Mouth Ulcers - the recurrent pain in the.....well...mouth ;)

Mouth ulcers are known by many names including apthous ulcers and canker sores.

Mouth ulcers can be uncomfortable at best and excruciatingly painful when they really decide to work up.

Clinically aphthous ulcers can be divided into two general categories:

• Minor aphthae, which comprise over 80% of reported cases, are small (<1.0 cm), usually solitary, exquisitely painful, shallow ulcers and heal without scarring in 7-10 days.
• Major aphthae, which account for less than 10% of reported cases, are bigger, deeper, and heal with scar formation over a period of 2-3 weeks.

They are the result of several factors including - stress, nutritional deficiencies, acidity and genetic predispositions.

Other Common factors include:

• Injuries from any food, cheek biting, sharp- edged teeth, dentures, etc. 
• Burns: either from certain foodstuff or chemicals
• Drugs - Pain killers/antibiotics 
• Inadvertent lip/cheek biting

For recurrent sufferers - they are a kill joy. You can't enjoy spicy food - sometimes it is so bad you cannot enjoy ANY food. Huge painful ulcers interfere with speech. 
If you try to wait it out - it will take approx 7-10 days (if not more)to heal. 

So what is the cure for a mouth ulcer? and is there one? 

The bad news is that for those with a predisposition to recurrent ulcers - there is no cure. They will keep coming back no matter what you do. 
The good news is - that you don't have to suffer the full 7-10 days that it normally takes for an ulcer to heal.
Previously all we could offer patients was a oral gel that could be applied to anesthetize the area, thereby causing relief from the pain. The initial application stings but then numbs the area for a while allowing you to eat and drink. However the relief lasted for very short periods, necessitating frequent applications. Moreover the gels were only symptomatic treatment with no effect on the actual duration of healing. 
LASERS have revolutionized the treatment of ulcers. With a good soft tissue LASER - a couple of 5 min sittings is all that is needed to substantially reduce pain AND shorten the healing period. 

The procedure is simple: 
1. A topical gel is applied on the ulcer ( No need of an injection at all) - 10 sec
2. The LASER light is moved over the ulcer at a specific wattage for biostimulation ( to activate the healing cells) - ( 2min)
3. The last step involves light banding of the edges of the ulcers ( 30 sec)
In approx 3 min - you will experience reduction of pain and will be ready to go home. 
The same three steps are repeated on the next day.
For a small ulcer - you may not even require the second sitting. 

Those who have experienced a truly painful mouth ulcer can understand the value of reducing the healing period from 7-10 days to a mere 2 -3 days. And all it involves is five min of a very simple and pain free procedure!
Do not let a simple mouth ulcer get in the way of you enjoying good food and great company. 
Zap it and rid yourself of it. :)
www.aryasdentalclinic.com

Live a stress free life for healthy teeth and gums

Life is stressful. Period.

At least the one we currently live in. All of us have some degree of stress or the other. Maybe not yoga gurus and infants but the rest of us most definitely. Even children today - with their increasing work loads and burgeoning school bags are candidates for stress. 

Don't think you are under any kind of stress?  well...lets see.....Have you driven your car in rush hour traffic, late for work and an idiotic cyclist comes straight into the path of your vehicle seemingly on a suicide mission, leaving you braking dramatically and exploring your vocabulary of choicest abuses? Have you taken out a big loan for the new house and the EMIs are cruelly astronomical? Are you the parents of teenage children? Are you working on a project whose deadline is already upon you or maybe even past you? 

If you answered yes to any of the above or have faced similar situations - you are under stress. Of some degree or the other.

In dentistry stress translates to a number of dental problems. Bruxism being the foremost among them. Our previous post on Bruxism - " Do you grind you teeth?" should be able to tell you all you need to know. 

But that is one among many problems - mouth ulcers (recurrent and painful), changes in your cheek mucosa ( the lining of your cheek inside your mouth), joint pain, necrotizing gingivitis and various other conditions can also occur.

Minimizing a stressful life goes a long way in averting more than one problem. It surely will not be easy but letting go of some things instead of trying to do it all is one step in the right direction. Taking time to smell the flowers seems like such a cliche but it was a wise person indeed who first suggested it. 

Take time to unwind, delegate work and forget about things which are not in your control.

Finally get regular health and dental check ups - why add the additional stress of finding out late that you had a problem which could have been easily corrected had you discovered it earlier? 

www.aryasdentalclinic.com

Do you Grind your teeth?

A lot of people grind their teeth...not just in anger or frustration....but a pathological continous grinding that occurs mostly during the night while they are asleep....This is a condition known as Bruxism...and people who suffer from bruxism are called bruxers.


Most bruxers dont even know that they are bruxers. When asked if they grind their teeth they will in all probability answer in the negative. The only people who would know ( if at all) would be the person who sleeps next to them...the spouse perhaps... and that too only if they are light sleepers. If the spouse is easily awakened then many a time they are aware that a funny irritating clicking grinding sound is coming from the wife/husband at night. 


Most people ignore this and even if told that they probably are bruxers they feel ' " Big deal...so I grind my teeth. What's that got to do with anything?" 


Actually - a lot. 


The signs of trouble may take a while in coming but come they will. Almost certainly. Unless your teeth and jaws are made of iron which they aren't. Maybe if you were a terminator but not otherwise. 


Given a sufficient period of time without correct intervention you could end up with:

• worn down teeth
• chipped teeth
• fractured teeth
• sensitivity with your teeth
• pain in the jaws/joints
• muscular pain in your cheeks 

Case 1: Your teeth may end up looking like this if the condition is severe...

What's more even if you get restorations done and do not attempt to correct the original problem - the bruxism will even wear down restorations/crowns/bridges as can be seen in the next case. 

Case 2: The Patient has worn down all the restorations in his mouth

Lots of factors are responsible for the beginning of bruxism:

• High stress levels
• sleep disorders
• any kind of teeth maloccusion where teeth do not meet in harmony
• use of certain drugs

These and many other factors may be causing or aggravating the condition. 

Bruxism is not completely understood. Neither is its treatment totally straightforward. What is definite though that the teeth and the jaws need to be protected from further trauma. It is not enough to just restore the broken, chipped teeth.

All patients of bruxism must wear nightguards/mouthguards. These are basically acrylic forms that are specific to each patient's dentition. The patient simple has to slip it on while sleeping at night. There is no pain involved and no complicated wearing procedure. This simple treatment protects the teeth from wear and tear throughout the night. 

Mouthguard 

Besides the mouthguard, the doctor will recommend some restorations if necessary. But a change in lifestyle and decreasing stress levels will certainly help.

Above all things, I must not get angry. If I do get angry I knock all the teeth out of the mouth of the poor wretch who has angered me. 

Franz Schubert 

Find out what is causing your stress and get rid of it. Of course not all reasons for stress can be gotten rid of. Your wife and her latest credit card bill is one of them :)

Do not ignore your dental problems. They don't go away. They get worse.