Cosmetic Bonding

What do you do if you have a small gap in between your teeth?

You could get braces. 

You could get crowns or veneers. 

But both of those options are expensive and time consuming. 

What if there was a way to close gaps that didn't cost a lot that 

could be done in 1 appointment?

There is!

It's called cosmetic bonding. 

Here is a case that I just did today. 

Before

 After

Cosmetic bonding is a small amount of filling material that

is placed on the side of 1, or both, teeth in order to close the gap. 

There are other types of cosmetic bonding but the same concept applies. 

It's as strong as a normal filling because that's what it is. 

No numbing shots

No big bill

No weeks or months of treatment 

Dr Ellis Office Website

Dr Ellis Facebook Page

Dr Ellis on Twitter

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.

 Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

Dr. Ellis on Google+

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.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

When, if ever, should my kid see an orthodontist?

When Should my Child See an Orthodontist?

by JIM ELLIS on JULY 1, 2013

This is a great question. Most parents hope that the answer to this question is… never. Braces can be an expensive process. And if you have multiple children that need braces, the financial outlay can become burdensome. So, most parents hope that their child is one of the lucky ones whose teeth simply come in straight and won’t ever need to be straightened.

Well, how do you know? How do you know when, or even if, your child needs to go to the orthodontist? Here is some information that may help. This chart Problems to Watch for in Growing Children July 2012 (PDF) indicates some of the things to look for in your child’s oral development to assist in knowing if an appointment with an orthodontist is wise. These are not all of the issues out there, but it’s a very good sampling of what can go wrong.

As a general dentist, I can say that the use of an Orthodontic Specialist can be critical in the health of your child’s teeth. Teeth that are crowded are much harder to keep clean then teeth that are not crowded. A child’s speech development can be negatively affected by severe open bites. And, the list can go on and on. Making sure that your child’s teeth are straight is more than just about good looks. There is a very large functional component that is involved that must be considered.

Getting to an orthodontist is as easy as can be. You do not even need to have a referral from a general dentist. You can simply call an orthodontist and schedule an evaluation for your child. If you would prefer to have a referral simply visit your dentist and ask for a quick evaluation to see what they think.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

Dr Ellis on Twitter

Dr Ellis on G+

My eye!!!

Everyone knows that having dry eyes are bad.

If its caused by hot dry weather, medication, allergies,

age, etc. its no fun when your eyes are dry.

And it seems as though people seem to have a pretty good handle 

on stopping their eyes from being dry.

People will take their allergy meds, or reach for over the counter

solutions to place directly into their eyes to moisten them.

But what about dry mouth?

It seems as though people do not realize what to do about

dry mouth or even know what causes it.

Dry mouth is bad. 

And it can be very bad.

Dry teeth are essentially dead teeth waiting to happen.

Saliva plays a huge roll in protecting your teeth from the 

effects of the bacteria that cause cavities.

Without the saliva (dry mouth) the teeth are sitting ducks for the 

effects of the bacteria.

The causes of Dry mouth are varied.

Age, medications, and genetics are all part of the equation.

And just like treating dry eyes there are things that can, 

and should be, done in relation to treating dry mouth.

First is to identify the cause.

If its medications then talk to the doctor that is putting you on those

meds and discuss other possible options and medications.

If it is age or genetics then there are steps you can take. 

First is to always carry a water bottle with you.

It is not the quantity of water you drink but the frequency 

with which you drink it.

Always keeping your mouth moist is key.

There are also several over the counter medications 

to assist people with dry mouth.

Toothpastes, mouthwashes, mouth sprays, etc, are all available.

Take home point here is that if you suffer from dry mouth

do not let things go too long before you address the situation.

Dry mouth, just like dry eyes, if left untreated can have very long lasting

and severe effects. 

Dr. Ellis Website

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis on Google+

Summertime Hydration.

Summer is finally here!!!

And with the onset of summer will come the onset of higher temperatures 

and thus higher rates of thirst.

So what are you going to drink when you get thirsty?

Some folks have decided that they will hydrate with something healthier then soda.

The stuff they decide to drink instead is sports drinks (gatorade, poweraid, vitamin water, etc.)

They see the commercials and see professional athletes drinking this stuff 

and think that it must be good for them.

Well, Not so fast my friend!!

 The following is a study from the university of Iowa. and the results may shock you.

“The University of Iowa researchers covered extracted teeth with nail polish. They left bare two patches on each tooth, one on the enamel and one on the root. Then they dunked the teeth in test tubes filled with regular Coke, Diet Coke, Gatorade, Red Bull, or 100% apple juice. Every five hours, the researchers refreshed the beverages. After 25 hours, they examined the teeth with a microscope. All of the beverages eroded the bare spots on the teeth. But different beverages had significantly different effects. On the enamel, Gatorade was significantly more corrosive than Red Bull and Coke. Red Bull and Coke, in turn, were significantly more corrosive than Diet Coke and apple juice. On the roots of the teeth, Gatorade was more corrosive than Red Bull. Coke, apple juice, and Diet Coke followed in that order.”

So there you have it. People switching from soda pop to sports drinks thinking that they are helping their teeth are actually doing the same damage to their teeth as before. Be careful what you drink. The claims of things being "healthier" for you may be a little misleading.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

Dr. Ellis on Google+

Say no to crack!

One thing that we see with large metal fillings is cracking.

In this photo you can clearly see a crack running, from a large metal filling,

down the side of tooth towards the gums.

This crack will continue to progress until it may eventually split the tooth.

We removed the old metal filling and placed a new composite (white) one.

These newer types of filling bond much better to the tooth structure

and should help avoid any further cracking.

Dr Ellis Website

Dr Ellis on Facebook

Dr Ellis on G+

Dr Ellis on Twitter

Threatening your kids when they don't brush.

This post is not meant to be a lecture on how to raise children.

And trust me when I tell you that I do my share of threatening.

"You won't get any desert if you don't eat your beans."

"You wont get to watch the movie if you don't finish your chores."

Etc.

Etc.

The threatening that I am talking about is threatening your children

that they will have to get stabbed in the mouth with a needle by

the horrible mean dentist if they do not brush their teeth.

You may laugh, but it happens ALL THE TIME.

Children come in to get one simple cavity filled and they are out of

control and crying before they even walk through the door.

Their parents have scared them so badly that just the site of me sends

them into a screaming fit.

This wouldn't be so bad if the parent would then help me calm them down.

But that, usually, does not happen.

The parent will sit out in the waiting room and say things like....

"You knew this was going to happen" or

"Okay, you have to go get your shots now" or

"Don't cry, I told you he would drill on you if you didn't brush"

Do any of you know how hard it is for me at that point?

Do any of you know how hard it is on the child at that point?

Not only is it hard right then but this kind of thing will build an emotional

wall in that child that may remain for the rest of their life.

Most people that hate to come to the dentist due to experiences

when they were little children.

Bottom line is this.

If you can't get your children to brush their teeth by saying please or by using some

other type of positive reinforcement that is fine. Threatening to cut off the

x-box is, in my mind, a fine thing to do.

Just don't tell them how horrifying it will be to see the dentist.

It will makes things that much worse now, and later on down the road as well.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website