We often get asked what to do about just one missing tooth.
Not enough teeth gone to even think about a denture.
But even one missing tooth is enough to be really annoying.
What to do.
What to do.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Too many teeth?
So what is going on here?
Its pretty simple actually. the adult tooth has simply "missed" the baby tooth.
The idea behind losing your baby teeth is that the adult tooth is supposed to come in
right above, below, the baby tooth and push it out.
The adult tooth then takes the place of the baby tooth.
In this instance however, the adult tooth "missed" the baby tooth.
The adult tooth came in too far towards the roof of the mouth.
The fix is fairly simple.
You need to have the baby tooth extracted.
The idea is that the adult tooth can then slide into the place of the
baby tooth and all will be well.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Dental sealants. Do my kids really need them?
The answer to this question is no. Children don’t need to have sealants placed on their teeth. But I guess this all depends on what your definition of the word needs is. Children don’t need to use toothpaste when they brush. A brush and some water will do some good. But using toothpaste will do a much better job.
Thus, it is with sealants. You may be okay without them but you will be much better off with them. The ADA recently published a study, among children, showing a 78% decrease in caries incidence (cavities) over a 2 year period when sealants were placed versus no sealants.
First of all, what is a sealant? A sealant is basically a small filling. The important difference between a filling and sealant is that a sealant is material placed on a tooth before decay happens in order to prevent a cavity. A filling is material placed on/in a tooth after the tooth has already sustained damage due to decay. The material used may even be the exact same material for the sealant or the filling.
This picture illustrates one tooth with a sealant and one tooth without. On the tooth with the sealant most of the natural tooth structure is still visible. The sealant material simply flows down into the nooks, crannies, grooves, and any other tiny crevices where bugs can hide and cavities can start. The material is placed on the tooth in a runny state and is then cured so that it is hard before you leave the office. Normal chewing can begin immediately.
The usual recipient of a sealant is a child getting their first adult molars (around 6 years old). More sealants are then placed over the second adult molars (around the age of 12). The reason sealants are normally only placed in children, and early teens, is to assist the child in keeping their teeth cavity free. Kids and early teens are not the greatest when it comes to controlling sugar intake or brushing.
Sealants will chip out as the years go by and are not a lifelong restoration. It is the hope that the sealants stay in long enough to get the individual to adulthood when they can then take better care of their teeth on their own. This is not to say that you can’t get the sealants put back in as an adult. Insurances won’t pay for them after your teens but it still would help. Sealants, like toothpaste, won’t stop cavities all by themselves. But, they are a great tool in the overall fight to keep you cavity free.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Cosmetic Bonding of Front Two Teeth
Lots of things are becoming more convenient these days.
Why not your dentistry?
If you can't afford a "smile makeover".
If you don't want to wear braces for 2 years.
If you don't want shots.
Then maybe you are a candidate for some
Cosmetic Bonding.
Here is the before.
And here is the after
Monday, January 13, 2014
White fillings look GOOOOOD!!
Here is a simple before and after case that we did today.
Nothing major.
Just a simple filling can make a big difference.
(Before)
(After)
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Fluoride in your drinking water?
Before we can talk about whether or not putting fluoride into your water supply, we first need to dispel the myth that fluoride is poisonous. To begin this discussion let’s start off with a quote. "All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison..." Paracelsus (1493- 1541). Anything and everything around us can be a poison.
If you sat down at your kitchen table right now and drank 5 gallons of water you may get what is called water toxicity. Water toxicity has, and still does, lead to multiple deaths each year in the United States. You can die and all you are doing is drinking water. Most of us take a daily vitamin and have no problem doing so. However, if you swallowed 6 bottles of those same daily vitamins you may not last too long.
The point here is that to declare something poisonous, or not, must include some idea of the quantity being used.
Fluoride in the wrong proportions is very deadly. However, fluoride in the right dosages, prescribed by a knowledgeable physician, and taken according the directions indicated is completely safe and indeed has a great number of benefits.
The American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control have both concluded that fluoride is safe and effective if taken in the proper doses. These studies are backed up by years and years of experimentation and data gathering.
Now that we have determined that fluoride is safe we now turn our attention to the question of whether or not I feel that it should be placed into the drinking water. And the answer may surprise you, because I do NOT feel that placing fluoride into everyone’s drinking water is the right thing to do.
I feel that drinking water should be left without any additives. Certain things may be added to purify the water, of course, but after that I don’t feel that anything additional should be placed into it, even if it’s for health benefits.
