Please be aware of an FDA alert related to Super Poligrip denture adhesive. GlaxoSmithKline has ceased manufacture of this and some other adhesives because of excess levels of zinc, resulting in some neurologic and other medical problems. There are some great alternatives to using denture adhesive such as dental implants to help maintain the stability of dentures and partial dentures.
Did you know that athletes lose an estimated 5 million teeth every year from sports injuries? Most of these can be prevented with a custom made dental mouthguard. The newest type of mouthguards are performance enhancing mouth wear, based on the relationship of the phyhsiology of the jaw position. Pro athletes in all sports are starting to use these new forms of dental injury prevention.
Last night I presented to the Ohio Valley Dental Study Club in downtown Cincinnati the latest on the new 3M Lava COS digital scanner. Discussion was very interactive and Joe Crowley our 3M dental rep gave up an update on new upcoming uses for the scanner. This will eventually replace gooey impressions for dental implants, Invisalign, tooth whitening trays and crowns and porcelain veneers. Stay turned for more updates on this great dental technology.
I was very honored today to read in Cincinnati Magazine that I was selected one of the Top Dentists in Cincinnati. I strive to provide my patients excellence not only in cosmetic dentistry but in all phases of the routine dentistry that most people need on a regular basis. I also would like to especially thank my loyal patients.
I just found out today that the types of digital impression scans and indications will be expanded. I have been using the 3M Lava COS scanner for over 7 months now for crowns, porcelain veneers, fixed bridges and full reconstruction cases. There is a learning curve that my lab technician Dwight Rickert, CDT and I have mastered. No more gagging and laser accurate margins. Stay tuned..
A preliminary study shows the potential for periodontal (gum) bacteria to travel from the mouth to joints where inflammation is triggered. While not all people with rheumatiod arthritis have chronic gum disease, more research will determine if the bacteria in the gums do in fact contribute to arthritis.
On your next visit remember to ask us about the Visalite Oral Cancer screening. This simple 60 rinse followed by the use of a special light to detect oral cancer can save your life.
Football season brings juicy opportunities for bumped and broken teeth among helmeted young warriors and marching band musicians. When hits happen victims should get to a dentist and the sooner the better.
Most organized football leagues have a team dentist standing by who can examine dental injuries and decide what to do. Neighborhood or playground touch football games are more casual, but competition is just as intense. Wise athletes always wear mouth protection. Store-bought mouth guards cost less than a fiberglass cup. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
When players don’t wear a mouth guard, blows to the chin are transmitted from the lower teeth to the upper teeth to the brain. When a mouth guard is worn, it acts like a shock absorber, lessening force to the brain. All US high schools and colleges require football players to wear them, so start now and get used to it. The biggest problem, clear speech, is overcome with practice.
School band musicians often land in a dentist’s chair, especially those playing larger instruments like trombones or sousaphones. Bands learning new field arrangements and changing formations will make occasional mistakes during practice, turning left instead of right, sometimes bumping horns.
A heavy mouthpiece pressed against pursed lips can play a pretty distinct tune on nearby teeth when impacted. Mouth guards may not always be an option for woodwind or brass instruments, but percussionists might consider them. As with stroke or heart attack, the sooner treated the better chance of success. Same goes for dental trauma. Much depends on the victim’s age and whether baby teeth or adult teeth are involved.
A child’s first set of teeth is important for many long-term reasons. The second teeth will last forever when properly cared for. Preserving original teeth as long as possible is always the first goal. When an entire tooth is knocked completely out of the jaw, the sooner it’s put back into the socket, the more likely it will heal. Naturally, if the tooth fell into mud or got dirty, it should be gently cleaned with wet tissue or a damp cloth before replacing. If you’re not able to clean it, cold milk is the best possible solution for storing it on the way to a dentist. Recent studies found plain water is not very good for storing teeth. A saline/salt water soak is better than allowing teeth to dry out on the way to the dentist.
Teeth broken off near the gum line might bleed from the gum and/or nerve or pulp inside the tooth. Biting on a piece of rolled-up tissue or cloth on the way to the dentist helps. Take any tiny fragments of broken teeth with you. When baby teeth are shoved up into the gum ridge, their roots might bump against the still-forming second tooth. Treatment may be possible, but long-term damage won’t be known until the second tooth erupts.
Wiggly teeth that won’t stay put when pushed back into the gum could soon become loose and accidentally swallowed or inhaled. If you can remove it with your fingers, that might be safer, especially when the victim appears dazed or confused. Store the tooth (or piece) as described above while en route to a dentist.
Soccer players use their heads. When they collide, it’s like two flying bowling balls. Whenever secondary teeth are bumped, whether playing sports or against a car steering wheel, the damage may not show for 10 or 20 years.
Whenever teeth are hit hard enough to be loose, it can mean serious injury, even when no teeth are chipped or broken. It’s a good idea to see a dentist soon after any tooth injury to document what happened, whatever the origin. Someday the records might be useful.
We are looking forward to our training on our new 3M “Lava COS”. You are probably wonding what that device is. In the past, when patients had any new crowns (caps) or bridges made, we had to take an impression with unpleasant and messy stuff in your mouth. Our new digital impression scanner eliminates that messy impression material. A series of digital video images allows us to capture the shape of the teeth and relay that information to the lab. The result is a more accurate impression and a precise fitting restoration. Training is next week and we will keep you posted.
This is the latest addtion to our website, our dental blog. Here you will find information concerning new dental treatments, technologies and other items of interest to you, our patients. I hope to be able to update this blog on a weekly basis to keep you infomed of events here at the practice.
