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Sometimes, the pain in your mouth is in a place where it can’t be reached, but often, you can ease your discomfort with a topical pain reliever containing benzocaine. Products with benzocaine can be found in drug and retail stores.

Benzocaine is effective at temporarily relieving discomfort, however, if you are experiencing pain in your mouth, you should contact your dentist for an appointment to address the cause of the pain. Benzocaine has been linked to a condition called methemoglobinemia. This condition is not common, but it is serious since it reduces the amount of oxygen that your bloodstream carries throughout your body. If you use a product with benzocaine and experience shortness of breath, fatigue, an increased heart rate, or anything out of the ordinary, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Children who are teething will suffer from pain in their gums. However, because of the risk of methemoglobinemia, children under the age of two should not be given products containing benzocaine. Instead, give your child a chilled spoon, or a clean, chilled teething ring. Gentle pressure with your finger through a piece of clean gauze can also help your child feel better. You should talk with your doctor and your dentist before giving your child any medication for teething.

If you are dealing with a toothache, don’t rely on temporary measures to solve a permanent problem. To make an appointment with Dr. Scott Barnett at Pell City Dental Center PC in Pell City, Alabama, call 205-473-0044 today.

Dr. Scott Barnett only uses a dental extraction as a last resort treatment to alleviate pain and prevent further infection from a severely decayed or traumatized tooth. Afterward, he will provide you with any necessary prescriptions for an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or pain medications.

Maintaining the local gum tissues will go a long way towards speeding the recovery process, while also reducing your chances of suffering a secondary infection.​

Throughout the healing process, it’s best to try to eat soft foods or avoid chewing in that area of your mouth. It’s also best to avoid drinking anything through a straw as it could pull blot clots loose from the incisions.​

It’s perfectly natural the extraction site incision bleeds occasionally for a few days. You can help control the bleeding by biting down lightly on some sterile gauze. Once it has stopped you can gently wash away any lingering blood with a little lukewarm saltwater.​

When all your periodontal tissues have healed and any infection concerns have passed, Dr. Scott Barnett can help you understand your dental restoration options. This often involves installing a dental bridge or a dental implant with a dental crown into the void.​

If you have had a tooth extracted at Dr. Scott Barnett’s clinic in Pell City, Alabama, and you have recovery questions or concerns, you can always call 205-473-0044 to speak to a staff member at Pell City Dental Center PC

There are several reasons why your Pell City Dental Center PC dentist might recommend having a tooth extracted. It could be to treat a severely damaged tooth or one that has been excessively compromised by untreated tooth decay. At the same time wisdom teeth often need to be extracted to prevent pain and future complications.

After the extraction, Dr. Scott Barnett will likely provide you with a prescription for anti-inflammatory or other pain management medications. If untreated tooth decay caused an infection in your gums, he might also include a prescription for antibiotics.​

It’s important to maintain the health and integrity of the incision site. You shouldn’t be alarmed if your gums bleed a little for the first few days. When this happens you can control the bleeding by lightly biting down on a rolled up piece of sterile gauze.​

After the bleeding stops, you can clear your mouth by lightly rinsing with a little lukewarm salt water. You should never use something harsh like antiseptic mouthwash as this could irritate the tender periodontal tissues.​

It’s also worth noting that tobacco use can severely irritate the incision site. It’s best to abstain from all forms of tobacco use while your gums are healing. This will speed the healing process and help prevent an infection.​

If you are in the Pell City, Alabama area and you need further insights on maintaining gum health after a tooth extraction, you can call 205-473-0044 to speak to a staff member at Pell City Dental Center PC.

The anatomy of your teeth is something many people don’t think about and don’t think to ever look at. Here at Pell City Dental Center PC, we think it’s important you have a more in-depth understanding of your tooth’s anatomy along with the emphasis of taking care of your smile (especially when it comes to brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and visiting your dentist biannually for an exam). Parts of your teeth include the following:​

– Enamel is the calcified tissue covering dentin in the crown of your tooth. Since it doesn’t contain living cells, tooth enamel cannot be repair itself after damage from decay or from wear. Your dentist can fix it with treatment.​

– Dentin is the part of the tooth beneath enamel and cementum. It contains microscopic tubules, and when dentin loses its protective covering (tooth enamel), the tubules allow heat and cold or acidic or sticky foods to stimulate the nerves and cells inside the tooth, causing sensitivity and possible infections.​

– The crown is the top, visible part of your tooth, normally covered by enamel.​

– The area where the crown joins the root is called the neck.

