My canines look too sharp. What can I do?

Canines are unlike any other teeth in the mouth.

Every other tooth in the mouth is, almost, a copy of a another
tooth in the same corner of the mouth.

You typically have 2 incisors, 2 pre-molars, 

and 2 molars per quadrant but only 1 canine.

One problem that people have with their canines is that sometimes

they feel as if they are a bit too pointed.

They hide them when they smile for fear that they look too much like a vampire.

Well there has never been an easier fix for just about anything.

All you need to do is file those bad boys down just a bit.

You do not need to be numbed up and it will only take a moment to do.

You will have less enamel so the chances that you could get decay in the

future are slightly higher. But, with a little added attention to your home
care that should never end up being a problem.

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I chipped my tooth. How bad is it?

Okay so you, your child, your mom, your brother, etc. etc. just fell face first into something, over something, under something, etc. etc. and broke the corner of your/their front tooth off.

What do you do now?

Well, that depends. Lets break this down into 3 simplified categories.

The nerve of a tooth is in the middle of the tooth.

#1 If you just broke off a small corner of the tooth and it didn't reach the nerve then a simple filling is probably all you would need.

#2 If you broke off a larger corner but still didn't reach the nerve then you more then likely would need a crown.

#3 If you broke your tooth so severely that you got down into the nerve then you will need a root canal AND a crown.

And although all of this may be a traumatic experience don't worry. Your cracked and broken smile can be completely repaired and have you back to being the model you know you were born to be.

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Body Modification. Lip Gauging.

That's right.

You have heard of tongue, ear and nose gauges.

Now we have lip gauges.

Lip gauges have famously been around for a long time

among some groups in Africa.

The big difference is that the older gauges simply extend

the lip outward. Meanwhile, the new gauges actually

go through the lips and from a path to the oral cavity.

Confused. Here are a couple of pictures. 

Older Gauges 

You can see that the lips are simply stretched out. 

The disk that is inserted into the lip can be removed and 

the mouth can be fully closed for eating.

That is the trouble I may have with the newer variety of gauges.

As you can see the hole is actually a communication into the oral cavity.

The issue I have with these newer style of gauges is how to keep

food in your mouth when you are eating and how to keep drool

in your mouth when you are not.

I don't know how to stop the drool thing but I would think that perhaps a 

plug could be inserted into the hole to prevent food from coming out

during eating. Either way, these may be more trouble then they are worth.

The good side to these is that if your partner also has one of these, 

you can do this.

I case you are confused, 

both of them have holes in their lower lips. 

They are touching tongues through the holes.

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Wisdom teeth 101

Do I really need my wisdom teeth out?

More than likely you do.

There is only a small segment of the population that has enough room that would allow for all 4 wisdom teeth to erupt completely into the mouth. Wisdom teeth removal can range in difficulty from very simple to very complex. Which end of the spectrum your own personal wisdom tooth removal ends up being is dependent upon several factors. How far can you open your mouth, how far up, or down, into the jaw do your teeth sit, and at what angle do your teeth lie are just a few of the concerns that must be addressed by you and your doctor to determine what to expect from your own wisdom tooth surgery.

Artist rendering of different kinds of wisdom tooth positions.

Two actual patient x-rays of horizontally impacted wisdom teeth.

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You are not fooling anyone.

Here at the old dental office we work on the mouth. 

We know what a healthy mouth looks like. 

We know what an unhealthy mouth looks like.

And we know what an unhealthy mouth looks like

when some one has brushed and flossed about 36 times

harder then they normally do because they have a dental 

appointment the next morning.

See these gums.

Someone thought they would makeup for not flossing for 6 months.

You aren't fooling anyone ; ) 

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My child has 2 teeth that looked they are stuck together. Help?!

I had this question yesterday in my office so I figured I 

would address it here today.

In the picture below you will see some arrows that are 

pointed to teeth that look like they are actually 2 teeth hooked together.

This is called a fusion.

2 teeth are, in fact, hooked together.

It usually happens in baby teeth.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

There is also another term called gemination (the above graph).

This is when 1 tooth appears to be splitting into 2.

With both fusions and geminations there is typically nothing to be concerned about.

The teeth should be noted and kept under observation over time.

But this would strictly be for the same precaution that 

any other teeth would be kept a watchful eye over.

Please inform your dentist when you notice anything that may seem

out of the ordinary, but this out of the ordinary isn't too bad.

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What is that huge lump on the roof of your mouth?!

It's called a Tori.

Ever heard of the word?

A tori is a lump of bone that resides in the mouth.

Most people that have tori think nothing of it because they have always had it.

Well, not everyone does have it.

But even if you do have it it really not that big of a deal.

Its just bone and likely wont ever cause you any problems.

One of the only times that it may cause you problems is if you need a denture.

Dentures are very hard to fabricate over the top of tori.

It is only a minor problem however due to the fact that tori can be removed.

So if you have a hard boney lump that has been in your mouth forever,

it may not hurt to get it checked out, but more often then not its simply just a tori.

Tori in the floor of the mouth.

Tori in the roof of the mouth.

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