Knowledge is power.

Knowledge is power.

When you go to the dentist it is no different.

What should a filling feel like when its done?

What should a crown feel like when its done?

What should a root canal look like on x-ray when its done?

If you know the answers to questions like these the more you

will be able to make sure that you are getting good quality care.

A root canal is a very tricky procedure.

Many things can keep a root canal from going well.

However, for the most part your root canal should look a certain way.

Here is a way that a root canal should not look and a way it should.

This root canal is very short of the end of the tooth. 

There are also voids in the filling material, the filling

material does not look solid throughout.

This root canal looks very different.

The filling material goes all the way to the tip of the tooth.

And the filling is thick with no voids.

As was stated earlier there are difficulties in some root canals.

But most should go very smoothly.

Arm yourself with knowledge before having a procedure done.

After its done ask to see the pictures.

Ask if anything went wrong and what the prognosis is for the tooth's future.

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Does my child need braces?

We get this question a lot.

And the answer is directly related to the definition of the word "need".

There are very few things that we "need" in life.

Water, food, and shelter being among them.

You only "need" to have braces if the misalignment of your teeth 

is so great that is causing you health problems.

Health problems such as the inability to eat properly, 

trouble speaking clearly, and/or experiencing extreme

amounts of tooth decay because your teeth are simply to hard to clean properly.

Other then these instances braces are a "want" and not a "need".

It is simply a cosmetic issue at that point.

Do women "need" to die their hair when it turns gray?

Do men "need" to trim their eyebrows when they get over 3 inches long?

So the determination of whether or not your child "needs" braces is

pretty much up to you and your child. 

For more information on braces and all other things orthodontic 

you can talk to your dentist or contact an orthodontist directly.

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Did you just sneeze on me!!??

We have all had it happen to us.

A co-worker lets out a sneeze without covering their mouths.

You try, without the sneezer noticing, to politely turn away as to not ingest their germs.

Does that work?

Well, only if you are really really fast about it.

A sneeze comes out of your mouth at hundreds of miles an hour.

That's right.

HUNDREDS!!

Estimates are a little scattered as to just how fast but it ranges anywhere from

100 mph to 800 mph. But regardless of which of these numbers is closer

to the real number is kind of irrelevant. The point is that unless you can turn your head

very very quickly you are out of luck. The sneezer's germs are now your germs.

Best thing to do is to tell the sneezer to cover his/her mouth!

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How fast is a sneeze?

We have all had it happen to us.

A co-worker lets out a sneeze without covering their mouths.

You try, without the sneezer noticing, to politely turn away as to not ingest their germs.

Does that work?

Well, only if you are really really fast about it.

A sneeze comes out of your mouth at hundreds of miles an hour.

That's right.

HUNDREDS!!

Estimates are a little scattered as to just how fast but it ranges anywhere from

100 mph to 800 mph. But regardless of which of these numbers is closer

to the real number is kind of irrelevant. The point is that unless you can turn your head

very very quickly you are out of luck. The sneezer's germs are now your germs.

Best thing to do is to tell the sneezer to cover his/her mouth!

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website