Removable Dentures

What Are Dentures Made Of

You want to know what dentures are made up of this means- You may be wearing a denture or you just have some curiosity to know. What ever may be the cause I'll tell you the answer in very detailed manner.

Dentures ( I'm here talking about the Removable Dentures what old people wear not fixed one) can be defined as removable dental prosthesis with artificial teeth attached to the denture base that replaces the masticatory surface and associated structure of a mxillary or mandibular dental arch.

Earlier when advanced materials were not discovered dentures were made of  vulcanite, vinyl plastics, Type IV Gold. Chrom Cobalt alloy and Porcelain. But now advance materials are discovered which are more life like and more biocompatible. 

If I tell you in one line- Dentures are made of Arcylic Resins 
Denture base resins come in two forms which are mixed at the time of denture fabrication of denture- Powder form and Liquid form

Powder form contents-

• Main component - Polymethylmethacrylate.

• Initiator- Benzoyl peroxide or disobutylazonitrate.

• Pigments- Mercuric sulfide, cadmium sulfide.

• Opacifiers- Zinch or Titanium oxide.

• Dyed organic fiber- Nylon or acrylic fibers to produce effect of minute blood capillaries.

• Plasticizer- Dibutyl pthalate.

• Inorganic particles- Glass fibers or zirconium silicate.

Liquid Form Contents-

• Main component- Methylmethacrylate

• Inhibitor- Hydroquinone

• Accelerator- N,`N-dimethylparatoulidine

• Cross linking agent- Glycol diethacrylate 

Denture teeth are also made up of acrylic resin but they are company made and prefabricated. Lab technician just applies the dentist recommended teeth according to the case.

 

What is Pericoronitis

Pericoronitis is an acute infection which causes swelling or inflammation of gums and surrounding soft tissues of a partially erupted tooth. Pericoronitis usually occurs in lower wisdom tooth area. Wisdom teeth usually erupt in late teens. When there is not enough space for wisdom tooth to erupt, then tooth becomes impacted.  Wisdom tooth may be partially or completely impacted. A flap of gum tissue is created in partially erupted wisdom tooth where food impaction can occur. Soft tissue flap covering partially impacted tooth is known as operculum. Entrapment of food below operculum or injury by the opposing tooth on operculum can lead to Pericoronitis.  When the flap becomes inflamed and swollen, then it is known as Pericoronitis. Pericoronitis can also occur in relation to completely impacted wisdom tooth or partially impacted wisdom tooth.

Signs and Symptoms of Pericoronitis

• Gum tissues in relation to partially impacted tooth become swollen and inflamed.
• Gum tissue will appear red and pus will discharge from gums in relation to tooth. Pus can result in increase in bulk of flap and can interfere with jaw closure.
• Lesion will be extremely tender and painful and pain may also radiate to ear, throat and floor of mouth.
• Bad taste and bad odor is present from oral cavity.   
• Patient will have difficulty in swallowing and will have difficulty in closing the jaws. Pain will aggravate on biting from opposite tooth as it will cause trauma to the flap present around the affected tooth.  
• Swelling of cheeks may also occur in Pericoronitis.
• Swelling of lymph nodes (Submandibular lymph nodes) and jaw muscles spasm may also occur in Pericoronitis.
• Fever, increase in number of white blood cells (Leucocytes) and malaise indicate sever infection.

Diagnosis of Pericoronitis

Pain, swelling and redness in relation to partially erupted tooth will diagnose Pericoronitis.

Treatment of Pericoronitis

Treatment of Pericoronitis depends on many factors. Treatment depends on:

• Severity of swelling which is present
• Whether  the involved tooth is to be extracted  or not and
• Whether systemic complications are present or not.

Debridement of area is done by cleaning the area. Flap is raised and pus and debris is removed by rinsing with water after giving topical anesthesia to the patient. If severe acute symptoms are present, then antibiotics are also prescribed to the patient to reduce the infection.

Patient is instructed to do hourly rinses with solution of tea spoonful of salt in glass of warm water. Patient should take more of fluids and should maintain good oral hygiene to avoid any food accumulates in wisdom tooth area. Patient should brush and floss properly to avoid any food deposits. Food deposits will aggravate the pain. Pericoronitis infection can regress in duration of 5-7 days. If tooth doesn’t erupt completely, then food accumulates will keep depositing below the gums and can cause Pericoronitis to recur.