– Roots are the part of the tooth embedded in bone. The root makes up about two-thirds of the tooth and holds the tooth in place.​

– Gums (also known as gingiva) are soft tissues covering and protecting the roots of your teeth. They cover teeth that have not yet erupted.​

Visit your dentist at Pell City Dental Center PC in Pell City, Alabama, to get the best dental care for you and your teeth. Call our dental professionals at 205-473-0044 to make an appointment or set up a consultation today!

Did you know that oral cancer affects over 40,000 new Americans every year? With such a high prevalence of the disease, you should check your mouth every day for any signs or symptoms. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, you should contact your dentist right away. Even if you don’t have cancer, your symptoms still need to be evaluated.

You should contact your dentist if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:​

– Trouble speaking, eating, and chewing.
– A lump in your throat that will not go away, or a sore throat that doesn’t get better.
– Numbness in your mouth or face.
– A wound or sore in your mouth or on your face that does not heal after two weeks.
– Irregular bumps, lumps, colored patches, rough spots, or unexplained swelling in your mouth.
– Difficulty fully opening your mouth.
– Unusual or unexplained bleeding from your mouth, head face, or neck areas.​

To learn more about these symptoms and oral cancer screenings, contact Pell City Dental Center PC at 205-473-0044. Come visit Dr. Scott Barnett and the team at our office in Pell City, Alabama. We would be glad to take care of any oral health care needs you may have.

Did you know it’s best to clean your smile twice a day: every morning and every night? It’s true! Oral hygiene is vital for your oral health. In the morning, it’s best to brush your teeth. At night, your routine is a little more complicated. To help you perform a successful before-bed oral hygiene routine, Dr. Scott Barnett has some helpful tips for you.

To begin, clean your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. As you brush, do so for two minutes and deeply clean the front, back, and top surfaces of each tooth. When the two minutes are up, rinse your mouth with water, wash the toothbrush head with water, and then place the toothbrush in an area where it can remain germ free.

Then, floss your teeth with an easy-to-use flossing product. This can be waxed floss, a water flosser, or a flossing stick. As you floss, be careful around the gumline. Being rough can injure your oral tissues. Make sure to remove as much plaque as possible.​

Next, rinse your mouth with mouthwash. It’s best to use antibacterial or fluoride mouthwash for optimal results. As you rinse, follow the instructions on the bottle. It should mention the length of time to swish the rinse. This will give you a fresh breath as well as clean any areas that the toothbrush and floss might have missed.​

Do you have any questions about how to clean your smile or about oral hygiene in Pell City, Alabama? If so, call Pell City Dental Center PC at 205-473-0044 now! The sooner you call us, the sooner we will be able to help you. We look forward to giving you the tips you need to care for your smile!

When a tooth suffers from a large cavity or chipped tooth enamel, it needs to be treated. If the compromised area of tooth enamel is small, Dr. Scott Barnett might be able to repair it with a simple amalgam or composite resin filling. If the damage to the tooth is severe, our dentist might recommend replacing the entire tooth enamel layer with a special dental crown.​

The specific material Dr. Scott Barnett recommends for the crown will be based on the tooth’s location in your mouth and its primary function.

Molars and premolars in the back of your mouth are called upon to do a lot of chewing. Durable materials like gold and base metals are often preferable for dental crowns on these teeth.​

To restore a tooth that appears in your smile Dr. Scott Barnett will often recommend a dental crown made from a special dental porcelain. If you have an incisor or visible premolar at the edge of your smile, Dr. Scott Barnett might recommend using a porcelain dental crown fused to a strong metal core. This special core can then provide the added strength to bite off tougher foods. The porcelain material can be shaded to perfectly match the surrounding natural teeth. We also offer Procera dental crowns, that are incredibly life-like in appearance.​

If you have a tooth that needs a dental crown in Pell City, Alabama, you should call 205-473-0044 to schedule an appointment at Pell City Dental Center PC.

