Defending Your Mouth

Soft Drinks

The beverage of choice

For many people, soft drinks are the beverage of choice. But if you drink them all day long, you may not realize the damage you can be doing to your teeth. The damage is two-fold.

Tooth decay caused by soft drinks

First, soft drinks contain 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar per serving. So, when you drink a soda, you are essentially bathing your teeth in liquid sugar. The bacteria that naturally live on your teeth feed on that sugar and produce acid. Without proper care, the acid dissolves the surface of your teeth and creates a cavity.

Dental erosion caused by soft drinks

Second, soft drinks – especially diet sodas – contain acids. The acids wash over your teeth, affecting the entire tooth structure. Over time, they erode the hard, protective enamel, causing your teeth to get thinner and expose the sensitive dentin layer inside your tooth. When the dentin layer is exposed, you may become sensitive to hot, cold, and sweet foods. And your teeth can appear yellow. As your teeth continue to get thinner, the edges can crumble and lose their natural shape. When the enamel is worn away, it exposes the dentin layer to both decay and pain. This is not a problem only for adults. Children and teens have frequent access to soft drinks. Because their teeth are still forming, the damage to them can be great. Colas (regular and diet), sports drinks, energy drinks, vitamin waters, fruit juices, sweet teas, blended coffee drinks and wine all contain sugars that can damage your teeth. A 16-ounce blended coffee drink can contain 500 calories and 69 grams of sugar!

Better choices

Your best choice for a beverage is fluoridated water. If you must consume soft drinks, however, remember:

• Use a straw
• Do not drink for extended periods of time
• Do not hold the liquid in your mouth before swallowing
• Cut down on the amount you drink
• After you drink, rinse your mouth with fluoridated water
• Wait at least 20 minutes before brushing

With smarter choices and regular check-ups, you can protect the health of your teeth for years to come.

Flossing

The importance of flossing

People who floss every day are taking a significant step in keeping their teeth clean and healthy. Periodontal disease and many cavities start between the teeth where the bristles of your toothbrush simply cannot reach. That is why flossing is necessary for removing the plaque and bacteria that cause these dental diseases.

How to floss

Pull out about 18 inches of floss and wind it around the middle fingers of each hand, leaving about a 5 inch span of floss between your fingers. Pinch the floss between your thumbs and index fingers, leaving about 1 inch to work with. Using a gentle side-to-side motion, gently guide the floss between the teeth. Pull the floss tightly in a C-shape around the side of the tooth and slide the floss under the gumline. Move the floss up and down several times to remove all the food and bacteria. Then pull the floss around the neighboring tooth and repeat the process. Wind the floss to a fresh section and gradually work your way around your mouth. Make sure to floss on both sides of every tooth.

How to solve flossing problems

If your gums are infected, they will bleed when you floss. That is to be expected if you are just beginning to floss. After a week or so of regular flossing, the bleeding should stop. If you have problems reaching some areas, you may want to use a floss fork, a floss pick, or other flossing aids. Tell us if your teeth are too tight to floss or if the floss catches or tears. This indicates that there may be problems in your mouth that need to be fixed. Let us know if you have any questions about your flossing. We will be happy to recommend the best floss for you and offer tips for keeping your teeth and gums healthy.

What if? Wednesdays

What if I break a tooth?

When you break a tooth, several things can happen. You may have simply chipped the tooth, which requires minimally invasive repair. However, you can crack your tooth, through the enamel and into the pulp, which can be a painful experience. When a fractured tooth exposes the tooth root, the tooth is not able to be saved. The following is a guide to cracked and fractured teeth, outlining the steps and precautions you should take to protect your oral health.

When is an extraction necessary?

When the root of a tooth is fractured and cannot be saved, extracting the tooth can be the best choice for relieving pain and preventing infection.

Some fractured teeth cannot be saved

Many cracked teeth can be treated successfully with root canal therapy and a crown, especially those whose cracks are located above the gumline only. However, these treatments may not save the tooth when a fracture has extended into the root.

Diagnosis and treatment

You may suspect you have a fractured tooth because

• The tooth is sensitive to hot or cold
• You feel a sharp pain when you chew

To determine if an extraction is right for your situation, we’ll perform a thorough exam, which typically includes x-rays. However, x-rays may not reveal the crack, so we may analyze your bite to isolate the problem or examine your gums for signs of the fracture. If the tooth cannot be saved, it’s important to extract it as soon as possible to prevent pain and infection in the tooth and jawbone. With modern dental techniques, the procedure should be a comfortable one for you. In many cases, we also recommend replacing an extracted tooth to preserve the jawbone and stabilize your bite, so we’ll talk with you about your replacement options.

Crowns Series - Homecare

Homecare – Permanent Crowns
Now that we’ve placed your permanent crown, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure its success.

