An impacted tooth can lead to extreme discomfort and other unpleasant symptoms. If left untreated, impaction can cause serious side effects and can even prove fatal. If you experience symptoms of an impacted tooth, you should see your dentist as soon as possible for evaluation and treatment.

Symptoms of an Impacted Tooth

An impacted tooth is one that does not emerge properly. The most common teeth to become impacted are the wisdom teeth, but impaction can occur with any tooth that does not move into the correct position. Your regular X-rays can help determine if teeth are impacted well before any symptoms occur.

Symptoms can include:

•    Swelling or redness in the gums
•    Headache or discomfort in the jaw
•    Bleeding gums
•    Halitosis and/or a bad taste in the mouth

Symptoms of an impacted tooth should be brought to your dentist’s attention as soon as possible. Impacted teeth can become infected, and the infection can migrate into the sinuses and even into the brain or the circulatory system. This can lead to heart disease, brain damage or even death if left untreated.

Treatment for an Impacted Tooth

In most cases, the recommended treatment for an impacted tooth is removal. After evaluation, your dentist will explain treatment. If the tooth has become infected, you might need to take antibiotics to treat the infection before an oral surgeon can safely remove the tooth.

In some cases, impacted teeth never exhibit symptoms and cause no difficulty and it might not be necessary to have the teeth removed. It is best to have your situation evaluated to see if leaving the teeth in place is likely to cause problems with the rest of your teeth.

If you believe you might need a tooth extraction, please contact the office of Dr. Nawrocki to make an appointment. We’ll evaluate your tooth and recommend an appropriate treatment to alleviate your discomfort as soon as possible.

Whether it’s self-consciousness about your smile or an inability to eat healthy foods, missing teeth can have a detrimental effect on your quality of life. Today, there are many options available for tooth replacement that will restore your confidence. From traditional dental implants to All-on-4, there’s a workable replacement option available for you.

Why Choose Dental Implants?

Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that replaces both the visible part of the tooth and the tooth root. This provides a complete functional tooth that will not only enable you to bite and chew normally, but will also help keep your jawbone healthy. In the long term, implants help maintain your health far better than dentures, bridges, or other tooth replacement options.

Some of the major advantages of dental implants include:

• Stimulate jawbone regeneration
• Remain stationary
• Allow you to eat anything, including apples and corn on the cob
• Are permanent—do not require periodic re-tooling

With implants, you’ll always have confidence in your smile and know that your teeth will stay in place even when you bite and chew.

What are All-on-4 Implants?

If you’ve worn dentures for a long period, or if you’ve had missing teeth, it’s likely that you won’t have sufficient bone mass to support the numerous implants required to replace each individual tooth. Some people simply lack sufficient bone mass due to the way their jawbone is structured. This is more common in the upper jaw, where the size of the sinus cavities affects the thickness of the bone that supports the teeth.

All-on-4 dental implants offer the advantages of implants to people without sufficient bone mass. This technique uses four implants to support a denture. Unlike standard dentures, a denture secured with implants remains stationary and will not shift or move when you eat. It can be removed for cleaning and to floss around the abutments of the implants. With proper care, this type of implant can provide you with a full, functional smile for many years to come.

Call our office to speak with a caring team member ready to answer any questions you may have.

Sedation dentistry offers stress-free dental treatment for people who experience severe dental phobia. With sedation, you can have your dental work done while you’re completely relaxed. If you’re interested in sedation, you might have some questions about how it works.

Is sedation the same as general anesthetic? No. When you have general anesthetic, you are completely unconscious while work is being done. Sedation does not render you unconscious. It only helps you feel very relaxed and calm. You will be awake and able to answer questions or follow the dentist’s instructions. Time seems to go more quickly, and many patients report a dream-like state. Because you are not completely unconscious, sedation carries much less risk than general anesthesia.

Will I need a ride home after sedation? This depends upon the type of sedation used. Oral sedation is accomplished with a pill, which you’ll take before your appointment. As it begins to take effect, you’ll want to have a ride to the dentist, and you’ll need a ride home as well, since it takes some time to leave your system. With nitrous oxide, you’ll breathe the gas during your appointment, but as soon as you stop, the sedative effect will wear off quickly, so you can drive yourself home. However, if you feel uncomfortable at all with driving, arrange a ride.

Is sedation good for oral surgery? Sedation is an excellent addition to oral surgery. You’ll receive a local anesthetic to eliminate any discomfort, but the addition of sedation will make you much more comfortable. It also helps the surgeon, since you’ll be very relaxed, making it easier for him to work.

Can I use sedation for regular dental work? In most cases, sedation is only used in addition to local anesthetic for restorations and oral surgery. However, if you have extreme dental phobia to the point where you have panic attacks in the dentist’s chair, or if you have a very sensitive gag reflex, sedation could be a great help.

Sedation dentistry is a helpful approach for many people. If you have any questions about how sedation works, be sure to ask our dentist! Call us today at Daniel M. Stewart, DDS, in Richardson, TX, for an appointment.

TMJ disorder is a generic term that refers to many of the problems associated with the temporomandibular joint. Our dentist serving Richardson can discuss the symptoms and remedies recommended for those who suffer from TMJ disorder.

