Some dentists say never to use toothpaste on your denture because it is abrasive and will remove the shine and smooth feeling of  the denture.Well, then I have talked with patients that say they have used  toothpaste on their dentures for years with no problem and think that the denture cleanser companies just want their money. Well, the truth is, you can use toothpaste on your denture but over time it will remove the shine. Toothpaste cannot replace a denture cleanser because of the fact that toothpaste cannot remove hard plaque that the denture cleanser can with it sitting in the solution over night.

So in conclusion, using toothpaste every now and then will not ruin the shine on your denture but you will need to use the denture cleanser at least once a month to remove the plaque that builds up on it. Just using your denture brush on your denture every night should suffice in keeping your dentures clean and then you could soak them overnight in water and you could add a little mouth wash to help it feel fresh and clean.

The first step of the whitening is to take impressions of your teeth in order to make you a whitening tray to take home so you can keep up with the whitening once a year.Depending on your diet, the effects of the Zoom whitening should last 2 years. If you are a major coffee or tea drinker or if you smoke or dip, the results may not last 2 years.

The second step requires a mouth prop that you will bite down on that spreads your cheeks out away from your teeth so that they will not touch the whitening gel and allow access for the Zoom light on your teeth. She will then apply a rubber dam on your gums so that they will not be burned by the whitening gel. The rubber dam material is runny when first applied but hardens with the use of a blue light. After that, the assistant will place cotton rolls on the insides of your lips and a mask around the outside of your mouth to prevent the light from burning your skin.

The goggles will then be placed on your eyes and the assistant will place the whitening gel on your teeth and then attach the Zoom light to the mouth prop. The Zoom light will beep after 15 minutes and the assistant will repeat the use of the gel and the light 2 more times. At the end of the 3rd round, the assistant will remove the mouth prop, cotton rolls, and rubber dam and check your final shade. You will be sent home with relief gel just in case your teeth get sensitive after the whitening and they will also give you your whitening trays and extra gel to continue bleaching over the next 2 weeks if you prefer to. The product continues to whiten the teeth over the next 76 hours so you will have even whiter teeth after you leave the office.

Overall, this is a great product and I have seen tremendous results with it. Some people have had a lot of sensitivity afterwards so make sure you use the relief gel and take a couple IBprophen to help with the pain. If you have had tetracycline as a child the stains more than likely will not be removed and the teeth will not get much lighter. Check with your dentist to see if you would be a good candidate for the whitening.

Flossing is great for your teeth!

You may have been struggling with just brushing your teeth twice a day and now your hygienist is fussing with you about the need to floss. If you are like me, I never knew what floss was until I was about 14 years old. I mean, it is such a hassle  just to brush your teeth and flossing takes even more time out of your busy schedule, not to mention if makes your gums bleed and it hurts!

A close friend of mine that is a dentist did a project at an elementary school to show the necessity of flossing. He first put peanut butter all over his hand and then closed his fingers tightly. Afterwards, he went to the sink and scrubbed his hand vigorously. He then opened his fingers which revealed peanut butter still caked in between them. So , no matter how good you brush  or how often you brush, food and bacteria will still remain stuck in between your teeth.

When food and plaque is left between the teeth, it doesn’t take long before the gums become very irritated. The gums will get very puffy at first and will bleed when flossed( healthy gums do not bleed when you floss your teeth because they are more rigid and smooth).  The gums will then start to recede away from your teeth causing bone loss and then ultimately the loss of your tooth. Without the healthy gum tissue, the tooth becomes very vulnarable to tooth decay as well.

So, yes it may be uncomfortable and take more time out of your busy schedule, but it is definitely better for your teeth and for your overall health– floss, floss, and Floss!!

Pain from composite fillings.

There have been many complaints throughout my years as a dental assistant with tooth sensitivity after a composite filling has been placed. Some of these people are not only having sensitivity but horrible pain as well when chewing or drinking hot and cold things. These complaints are very real and 2 out of every 8 patients will have difficulty with the composite fillings placed. Most dentists are boggled by the sensitivity caused by the composite fillings.  If they are unable to get the tooth to calm down with adjusting the bite and placing extra flouride around the tooth, they will have to take the composite filling out and replace it or they will put amalgam in its place to see if this will take care of the sensitivity.

You may have come to the dentist for a cleaning and they told you that there was a small cavity, but the tooth had not bothered you at all. But you decide to listen to your dentist and get the cavity taken care of while it is still small. After the filling has been placed, though, you find that the tooth hurts when you try to use it to chew and it is also very sensitive to hot and cold. Now you are frustrated and mad at the dentist for causing you this unnesisary pain! Why did he have to mess with it in the first place– it wasn’t bothering you before!

Truthfully, the dentist did not mean to cause you pain. Sometimes a tooth will flare up any time work is done to it. The filling was necessary after removing the decay, but if the sensitivity is unbearable you may have to go back to either have it replaced or at least adjusted. WE have found that using sensadyne toothpaste really helps with the sensitivity. Just rub the toothpaste on and around the tooth and let it stay on there for a few minutes without rinsing. If the pain and sensitivity continues to get worse, you may need to have the root of the tooth examined to see if it has abcessed. Abcesses after fillings usually only occur if the filling was really deep.

