Dentistry without a drill! Is it possible?
The dental drill: just the simple sight or sound of it makes many people nervous. A fairly new approach has been gaining popularity among dentists in North America. It is called Air-Abrasion Micro Dentistry. Essentially, it is a dental sandblaster. Minute, safe, bio-compatible particles, under air pressure, spray from a hand-piece. When the stream of particles is directed at a small area of tooth decay, the decay is removed, and most of the time pain-free. Air-abrasion is very useful for treating small surface cavities in patients of all ages. Children benefit from it the most because the vibration of a conventional drill is what quite often frightens them. For more information click here.
Do you have missing teeth or a loose lower denture?
Help is here.Many people have lost some or all of their permanent teeth at a young age. And many have had to tolerate a loose lower denture that just will not stay in place. Messy denture adhesives and even new dentures have not made the situation any more stable. Nowadays, virtually any person in good general health can have implants placed, permanently, in the bone of their jaw via a short and simple surgical procedure that is done under local anesthetic. With the help of these implants, onto which a lower denture will "snap", patients regain the comfort and the satisfaction of normal chewing. Implants are a viable solution for areas of single or multiple tooth loss. The advantage of implants, in these cases, is that the adjacent teeth do not have to be prepared as they would be in case of a conventional bridge, where a fake tooth is held in place by natural teeth on either side.For more information click here. At College Manor Dental we are using Tenax implants.
Mercury fillings: Should you be concerned?
In recent years, there has been a lot of controversy regarding mercury (silver) fillings. They have been around for a long time, and have served their purpose. Although Health Canada does not view mercury fillings as a health hazard, with the rapidly advancing technology and research in dentistry, a variety of alternatives are now available. These include resin (white) fillings, ceramic restorations and metal-free crowns (caps). All of these are very aesthetic and favourable alternatives over mercury fillings for a variety of reasons.For more information click here
Do you have gum disease?
Do you have gums that bleed when you brush or floss? Have you noticed that the gums that surround your teeth are receding? Are you developing spaces between your front teeth that you never noticed before? Do you occasionally notice an unpleasant taste in your mouth? Are some or all of your teeth feeling loose? If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms you may very well have gum disease. Gum disease -- or Periodontal Disease, as it is known in dental terms -- is an infectious condition that affects the gums and surrounding bone that teeth are housed in. Recent studies suggest that over 80% of the adult North Americans have some signs of gum disease. Furthermore, adult gum disease has also been linked to a higher incidence of heart disease and premature births in affected individuals. Although, in most cases adult gum disease progress slowly, it can result in the loss of all teeth if left untreated. If you don't already have gum disease, you can prevent it from ever setting in by going to see your dentist/hygienist regularly and by practicing good oral hygiene. Prevention is the key here. If you have early or moderate gum disease it is best treated by regular visits to your dentist/hygienist for periodontal maintenance (gum cam), along with continued and intense home maintenance. In more severe cases, a gum specialist, or periodontist may be required for gum surgery or other treatments. Although you cannot reverse adult gum disease once it has set in, you can halt its progress or slow it down with proper care. If your gum disease has reached advanced stages, your only option may be the extraction of any remaining teeth followed by dentures or implants.For more information click here.
Snoring: Is there help?
Reportedly, there are over 80 million people in North America who snore while sleeping. The people who seem to suffer the most are not the snorers themselves but their spouses. Snoring occurs during sleep and is caused by the relaxation of the muscles and soft tissues of the throat causing the air passage to narrow. This narrowing causes the air to flow faster during breathing which then causes the soft tissue to vibrate resulting in the snoring. Snoring can be treated. But before any treatment can be commenced, itis important to establish whether the person has a case of simple "garden variety" snoring or the more serious medical condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The latter would be treated by a sleep disorder specialist. The former, on the other hand, may be treated by a dentist with a 70-100% success rate. The treatment is very simple and begins with the patient first filling out a questionnaire to determine an appropriate course of treatment. Then a simple device, similar to a mouth-guard, is fabricated to fit over the upper and lower teeth. When worn by the patient during sleep, this device positions the lower jaw forward causing the airway to remain open. This reduces or eliminates snoring altogether.For more information click here.
Are you embarrassed to smile?You are not alone.
Millions of North Americans, especially those over forty, have had quite a bit of dental work done to their front teeth. Along with the unsightly fillings between the front teeth, the biting edges of the teeth may have worn or chipped away over the years. Furthermore, twenty or thirty years ago, orthodontic braces were not as common used as they are today and many adults have misaligned or crowded teeth. All this resulted in adults with less than perfect smiles. However, today, through the art of strategic aesthetic dental planning you can have a 'Smile Lift '. A variety of procedures, such as laser tooth-whitening, bonding, porcelain veneers and crowns allow you to brighten and rebuild your teeth giving you a more youthful and beautiful smile.For more information click here.
