Dr Pascal Terjanian's Dental Advice

Treating Dry Mouth

2009-06-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, is a state where there is a lack of saliva flow in your mouth. If dry mouth is caused by certain medications, your doctor may adjust their dosage or substitute them with other drugs that do not cause xerostomia.

Your doctor or your dentist may also prescribe you a mouthwash to partially clean your mouth and keep it moist. If there is no improvement, drugs called Pilocarpine (Salagen™) and Cevimeline (Evoxac™) help stimulating the production of saliva in your mouth and they may also be prescribed by your doctor.

Other measures that can help the production of saliva include:

Drink plenty of water to keep your mouth hydrated and moist

Complete stop of tobacco use.

Do not use a mouthwash that contains alcohol because they tend to dry out your mouth.

Reduce alcoholic drinks.

Have a sugarless candy or chew on sugarless gum.

Protect your teeth by brushing with toothpaste containing fluoride, use a mouthwash containing fluoride, and visit your dentist regularly for routine checkups.

Avoid foods containing caffeine because this substance decreases the amount of saliva in your mouth.

Add a humidifier in your bedroom to increase the humidity in the air.

Breathe through your nose instead of your mouth as much as possible.

Source: How Can You Treat Dry Mouth?
Full Article: Xerostomia
In French: Traiter la bouche sèche

Not Treating a Tooth Abscess

2009-06-02T03:28:00.000-07:00

A dental abscess is a serious infection that originates from either a tooth or the gums around it. If an abscess is not treated, not only it can lead to intense pain and swelling, but also to serious complications:

When the abscess infects the gums around a tooth and the bone that holds it, tooth loss may occur because when too much bone is damaged, the tooth moves more and more and eventually may fall out.

When the infection from a tooth abscess spreads to the brain through blood vessels, the person may have a brain abscess. This situation which is even more serious may lead to a coma.

Tooth abscess can become a sinus infection because the roots of upper molars are located right beneath the sinuses. If the dental abscess produces pus, sinuses may fill with this pus coming from the infected teeth.

When bacteria from a dental abscess reach the heart through blood vessels, this infection is referred to bacterial endocarditis.

Ludwig’s angina is a serious infection which affects parts of the face and the lower jaw. It usually originates from an untreated tooth abscess. The danger is that it can grow enough to block the airways, causing suffocation and even death.

Source: What Might Happen if You Don’t Treat a Tooth Abscess?
Full Article: Dental Abscess
In French: Ne pas traiter un abcès dentaire

Symptoms of Dry Mouth

2009-06-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Xerostomia is a state where the mouth lacks saliva, giving an uncomfortable feeling of dryness. Dry mouth has many causes, and it’s sometimes possible to treat it or at least make it more comfortable. When you know the symptoms of xerostomia, you can consult your doctor or your dentist in order to discuss whether or not you have dry mouth and what you can do about it.

Here are the main symptoms of xerostomia:

A sticky and dry feeling in your mouth.

Bad breath.

Being thirsty all the time.

Minor injuries in your mouth, whether they are located on your gums, on your cheeks, or outside on your lips.

Feeling of dryness and constant pain in the throat.

Burning or tingling feeling in your mouth or on your tongue.

Your tongue might become dry and appear red.

It becomes harder to talk, to taste, to chew and to swallow foods.

Dry nose and throat.

Source: How Can You Tell That You Have Dry Mouth?
Full Article: Xerostomia
In French: Symptômes de la bouche sèche

Preventing Tooth Abscess

2009-06-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

A tooth abscess is an infection that might be of important significance. It usually starts from either a tooth or the gums that surround a tooth. Such an infection can be very uncomfortable, painful, and causing serious problems to a person’s health. Having a dental abscess is therefore not a pleasant experience and something to stay away from. Here are several ways to avoid it:

Daily dental hygiene is crucial. This includes brushing 3 times a day or after each meal, and flossing at least twice a day.

Seeing your dentist for regular dental checkups is important, preferably twice a year, in order to verify your teeth for cavities and your gums for gum disease.

Regular dental scalings and cleanings, preferably every three or six months depending on the gums’ condition, in order to remove any accumulating plaque or tartar.

Reducing the use of tobacco products, or stopping altogether. Smoking worsens gum disease if present, and makes it very hard to heal.

