Tag Archive for: dentist in kampala

image of nail-biting

How oral habits affect your oral health

A habit is a tendency towards an act that has become a repeated performance, it is relatively fixed and easy to perform by an individual. We all have habits, some are beneficial to us and some we would rather do away with. For example, laying one’s bed every morning or jogging three times every week are good habits and on the other hand, smoking is a habit that is considered bad.

What are some of the habits that affect your oral health?

  • Nail-biting
  • Tongue thrusting
  • Thumb sucking
  • Mouth breathing
  • Bruxism

How do they affect oral health?

Nail-biting; nails are made of a hard material called keratin and when it is repeatedly exerted on teeth, it can cause them (especially the front teeth) to chip and eventually tip or rotate which affects how one’s smile looks.

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Nail-biting causes tooth chipping

Tongue thrusting; this involves continually pushing your tongue forward. The tongue has one of the most efficient muscle systems in the body and henceforth continued exertion of the powerful forces generated can cause the teeth position to change. This in turn affects the appearance and function of the oral tissues negatively.

Tongue thrusting
The habit of tongue thrusting

Thumb-sucking; human babies resort to sucking their thumb or any other finger as a replacement or option to suckling. Beyond 5 years, however, this becomes a detrimental habit that is an indicator of deeper underlying issues. Thumb-sucking causes the teeth to be displaced anteriorly, resulting in someone having an open bite, and sometimes the lips close with difficulty.

oral habit of thumb sucking
thumb sucking affects oral health

Mouth breathing; individuals with respiratory problems especially in their early ages sometimes develop a tendency to breathe through their mouth instead of the nose. The continued mouth opening messes with the balance of the oral health structures and can lead to misalignment of teeth. It can also increase the risk of caries as the mouth is often dry.

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mouth breathing affects oral health structures

Bruxism; this involves grinding one’s teeth and it can either be done when one’s asleep or awake and sometimes even in both states. Grinding teeth leads to attrition of the teeth where they lose part of the tooth substance and this can lead to a number of problems for example; sensitivity, malocclusion, and muscular fatigue or pain.

How can these habits be managed?

Oral habits are effectively managed when the factors that cause them are managed. This lowers the chances of recurrence or relapse.

  1. Most are signs of psychological stress and so a consultation with a psychiatrist would benefit some of the patients.
  2. In children, the use of mechanical means for example habit breakers which are designed by the orthodontist or bandaging the fingers and chemical means like applying pepper on the preferred finger can also be effective.

Treatment of the effects of oral habits is important to restore the health-related quality of life of the individual and so it is important that if one has a habit such as these, or their child has or is developing one that they seek professional help as soon as possible. It is imperative that we try to unlearn some of these habits as their effects may not be immediate but are drastic and can be expensive to reverse.

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HIV oral health care

Oral Health care in those living with HIV/AIDS

Every year on December 1, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. This day brings light to the battle against stopping the HIV/AIDS plague. It also discourages stigma against those living with HIV/AIDS and shows that they too can live rich and fulfilling lives when they are on medication. People living with HIV/AIDS represent a special demographic within oral healthcare and they need even extra attention given the risk they have towards contracting opportunistic infections for which the mouth can be a portal.

How HIV/AIDS affects oral health

The mouth being the proverbial mirror of the body can be a sight where the early manifestations of HIV/AIDS and its associated illnesses can show. People infected with HIV/AIDS may experience the following signs;

  1. Oral thrush which is a whitish membrane-like lesion
  2. Kaposi Sarcoma which may appear as purplish lesions
  3. Ulcers that take long to heal
  4. Red band gingivitis
  5. Dry Mouth

These can help in early diagnosis and this management before the disease progresses to debilitating stages. It is thus very important that people living with HIV monitor their oral environment and discuss any changes with their dentist or physician.

