While the enamel [outside covering of the crown of a tooth] is the hardest substance in the human body, undue stress on your teeth may cause them to crack. Causes include chewing hard foods [such as a popcorn kernel], biting on ice cubes, biting on a hard object such as a pen or pipe and/or clenching or grinding your teeth [bruxism].

Cracked Tooth Syndrome is very common in teeth with large fillings in them and most often is seen in your back teeth. If the crack goes untreated, it may deepen or expand like a crack in a glass window, causing part of the tooth to break off. If this occurs, the tooth may have to be extracted or might need root canal treatment in an attempt to save the tooth.

Some of the symptoms of this occurrence are: pain on chewing, unsolicited pain, pain from cold air, no x-ray evidence of the problem and no dental decay present. Often it is difficult for the patient to determine which tooth is causing the pain. However, the absence of pain does not rule out the presence of a crack.

To determine if a tooth has developed a crack that is not visible to the naked eye, the dentist will take a through dental history including history of trauma to your teeth and history of any bite adjustments that were performed. The teeth in the problem area will be examined with a dental explorer. Hot and cold sensitivity of the teeth will be tested. If a severe pain is elicited with temperature, and the pain rapidly subsides with removal of the stimulus, it is usually indicative of a fracture. Sometimes, transillumination [light source] with magnification is used to help visualize the suspected crack. The diagnosis can be further confirmed when the dentist uses a plastic or wooden instrument or cotton roll that rests on one part of a tooth while you are asked to bite down. Pain in a specific areas helps isolate the position of the crack. In certain instances, removal of a restoration [filling] may be necessary to visualize the crack and assess its potential to harm the pulp [nerve].

Can cracks be treated so that the tooth can be saved? Yes. Unfortunately, cracked teeth don't heal themselves like your bones. Early diagnosis leads to a better chance of success. The best solution is to have a full crown [cap] placed over the tooth to strengthen and hold the tooth together. In about 10% of cracked teeth, the nerve dies and root canal [endodontic treatment] will be required, along with the cementation of a post into the nerve canal before the crown and be completed and the tooth restored.

Call our office for questions or to set up an appointment if you are experiencing any of the cracked tooth symptoms.

Quality dental care is essential for your child's lifelong oral health. It's important that your child's first experiences with the dentist are positive. That's why your dentist will make every effort to help your child feel comfortable and in control during each visit. Your own attitude and example also play an important role in setting the stage for a lifetime of healthy smiles!

Your child should visit a dentist as early as six months, when the baby's first tooth appears. A first tooth's appearance is an excellent time to schedule a dental evaluation. At that time, your dentist will diagnose and help prevent any future oral disorders. Your dentist can also answer any questions you have about caring for your child's teeth.

During your visit your attitude can convey the message that dental visits are pleasant adventures. Emphasize the attention that your child will get while in the chair. Try to schedule the appointment for the time of day when your child is most rested and cooperative. To prepare your child, read a story together about a trip to the dentist. You may want to play dentist and take turns looking into each other's mouth with a flashlight. Have fun; this should be a pleasant experience! 

Important Facts to Help Make Your Decision

Many people are unaware of the consequences of losing their teeth or the effects of wearing partial or full dentures upon their jaws and bones. When teeth are lost, the surrounding bone immediately begins to shrink [atrophy]. Implant treatment, for tooth replacement therapy, can be the optimal treatment plan. Here are some important facts to take into consideration.

• Wearing dentures [plates] accelerates bone loss, and old dentures become loose because of this bone loss. It is possible to watch and wait for bone to disappear to the point where treatment success of any kind is in doubt.

• At the end of a five-year period, only 40% are still wearing the original partial denture made for them. This is not a great testimonial for value and utility. Those lucky enough to have a functioning partial denture after 5 years are still losing valuable supporting bone.

• Of those patients who wear a partial denture, 50% chew better without it.

• One study showed that after 8 years, 40% of the supporting teeth [abutments] that the partial hooks onto were lost through tooth decay or fracture.