The temporomandibular joint is located just above your jaw in front of your ear. There are two of these joints, one on each side, and they are designed to work together to allow us to chew, speak, yawn …. virtually anything that is related to tasks involving our mouth or jaw.

This joint is a very complex part of the body. It has many functions, and as such when there is discomfort, locating the exact source can be difficult. This joint is made up of muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, bones, connective tissue and teeth.

TMJ disorder involves inflammation, and can manifest itself in many ways.  Migraines, neck or shoulder discomfort, earache and even hearing loss can be attributed to TMJ disorder.  Chewing difficulties or a clicking sound when opening and closing the mouth should be examined by a dentist for the root cause.

One of the major causes of TMJ disorder has focused on the grinding and clenching of teeth. Most often this is an involuntary function done during sleep or unconsciously throughout the day. Many people grind their teeth at times due to anxiety, which is normal. But when grinding becomes more habitual, your dentist has several suggestions to help.

Perhaps on initial examination your dentist might recommend some of the simpler ideas you can try such as smaller bites of food when you chew, avoid biting your nails or chewing gum. But for longer term relief, many have found that employing the use of a night guard will help alleviate the grinding and teeth clenching often associated with TMJ disorder.

A night guard is also called an occlusal splint or a mouth guard. There are several different types so a discussion with your dentist will help determine what will work best for you.

In addition to a night guard, your dentist might also suggest checking your bite for any signs of a malocclusion which might alter the motion engaged while chewing. A bite adjustment might provide some relief to minor TMJ disorders.  Also your dentist might suggest acetaminophen to relieve inflammation, but this is generally a short term solution.

For more information about TMJ disorder and to schedule a consultation, please contact our team at Daniel M. Stewart, DDS, today!

If you have missing teeth, dental implants are the best choice for replacement if you are a good candidate. Implants require sufficient bone mass in the jaw before they are successful. They also require healthy gum tissue to support them. If you have severe gum disease, you might need treatment before you can have implants. This could include deep cleaning treatments or a gum graft.

Gums and Dental Implants

Dental implants are the most natural-looking option for tooth replacement. They are also permanent and stationary, because they are affixed to an artificial tooth root that is anchored in the jawbone. In order for this root to heal effectively, you must have enough bone in your jaw to support it. You will also need to have healthy gums, since gums also play a vital role in keeping the teeth stable.

Many people who have missing teeth also have gum disease, since gum disease is the most common cause of tooth loss. Before you can have implant surgery, you should have your gums evaluated to ensure they are healthy. A periodontist can determine whether you require any treatment for your gums before your implants are placed.

Treatment for Gum Disease

The necessary treatment depends upon how bad your gums are. If the infection is severe and widespread, you’ll need more extensive treatment. Minor gum disease or gingivitis, which is an inflammation of the gum tissue, requires must less invasive approaches. If you have been taking god care of your teeth over the years, you’re much less likely to have a problem with your gums when the time comes to have dental implants.

Our periodontist might recommend a course of antibiotics to eliminate infection in your gums before your implant procedure, or before any preliminary treatment for your gums. Treatment for gingivitis is relatively simple, but treatment for severe periodontitis can involve surgery. You might require planing and scaling, which is a deep cleaning treatment. In more severe cases, you might require a gum graft, which provides additional gum tissue to build up the foundation for your new implants.

Our friendly and caring team is ready to assist you in treatment that is just right for you, so contact our office today!

Dental implants are a high-quality and natural-looking alternative for tooth replacement. They have a root portion that is implanted directly into the jawbone, allowing them to function just like your natural teeth. The procedure for placing implants requires local anesthesia at a minimum and sometimes can require general anesthesia, depending upon how many teeth are being replaced.

Implant Surgery—How It Works

An implant procedure begins by placing an artificial root in the jawbone. This requires a surgical procedure in which an incision is made in the gums, and the implant is set into the bone. The implant itself is shaped much like a screw and is made of titanium or a titanium alloy. If you are only having one or two implants placed, your periodontist or implant dentist might recommend local anesthesia or a local combined with sedation, such as nitrous oxide. If you are having several teeth replaced—for example if you need to have all of your top teeth replaced—general anesthetic might be more appropriate to ensure you are comfortable during the surgery.

After the initial surgery, some time must pass to allow the jawbone to bond to the implant. This process, called osseointegration, ensures that the implants remain stationary and that they will help keep your jawbone healthy over time so it will not atrophy. Once this bonding process has completed, the prosthetic teeth are added to the implants.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants are considered to be the most effective form of tooth replacement. They remain stationary in the mouth, so you can eat any foods you could prior to losing your teeth. This includes foods like apples and corn on the cob, which are difficult to eat with dentures. Implants also help stimulate jawbone growth, which dentures cannot do. This helps to maintain the shape of your face from changing over time. Atrophy of the jawbone is common among people who have lost their teeth and have had them replaced with dentures.

Our team of caring specialists are ready to answer any questions or concerns you have about implant surgery. Call us to schedule an appointment with us today!