An enamel pearl is a hard lump of enamel that develops on the root of a tooth where it doesn’t usually belong. Enamel pearls can affect the affected tooth’s health and provide space for bacteria to collect in the gumline. Learn more about what causes enamel pearls and how they can be treated. What Causes Enamel Pearls? According to an article in the Journal of Dental Sciences, enamel pearls form
Maybe you took a pitch high and tight. Maybe you chomped on some hard peanut brittle. Or maybe you were grinding your teeth at night. Whatever happened — the result is a chipped tooth. While you can’t avoid chipping your tooth now, it could very well be painful and affect your smile. So be sure to schedule a time with your dentist to examine the chip as soon as possible.
Playing sports has many benefits, especially for children – physical fitness, positive self-esteem, and teamwork, to name just a few. The downside to sports at all levels, though, is the threat of injury. As minor as bumps, bruises, and sprained ankles, injuries can also be as major as broken bones and dental emergencies. One such dental emergency is a fractured alveolar bone. Commonly known as the tooth socket, an alveolar
Palliative care, also known as supportive care, helps people with serious illnesses feel more comfortable. Palliative care can help relieve pain and treat side effects as people go through disease treatment or hospice care at the end of life. Palliative dental care can be crucial for patients fighting cancer or other diseases because they can have unique and troublesome dental issues. Read more about palliative dental care so you can
Pregnancy is an exciting time—but during this process, your body will undergo all sorts of changes and symptoms. One lesser-known pregnancy symptom, dry mouth, is worth learning about, as it can have adverse effects on your oral health. Luckily, there are plenty of easy ways to treat your dry mouth during pregnancy. Here, we’ll look into what dry mouth is, how to relieve it, and other helpful oral health tips
We don’t often think about our tongues, but they can actually be a marker of our overall health. The tongue’s appearance can change for many reasons, many of them not too serious. Have you ever noticed bumps on the back of your tongue? Often these bumps are caused by some type of oral infection. Find out what causes these bumps and when they are a cause for concern. What Are
Typically, when you have a sore throat, it’s common to experience pain temporarily while swallowing. But what if you had to deal with this discomfort on a prolonged basis? As the Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics explains, the technical term for pain while swallowing is odynophagia, and it can sometimes indicate that a more serious health condition is present. What Conditions Can Cause Odynophagia? There are a variety of conditions
Normally, the lip and hard and soft palates grow toward the center of the mouth and join before birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A cleft occurs when some of the hard or soft palate or lip don’t fuse together correctly. And although most orofacial clefts are identified when the baby is born, a submucous cleft palate may not be diagnosed until later in his or
Have you ever looked in the mirror and noticed that your tongue is not healthy and pink but pale and white? Occasionally, when there’s an abnormality in your body or health, you may experience a pale tongue. Here, we’ll look at the five main pale tongue causes and what you can do to get your tongue back to its healthy pink color. What Exactly is Pale Tongue? If you encounter
Enamel hypoplasia (EH) and hypomineralization are two teeth defects that can sometimes get confused. That’s because they’re both defects, often caused by genetic predispositions, that affect the development and enamel of your teeth. Here, we’ll look into the differences, causes, and treatments. Defining Enamel Hypoplasia and Hypomineralization Enamel hypomineralization happens when the mineralization process is not fully achieved, resulting in discolored enamel. This condition also weakens the teeth, which means
Sour cream is great on a baked potato. Heavy metal is great to work out to. But a sour or metallic taste in your mouth is not great. Occasional bad tastes are one thing, perhaps triggered by too many cups of coffee. But when it becomes more frequent, that sour taste is worth getting to the bottom of it. What’s the cause of these sour and metallic tastes? What does
Losing your teeth can be difficult emotionally and physically. It makes simple tasks like eating and speaking challenging. Have you been considering correcting your smile? Luckily, dental implants can help! Here is what you need to know about dental implants and if they are right for you. What Are Dental Implants? Dental implants work as a stable anchor for replacement teeth. They ensure that you can eat and speak without