• Patients with natural teeth can bite with about 200 pounds of force. Denture wearers can bite with approxiametly 50 pounds of force. Those wearing dentures for 15 years or more can bite with only about 6 pounds of force, and their diet and eating habits have had to been modified accordingly.

• The average lower full denture shifts from side to side approximately ? inch during chewing and is a significant problem that new denture wearers must get use to and accept.

• Denture wearers have decreased nutritional intake, a ten year shorter life span, and 30% of denture wearers can only eat soft foods.

• The single tooth implant success rate is above 98%, and unlike a bridge, the teeth adjacent to the implant are no more at risk than if no teeth were missing.

• Implant-supported bridges or dentures have 95% success rates over 10 years without the severe loss of supporting bone.

For bone maintenance, the health of adjacent teeth, the longevity of the restoration and patient comfort, implant therapy is the treatment of choice. Implants can restore chewing function to the equivalent of someone with natural teeth. If you have questions or want to know if you are a good candidate for implant tooth replacement therapy, please call our office. 

A sensitive gag reflex is a source great concern and embarrassment for many people. It's often beyond an individual's ability to control. Children are especially effected be- cause adults may not fully understand how physic- ally difficult it is for them. Kids may be easily embarrassed, particularly if they vomit. Children frequently need a long series of visits, often over a period of years if they require orthodontics (braces). A sensitive gag reflex can be a childhood battle when kids are sick and need to take medications or swallow pills. These events can add up to a series of traumatic episodes that leave the patient with dental phobia as an adult. Patients may also have a gag reflex or intolerance of foreign objects in their mouth relating to a traumatic, abusive past. Intolerance to foreign objects in the mouth, sensitivity to tastes, textures and even foods can also be caused by a condition termed, sensory integration dysfunction.

Fortunately, there are many things we can do to make patients comfortable at the dentist and make dental care available without the fear or embarrassment. Dental visits most often begin with dental x-rays. We can use mouth rinses that dull sensation to help the x-ray process. Panoramic x-rays are also available, where no dental film is placed inside the mouth at all. If need be, all x-rays can be taken while the patient sleeps under sedation. There are techniques with local anesthesia (commonly called novocaine) that can numb the tongue and palate to reduce gagging. Various forms of sedation are available that generally can make patients entirely free from the gag reflex. The purpose of the initial consultation is to learn the needs of the patient and begin to develop a plan of care so that the patient can have their dental care in comfort, their way. I hope that our patients will always be able to tell us how they feel, and what we can do to make them the most comfortable.

When too much tooth structure has been lost due to decay or fracture, the best treatment choice to restore the tooth to normal function and cosmetic appearance is often the fabrication of a crown [cap]. Crowns are usually made of porcelain fused to metal or all-ceramic depending on the situation and judgment of the dentist. The restoration of the damaged tooth becomes more of an esthetic concern if it is located near the front of one's mouth. How we perceive our smile and appearance affects our self-esteem, our moods and how we function in social and business relationships. So, when this situation occurs, there is a sense of urgency.

The tooth is prepared to allow enough room for the crown to fit over the tooth without extending too far and interfering with the person's occlusion [bite]. This procedure usually takes 2 visits, depending on the situation. A provisional acrylic crown is made and temporarily cemented over the tooth. In the second visit, the crown is "tried in" to see how accurately it fits and to check that the ceramic color chosen matches the surrounding teeth. If both the patient and dentist are satisfied, the crown is permanently cemented or bonded to the tooth. Call our office if you think you're a candidate for this type of procedure. 

Dental implants offer people an alternative to the traditional ways of replacing missing teeth. The actual implant is an artificial root [anchor] made from synthetic material, usually titanium metal. There are three phases to the implant process.

First, the dental implant is surgically placed into the jawbone. It takes 3-6 months to fuse with the bone [called osseointegration]. An abutment [post] is attached to the implant and protrudes above the gum tissue. A replacement restoration is cemented or screwed to the implant abutment. Depending on the situation, dental implants can support a fixed crown or bridge or act as a stabilizing base for a full denture. The procedure can take up to 9-12 months for completion and has a high degree of success.