How can one cope with dental issues related to HIV

It is imperative that people with HIV maintain an even more meticulous oral hygiene regimen. They can do this by;

  1. Brushing twice a day
  2. Doing interdental cleaning
  3. Having routine dental visits to ensure that their oral health is in check
  4. Taking a very healthy diet including many fruits and vegetables for optimal health of both the teeth and the other tissues in the mouth
  5. Trying to remove all possible foci of infection in the mouth including tooth decay

When you visit your dentist, do not be shy to let them know about your status so that they can ensure that you are handled appropriately and they also can protect themselves from the virus. Unless the illness is compromising to treatment, the dentist can provide all routine treatment that may be needed just like they would in any other patient. Let us all aim to keep ourselves and each other safe while we aim to make AIDS a disease of the past.

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dry socket

Dry Socket: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

What is a Dry Socket?

Dry socket or alveolar osteitis is a complication that occurs after extraction of a tooth due to compromised healing of the extraction wound and is characterized by extreme discomfort or pain in the area which has the socket. It occurs as a result of failure to form or disruption of the formation of a clot in the socket after the tooth is removed. The formation of a clot precedes proper healing and eventual closure of the socket and when it is annihilated too early, the nerves at the bottom of the socket are exposed which results in a painful sensation.

Signs and symptoms of a dry socket

Alveolar osteitis occurs 5-7 days after an extraction was done. It takes on one or all of the following symptoms.

  • It has symptomatic pain which is spontaneous, relentless, and may radiate to the temples, the mandible, or frontal region.
  • It may be accompanied by headaches, swelling, and fever.
  • The extraction socket appears empty but can sometimes have a yellowish deposit which when accompanied by pain is a cause for worry but is otherwise part of the healing process.
  • Pain post-extraction is a normal occurrence but if it exponentially increases with time, this could be indicative of a dry socket.
  • Visible bone in the socket
  • Bad breath or a foul odor coming from your mouth
  • Unpleasant taste in your mouth

Risk factors for developing a dry socket

How well we practice the post-extraction instructions determines if we will get dry sockets but is not the only factor involved. The socket being on the lower jaw, history of having a dry socket, being on oral contraceptives, multiple extractions, and so on are other contributory factors that could lead to one experiencing alveolar osteitis. The post-extraction instructions will be delineated in the upcoming blog so stay tuned for those.

Treatment of dry socket

This condition can only be managed effectively by a dentist and preferably the one who carried out the extraction. They will debride the socket, clean it and put a dressing. They will also prescribe you antibiotics and pain killers which will aid in symptom relief and faster healing. After dressing a dry socket, you must not rinse your mouth for 24 hours, and after, you should do light rinsing in order to allow the clot to stay in place.

However, in case you cannot see a dentist, you can take over-the-counter medications for the pain and also do warm saline rinses gently in order to get some symptomatic relief. It is imperative that this condition is managed early and appropriately to prevent escalations to more dire conditions which can be fatal.

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dental caries

Rampant Caries: Causes, Risk Factors, and Management

Caries as a disease is one of the most commonly occurring diseases in the world. Most times, it affects few teeth at a time in one’s mouth and since multiple factors influence it, it can be salient in its progression. There are cases, however, where it rapidly progresses and affects more than ten teeth in the mouth at a go. When this occurs, its nomenclature changes to “rampant caries.”

What causes caries?

Caries occur when bacteria that are in the mouth break down residual food in the mouth to form acid and this acid, in turn, dissolves the tooth structure. The teeth are one of the hardest tissues in the body and destroying them is no easy feat, therefore the disease progression is slow.

