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Grinding Your Teeth May Be Giving You Wrinkles | Ottawa Dentist

We all can admit that a telltale sign of old age is wrinkles. It’s a fact of life and there is nothing we can do to reverse time. They appear in various areas on our face – one such area is the corners of our mouth. There is a muscle that attaches the corners of our mouth to the border of the lower jaw that motivates facial expression. Specifically, it allows us to frown. And if we frown a lot, we are likely to over-develop this muscle. The consequence is “jowl lines”, wrinkles from the corners of the mouth to the bottom of the lower jaw. 

Unfortunately, jowl lines don’t mean you’re a grumpy person. You can get jowl lines just from unconsciously clenching and grinding your teeth, especially during sleep, but even during the awake hours. This unconscious habit is called bruxism. Your dentist can, with some confidence, diagnose you as having bruxism if you have obvious signs of excessive wear on your teeth that cannot be attributed to what you eat and chew. If you are told you have bruxism, don’t fight it. Excessive wear of your teeth is forensic evidence you are unconsciously doing it during the daytime, or you are doing it while you are in certain stages of sleep. 

So, what do you do with this newfound habit? Well, your dentist can make you a custom, calibrated oral appliance that gives you an ideal bite. This ideal bite will lessen the tendency to clench and grind. The bite appliances are not obtrusive nor obviously visible, especially if your dentist makes it to fit over your lower teeth. To repair developed jowl lines, ask your dentist about botox injections or dermal fillers at your next checkup. 

Schedule your appointment today. Call Dr. Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.urbandentalcentre.com.

Dr. Katia Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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When Jaw Pain Becomes an Issue | Ottawa Dentist

When we begin to develop jaw pain, it can be cause for worry. After all, this is  our jawbone – it helps us speak, chew and loads of other essential daily activities. If something is wrong with it and it goes untreated, it can cause issues down the road.

If you find that your jaw is slipping out of joint, you may be developing TMJ disorder. For some patients, the jaw can slip back into place; for others, it needs to be manually popped back into place by a physician. Eventually, this will begin to wear down the tendon, muscles and cartilage. In order to get a proper diagnosis, you will need to get a professional evaluation. This will likely include a CT scan and/or an MRI.

If it is diagnosed that you have developed some form of TMJ disorder, the treatment will depend on the progression that has already taken place. For the milder conditions, prescriptions are given for inflammation and pain. And because TMJ can be caused by stress, exercise and meditation can also help aid in the alleviation of pain. Night guards and hot or cold therapy are also some DIY options that can also help. Botox injection can be used to
relieve pain caused by TMD by relaxing the muscles.

If you appear to have a more acute condition, you may need to have some surgery. TMJ arthroscopy or arthrocentesis is a minimally invasive procedure that can be done as outpatient surgery. The recovery time for this procedure is about a week. A total joint replacement may also be the ultimate treatment. It will require a hospital stay and recovery is close to six weeks. So, if you are beginning to feel some jaw pain, be sure to get it checked as soon as possible.

Schedule your appointment today. Call Dr. Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.urbandentalcentre.com.

Dr. Katia Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Getting Botox: At the Dentist? | Ottawa Dentist

It seems everyone is trying to keep their youthful glow these days and will try almost anything to keep it. From fad diets to surgical procedures, everyone is looking for that quick path to the fountain of youth. Because let’s face it – time waits for no man. So, we go to the doctors to fill in our wrinkles with collagen and Botox in order to keep it moving. But have you ever heard of getting Botox injections at the dentist? Sure, it isn’t the first treatment option you think of when visiting the dentist, but Botox is actually a very useful option in the dental world. Botox injections or Botox, for short, is used in treating all sorts of conditions in the medical field, because of its temporary paralysis of muscle activity components. But, it’s not like teeth have wrinkles, right? Dental professionals have begun to use these injections to treat conditions like bruxism, TMJ and others involving facial pain. Because it is safe for treating conditions involving facial pain, Botox injections may also prove useful in many other dental cases. In orthodontics, the teeth of patients with strong mentalis muscles are prone reverting back to pre-therapy positions. Botox can help by weakening the muscles to allow movement and prevent any of the results of the current treatment. Patients who are still getting used to dentures can also benefit from Botox as they transition. While some may be concerned about using Botox as a treatment option, know that the local anesthesia typically used during your dental visits has greater potential for complications and negative reactions than Botox or dermal fillers. If you would like more information about Botox, call Dr. Katia Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.lesplanadedental.com. Dr. Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.
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The ABCs of Tooth Sensitivity | Ottawa Dentist

As we progress into these chillier autumn months, our clothes begin to multiply, and our diet begins to change from ice cold drinks to piping hot beverages. For those that aren’t exactly fans of the heat, it is a welcomed season. For those that have trouble drinking those pumpkin spice lattes to warm us on these brisk months, this is a tough adjustment period.

There are some things you can do to prevent your teeth from becoming sensitive to your favorite autumn treats. Taking proactive measures will not only decrease your chances of developing tooth sensitivity, but will also maintain your mouth’s overall good health:

Avoid acids. One of the easiest ways to keep your smile is to improve your diet. Instead of junk foods and acidic drinks like sodas, try eating more fruits and dairy as snacks. They will naturally scour stains from your teeth while producing saliva to wash any sugars left away.

Be gentle. One of the main reasons your tooth enamel may be thinning is due to your brushing. Brushing harder doesn’t clean your teeth better. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. For best results, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and hold it at a 45-degree angle while you brush gently in a circular motion.

Cool it on bleaching. We all want bright, Hollywood smiles, but overbleaching will begin to have an adverse effect on your teeth as it begins to wear down your enamel, exposing the discolored layers hiding beneath.

Don’t grind your teeth. Believe it or not, if you find that you are clenching your teeth or waking with headaches, see a dentist. Clenching your teeth will wear enamel, so you may need a mouth guard.

If you would like more information about tooth sensitivity, call Dr. Katia Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.lesplanadedental.com.

Dr. Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Your Jaw Pain May Be Serious | Ottawa Dentist

Have you noticed that you’ve begun to develop jaw pain? Does it tend to happen when you wake up? If this sounds familiar, it’s time to pay your Ottawa dentist a visit – you may have developed TMJ disorder.

For a quick overview, TMJ is another word for the joint that connects your jaw to your skull by your ear. With this temporal joint, we are able to talk, chew and yawn. TMJ disorder affects millions of adults and children in the United States today. There are a multitude of remedies and treatments an individual has available for them to try. In order to get a full diagnosis of what’s going on, dental professionals suggest patients undergo a full comprehensive examination.

What can you expect? The evaluation is conducted by reviewing the patient’s medical history, as well as a detailed clinical exam to include jaw movement, skeletal structure and posture, airway and dental health, as well as cranial and neurological examination and muscle palpitations.

Nerves, tendons, ligaments, and muscles are all interconnected with TMJ. That being said, when any one of those pieces malfunction, the system that usually works in harmony is thrown off balance, causing more TMJ symptoms such as pain, or loss of functionality in certain areas.

Because there is such an importance placed on this area, the examination focuses on a comprehensive evaluation for diagnosis and non-invasive treatment therapies. The best way to be sure your jaw pain isn’t something serious is by getting a dental professional to diagnose possible TMJ problems, direct non-surgical treatment, and monitor treatment progress.

If you would like more information about TMJ issues, call Dr. Katia Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.lesplanadedental.com.

Dr. Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.