Common Procedures in Dentistry to Improve Your Smile and Your Dental Health!

• Bonding – adding a little tooth – colored composite material to “fill in the blanks”.  One of the most frequent uses of the bonding technique is to fill in a gap between from teeth and sometimes used to change the shade of a front tooth.

• Bleaching – Tooth Whitening is actually a mild bleaching process that restores stained or discolored teeth to a healthy, natural color.  Don’t be misled by unproven and ineffective over-the-counter whitening solutions.  Our office uses an advanced procedure that is only available from your dentist.

• Veneers – Veneers are custom, porcelain facings that are bonded to front surfaces of teeth to whiten teeth, close spaces, straighten teeth, or repair chipped or worn teeth.  The veneers are only about 1 mm thick (the thickness of a fingernail).  That same thickness is “shaved” off the natural tooth surface so when the veneer is bonded to the tooth, the tooth doesn’t feel or look “thicker”. 

• Crowns – A crown fits over the entire top of the tooth above the grim line.  Crowns cover, protect, seal and strengthen a tooth. A crown is needed when a filling just will not work.  A crown may be made of white porcelain, gold or porcelain fused to metal.  There are many situations that may call for a crown:

• Large Decay – If a tooth has decay so deep and large that a filling will not stay, or if the tooth structure is weakened, a crown must be placed on the tooth to save it.

• Large old fillings – When large old fillings break down, or get decay around them, they usually need to be crowned.  It is important to crown a tooth that has been structurally weakened to prevent a cracked or broken tooth.  Once a tooth breaks, it may not be possible to save it.

•Cracked Tooth – When a tooth is cracked, a filling will not seal the crack.  A crown has to be placed over the tooth to hold it and the crack together.  If a crown is not placed on the tooth, the tooth will become sensitive to chewing pressure, or will eventually break.  It is important to crown a cracked tooth before it breaks, because in some cases a broken tooth cannot be crowned and must be extracted.

• Broken or Fractured Tooth – A tooth that has broken is usually too weak to hold a filling.   A crown will hold the tooth together and prevent it from breaking again.  If the fracture involves the nerve, Root Canal Therapy may be required before the tooth is crowned.  In some cases, a broken tooth cannot be saved and must be extracted. 

•Sensitive Teeth – Teeth tat are very sensitive, either from a lot of “wear”, or from receded gums, sometimes requires crowns to seal and protect the teeth from hot and cold sensitivity.

•Root Canal Therapy – A tooth that has undergone Root Canal Therapy may need a crown to properly seal and protect the tooth.  A tooth with Root Canal Therapy is more brittle than a tooth with a healthy nerve and blood supply.  A crown provides the necessary support to the tooth.

Every patient’s needs are different, please contact our office to schedule an appointment or if you have any questions.

760-471-2231

“National Dental Hygiene Month is a prime time to not only honor and celebrate dental hygiene and hygienists, but also to make the public more aware of the practices that ensure optimal oral health,” American Dental Hygiene Association President Caryn Solie, RDH, said. 

We have listed below proper brushing and flossing techniques for your review;

Proper Brushing

Proper brushing is essential for cleaning teeth and gums effectively. Use a toothbrush with soft, nylon, round-ended bristles that will not scratch and irritate teeth or damage gums.

Place bristles along the gumline at a 45-degree angle. Bristles should contact both the tooth surface and the gumline.
Gently brush the outer tooth surfaces of 2-3 teeth using a vibrating back & forth rolling motion. Move brush to the next group of 2-3 teeth and repeat.
Maintain a 45-degree angle with bristles contacting the tooth surface and gumline. Gently brush using back, forth, and rolling motion along all of the inner tooth surfaces.
Tilt brush vertically behind the front teeth. Make several up & down strokes using the front half of the brush.
Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth & use a gentle back & forth scrubbing motion. Brush the tongue from back to front to remove odor-producing bacteria.
–Illustrations adapted by and used courtesy of the John O. Butler Company–

Proper Flossing

Flossing is an essential part of the tooth-cleaning process because it removes plaque from between teeth and at the gumline, where periodontal disease often begins.

If you find using floss awkward or difficult, ask your dental hygienist about the variety of dental floss holders or interdental cleaning devices that are available.

Wind 18″ of floss around middle fingers of each hand. Pinch floss between thumbs and index fingers, leaving a 1″- 2″ length in between. Use thumbs to direct floss between upper teeth.
Keep a 1″ – 2″ length of floss taut between fingers. Use index fingers to guide floss between contacts of the lower teeth.
Gently guide floss between the teeth by using a zig-zag motion. DO NOT SNAP FLOSS BETWEEN YOUR TEETH. Contour floss around the side of the tooth.
Slide floss up and down against the tooth surface and under the gumline. Floss each tooth thoroughly with a clean section of floss.
–Illustrations adapted by and used courtesy of the John O. Butler Company–

While Piercing the tongue, lip or cheek may be attractive to some, it can create dental issues that can last a lifetime.  Anytime jewelry is inserted through the oral soft tissues, infection is a real concern. 