Operculectomy that is surgical removal of flap over partial erupted tooth can also be done in case of Pericoronitis.      

Dentist may or may not remove the involved tooth. Dentist will do examination and will make out that whether tooth can completely come or not.  If the tooth can erupt completely without any complication, then dentist may not do tooth extraction. 

If tooth is to be retained and is not to be pulled out, then surgical procedures using periodontal knife or electro-surgery may also be required. After giving anesthesia to the patient, to remove the tissue, wedge shaped cut is made on gums. Periodontal pack is given after tissue removal.

Pericoronitis Home Remedy

• In initial stage of Pericoronitis, patient can do rinses with solution of tea spoonful of salt in glass of warm water. Rinse with this solution 2-3 times a day.
• Patient should brush his teeth after meals to remove the left over food particles in mouth. Food particles present over involved tooth site will aggravate the pain. 

Prevention of Pericoronitis

To prevent chances of Pericoronitis, patient should maintain good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing regularly. This is done to avoid deposits under gums. If Pericoronitis reoccurs, then flap of gum tissue is removed by the dentist. Flap of gum tissue may grow back again and in that case, extraction of wisdom tooth is required. 

When to Consult an Oral Surgeon

If symptoms of Pericoronitis are present, then patient should visit his oral surgeon. If patient’s wisdom teeth are erupting, then he should visit his dentist twice a year for examination.

Complications of Pericoronitis

• It may become localized in form of pericoronal abscess.
• Cyst formation can occur in case of partially erupted vital tooth.
• Pericoronitis can cause difficulty in swallowing if it spreads to back soft tissue.
• Peritonsillar abscess formation, cellulitis, Ludwig’s angina are infrequent but can occur as a complication of Pericoronitis. 

What is Tonsillitis Clinical Features and Treatment

Tonsillitis

 

Key points

• Acute bacterial or viral infection causing inflammation of the palatine tonsils. Infection may also affect the pharyngeal tonsils or adenoids
• There are 4 types of tonsillar disease: acute tonsillitis, recurrent acute tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis, and obstructive tonsillar hyperplasia
• Diagnosis is clinical. On examination, ensure that the airway is not obstructed by tonsils. A gray exudate may indicate diphtheria, an important differential diagnosis
• Treatment for streptococcal tonsillitis is penicillin V, or erythromycin in penicillin-allergic patients
• Other complications of untreated tonsillitis include rheumatic fever

Take urgent action:

• If breathing is severely affected by possible obstruction or if epiglottitis is suspected
• If fever exceeds 104°F (40°C)
• If gray exudate is present and points to diphtheria, hospitalization, isolation, and notification of public health officials is required
• Urgent surgical drainage is indicated if peritonsillar abscess (ie, quinsy) or parapharyngeal abscess is diagnosed
• Severe infections require hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics
• Inability to swallow can lead to dehydration; treat with intravenous fluid

Description

• Acute bacterial or viral infection causing inflammation of the palatine tonsils. The tonsils are large, fleshy, oval masses of tissue that lie in the lateral wall of the oral pharynx
• Infection may also affect the pharyngeal tonsils or adenoids, similar masses of tissue located between the back of the nose and the throat
• Four types of tonsillar disease exist: acute tonsillitis, recurrent acute tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis, and obstructive tonsillar hyperplasia
• Features:
  • Fever that can be as high as 104°F (40°C)
  • Sore throat that may impair swallowing
  • Patients with acute tonsillitis often have sore throat, fever, dysphagia, tender cervical lymphadenopathy, and erythematous/exudative tonsils
  • Patients may also report otalgia, headache, and vomiting
  • Tonsillitis and pharyngitis can occur simultaneously

Epidemiology

Incidence

• Peaks in winter and early spring

Demographics
Age:

• Most common in children aged 6 to 12 years; however, all ages are affected
• Tonsillitis in children aged less than 3 years is rare and usually of viral etiology

Gender:

• Affects male and female population equally

Socioeconomic status:

• Further spread of infection may occur from cramped living, traveling, or working conditions

Causes and risk factors

Causes:

• Influenza A and B viruses
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Adenovirus
• Streptococcus groups A and G, group A ß-hemolytic streptococci
• Epstein-Barr virus
• Herpes simplex
• Neisseria gonorrhoeae
• Serious causes:
  • Epstein-Barr virus and Neisseria gonorrhoeae
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae
  • Chlamydia pneumoniae

Contributory or predisposing factors:

• Enhanced spread of infection due to cramped living, traveling, or working conditions
• Repeat attacks are often caused by reinfection by family members or close contacts
• Also common in school populations; viral tonsillitis is common in the military and closed communities

Associated disorders

• Acute pharyngitis
• Acute adenoiditis
• Acute laryngitis
• Infectious mononucleosis
• Thyroiditis
• Otitis media

Screening

Not applicable.

