www.BestOgdenDentist.com Blog

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Bulimia, sucking on lemons and acid reflux.

Teeth are like similar to anything else in the fact that they can be eroded by acid.

Acids can come from external or internal sources.

A good example of an internal acid source would be Acid Reflux. Most acid reflux will cause mild to moderate cases of heart burn. The stomach acid will travel up the esophagus toward the mouth. It usually makes it only as high as the level of the heart and this is what causes a sensation that the area around your heart is burning. If the Acid Reflux is more severe it the acid will make it all the way to the mouth. When in the mouth the acids will eat away at the enamel of the teeth.

Another example of internal acid is the condition known as Bulimia. This is where individuals will induce vomiting as a way of losing weight. After eating they want to rid themselves of the food they just ingested before it gets absorbed into the body. As they induce vomiting not only does the food come up but stomach acids will come up also.

An example of external acids would be sucking on things like lemons or other acidic foods. Many Carbonated beverages are also very high in acid. These acids may not be as strong as acids from the stomach but if the exposure is consistent over a long enough period of time the effects can be just as damaging.

This picture illustrates the effects of acid against your teeth over time.

The tooth should be covered in white. That is the protective layer of the tooth known as enamel. Where the teeth have a more yellow appearance is where the acids have eaten away the enamel. The yellow portion is the layer beneath the enamel which is much softer and much more susceptible to decay. These teeth will need to be crowned quickly to avoid decay from reaching the nerve and the need for root canals.

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Monday, July 23, 2012

Need to hear from you.

This blog receives about 20,000 visitors a month.

Today I would like to open things up to your questions.

Is there anything that you would like to know?

Any topic that I have not covered in the past?

Anything about dentistry?

New trends, how to become a dentist, concerns about dentistry

that you have received, fluoride, cosmetic dentistry,

your kids, dentures, etc, etc.

Let me know and I will address them in the coming week.

You may stay totally anonymous if you wish.

Thanks in advance.

Dr. Jim Ellis

Friday, July 6, 2012

Geographic tongue

So you look into the mirror at your tongue,

(or you are looking at the tongue of your child)

and you notice that it seems to look patchy.

Some parts are a certain color and others are another color.

What is wrong with you????

What is going on is called Geographic tongue.

No no no..... that's not what I am talking about.

Yes, that's what I am talking about.

Not nearly as pretty as the 50 states but it more realistic.

It is really nothing to worry about.

It will come and go. It will move around.

That patches will get more and less intense.

When things flare up your tongue may be more sensitive

to acidic foods (tomatoes, lemons, etc.)

There are no known treatments but people say that several things

have helped them in the past.

People note that sucking on mint leaves, steroids, and

antihistamines have all helped to alleviate flareups.

Take home here is that there is not much to be concerned about

death is not nearing (at least from your tongue).

Monday, June 25, 2012

What kind of bleaching is right for me?

Teeth whitening is a very hot topic these days.

It seems as though everybody and their dog is offering to have your

teeth whitened for life, by tomorrow.

So what is real and what is hype?

As a disclaimer let me just say that tooth whitening can be accomplished successfully with ANY of these methods and that the following is based on fact with my opinion thrown in for flavor.

There are basically 3 ways to whiten your teeth.

#1 With the whiteners you buy in the stores.

This includes strips, trays, paint on stuff, etc.

Couple of things to consider here. The strength of the bleach has to be over the counter strength which is going to be less then bleach you can get form your dentist. Its like buying Tylenol from the store vs getting Lortab from the dentist. Next is the way the bleach is delivered. Below is a picture of a bleaching strip. Since this strip is sold to everyone, it then by nature, fits no one. Administering bleach to the masses can be a very inexact science that could lead to burned gums or uneven bleaching of the teeth.

#2 Is custom trays made by your dentist and you do the bleaching at home.

This way of bleaching has a lot of up side.

First the strength of bleach is prescription strength which will allow you to bleach faster. Second while bleaching faster it is still slow enough to stop when you begin feeling too much sensitivity. Lastly the trays are made specifically for you. They will fit no one else and thus deliver the bleach right to where it is needed.

#3 In office light whitening.

This option is nice because it is the fastest. But there are some draw backs. The machines to do the bleaching are expensive so the cost must be passed on the the patient. Next, you can't stop bleaching when you begin to feel sensitive. You will lay back being one shade and be several shades lighter when you sit up. If you happen to have lightened up too much and your teeth are very sensitive to even breath you are kind of out of luck.

So again, there are probably many of you reading this that have gotten your teeth whitened by any of the ways just mentioned and it has worked well for you. And that is great. I personally have chosen to offer only the 2nd option in my office as I feel it is the best bang for the buck and offers the least chance of complications for my patients.