The differences in amalgams versus composite fillings should be explained to you by the dentist before the procedure is completed so you know the risks of sensitivity with the composite fillings. Your dentist can help you with the pros and cons of each type of filling so you can make  the best decision for your teeth.

A broken acryic denture

Sometimes a denture can develop a crack in it and over time if the crack is not taken care of, the denture will break completely in half. Let’s go over the steps of taking care of the problem early first.

Cracked Denture

You may not have dropped your denture for a crack to develop, sometimes cracks just happen because of the pressure put on them by the opposing teeth. You should be able to spot it early as it develops. The first step you should take it so call your dentist and explain what has happened. They will set up a time that is convenient for you to leave your denture with them, so that they can send it to the lab for repair. The lab will only need it for a few hours so that they can add more acrylic to the area that has cracked. The Best solution is to have a wire mesh placed inside the denture and then have it enforced with the acrylic. You should have your denture returned to you by that evening if you dropped it off by 9am.

Broken Denture

If you accidently dropped your denture or if it has broken in half on it’s own the process is a little more involved in fixing it. You will need to call your dentist and they will set up a time for you to come in. If there are no pieces missing from the denture, they can take a quick impression of your gums and send it with the broken denture to the lab. The repair time should not take longer than a day and it will be returned to you. Do not try to repair your denture with super glue because this will mess up the acrylic and it will be harder to put the denture back together correctly. I there are pieces missing from the denture the denture may have to be remade but your dentist may try to take an impression and then send it to the lab to see if they can fix it first.

Broken Denture Teeth

If the teeth have broken on the denture it is really quite easy to fix. Again, you will need to call your dentist and they will send it off to the lab where it can be repaired within an hour or two. It is always best to have your denture repaired at a lab because there materials are much better and will last the longest. Your denture will also be covered for a short time under warranty by the lab that fixed it, so if it breaks again in the same spot within the first year, they should repair it at no cost. 

Denture adhesive for loose fitting dentures

There are a few reasons why a denture can become ill fitting and loose. We will go over the reasons why a denture can get loose and then discuss the solutions to fix it.

• Healing
  

After your teeth have been removed, it takes 6 months to a year for the gums to smooth out entirely. So, since your dentures are either made right away or six weeks later you will definitely have some shrinkage in the gum tissue which will cause your dentures to feel loose where as before they may have fit snugly.

• Bone Loss

Over the years, after your teeth have been removed, the bone underneath the gums will start to receed and become smaller. When this happens, the dentures will begin to feel too big and also very loose. There is no way to stop this from happening as this is a result of aging.

• Weight Loss

If you have recently lost a lot of weight this will affect your mouth and the fit of your dentures as well.

• Solutions

One of the most common ways to fix a denture that is loose is to have a reline done. You will have to make an appointment at your dentist office where they will take a quick impression and send your denture to the lab  so that they can add material where needed to make it fit tighter. This process is usually completed in one day so it is best if you go in the morning so that the lab can have it done by that afternoon. If the doctor so chooses and has the right equipment, he can add a soft reline to your denture there at his office. I recommend the reline at the lab because it is more permanent.

The other option is to have implants placed in the bone of your jaw so that your denture can be snapped into place. Implants can only be placed if you have enough bone to support them, so if your bone has receeded a lot you may not qualify to have the  implants placed. If you think that this is an option that you would like to pursue, than you should contact your dentist for a consult so that he can evaluate you.

Dentures can be a pain and I hope this helps you find a solution to better fitting dentures!

Chirlden's teeth

As a Dental Hygienist, it is often my responsibility to instruct parents on the proper way to care for their children’s teeth. Typically they have questions about how to get their children to brush, should they floss, and when should they begin taking them to the dentist for their routine cleaning and check-up?

I believe it is important to teach children at an early age the routine of brushing their teeth every night. As they get older, they really need to begin brushing in the morning as well. Night is the most important time, however. Without the interruption of drinking water or eating like we do throughout the day, we allow the plaque, which is full of bacteria, to set on our teeth all night which gives bacteria a perfect environment to multiply and cause infection in the gums and decay in the teeth .

One way to get your children to brush is to give them the toothbrush first. Allow them to practice and get used to the habit of brushing everyday. We teach children to brush for two minutes to ensure they have properly brushed all of their teeth. Some parents like to use an hour glass timer and teach the children to brush until the sand runs out. Others like to make it a little more fun and they let the child pick their favorite song. They play it while the child brushes their teeth and once the music stops, so can the child. Then once they are done, an adult should brush their teeth again for them because small children typically do not have the dexterity to brush properly for themselves. Make sure that as you brush their teeth for them,you tilt the toothbrush and slightly aim for the gumline where the tooth and the gums meet. This will help to clean the space between the tooth and the gums where plaque loves to hide and cause an infection known as Gingivitis. Also carefully brush the grooves on the tops of the teeth in order to ensure that the plaque and food debris has been completely removed.