Some individuals have had so much bone resorption [loss] that the remaining bony ridge is too thin to hold an implant. In many cases, synthetic or natural bone can be grafted [added] or grown to allow for dental implants as an alternative treatment.

Implants have a great advantage for people already wearing full dentures since they can support and stabilize the denture while minimizing further bone loss of the denture ridge.

Not everyone is a good candidate for dental implants. There are certain risk factors that may limit success including smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, chronic bruxism [grinding teeth], systemic problems such as diabetes and individuals with poor oral hygiene.

Dental implants offer a "second chance" to those who have lost all of their teeth. For people missing only one or several teeth, dental implants provide benefits as an alternative way to restore your mouth. To determine if implants are for you, a clinical examination, x-rays, study casts and other appropriate records and measurements will be necessary. Call our office if you have questions or would like to schedule an implant exam.

The primary cause of tooth decay [cavities], periodontal [gum] disease and halitosis [bad breath] is failure to remove plaque [sticky mixture of bacteria, food and debris] for the tooth surface. The surest way is mechanical removal of plaque with proper toothbrushing and flossing. While a toothbrush is effective in cleaning the biting, front and back surfaces of a tooth, the bristles cannot adequately clean between the teeth [interproximally or interdentally]. Dental floss is the best choice to remove plaque from these difficult areas. Floss, which is like a fine string, is available in a variety of forms – unwaxed or waxed, flavored or unflavored and regular or wide [dental tape]. These specifications give the floss different characteristics. For example, waxed floss may be easier to slide through tight teeth or restoration contacts, while unwaxed floss will spread out it fibers during use for greater tooth contact. Dental floss should be used at least once a day for 2-3 minutes. It’s important to be consistent, starting in the same place and working your way around the dental arch so as not to miss any spots. For individuals who have fixed restorations in their mouth, floss threaders may be utilized to get the floss under the contacts of the bridge. Pre-threaded floss holders are available for people who lack dexterity or for those caregivers who are flossing someone else’s teeth. While there are many types of interdental cleaners, dental floss remains the best choice for relatively healthy mouths. If you need some help with your flossing technique, ask our hygienist at your next visit. Depending on the condition of your mouth, we may suggest some other home care ideas.

Clicking or popping could mean trouble, that is if it comes from your jaw. Joint sound is one of the most recognized signs of temporomandibular disorders, commonly referred to as TMD. While not all jaw sounds necessarily point to TMD, it could be an early sign and always should be checked out by your dentist, urges the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), an organization for general dentists dedicated to continuing education.

The temporomandibular joints are the points at which the lower jaw (the mandible) attaches to the skull. They are among the most complex joints in the human anatomy. If you place your fingers on the sides of your face, just in front of your ears, and open and close your mouth, you can feel the movement of the mandible in the temporomandibular joints.

Researchers have discovered that sound can be a good tool when diagnosing TMD. Sounds from subjects with TMD had a larger amplitude than sounds fromsubjects without the disorder.

"Joint sound for some people is normal, but it could still mean trouble," says AGD spokesperson Julie Ann Barna, DMD. "The difference between healthy jaw movement and TMD is said to be only one millimeter."

Dr. Barna says that if TMD is diagnosed, a team approach to therapy by a dentist and physical therapist leads to effective treatment. She advises that patients should contact their dentist as soon as they notice any new joint sound or discomfort in the mouth. "It may be nothing," she says. "But it's better to be safe than sorry."

What causes teeth to break?

·         Silver amalgam fillings- these fillings have the unique property of enlarging as they age. So, there seems to be some outward pressure on the tooth and if someone bites just the right (or wrong) way, you hear that crack!

·         Bruxism- the habit of grinding or clenching the teeth. Many bruxers break teeth that don't even have fillings in them, but they always have a higher percentage of broken teeth than people who don't brux or clench.

