One of those days.

Patient came in today wanting to know why he felt a "little edge" on one of his teeth.

We then showed him this picture.

No cavity

No filling

Should have been no problem

The tooth had to be removed.

Some days you are the hammer and some days you are the nail.

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1, and only 1, of my teeth are changing color.

I, and/or my child, have one tooth that is not the same color.

Should I be concerned?

Well, lets just say its a good idea to get it checked out.

Teeth discolor for a number of reasons.

If all of your teeth are discoloring at the same rate then it is more then likely due to staining

caused by foods you eat and/or oral habits you may have suck as smoking.

In that case there is not much to worry about.

Simple whitening can take care of that.

If you notice that one individual tooth is turning a different color then there is more cause for concern. One tooth discoloring on its own typically means that that tooth has moderate to severe nerve damage. This nerve damage can be caused by trauma, decay, or other causes. but regardless of the cause it is more then likely that the nerve is dead, or dying, and needs to be removed. This procedure is called a root canal. After the root canal is preformed then some sort of cosmetic procedure may be needed to restore the original color of the tooth. This may be a crown, veneer or cosmetic bonding.

Not many people realize it, but teeth are living organisms. They have blood coursing through the middle of them and just like any other living think they can die. If they do die then one of the number one signs of that death is a change in color.

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Dentists and Halloween candy.

Every year I have people ask me if I give out Halloween candy?

Well of coarse I do!! It's Halloween.

Last thing on earth that I want to be is the house where kids end

up crying because they got a pencil, sticker, or some other lame treat.

Eating candy on Halloween is NOT a problem.

Eating candy every other day of year, all year long, IS.

Let the kids get the candy.

Let them pound it all down.

Let them have a tummy ache.

Brush and floss their teeth.

Great night had by all.

The End.

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Spit, Saliva, Drool, etc. etc

Whatever you call it the wet stuff in your mouth ( I will call it saliva),

is a very important part of your overall health.

Saliva is produced from 3 major glands in your mouth and plays two major roles in the body.

#1 Saliva helps to lubricate food before it goes down your throat

so that harder foods will not damage your insides on the way to the stomach.

#2 Saliva helps to wash harmful sugars and bacteria off of you teeth.

One of the most damaging things to your teeth is a dry mouth.

Dry teeth are dead teeth.

A dry mouth can be caused by a number of things.

The largest cause of dry mouth that I see is from medications.

Specifically heart regulating and mood altering medications

have the greatest effect but it can be any medication.

Dry mouth can also be brought on by age.

Just as your eyes aren't as moist as they used to be, so to

may your mouth begin to dry out over time.

If you feel like your mouth is drier then it used to be please contact

your dentist right away. There are things you can do to help.

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Tooth completely turned sideways.

This was one of the more challenging cosmetic bonding cases that I have done.

Some teeth that we bond are slightly tilted.

Some are slightly rotated.

Some are too long or too short.

This tooth is rotated 90 degrees.

Meaning the tooth is turned completely sideways.

The bonding was tough because the proportions are off due to the rotation.

However, The patient was very happy with the result.

She was told that expensive braces was her only option.

Turns out 30 minutes in the chair.....

no shots

no drilling

and the cost of a filling later she looked like this.

This is simply filling material and it can be done in lots and lots of cases.

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And you think you hate the dentist.

As with most things, the first try is not always a success.

The same can be said about dentistry. The earliest writings we have on the subject are from about 5000 B.C. Way back then all we have are people's speculation on what in the world was the cause of a toothache.

Later on, about 300 B.C. we start to get treatments for toothaches. None of these treatments sounded very pleasant. Even such noted historical figures as

Hippocrates and Aristotle got in on the act.

In the old west it is recorded that the barber doubled as the local dentist. The word "dentist" being very loosely used as most of what the barber did was to simply take teeth that had gone bad.

Personally I can't imagine what it must have been like.

Tooth pain is one of the worst pains you can go through.

And to not have the anesthetics and equipment we have today must have been tough.

Well, 7,000 years after the first recorded ideas of dentistry we now have amazing new technologies that make going to the dentist a

whole lot better then it used to be.

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I like to chew gum. Will that cause me any problems down the road?

We have all seen it in stores.

Rows and rows of gum. 

Bags, bottles, cans, and boxes filled with

sticks, cubes, and circles of gum.

It's everywhere.

But is it good for you?

The answer can be a little complicated.

First off if the gum is not sugar free then NO it wont be good for you.

The sugar on your teeth for the hour or so that you chew on the gum will help 

in causing the formation of cavities.

If the gum is sugar free then the is better but there are a couple of factors 

still left to consider.

Do you have any popping, clicking, or grinding in your jaw joint (tmj)?

If so then I would not recommend the gum. 

Working a piece of gum for an hour with a jaw that already is

a little tender could lead to even more joint problems.

So if its sugar free and you are free from any TMJ discomfort then it 

should be ok to go ahead and chew your gum.

And actually it may be beneficial as well. 

Gum will stimulate salivary flow.

Saliva helps to even out the pH in your mouth and prevent bacteria,

and the acids they produce, from hurting your teeth.

So if the conditions are right then not only is gum not bad, but

it can also be a good thing for you to do.

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