Breastfeeding and Your Baby’s Teeth

Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS understands that breastfeeding is a very special time for a new mother. The act itself has many nutritional benefits for a child as breast milk helps your baby fight off viruses and bacteria and lowers your baby’s risk of developing asthma or allergies. Breastmilk is not only beneficial to your child’s overall health; it can also be very helpful in developing a child’s smile.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of baby bottle tooth decay – a condition that is caused by the frequent and long-term exposure of a child’s teeth to liquids containing sugars. This is because breast milk contains a unique blend of nutrients, live organisms, antibodies, and enzymes that formula cannot duplicate. Additionally, because the act of breastfeeding requires a baby to use their jaw and tongue in a sophisticated manner, breastfeeding is critical for a baby’s jaw, dental, and airway development.

If you have concerns about pediatric oral care, please give us a call. To learn more about the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Hookah Tobacco and Teeth

It’s no secret that smoking is one of the worst things we can do for our oral and overall health. Though smoking hookah pipes claim to be much healthier than smoking cigarettes, Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS wants to assure you that this isn’t true. Smoking a hookah is equivalent to smoking about 100 cigarettes, allow us to explain more about why you should avoid the hookah and save your teeth.

A hookah is a type of water pipe with a smoke chamber, a bowl, a pipe and a hose.  It’s gained popularity in major cities all over the world. Many people are misled that in believing that water from these pipes filters out the toxins and reduces nicotine. This is not true because smoking hookah bears the same health risks that exist with cigarette smoking. Oral health risks such as oral cancer and gum disease increase, as well as developing lung cancer and heart disease.

If you have concerns about smoking and oral health, please give us a call. To learn more about the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening is the term for removing excess gum tissue from the teeth and sculpting the gum line.  At Fullerton Dental, dentists perform this procedure to expose more of a tooth, and it can be done for function or aesthetics.  Sometimes gum tissue is removed so there is room to affix a restoration like a crown to the tooth, and other patients request it to correct a gummy smile. We offer crown lengthening for cosmetics so that any patient can have their perfect smile. 

Whichever reason patients are in need of crown lengthening, it is a simple in office procedure.  A local anesthetic is used while your dentist removes excess gum tissue with either a scalpel or laser tools.  The result is a visually pleasing ratio of teeth to gums that creates an even smile!  If you think your smile would benefit from crown lengthening, please contact us.

To learn more about crown lengthening and all the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Apicoectomy

The doctors at Fullerton Dental perform many root canals to save and repair teeth that are badly damaged or infected.  During a root canal, we remove any inflamed or infected tissue, and thoroughly clean the root canal system.  In most root canal cases, the tooth heals and doesn’t require further treatment. When an infection won’t go away or the canals become re-infected, our doctors can perform an apicoectomy.

An apicoectomy is performed to remove damaged tissue and seal a tooth’s root from any further infections.  The procedure involves a small incision in the gums, followed by removal of any infected tissue and finally the end of the root tip itself.  A root-end filling is placed there to act as a seal, preventing reinfection. The gum is sutured, and most patients only feel slight discomfort or swelling during healing.  If you have a tooth infection lingering after a root canal gone wrong, please contact us to discuss your treatment options.

To learn more about the apicoectomy procedure and all the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Root Tip Infections

A lot of studies have come out recently linking dental infections with heart disease and other illnesses, so we thought this would be a good time to educate patients about root tip infections. This type of infection can be extremely dangerous but often goes undetected until patients develop what is called a periapical abscess, which is painful and bad-smelling.

When a tooth is cracked, bacteria may enter the pulp chamber and cause inflammation. Pus, made up of bacteria and dead tissue, accumulates at the tip of the tooth root, and the body may form an abscess, a pocket made of soft tissue, to contain it. However, the infection could still spread, causing loss of bone matter and eventually entering the blood stream. The pain from an abscessed tooth could also spread and come to encompass a large part of the face.

Treating a periapical abscess requires that it be drained and the patient undergo a root canal. They may also need an apicoectomy, which is an operation during which the root tip is removed and replaced. But imaging tests can help us to stop a root tip infection before it gets to that point, and spare the patient a lot of pain and expense.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Loose Permanent Teeth

A loose permanent tooth is a big problem, so if it ever happens to you, we hope you’ll know to come to Dr. Eric Meyer’s Fullerton dental office for help. Assuming the patient has not suffered a blow to the face, loose teeth are usually caused by advanced periodontal disease, and intervention by a dentist is necessary to save the teeth and the patient’s overall health.

The scientific term for damage to the teeth from severe periodontal disease is “secondary occlusal trauma.” (When tooth damage occurs without an infection, it is called “primary occlusal trauma.”) Periodontal disease doesn’t just destroy gum tissue; it also causes the jaw bone to lose mass. As the bone and gum ligaments recede, the teeth can wriggle around. If a patient loses their back teeth and tries to compensate by chewing with their front teeth, they are likely to give themselves primary occlusal trauma, as well.

We have several dentists on staff with advanced training in controlling periodontal disease. When the infection has been curbed, it may be necessary to rebuild the jaw bone with a bone graft. During treatments, a splint will likely be used to distribute bite force among the teeth more evenly, but how long patients will need the splint for will vary on a case-by-case basis.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Oral Hygiene with Bridges

Getting a fixed bridge does wonders for a patient’s bite and smile, but it requires a few changes to their hygiene routine. Since we value preventive care so highly at Dr. Eric Meyer’s Fullerton practice, we want to ensure that our patients with bridges know about all the tools available to them.

The gap between the bridge and the gum needs to be flossed. One way to get floss under the gap and loop it back around is with a threader, which is like a soft sewing needle and a familiar tool to anyone who has worn braces. There are also specialty brands of floss which have stiffened ends for sliding under bridges

Implant-supported bridges tend to have larger spaces beneath them due to implants being narrower than tooth roots. This may allow patients to remove debris with a proxy brush, which is also known as a Christmas tree brush. Proxy brushes can be mounted on normal-sized toothbrush handles. Some manufacturers of electric toothbrushes and water picks are now making adjustable heads for their products, as well, which are designed to be used on implants and the structures they support.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.