Primary prevention

Summary approach

Tonsillectomy eliminates risk of recurrent infections.

Preventive measures

• Smoking cessation reduces the risk of tonsillitis and may help reduce severity of throat infections
• Excessive alcohol intake should be discontinued
• Inappropriate or ineffective antibiotic use may increase resistance

Benefits of Good Dental Care

Regular visits to the dentist are important if you are going to keep your teeth in good shape. Unfortunately the cost of seeing the dentist keeps a lot of people away. The best way to get around this problem is to have a good dental plan.
The main benefit of a good dental plan is that you will be able to get the dental care that you need without having to pay for it out of your own pocket. The cost of seeing a dentist is pretty steep and this would be a problem for a lot of people if they didn't have a dental plan to help pay for it. In most cases your dental plan will require you to pay a small amount for each visit out of your own pocket and then will cover the rest of the cost.
There are a lot of different dental plans available so you are going to want to make sure that you get one that suits your needs. At a minimum all dental plans should cover basic maintenance and necessary procedures. This would be things like regular checkups and cleanings as well as the cost of things like filling cavities. If you are young and your teeth are in good condition this is probably all that you need. However if you have dental problems or if you are older you are probably going to want a plan that covers more things like dentures.
There are a lot of other benefits that you may want to look for when you are choosing a dental plan depending on what you need coverage for. Over the last few years cosmetic dentistry has become much more widely used as people are really starting to worry about what their teeth look like. A number of dental plans will now cover things like this. Obviously this will add to the cost considerably so you will need to determine if you will actually be using the services enough to justify the expense.
A couple of things that you are going to want to think about when you are choosing a dental plan are whether or not your dentist accepts the plan and how much it will cost you out of your own pocket. Most dental plans are only accepted by a limited number of dentists so you will either need to choose a plan that your dentist accepts or find a new dentist. As for the amount that you pay out of pocket, this will largely depend on how much dental care. If you have teeth that are in good shape and all you need is regular checkups then you should choose a plan with a high deductible. However if you need regular dental care you will want to go with the lower deductible.

Basic Dental Care

What is basic dental care?

Basic dental care involves brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, seeing your dentist and/or dental hygienist for regular checkups and cleanings, and eating a mouth-healthy diet, which means foods high in whole grains, vegetables and fruits, and dairy products.
Why is basic dental care important?

Practicing basic dental care:

    Prevents tooth decay.
    Prevents gum (periodontal) disease camera, which can damage gum tissue and the bones camera that support teeth camera, and in the long term can lead to the loss of teeth.
    Shortens time with the dentist and dental hygienist, and makes the trip more pleasant.
    Saves money. By preventing tooth decay and gum disease, you can reduce the need for fillings and other costly procedures.
    Helps prevent bad breath. Brushing and flossing rid your mouth of the bacteria that cause bad breath.
    Helps keep teeth white by preventing staining from food, drinks, and tobacco.
    Improves overall health.
    Makes it possible for your teeth to last a lifetime.

Are there ways to avoid dental problems?

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy requires good nutrition and regular brushing and flossing.

    Brush your teeth twice a day-in the morning and before bed-and floss once a day. This removes plaque, which can lead to damaged teeth, gums, and surrounding bone.
    Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay and cavities. Ask your dentist if you need a mouthwash that contains fluoride or one with ingredients that fight plaque. Look for toothpastes that have been approved by the American Dental Association.
    Avoid foods that contain a lot of sugar. Sugar helps plaque grow.
    Avoid using tobacco products, which can cause gum disease and oral cancer. Exposure to tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke) also may cause gum disease as well as other health problems.1
    Practice tongue cleaning. You can use a tongue cleaner or a soft-bristle toothbrush, stroking in a back-to-front direction. Tongue cleaning is particularly important for people who smoke or whose tongues are coated or deeply grooved.
    Schedule regular trips to the dentist based on how often you need exams and cleaning.