Dental office of Dr. Abubakr Shafi

06/05/2026

World Environment Day is today! 🌍🌳

06/05/2026

It's National Donut Day 🍩

06/04/2026

Battling the sugar bugs: How to get kids to brush their teeth

Dental Assisting instructor offers tips for promoting oral hygiene for kids

06/03/2026

Understanding root resorption

Learn how to recognize the different types, key symptoms, and how advanced imaging like CBCT helps clinicians diagnose and treat root resorption before it's too late.

06/02/2026

Milk and the oral microbiome

Is milk good for your teeth? The answer depends on the type. From dairy to plant-based options, differences in sugar, protein, and pH can impact enamel health, cavity risk, and...

06/01/2026

June is National Smile Month! Give us a call if you'd like to improve your SMILE! (410) 770-9590

05/31/2026

How Hormonal Changes Impact Women's Dental Well-being

Women exhibit heightened susceptibility to certain oral health issues due to the distinctive hormonal fluctuations they undergo across various life stages.

05/30/2026

Dry Socket

🔹 Also called alveolar osteitis / alveolitis sicca dolorosa
🔹 Loss/disintegration of extraction socket clot → exposed bone

Pathogenesis
🔹 Due to fibrinolysis of clot
🔹 Plasmin dissolves fibrin clot
🔹 Severe pain + foul odor, but usually no pus

Risk factors
🔹 Traumatic/difficult extraction
🔹 Especially impacted mandibular 3rd molar
🔹 Women, smokers
🔹 Oral contraceptives (estrogen ↑ fibrinolysis)
🔹 Also seen with Paget disease or post-radiotherapy

Clinical features
🔹 Starts day 2–3 after extraction
🔹 Lasts about 7–10 days
🔹 Severe throbbing pain radiating to ear/neck
🔹 Bad odor / bad taste
🔹 Empty dry socket with exposed necrotic bone
🔹 May have low-grade fever and ipsilateral nodes

Management
🔹 Palliative only
🔹 Gentle irrigation
🔹 Obtundent dressing: ZOE or iodoform gauze
🔹 Change dressing until pain subsides

Prevention
🔹 Atraumatic extraction technique is most important
🔹 Routine socket antibiotics not routinely recommended

High-yield pearl
🔹 Post-extraction day 2–3 severe pain + empty socket + foul odor + no pus = dry socket

05/30/2026

Tooth Cavities: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

A cavity, also called tooth decay, is a hole that forms in your tooth. Cavities start small and gradually become bigger when they’re left untreated.

05/29/2026

Dental Crown Tooth Pain: Causes and Treatment

You might experience some discomfort after having a crown placed, but after a few weeks, it shouldn’t hurt. Learn about all the possible causes of dental crown tooth pain and how to relieve it.