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There are many ways in which your oral health has an impact on your overall general health. There are naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth. Some of those bacteria, including strep and staph, are harmful, while other bacteria are essential for the balance of intestinal flora. The healthier your mouth is, the less likely it is the harmful bacteria will travel to other parts of your body to infect it and make you sick. There is much more to good dental hygiene than brushing and flossing.

Historical Methods of Maintaining Oral Health

Ancient civilizations relied on natural remedies for maintaining oral health. Around 250 AD, the Kemetic Egyptians used myrrh and other herbs as antiseptics for treating infected gums. Two centuries later, the Nubians, who lived in the Nile River valley, drank beer to ease the pain of infected teeth. That probably sounds crazy, but their beer was effective because they used grains that were contaminated with the same bacteria that produce the antibiotic tetracycline.

Today's Biggest Dental Hygiene Challenge

In the past, tooth decay was more of an issue because there was no routine dental care, and problems that are routinely treated today went untreated. Thanks to fluoridated water, and toothpastes containing fluoride, tooth decay is far less problematic than it was a century or more ago. Gum disease has replaced tooth decay as the most serious dental problem facing people today. According to the American Dental Association, a staggering 80 percent of Americans over age 65 suffer from some form of periodontal disease.

Ironically, if that infection attacked any other part of your body, especially in a place where it was clearly visible, you would head to your doctor for treatment immediately. People tend to ignore gum tenderness and bleeding. When the tenderness and bleeding aren't treated, the inflammation can turn into periodontitis. The longer you allow the inflammation to go untreated, the greater the likelihood that it will affect other body parts. Make sure to visit Dr. Ron Shiver at Ron L. Shiver DMD Family & Restorative Dentistry regularly to be proactive about dental health!

Researchers are now discovering that untreated inflammation in the mouth acts as a driving force for multiple chronic illnesses, including clogged arteries, heart attacks, arthritis, and even cancer. That inflammation is one of many hypotheses that may explain how chronic infections can trigger systemic diseases, and even intensify existing ones. Bacterial overgrowth in the inflamed gum tissue can enter the bloodstream through the food you eat, and from daily brushing.

Caring for your mouth at home is just as important as visiting our office for exams!

Endodontists, like Dr. Ron Shiver, are dentists who specialize in the treatment of the inside of the tooth. The type of treatment an endodontist performs is designed to go deep into the tooth where the infection or inflammation resides, and to remove that tissue to alleviate pain. Obvious signs that you need to seek endodontic treatment include pain, swelling, and tenderness in the area around the gum, bone, lymph nodes, or elsewhere on the face. Tenderness to the tooth area, discomfort and sensitivity to hot and cold, chewing, and tooth discoloration are also indications that you should seek endodontic treatment.

Reasons to Seek Endodontic Treatment

Endodontic treatment (a root canal) is necessary when the pulp within the tooth becomes inflamed or infected. Many factors can contribute to the infection or inflammation, including cracked or chipped teeth, deep decay, and even repeated treatment (such as the replacement of fillings). Teeth can also incur pulp damage from injuries that don't cause visible damage to the tooth. Without treatment, an inflammation or infection can turn into an abscess.

What is a root canal?

A root canal allows Dr. Ron Shiver to literally get to the "root" of the problem and treat it. A hole is drilled to allow access to the pulp within the tooth. The pulp and any infected and/or inflamed tissue are removed. The exposed area is then thoroughly cleaned. At this point, the open canal is filled with gutta-percha, which is cemented to the canal with adhesive. The hole is then covered with a temporary crown that is removed once the permanent crown, which is typically made of porcelain and metal, is installed. The tooth then functions normally.

Other Types of Endodontic Treatment

Other types of treatment that endodontists perform to save teeth include an apicoectomy. In this procedure, the gum is opened near the tooth to allow the endodontist to explore the area near the bone. Any impacted tissue, either inflamed or infected, is then removed. The end of the root is also removed. The rest of the procedure involves cleaning the area, packing it with protective material, and then covering the tooth with a permanent crown.

Endodontists also perform procedures on abscessed teeth. An abscess contains pus and/or other infected material. It usually occurs when an infected or inflamed tooth pulp isn't treated. Sometimes, the absence of pain or other symptoms prevents a patient from knowing they have an infection or inflammation. Dr. Ron Shiver will remove the infected area and perform a procedure much like the root canal, and patients recover quickly.

