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Five words no one welcomes: “You need a root canal.” But if you are delaying treatment because you are worried about pain and an uncomfortable day in the dentist’s chair, please think again! Modern root canal procedures are designed to repair your damaged tooth gently and efficiently, and leave you with a restored natural tooth that can last a lifetime.

• Why might you need a root canal?

First, a little tooth biology. Each tooth has a crown (the part we see above the gums) and one or more roots (the part of our tooth below the gum line that is attached to bone in our jaw). The tooth has three basic layers: the hard enamel and cementum that cover the outer crown and root, the softer dentin beneath that layer, and, on the inside, the pulp. Pulp is made of living tissue, and contains the blood vessels and nerves that nourish the tooth and keep it vital.

Even with the protection the enamel and dentin provide, sometimes the pulp can be infected or damaged. If you have suffered an injury to your mouth or jaw, or an infection has developed from an opening in the tooth caused by a deep cavity or crack, you may need a root canal to prevent further infection, pain, and even tooth loss. Call our Appleton, WI office immediately if you feel pain with chewing or pressure, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, swollen, and tender gums around a tooth, or tooth discoloration.

• The Root Canal Procedure

If a root canal is necessary, the procedure is very straightforward. After the area around the tooth is numbed, we will make an opening in the crown to allow access to the pulp inside. Very small instruments will be used to clean the inner tooth and removed bacteria and dead or dying tissue. The area will be thoroughly disinfected, and the inside of the tooth shaped and then filled and sealed. A temporary filling or crown might be placed on the tooth to prevent bacteria and food from entering the site if a permanent crown needs to be created. The entire process usually takes from one to three visits.

If we suggest a root canal, it is because this is the best way to save your tooth. Please feel free to talk to us about your particular needs and concerns. Which tooth is affected, how many roots are involved, what type of filling or crown might be best—we will work with you to provide all the information you need and all the options you have available.

Common Concerns

• Are you concerned about pain?

The most painful part of a root canal is often the severe discomfort your tooth causes before treatment. And infections and damaged nerves can affect not only the injured tooth, but the gums, tissue and even bone surrounding it. With our modern dental techniques, a root canal procedure is often no more uncomfortable than a regular filling. The local anesthetic we use will prevent you from feeling any pain during the procedure, and, while the area around your tooth might be a bit sensitive following treatment, the pain caused by the infection or injury should be gone.

• Are you anxious about the procedure?

If dental treatment causes you anxiety, please let us know. There are several sedation options we can pursue to make this procedure less worrisome. Our goal is to make your treatment as gentle and comfortable as possible.

No one welcomes the news that a root canal is necessary, but with today’s procedures, this treatment can be just what you need to relieve your pain and keep your natural tooth where it belongs for many years to come. And that is welcome news, indeed!

Flossing is one of the most important parts of your oral care routine. Many patients know they need to do it but find it difficult to fit into their busy lives. Well, here's the good news: flossing once a day is enough if you're doing a good job!

Some patients like to brush before they floss and others like to floss before they brush. Some like to floss in the morning when they have more energy, others like to floss at night so they can go to bed with a clean mouth. Don't get hung up on any of this, the important thing is that you floss and floss effectively no matter when you do it.

Effective flossing contributes to oral health in these ways:

• It reduces the chance of cavities between teeth, since cavities can only form on teeth covered with dental plaque and you're scraping that plaque away when you floss.
• Along with brushing, it reduces the amount of time the plaque is left on your teeth, allowing them to be in a state of healing and remineralization for longer.
• It removes plaque that accumulates at or below the gum line, aiding in the prevention of gum disease.

As you can see, flossing offers many benefits for such a simple and inexpensive technique. So if you're still wondering how much to floss, don't worry about it. Don't mistake the frequency of your flossing with the effectiveness of it. Choose a dental floss that you like and one time during the day when you can floss thoroughly and just do it! If you need more tips on how to floss correctly, ask Dr. Dale Scharine and Dr. Mark Pflum or any member of our Appleton, WI team—we'd be glad to help you pick up this healthy habit!

