Special Treatments
Bruxism, Joint Diseases and Treatment
A condition involving involuntary clenching and grinding of teeth. It can result from emotional stress or intraoral causes and occurs during sleep or daytime.
Consequences:
- Wear on tooth surfaces
- Increased tooth sensitivity
- Muscle and joint pain, headaches
- Gum recession
- Difficulty chewing
- Decreased sleep quality
Treatment: Custom night guards regulate tooth contacts and distribute forces evenly. Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections reduce masticatory muscle activity.
Tooth Sensitivity and Treatment
When gum recession exposes the dentin layer, the internal tubules become sensitive to stimuli such as cold, triggering sharp, electric shock-like pain through the nerve.
Causes: Gum recession, tissue loss on tooth surfaces, old filling/crown leakage, new filling and crown work, teeth clenching/grinding.
Treatment steps:
- Correcting bad habits (hard brush/aggressive brushing)
- Structural treatments: restoration of worn areas, gum surgery, replacement of leaking fillings/crowns
- Behavioral interventions: night guards, botulinum toxin injections
- For persistent sensitivity: desensitizing pastes and laser applications
Trigeminal Neuralgia and Treatment
A painful nerve condition often confused with dental pain. Described by patients as "like an electric shock" or "sharp like a stabbing knife."
Duration is usually a few seconds, maximum 2 minutes. Commonly felt in the upper jaw posterior teeth, lower jaw, face and around the eyes. Occurs on one side of the face, usually the right. Most commonly affects middle-aged and elderly women.
Treatment: Can be treated with medication or in some cases surgical intervention.
Dry Mouth (Xerostomia) and Treatment
Excessive reduction in saliva that occurs as a side effect of serious illness or certain medications. The physiological cleansing effect of saliva is lost, leading to changes in oral flora and a significant increase in tooth decay.
Causes: Sjogren's syndrome, uncontrolled diabetes, head and neck radiation therapy, chemotherapy, medications and mouth-breathing habits.
Treatment:
- Medical interventions and medication changes
- Drinking plenty of water and sugar-free beverages
- Developing a gum-chewing habit
- Avoiding caffeinated beverages, alcohol and tobacco
- Xylitol-containing products (gum, tablets, lozenges)
- Saliva substitutes and moisturizing gels
Bad Breath (Halitosis) and Treatment
A very common condition observed in individuals of all ages.
Systemic causes: Diabetes, kidney diseases, stomach diseases.
Intraoral causes: Gum diseases, decayed teeth, unhygienic fillings and prosthetics, difficult-to-clean crowded teeth, partially erupted wisdom teeth, peri-implant diseases.
Treatment: Following a detailed clinical and radiographic dental examination: treatment of gum disease, removal of tartar, correction of oral care habits, replacement of unhygienic fillings/prosthetics and removal of wisdom teeth as needed.
Holistic Dentistry
A diagnostic, assessment and cause-oriented treatment approach that encompasses overall body health, its relationship with oral health, and all systems starting from the masticatory system.
Infections starting in the oral cavity can enter the circulatory system, progress without symptoms and lead to heart valve infections and urinary tract infections.
Areas of intervention:
- Dead teeth
- Incompletely filled root canal-treated teeth that are sources of chronic infection
- Dental restorations containing heavy metals incompatible with the body (amalgam)
- Implants that are sources of chronic infection
- Gum diseases, impacted teeth, cysts, granulomas
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
Dental Phobia and Anxiety
Dental phobia is a form of fear that patients cannot control, ranging to complete unwillingness to communicate. It usually stems from childhood traumatic experiences.
Treatment approach: Step-by-step progression, identifying the source of the phobia, building patient-dentist trust and progressing through stages one by one through education. Sedation or general anesthesia may be preferred for patients who cannot cope despite their phobia.
Dental Anxiety differs from phobia. These patients do not hesitate to sit in the dental chair but believe that complications will occur with every procedure. Treatment focuses on controlling imagination, providing complete and clear information and breaking the cycle of anxiety. When the patient-dentist relationship is built on trust, dental anxiety can be managed and completely eliminated.