Why do you still see gold restorations and crowns? Experts have again stated that gold is the best restorative material unless there are aesthetic considerations. For those, a plethora of tooth colored, natural looking restorations are available.
          Historically, however, the longest lasting dental material has been gold. Why? Gold wears at the same rate as enamel. Additionally, it actually improves over time because it has the property of burnishing; that is to say, it gets smoother toward the tooth as the metal is slowly pressed toward the tooth surface from chewing and brushing. This is very important around the margins. No other material does this.
          Gold also conducts thermal; changes and expands and contracts with the tooth. Additionally, less tooth needs to be removed to make room for a gold crown. It’s a more conservative treatment.
          Gold has always been an investment in your dental future. The Egyptians of ancient times knew this and used gold to restore teeth, just as modern dentistry does, and for the same reason.

I thought after all the questions I receive in the course of an average work week that you might find it of some usefulness an/or at least interesting to know about our dental local anesthetics. Generally referred to as Novacaine, there are a bunch to select from. In fact, “Novacaine” is a common term that originated with the 1st use of “caines” in dentistry. Procaine was introduced about about 60 years ago and was marketed as Novacaine. There were some chemical problems with procaine which caused a large number of people to have allergic reactions. Many of these reactions were severe. The dental profession as a whole did not truly embrace the “caines” until Xylocaine/Lidocaine were created. Known as extremely safe and effective local anesthetics, dentist have used these products for many years.
          Some anesthetics are off shoots of Xylocaine and Lidocaine. These are too many discuss in this article but it is possible to use local dental anesthetics for particular reasons. For example: some last longer and some wear off faster, some cause an elevated heart rate which is minor; some are designed to effectively cause no elevated heart rate. And there are others that may have an “ingredient” to serve certain situations. If you have any health problems be sure your dentist knows about them so he or she can choose the correct anesthic for you.

When a root canal procedure is complete, you still have the roots to the tooth; only the nerve and blood vessels inside the root structure are missing.

          Tarter or dental calculus is actually layer upon layer of calcified plaque. It is composed of many things but most importantly millions of bacteria.

          The “best tooth paste” is any fluoride low abrasion tooth paste you like the flavor of, which has been approved by the ADA.

          The only truly predictable, and effective bleaching products I know of are delivered in dental offices.

          Not all “wisdom teeth” or 3rd molars as we call them need to be extracted. I believe when extracting them is recommended, it is preferable to do so before their roots are fully formed and therefore more firmly attached to the jaw.

          Deciduous or “baby teeth” are very important. They not only provide structure to the developing mouth but they hold space for the permanent teeth. Please keep them clean and healthy as you would any other teeth.

          There is not a preset spot that a tooth erupts into. Teeth erupt approximately where they are suppose to be, but it is the effect of muscles, namely cheeks, lips and especially the tongue that moves them into their stable positions in the mouth.

Wisdom teeth, or third molars as we call them, make their appearance usually during the teenage years, but may be seen even into the thirties. These molars can serve as normal teeth if there is enough room for them, which quite frankly is usually not the case.
          When fully erupted they require more attention than most molars due to their more difficult accessibility. They can be subject to more gum & decay problems because they are harder to keep clean.
          Removing these is the best done prior to their full development, since teeth develop from the crown to the root tip, with the roots actually developing last. Therefore it makes good sense to remove wisdom teeth before their potentially curvy root systems are formed.
          I personally don’t find removal of most fully erupted wisdom teeth to be technically difficult. However, at the early stages o development when unerupted or when positioned poorly in the jaw bone, I recommend the services of an oral surgeon. Many general practitioners do all of there own surgery and do it very well. You would have to discuss this with your own dentist as far as determing what your special needs might call for.

Allergic responses to natural rubber latex is recognized as a serious problem for health care workers and the general population as well. Since 1980 the incidences of reaction to latex have dramatically increased. You may not even realize how often you come into contact with latex but you will find it all around you. From rubber bands and toys to stretchy clothes and makeup, it is everywhere. I suppose I should be more savvy about this subject since my son Stephen is allergic to latex. However, just recently I loaned him a pair of binoculars to use and didn’t know the eye cups were latex. He had a classic allergic response consisting if itchy red swollen eyes. Carried to the extreme, latex allergies can be life threatening. Even inhaling the powder from the latex gloves can cause asthma like symptoms.
          If you suspect that you are allergic to latex, please inform your dentist so that he or she may select another type of glove for your treatment. Lastly, if you suffer with symptoms such as low blood pressure, nausea, labored breathing, hives, tingling sensations or itchiness, following exposure to latex, let your dentist know immediately.