The problem here is the opening of the Pandora’s box. A group of people may think that placing a certain additive into the water supply is an okay thing to do. So they get enough signatures from the community and so it goes into effect. You have then however, set a precedent. And from that moment forward anyone gaining enough signatures can also add things to the water. If another group wants to add calcium then that will go in. If another group wants to add vitamin B, then that goes in as well. Before long you have a chemical concoction flowing from your faucet whether you want it or not. To add one thing to the mix opens the door for others to be added later on.
And there is one more problem with adding fluoride to the water. How much do you need, and how much are you getting? Different people need different amounts of fluoride. The young need more than the old. The medications, genetics, and certain diseases may also require different amounts of fluoride.
So if my 3 year old needs less than my 8 year old, do I stop my 3 year old from drinking as much? Being that I have 5 kids to I need to keep a log of how many glasses each of them drinks every day? What if my wife is a fitness nut and drinks a gallon a day? Is that detrimental to her? Does fluoride get pulled out by my home filtration system? Does it cook out of the water I use for cooking? The list could go on and on and is too complex to even think about.
The simple answer to both of these problems is to supplement your fluoride under the watchful eye of your health care provider. He/Her will evaluate your overall health, medications, disease states, age, genetic back ground, etc etc etc. And then give you the proper dose. If you then take that dose on the regularly scheduled intervals you should be just fine.
Fluoride is very very safe. And I strongly recommend that people supplement their diets with it, unless they are getting it naturally. But I am not for the idea that it should just be automatically added to everyone’s water supply.
Dr. Jim Ellis, DDS
1220 33rd Street Suite C
Ogden, UT 84403
(801) 783-3490
SOURCE: http://www.bestogdendentist.com/2014/01/fluoride-in-your-drinking-water/
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Dental Crowns vs Veneers
In today's world, there are a lot of people out there that are looking to become more attractive in one way or another. One popular way to enhance a person's looks comes in the form of enhancing the look of their teeth.
The simplest form of tooth enhancement is by bleaching the teeth. This is the cheapest and easiest thing to do. If someone is looking for more then a mere color change however, simple tooth whitening may not be enough.
If someone does no like the way their teeth are turned, angled, aligned, or shaped in any way then crowns or veneers may be what is needed. As a side note, to use the word "porcelain" when referring to a veneer may no longer be correct. There are many materials that veneers can be made out of now a days. Porcelain is simply one of many. So by asking for porcelain veneers, you may be asking for something that is not best suited to your individual case. To say, veneers are sufficient. The same can also be said when referring to a crown.
So what is a crown and what is a veneer? Simply put a crown covers the entirety of the tooth. From biting surface all the way down (or up) to the gum line. A crown will, typically cover it all. A veneer will only cover the surface that is visible to an outside observer. A dentist with the ability to turn you upside down and use mirrors at just the right angle could see the exposed tooth, but no one else would ever be able to tell.
So what is right for you? This is a question that is dependent upon a lot of variables. How much change is shape, position, and angulation is the person attempting to achieve? Severe cases would tend to be more of a crown case. How much of your natural tooth structure do you want to maintain? If you want as little of your natural tooth taken away as possible then veneers are your route. Are you a grinder? If so then veneers may reduce the wear on your natural teeth to a minimum. The list could go on and on. You really need to see a dentist to determine which is right for you.
The tipping factor may be longevity. A recent study by the JADA (Journal of the American Dental Association) shows that full coverage crowns do have a better longevity then the veneers.They are fairly comparable,and veneers are still a durable option, but in the end, full coverage crowns get the nod as far as a longer lasting restoration. http://jada.info/content/139/
There are also possible side effects that can occur from any kind of procedure that you may choose to go through in the dental office. You need to make sure that you are also aware of these. Nothing is ever without risks. Simply make sure that you go into your new smile with your eyes wide open as to things that may happen.
Barring any side effects the person who gets the new crowns, or the new veneers, will be unbelievably happy with the way they look. The technology of today's lab work is simply amazing. Brighter, whiter, straighter teeth may only be a few appointments away.
Front View of Crown & Veneer
Side View of Crown & Veneer
Dr. Jim Ellis, DDS
1220 33rd Street Suite C
Ogden, UT 84403
(801) 783-3490
SOURCE: http://www.bestogdendentist.com/2013/12/crowns-vs-veneers/
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