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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Are metal fillings safe?

Fewer and fewer people are asking this question, but occasionally we still do get it.

Are metal fillings safe?

The answer to this is, yes.

There have been studies done by the American Dental Association

and the Centers for Disease Control that both state that metal fillings

are safe to use.

In fact in certain cases we still use this material.

It is rare however, do to the fact that most people do not want the metal look.

You can go on the internet and find sites that tell you the horrors of amalgam.

But you can find a lot of stuff on the internet that isn't necessarily true.

If you have questions ask your dentist.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Pain after a root canal is finished?

Why does my root canal still hurt!?

Dentistry is medicine.

Although nothing i will ever do, more then likely, will ever rank

up there with treating cancer or preforming heart surgery the

procedures done in dentistry are still medical in nature.

Sometimes I get people coming to my office from other dentists

and they are angry because their teeth still hurt even AFTER

getting a root canal procedure preformed on it.

This is what I tell them.

Although root canals are a very successful procedure there are

still a certain number of them that will not work.

Consider going in for knee surgery to clean out a defective joint.

Months later you still hurt and you go back to the doctor.

You tell him that your knee still hurts.

He does and exam and tells you that there are still some particles in the knee that

didn't get taken out the first time and that he will have to go in again and

get the knee cleaned out for a second time.

This bums you out but you think nothing of it.

In dentistry people sometimes feel like it should be a one and done.

In pain to out of pain in one visit.

In most cases this is true. However, just like the knee surgery, there are times when

the first surgery on the tooth just doesn't work.

There are a few options here.

You can get the root canal re-done by the dentist who did it in the first place.

You can get it re-done by a root canal specialist (endodontist).

The trouble with getting it re-done is that it may not work the second time either.

You are then out another chunk of change and still have the same problem.

You could have the tooth taken out and have a bridge or implant put in.

That would assure the tooth never hurt again but you would have to go

through getting the tooth taken out.

Just talk to your dentist before you get your root canal.

Ask questions.

Feel comfortable BEFORE any treatment is given.

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Problems with braces part II.

Yesterday we talked about people getting increased amounts

of cavities when they have braces on.

Today we will talk about some ways to decrease those cavities.

First, is to simply increase the amount of brushing you do.

Keep a brush in your car, desk at work, locker at school, etc.

Brushing more then the standard twice a day is key.

Second, rinsing with a fluoridated mouth wash is a fabulous idea.

Many companies have them now, Act, Listerine, Colgate, etc.

These rinses will keep up your teeth's defenses to decay.

Third, watch what you eat.

Do NOT eat anything that is sticky.

First time you try to pick gummy bears out of your braces you will

understand why I said this, and most everything sticky is very high in sugar.

Finally, there are a lot of ingenious ideas that people have come up with

to help people with their flossing while in braces.

As the traditional "wrapping the floss around the fingers" thing

doesn't work to well here are some things that might.

This final one is a water pick.

Not exactly a flosser but it will do wonders to blow out the stuff

that is hiding around the brackets of your braces.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

The junk that builds up behind your teeth.

Your teeth are all meant to have some space in between them.

Some teeth have only a tiny space and may be very hard to floss.

Some teeth have more space and may be very easy to floss.

But all teeth are supposed to have space between them.

Take your tongue and run it along the back side of your bottom front teeth.

Does it feel like a wall of teeth or does it feel like individual teeth?

If it feels like a wall of teeth with very little space

in between then you might need a cleaning.

Below is a picture of some front lower teeth before and after they were cleaned.

The yellow stuff in between the teeth is build up that is too hard to

be cleaned off by your tooth brush alone.

The only way to get this stuff off is by a trained dental hygienist or dentist.

It doesn't look very good but that is not the worst part.

The worst part is the bacteria that can be harbored in your mouth

and thus pose health risks, some severe, throughout your entire body.

Before the cleaning.

After the cleaning.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Before and After

Years of neglect can do funny things to teeth.

But even the effects of years of neglect can be reversed

in only a few appointments.

Before

After

Monday, March 5, 2012

Which retainer is best for me?

Lots of people ask me about retainers.

Most retainers are given to folks from their orthodontists.

The type of retainer you have really depends on the personal preference of the Orthodontist.

Some orthodontists like the retainers that you can take in and out every night.

These come in two forms. The ones that use wire to retain the teeth position

and the ones that are made simply of clear plastic.

Other orthodontists like the small metal wires that are actually

glued to the teeth and can not be removed.

So which one is better?

That depends on what irritates you most.

Would it irritate you more to have something glued into your

mouth that you could never take out?

Or would it irritate you more to always have to remember to put your retainer

in every night and take it with you on every trip vacation and overnighter you go on?

