Probablemente has escuchado en muchas ocasiones que debes tener buenos hábitos de higiene para asegurar una boca y dientes saludables. La pregunta es: ¿En qué consisten esos hábitos? Aquí te damos una explicación detallada pero simple de lo que deberías hacer: Cepillarte los Dientes:
Hoy en día la prótesis dental nos permite reemplazar los dientes perdidos con un aspecto muy estético y natural, devolviendo a la boca la función perdida; pero eso no fue siempre así. Las primeras prótesis dentales de las que tenemos constancia provienen de los etruscos del siglo VIII a. C. y se conserva en el Museo de la Facultad de Odontología de París. Los etruscos utilizaron dientes de animales para reemplazar las piezas faltantes ensambladas sobre bandas de oro, lo cual muestra habilidades muy altas por parte de ellos. Creemos que los fenicios ya usaron oro blando y alambre de oro para la construcción de prótesis dentales. También utilizaron soldaduras y modelos de impresiones. Hacia 754 aC , los etruscos, hábiles artesanos de la época, producían pónticos muy complejos. Empleaban bandas de oro soldadas cada una por pónticos hechos con diferentes piezas dentales de humanos o animales.
Aprende un poco sobre la increíble historia de la higiene dental.
Learn a little about the incredible history of dental hygiene.
Aprende un poco sobre la increíble historia de los implantes dentales.
Learn a little about the incredible history of dental implants.
We answer some of the most common questions about dental implants
CEREC is an innovative system that allows for one-visit dental restorations that are functional and esthetic.
CEREC es un sistema innovador que hace posible brindar a los pacientes restauraciones dentales en un solo día, con resultados funcionales y estéticos.
Learn about the differences between CEREC and traditional techniques to fabricate dental restorations
At Lorenzana & Dental Associates, we love our CEREC system - and our patients love it, too! Thanks to CEREC, we can give people the convenience of getting their teeth fixed (e.g. crowns, veneers) in as little as a single visit to our clinic. That is just impressive, right? But how did such an incredible technology as CEREC come into existence? Well, we will talk a little about that in this blog, which is the first in a series of blogs about this system. Let's get to it!
Temporomandibular joint disorders are conditions that cause discomfort and inhibit the proper functioning of the jaw joint and muscles that control jaw movement. Causes In most cases, the cause of TMJ disorders is not evident. However, here is a list of potential causes: External trauma, such as a hard hit to the head or jaw. Tooth grinding or jaw clenching. Poor alignment between top and bottom teeth. Excessive chewing (e.g. gum or fingernails). Overextending the TMJ while eating large things. Degenerative diseases. Symptoms There are various symptoms that could be related to TMJ disorders. Examples of these are the following: Pain in facial, jaw, neck or back muscles. Swelling. Muscle stiffness or limited movement of the jaw. Clicking, popping or grating sounds accompanied by pain when moving the jaw. Teeth not fitting comfortably together. Jaw not opening uniformly or locking. Headache or earache. Difficulty swallowing. Diagnosis There is not always a straightforward way of diagnosing TMJ disorders. Exact causes and symptoms are not clear, and that means the discomfort someone is experimenting could be due to different health issues. Your doctor will take your symptoms and medical history into consideration and then will examine areas of discomfort, including the head, neck, face, and jaw. The doctor might also use x-rays in the analysis of your case. Treatment Reversible Treatments Conservative treatments do not invade the tissues of the face, jaw, or joint, or involve surgery. Reversible treatments do not cause permanent changes in the structure or position of the jaw or teeth. It is advisable that you try these first, before considering more expensive and permanent ones. Muscle and ligament tightness can be helped with jaw stretching and relaxing exercises as advised by your doctor. If the jaw becomes locked, it may be necessary to manipulate the joint back into place under a general anaesthetic. The most common TMJ issues are temporary and do not get worse. Short-term use of pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, may be sufficient. A stabilization splint or a bite guard may provide relief. Stabilization splints should only be used for a short time and should not cause permanent changes in bite. Permanent Treatments There is often debate around the use of permanent methods to treat TMJ disorders. There are no long term studies that show the efficacy of these methods, plus they are extensive and often more expensive than reversible treatments. The bite may be adjusted by polishing teeth, using reconstructive dentistry, or fitting braces. A repositioning splint may be fitted, which over time will permanently change the position of the jaw, ligaments and muscles. There may be an effect on teeth alignment, so more dental work may be needed to adjust the teeth. There is even the option to replace the jaw joint with artificial implants, but it should be considered a last resort. Self-Care In many cases, self-care measures can help alleviate the symptoms of TMJ disorders: Eating soft foods. Applying cold or warm compresses. Avoiding excessive jaw movements (shouting, gum-chewing, and wide yawning, for instance). Practicing gentle jaw stretching and relaxing exercises. Resting the jaw as much as possible. SOURCES: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Health Navigator
After a surgery, regardless of its dimensions, it is necessary that patients follow the doctor’s indications in order to recover well and quickly. POST-SURGICAL CARE Patients should rest the day of the surgery and the day after. This is the most delicate period, and is important to avoid complications. Patients need to avoid spitting, speaking, and chewing on the site of surgery. Movements and/or pressure may cause some lesion and extend recovery time. Patients should not smoke. The components in cigarettes increase the probability of complications and infections. 24 hours after surgery, patients can start to gently rinse their mouth. DIET TO FOLLOW The following list details the requisite diet for patients who have just undergone a dental implants surgery: Do NOT drink any alcoholic or carbonated drinks. Maintain a soft diet. Start by eating food that practically melts in your mouth or require minimum chewing effort, such as pudding, ice cream, yogurt, soup (not too hot), jello, and mashed potatoes. Preferably, consume cold food. By all means, avoid crunchy/hard food, such as seeds. After the first 48 hours, patients can slowly start to include more soft, easily-chewable food to their diet.