Stop Brushing so Hard!!!

So is it possible to damage your teeth by brushing too hard?

Absolutely!!

Enamel (the white stuff that covers your teeth) is the

hardest substance in the human body.

It would be very hard to brush through that.

Enamel however, only covers the tooth as it comes out of the gums.

If your gums recede due to genetics or very aggressive brushing then another

layer of the tooth is revealed.

This layer is called the dentin layer.

This layer is much softer then enamel.

Brushing too hard can, very easily, erode this layer.

You can tell that this is happening if you feel a little ridge on your tooth

as you get up near your gums.

It may feel like a little trench or groove.

If you have one of these you need to get it checked out to see how deep it is

and if anything needs to be done about it.

Small fillings can actually be placed in the grooves to help

protect the tooth from any future damage.

If left untreated you can actually brush a deep enough groove into

your tooth that you would need a root canal.

The picture below shows a tooth where the groove almost reached the nerve.

Moral of the story is to stop brushing so hard.

A quick trip to the dentist can tell you if your brushing in appropriete or not.

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My Child's Teeth Don't Match-up?

There are some dental terms for what you are, most likely, seeing.

The first is, crossbite.

If you look on the left hand side of this picture you will see a crossbite.

The top teeth are supposed to come out over the tops

of the bottom teeth (like the right side).

The next thing you might be seeing is an underbite.

That is where the bottom front teeth protrude further then the upper teeth.

Notice in this picture there is no crossbite. The back teeth are all in correct position.

It really depends on the age of the child as to how much you are going

to worry about either of these conditions.

If your child is over the age of about 6 and their permanent teeth are crossed or over-bit then you for sure need to see an orthodontist.

If your child is younger and still in the process of getting all of their baby teeth in then the concern may not be as pressing. In this case simply have your dentist take a look at your child's tooth positioning during their next cleaning.

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Dad's Denture Won't stay in.

What can be done for a denture that won't stay in?

First of all the age of the denture needs to be considered.

If the denture is over 10 years old, without having been re-fit,

then a dentist needs to look at it.

Secondly, was the denture made properly?

Even the newest denture won't fit if it was made improperly.

Third, what is the overall health of the person wearing the denture?

If the patient has experienced severe weight loss over a short period of time

then the denture may quickly become unwearable do to an ill fit.

Many loose fitting dentures can be solved by taking care of

one of the previously mentioned problems.

However if that doesn't fix the problem then there is another solution.

Two implants placed in the lower jaw with a couple of snaps

placed in the denture may be just the trick.

The snaps placed in the denture will grab onto the implants

(just like a snap on a shirt).

The denture will now be be much more able to stay in place.

Contact your dentist and see if this is the right option for your loved one.

Or you.

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Implants today

Today we put an implant in a women who had broken a tooth off at the gumline.

Extraction, implant, and bone graft all done at same appointment.

Before

After.

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Mindy Anderton Wright

We had a few extra minutes today so we decided to help Mindy out a bit.

She has always hated a gap she had in front of one of her teeth.

She decided to wait and see what to do with the gap in back of the tooth.

This procedure took 20 minutes.

No shots. No pain.

She is ecstatic with the results!!

Before

After

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Retainers.

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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How long can I wait?

Okay your dentist just told you that your tooth is cracked.

He/She just told you that you need a crown.

Your first question is, "How long can I wait to get this crown"?

Well, here is the answer.

It totally depends.

A crack in a tooth will not stop on its own.

It will continue to progress until the tooth fractures.

What will continue to move the crack is chewing on the tooth that is cracked.

Therefore, if you stop chewing the crack will stop moving.

An all liquid diet will allow you to keep the crack from moving.

(Little side note here: grinding, even without

food in your mouth, can cause a crack to move as well.)

But unless you do that then the dentist has no idea how long until the tooth will fracture.

Bottom line is this, get your teeth fixed as soon as possible.

Financing the work is always a factor and maybe it can't get done right away.

Just know that the dentist has no way of predicting when and where you tooth will break.

If your dentist tells you you have a crack just be very careful.

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