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Stained or Discolored Teeth
Is there any feature more appealing than a sparkling white smile? Unfortunately, our teeth don't always stay as white as we'd like them to. What causes teeth to become stained, discolored, or darkened — and what can you do about it?
Tooth discoloration can be caused by several factors, both intrinsic (internal) to the tooth, and extrinsic (outside). Intrinsic factors create changes in the structure of tooth material itself, causing it to lose its pearly translucency. These changes may occur as a result of wear and aging; as a side effect of certain medications, such as tetracycline; and they can...
Ultrasonic Scalers
When it comes to cleaning your teeth, few dental instruments can match the power and speed of an ultrasonic scaler. Ultrasonic equipment was first used in dentistry back in the 1950s; today, ultrasonic scaling is a mature and time-tested technology. In experienced hands, these high-tech instruments can disrupt and flush away bacteria along with hard deposits that your toothbrush can't touch — and they can even help moderately stained teeth look brighter.
Chances are you may already be familiar with ultrasonic scalers — or at least, your teeth are. They are the tools of choice for many dentists and dental...
Oral Cancer Screening
Although oral cancer may not get as much attention as some more widely-known types of cancer, that doesn't mean it's any less deadly. In fact, it is estimated that in the United States, oral cancer is responsible for killing one person every hour, every day. While it accounts for a relatively small percentage of all cancers, oral cancer is dangerous because it isn't usually detected until it has reached an advanced stage. At that point, the odds aren't great: only about 6 in 10 people will survive after five years of treatment.
If there was a simple test that could...
Bone Grafting for Dental Implants
Replacement teeth supported by dental implants function so well and last so long because, like natural teeth, they are securely anchored in the jawbone for maximum support. In order to benefit from this remarkable technology, however, you need to have enough tooth-supporting bone in your jaw to hold a dental implant in place. Unfortunately, after tooth loss, the surrounding bone almost always deteriorates — decreasing in width, height and density — and this process starts immediately. The longer a tooth has been missing, the more the bone that used to surround it resorbs (melts away). If you want a dental...
Brushing and Flossing with Braces
You know how important it is to brush and floss properly when you're wearing braces — but what's the best way to do that? Let's start with the basic brushing tools: Either a soft-bristled brush or a bi-level brush (one that has shorter bristles in the middle and longer bristles at the edges) can be effective. Used carefully, an electric toothbrush can work just as well. But be sure the electric brush is set to a moderate power level, and don't let its vibrations cause the back of the brush to hit the braces!
You should brush with a fluoride...
Functional Orthodontic Appliances
Most of the time, orthodontic treatment involves moving the teeth into better positions with braces or clear aligners. While these are the most familiar appliances used in orthodontic treatment, we may also recommend devices called “functional appliances” to help correct more serious bite problems. Functional appliances are designed to harness natural forces (such as those produced by muscular activity and jaw growth) to bring the bite into better alignment. Examples of functional appliances include the Activator, Bionator, Twin Block and Herbst® appliances.
Some of these devices are fixed in the mouth (like braces), and can't be taken out at home;...
Oral Diagnosis and Biopsies
When you come into the dental office for an examination, you might assume that the focus is on your teeth. That's often correct — but don't forget that there are a number of other parts of the oral and facial anatomy that are examined as well. These include areas around and inside the mouth (such as the lips, gums, hard and soft palate, and the tongue) as well as outside the mouth (the skin, muscles and glands in the neck, and the temporomandibular joint). In fact, when it comes to detecting certain oral or systemic (whole-body) diseases, a thorough dental...
All About Toothpaste
Toothpaste: It's something most people use every day, but rarely give much thought to — except, perhaps, when choosing from among the dozens of brands that line the drugstore shelf. Is there any difference between them? What's toothpaste made of… and does it really do what it promises on the box? To answer those questions, let's take a closer look inside the tube.
The soft, slightly grainy paste that you squeeze on your brush is the latest in a long line of tooth-cleaning substances whose first recorded use was around the time of the ancient Egyptians. Those early mixtures had...
Stress and Oral Habits (Teeth Grinding/Clenching)
Teeth grinding and clenching are common habits, but that doesn't mean they are harmless. Stresses from the powerful forces generated by clenching and grinding (also known as “bruxing”) can wear down teeth or even loosen them. Teeth that have enamel worn away or scraped off from this repeated rubbing action may become sensitive to hot or cold. And dental work such as crowns and fillings may get damaged. Bruxism can also lead to jaw pain and/or headaches.
Even if you have experienced some of these signs and symptoms, you may not realize you are a bruxer — particularly if your...
Pediatric Dentistry
Your child won't keep his or her first teeth forever, but that doesn't mean those tiny pearly whites don't need conscientious care. Maintaining your child's dental health now will provide health benefits well into adulthood, as primary (baby) teeth serve some extremely important functions.
For one thing, primary teeth serve as guides for the eruption of permanent (adult) teeth, holding the space into which these new teeth will erupt. The crowns (tops) of the permanent teeth actually push against the roots of the baby teeth, causing them to resorb, or melt away. In this way, the adult teeth can take...
Oral Cancer
Cancer is a scary word, but the more you know about it, the better able you will be to protect yourself and the ones you love. This is particularly true of oral cancer, which is very treatable if caught early. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of oral cancers are not caught until the late stages. You may think that if you are a non-smoker, particularly a young one, this topic is not of concern to you. If so, please think again.
While most oral cancer patients are smokers, the fastest-growing segment of newly diagnosed cases is young, non-smoking adults. The culprit is...
Cracked Teeth
Firmly anchored in your jaw and protected by an outer coating of tough enamel, your teeth are remarkably strong — yet it's still possible for them to chip, crack, or even break. In fact, there is some evidence that today, our teeth are developing cracks at a record rate. This may be due to the fact that people are living longer (giving teeth more time to accumulate damage), or that our stress levels are increasing (which may cause teeth clenching and grinding).
Biting on hard objects, receiving a blow to the mouth, or having large cavities (or old amalgam fillings)...
Crowns and Bridgework
Dentistry is an art as well as a science; dental crowns offer a perfect example of this. A dental crown or “cap” is a covering that fits over a damaged, decayed or unattractive tooth. It can even replace a tooth entirely as part of dental bridgework.
A crown completely covers a tooth above the gum line. This is in contrast to a dental veneer, which only covers a tooth's front surface and needs natural tooth structure to support it. Therefore, if a tooth is missing a significant amount of structure above the gum line, a crown would be the restoration...
David Copperfield
This Magician knows that maintaining a great smile takes more than a simple abracadabra!
Dear Doctor sat down with master illusionist David Copperfield to discuss more than a bit of magic. From what inspires him to his greatest feats, he enlightened us on how he became the most spellbinding enchanter of our time and expressed the importance of a healthy smile.
While talking to us at his Secret Warehouse of Magic in Las Vegas, David shared with us how his love for magic began. He admitted that his father who always aspired to be an actor gave up his own...
Dental Bridges
Missing teeth can cause a whole host of problems, from difficulty eating and speaking, to poor nutrition and self-confidence. Fortunately, we have several excellent ways of replacing lost teeth. One of the most time-tested techniques is the dental bridge.
A bridge is a prosthesis (replacement part) that relies on support from healthy teeth surrounding the gap left by a missing tooth or teeth. The artificial replacement tooth is called a “pontic” after the French “pont” for bridge. The healthy adjacent teeth, called abutments, provide support on either side — just like a bridge spanning a canyon.
In order for the...