Tongue Piercings:  Wearing a tongue stud can put you at risk for chipped teeth, recessed gums and nerve damage, warns the Academy of General Dentistry.  The main risk is the constant hitting of the metal stud against the teeth.  This usually happens in normal function such as when your tongue moves, eating or talking.   Overtime, this can result in a chipped or fractured tooth and the trauma can result in the need for a root canal or fillings.

Lip and Cheek Piercing:  Oral piercing typically involving the tongue / and or the lip and cheek, has been associated with periodontal complications.  Researchers have found that lip and cheek piercings are bad for the gums and can make them shrink back from the teeth.  The longer a person has the piercing, the worse the recession is.  The metal portion of the lip/cheek stud physically rubs over the gum at the neck of the tooth causing the gums to recede.  Once this has happened, you do not get the gum tissue back and it becomes more difficult to clean and therefore more prone to gum disease.

What is Periodontal Maintenance?

Periodontal maintenance includes those procedures patients must receive after treatment for periodontal disease.  This maintenance, which helps prevent further disease, consist of the following:

• Removal of bacterial flora from crevice and pocket areas.
• Polishing and scaling of teeth
• Gum irrigation
• Radiographic assessment
• Gum and bone examination
• Review of a patient’s plaque control efficacy
• Root Planing

How Does It Differ From Regular Cleanings?

Regular dental cleanings include scaling and polishing of the tooth crown – that part of the tooth above the gums.  The aim of this cleaning is removal of plaque and tarter.  Plaque is a soft and sticky substance that forms on the teeth.  Tarter, also called calculus, is a hard cement-like substance formed of plaque and the minerals in a person’s saliva.

This type of hygiene by itself is insufficient for patients who have undergone treatment for periodontal disease, including those with bone loss and infection around the teeth.  The American Dental Association says the goal of periodontal maintenance is to minimize progression of the periodontitis and gingivitis, reduce loss of teeth, and increase chances of locating and treating future pathology.

What is Peridontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is the inflammation and infection of the teeth’s supporting structures, which includes gums, bone , root surfaces and ligaments.

Symptoms include:

• Gums that bleed easily and are red and swollen
• An unpleasant taste in the mouth
• Teeth that have shifted
• Teeth that appear longer

How Do You Treat Periodontal Disease?

Treatment for this disease may require root planing and scaling, which is the removal of diseased deposits from the tooth roots, including tarter, bacteria and its toxins.  For some patients, these measures constitute complete therapy, whereas for others, they precede periodontal surgery.  Surgery can include such procedures as pocket reduction, soft tissue grafts, crown lengthening and others. 

How Often Should Patients Receive Periodontal Maintenance?

Generally, quarterly appointments are sufficient, but some patients will require more frequent procedures.  Today, maintenance and hygiene appointments are commonly scheduled on a per-patient basis rather than on a general timetable.

Just like the rest of your body, the health of your teeth is heavily influenced by what you eat. 

Foods that help muscles and bones, also help teeth and gums.  Vitamins B and C, both contribute to healthy gum tissue.  Breads and cereals are rich in vitamin B, while fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C.  Lean meat, fish, and poultry provide magnesium and zinc for teeth.  Some foods prevent cavities.  Some foods encourage remineralization, similar to fluoride.

 Along with eating healthy, be sure to brush, floss and see your dentist for regular dental cleanings.

Disclaimer:  Please know this information is not intended as medical advice.  Please contact your Doctor or Dentist before making any changes.

True Story:      We recently had a patient in our office who suffered a massive heart attack.  He was in critical condition for several weeks.  His Cardiologist explained to him that one of the main contributing factors to his heart attack was directly related to his untreated periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory disease, is directly linked to health issues such as heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, and respiratory disease, as well as problems related to pregnancy.

The main cause of  periodontal disease is plaque that is left on the teeth.  However, there are several factors that affect the health of your gums; smoking, genetics, hormonal changes, stress, medications, clenching or grinding, diabetes and obesity.  Because there is usually no pain involved, people are unaware that they even have gum disease.  This is why preventative care is so important.  Early detection and treatment is the key to saving your teeth and keeping your body healthy.

The American Academy of Periodontology has developed a risk assessment test, to help determine if you are at risk for developing gum disease.  http://service.previser.com/aap/default.aspx

Teeth Whitening Special

Dr Leads and our local chapter of DAR help local organizations

Dr. Leads has been providing quality, gentle dentistry in this community since 1991. He is a Vista native who enjoys spending time with his family and is an avid fisherman. Dr. Leads received his Bachelors degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California at San Diego in 1983.

He was then awarded his Doctor of Dental Science in 1990 from the University of Southern California. It was there he also received clinical excellence awards in: Oral Surgery, Periodontics and Prosthetics. He was also selected as the outstanding graduate of USC for 1990.Dr Leads has been proudly serving the San Marcos, CA and adjoining areas as a Dentist for over 15 years.