White Filling
The Benefits Of Digital X-Rays
Oral Caner
Disease, Cavities and Bite Problems
White Filling
Until recently silver amalgam were the material most often
used to restore decayed portions of your teeth, especially
back teeth. Unfortunately, silver fillings can really darken
a smile, and amalgam, by its very nature, can cause damage
to your tooth in the long run.
Amalgam fillings absorb moisture and expand and contract
with heat and cold. So as the filling ages, it can fracture
your tooth; we'll then need to place a crown on your tooth
to save it. Also, silver often undergo metal fatigue, corroding
and leaking over time. This destroys the protective seal of
the filling and allows new decay to develop underneath it.
This leakage can give a gray appearance to the entire tooth.
New Tooth-colored Options
Dental research has resulted in the development of new tooth-colored materials that are not only durable and long lasting, but attractive as well. These materials, porcelain and composite resin, provide an attractive, natural look while at the same time restoring strength and durability to your tooth.
Both porcelain and composure resin are bonded directly to
the tooth, restoring it to near its original strength and
function. Both can be custom-colored to precisely match your
teeth, so when porcelain or resin fillings are placed, they're
extremely natural looking. This can really make a difference
in your appearance, especially if the restoration is visible
when you smile.
More Advantages of White Restorations
When we place an amalgam filling, we have to remove extra
healthy tooth structure, just so the filling will stay in
place. When we restore your tooth with composite resin, we
only need to remove the decayed portion, because the bond
anchors the material tightly in place. This means you retain
more healthy tooth structure. Also because white fillings
are bonded to tour tooth, they add strength to the tooth.
So if you're looking for an attractive and effective option
for restoring one or more decayed teeth, be sure to ask us
about the latest choices in white restorative materials.
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The Benefits Of Digital X-Ray
Digital Radiography
Until Recently, our only option when taking a dental X-ray was the exposure of a small film packet, which then took between five and ten minutes to develop. Now, the digital era has brought us an exciting new technology called digital radiography.
The Advantage of Digital radiography
Digital radiography has many advantages over traditional
dental X-rays:
- We can view images instantly.
- There's up to 90 percent less radiation.
- We can enhance images in a variety of ways to improve viewing.
- Images can be stored electronically for instant retrieval in the future, if needed
- We avoid the chemicals used in the traditional developing process
How Digital Radiography Works
With digital radiography, we use a small sensor connected
directly to a computer instead of a film packet. Taking X-rays
is faster because the sensor is merely moved from tooth to
tooth; we don't need to reload a film positioner for each
image. Its also faster because the X-rays are available immediately
on the computer monitor. Because the digital X-ray exposure
is shorter than taking conventional X-rays, the amount of
X-ray radiation is reduced by up to 90 percent.
Digital X-rays, allow us to see details and make adjustments
that are a tremendous help in our diagnosis. We can also save
images in our computer system for instant retrieval at a later
date.
Digital radiography is an advanced technology that speeds treatment and helps us make the most accurate and efficient diagnosis of your dental condition
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Oral Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates that oral cancer strikes
tens of thousands of Americans each year. Only about 56 percent
of those diagnosed with oral cancer will survive more than
five years.
The reason these statistics are so grim is that oral cancer
is often detected in its later stages. But when it's detected
early, before the disease spreads to destroy healthy tissue,
the chances of survival are greatly improved
How do we detect oral cancer?
Because early detection is vital to surviving oral cancer,
we will perform a thorough oral cancer screening each time
we see you in our office for an exam.
We'll feel for lumps or abnormal tissue changes on your neck
and inside your mouth. We'll also thoroughly examine the soft
tissue in your mouth, especially the most frequent oral cancer
sites: your tongue, the floor of your mouth, your soft palate,
your lips, and your gums.
What you can do
Come see us at least twice a year for your regular checkups, and let us know if you notice any of these warning signs: a sore that does not heal or the bleeds easily; a red, white, or otherwise discolored patch or lump in or around your mouth; an area that seems to have thickened, raised, or become hardened; a rough patch of tissue; difficulty chewing or swallowing; or a chronic sore throat or hoarseness.
Its vital that you not ignore a mouth sore just because
it doesn't hurt. Most pre cancerous and cancerous lesions
are completely painless.
You can also minimize your chances of developing oral cancer
by making some lifestyle changes. Don't smoke or use chewing
tobacco, avoid excessive alcohol usage, and make sure you're
eating plenty of fruits and vegetables each day.
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Disease, Cavities and Bite Problems
The diagnosis of periodontal disease and cavities, along
with the evaluation of your bite, are important parts of a
dental examination. We want you to understand how we diagnose
oral health condition so we can work together to maintain
and improve your oral health.
How do we diagnose periodontal disease?
Since you may have no symptoms with periodontal disease, we perform a thorough examination with a periodontal probe and x-rays.
With periodontal disease, the bone level falls, and the gums
pull away from the tooth, forming a pocket. We use a probe
to take measurements from the bottom of the picket where it's
attached to the tooth, to the top of the gums. A probe reading
of more than 3 millimeters is a sign of periodontal disease.
Bleeding, which sometimes happens when we measure your gums,
is also a sign of infection.
Healthy gums fit tight against the teeth. There aren't any pockets, and they don't bleed.
In early and moderate periodontal disease, the gums are red
and swollen with infection, especially the gums between the
teeth. This is where periodontal disease usually starts.
X-rays tell us a lot about periodontal disease. In a healthy
mouth, the bone comes up high around the necks of the teeth,
and its even throughout the mouth. In advance periodontal
disease, the bone level is much lower and the bone levels
are uneven.
X-rays also show us tartar on the teeth. Finding tartar, which is hardened and mineralized plaque, is important because periodontal disease is caused by the accumulation of plaque.
How do we diagnose cavities?
Like periodontal disease, cavities are caused by plaque.
The bacteria in plaque produce acid, which destroys the enamel
of your teeth and causes cavities.
Fighting cavities is sometimes easy, but sometimes it's not.
For hard-to-find cavities, we use a dental explorer and x-rays.
We check the top and sides of your teeth with a dental explorer.
To look for cavities between teeth, we use x-rays. Metal fillings
and crowns show up as bright white, and cavities show up as
dark spots.
It's far better to catch and restore cavities while they're
still small and in the enamel layer of the tooth. Once they're
in the softer dentin layer, they can grow quickly. If decay
makes it to the pulp chamber, infection can grow inside the
tooth and may lead to the need for root canal therapy.
How do we diagnose bite problems?
During your checkup, we'll also inspect your bite. A healthy
bite allows all of your teeth to hit simultaneously and evenly
when your jaw joint is seated into its proper position at
the base of your skull. In this position, your chewing muscles
are also contracting evenly
Bite problems can cause difficulties with your jaw joint, the TMJ. They can also cause bruxism, which is tooth grinding and clenching, and abfraction, which is the loss of tooth structure that forms notching near the gumline.
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Excerpts taken from the Casey Education System, a dental
education system used in our practice
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