At Ron L. Shiver DMD Family & Restorative Dentistry, it's our goal to help you sustain excellent oral health so that you can keep all of your natural teeth! Our Valdosta office staff is always here to answer all of your questions and help you feel comfortable about your endodontic treatment.

Your first endodontic appointment at our Valdosta office establishes an essential foundation between you, Dr. Ron Shiver, and our endodontic staff. It involves completing paperwork, discussing your condition, and may include treatment.

Paperwork

The first visit begins with obtaining important contact, insurance, and medical history information. There is paperwork to complete in the form of a medical history, and various consent forms. In addition, we ask that you bring a list of all the medications you take on a regular basis, whether prescriptions or over-the-counter, you are taking with you. Further, if you have a referral document or X-rays that your primary dentist gave to you, please bring them with you as well.

Meet with Assistant

Once all the required paperwork is completed, you’ll meet with an assistant who will ask you about your pain and dental issue that prompted a visit to us. The assistant will take a set of X-rays for the endodontist to review.

Meet with the Endodontist

After the x-rays are complete, your endodontist will review them with you, in addition to talking to you about your symptoms. The endodontist will test the affected tooth or teeth, along with adjacent teeth. This will often include mild tapping which patients tolerate well.

Once all of the testing is done, your endodontist will make a diagnosis, and discuss the treatment options with you. These may include a root canal and a crown to protect the treated tooth. As with any treatment, your endodontist will discuss the benefits and risks along with each option.

The goal of endodontics treatment is to:

• Relieve your pain
• Save your tooth
• Protect surrounding teeth and gums from further damage

Endodontic Treatment

If you decide to receive the endodontic treatments, in many cases, the treatment is started that same day. However, prior to beginning the treatment, a local anesthesia is applied to numb your tooth, gums, and nerves to any painful sensations you might otherwise feel without local anesthesia.

While a root canal, which is a common endodontic procedure, has received a bad rap for being extremely painful, the reality is that with modern dental technology and medications, most patients report no significant discomfort during a root canal.

In order to determine the results of the treatment, further X-rays will be taken once the treatment is complete. You will receive post-endodontics treatment instructions and you learn what you might feel or see in your treated area over the next several days to a week. This may include tooth sensitivity and mild swelling in the gums and jaw.

Patients are typically able to drive after their procedure, and go back to work, or resume regular activities immediately following their endodontic treatment.

During the early days of the environmental awareness movement, those who demonstrated against pollution, toxic chemicals, and the general public health were known as hippies. The early 1970s were a time of change, and assertions that we needed to pay more attention to the Earth's atmosphere were generally dismissed. But within a couple decades, it had become clear that the previous generation was right; the citizens of the world needed to become more environmentally conscious.

Many people feel that they can't make a difference if they don't do something big. But caring for the environment doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing concept. In fact, the little things you do can add up to make a great impact, especially in our community. Here are a few ways you can help the environment on Earth Day, April 22nd and all year around.

Four Small Ways to be Environmentally Friendly

• Recycle Your Textiles. Nearly 21 million tons of textiles are added to American landfills each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Donating your unwanted clothing to a secondhand store or an organization that repurposes fabric helps cut down on solid waste and conserves natural resources.
• Reduce Usage of Disposables. Plastic bottles and bags, disposable diapers and other things we can use and toss out are convenient, but they're not necessary. Simply choosing to replace one of type of disposable with a reusable product can help you cut down on waste that has a large negative impact on our environment.
• Conserve Water. If everyone in the United States turned off the water while brushing their teeth, more than 1.5 million gallons of water could be conserved. Turn the water on long enough to wet your toothbrush for brushing and rinsing, and then immediately turn the water off again.
• Turn Off the Lights. Flip the light switch to "Off" if you're going to leave a particular room for 15 minutes or more. This will conserve energy on incandescent light bulbs and cut down on cooling costs.

It's not necessary to be an activist or install solar panels all over your home to help the environment. Although you can do these things, the little everyday measures make a big difference in helping to conserve energy and the environment, while reducing your carbon footprint. Our team at Ron L. Shiver DMD Family & Restorative Dentistry wants to remind you to celebrate Earth Day and help the environment, knowing that it will benefit your and your children's generation.