Risk factors for rampant caries

Caries are also influenced by risk factors that can hasten their occurrence. These include;

  • Diet; bacteria break down sucrose more than any other sugar. Sucrose is mostly found in processed foods in large amounts for example cakes, sweets, chocolates, soda and so on. This is why it is important to watch your diet to reduce your caries risk.
  • Hygiene; brushing our teeth removes the residual food from them leaving behind little or no substrates that can be broken down by the bacteria. This thus reduces our risk of getting dental caries.
  • Saliva; saliva plays many roles in our bodies and one of them is providing a washing mechanism for our teeth and also remineralization. If your saliva production is compromised for one reason or another, the chances of you getting caries increases.
  • There are many other factors like age, genetic predisposition, geographic location, socioeconomic status that increase the risk of one getting caries. This is why some people may get caries often in spite of adhering to oral hygiene and diet more than others.

Rampant caries are more common in children. This is because milk teeth are weaker than permanent teeth and also children feed more on cariogenic foods compared to older people but brush their teeth less efficiently. Bottle feeding also increases the exposure to cariogenic agents.

Management of rampant caries

When a disease is rampant, its management must be prompt and aggressive. Go for your dental checkups, take your children for their dental checkups as recommended by the dentists. This will have each case managed as it shows up and will stay the excessive discomfort and pain that comes with decayed teeth. It is also important that children are taught brushing right from when the first teeth appear in the mouth and this should be supervised so that it is done well.

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local anesthesia

Local Anesthesia: Definition, Types and How it Works

One of the most dreaded parts of many people’s visits to the dentist is the injection. The contraption that holds the needle is huge and inspires fear. Today we are going to take this process apart so that you know what it is exactly that your dentist does and why they need to do it.

What is Local Anesthesia

Local anesthesia is the process during which medicine is applied in order to temporarily numb a small part of your body, in this context, a part of the mouth. It is needed so that you do not feel pain as the procedure is being done because without it, the pain can be excruciating as some of you may have experienced when you got insufficient anesthesia. Once it is delivered, the area feels numb and you may only feel pressure the entire time the dentist works on you.

What procedures require local anesthesia

Indications for local anesthesia include;

  • Invasive procedures involving the tooth for example fillings.
  • Extractions.
  • Abscess draining.
  • Root canals.

Types of local anesthesia

There are basically two types of local anesthesia given in the dental office, topical anesthesia, and injectable anesthesia. These can be used together or separately, depending on the subjective judgment of the dentist.

Topical anesthesia

This is applied to the oral tissues and does not need to be injected, it lasts for a short period of time and only numbs a very small layer. It is thus applied to reduce the pain during injection. Topical anesthesia is normally delivered in form of a colored gel, applied to the area of injection.

Injectable local anesthesia

This is applied to numb deeper and bigger areas. It is delivered via injection. Dentistry has evolved over time and modern dentistry demands that procedures are as pain-free as possible. This also involves the numbing process. This is why special needles are used which are much smaller, and the techniques used to inject are as less traumatizing as possible.

These factors combined make the injection as painful as a mosquito bite. Most of the pain that we feel is in our minds and the big injection that we see contributes to it. The biggest part of the injection is actually the syringe and it does not enter our oral tissues.

How does local anesthesia work

Local anesthesia works by temporarily blocking the transmission of the pain impulses along the nerves to the brain. The duration largely depends on the medication used and can go from around an hour to two hours. This covers the duration of the procedure and even some postoperative time.

After the injection, one feels as if their tongue, lips, or cheeks are heavier than those on the contralateral side. They are also unable to feel them. Caution must thus be taken so that they do not bite and hurt themselves. This is why eating after the numbness has dissipated is recommended.

Precautions to take before taking local anesthesia

There are some people who are allergic to local anesthetic medication. They experience palpitations, or facial swelling, hives and many other effects after being injected. If one has experienced this, it is imperative that they inform the dentist so that alternatives can be applied.

It is advisable to not consume alcohol or any other drugs for at least 24 hours before your dentist appointments as these can compromise the effectiveness of the anesthesia.

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mouth sores

Mouth sores: Causes and Management

When we eat, we normally eat with abandon, taking it as an obvious fact of life that we shall not experience any discomfort or pain. When this does happen, it is shocking and the frustration increases as the days that we cannot enjoy our food also increase. This discomfort sometimes occurs as a result of mouth sores that we may not have known existed until salt discovered them for us.