Both will do a fine job.

My Mother has a retainer that she puts in every night and has done so for over 30 years.

My wife has a bonded metal wire that she has had in place for over 20 years.

Both seem to like what they have and wouldn't change.

If you have a particular type of retainer and you would like

to try another kind that is no problem.

We can switch you to another kind, let you try it for a while, and then

switch you back if you don't like it.

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Do you have bad breath?

What is the cause of bad breath??

There are many causes.

Teeth that are decayed.

Gum disease.

Bacteria.

Digestion problems.

Etc.

One of the first things to do in order to determine the cause of your

bad breath is to get to a dentist and get a good cleaning.

This will make sure you start off with a clean slate.

Then.....

For 2 weeks commit to brushing after each meal.

For 2 weeks commit to flossing daily.

And for 2 weeks commit to rinsing with a mouthwash such as Listerine, daily.

(Important note: You also need to brush your tongue.

Tongue scrapers, pictured below, are also available.)

After the 2 week period see how your breath is.

If it still smells as fresh and clean as it did when you left the dentist office

then your bad breath was, more then likely, a result of poor oral care.

This would be good news because all you need to do is continue

your new pattern of brushing, flossing, and rinsing and your bad breath should be history.

If things return to there normal, bad breath, state then other things need to be considered.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Closed the gap.

Hey everybody.

This is Jeff.

Jeff is one heck of a guy.

He is married to one heck of a woman.

And has some great kids.

Only problem Jeff had was a gap in his teeth.

(That, and pigeons in his chimney. But that's another story.)

Anyway, we got Jeff in today to close the gap in his teeth.

No need for braces.

No need for shots.

Cheap as fillings.

Done in about an hour.

Totally reversible.

Jeff Before

Jeff after.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

What is the black line around the base of my crown?

Nothing is wrong.

What you are seeing is simply the metal that your crown is

made out of showing out from underneath.

I know I know, you thought that your crown was white and that

there wasn't any metal in it.

Well, there is. You have what is referred to as a porcelain

fused to metal crown of (PFM).

The crown is made of a metal substructure to give it it's strength and

then porcelain is layered over the top to make it look like a tooth.

The PFM has been used for years and has had remarkable success.

The only draw back to these types of crowns is the metal line showing through

and the fact that the porcelain layers can begin to separate from each other

and cause the pieces of porcelain to fall off the crowns.

Today there are new advances in crown technology that have

eliminated both of these problems.

There is a new material, to the world of dentistry that is, called zirconium.

Zirconium crowns are milled from a solid block and are very very strong.

This milling process means that they are not put together piece by piece.

Therefore there are no pieces to come apart. The crown is one solid unit.

Zirconium is also white so the color is that of most teeth and will never show a

metallic line because there is no metal.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Meet Mike

Today we are going to meet Mike.

Mike was a good guy.

But, Mike was not having a good day.

Mike really needed that tooth because Mike

Really wanted to meet a nice lady.

This is Mike now.

Ladies, Mike is 29 and now has an AMAZING smile!

Anyone interested can let us know and we will get you in touch with Mike.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Okay. So my tooth had this HUGE metal filling in it.

Well, now most of what was left of the tooth broke off.

What now?!

Well there are a couple of options.

One of the best options to to do an implant.

There are a number of reasons for this but that

would take more time then we have right now.

First step is to extract the broken tooth.

In this case we placed a bone graft and waited a few weeks

but that doesn't always have to be the case.

After the healing time we place a titanium implant.

Looks scary?

It's not.

It's basically just an artificial tooth.

If we can replace hearts and hips then why not a tooth?

In about 6 weeks we will put a beautiful white (no metal)

crown on this implant and the patient should have no more troubles.

Dr. Ellis Google +

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

What is wrong with my tongue?!

It's called geographic tongue.

Geographic tongue is a condition where the tissue of the tongue will vary in

appearance from one section of the tongue to another.

The location, size, color and duration of the variations is different from person to person

and can even change within the same person over time.

There is no real threat with geographic tongue. Most people with geographic

tongue don't even know they have it. All they know is that they have always

had this funnysection of their tongue that changes texture and color from time to time.

The only main side effect coincidental with geographic tongue is a heightened

sensitivity to spicy foods form time to time. These episodes will occur as

the spots of the geographic tongue go through their phase of appearing and

then disappearing.

Dr. Ellis Google+

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Billie

This is Billie.

Billie didn't like the gap in her front teeth.

Billie didn't want to spend years and money with braces.

We told Billie that cosmetic bonding might be right for her.

Here are Billie's before and afters.

30 minutes

No shots

Cheap as a regular filling.

Billie is a happy patient