There’s no more important time to eat right than when you’re pregnant. By eating the right things, you can help your baby grow strong and healthy teeth. Use the following tips to make sure your diet is the best it can be for you and your child.​

As always, eating a variety of foods is still important during pregnancy. By eating many different foods, you will be helping you and your baby receive many different nutrients important for growth and vitality. You should do your best to eat foods lower in sugar, such as Greek yogurt, cheeses, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. An important mineral to consume is folic acid, which decreases the risk of your child developing birth defects. Foods high in folic acid include asparagus, bananas, beans, bread, broccoli, cereals, leafy greens, peas, and rice are excellent natural sources of folic acid.​

Just like it’s important to eat the right kinds of foods, you should also forego eating the wrong kinds of foods. Highly sugary foods are dangerous to your overall dental health because they cause plaque buildup, which may chip away at your enamel and lead to decay in your teeth. Candy, cakes, sugary cereals, and sugary drinks should all be avoided. When your teeth are plaque-free, they’ll remain healthy.​

Lastly, be cautious when snacking often during your pregnancy. Snacking is known to help reduce feelings of vertigo, nausea, and motion sickness for women who are pregnant, but excess snacking can cause plaque buildup, which leads to tooth decay.​

Whenever you eat more than usual, you’ll be at a greater risk for contracting tooth decay and gum disease. This is a problem for many pregnant women. At Pell City Dental Center PC, we’re trained to help you keep your mouth healthy and strong during your pregnancy. Please contact our dental office in Pell City, Alabama, by calling us at 205-473-0044 now. Dr. Scott Barnett and our team can’t wait to meet you and your baby!

A crown is commonly cast from very durable dental grade materials such as gold, porcelain-ceramic, or base metal alloys. While this makes them invulnerable to tooth decay, it is still possible for a dental trauma or bad habit to chip or fracture a crown.​

People who have a bad habit of chewing on stray objects or using their teeth for tools are at heightened risk for suffering crown damage. The same is true for people who grind their teeth at night on a regular basis without the comfort and protection of a quality dental guard.​

If one of your crowns is chipped or fractured, you need to call 205-473-0044 as soon as possible to have it examined at Pell City Dental Center PC’s Pell City, Alabama, clinic.​

While you await care with one of our dentists, there are a few things to keep in mind to help minimize undue complications.

You should never attempt to brush or clean the damaged crown. If the incident has exposed some of the abutment you might experience heightened sensitivity problems. If you have blood or debris in your mouth, you can gently rinse them away using lukewarm salt water. Any other cleaning should be left to our team of dental specialists.​

If the abutment was cracked or was otherwise damaged, it might cause serious complications. In a case like this, one of our dentists might need to perform a root canal to restore the damaged structure. Once this is done we can start the process of fitting you for a new crown.​

In a case where the abutment has suffered significant damage, we might recommend treatment with a root canal. Once this endodontic therapy is completed, it will restore sufficient structure to anchor a new crown in your mouth.​

If you live in the Pell City, Alabama, area and you have suffered a damaged crown, you should call 205-473-0044 to have it examined and treated by one of Pell City Dental Center PC’s dentists.

You probably understand that there are several dental issues that can be uncomfortable and painful. For instance, you may know that tooth decay or a chipped tooth can lead to toothaches and sensitivity. You may also be aware that a damaged root canal might be extremely painful. However, would you be surprised to hear that an abscess might also lead to discomfort if not addressed?

An abscess is basically a pocket of pus that may form if have a chip, crack, or a cavity in one of your pearly whites. If you’re dealing with any of these issues, bacteria will be able to spread to center of your tooth more easily, which could ultimately lead to an abscess. If this happens, our team could save the affected tooth with root canal therapy. We’ll also be able to drain the abscess. If you think you might have an abscess, we suggest getting in contact with us as quickly as you can because an untreated abscess might cause several problems.​

Fortunately, there are a number of several signs and symptoms you may be able to identify, such as red and swollen gums. You may also experience pain when you chew resulting in a toothache.You might also have a fever or a bad taste in your mouth. You may be able to avoid an abscess by brushing and flossing your pearly whites well, which will help you prevent cavities and tooth decay. We also suggest calling us if you damage one of your pearly whites.​

If you would like to hear more about coping with an abscess in Pell City, Alabama, please feel free to give Pell City Dental Center PC a call at 205-473-0044. Our dentist, Dr. Scott Barnett, and our dental team will gladly examine your teeth and gums and address any concerns you might have. We look forward to hearing from you!