What is a mouth sore?

A mouth sore is a break in the mucosa that lines the oral cavity. Their appearance ranges from small almost imperceptible lesions to obviously gross wounds that hurt as much as they are ugly.

Causes of mouth sores

Mouth sores can be caused by a number of different factors which can be both infectious and noninfectious.

The infectious causes can be;

  • HSV infection
  • HIV with its Kaposi Sarcoma lesions
  • candidiasis
  • syphilis and many others.

The non-infectious causes include;

  • trauma from food or cutlery or any other force including tooth brushing
  • malignancy for example oral cancer
  • exposure to radiotherapy
  • hormonal changes during menstruation or pregnancy can also be a predisposing factor.

When to see a doctor

The good thing about mouth sores is that depending on how big they are or what caused them, they heal relatively fast. This is a result of the fast regenerative power of the oral cavity. If your mouth sores take longer than two weeks to heal, then you will need to see a dentist for a better diagnosis and treatment plan. This is because if a wound in the mouth takes that long to heal, it could indicate an underlying systemic condition for example diabetes or even be a cancerous lesion.

Management and prevention of mouth sores

Management can be done at home. Mix two tablespoons of salt in a glass of water and rinse your mouth with it three times a day. This is what is also called a saline rinse. For prevention, ensure that you are gentle with the things you put into your mouth and even when you are using your mouth to prevent trauma. In case you notice any dubious changes, please see a professional for assistance as early as you can.

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dental anxiety

Dental Anxiety: Dealing with your fear to go to the dentist.

Dentists are very nice people. That is mostly when you meet them at a supermarket or run into them with their families. For many people, inside that freezing room with that ghastly chair, a dentist is the monster that haunts their sweet dreams. Them with their myriad instruments and that dreadful needle. It can be a scary experience but like so many fears, this too is largely in our minds. Today we are going to look at why you should not be afraid of the dentist and how to handle your anxiety so that you can have a smooth dental visit.

Dentists, like the rest of the providers of healthcare exist so that they can get you back to your optimal health and shape. The ethical code they live by dictates among other principles that first, “Do no harm.” It is important that we remain cognizant of this fact, regardless what our fears try to tell us. No dentist will intentionally cause you pain that is unnecessary and even though many procedures can be uncomfortable, they will ensure that it is as comfortable as science and the resources available to them allow it to be.

The presence of the dentist and their good intentions does not however invalidate a patient’s fear and anxiety associated with visiting the dentist’s office. This anxiety can be so bad that one delays going to see a dentist until the pain becomes too excruciating to bear and they have no choice. This is dangerous since it can become a cycle, a cycle that is also called the vicious cycle of dental anxiety. This is where due to fear of a dentist, one’s condition deteriorates to a point where they need more complex and invasive procedures which in turn causes their anxiety to increase even further.

Signs and symptoms of dental anxiety

Anxiety is the emotional state one experiences before they experience an event they fear. It is important that patients recognize this and that the dentists be able to handle this. Anxiety can manifest as

  • a feeling of uneasiness,
  • a racing heartbeat,
  • sweating
  • and even fainting when put in a position where one needs dental treatment.

Causes of dental anxiety

Dental anxiety can be due to a number of factors. These factors can be related to a specific trigger for example the dental injection or the drilling hand piece, it can be related to the general dental visit or one could even be afraid that they may experience a medical catastrophe like a heart attack when receiving treatment. Some cases are even triggered by distrustful dental healthcare providers.

If you happen to be aware of what your trigger is, it is very helpful to talk to your dentist about it before treatment commences. The dentist will then walk you through why they need to do what they have to do, how they are going to do it and also how you will perceive it via your senses. Once you name your fears, they are much easier to scale and to overcome. Knowing what is being done and why will also give you a sense of control and will reduce the anxiety that comes with the unknown.