Dental visits: How often should you go?
There is no single correct answer to this question, although the majority of people visit a dentist every six months. Historically, this arose because most insurance companies would only provide dental benefits for a "check-up" every six months. Six months is a good interval to have your teeth examined by a dentist, but this six-month exam visit should not be confused with the frequency for visits to the dental hygienist for cleanings. The question then arises: How often should you get your teeth cleaned? Again, for the sake of convenience, the majority of people have their teeth cleaned at the same six-month visit. However, many patients need to have their teeth cleaned or scaled more frequently. The need for periodontal therapy or maintenance (i.e. teeth scaling and root planing) is highly individual. Patients who have gum disease benefit from having their teeth and gums attended to at 3-month intervals. These more regular visits do not always involve the dentist. Instead, the hygienist administers the periodontal therapy. By having any plaque, calculus (tartar) and other debris and deposits removed from your teeth at regular visits, you prevent, halt or slow down the progression of gum disease. Many patients with generally healthy gums choose to have their teeth cleaned every 3-4 months. Although it is not mandatory, they find it to be quite beneficial to their long term gum health. For more information click here.
When should a child first visit the dentist?
The earlier a child visits the dentist, the better. Ideally, the child would be between the ages of 3 and 4 years old and the visit should be made to feel as positive as possible. These early visits ensure that the child's primary or "baby" teeth remain as healthy as possible. In the majority of cases if the baby teeth were neglected, the adult teeth will be neglected, too. This instills the importance of dental care and good oral hygiene habits in your child's mind from a very early age. One misconception that some parents have is that the "baby" teeth are not important because they eventually fall out. Yes, they will fall out, but they will not be fully exfoliated until the child is at least 12 years old. In this time of higher dental knowledge, fluoridated water and preventive dentistry, it is very possible that the majority of children will grow up with healthy, caries-free teeth.
Laser tooth whitening: Look better, smile more.
Tooth-whitening is a cosmetic procedure that has been consistently performed by dentists for over a decade. It is a safe and simple procedure that can be carried out either directly in the office via light-activated or laser whitening or at home using a home-whitening kit. The former is usually a single 2-3 hour appointment where the results are immediate, and the latter is more gradual and may take a couple of weeks for the optimum results. Although results vary from person to person, there is generally a noticeable and long-lasting effect. In order for the whitening to be done, teeth and gums must be healthy. Hence, a recent professional cleaning and good oral hygiene are essential. Modern dentistry offers a variety of elective, aesthetic procedures that can tremendously improve your confidence and appearance. It isn't only about "cavities" and "fillings" anymore.For more information click here.
Dental visit anxiety: How can we help?
Most people understand the need and importance of regular dental visits and do go to the dentist at regular intervals; for others it is a tremendous source of anxiety. Patients may experience stress, fear and even phobias surrounding dental visits. It may be caused by a previous traumatic experience (in childhood or later), a fear of needles, a sensitive gagging reflex, the sound of the drill or other dental instruments, or a generalized phobia of the dental experience. But all hope is not lost. There are a variety of techniques that can be used to make the dental visit less traumatic. One of the easiest and most direct ways is the use of nitrous oxide sedation (laughing gas). The gas administered through a nose mask does not put you to sleep, but rather, puts you at ease and takes the edge off. The effects of gas are sometimes compared to the "Three Martini Effect". The procedure is safe and may effectively reduce the stress of the dental appointment. Oral sedatives can also be taken prior to a dental appointment and may have an effect similar to that of gas for putting you at ease. For patients who experience more profound fears and anxiety, an intravenous sedation or general anesthesia may be indicated. Not to undermine their effectiveness, these techniques have some side effects and risks and are usually indicated for treatment of an isolated problem. In cases where comprehensive, ongoing treatment is needed, these techniques are less effective.For more information click here.
Injuries to the mouth: How to prevent them.
Injuries to the face, mouth, and teeth in particular, are most common in contact or even non-contact sports. Among the ones with the highest risk are football, baseball, hockey and basketball. These injuries are very prevalent among children and may often result in serious and significant damage to, or loss of, upper and lower front teeth. We all love sports and no one wishes to ask their child to give up the sport they love. We can, however, ensure that they play safe. An athletic mouth-guard is a simple device that fits over the upper teeth and can significantly reduce the risk of serious trauma upon impact. The most effective type is the one that can be custom made by a dentist to fit the patients teeth perfectly. It's a very simple procedure that takes about ten minutes. A mould of the teeth is taken from which a custom mouthguard will then be made. Beware of store bought mouth-guards, especially the "boil and adapt" kind. These never fit perfectly and may even contribute to injury. So whatever you do, make sure you protect your mouth.
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