Diagnosis and Treatment of Salivary Gland Pathologies
The salivary glands are responsible for the production of saliva. The most frequent dysfunction results in dry mouth (xerostomia), with consequences for chewing, swallowing, nutrition, speech and breathing. In its origin may be bacterial or viral infections, systemic disorders (Sjögren's syndrome, HIV, lupus, diabetes or Alzheimer's), tumors or interference of certain drugs. The reduction of saliva production also has an effect on the risk of developing cavities, since it acts as a "tooth protector". To determine the cause of salivary gland diseases, the most commonly used diagnostic tools are Rx, computed tomography and salivary flow assessment.
Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
Located near the ear, the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) establishes the union of the mandible with the skull. The dysfunctions of this joint may be related to problems of bad dental relation that cause imbalance in the joints, muscles and ligaments.
Patients with this disorder usually complain of the following symptoms: headaches, ears, eyes, face and neck, as well as difficulties in chewing, tinnitus, nausea and dizziness. The treatment of TMD dysfunction involves the elimination of causal factors, so it is often necessary to articulate with orthodontic treatment, with implantology interventions to replace missing teeth, or with Orthognathic surgery.
Included tooth traction
Sometimes the teeth do not erupt due to lack of space in the arcade getting impacted in the bone. In these cases, and after creating space in the arcade with the use of orthodontic appliance, it may be necessary to expose them and pull them so that they position themselves correctly and next to the others. We talk in orthodontic traction whenever you need this surgery exposure of a tooth is needed to integrate the braces. This phenomenon often occurs with upper canines due to the fact that they are the last to erupt in the anterior region of the maxilla
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Bone grafts
Complex clinical situations resulting from infections or accidents with significant loss of bone structure may require bone graft surgery.
These interventions are performed in an integrated way with other specialties, namely maxillofacial or general surgery, for the eventual harvesting of bone to be grafted.
At MALO CLINIC we always try to avoid using grafts for rehabilitation, since we have a wide variety of implants and other solutions in case of problems or absences of teeth. However, the need for bone presence is not limited to the placement of implants. Large bone defects, oroantral communications jaw fracture injuries are examples of clinical situations in which these procedures can be used.