How to manage dental anxiety?

Psychologists say that there are exercises we can do to reduce our anxiety before huge events like speaking before large crowds, a daunting exam and even small ones like visiting the dentist (pun intended).

  1. You can distract yourself using music, or a movie, or a podcast whatever you can manage and enjoy. Having your other senses actively occupied has been found to help people to calm down during a procedure.
  2. There’s also the deep breathing technique. It is difficult to remain tense when you are breathing with your abdomen. Take deep breaths and slowly release them through your nose. This can be that quick rescue exercise before, during or after a procedure.
  3. You can also recreate the situation using your mind. Our minds are powerful things, powerful enough to transport us to a happy place we can create to escape to while a dental procedure is being done. If you are able to do this, then why not?
  4. Communication is very important. Ask questions, mention when you are in pain, ask for breaks when you cannot push anymore. In case you have had a terrible experience with a dentist, remember that like your favorite food, sometimes service is not delivered as it should. That does not make it the norm. If your dentist misuses all the chances you give him, then by all means, change them. Do not however neglect to get dental care. Until next time, be blessed.
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xerostomia dry mouth

Xerostomia: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

What is Xerostomia?

Xerostomia in lay man’s terms is “the sensation of a dry mouth.” This can be due to a decrease in saliva secretion, which is the more common cause and also due to neurotic causes, which are rare but still present. Saliva plays a huge role in our day to day lives and is one of those things whose importance you do not really appreciate until it is gone. Saliva is important for speech, for swallowing, for digestion, for protection against trauma and even has some elements that protect against disease. In its absence, all these are compromised and so one’s quality of life is bound to decrease.

What causes Xerostomia?

Xerostomia can be caused by several factors, which are classified into three: organic causes. functional causes and drugs.

1. Organic causes

These are factors which affect the salivary glands and can be diseases or external factors like radiation. They include Sjogren’s syndrome, irradiation, mumps, HIV infection, Amyloidosis, hemochromatosis among others.

2. Functional causes

These affect the production of saliva by compromising the raw materials’ availability. They include; dehydration, hemorrhage, excessive vomiting and or diarrhea, and so on.

3. Drugs

There are drugs which affect the production of saliva negatively and one must inform their doctor if they have a persistent sensation of dry mouth when they are taking medication. Examples of some of the classes of these drugs are diuretics, antimuscarinics, antihistamines, antiemetic’s, neuroleptics and tricyclic antidepressants.

Symptoms of Xerostomia

Symptoms of Xerostomia include unpleasant taste, difficulty in eating dry food, soreness and reddening of the mucosa in the oral cavity, among others. These symptoms can appear in conjunction with others depending on what has caused the Xerostomia. One can also have a sensation of dry mouth in presence of normal salivary flow in which case, it should be handled by psychological support.

Treatment of Xerostomia

This is done depending on what has caused the Xerostomia. One may be encouraged to rehydrate or to take many small sips of water during the day. They may also be encouraged to chew sugar free gum in order to stimulate salivation. There’s artificial saliva on the market and this may be prescribed. Saliva stimulating medication for example pilocarpine or cevimeline could be prescribed.

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Cracked or Broken tooth

Treatment and Repair for a Broken Tooth

I remember reading “A thousand splendid suns” by Khalid Hussein and there was this scene that still traumatizes me. One of the characters on finding a stone in his food ordered his wife to get a handful of pebbles and chew them. The way the writer describes the scene, the cracking of stones and teeth, the blinding pain and the blood still gives me chills. Which is probably why I will not read that book again, which is why anyone who has felt the discomfort of a broken tooth is much more careful in the future.

Teeth can break due to different reasons. One maybe punched in the face or they may fall on their face or they may bite too hard on equally hard food and so on. Sometimes one may not feel any pain apart from the horror of seeing part of tooth fall out or be swallowed and other times, the pain can be excruciating. This is why they are taken to be emergencies.

