Canker Sores

Canker sores are small, shallow ulcers that appear in your mouth and make it difficult for you to eat and talk. The cause of canker sores isn't known although stress is thought to trigger the ulcers. When possible, we encourage our patients at Family Dental Care of Chicago to avoid foods that have citric or other acids. The foods to avoid when you have an ulcer include lemons, oranges, apples, and tomatoes.

There are signs that you may have canker sores including include pain on your tongue or the inside of your cheeks and a burning sensation in your mouth. Canker sores are generally oval shape and are usually white or gray with a red edge.

While there is no extract treatment for canker sores, we encourage you to rinse your mouth with hot salt water a couple of times a day to help with recovery. If you still have a canker sore after 1-2 weeks we advise you to make an appointment with us. 

To schedule an appointment, call 212-988-1089 or visit Joseph Dallessandro DDS.

Night Guard Maintenance

For people who suffer from bruxism, a night guard can be essential to oral comfort. Bruxism, or night time teeth grinding, puts strain on the temporomandibular joint and can erode or crack enamel. A custom-fitted oral appliance can keep the patient’s jaws parted, sparing them dental trauma and helping to keep their airways open if they have obstructive sleep apnea. But night guards need to be kept clean, and we at Dr. Joseph Dallessandro’s Midtown dental practice want to make sure patients are doing it right.

The specifics of how to clean an oral appliance will depend on its design and may be found on a manufacturer’s website. But the biggest variance is whether it should be kept wet or dry when not in use. After being removed in the morning, a night guard should be brushed with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Patients should not use toothpaste, as the fluoride could scratch plastic. Many manufacturers also sell cleaning solution which can improve a night guard’s smell and help kill lingering bacteria. But patients also need to remember to clean the container out daily, which can be done with antibacterial soap and water.

Patients should be careful to keep the night guard at room temperature and not subject it to hot water or prolonged sunlight. Like a denture, the oral appliance’s shape could become distorted in excessive heat. Patients should not attempt to fix a broken night guard on their own or wear one that is no longer fitting well.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit Joseph Dallessandro DDS and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Smoking and Pulpitis

Smoking is harmful to a patient’s immune system. There are also several reasons why it is harmful to oral health, including that it causes oral cancer and bad breath, but recently, scientists found evidence of a new way in which its interactions with the immune system are harmful to teeth, specifically. We at the Midtown dental practice of Dr. Joseph Dallessandro want our patients to be fully aware of the health hazards they’re facing, so we thought we’d take a moment to talk about dental pulp infections.

Pulpitis is the condition in which the sensitive pulp of a tooth is swollen, resulting in soreness. Like other forms of inflammation, it is an immune system response that traps disease-spreading bacteria and concentrates white blood cells and antimicrobial peptides. The latter are acids which latch onto bacteria, allowing them to be killed, and they’re one of the body’s most important defenses against infection. But according to a new study, smokers lack antimicrobial peptides in their dental pulp, putting them at risk for longer, more severe, and recurring infections.

Dental pulp infections are a serious concern. If they progress, they can cause facial abscesses and blood poisoning. Root canal therapy, in which dental pulp is extracted and replaced with a sealant, can be effective at treating them. But patients who wish to avoid severe pulp infections would do well to abandon smoking. The study also found that after a patient quits, peptides can sometimes return.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit Joseph Dallessandro DDS and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Digital X-Ray's

At Joseph Dallesandro, DDS we use digital radiography to take x-rays instead of traditional photographic film. Digital x-rays are more efficient, bypassing chemical processing and allowing us to transfer and view the photos of your mouth faster. Soon after we take your x-ray’s we will look for any potential uses that need to be fixed with your teeth. 

Digital radiography uses 80% less radiation than traditional films. At our practice, your health is the most important thing for us.

Digital x-ray allows us to detect bone loss, tumors, infections in the tooth nerve, tooth decay, and other abnormalities. Digital radiography provides you with the best care possible by being convenient, safer, and faster.

Remember to make an appointment with us so we can diagnose the source of your pain and treat it. The health of your teeth is our number one priority!

To learn more about the best toothbrush for your teeth and to learn about all of the services provided at our practice, visit www.josephdallessandrodds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in our New York, NY office, call 212-988-1089.