Chewing and eating
If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until numbness has completely worn off. To protect your crown, avoid chewing ice or other hard objects.

Brushing and flossing
Brush and floss normally, but if your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, you can use a desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity increases or persists beyond a few days, call us.

Medication and discomfort
Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed.

To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.

When to call us
Call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have persistent sensitivity or discomfort, or if you have any questions or concerns.

Porcelain-Fused-To-Metal Crowns

Porcelain-fused-to-metal Crowns
When a tooth needs a restoration, sometimes the best choice is a porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crown. A PFM crown consists of a tooth-colored porcelain layer baked onto a metal core. We might choose a PFM crown to restore a tooth when a large filling has failed, or when the tooth is cracked, broken, or subject to grinding and clenching. A PFM crown is precision-crafted in a dental laboratory so it may take two or more appointments to restore your tooth with a PFM crown.

Placing a PFM crown
On your first visit, we numb the area to make you comfortable. We may also use a rubber dam to protect your mouth and the back for your throat while we work. Using the handpiece, we remove any decay and shape the tooth, so it will securely hold the crown. Next we take an impression of your teeth. The dental lab uses this impression to make an accurate model of your mouth; then they use the model to create a crown that precisely fits your tooth and bite. In the meantime, we often place a temporary crown that precisely fits your tooth and bite. In the meantime, we often place a temporary crown to protect your tooth. On your next visit, we remove the temporary crown and try in your new PFM crown. We check the fit and your bite, and when everything is right, we cement the crown in place.

The benefits of a PFM crown
A PFM crown has several benefits. Like all crowns, it covers and protects your tooth. In addition, a PRM crown has: · Long-lasting durability · An inner metal core that helps the crown withstand heavy biting surfaces · An outer porcelain layer that can be made to closely match or improve your natural tooth color

Crowns Series - Porcelain

Porcelain Crowns

A porcelain crown restoration
When a tooth needs a restoration or you want to improve your smile, sometimes the best choice is a porcelain crown. A porcelain crown is precision-crafter in a dental laboratory, so it may take two or more appointments to restore your tooth with a porcelain crown.

Placing a porcelain crown
On your first visit, we numb the area to make you comfortable. We may also use a rubber dam to protect your mouth and the back of your throat while we work. Using the handpiece, we remove any decay and shape the tooth, so it will securely hold the crown. Next we take an impression of your teeth. The dental lab uses this impression to make an accurate model of your mouth; then they use the model to create a crown that exactly fits your tooth and bite. In the meantime, we often place a temporary crown to protect your tooth. On your next visit, we remove the temporary crown and try in your new porcelain crown. We check the fit, and when everything is right, we bond or cement the crown in place.

The benefits of a porcelain crown
A porcelain crown has several benefits. Like all crowns, it covers and protects your tooth. But in addition, a porcelain crown is:
· Stong and durable
· Beautiful, with the life-like translucency of natural teeth
· Healthier for your teeth and gums because the edge of the natural-looking porcelain does not need to be hidden under the gumline

TMI - The Monday Inquiry

Equilibration

What is equilibration?
Equilibration is a process in which we adjust your bite by reshaping the biting surfaces of your teeth. It’s important for the health of your mouth to have your teeth come together properly when you bite and chew. Equilibration can prevent you from experiencing the following problems:
• Loose teeth
• Pain when chewing
• A toothache
• Jaw-joint pain
• Headaches
• Loss of tooth structure near the gumline

What is a healthy bite?
If your bite is healthy, your teeth will come together in such a way that they allow ideal paths of movement. This creates harmony for your jaw joint and maximum protection for your teeth. However, if you have had periodontal disease, an abscess, tooth crowding, or previous tooth loss, your teeth may shift or tilt. When this happens, your bite’s natural harmony may be compromised or lost.

How we can help using equilibration?
The process of equilibration begins with a careful evaluation of your mouth and your bite. This sometimes includes taking x-rays. We’ll use a special marking tape to evaluate your specific biting pattern. Then we’ll use the dental handpiece to carefully and meticulously remove small layers of tooth enamel. We’ll repeat the process, sometimes on subsequent visits, until your bite is back in harmony. Equilibration is a safe and effective procedure that prevents a chain reaction of problems in your mouth and restores harmony to your teeth.

Occlusion

What is occlusion?
Mother Nature didn’t provide all of use with a stable, healthy bite. Some people have bites that have been affected by wear, changed by dental restorations, or that have shifted with time. A healthy bite allows all of your teeth to hit simultaneously and evenly when your jaw joint is seated into its proper position at the base of your skull. In this position, your chewing muscles are also contracting evenly. One way to test your bite is to shift your jaw to the side. Your canine teeth, or eye teeth, should be the only teeth hitting and should absorb all the lateral biting force.

