Category Archives: Oral Care

Drug Induced Gingival Enlargement

Drug induced gingival hyperplasia is one of the common causes of gingival enlargement.  

There are three types of drugs highly associated with gingival hyperplasia/enlargement :

1) Antiepileptic drug (Phenytoin)

 2) Immunosuppressive drug (cyclosporine) and 3) calcium-channel blocking drug (nifedipine).

Phenytoin is usually prescribed for the treatment of seizures where as calcium channel blocking drugs are used to treat heart diseases, angina and hypertension.

  The incidence of gingival enlargement is lower in patients who are taking cyclosporine compared to patients who are on phenytoin (Approximately 50 % of patients have gingival overgrowth). However, it can be very severe (covers the entire surface of teeth) when gingival enlargement occurs in patients who are taking cyclosporine.  Continue reading →

Radiographic Accessories Part 3

SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS
In order to prevent the shadows cast onto the film by the grid from interfering with visualization of diagnostic detail, certain principles must be followed:
the lead should be as thin as possible to be consistent with adequate absorption of scattered radiation. The thinner the lead, the narrower the shadow it will produce on the film and the less visible it will be to the eye.
Also, the thinner it is the less absorption of primary radiation will be in the grid. BUT it must be noted that adequate absorption of scattered radiation is the function of the grid and lead must be thick enough to provide this function.

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Osteoradionecrosis

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a condition of nonvital bone in a site of radiation injury. ORN can be spontaneous, but it most commonly results from tissue injury. The absence of reserve reparative capacity is a result of the prior radiation injury. Even apparently innocuous forms of trauma such as denture-related injury, ulcers, or tooth extraction can overwhelm the reparative capacity of the radiation-injured bone. Continue reading →

Pros & Cons of Tooth Extractions

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When faced with an aching tooth, the first thing that comes to mind is to pull the miserable tooth out. However depending on the cause of the toothache, tooth extraction is not the only way out of the pain. There are many causes of toothache and there is a chance that the aching tooth could be saved. Continue reading →

How to Quickly Stop Bleeding from Tooth Extraction

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Tooth extractions can be a bloody affair. Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood is normally seen in tooth extraction but excessive bleeding can be caused by something as simple as taking aspirin to prevent heart attacks or because of some inherited blood disorders. Continue reading →