there are no problems with these teeth, your dentist and oral surgeon might recommend leaving them in place and monitoring them carefully.
If there is the potential for crowding, damage to nearby teeth, or any other future problems, extraction could be recommended as a preventative measure. Age can be an important factor in recommending extraction as well. Patients in their late teens and early twenties often have an easier time with wisdom tooth surgery because:
If you are considering the best plan of action for your wisdom teeth, an appointment with Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis at our Bronxville office is a very good idea. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have a minimum of four years of advanced studies in a hospital-based residency program, where they train with medical residents in the fields of general surgery, anesthesiology, internal medicine, and other specialties with a specific focus on the bones, muscles, and nerves of the face, mouth, and jaw.
Oral surgeons like Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis are experts in dealing with wisdom teeth and surgical extractions. And while most extractions are fairly straightforward, their surgical training and experience is invaluable where extractions are more complicated due to the position of the tooth in the jaw, the degree of impaction, and the length and development of the roots. They are trained in all forms of anesthesia, and can provide whichever method you choose for your most comfortable experience, whether it be local anesthesia, sedation, or general anesthesia.
When you’re dealing with your health, the only cliché that really applies is “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”! Whether your wisdom teeth are best treated with extraction or regular monitoring, Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis can help you decide on the best plan for your dental health both today and for your future.
It’s a new year, and it couldn’t come fast enough for many of us! Let’s do our part to make this a better year in every way—and you can start by making this the year you quit smoking once and for all.
You know that smoking is very damaging to your body. Smokers are more likely to suffer from lung disease, heart attacks, and strokes. You’re at greater risk for cancer, high blood pressure, blood clots, and blood vessel disorders. With far-reaching consequences like this, it’s no surprise that your oral health suffers when you smoke as well.
How does smoking affect your teeth and mouth?
While this is possibly the least harmful side effect of smoking, it’s a very visible one. Tar and nicotine start staining teeth right away. After months and years of smoking, your teeth can take on an unappealing dark yellow, orange, or brown color. Tobacco staining might require professional whitening treatments because it penetrates the enamel over time.
Bacterial plaque and tartar cause cavities and gum disease, and smokers suffer from plaque and tartar buildup more than non-smokers do. Tartar, hardened plaque that can only be removed by a dental professional, is especially hard on delicate gum tissue.
The chemicals in cigarettes linger on the surfaces of your mouth causing an unpleasant odor, but that’s not the only source of smoker’s breath. Smoking also dries out the mouth, and, without the normal flow of saliva to wash away food particles and bacteria, bad breath results. Another common cause of bad breath? Gum disease, which is also found more frequently among smokers.
Smoking has been linked to greater numbers of harmful oral bacteria in the mouth and a greater risk of gingivitis (early gum disease). Periodontitis, or severe gum disease, is much more common among smokers, and can lead to bone and tooth loss. Unsurprisingly, tooth loss is also more common among smokers.
Tooth implants look and function like our original teeth, and are one of the best solutions for tooth loss. While implant failure isn’t common, it does occur significantly more often among smokers. Studies suggest that there are multiple factors at work, which may include a smoker’s bone quality and density, gum tissue affected by constricted blood vessels, and compromised healing.
Smoking has been linked to weakened immune systems, so it’s harder to fight off an infection and to heal after an injury. Because smoking affects the immune system’s response to inflammation and infection, smokers suffering from gum disease don’t respond as well to treatment. Smokers experience a higher rate of root infections, and smoking also slows the healing process after oral surgeries or trauma.
Smoking following a tooth extraction can cause a painful condition called “dry socket.” After extraction, a clot forms to protect the tooth socket. Just as this clot can be dislodged by sucking through a straw or spitting, it can also be dislodged by the force of inhaling and exhaling while smoking.
Research has shown again and again that smoking is the single most serious risk factor for oral cancer. Studies have also shown that you reduce your risk of oral cancer significantly when you quit smoking.
Quitting smoking is a major accomplishment that will improve your life on every level. It’s always a good idea to talk to Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis for strategies to help you achieve your wellness goals for the new year. Make this the year you stop smoking, and the year your health improves in countless ways because you did.
We’ve been celebrating the new year for a really, really long time. It goes way back, but it started formally in 1582, when Pope George XIII made January 1st the official holiday for ushering in the new year. The idea was to yell, cheer, and blow horns to scare away all the evil spirits of the previous year with the hope that the new one would be filled with happiness and opportunity.
