HOW’S YOUR SMILE?

Have you ever noticed how a happy, smiling face makes you want to smile, too? The person smiling doesn’t have to be beautiful or in the full bloom of youth. Just an attractive smile in Itself can be appealing.

Some people who would like to smile broadly when the occasion calls for it are reluctant to do so. Their smile is guarded, most of their teeth are covered up because they don’t want them to show. Maybe there are gaps caused by missing teeth. Perhaps their teeth are badly discolored or protrude too much. But they don’t have to feel inhibited. With today’s dental techniques, almost anyone’s smile can be improved.

It used to be that the primary reason for you to go to the dentist was to find out if any of your teeth were in trouble. If there was any decay or if you had infected gums, you wanted the problem taken care of so you could save your teeth. But there are other reasons for seeing your dentist, and one of them is to help keep your smile attractive. There’s no need to hide your smile today when there are so many ways it can be improved.

Back to Top

PLAQUE POINTERS

Plaque is probably the biggest cause of tooth decay and eventual loss. What is it - how do we acquire it - and how do we control it?

Plaque is the sticky, practically colorless film that builds continuously on the teeth. The main inhabitants of plaque are bacteria - one milligram of plaque can contain a half-billion bacteria. Bacteria ferment sugars in the mouth (why not to eat sweets), changing them to acids which then eat away at tooth enamel. ‘Look, Ma - no cavities.

As the plaque creeps below the gum line, it mineralizes and becomes razor-sharp deposits of tartar which is the catalyst of periodontal (or gum) disease - by far, the major cause of tooth loss in adults.

Plaque must be removed daily by “ proper” brushing and the use of dental floss. Have your dentist or hygienist show you how to do it properly.

The best way, if not the only way, to remove tartar and long-established plaque is to have a professional cleaning. But, remember, it will start to reform the very next day. The only one who can remove plaque regularly is you.

Back to Top

THE RULE OF THREE

Any teeth are susceptible to decay if they meet three conditions. You’ve got to have bacteria in your mouth, eat foods with sugar in them, and have a tooth that’s susceptible to the decay attack.

Unfortunately, these are conditions that everyone can meet. Bacteria thrive on the human mouth. And the bacteria that love to eat teeth are in ecstacy. Your mouth is their heaven.

Even if you don’t eat candy, a lot of foods have sugar in them. And who wants to give up eating apple pie?

As for susceptible teeth, very few can withstand the constant barrage of bacteria that feast on foods with sugar. Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. But the bacteria that feed on teeth create acid. Without good oral hygiene and regular dental care, the acid soon breaks down the enamel, causing cavities. Unstopped, it soon finds its way to the tooth’s pulp and can destroy the tooth completely.

Taking good care of your teeth, with regular dental checkups, can change “Rule of Three” to “Cavity-Free”.

Back to Top

DON’T IGNORE “PINK” TOOTHBRUSH

If your toothbrush turns pink after brushing, you have a dental problem - one that should not go unattended. You are experiencing bleeding gums, a likely indicator of gingivitis (or inflamed gums).

Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease which accounts for the greatest tooth loss in adults. But if you catch it early  you can reverse it with the help of your dentist and a proper home brushing and flossing regiment

There are other symptoms of gingivitis, such as soft or swollen gums. Rather than go into all the details, take this advice. Go straight to your dentist and let him examine your gums and evaluate your situation. With a little looking and painless probing, and perhaps an x-ray check, he’ll immediately know how far advanced it is and what can be done to save you a lot of future problems.

If left untreated, it will only get worse. If you do nothing about improving your home care along with proper professional care, the disease may eventually destroy the tissue and bone supporting the affected teeth. This could likely result in the loosening and eventual loss of teeth which could have been kept healthy.

Back to Top

THE MIRROR TEST

How do other people see you when you open your mouth to speak or smile? For that matter, how do you look when your mouth is closed? To find out, give yourself the mirror test. Study your expressions, and take a close look at the appearance of your - hopefully - pearly whites.

Are your teeth out of alignment? Are there gaps that show from missing teeth? Do you have any discolored teeth or unattractive fillings? All of these conditions can be corrected and improved. If ‘s a problem with your gums, they can be made healthier, too. This will also help save your teeth from further deterioration.

