Cosmetic Bonding

Many people have small gaps in between their teeth that they would like fixed. Most people think that expensive braces or crowns are the only answer so they choose to do nothing.

This is not the case. Cosmetic bonding is a procedure where white (color chosen to match your teeth) filling material is placed on the side of each tooth where the gap exists. This closes the gap and makes a rather unaesthetic spot a whole lot better. You can still floss the area, no one can tell that anything has been done, and best of all it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get it done.

www.DrEllisOnline.com

What is cleft lip/palate?

The word "cleft" simply means a crack or divide. A cleft lip is simply the body incorrectly or incompletely closing the facial structures during development. This incomplete closing leaves a cleft, or divide, in the lip and/or palate of the new born. Below is an ultrasound showing a cleft lip.

About 6,800 children in the United States are born with isolated cleft lip/palates each year. This number accounts for about 70% of all the clefts in children. The other 30% of clefts are associated with one of over 400 syndromes that include a cleft as part of the syndrome.

Clefts are normally very repairable and the scare can be almost unrecognizable.

www.DrEllisOnline.com

Wisdom teeth

Do I really need my wisdom teeth out?

More than likely you do.

There is only a small segment of the population that has enough room that would allow for all 4 wisdom teeth to erupt completely into the mouth. Wisdom teeth removal can range in difficulty from very simple to very complex. Which end of the spectrum your own personal wisdom tooth removal ends up being is dependent upon several factors. How far can you open your mouth, how far up, or down, into the jaw do your teeth sit, and at what angle do your teeth lie are just a few of the concerns that must be addressed by you and your doctor to determine what to expect from your own wisdom tooth surgery.

Artist rendering of different kinds of wisdom tooth positions.

Two actual patient x-rays of horizontally impacted wisdom teeth.

www.DrEllisonline.com

Methamphetamine

Just in case any of you were thinking of using meth? Don't.

The above are pictures of people before and after they used Meth. Below is a picture of teeth after meth. Not good, would probably be an understatement.

www.DrEllisOnline.com

Is amalgam dangerous???

No. The ADA (American dental association), WHO (world health organization) and the New England Journal of medicine all have reported that there is no connection between amalgam fillings and any type of condition or disease process.

Are metal fillings less attractive then white fillings? Well beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most of my patients think so and I change out a lot of them for cosmetic reasons.

www.drellisonline.com

Shark teeth

Does your kid look like he/she is getting a second row of teeth?!

While this would be a great concept for humans, as far as I know it only applies to sharks.

Your child is not getting a second row of teeth. The adult tooth has simply "missed" the baby tooth and is coming up (or down) next to it. The baby tooth will, more then likely, not become much more loose on its own. Baby teeth become loose due to the pressure exerted on them by adult teeth. You will need to bring your kid into the dentist and have that tooth taken out.

www.drellisonline.com

Why is my tooth so long?

When you remove a tooth that's not the end of the story.

The tooth that now has nothing to chew against may start to move.

This tooth is coming out of the gums and further into the mouth.

Would it come all the way out? Only time will tell.

www.drellisonline.com