Treatment of broken teeth:

·         To save the tooth, we have to place a crown or permanent restoration over it to keep it from breaking further. Sometimes root canal treatment needs to be done.

·         If a tooth breaks in several planes at once, it may have to be removed. In such case, an implant or bridge needs to be done to replace the missing tooth.

 If you or someone you know broke a tooth, don't hesitate to give us a call and we will be glad to check it out for you! Don't wait until it hurts!

·         Broken, cracked or worn teeth,

·         Discolored teeth,

·         Missing teeth,

·         Crooked teeth, decayed teeth,

·         Gaps between your teeth and/or "gummy smiles."

 Each patient and each specific circumstance must be evaluated on its own merits. Factors such as occlusion [bite], oral habits, available space, health of the gum tissue, severity of the problem and patient expectation must be taken into consideration while planning your cosmetic makeover. Tooth-colored fillings [restorations] may begin to look grungy after a period, depending on your eating and drinking habits and the length of time the restorations have been in your mouth.

At Bucktown Dental Associates we offer two choices to correct discolored fillings:

·         Replacing the tooth-colored resin fillings with new composite restorations. However, they may pick-up stains along the restoration/tooth interface, and eventually, they too will begin to discolor or breakdown. I tell my patients that although using composite fillings may keep expenses down now, it may cost more over the long run and may still not satisfy cosmetic needs.

·         Replacing the tooth-colored resin fillings with cosmetic porcelain veneers. Porcelain will not discolor or fade. Porcelain veneers give uniform and spectacular look for teeth. This is the advice I give my patients at Bucktown Dental Associates.

Call our office if you think you're a candidate for this type of procedure. 

One of the most common reasons that people avoid dental Check-ups is that they think that everything is ok. Their logic is simple; no pain means no problems. Unfortunately, most dental conditions including cavities, gum disease and oral cancer give little or no warning, because they may remain painless for months or even many years. By the time a person is in pain, the dental problem is usually so advanced that the treatment required may be much more involved, costly and may require more down time after the procedure.

At Bucktown Dental Associates, we often see patients from the Bucktown and Wicker Park areas with untreated cavities that eventually cause infection to the nerves and blood supply within the tooth. A tooth that may have only needed a simple and inexpensive filling a few months ago will now require a root canal or surgical removal of the tooth.

The same is true for patients with gum disease. Gum disease can progress quietly for many years before it becomes advanced and teeth become loose or cause pain. While early gum disease can usually be treated with a deep cleaning under the gum, advanced gum disease may require gum surgery and antibiotics.

Oral cancer is also something that your dentist looks for on every dental examination. Tragically, those who avoid dental care are often the victims of aggressive forms of oral cancer that are difficult to treat. Those who wait for an unusual growth in the mouth to become painful may be taking a gamble. Oral cancer has a 50%, five-year fatality rate.

Dr. Elseweifi, a Bucktown and Wicker Park dentist recommends dental check-ups at least twice a year. You will save time and money by treating all dental problems as soon as they occur and greatly improve your oral health. In fact, some research suggests that those in good dental health will actually live longer than people who do not take care of their teeth. It is also important for people without teeth to see us at least once a year. Dr. Elseweifi will need to check the fit of removable dentures and also look for any signs of oral cancer. Contact us to reserve your dental check-up visit.

Yasser Elseweifi DDS, FAGD

Wicker Park Dentist

Bucktown Dentist

Dental emergencies may be categorized as toothaches, injuries or broken appliances.

Toothache:

If a toothache develops, using a brush and floss, clean the suspected area. Rinse with warm salt water. Do not place an aspirin on the gums or tooth [this may cause a burn]. Apply a cold compress to any facial swelling. Take acetaminophen [Tylenol] and call Bucktown Dental Associates as soon as possible.

