Mason Family Dentistry - James L. Peters, DDS, Mason MI. Voted a one of the leading dentists in Mid-Michigan and Michigan for several years running. Dr. Peters and his staff pride themselves on excellent customer care, keeping current with dental technology and dealing with many forms of insurance. If you need a great dentist in the Mason, Lansing or Jackson Michigan areas, please give us a call.Abscessed Tooth
An infected tooth, can lead to a major toothache with throbbing. The infection can happen either at the root of the tooth or between the gums and the tooth. This infection is usually in the form of a pus-filled sac.
Symptoms of an Abscessed Tooth:
- A constant ache.
- Throbbing, especially if it occurs with no clear cause and is unrelated to biting or chewing.
- Pain when biting or chewing.
- Redness and swelling of the gums.
- Tender glands in the neck.
- Swollen face.
- A bad taste in your mouth.
- Unpleasant drainage.
- An open, draining sore on the side of the gum.
The treatment of an abscessed tooth depends on the location and severity of infection. Treatment options might include antibiotics to treat the infection, referral to an oral surgeon who could excise and drain the pus-filled sac, extraction of the tooth, or a root canal. Most importantly, don't let an abscessed tooth continue, if you're suffering, please proceed to urgent care.
Cracked Tooth
A tooth most commonly cracks as a result of clenching or grinding your teeth. A cracked tooth can lead to sudden, sharp pain while chewing. If you think you might have a cracked tooth, do your best to remember from what area the pain is coming. This will help our office find and diagnose the source of your pain. Depending on the size and location of the crack, Dr. Peters may restore the tooth with bonding, or a crown. However, if the pulp becomes damaged or diseased because of the crack, a root canal or even extraction might be necessary. To prevent your teeth from cracking in the first place, always wear a mouthguard when playing sports, avoid chewing ice, nuts, hard candy and other hard foods, avoid extreme temperatures and try not to clench or grind your teeth.
Grinding Teeth
If you find yourself waking up with a sore jaw or even a headache and your teeth seem to be getting more sensitive to heat and cold, you need to consider the possibility that you may be a nighttime tooth grinder. Bruxism, or tooth grinding, afflicts up to 50 percent of the population. If you have bruxism, you clench your teeth when you sleep and grind them together. Since you can bite up to six times harder while sleeping than you can when you're awake, bruxism can cause a lot of damage if not corrected.
Some of the effects of bruxism are:
- pain and damage to the gums and teeth
- sore facial muscles, headaches and earaches
- enamel can wear away, causing teeth to become more sensitive to heat and cold
- pressure from grinding can fracture teeth and crack fillings
- damage to the TMJ, which is the small joint that connects the lower jaw to the upper jaw allowing you to chew and talk
If you think you might be grinding your teeth, Dr. Peters might recommend being fitted with a custom mouthguard that you wear to bed. This appliance will take the brunt of the pressure that would otherwise be directed at your unprotected teeth.
Dental Terms
We often use words or terms that are unigue to medicine or, more specifically, dentistry.
Don't be shy to ask us just what we mean. We'd like you to be comfortable with your visit and understand exactly what's happening with your care.
If you'd like to learn more about some of the terminology you'll hear in our office click here to see just what they mean!
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