A “bad bite”
When you have a bad bite, also called a malocclusion, your teeth do not align properly. This cfan cause damage to your teeth and restoration, and it can also set off a cycle of muscle spasms, pain, and soreness commonly referred to as TMD, or temporomandibular disorder. When the balance is lost among the bones, cartilage, and muscles of the temporomandibular joing, it can lead to:
• Headaches
• Earaches
• Difficulty in opening and closing the jaw
• A dull, aching pain around the ear that spreads into the face
• Sore or painful jaw muscles

Bite problems can cause bruxism and abfraction
A malocclusion can also cause a condition called bruxism, which is the clenching or grinding of the teeth that occurs primarily while sleeping. The symptoms of bruxism are worn teeth, notching at the gumline (called abfraction), as well as all of the symptoms associated with TMD. Abfraction is the notching of teeth near or even under the gumline. When your bite is slightly off, undue stress is placed on the involved teeth and they begin to flex. This continual flexing and stress eventually cause the enamel to separate from the inner dentin layer, forming abfraction’s characteristic notch at the gumline. We can perform a complete bite evaluation, which will help up address any potential problems early in their development. Adjusting, realigning, or restoring teeth can prevent many future complications, and can help gain optimal muscle balance and a comfortable bite.

Neuromuscular Dentistry

What is Neuromuscular Dentistry?
Neuromuscular dentistry focuses on the healthy relationship among the teeth, jaw joints, and head and neck muscles.

A harmonious bite
In a harmonious, comfortable bite, the teeth, jaw joints, and muscles and can work together without strain or tension. The biting surfaces of upper and lower teeth fit together neatly, and the jaw joints work smoothly. The muscles on both sides of the face are relaxed when you are not chewing or swallowing, and when you do chew or swallow, these muscles contract evenly to bring the teeth together.

A problem bite
When there’s a problem with the bite, upper and lower teeth don’t come together correctly. A problem bite often exists when teeth are missing, misaligned, or worn down. In this situation, the muscles must use extra force, and the jaw joints often shift position in order to bring the teeth together. And when you are not chewing, your jaw muscles may not fully relax, even though they normal to you. Over time, this can cause muscles and joints to become sore, tired, and stiff. A bad bite, together with tense, strained muscles, can lead to a variety of problems, such as headaches, muscle pain, damage to the teeth or jaw joint, clicking and popping, and other symptoms. If can also shorten the life of crowns, veneers, and other dental restoration through damage or excess wear.

Diagnosis and treatment
When we are planning your dental treatment, we’ll use specialized advanced equipment to identify problems in the muscles, jaw joints, and bite. If we do find any problems, we may recommend treatments to stabilize your bite. These may include:
• Wearing a custom bite splint, called an orthotic
• Providing orthodontic treatment
• Placing crowns and veneers on the affected teeth

With the techniques and technologies of neuromuscular dentistry, we can help you achieve a healthier bite, more comfortable muscles and jaw joints, and a beautiful smile.

Youth Dental Health

Primary teeth
Because primary teeth, also called baby teeth, are eventually replaced by permanent teeth, many people don’t realize that primary teeth are, in fact, very important for a child’s long-term dental health.

Alignment of permanent teeth
Normally, some of the primary teeth remain in the mouth until a child is eleven or twelve. During this time, they serve as space maintainers and ensure that the permanent teeth are properly aligned as they grow into the mouth. Early loss of primary teeth often causes misalignment of the permanent teeth and may even alter normal facial development. Expensive orthodontic solutions may be necessary to correct these problems.

Nutrition and speech development
Children need strong, healthy teeth to chew their food. Cavities and tooth loss can make it impossible for a child to eat properly, which affects his/her overall level of health. Speech development can also be affected by premature tooth loss. In combination, these problems may lower a child’s self-esteem during important formative years. As you can see, primary teeth are critically important for a child’s health and development. It’s important to keep them in the mouth as long as possible by practicing excellent oral hygiene and treating problems early.

Pulpectomy

What is a Pulpectomy?
When the nerve of a baby tooth becomes infected, a pulpectomy can save the tooth. Like root canal treatment in an adult tooth, a pulpectomy involves removal of the infected nerve and the placement of a filling material.

Treatment in four steps
Through treatment is individualize in each case, there are four common steps in a pulpectomy. First, an opening is made into the tooth to get at the infection. Then the infected nerve tissue is removed. A filling material is placed in the root canals, and then a crown is placed to seal and protect the tooth.

Comfort is a priority
We want the entire procedure to be comfortable for your child, so the first thing we do is make sure his/her mouth is thoroughly numb. We place a rubber dam around the tooth to isolate it form the rest of the mouth. It protects her like a safety net, ensuring that nothing can fall to the back of her throat.