definitions
Going to the dentist can be daunting. Here are some definitions that may be able to answer a few of your questions.
Root Canal Therapy
When you are told you need a root canal, that means that the tooth has died and the insides need to be removed so they do not rot and leak out into the surrounding bone and cause a tooth ache. Most of time a root canal is needed to stop a tooth ache. The tooth is usually aching because it is infected. An antibiotic is usually given to help clear this infection. Removing the dieing, infected part of the tooth stops the pain. It is important to understand that a root canalled tooth is still your tooth. Now that there is no blood supply or nerve into the tooth, therefore the tooth will become brittle and will need a crown to protect it.
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Crown
A crown or cap, is needed when the tooth has been broken down beyond the ability of a filling to repair the tooth. A crown covers the entire chewing surface of the tooth. They can be made of any one of a number of metals and or porcelains. They are cemented permanently to the remaining natural tooth and replace and mimic the patients esthetic and biological needs. A crowned tooth is still just a part of your natural tooth and needs to be cared for like a natural tooth.
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Fillings
A filling, as you may or may not know, is a material used to fill an area in your tooth that was effected by tooth decay. Your Dentist has removed the area of decay and a filling material is used to fill the remaining natural tooth and bring it back to it’s original shape and contour. A filling can be made of a number of different materials. Amalgam, composite, porcelain, and gold are the most common types of filling restorations.
Amalgam, or silver fillings, have been around for many years. They are a great restoration have served millions of patients successfully for years. Their popularity is scarred by the heavy metals including mercury that they contain. The nickel that they contain, has also caused issues for the alloy. This material is compressed into the area where the decayed tooth structure was removed by the Dentist. It is contoured and polished.
Composite, or bonded restorations, are made of mineral products like quartz, and are bonded within a acrylic like matrix that when place allow the filling to bond to the remaining tooth structure. They are not metal and do not respond to the acids our mouths naturally contain. Composites come in several different shades and can be matched to your color of tooth. Dr. Stewart is an advocate of composite fillings as he feels they are the best dentistry has to offer for filling materials.
Porcelain and gold are seldom used for fillings but if you have questions please ask our office.
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Periodontist
A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in working on gum disease. General dentists treat gum disease up to a specific classifications or degrees of severity. They complete minor gum surgeries and under the gum deeper cleanings. Periodontists specialize in complex cases of gum disease. Dr. Stewart refers to a very specialized group of periodontists when a patient’s care requires it. Bottom line keep up the oral hygiene and make your scheduled check-ups and you will never meet a periodontist.
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Endodontist
An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in root canal treatment. When a general dentist decides he does not want to do root canals, many general dentists do not do root canals. Some do most cases and others refer only the most difficult root canals to the endodontist. Dr. Stewart does about 90 percent of the root canals diagnosed in his office. The rest are referred to endodontists that Dr. Stewart has referred to for over 15 years.
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Orthodontist
An orthodontist is a dentist who straightens your teeth. Weather you need your bite corrected or you just want your smile to reflect who you really are, an orthodontist can be your friend.
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Oral Surgeon
An oral surgeon is a dentist who does jaw surgery, and difficult wisdom tooth extractions. Some dentists decide never to pull a tooth for whatever the reason. Some dentists refer all patients who need a tooth pulled to an oral surgeon. Dr. Stewart refers about 5 percent of his patients who need a tooth removed to an oral surgeon. Dr Stewart provides intravenous sedation for any patient who is uncomfortable getting a tooth removed. In complicated cases an Oral Surgeon too can be a great team member.
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Pediatric Dentist
A Pediatric Dentist is a dentist who treats the dental needs of children. Many dentists just decide not to work on children, for whatever their reason, the pediatric dentist is a great team member. Dr. Stewart has worked on children for over twenty years. In this time he has had to refer only a handful of children to a pediatric dentist.
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Denture or partial denture
A denture, or partial denture is a dental prosthetic for the replacement of teeth that have had to be removed. Dentures and partials are both removable, and require maintenance by your dentist.
