Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers are a very common annoyance, but at Enid Dental Care, Dr. Dennis Morehart can provide patients with advice for managing their symptoms. There are, however, some differences between the causes of different kinds of ulcers which are important to know for managing oral health.

Cold sores are ulcers caused by the herpes simplex virus-1, which nearly everybody has. It is transferred through skin-to-skin contact as well as through sharing cups and utensils and lasts for the duration of a person’s life, but ulcer outbreaks are rare and usually clear up after a month. Other ulcers tend to be associated with physical damage to the mouth, which can be caused by misaligned bites and orthodontic brackets rubbing against the inside of the lips. Cankers are large white ulcers which have no certain cause but are hypothesized to be associated with stress and nutritional deficits.

Ulcers of all kinds usually heal on their own, but dentists can advise patients about topical cream to provide pain relief and infection-fighting medications. Dr. Morehart may also be able to identify physical problems in the mouth that are contributing to soft tissue damage.

Dr. Dennis Morehart, Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, operates Enid Dental Care at 2411 Heritage Trail, Ste #4, Enid, Oklahoma, 73703. To schedule an appointment, call 580-237-2213 or visit EnidDentalCare.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Cleaning a Fixed Bridge

Bridges are one of the most reliable means of restoring teeth, but they require patients to learn a new way of caring for their oral health in order to get the maximal benefit. We highly value patient satisfaction and preventive care at Enid Dental Care, so we want to ensure our patients know all the tools that are available to them.

The gap in between the bridge and the gum line needs to be cleaned in a similar manner to the gaps between teeth. Some floss manufacturers make floss with stiffened tips so it can be pushed through the gap, but normal floss can be pulled through the gap with a tool called a threader. Similar in appearance to a soft sewing needle, threaders are used to pull floss over or under orthodontic wires and work the same way with bridges.

Some makers of electric toothbrushes and water picks also make tips for their devices which are designed for use on implants. Implant-supported bridges tend to have a larger gap, which allows larger food particles to get trapped but also allows for the use of larger brushes to dislodge them. A Christmas tree brush can be mounted on the end of a normal-sized toothbrush handle for this purpose.

Dr. Dennis Morehart, Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, operates Enid Dental Care at 2411 Heritage Trail, Ste #4, Enid, Oklahoma, 73703. To schedule an appointment, call 580-237-2213 or visit EnidDentalCare.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

How to Care for Dentures

When patients receive dentures, preventing dry sockets is the first order of business, but learning a new oral health regimen is the second. At Enid Dental Care, we understand that getting dentures can be frightening, which is why we want our patients to know that we are anticipating their needs by providing them with information about proper denture care.

There are many kinds of dentures, but what they have in common is that they need to be removed for cleaning every night. Doing this will also give the patient the chance to brush their mouth, including their tongue and any exposed metal, such as implants or a bar support. People should only brush their mouths with soft-bristled brushes, and the same is true while brushing their dentures. But patients should also take care to select a toothpaste which has been approved for use on dentures because toothpaste for normal teeth contains gritty minerals that scratch artificial teeth, which lack natural protective films.

Anytime they are not in the patient’s mouth, dentures should be left soaking in room-temperature liquid. The liquid may be water or a cleaning solution, but it must not be hot enough to warp the denture’s thin plastic. Although it is expected that dentures will need to be refitted on occasion, this should only be done in a dental laboratory by professionals.

Dr. Dennis Morehart, Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, operates Enid Dental Care at 2411 Heritage Trail, Ste #4, Enid, Oklahoma, 73703. To schedule an appointment, call 580-237-2213 or visit EnidDentalCare.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Why Not to Do Your Own Orthoodontics

We at the practice of Dr. Dennis Morehart are proud of the work we’ve done to correct our patients’ misaligned teeth. Last year, the American Association of Orthodontists published a public service announcement warning about the dangers non-professionals attempting orthodontics on themselves, and earlier this year, they released a survey which found that 13% of its members had treated a patient who had done their own orthodontics.

Orthodontic treatment does not take time because the doctor is gouging the patient for payments. It takes time because teeth are alive, and moving them through the jaw bone requires time to let the jaw bone rebuild. Moving teeth at whatever pace a person 3D-printing their own aligners decides suits themselves is likely to cause teeth to come loose or fall out.

Some DIY guides also advise people to make their own orthodontic wires out of household products such as hairbands or floss. This is a bad idea because it will likely put too much pressure on the teeth, risking that they will be cut off from their blood supply. Without brackets, the bands may also slide below the wearer’s gum line.

Our office strives to make our service affordable. Please come to us with your concerns instead of doing something which will hurt you and cost much more.

Dr. Dennis Morehart, Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, operates Enid Dental Care at 2411 Heritage Trail, Ste #4, Enid, Oklahoma, 73703. To schedule an appointment, call 580-237-2213 or visit EnidDentalCare.com and fill out a contact sheet.