Ouch! This topic may not be so pleasant to visualize. But harm does come to folks’ teeth all too often, maybe because of a car accident, a sports or recreational accident, or some other dreadful mishap. Children are most apt to suffer much damage because of their activity levels and still-developing mouth.

When I say tooth damage, this does not always refer to the visible damage you might see on the surface (the crowns), such as an obviously chipped or broken tooth. A significant amount goes on beneath what can be seen without x-rays or probing about. If an injury causes a tooth to move from its original position, the tooth’s pulp (nerves, blood vessels, etc.), dentin, and the surrounding bone and gums could very well be damaged as well, and that’s where things can get tricky and painful.

We will cover a few kinds of injuries and how they may be fixed over the next few days.

Dr. Sperbeck, West Los Angeles

Lately, numerous amounts of questions have arisen on the topic concerning the connection between oral health and overall health. Does the former really affect the latter? How is someone possibly at risk for heart disease or low birth weight babies if the apparent problem is only in his/her mouth?

Our bodies are not a jumble of different mechanisms forming one walking, talking unit. Each of the body’s systems — the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the endocrine system, etc. — work in unison to keep us living in steady homeostasis! If one system fails or malfunctions, it gradually leads to another system losing its ability to function properly, and it spirals downward from there.

Inflamed parts of your body can lead to further inflammation or infection in other parts. Periodontitis is the body’s response to harmful bacteria left in your mouth. Periodontitis — ahem gum disease, if severe enough and untreated long enough, will, in fact, set off other inflammatory mechanisms in your body, leading to such things as diabetes, cardiovascular (heart) disease, and preterm and low birth weight babies. And gum disease is common — it can happen to anyone!

Don’t ignore the significance of this link. Good oral hygiene is serious!

Dr. Sperbeck, West Los Angeles

I just went over how ozone is beneficial to the root canal therapy procedure, but it definitely doesn’t stop there. Ozone’s uses for treating periodontal disease (a.k.a. gum disease) are numerous as well.

Periodontal disease can develop as a result of a number of causes, one of them most commonly being a simple lack of thorough and committed brushing and flossing of teeth. Other causes, such as tooth damage, injury, bad habits (smoking, tobacco, junk food, etc.), or another present disease. Symptoms of periodontal disease and gum recession might even be an allergic reaction to a certain food, substance, or medication; but that is something that should be looked into by your physician. The symptoms of gum disease might range from mere gum soreness or inflammation to severe deterioration of hard and soft tissues in and around the mouth. If left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss.

There are a few options for treatment, depending on the severity of the case: a deep-cleaning or surgery. Both require absolute sterility to be successful and to heal properly, and, of course, this is where ozone is again put to work. Ozone attacks and eliminates the bacteria and infectious organisms, providing successful treatment and a healthy environment for quick healing. Ozone is safe for the whole body and leaves no side effects or allergic reactions like medications or drugs do.

Dr. Sperbeck, West Los Angeles

I know, I know… here comes the ozone again! I’ve explained how we use ozone in our dentistry in previous posts. After all this talk of nasty acid-making bacteria wreaking havoc on teeth, it’s essential — for my ozone-using practice in particular — to bring the greatness of O3 into the picture!

Ozone eliminates bacteria, and is, therefore, the perfect solution to cleaning an infected tooth. What’s even better is that ozone treatment will just come in the form of ozonated water or an ozone gas. Continual application to the surgical site promotes impossibly thorough sterility, while even speeding up the process and recovery. Ozone therapy does not cause negative side effects or allergic reactions in patients, and allows the natural immune system to fight off infection.

Using ozone for cavity treatment makes the filling or restoring process much easier and smoother. Guaranteeing sterility to avoid worse problems later is crucial during any serious dental work, and ozone does the job well.

Dr. Sperbeck, West Los Angeles

So what is the best “remedy” for these little monsters in your mouth? You guessed it — prevention! Taking precautions seriously is always the best way to avoid any kind of disease or infection.

Keep your teeth clean! Brush at least twice daily and be sure to floss thoroughly. Brush every single surface of your teeth that you can possibly reach. Flossing cleans out the old food particles and plaque from the places a toothbrush can’t reach.

Eat well! Nutrition largely impacts the overall health of your mouth and determines which bacteria dominate the environment in your mouth: the health-promoting, good bacteria, or the acid-producing, bad bacteria. Avoid refined sugars, refined flours, and heavily processed foods.

Visit the dentist regularly! Be sure to have regular cleanings and thorough inspections of what’s going on with your teeth. Be open to new suggestions and forming better habits. Take care of yourself.

Dr. Sperbeck, West Los Angeles