Cheek Chewing
ASK THE DENTISTTHURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2009. Dear Dr. Mady: I have a bad habit of chewing on the inside of my cheeks inside my mouth. I have been doing this for about 5 years and the other day I looked in my mouth and it looks like a thick white line on each side where I have been chewing. What can it be and is it cancerous or dangerous?-Joan in Harrow Dear Joan: What you are describing is known as Linea Alba. It is a fibrous, white-colored protrusive benign (non-cancerous) thickening of oral mucosa along the chewing line of your mouth. It can not only be caused by chewing of the cheeks but...
read moreSports Mouthguards Revisited
Dear Mike: Absolutely!! Do not allow yourself to become a victim of preventable sports injury. Listen to your dentist and wear a mouthguard. I do realize that they are not mandatory as a part of attire or equipment for all sports but their worth is non-arguable.As a dentist I have seen many injuries that could have been prevented if only a mouthguard was worn. They not only limit damage to teeth but help protect the cheeks, lips, gums, tongues and even assist in stopping concussions. Any type of blow that an athlete may take in the head or neck area can be cushioned by a mouthguard. Taking...
read moreMetal in Removable Partial Dentures
Dear Dr. : You are a special person to help like this. I have a major concern. I am having partial dentures done for the bottom. I always had a plastic partial denture and have had it for thirty years with no shifting of teeth at all. After thirty years of being careful I accidentally threw it in the garbage can so now I am working with a dentist and she said she will make a metal device that connects four missing teeth on one side and three on the other. She said that it would be stronger, but I am concerned about what metals are used and if iron will seep into my system. What metals do...
read moreFront Tooth Fracture Options
Dear Dr. : A little over a year ago I fell and hit my front tooth, breaking it in a rather odd manner according to my dentist. The tooth was still attached but fractured from the front up toward the gum line in the back. My dentist bonded it for a temporary fix and said that even though the fracture was bad, it just barely missed the root and nerves. He then advised me to have a crown lengthening procedure and after that place a porcelain crown so it would look the best and be strong. Do you believe that this is the best way to repair the tooth? I am concerned that excessive grinding down of...
read moreTeeth Grinding(Bruxism) Can Give You A Headache
Does your wife or partner complain, every morning, about your teeth grinding or teeth clenching keeping her awake? The very fact that your wife complained about it keeping her awake made you aware about your habit. It is always the person sleeping at the side of you who will be able to tell you. This habit of grinding and clenching the teeth is known as bruxism. Here, people with irregular or infrequent bruxism do no get affected as much. It does not really show the damage done to the jaws and teeth. It is those who are habitual grinders who get affected. In severe cases it can also...
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