Indulging in drinking alcohol or smoking may not only damage your teeth but also lead to increased incidences of failure in dental fillings, warned researchers. The findings, led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, showed that within two years of the dental procedure, fillings failed more often in patients who drank alcohol, while the overall filling failure rate was higher in men who smoked.
This could be because MMP2 might be able to degrade the bond between the filling and the tooth surface, potentially leading to failure, the researchers said. The results, published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, suggest that genetic analysis might help dentists to personalise treatments for their patients, which could lead to improved outcomes.
“A better understanding of individual susceptibility to dental disease and variation in treatment outcomes will allow the dental field to move forward,” said Alexandre Vieira, a researcher from the varsity. “In the future, genetic information may be used to personalise dental treatments and enhance treatment outcomes,” Vieira added. For the study, the team from America and Brazil analysed dental records of 807 patients. Fillings can fail for a variety of reasons, including re-emergence of the initial tooth decay or the filling becoming detached.
The researchers also examined if newer composite resin fillings are as durable as traditional amalgam fillings, which have been in use for more than 150 years but which contain mercury, a toxic metal. The researchers found that overall, there were no major differences between patients receiving amalgam or composite fillings in terms of filling failure rates.
A root canal is performed when the soft center of your tooth known as the pulp becomes damaged. When your pulp becomes damaged, it can become infected or inflamed and needs to be removed through a root canal.
During the procedure, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area, so you will not feel any pain. An access hole is made by drilling into the tooth and the damaged pulp
is scraped out. Each of the canals inside of the tooth will be cleaned and then your tooth will be filled with gutta-percha material.
You will receive a temporary filling and need to come back with a permanent one. You will likely also require a dental crown to be fitted on the tooth that received the root canal for additional protection.
Smoking and Dental
Complications
Smoking in general, let alone after a root canal treatment, is highly discouraged by doctors and dentists. Not only does smoking contribute to many negative health outcomes, but it also increases the likelihood that you will need more root canals.
According to studies, smokers are twice as likely to need root canal treatment than nonsmokers. The longer you smoke, the higher this risk increases. Root canals are somewhat invasive procedures and
they can be costly, so it’s best to avoid behaviors that increase your risk of needing them.
Smoking and Healing After a Root Canal
Smoking also negatively impacts the healing process following a root canal. A root canal requires oral surgery, and your mouth is very sensitive and vulnerable in the days following oral surgery.
After your root canal treatment, you should follow aftercare directions from your dentist closely. For the first few hours
after the root canal, your mouth will still be numb so you should not eat or consume hot liquids until the local anesthesia has completely worn off.
You should also refrain from smoking during this time and while you are recovering, as it can delay the recovery process. Cigarettes contain toxic chemicals which cause cancer and essentially poison the sensitive tissue in your mouth.
Because smoking reduces blood flow, an adequate supply of oxygen and other nutrients
cannot reach the gums, which can prolong your recovery time and cause other oral health problems.
Post Root Canal Recovery Tips
After receiving a root canal, the local anesthesia will not wear off for a few hours. It’s important to avoid consuming anything other than cold or room temperature water until your mouth is no longer numb to avoid accidentally biting your mouth or burning yourself with hot liquids.
Once the anesthetic wears off, you can
eat, but you should stick to soft foods and try to chew on the opposite side of your mouth. It’s a good idea to stick to softer foods like yogurt, ice cream, oatmeal, and mashed potatoes for a couple of days.
You may feel some slight discomfort, pain, or swelling in the following days once the local anesthetic has worn off, but this tends to be mild. For relief, you can take anti-pain medication and an ice pack to reduce swelling.
Within three days you should be able to
return to your normal routine, but until then you should not use straws or smoke. Follow oral hygiene directions provided to you by Dr. Niraj Patel.
Cibolo Family Smiles Performs Root Canals to Save Teeth From Extraction
Are you experiencing signs of an inflamed or infected tooth? Contact us at Cibolo Family Smiles to
find out what your options are. Root canals are a last resort treatment option used to salvage a tooth so it doesn’t need to be extracted.
It is not ideal to have a missing tooth, so needing an extraction requires filling the missing space with a prosthesis or artificial tooth. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Niraj Patel in Cibolo to find
out if a root canal would be a good option for you. If you’re experiencing pain, we can relieve this during the first root canal treatment in which we remove the tooth’s pulp.