Avulsed Tooth:

If a permanent tooth is knocked completely out, time is of the essence. Immediately call us for an emergency appointment. It is critical to get the person and their tooth to us within one half hour. This makes it possible to re-implant the tooth with a high degree of success. Find the tooth, and holding it by its crown, gently rinse it to remove dirt and/or debris. Do not scrub the tooth. If possible, gently place the tooth back in its socket as a means of transport. Otherwise, transport the tooth in a cup of milk, saline [salt water], or saliva [place tooth between cheek and gum, unless child is too young]. If none of these are available, use a cup of plain water.

Extruded Teeth:

If a tooth is pushed either inward or outward, try to reposition the tooth using light finger pressure. Do not force the tooth into its socket. Try to get the injured person to us as soon as possible. The tooth may be stabilized and held in place with a moist tissue or gauze on the way over.

Fractured Teeth:

First rinse your mouth with warm water to keep it clean. Immediate dental care is necessary. The treatment will depend on the severity of the fracture and could range from smoothing out the chip to bonding with a resin [tooth colored] material to placing a crown [cap]. If there has been pulp [nerve] injury, root canal may be necessary at once or at a later date.

Soft Tissue Injury:

The tongue, lips or cheeks may be bitten, lacerated [cut] or punctured. If there is bleeding, apply firm pressure with a gauze or clean cloth. If bleeding doesn’t stop within 15 minutes, bring the person to our office or a hospital emergency room. Sutures [stitches] may be necessary. Otherwise, clean the area with warm water on a gauze or clean cloth. Apply an ice compress to the bruised or swollen area. Contact Bucktown Dental Associates for further instructions.

Yasser Elseweifi DDS, FAGD
Bucktown Dentist - Wicker Park Dentist

Click here to read about Dr. Elseweifi
 

How we perceive our smile and appearance affects our self-esteem, our moods and how we function in social and business relationships. Common conditions that impact negatively on your smile include:

• Broken, cracked or worn teeth,
• Discolored teeth,
• Missing teeth,
• Crooked teeth, decayed teeth,
• Gaps between your teeth and/or "gummy smiles."

Each patient and each specific circumstance must be evaluated on its own merits. Factors such as occlusion [bite], oral habits, available space, health of the gum tissue, severity of the problem and patient expectation must be taken into consideration while planning your cosmetic makeover. Tooth-colored fillings [restorations] may begin to look grungy after a period, depending on your eating and drinking habits and the length of time the restorations have been in your mouth.

At Bucktown Dental Associates we offer two choices to correct discolored fillings:

• Replacing the tooth-colored resin fillings with new composite restorations. However, they may pick-up stains along the restoration/tooth interface, and eventually, they too will begin to discolor or breakdown. I tell my patients that although using composite fillings may keep expenses down now, it may cost more over the long run and may still not satisfy cosmetic needs.
• Replacing the tooth-colored resin fillings with cosmetic porcelain veneers. Porcelain will not discolor or fade. Porcelain veneers give uniform and spectacular look for teeth. This is the advice I give my patients at Bucktown Dental Associates.

Call our office if you think you're a candidate for this type of procedure.

www.bucktowndentalassociates.com

www.dentista-chicago.com

Gum (periodontal) disease, also called periodontitis,  is a chronic bacterial infection affecting the gums and bone supporting the teeth. As the disease destroys gum tissue and bone, teeth can become loose and may have to be removed. 

Researchers have found that periodontitis can be associated with other health problems such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and bacterial pneumonia. Likewise, pregnant women who have periodontitis may be at increased risk for delivering pre-term and/or low birth weight babies.

It is possible to have periodontal disease and have no pain or discomfort. That is one reason why regular dental checkups and gum examinations are very important. Treatment methods depend upon the type of disease and how far the condition has progressed. Good oral hygiene at home is essential to help keep periodontal disease from becoming more serious or recurring. 

You don’t have to lose teeth to periodontal disease. Brush, clean between your teeth, eat a balanced diet, and schedule regular dental visits for a lifetime of healthy smiles. Given the potential link between periodontitis and systemic health problems, prevention of periodontitis may turn out to be an important step in maintaining overall health.