Thankfully, dentistry and technology have both evolved sufficiently so as to have treatment options for broken teeth. Restoration of a broken tooth to its former or as close as possible to it brings about restored form and function. This greatly improves one’s quality of life. The dentist will recommend treatment options as he sees fit for your particular case.

1. Dental Crown

A crown of a tooth is that part that is seen above the gum. Crowns are artificial replacements for the natural one if it has been sufficiently destroyed. There are a number of types of crowns and choice depends on availability and cost. We shall explore these more in the future.

2. Veneers

These are thin shells of tooth colored porcelain or resin composite material that are placed on your tooth to restore appearance. They are especially beneficial for the anterior teeth and can give quite the smile if done well.

3. Root canal therapy

In case the pulp has been damaged, the dentist can do a root canal on the tooth to eliminate the pain and then treating it further as needed.

4. Dental Implant

If the tooth is quite destroyed, it may be extracted and a dental implant put in its place. The implant functions and looks like a natural tooth.

5. Composite

If the tooth is not too damaged, the dentist can rebuild it using a resin composite material. This material is sufficiently strong and looks like the natural tooth and is hence a great option.

6. Filling/sealant

If the tooth is cracked, the dentist can choose to seal the crack or place a filling to prevent irritants from accessing the pulp and causing pain.

Are you having a broken or chipped teeth? Talk to our dentist today to find out the best available treatment option

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calculus on teeth

Calculus: how it is formed, how to remove it and how to prevent it

Bathrooms are places we go to clean our bodies and to refresh our souls. However, sometimes we are tired and patches of dirt cling to the not so easy to see areas and since these are also not easy to clean, it accumulates. Over time, different kinds of dirt are added to the initial collection until we have something that is ugly to look at and hard to remove. This is how calculus builds on our teeth.

What is calculus?

Calculus can be defined as calcified plaque deposits on the teeth. It is formed as a result of minerals from saliva being deposited in the plaque. These minerals include bicarbonate ions, phosphate ions, and calcium ions among others.

How is calculus formed?

The process of calculus formation begins with accumulation of plaque. Plaque is a biofilm containing bacteria and their products that is formed on the tooth surface over time. It accumulates with time if it is not removed which is why it is common in the hard to clean areas like the posterior teeth. It is also found in the areas where the salivary ducts open into the mouth for example on the inside surface of the lower front teeth and on the outside surfaces of the molars.

Calculus can be subgingival i.e. below the gum or supragingival i.e. above the gum. The one above the gum is usually yellowish white to brownish yellow in color and the one below the gum is a darker shade and can even be green, grey or black in color. This is as a result of blood cell breakdown products being deposited below the gum.

Effects of calculus

Calculus like any other form of accumulated debris is disastrous. The bacteria present break down the underlying tissues which is initially the tooth surface, then the gum and eventually, it causes the underlying bone to be resorbed. This makes the teeth mobile and subsequently, they fall out. It is a major cause of gingivitis and periodontitis. It can also be a reservoir for additional plaque deposits and the disease process is further exacerbated. All these and more provide a basis why when you observe it, you should see your dentist so it can be removed.

How to get rid of calculus

Removal of calculus is done via a process called scaling. Scaling can be done manually using hand scalers or using an ultra-Sonic scaler. The dentist will remove all the calculus deposits on the crown of your tooth and in case there are any on the root, he’ll do root planing. After all the debris is removed, they may decide to do polishing. You may have a little sensitivity during and after the procedure but this is due to exposure of the tubules that had initially been covered by calculus which while protecting was destroying them even more.

How to prevent calculus

Prevention of calculus formation depends on you as a person. You should pay attention when cleaning your teeth so that you do not miss any corners or clefts. Use a proper toothbrush and toothpaste as recommended by the dentist. You should also have professional tooth cleaning a minimum of twice a year, once every six months for prophylaxis against calculus.

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