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Oral Hygiene
Oral hygiene is the way we take care of our teeth, namely, brushing and flossing. Brushing is done to remove bacterial colonies that naturally grow on our teeth. We all are prone to the growth of bacteria on our teeth. That is just a human thing. The bacteria grow on all surfaces of our teeth, and a toothbrush used properly will remove most of these bacteria. Unfortunately, the bristles on our toothbrush will not fit between two teeth. Therefore, we need to use something that will. That is dental floss. Yes, dental floss, that string that we are all told to use by our dental professionals that clean the spaces between our teeth. It is known that 90 percent of all tooth decay is diagnosed because we do not use dental floss. This decay forms on the sides of our teeth that our toothbrush alone does not reach. Bottom line .……use the floss, or if for some reason you just know you are not going to floss, get a water pick. A water pick is a way to clean between your teeth when flossing is just not your bag.
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Floss
Floss comes in many different brands, types, and colors. What type of floss is the best? Find one, try it and if you do not like it, find one that suits you. The best type of floss is the one you will use the most. The one you like is the best for you. My favorite is cinnamon, waxed dental floss. Sometimes I use a Teflon coated floss because it seems to just be a bit easier. Flossing can sometimes be a difficult habit to form. I help solve this by strategically placing floss where I will see it. On my bed stand, by the computer, in the coffee table by the television, and in my car are a few examples.
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Toothbrushes
A good toothbrush is one that works for you. I think a soft bristled, large handled brush is the best for me. The important part is that you use it at least twice a day. I usually start on the back side of my upper right back molar. I angle the brush at a 45 degree angle into the gum line so I can feel the bristles messaging the cheek or “buccal” side of my teeth and gums. The brush should be moving in little, circular motions for the best effect. Do not “shoe shine”, or scrub your teeth back and forth. This has a tendency to cause recession of the gums over a period of time. I continue along to the right front teeth and follow along to the upper left buccal side of my back molar. Then move to the lower left back molar and proceed around in the same fashion to the lower right back tooth. Move the toothbrush to the upper right chewing or “occlusal” surface and continue around to the upper left, down to the lower left and around to the lower right. Then do the tongue side or “lingual” surfaces of the teeth and the whole process should take about two to three minutes. Flossing is usually done before brushing but it really does not even matter. Just brush and floss at least twice a day, you will notice a change in what your hygienist says, money will pile up in your wallet, and your breath will stop reeking.
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Tooth Whitening
There are many brands of tooth whitening. Many state all types of simple solutions to the intrinsic and extrinsic stains, as well as natural yellowing of teeth that all we humans experience. Bottom line, whitening your teeth is tricky and requires the patient to be patient. The marketing for whitening the teeth by the company that makes the product, states that teeth will whiten in an hour or so. NOT TRUE! Each individual is different and so are there teeth. The hard surface that covers our teeth and lets us eat the things we do, called “enamel” is as different in each of us as we are different to each other. Some whitening cases take an hour or so, but most take several hours. One case in our office took 16 hours. This case is proudly shown as an example. This patient had what is known as Tetracycline stain, a malformation of the enamel. Bottom line, if you want to whiten your teeth, be prepared as it may take a bit more dedication than you may have heard. For the most part though, a patient with patience will get the result they desire!
Tooth whitening does not damage the enamel at all. It can cause some of the teeth to be cold sensitive, but that goes away over the course of a day or so. The whitening gel can cause irritation to the gums but that too is reversible.
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Tooth sensitivity
Tooth sensitivity is just what it sounds like, a sensitive tooth. This sensitivity come in all forms. The most common is sensitivity to cold. Bottom line some teeth are just that, cold sensitive. If you are a patient who endures cold sensitive teeth, here is an explanation. Teeth have a nerve in the center of them. This nerve projects to the surface of the tooth in very small tubules. These tubules surface at the gum line, where the tooth comes out of the gums. This is where most of the cold sensitivity originates. If your gums have receded at all, there is more potential surface area to be sensitive. In general, the more of the root that shows, the more potential there is for tooth sensitivity. Sometimes cold and heat sensitivity, as well as sensitivity to sweets, originates from a cavity or leaky filling. Bottom line, any tooth sensitivity should be checked by your dentist. There is usually a simple answer for it.
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Recall System
Our office is based on a recall system. Stated simply, we are interested in the long health of your teeth gums and smile. We all know that seeing your dentist twice a year and practicing good oral hygiene is standard of care for our teeth. At your new patient visit to our office, a complete oral exam is completed, and recommendations are given as to what treatments, if any, are needed for each particular patient. We try to make dentistry as steam-line as possible. Front office takes care of your insurance needs, treatment planning takes the wonder out of things, and back office is aged and skilled, not to mention thorough and expedient.
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