An attractive mouth and smile are always an asset. When your teeth and gums not only look good but are healthy, too, the satisfaction goes even deeper. Ask your dentist what he would recommend to improve the appearance of your mouth and smile. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that some problems may even be corrected in one office visit.

Back to Top

RESTORING CHIPPED TEETH

If any of your teeth have been chipped in a fall or accident, they can be restored to a completely natural look with the new bonding technique.

This is a great advantage, particularly where your front teeth are concerned. Any flaw there shows everytime you smile. But it doesn’t have to. No one is more aware than the smiler.

Only a minimum of tooth preparation is needed with the bonding technique. The dentist will use a small amount of a mild acid solution to make tiny openings in the tooth enamel on all sides of the chipped or fractured tooth. Then he’ll use a special bonding material to seal off and rebuild the damaged area to make the tooth look “like new” again.

The acid used is so mild that there’s no danger of injuring the healthy tooth enamel. And the restorative material used to repair and rebuild the tooth usually lasts for years.

Best of all, your teeth can look their best whenever you speak or flash a smile. Best of all, it can be done in one office visit.

Back to Top

MISSING REAR TEETH

If all of the rear teeth in one side of your jaw are missing you may opt for a partial denture instead of a span of empty gum. Your dentist will have to rely on your front teeth for support in making such a partial denture. He’ll also have to make maximum use of your gums and supporting bone to give the denture stability.

Even though this kind of partial denture is not as stable as the kind that hooks onto or is permanently affixed to supporting teeth on both sides of a tooth void, it is certainly preferable to the alternative of full dentures. The remaining natural teeth can continue to provide strength in chewing food and help maintain the shape of the face.

Without the help of supporting teeth in the rear to hold this type of partial denture in place, there is more pressure on gums and ridges. A certain amount of shrinkage is a natural occurrence. This means the partial denture will have to be adjusted from time to time. This will probably include relining to compensate for changes in your gums to make it fit securely. But, it is certainly better for your health, your appearance, and eating to have teeth rather than uncovered gums.

Back to Top

FIXED BRIDGE TO THE RESCUE

If you have one or more missing teeth creating gaps that should be filled, you may want to consider the fixed bridge.

Missing teeth can do more than affect the shape of your face They can also throw your other teeth out of alignment and cause other serious dental problems. If you choose a fixed bridge to solve the problem, you’ll have "new" teeth that will be permanently fixed in you] mouth. You won’t have to take them out to clean them. They can be brushed the same way your natural teeth are and flossed (with a little dexterity from the underside) to remove bacteria and food particles.

Before your dentist makes a fixed bridge, he’ll check the health of the adjacent or supporting teeth. They have to be strong and healthy with enough underlying bone structure to support the denture. Then he’ll make crowns for the supporting teeth to make them even stronger As a final step, the dentist will solder the crowns to the replacement teeth (called pontics) and cement the entire bridge into place.

Back to Top

WHAT IS ROOT CANAL?

Years ago, a badly infected tooth was doomed to be pulled. Today, that’s a last resort. Root canal treatment consists of:

1) The removal of the infected pulp that lies within the root canals of the tooth.

2) The sealing of the root ends to prohibit any further infection.

The pulp is the tooth’s center core of soft tissue (nerves. blood vessels and fibers). When the dentist removes a “nerve” from a tooth, he really removes pulpal tissue that contains the nerve.

Removing the pulp from the tooth does not produce a “dead” tooth. It will be very much alive and functioning because it has a source of blood and nerve supply from the surrounding tissues that hold it in place. The tooth will have no sense of feeling because the nerve has been removed, but the tooth itself will be fine: it should last as long as your other teeth and could even be eventually used as an anchor tooth for a denture bridge.

Back to Top

SUDDEN WISDOM-TOOTH PAIN

If you have a partially erupted wisdom tooth that suddenly begins causing you pain, you should contact your dentist immediately for help. Percoronitis (infection in the wisdom tooth area) is often caused when food and bacteria are trapped under the gum line. Until a wisdom tooth is fully erupted, it may be difficult to keep it free of food particles which begin to decay and attract bacteria. Unfortunately, partially erupted wisdom teeth tend to decay easily. When the nerve is also infected this can cause the severe pain of toothache.

