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By now, everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. But the truth is its broad-reaching health effects are not all known by everyone. This is especially true of oral health. Smoking can have serious repercussions in this regard. To give you a better idea of how smoking can affect your oral health, Drs. Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants and our team have listed some issues that can arise.

Oral Cancer

Oral cancer can have steep ramifications for anyone that gets it. Surgery can be required to eliminate the cancer before it spreads to more vital parts of your body. Any type of cancer is about the worst health effect you can get, and this especially holds true to the affects that smoking has on your mouth. The type of mouth surgery required with oral cancer can leave your face deconstructed in certain areas, and it is all due to smoking or use of other tobacco products.

Tooth Discoloration and Bad Breath

At the very least, it is fair to say that as a smoker you will often have bad breath, and while you may try to cover it up with gum or mints, tooth discoloration is a whole other story. The chemicals and substances in cigarettes stick to your teeth staining them brown and yellow colors that are increasingly difficult to disguise.

Gum Disease and Loss of Bone

Another effect of smoking is the increased risk of gum disease. Your gums may start to recede, which can eventually lead to the loss of teeth. Smoking can also increase bone loss and density in your jaw which is vital to the health of your mouth. Gum disease and bone loss are two signs that smoking is definitely bad for your mouth.

When it comes to the health of your mouth, the question is not whether smoking affects your health, it's how does it affect your health and to what degree. If for no other reason than because smoking involves your mouth as its entry point, it is safe to say that it can have long-lasting and detrimental consequences on your oral health.

To learn more about smoking and your oral health, contact our Worcester office to schedule an appointment with Drs. Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants.

Nobody likes a dry mouth. It is an uncomfortable and sometimes oddly unexplainable sensation that most people like to avoid. It is not a condition that automatically sends you into a panic about your health, however, a dry mouth can be a bother and something you certainly want to change if possible. So, if you find yourself in the unpleasant position of having a dry mouth, here is what you can do.

Chew Sugar-free Gum: Chewing sugar-free gum will stimulate saliva in your mouth. The chewing motion of your jaw and teeth should take care of at least some of your dry mouth problem.

Suck on Sugar-free Candy: Similarly to chewing sugar free gum, if you suck on sugar free candy it should create more saliva in your mouth and moisturize it in the process.

Cut out the Caffeine:Caffeine can contribute to a dry mouth so by limiting, or eliminating your intake all together, you may find that your dry mouth is no more.

Stop Using Tobacco Products: Tobacco is another cause of dry mouth. Whether it is smokeless tobacco products or cigarettes, if you stop using them your dry mouth will likely improve. And not to forget, these products are exceedingly bad for your oral health to begin with, so you will be doing your mouth a favor even more so.

Drink Lots of Water: It may seem obvious, but drinking lots of water will likely improve your dry mouth. This is because dry mouth is usually a sign of dehydration, so plenty of fluids will surely help.

Dry mouth can be unpleasant, but it is often easily solved by either drinking more water, or trying one of the previously mentioned techniques. If the problem still persists you can always visit our Worcester office to see Drs. Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants. More often than not, doing one of the above will leave your mouth more moisturized than it was previously, and hopefully it will be long-lasting as well.

Drs. Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants and our team at Central New England Endodontics and Implantology understand that many of our patients have a fear of dentistry. You may be concerned about experiencing pain from sensitive teeth or routine procedures. General anxiety is also common. Do not put off visiting our Worcester office; we offer various types of sedation to take the pain and fear out of your dental procedure.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

For many patients, nitrous oxide, combined with local anesthetics, will both provide pain relief and reduce anxiety. Nitrous oxide is beneficial because the dosage can be regulated during treatment and patients are normally capable of driving shortly after the procedure is completed.

Oral or Injected Sedation

With oral sedation, you may be given a pill or liquid to consume several hours before your procedure. You will not be able to drive yourself to the appointment. An oral liquid is often given to children before any shots or intravenous anesthesia. An intramuscular injection may be given at the office that provides relaxation benefits for 20 to 30 minutes.

Nitrous Oxide with an Oral Sedative

If you experience higher levels of anxiety, an oral or injected sedative can be offered before nitrous oxide is started. This is also effective for reducing anxiety regarding the injection of local anesthetics. A liquid medication followed by nitrous oxide is beneficial for children. This combination can produce a deep sedation level.

General Anesthesia

This type of anesthesia can be offered as an inhaled gas or intravenous liquid. If no oral sedative is given before the general anesthesia is administered, you should wake up quickly after your procedure is complete. An injection, pill, or liquid medication can be offered to reduce anxiety before intravenous sedation begins. Intravenous sedation can also be used at moderate-to-deep sedation levels without complete loss of consciousness.

Do not hesitate to ask Drs. Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants about receiving sedation or pain prevention when you visit. We will be glad to explain the options we have available and answer all your questions to ensure that your exam is pleasant for you.

An endodontist like Drs. Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants is a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the inner tooth. Most of us are familiar with root canals, where infected or damaged pulp is removed, the inside of the tooth is cleaned and shaped, and a filling is placed inside before the tooth is sealed. In fact, root canals are one of the most common ways to save a tooth that would otherwise be a candidate for extraction.

But what if your tooth needs further attention? Fortunately, we also have training in surgical techniques that can save teeth with more serious or complex problems. These endodontic surgeries can take a number of forms:

• Apicoectomy

Inflamed or infected tissue can sometimes persist near the apex, or tip, of a root even after a root canal procedure. An apicoectomy allows Drs. Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants to make an incision in the gum tissue, remove the affected root tip, clean the infected tissue from the root canal and the bone surrounding it, and seal the tip.

• Root Resection

Sometimes a tooth with two or more roots suffers decay or damage in only one root, or in the bony area surrounding it. If the root is unrestorable, an endodontist can perform a root resection, removing only the damaged or infected root and tissue. Care is taken to preserve the healthy roots and crown.

• Tooth Resection

In this procedure, a molar tooth with multiple roots is treated surgically to preserve as much of the tooth and crown as possible. The tooth is separated into two sections, and both sides are reconstructed (bicuspidization), or the part of the root and crown that can be saved is treated while the other section is extracted (hemisection). While extraction followed by an implant has become a common method of treating a seriously decayed or damaged tooth, these procedures can often save as much of the natural molar as is possible.

• Root Canals

Most root canals are performed without surgery, but sometimes calcium deposits build up in the roots making the canals too narrow for regular root canal files. In this case, a surgical procedure will enable Drs. Manzoli, Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants to remove infected tissue, clean, and seal these narrow spaces.

• Diagnostic Surgery

Sometimes, the reason you are suffering tooth pain is clear as soon as you open your mouth. Sometimes, an X-ray will show the cause of unexplained discomfort. And sometimes, a tooth fracture or the branch of a root canal might be so small that it is not apparent even with the help of X-rays. In this case, endodontic surgery will allow us to locate, diagnose, and treat hidden root problems.

These procedures are just some of the methods we have for preserving teeth that would once have been considered impossible to save. And saving your natural teeth? That’s simply the best.