Archive for January, 2010

A forum for fear of the dentist

Posted by Dental News Team On January - 12 - 2010

A forum to help you with your fear of going to the dentist may help to ease your fears ; but did you know that a fear of dentists, or phobia of dentists, is something completely normal!

zahnarztangstFear of the dentist is a common topic these days. You keep hearing about experts or new methods promising to take away your fears forever.

Let’s take a look at the typical fear of the dentist. This is completely normal and is actually a kind of defence mechanism common to our species. Thousands of years ago, whenever our ancestors found themselves in dangerous situations, they had to flee, and fear would trigger this behavior.
Phobias are very deeply rooted in the human psyche. And if we apply this to visits to the doctor or dentist, then it becomes obvious why so many people  get scared or feel queasy.

“When I look inside myself I think back to the earliest experiences I had at my dentist’s. The office had a strange smell, and the air compressor was hidden inside a wooden cabinet in the waiting room, so every time the dentist used it, you would hear rattling sounds in the waiting room, which went on and on. And the operations weren’t exactly pleasant either.”

It’s understandable that these kinds of experiences cause fear! Some experience cause more fear and some less. There is absolutely no reason to be ashamed! Of course there is such a thing as normal fear, and then there’s pathological fear, and if it has a patient in its grip this can lead to extreme reactions (such as being “paralyzed with fear”). In this case a person may need professional help.

The good thing is that in recent years, doctors have learned to take these phobias into account and take measures against them. This includes shorter waiting times, short breaks during treatment, keeping a conversation going during treatment, or treatment under general anaesthesia. All you need to do is to let staff know about your fear when making an appointment…

So don’t be afraid to admit to your fears!

Knowledge can help allay your fears!
Don’t hesitate to take a look at our dental video lexikon. Hundreds of dental videos brought to you in 5 languages! Simply enter the topics you would like to know about under Search and you will be shown a selection of films to choose from.

There are also many excellent dental forums available under checkdent. One of them right here!

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Periodontitis and Pregnancy

Posted by Dental News Team On January - 8 - 2010

Pregnancy is a biological phase in a woman’s life accompanied by intense hormonal changes

The rise in female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, directly affects the periodont, since the gums possess estrogen and progesterone receptors.

This way, existing inflammations of the gums (bleeding gums) can be exacerbated or more easily triggered during pregnancy. Recent studies show that if periodontitis goes untreated, this can be a risk factor leading to premature birth, and should thus be treated as soon as possible.
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schwangerIn periodontitis, various bacterial substances are released from the gums. These substances cause our immune system to release greater numbers of antibodies  – called cytokines.
Amniotic fluid has been shown to contain cytokines, and there is a connection between the rise in cytokines and premature contractions.
Experiments on golden hamsters have shown that certain cytokines for gram-negative bacteria can, depending on dosage, lead to lower birth weight and even birth defects!
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Nowadays we know that periodontitis can make the risk of premature birth 7.5 times higher.

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Moreover, studies indicate a connection between periodontitis and premature babies with low birth weight.
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There is a trend towards non-surgical periodontitis treatment, which has been shown to have a positive effect on the course of pregnancy.

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Source: 2009_ paro_schwangerschaft (perio pregnancy)

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Chipped tooth?

Posted by Dental News Team On January - 7 - 2010

Chipped tooth – what now?

zahn_abgebrochenWhether incisor or molar, there are two things you need to consider.

If only the enamel was chipped, then it is usually enough to smooth out the sharp edges. Larger defects may require reconstruction using plastic.

If there is an enamel/dentine fracture, then check whether the dental nerve is exposed.

If so, then you need to go a dentist right away, and you may just be able to avoid getting root treatment! If only the dentine is exposed, but not the dental nerve, you should still go to a dentist as soon as you can, because the dental nerve could still be damaged. The chipped dentine can be repaired using plastic, ceramic filling, or a veneer.

Moreover, the dentist can check whether you have a fracture in your root, or the joint head of your jaw and/or alveolar appendage – these complications can still be painful, especially if e.g. a small child hurts its chin, the jaw should be examined very carefully!

More on the topic of teeth at our video portal checkdent.com!

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