Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Trauma to the face or teeth can be caused by auto accidents,
falls, and
injury from sports such as football, hockey, soccer, volleyball,
basketball, and baseball, etc. Patients suffering significant
head, neck,
or facial trauma should be evaluated and treated in hospital
emergency
rooms. Such trauma may involve bleeding from the nose or ears,
concussion,
dizziness,
lapse of memory, disorientation, severe headache and
earache,
or breaking (fracture) of the skull and/or jaws. Most hospitals have on their staff oral surgeons who can treat fractures of the upper
or lower
jaw and perform emergency tooth removal (dental extractions) and
reconstruction of the dental arches.
Wear and tear due to cavities and chewing hard objects, such as
pencils, ice
cubes, nuts, and hard candies, can also lead to tooth
fractures. Dental
injury without associated head and neck trauma can be evaluated
and
treated in a dental office. Such dental injuries include broken
(fractured) teeth, teeth totally knocked out of the mouth, or
teeth
displaced by unexpected external forces. These dental accidents
may be
associated with swelling of the gum and oral tissue. Cold packs
or ice
cubes placed either inside the mouth directly above the injured
tooth, or
outside on the cheeks or lips, can reduce pain and swelling
before the
patient reaches the dentist.
What is a tooth fracture?
Tooth fractures can range from minor (involving chipping of
the outer
tooth layers called enamel and dentin) to severe (involving
vertical,
diagonal, or horizontal fractures of the root). Enamel and
dentin are the
two outer protective layers of the tooth. The enamel is the
outermost
white hard surface. The dentin is a yellow layer lying just
beneath the
enamel. Enamel and dentin both serve to protect the inner
living tooth
tissue called the pulp. The visible one-third of the tooth is called
the crown,
while the remaining two-thirds of the tooth buried in the bone is
called the
root. Dental X-rays are necessary in most instances to
diagnose, locate,
and measure the extent of tooth fracture.
Toothache usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint (TMJ), or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. A toothache can also be caused by a problem that does not originate from a tooth or the jaw, like diseases of the heart (angina or heart attack), ear infections, and sinus infections. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine the cause.
Find out more about how orthodontic braces and retainers can provide proper alignment to crooked teeth. Get answers to all your braces questions about care, clear braces, and color bands.
The most common cause of a black eye is due to an injury to the face or head. Most black eye injuries are minor and heal on their own, however, some may lead to significant injury. In addition to trauma to the face, cosmetic surgery can cause a black eye(s) as a side effect. People should be aware of the situations in which medical care should be sought immediately for a black eye.
Endocarditis, a serious infection of one of the four heart valves is caused by growth of bacteria on one of the heart valves; leading to an infected massed called a "vegetation." The infection can be caused by having bacteria in the bloodstream after dental work, colonoscopy, or other similar procedures. Endocarditis symptoms include fever, fatigue, weakness, chills, aching muscles and joints, night sweats, edema in the legs, feet, or abdomen, malaise, shortness of breath and small skin lesions. Treatment for endocarditis is generally aggressive antibiotic treatment.
Learn more about what cavities like, their symptoms, treatment and prevention. See how tooth decay, plaque and bacteria contribute to the creation of cavities and how regular brushing and flossing can help.
Children's health is focused on the well-being of children from conception through adolescence. There are many aspects of children's health, including growth and development, illnesses, injuries, behavior, mental illness, family health and community health.
First aid is a complicated subject and it is situation-specific. First aid is the help and medical assistance that someone gives, not only to an injured person, but to a person who is sick. Preparedness is a key element of first aid, like having basic medical emergency kits in your home, car, boat, or RV. Cuts, puncture wounds, sprains, strains, nosebleeds are one type of injury that may require first aid; heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and heat stroke are examples of more critical first aid emergencies.
To treat a cavity your dentist will remove the decayed portion of the tooth and then "fill" the area on the tooth where the decayed material once lived.
Fillings are also used to repair cracked or broken teeth and teeth that have been worn down from misuse (such as from nail-biting or tooth grinding ).
What Steps Are Involved in Filling a Tooth?
First, the dentist will numb the area around the tooth to be worked on with a local anesthetic. Next, a drill, air abrasion instrument or laser will be used to remove the decayed area. The choice of instrument depends on the individual dentist's comfort level, training, and investment in the particular piece of equipment as well as location and extent of the decay.
Next, your dentist will probe or test the area during the decay removal process to determine if all the decay has been removed. Once the decay has been removed, your dentist will prepare the space for the filli...
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