Sugar consumption can significantly impact your overall health, but especially your oral health. When we eat sugar, the naturally occurring bacteria in our mouth break the sugars down into acids. These acids in turn attack our enamel, or the hard outer layer of our teeth, breaking it down over time. As the enamel erodes, cavities start to form. Each time we sip a sugary drink or pop a piece of sugary candy, the acid attack starts over, and we continue to break down the enamel on our teeth.

Hidden sugars are prevalent in many foods. Things you don't even expect like ketchup (and other sauces), juices, bread and other baked goods, dairy products, salad dressings and more. There are also foods you may think of as "healthy" that hide a lot of sugars such as flavored kombucha drinks, green smoothies, nut butters, and protein bars. Some people think that you need to drink a case of soda a day or eat tons of candy to see the negative effects on your teeth, but this isn't always true. Even one can of soda a day can damage your teeth.

The truth is that any amount of sugar can contribute to tooth decay. Which leads us to question, how do you know you are experiencing tooth decay?

Well, some good indicators of decay in a tooth include but are not limited to:

• Dark spots on teeth
• Broken areas of teeth
• Sensitivity to sweets, hot, or cold
• Pain in the tooth to pressure or chewing
• Throbbing pain in the tooth

However, when a cavity is small, it is usually non-symptomatic. This makes it even more important to see your dentist regularly so they can detect cavities early with x-rays and other instruments designed to find decay early so it can be treated while small.

The way that your teeth begin to decay starts with your sugar intake habits. As sugar converts to acid in the body, the acid washes over our teeth and slowly erodes the hard protective layer of enamel on the outside. The dentin underneath the enamel is not nearly as hard and much more susceptible to decay. Once the acid has worn away enough enamel to reach the dentin, decay starts on that softer layer. Once decay has started, there is no turning it around.

The best thing that you can do to start lowering your sugar intake is to learn to read labels so that you can decide which foods are best for your personal situation. Eat as many whole foods as possible. And drink more water!

Healthier alternatives to sugary snacks include whole, raw fruits, which contain less harmful forms of sugar, and water, the best choice for hydration. While it's unrealistic to completely avoid sugar, being mindful about consumption and rinsing or brushing teeth after sugary treats can mitigate some damage.

Parents can encourage children to consume less sugar by modeling healthy eating habits and maintaining consistent oral care routines at home. Being a role model in terms of diet and oral hygiene sets a positive example for children.

Ultimately, no one has a perfect diet or oral care routine, but striving to do the "right" thing more often than the "wrong" is a good approach. Pairing a "want" with a "need" can also help maintain balance, such as allowing yourself a treat like ice cream only after a full week of consistent flossing.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that increases the risk for many serious health problems, including severe gum disease. November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and it’s a great time for us at Elite Smiles Dental to remind our patients that the way you care for your teeth at home doesn’t just affect your oral health; keeping your mouth healthy is vital to your overall health, too.

Diabetes is the result of a deficiency, or lack of the hormone insulin to properly transport glucose (blood sugar) to the cells throughout the body. According to the American Diabetes Association, the most common types of diabetes are Type One (90-95 percent of cases), Type Two (five percent), and gestational or pregnancy diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 35 to 60 percent chance of developing diabetes, mostly Type Two, in the ten to 20 years following their pregnancy.

In the past decade, researchers have found links between periodontal (gum) disease and diabetes. Not only are people with diabetes more vulnerable to gum disease, but diabetes may also have the potential to affect blood glucose control, as well as contribute to the advancement of diabetes.

Nearly 26 million Americans currently live with the disease, with an additional 79 million in the pre-diabetes stage. There is some good news we want you to know, however; you can protect your gums and teeth from the effects of diabetes by visiting our Appleton, WI office for an exam. Patients who are living with diabetes may require more often visits to ensure their dental health remains in tip-top shape. Many insurance plans provide expanded benefits for diabetic patients, and Dr. Dale Scharine and Dr. Mark Pflum can tell you how often you need to come in for an appointment.

For more information on how we can help, please do not hesitate to give us a call at our Appleton, WI office.