Food impaction A silent threat

                            Food impaction A silent threat

                                                                            By- Dr. ANKIT YADAV

After a meal, I realize that there is something lodge in between my teeth. It irritates me many times, I move my tongue there again and again until the particles stay at that place once, it removes from the teeth then I feel relax after that. I see most people face this problem in their day-to-day life. Many have their hacks to deal with it, some use toothpicks other use dental floss (visit my early blog oral hygiene aids for more information), and gargles after a meal. Some people use thread instead of dental floss and pin instead of a toothpick and this leads to trauma to the gums and bleeding and swelling occur in that area. Pain is also associating with it in many cases. If we ignore these signs and symptoms then in the future it can lead to bone resorption as well as teeth will be mobile.

Causes of food lodgement: -

• Tooth anatomy
• Faulty Interproximal restoration
• Prosthesis related
• Gum disease

Tooth anatomy: -

              The anatomy of the tooth plays a major role in the food lodgement. If there is a natural gap in between the tooth then the chance of food lodgement is higher if it is not self-cleansing. If the interdental gingiva (gum in between 2 teeth) is resorbed then the chances of food lodgement is increased because it forms a gap in which food sticks into it and leads to irritation. If the tooth is moved from its ideal place, then it forms an unnecessary crowding as well as gapping in the oral cavity this can also lead to food impaction.

Faulty interproximal restoration: -

                        The interproximal restoration is one of the most common factors of food impaction. If there is caries in the interproximal region then the food lodgement occurs in that area and the caries microorganism spread more actively because it gets its favorable environment to grow. Faulty interproximal restoration is also a factor of food lodgement. There is crack and gap nearby the restoration either the marginal ridge is broken or the restoration is deficient in the region are some examples of food lodgement.

Faulty prosthesis: -

                         The crown (cap) prosthesis of the restored tooth is not adequate to the size and shape needed to replace the original tooth size than there is gapping occurs in between the teeth and lead to food impaction. The prosthesis can a bridge also cover more than one tooth in a unit if the fitting is not adequate then the chances of food impaction is higher.

Gum disease: -

Gum disease is one of the most common factors of food impaction. When oral hygiene is not good then the gums affect and then there is inflammation, bleeding, and swelling of the gingiva occurs and it leads to recession of gums nearby tooth and a gap is formed in between the teeth and later on the food impaction occur and irritate the gums more.

Complications of food impaction: -

 

Some signs and symptoms associated with food impaction: -

• Gingival inflammation with bleeding
• Feeling of pressure
• Urge to dig food from between the tooth
• Gingival recession
• Root caries
• Destruction of alveolar bone
• Periodontal abscess formation
• Foul smell from the mouth

1.  As the impaction of food occurs for a long time then it leads to the destruction of healthy tissue around the tooth.
2. When the impaction of food occurs in between the tooth then it leads to cavity formation as well as to pocket formation in the gums
3. Both these things damage the healthy tooth and its surroundings and make a favorable environment for the microorganisms.
4. After the damage of the gingiva, the deep pocket makes a passage for the organisms to move to the bone
5. The food impaction occurs below the gums also and it is not cleansable by normal brushing and these organisms hit the bone and cause bone resorptions.
6. The losing of bone leads to the mobility of tooth structure and the tooth fall at an early age.

Professional opinion: -

• Do not neglect these early signs as well as these kinds of problems in day-to-day life because these problems accumulate together and cause greater damage in your early life.
• Scaling and root planning by the professional helps to overcome the food impaction problem.
• Remove the faulty restoration and do a proper restoration to block the gap in between teeth.
• Change the faulty prosthesis by the proper shape and size prosthesis.
• You can use an interdental brush also to clean the area where food impaction occurs.
• Dental floss can also be used if the gap is minor but still food impaction occurs.
• After a meal, you can rinse with water thoroughly.
• Avoid using pins and wooden blocks to dig the impacted food because they cause infection and trauma.
• Visit your dentist after every 6 months for a regular check-up to avoid these problems.