While scaring away evil spirits isn’t what’s on our mind these days, we still ring in the New Year by cheering and hollering with friends and family. It’s a time to set new goals, refocus on old ones, and look forward to all the surprises the coming year will bring.
Whether you’re saying hello to the New Year snuggled up at home on your couch in the Bronxville area or by gathering your friends for a social celebration, here are some tips to help ensure you welcome this new chapter with a smile.
Tips for a great New Year’s Eve celebration from Bronxville Dental Care
We can all agree that change can be scary sometimes, but ringing in the New Year is an observance we all welcome with open arms. We hope you’ll enjoy this transitional holiday in a fun, healthy, and safe way. You have endless possibilities ahead of you!
From Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis, have a fantastic New Year!
For hundreds of years, tooth loss meant dentures. And over those hundreds of years, dentures have become more realistic, more secure, and more comfortable.
Now, however, Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis and our team have the technology to replace missing teeth with dental implants that look just like our natural teeth, that are firmly anchored in the jaw just like our natural teeth, and that are easy to clean and care for just like our natural teeth. If you are debating the merits of both kinds of tooth replacement, here are some comparisons to consider.
No matter how securely dentures are attached, no matter how “new and improved” your adhesive is, dentures are not anchored in the bone as implants are. There is always the possibility—or worrying about the possibility—of slipping, clicking and other noises, and problems with speech and pronunciation.
Implants fuse with the bone in your jaw, so the base of the implant acts like the root of your natural tooth. Biting, chewing, speaking, and appearance are unaffected, because implants function just like “real” teeth.
Full dentures and partial dentures should be removed every night. Placing them in a mild cleaning solution or soaking them in water is important to help them keep their shape. Ideally, dentures should be removed and rinsed every time you eat.
With implants, you treat them as you treat your natural teeth. Brush, floss, and see your dentist regularly for exams and cleanings. No need to add to your daily to-do list.
When you wear dentures, foods like apples, pork chops, and corn on the cob are probably off the menu. Let’s not even think about the occasional caramel! Some denture users also notice that food doesn’t taste as flavorful, because dentures which cover the roof of the mouth also cover the taste buds located on the soft palate.
Implants function just like your natural teeth, so feel free to indulge in your crisp and chewy favorites—and savor every bite.
First, missing teeth can eventually affect the structure of our jawbones and change our facial appearance. The bone tissue which supports our teeth needs the stimulation of biting and chewing to stay healthy. Without that stimulation, the bone ridge under the missing tooth gradually shrinks, a process called “resorption.” Not only does this bone loss affect the stability of the denture and the health of the bone, it also affects our facial appearance, especially the lips, cheeks, and profile.
Implants, on the other hand, provide the same kind of pressure and stimulation to the jawbone that natural teeth do. Preventing further bone loss is a wonderful additional benefit of choosing dental implants.
Second, fixed bridges can impact neighboring teeth. To provide a base to anchor either side of a fixed bridge, your heathy teeth might need to be ground down and shaped to fit the bridge attachment.
Implants do not affect neighboring teeth, and, unlike bridgework, are easier to clean and floss, thus reducing the risk of decay in the adjacent teeth.
Loose and ill-fitting dentures can cause irritation and even infection. And because the jawbone begins shrinking when teeth are lost, your dentures will start to fit less comfortably even over their fairly limited lifespan as the contour of your bone continues to change.
Implants can cause a bit of discomfort in the days immediately after surgery, but pain should be manageable with over the counter or prescription pain relief. (Pain that lasts longer than two weeks should be reported to Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis right away.) Once you have healed, there should be no further discomfort.
It’s true that dentures can cost less than individual or multiple implants. However, bridges and dentures are meant to be replaced every five to ten years. An implant is meant to last a lifetime. When you factor in the need for regular replacements, you might find that implants are a very competitive economic alternative to dentures.
Finally, if you are uncertain about choosing implants because you are missing several teeth, there are still implant options to consider. Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis can place several implant posts strategically, which will then be used to hold a bridge or even a full denture. These types of implants still provide stimulation to the bone beneath, and have the stability that only implants provide.
If you have missing teeth, dentures are no longer your only option. Talk to Dr. Jenny A. Kanganis at our Bronxville office today for all of the possibilities that are available to you for a healthy, beautiful, and complete smile.