Source: How Can You Prevent a Tooth Abscess?
Full Article: Dental Abscess
In French: Éviter un abcès dentaire

Diseases and Dry Mouth

2009-06-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

Xerostomia is a state where the mouth lacks saliva, giving the feeling of dryness. Dry mouth has many causes, including bad habits, some prescribed drugs or even existing diseases:

Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy salivary glands that produce saliva.

One of the side effects of having HIV (AIDS) is dry mouth.

Alzheimer's disease causes frequent dehydration, therefore dry mouth is a problem in Alzheimer's patients, particularly in the later stages.

Dry mouth may be the symptoms of undetected or badly treated diabetes.

One of the signs of iron deficiency anaemia is dry mouth.

One of the signs cystic fibrosis is also dry mouth.

Some patients with rheumatoid arthritis develop Sjögren's syndrome, which leads to dry mouth and dry eyes.

One of the side effects of high blood pressure medication is dry mouth.

Some Parkinson's disease’s medication cause dry mouth.

Cancer treatments, which include chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can cause dry mouth.

A person who has suffered from stroke is very likely to have dry mouth.

One of the symptoms of mumps is dry mouth.

Source: What Diseases Might Cause You to Have Dry Mouth?
Full Article: Xerostomia
In French: Maladies causant la xérostomie

Symptoms of Tooth Abscess

2009-06-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Usually when someone has sudden and intense pain in his mouth, he or she would immediately suspect a tooth abscess. But sometimes an abscess can develop slowly without really causing any pain.

An abscess is an infection that originates from either a tooth, or from the gums that surround a tooth. It can be so small that it’s only detected on an x-ray, or it might grow very big, causing swelling that might completely distort your face.

Whether there is pain or not does not necessarily depend on the size of the abscess. Pain comes from acute infections, which means infections that develop quickly. Chronic abscesses (slow infection) may grow in size for months and cause very little pain.

Here are the main symptoms that can help you become aware of having a dental abscess:

Your gums might become red and puffy, with swelling around the infected tooth.

Chewing food can become painful as the abscessed tooth is in contact with food or with opposing teeth.

An abscess, which is an infection, can cause fever leading to general fatigue and even headaches.

If swelling occurs, the pus might come out by itself and flow into your mouth. The pus’ taste is very bad, and it’s recommended to spit out the pus instead of swallowing it. There’s usually less pain after this happens.

Source: What Are the Symptoms of Having a Tooth Abscess?
Full Article: Dental Abscess
In French: Symptômes d’un abcès dentaire

Antibiotics and Dark Teeth

2009-06-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

Some people worry that by taking antibiotics such as tetracycline might make their teeth greyish and dark. But does taking such antibiotics at any age affect the colour of your teeth?

Tetracyclines are a group of antibiotics who may be used against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria. Drugs such as doxycycline and minocycline are also included in the tetracycline family. Their main use is to treat moderate to severe acne. Other uses of tetracycline are the treatment of infections of the respiratory tract, sinuses, middle ear, urinary tract, intestines, gum disease, and also gonorrhoea.

Tetracyclines are antibiotics that may affect the colour of developing teeth and developing bone. They should therefore be avoided in pregnant or lactating women, and in young children with developing teeth. A pregnant woman who takes tetracycline might cause stains to the deciduous teeth of her baby. A child who takes tetracycline might cause stains to his developing adult teeth. Those stains are usually internal and cannot be easily removed with conventional tooth whitening. It is therefore recommended not to give tetracycline to children under 12 years of age. They are however safe to use in the first 18 weeks of pregnancy.

Even though tetracyclines cause tooth discolouration for only developing teeth, they are considered very safe for adults, including women who are not pregnant. The tetracycline group is the only family antibiotics that can stain developing teeth. All other antibiotics are not known to discolour teeth.

Source: Does Taking Antibiotics Make Your Teeth Darker?
Full Article: Tooth Discolouration
In French: Antibiotiques et dents décolorées

Alcohol and Tooth Extraction

2009-05-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

After you have had a tooth pulled out, or after any kind of surgery in your mouth, there shouldn't be officially any problems for having an alcoholic drink.

