Cosmetic Makeovers in Ogden, Utah

There are some fairly common malformations of teeth. One of them is called the peg-lateral. It’s when the tooth, just to the side of your front two teeth, is very slender. Sometimes, it can look like a little peg, thus the name.

These teeth can be tough to fix with a veneer or crown because both of those procedures require taking away of tooth structure. And as you can see from the picture, there isn't a lot of tooth structure to spare.

Thus, cosmetic bonding is a very good option for these teeth. Quick, painless, and inexpensive. Peg laterals can be restored to the correct size and functionality .

Nothing is ever as strong as your natural teeth. But, if you only use your teeth for what they were designed for -- EATING. These bonding procedures should hold up very well for a long time.


Dr. Jim Ellis, DDS
1220 33rd Street Suite C
Ogden, UT 84403
(801) 783-3490

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SOURCE: http://www.bestogdendentist.com/2013/03/cosmetic-makeovers-ogden-utah/

Cosmetic Dentistry Magic.

A few more before and after pictures for you today.

This 20 something young lady was pretty scared to try

getting some cosmetic bonding done.

After she got her first look in the mirror however she

couldn't stop saying how great she thought they looked.

Before

After

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Cosmetic Dentistry. Before and After

What a great case to start off the week. 

This gentlemen never liked the gap in his front teeth.

He never decided to do anything about it. 

Soon however he got a few cavities on those very same teeth.

Coming in to get the cavities fixed gave us the perfect opportunity

to also close the gap that he had hated for so long.

Before

After

The patient is super happy with the results.

And what is even better is that he didn't even need 

to be numbed for the entire procedure.

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Why are my new fillings so sensitive?

New fillings that are placed by your dentist should not be sensitive.

If they are they should not remain that way for long.

Some very large fillings may take longer then others, but

eventually every filling should calm down.

So what exactly is going on when a fillings sensitive?

It has to do with expansion and contraction.

As with most things, when a tooth is exposed to hot or cold

temperatures it will expand or contract accordingly.

If a tooth has never had a filling it will all contract and expand at the same time.

If a tooth HAS had a filling however this is where we may get an issue.

If the tooth and the filling have a different point at which they want

to expand or contract then there can be some discomfort.

Over time this discomfort should go away as the tooth gets used to the filling.

If the discomfort does not go away then the filling needs to be re-done.

If it still hurts then there are some different types of filling materials that can be used.

If it still hurts then other treatments may be needed.

Filling sensitivity is a funny thing.

Someone can get 4 fillings in the same day.

Same doctor.

Same filling material.

Same everything.

But only 1 will end up hurting.

It is a real tooth by tooth thing and can drive patients, and dentists, crazy!

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Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

There has been a large push in the media over this issue but we are still

seeing it in the office so I think it bears repeating.

Early childhood cavities are bad news.

These cavities are costly to fix, it is harder to keep them intact,

and drilling on children gives them a bad perception

of what going to the dentist is all about, which will stay with them

for a long long time and effect how they view dental care in the future.

Simple rule of thumb here.

Do not give your children anything to drink, that is not water, in between meals.

At meal time they can have lots of stuff.

Juice, milk, koolaid, etc.

After the meal is over have them brush their teeth or swish with a glass of water.

This will help clean the sugars out of their mouths that they got form the meal.

ANY other time you should be giving them water.

It is the child that is continuously exposed to sugars that will get the cavities.

And for the love of all that is good and holy do not, under any circumstances,

put your child to bed with a bottle of juice, milk, or anything else.

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Does your child need to go to pediatric dentist?

Like many things in this world...... it depends.

Pediatric dentists are an amazing tool in the dental community.

I send children to them all the time.

However, there are many many more children

that I never send to them.

Almost everything that a pediatric dentist can do for your child can be done by a general dentist. Placing fillings, straightening teeth, placing space maintainers, extracting teeth,

doing pulpotomies (baby root canals), cleaning teeth, etc.

All of these services are offered by both a pediatric dentist and the general dentist.

So what does a pediatric dentist for?

The thing that, I feel, pediatric dentists are best for is to treat the nervous child.

Children just don't like dentists, doctors, nurses, etc.

We are always the ones giving shots and swabbing throats and so on.

The pediatric dentist is licensed to sedate children.

Whether through I.V. or orally your child can be put to sleep at a pediatric dentists office.

Now, this service will cost more money for the overall treatment but if it is the only way that your child can be treated due to them being scared to death then that is the best thing.

I suggest starting to bring your child to the dentist with you when they are about 3 years old.

Bring the child in for your cleaning. Let them sit in the corner and see that its not such a bad thing to be seen by the dentist. Do the same thing for you next cleaning. At that next appointment we typically will ask to see inside the child's mouth as they sit on the chair in the corner. We simply look around and get the child used to use being in their mouth. After that is done we congratulate the child for being so good and give them a prize. This exercise clears the way for them to be seen for their own cleaning and not be too scared about it because they have already been into the dentist on numerous occasions.

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Why are new fillings sensitive sometimes?

New fillings that are placed by your dentist should not be sensitive.

If they are they should not remain that way for long.

Some very large fillings may take longer then others, but

eventually every filling should calm down.

So what exactly is going on when a fillings sensitive?

It has to do with expansion and contraction.

As with most things, when a tooth is exposed to hot or cold

temperatures it will expand or contract accordingly.

If a tooth has never had a filling it will all contract and expand at the same time.

If a tooth HAS had a filling however this is where we may get an issue.

If the tooth and the filling have a different point at which they want

to expand or contract then there can be some discomfort.

Over time this discomfort should go away as the tooth gets used to the filling.

If the discomfort does not go away then the filling needs to be re-done.

If it still hurts then there are some different types of filling materials that can be used.

If it still hurts then other treatments may be needed.

Filling sensitivity is a funny thing.

Someone can get 4 fillings in the same day.

Same doctor.

Same filling material.

Same everything.

But only 1 will end up hurting.

It is a real tooth by tooth thing and can drive patients, and dentists, crazy!

Dr Ellis on Facebook

Dr Ellis Website

Teething in a 6 year old?

Teething pains. In a six year old.

We all know about the teething that happens in the first year of your child's life.

But not too many people are familiar with the teething that happens when a child in 6.

At the age of 6 years old, or so, your child will get in their first adult molars.

They are called, 6 year molars.

These teeth are the largest teeth that anyone will ever have in their mouths.

These teeth are not the little pointy teeth that little kids get in the front of their mouths.

These teeth are large and flat.

They need to place more force in order to break through the gums then the little ones do.

Therefore, if your child is around the age of 6 years and they complain about pain

way in the back of their mouth they may just be teething all over again.

Its always a good idea to get things checked out by a dental

professional just to insure that they do not have active cavities causing this ache.

But more often then not it will simply be the child's first molars coming in.

The best thing to do is treat this case of tooth eruption just like the others.

A mild over the counter pain killer such as Tylenol or ibuprofen and

then some orajel at the spot the tooth is coming in.

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