          You know it’s going to happen someday. You get a nagging weirdness in a tooth. Of course it’s “that” tooth, the one you had filled when you were 12. You remember because your mother promised to demote you from near teen to little kid if you got more decayed teeth, plus you remember the dentist mumbled something about it being DEEP, but that was 20 years ago so… what’s going on?
          What’s going on is what happens when a tooth has a diminished blood supply. It’s called pulpitis and is a rather normal response to any long term irritation to a tooth. Usually your tooth will get real cold sensitive; it can progress to hot sensitivity and discomfort. Now what you need is a Root Canal.
          But what really is a Root Canal anyway? What it isn’t is the removal of your tooth roots. It would fall out if that happened. What is removed is the nerve from inside the tooth. What is left is a tooth with little channels open and clean canals are sealed with putty like material called Gutta Percha. Once cleaned and sealed your body treats this tooth like the others and you can get on with the necessary repairs which usually means a Post & Core and Crown.
          Without the presence of infection, many Root Canals can be done in one comfortable visit. Infection does complicate treatment and the best reason to seek care early. I personally have had Root Canals many times without pain and only minor post treatment soreness. It truly does not deserve its scary reputation.

          Hardly a day goes by without one of my patients asking, “What is that blue light?” We use a special high intensity light of a particular color, or wave-length, to cause composite bonded fillings to set.
          Usually, a strange looking “gun-like” gizmo houses the blue light. This “gun” has a curved tip that allows the dentist to reach all area of the mouth. There are real big advantages to this kind of filling. The dentist can control when the filling hardens, therefore he can do much of the shaping and finishing before using the light. The old type of white filling got hard in about 45 seconds whether the dentist was ready or not.
          As a patient, you get much better filling that seals your tooth, a filling that is far superior to the silver filling. Another advantage is that when it is set, you may immediately eat without breaking it. An added plus is that you can now have pretty tooth-colored filling anywhere in the mouth, not just in your front teeth.

I get asked frequently about “dents” or depressions that develop right at the area where the gum tissue meets the tooth structure. Sometimes these are areas of concern to my patients because the worn or chipped out areas are darker yellow looking than enamel. Just as often my patient complain of sensitivity to cold air or fluid and even brushing or some acid foods.
          There are usually two causes of these areas. We as dentist have a tendency to describe this type of “wear” as tooth brush abrasion and it may be caused by aggressive tooth brushing on the weaker dentin or root surface of the teeth. Frequently however, a process called ABFRACTION is also occurring. ABFRACTION is the microscopic fracturing away of tiny bits of enamel right at the gum line usually due to clinching or grinding behaviors unrelated to chewing. Both causes frequently occur together.
          Treatment for these area can range from nothing for minor abrasion from tooth brushing; to treatment with re-mineralizing medicaments (fluorides); to more involved treatments including composite bonding of dented areas; and the fabrication of a protective guard worn on the teeth during most common times clinching or grinding occurs.
          Left untreated the affects can include tooth sensitivity, nerve breakdown, T.M.J. (joint) problems, and other potential problems. Please have your dentist evaluate these areas in the mouth. Treatment is simple, not painful, long lasting and beautiful.

Here’s a good one for you. You like everything about your smile but you’ve got spaces between some or all of your teeth. What can you do?

          First of all, spaces may occur for all kinds of reasons. I saw a patient the other day who had an undersized front tooth which left a large gap next to it. I also saw someone recently who never got one of their front teeth. This left room for the other teeth to shift position. However, the most common spacing I see is one where the front teeth are separated (A Diastema.)

          So what do you do? Many people don’t do anything. I mean, shoot David letterman has a space between his front teeth and I don’t think you’ll see it disappear in my lifetime. But you may want to eliminate some space and here are your best options.

• Have your teeth orthodontically (braces) move together. It takes time and it’s expensive, but many times it’s the best way to do it.
• Crown your teeth with porcelain crowns. This is a possibility, but it’s a very aggressive treatment.
• Veneer your front teeth with sheets of porcelain called laminates. Many times the teeth require little or no enamel removal. They are the beautiful smile you see throughout Hollywood. And, yeas, they are expensive, but no more than good crowns. You can even preview what they will look like with wax models and imaging.