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18
Wang Peng
Dentistry
About me
Associate Chief Physician, Master of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, with 14 years of experience in this field.
Proficient in diseases
Wisdom tooth, peri-coronitis of wisdom tooth, short lingual frenulum, glossitis, periodontitis, pulp necrosis, gingival tumor, periapical periodontitis, tooth extraction, dental implant.
Voices
What kind of people are prone to cheilitis?
If the patient has the following factors, they may be prone to developing cheilitis: First, working or engaging in activities outdoors for extended periods where the lips are frequently exposed to sunlight can lead to actinic cheilitis. This condition causes the lips to turn red, the mucous membranes to dry out, and cracking. Secondly, patients with bad habits such as licking their lips can also experience dry, cracked, and peeling lips if they frequently use their tongue to lick their upper or lower lips. Third, living for a long time in areas with dry or cold climates can cause repeated occurrences of cheilitis, as the lips are continuously exposed to the harsh conditions of cold or dry weather.
What should I do about lip inflammation and melanin deposition?
The patient's lip inflammation has caused lip hyperpigmentation, which does not affect general health, speech function, or eating function, and thus usually requires no special treatment. However, if the patient feels that this affects their appearance, they can use methods such as lip tattooing, lip bleaching, or applying lipstick to cover it up. However, patients should be aware that if lip inflammation recurs, lip tattooing might exacerbate symptoms and could possibly lead to local ulceration and other issues. Therefore, it is not recommended to undergo lip tattooing if the lip inflammation frequently recurs. In daily life, it is important to keep the lips moist and avoid irritants.
If half of the cavity is empty, should the tooth be extracted?
Whether a tooth that is half decayed should be extracted depends on the condition of the patient's tooth root. It is recommended that the patient first undergo a dental X-ray to ascertain whether the tooth root is intact. If the tooth root is relatively sound, generally, extraction is not necessary. The decayed material in the tooth can be removed, followed by a pulp capping procedure, and then filling. Due to the severity of the decay, it is advisable to wear a porcelain crown for protection. If the decay has affected the dental pulp causing pulpitis, root canal treatment should be performed before filling the tooth and protecting it with a porcelain crown. However, if the tooth root is severely damaged, considering tooth extraction might be necessary.
What should I do about bad breath caused by dental caries?
If a patient is suffering from dental caries that have already caused bad breath, the situation requires active treatment targeting the dental caries. Due to the ease with which food residue and bacteria can accumulate in cavities, this will cause an odor in the mouth. Initially, it is essential to clear out food debris, bacteria, and any decayed material from the cavity. If the cavity is shallow, it can be directly filled with light-cured resin material. After the cavity is filled, the patient's bad breath symptoms should be alleviated. However, if the cavity is deep, it should first be treated with a pulp-protecting base before filling. If the dental nerve is affected, causing pulpitis, root canal treatment must be conducted first.
Will periodontitis exude pus?
Patients with periodontitis also experience symptoms of pus discharge. Periodontitis is usually caused by bacterial invasion of the periodontal tissues, leading to chronic inflammation of these tissues. Clinical symptoms mainly include swollen gums, loose teeth, and pus discharge from periodontal pockets. This disease is relatively common among adult males, especially those over the age of 35, who have a very high incidence of periodontitis. The treatment of the disease involves removing tartar and bacterial plaque, eliminating irritant factors, and then using medications. Medications such as topical metronidazole, as well as tetracycline and penicillin antibiotics, have a clear effect on the treatment of periodontitis. (Please follow medical advice when using medications.)
What should I do if my face swells from periodontitis?
If periodontitis has already caused facial swelling, active treatment can be targeted at the periodontitis. First, if there are large deposits of tartar on the crown of the tooth, these should be removed using ultrasonic cleaning to eliminate the tartar and suppress the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria. Then, manually scrape the tartar, diseased bone, and granulation tissue attached to the root surface of the gums and thoroughly rinse with hydrogen peroxide solution. If an abscess has already formed in the periodontal area, it needs to be incised under local anesthesia, then drain it using a rubber strip, and treat with systemic antibiotics such as cephalosporins or nitroimidazole drugs to alleviate the patient’s condition.
What vitamins should be taken for oral ulcers?
Patients with oral ulcers should analyze the cause of the ulcers to determine what vitamins to take. If the ulcers are caused by a vitamin deficiency, oral intake of some B vitamins, such as B1, B2, B6, B12, or some complex B vitamins, can be beneficial. However, if the ulcers are due to other reasons, supplementing with B vitamins does not yield particularly good results. It is recommended that patients use local treatments such as watermelon frost or boric acid powder to promote the healing of ulcers. If the pain is severe, local use of lidocaine gel can be applied for pain relief. In daily life, it is advisable to consume fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid spicy, stimulating, and overly greasy foods.
What should I do if I have cheilitis with yellow fluid and scabbing?
The common clinical symptoms of cheilitis often include dryness, peeling, cracking, and bleeding, and some patients may also experience the leakage of tissue fluid, or even a yellowish discharge. When patients with cheilitis notice yellowish discharge or crusting, it usually indicates that the disease is healing. At this time, patients should avoid touching it with their hands or other objects, and should not pick off the crusts. It is recommended to apply anti-inflammatory lip balm, which can promote the healing of cheilitis and also prevent infection. After the crusts heal and fall off, patients should pay attention to keeping the lip area moisturized and should also address and remove any triggering factors to prevent recurrence of cheilitis.
How to deal with chapped lips?
It is relatively normal for patients to experience peeling lips after developing cheilitis, as this is a very common clinical symptom during the progression of the disease. Patients should avoid peeling off the flaky skin on their lips with their hands, as this could potentially worsen the symptoms and may also lead to infections. After developing cheilitis, the first step should be to eliminate local irritants. For example, if engaging in prolonged outdoor activities, proper sun protection should be applied to prevent actinic cheilitis. Additionally, patients should maintain local moisture, such as using moist compresses to keep the lips hydrated, or applying a non-irritating moisturizing lip balm.
Can pigmentation caused by cheilitis be cured?
If the patient has pigment deposition caused by repeated occurrences of cheilitis, this condition is usually difficult to alleviate. Even with treatment, restoring the lips to their original color is a long and gradual process. It is suggested that patients with cheilitis, who have experienced changes in lip color, may temporarily observe the condition, as it does not affect their overall health, nor does it impede eating or speech functions. If appearance is a concern, one can use lip balm or undergo lip tattooing to cover it up; however, it is crucial to avoid local irritation.