Wednesday, February 9, 2011

OZONE THERAPY

Most of the people have the fear for dentistry which ultimately keeps them away from dental treatments.

People fear from the injections and drills that are used during the dental procedures. But in recent times dentistry has been experiencing dynamic changes and growth as never before.

The use of Ozone in dentistry is a boon to the patients who fear extensive dental treatments. The implementation of Ozone would eradicate the pain during the dental treatment and even reduce the treatment time.

Ozone is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms and is naturally present in the upper layer of the atmosphere. It has got the capacity to absorb harmful UV rays from the sun. Ozone is an unstable gas which gives up nascent oxygen to form oxygen gas. Due to this property It is used in human medicine to kill bacteria, fungi and inactivate viruses.

Ozone can do wonders when implemented in dentistry:

  • Rinsing and gargling with ozonated water heals ulcers, periodontal problems, soar throat, etc.
  • It can stimulate remineralization of recently caries affected teeth after a period of about eight to six weeks.
  • It can be used to bleach a discolored tooth.
  • Ozone oils can be used to irrigate and sterile root canals to remove the necrotic debris.
  • Root Canal Treatment can be prevented with ozone. The exposed nerve is washed with ozonated water followed by ozone gas that prevents the nerve from dying.
  • Ozone sprayed for 60secs followed by mineral wash gives quick relief from root sensitivity.
  • It can accelerate the healing of soft tissue conditions like aphthous ulcers, gum infections and also reduces the post-extraction healing time.
  • It is used to disinfect wounds and control bleeding.

Ozone seems to be a promising treatment modality in medicine and dentistry in coming future.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

BRUXISM OR GRINDING TEETH

Bruxism
Bruxism is a condition where in you clench your upper and lower teeth or grind your teeth.
It is an act of involuntary teeth grinding either while awake or asleep.

There is nocturnal bruxism wherein people tend to grind their teeth during sleep causing sleep disorders.

Bruxism is a habit obtained when someone is under stress, anxiety or depression.

Bruxism can ultimately lead to wear patterns of the enamel of teeth which results in sensitivity, gum recession, loosening of teeth and finally tooth loss.

It causes temporomandibular joint pain which is the joint of the jaw and leads to fatigue of muscles involved in clenching and grinding. It can also cause ear ache as TMJ is very close to ear canal, sleeplessness and headache.

Treatment for Bruxism:
  • Apply ice or wet heat to the strained muscles
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Practice good and sound sleep
  • Try to reduce your daily stress and take time for relaxation
  • Massage the muscles of neck, shoulder and face
Your dentist can help you prevent grinding your teeth by providing mouthguards that can be worn in both upper and lower teeth during nights to prevent unconscious grinding of teeth.

The worn out teeth can be treated by covering them with prosthetic crowns and to prevent further damage to the new crowns, occlusal guards can be fabricated to wear during sleep.

Image courtesy: toptenz.net