When small children have their baby teeth, they typically have spaces between them. This is good because it allows room for the larger permanent teeth to erupt. As long as you are brushing their teeth thoroughly and making sure the bristles are going between the teeth, flossing is not essential for children, however; you may want to consider at least flossing between the last two teeth (the molars) on top and bottom. They tend to be closer together and there is more opportunity for decay between those teeth.

A mistake that so many parents make, is to put the child to bed with a bottle. This causes what is known as “baby bottle tooth decay”. Some parents put the child to bed with milk or juice after they have brushed their teeth because the child is in the habit of sucking on the bottle as they go to sleep. As they are sleeping, the milk or juice sits on the teeth right where the tooth meets the gumline and causes the enamel to “decalcify” or get soft. Before long, parents notice dark spots on the child’s front teeth right at the gumline. By then, it has already become a cavity. It is important after you brush your child’s teeth that they only drink water before they go to bed.

If you ever have any questions about your children’s teeth or the proper way to care for them, visit your family dentist or give them a call. It is never an inconvenience to help a concerned parent care for their children.

Forceps used for teeth extractions

You have a toothache so you go to the dentist and they tell you that you have options for saving the tooth but since  those options are too expensive you decide to have the tooth extracted. Let’s reverse and talk about whether that would actually be a good decision or not.

Spacing

When you remove a tooth a space is left and the teeth will naturally shift and lean in to fill that space. This will in turn cause your bite to change which could also limit your chewing function or cause TMJ problems.

Super Eruption

If a lower tooth is removed the tooth that was right above it will super erupt ( meaning i will drop down because there is no longer a tooth below it) .  The tooth then that was either above or below it is then of no use when it comes to chewing and will eventually need to be extracted as well to prevent problems with your biting alignment.

Costs of Replacement

After you have the tooth extracted, depending on where it is, you may want to have the tooth replaced because you don’t like the gaps you see when you smile. So, let’s go over the options for replacement. I will start with the cheapest and then go to the most expensive replacement option.

• Partials

The cheapest type of partial that you can get is an acrylic partial with wrought iron clasps and it usually costs around $850 to have it made. Next, we have the valplast partial which is made from nylon and costs about $1000. And finally, there is the cast partial and the base of this partial is made mostly of metal with the rest of it acrylic. The costs of this partial is $1500. My favorite is the valplast partial because it is the more natural looking one of all of them.The down side of partials is that they take a long time to get use to wearing them and they are removable.

• Bridges

Bridges are basically crowns that are joined to fill a space. You have to be missing a tooth in order to have a bridge done. The doctor ends up having to put a crown on the two teeth on either side of the one that was just removed. the bridge is made out of metal and porcelain and it is cemented in. Depending on your chewing , brushing, and flossing habits your bridge may last for over 30 years. The great thing about a bridge is that it is permanent and you never even know it’s there. A bridge costs $1000 a tooth so if you are missing one tooth it will cost you $3000 to get a bridge done.

• Implants

Implants are done surgically by placing a screw down into the bone where the tooth use to be and then placing a crown  on top of it. It can take 6 months for the implant to be completed because you have to heal after each step for several weeks. The implant is the ultimate replacement for your tooth because it is permanent and you don’t have to mess with any other teeth in order to replace the one tooth that was removed. The costs for an implant is around $4000.

So although it may be the cheapest option now for you just to have your tooth extracted instead of fixing it– later on that will certainly not be the case.

Soreness

Normally, a tooth will be sensitive and sore for a week or two after the root canal is done. It really depends on how much infection was in the root of the tooth when the root canal was performed. We usually recommend our patients to be on an antibiotic for at least 3 days before to help clear up the infection and to aid in healing.The soreness that you may experience over the next two weeks is coming from the inflammation in the root because of the infection that had been there before the root canal and as it heals the soreness will go away.

Throbbing Pain

If you are still having sensativity 2 weeks after the root canal was done and the pain continues to get worse it maybe that a root was missed. The anterior teeth usually only have one root and the bicuspids have one to two roots while the molars can have two to five roots. When the dentist or endodontist does a root canal on your tooth they may miss a root because it is not seen in the x-ray because one root may be positioned right behind the other one. If you are experiencing throbbing pain that will not go away along with swelling 3 weeks after the root canal, you really need to call the dentist that did the root canal so that they can take an x-ray and figure out what is wrong with the tooth. You may end up having to have the tooth retreated with a root canal.

Pain When Chewing

If you are experiencing pain with the tooth only when you bite down on it or apply pressure then you may have a fracture or crack in the tooth or root of the tooth. If you trully have a crack in the root or in the tooth the pain will not go away and it will be there every time you bite down or apply pressure to that side of the tooth that is cracked. There is no way to fix a tooth that has a crack in it or in the root– the only fix is to have the tooth removed. We recommend that a crown be placed on your tooth a week after the root canal is done because it is easy for the tooth to crack without the blood supply going through it anymore.