To help relieve the pain until you get to your dentist, you can rinse your mouth thoroughly with a solution of warm, salt water; usually one teaspoonful of salt to a glass of warm water. Normally, aspirin is not recommended to relieve this pain because it may cause bleeding problems if the tooth has to be extracted.

Any pain caused by a wisdom tooth infection is considered a dental emergency and should be treated as soon as possible by your dentist.

Back to Top

A CHILDS FIRST VISIT-THE PREVIEW TECHNIQUE

Do you have apprehensions about taking your child to the dentist for his or her first checkup? Could that be one of the reasons why you haven’t made that first important appointment?

Well, your child’s first visit to the dentist does not have to be for a check-up. There’s no reason why it can’t be a social visit just to “get acquainted”.

If your youngster hasn’t been to the dentist yet, the next time you have an appointment take him along. Let him watch the dentist check your teeth, clean them, etc. There’s no better way for a child to understand that dental care is important for your health and good looks.

Believe me, the worst first dental experience is an emergency visit for a toothache or accident-caused injury. Extensive treatment or repair on a first visit may set your child up for a chain of future needless anxieties.

Don’t avoid your child’s first visit. The sooner your youngster creates a confident relationship with the dentist, the better. Start with a preview.

Back to Top

SWEET TOOTH - NO TOOTH

If you have a sweet tooth”, you’ll probably have to pay a penalty for your pleasure. This is especially true for youngsters and that penalty will be found in the form of increased dental decay. Too much sugar or sugar-sweetened foods taken too often bring on the plaque brigade in full force. When the bacteria in plaque (an invisible film on your teeth) combines with sugar, it forms an acid which eats away at teeth causing decay and a host of other problems. Plaque has a sweet tooth of its own. Don’t feed it.

To prove the point, a dental team in Connecticut asked the mothers of almost a thousand children to keep complete records of what their children ate for one complete week. The children1s teeth were then examined and the results were matched with the diet diaries. The findings showed that children who liked more between-meal sweet snacks had more cavities than those who ate less. They also found that children who ate more fruit and vegetable treats had fewer cavities than those who liked candy- cookie- cake treats.

Keep that sweet tooth under control. You’ll be glad you did.

Back to Top

Are Dental x-rays safe?

When dentists look inside patients' mouths, they can't see the whole picture. That's why dental x-rays are so important.

X-rays help dentists find problem areas such as cavities, infections, abscesses and cysts that may not be immediately noticeable. By detecting and treating these problems early, your dentist will help you maintain healthy teeth, save you money and time, and reduce discomfort. .

X-rays are necessary to monitor growth and development of teeth in children. For adults, they're an important diagnostic tool to help detect changes from previous dental visits. If you're a new patient, ask your previous dentist to forward your x-rays; you may not need new X-rays.

Back to Top

Understanding Amalgam.

People who have had cavities are familiar with silver fillings. But how many of us know them by their real name?

Dental amalgams, or silver fillings, are one of the most effective filling materials and most dentists use them. Amalgams are a combination of copper, tin, silver and mercury and are strong enough to tolerate the pressures of grinding and chewing.

Despite their advantages, there are many myths about amalgams. Some people believe that the mercury used in amalgam causes health problems, or that illness is cured when the amalgam is removed. Except for a few who are allergic to one of the amalgam elements, the U.S. Public Health Service says there is no link between amalgam and health problems. And removing them may cause structural damage to the tooth leading to greater dental problems. So no matter what you call them, amalgam or silver filling, they both mean a safe and effective material to correct tooth decay.
Read more about Amalgam: 150 years of safety and effectiveness.

Back to Top

What is Bonding?

Back to Top

[HOME] [DR. BECHTELL] [OFFICE INFO] [OFFICE TOUR] [DENTAL CARE]
[ DENTAL TOPICS][ASK THE DOCTOR] [HMO'S] [WELCOME OFFER][FORMS]

Send mail to DrWalt@Dr-Bechtell.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright© 1998 Walter Bechtell DMD
Last modified: December 28, 2003.