The important thing to consider is that after that kind of surgery, the dentist or dental surgeon usually prescribes medication, either antibiotics or pain killers. Most of those drugs should not be mixed with alcohol at all. Sometimes such a mix can even be poisonous.

Therefore, to be on the safe side, it is advisable to avoid alcohol after a tooth extraction or any type of oral surgery. This can also be discussed with your dentist after the extraction.

Full article: Can you Drink Alcohol after a Tooth Extraction?
In French: Alcool et extraction dentaire

I Have a Tooth Abscess?

2009-03-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

When you hear the word abscess, and when you know that it is located in someone's mouth, all that you can think about is pain! Although an abscess can occur without being sore, it can sometimes become a very painful occurrence!

A tooth abscess is an infection caused by bacteria and other harmful microbes. It can either originate from the gums, or from the tooth itself. Either way the infection must previously be treated by drainage or by taking antibiotics. Proper treatment should be done next.

If the infection comes from the tooth itself, the main cause would have been either a cavity, a fracture or some trauma on that tooth that may have occurred recently or many years before. If the tooth can be fixed, it might need a root canal and then probably a crown.

If the abscess originates from the gums instead, then the infection should be controlled around that area. After the antibiotics treatment, you might need a curettage or gum surgery to get rid of all the infection in the gums.

An abscess in the mouth should be cared for urgently. If left untreated, the infection can reach other parts of the body and cause serious illnesses to other organs. It is known in the medical community that gum infections can worsen diabetes, heart disease and pregnancy.

Full article: How Can You Get Rid of a Tooth Abscess?

In French: J’ai un abcès dentaire?

Suzanne Godin

2009-01-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

Suzanne Godin is a dental assistant who focuses on orthodontics. With over 15 years of experience, she worked at Dentspa since 1993. She has made hundreds of children, adolescents and adults happier with their smiles because with well aligned teeth people have more self-esteem, and have a better sense of well-being.

Under the supervision of Dr. Pascal Terjanian, Suzanne works in a meticulous way in order to provide the best care for her patients, while maintaining a remarkable gentleness, making every appointment with her comfortable and enjoyable. Her delicate touch and contagious smile are quickly noticed by children who then trust Suzanne, especially in less pleasant steps such as taking teeth impressions.

Suzanne uses several orthodontics techniques, which go from conventional metal brackets, white porcelain brackets, and invisible orthodontics (Invisalign). With all these choices of treatment it is possible to make a decision that best suits everyone’s needs.

In French: Suzanne Godin

Wisdom Teeth Recovery

2008-12-14T16:18:00.000-08:00

Removing your wisdom teeth is not the most fun thing to do. Some people get really nervous about the procedure, but knowing what to expect can reduce the worries. Remember that during the surgery, you are totally numb and should not feel a thing. Here is what to do after wisdom tooth extraction in order to recover comfortably:

Right after surgery, your mouth is still numb. You must therefore be careful not to bite the inside of your cheeks.

Bleeding lasts a few minutes after surgery. You may bleed again during that day or the next day. Use cotton gauze and bite on them to produce pressure on the extraction sites. This will help the blood clots to form properly. If you do not have gauze anymore, use wet tea bags.

Do not spit out the blood, but instead let if flow outside of your mouth.

Use an ice pack by putting it against your cheek for the first 24 hours. If you had all your wisdom teeth removed, alternate between the right and the left cheeks every 10 minutes.

Do not engage in physical activities for the first 2-3 days. Playing sports might increase bleeding.

Eat soft foods that are neither too warm, neither too cold. Your diet may consist of pudding and soup at first, but gradually add solid foods as healing progresses.

After 24 hours, rinse your mouth with warm water and salt several times a day.

Do not use a straw while drinking liquids.

Do not smoke for at least 48 hours! Smoking increases the risks of having dry socket, which is an uncomfortable and painful condition where the blood clot does not form properly.

Continue brushing your teeth, but go softly around the wisdom teeth extraction area.

One or two weeks after your wisdom teeth removal your mouth should feel very comfortable. The holes in your gums might still be there as it takes longer to be filled with healed bone. Continue rinsing with warm water and salt if food gets stuck in those holes.

Full article: Wisdom Teeth
In French: Dents de sagesse et rétablissement