www.BestOgdenDentist.com Blog

Friday, March 9, 2012

Implant continued.

We were back with our good buddy Collinn today.

I changed the spelling of his name to protect his innocence.

Collinn had a root canal that failed (not mine :) )

The dark area at the end of the tooth denotes infection

originating from the failing root canal.

This is the site after the extraction occurred.

The area was also cleaned of infection

and a bone graft was placed.

Here is a picture of the implant that was placed

about 4 weeks after the extraction took place.

the top of the implant is right at the bone level

and the infected area looks to be healing nicely.

After 6 weeks (this morning) the abutment (top of the implant) was placed.

This part is what what the new crown will sit on.

Things are going swimmingly.

Within 2 weeks we will have the final crown in place

and Collinn will be back to is good old self.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

What's on the inside of my tooth?

Your teeth are hollow.

The hollow chamber contains the blood vessels

and nerves that give your teeth, life.

A root canal is simply the process of accessing this

chamber and scrubbing it clean of all its contents

so that it can't cause you anymore pain.

This is the inside of a molar.

We were almost completed with a root canal when

I decided to snap this picture.

Since this is an upper molar it has 3 roots on it.

Typically each root has one canal in it.

After the inside has been scrubbed clean the

canals are then filled with a rubberized material.

The hole we make to access the nerve chamber is then

filled with a typical filling material used to fill cavities.

The pink stuff you can see inside the tooth

is the rubberized material that has already

been placed down into the canals.

Here is a X-Ray of the molar before we worked on it.

Notice in the teeth that there is a black line down the center,

that is the hollow space where the nerves reside.

Now instead of black lines you can see white lines.

Those white lines are the rubberized material.

If all goes well this tooth will no longer cause the patient any more trouble.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Those bumps are called tori.

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.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Changing out the metal.

Although this particular filling was not replaced solely

for the fact that it was metal, you can still see the results.

Here is a before picture.

Here is the after.

Metal fillings are replaced for a variety of reasons.

This filling was replaced do to a fracture that was beginning on one side of the tooth.

Some fillings are replaced because the people who have them want

a more cosmetic looking filling to be placed.

Some fillings are replaced by people who simply want to be preventative

and have decided that it is time to get the old fillings out.

Whatever the reason behind your decision to get your fillings out

and replace them with new ones, the procedure is very simple an inexpensive.

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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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Waiting too long.

This happens all the time.

People, who neglect their teeth to the point that they break off at the

gums. THEN they come in and want it extracted.

They laugh a little nervous laugh and say...

"well, not much left so it should be pretty easy yo pull out, right?"

The answer to that is, NO.

Imagine getting a fence post out of the ground.

Not the easiest thing in the world, right?

Now, take a chain saw and cut the fence post off at the ground.

How easy is that going to be now?

If you want a tooth out, please, please, please, do not wait until

it is so broken down that there is nothing to grab on to.

It is NOT easier.