Dentistry Goes Digital
Gone are the days (or soon will be) when dentists had to ladle quantities of goo into patients' mouths to take impressions for the construction of crowns, bridges and implants.
Instead, exciting new high technology has been developed that will do a two-minute digital scan of a patient's entire set of teeth. Once the information is captured by an electronic wand the dentist passes around the teeth, it's delivered to a dental lab where milling machines hooked up to CNC (computer numerical control) devices are used to craft the artificial dentition, most of which is now made from zirconium dioxide. In the past, gold and platinum had been the materials of choice.
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Gumming up Heart Health
General recommendations for heart health are: get about 40 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week, cut dietary fat and salt intake, pay attention to your blood pressure and cholesterol. But can taking care of your gums help your heart?
It turns out, that treating periodontal disease reduces plaque build up in the coronary arteries and makes the vessels more flexible.
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Healthwrap Oral Health
A new review suggests dentists need to spend more time, using psychology to convince people to do a better job at improving their oral health.
The fact is, tooth brushing and flossing remain the keys to oral health.
They are the most important steps in helping to keep a person's teeth for a lifetime.
Still, brushing and flossing are not as popular as dentists would like.
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Teeth Whitening
A lot of people want to have a brighter smile. But laser treatments can be incredibly expensive.
Now, there is a non-laser treatment system that whitens teeth really quickly--in one session--and it will not cost you an arm and a leg.
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Whitening ToothPaste
So you want to flash those pearly whites?
Sure you can get yourself lasered, you can go to your dentist to get bleached, but what about the low tech method: toothpaste.
Dr. Marc Liechtung, a cosmetic dentist and owner of this laser whitening center, says they do have a role. “These products have become an adjunct to in office bleaching. So we tell our patients to go out after bleaching, and get whitening toothpaste.”
In whitening toothpastes, there are two general categories of whiteners—abrasives--the most common one is silica, and anti-tartar agents.
Unlike bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide, which get into the tooth, these superficial whiteners clean surface stains--mostly along the gum line and in between teeth.
They get to stains from things like coffee and smoking.
“People want to get like 7-8 shades lighter they’re not going to do it with just toothpaste,”says Dr. Liechtung.
But Dr. Robert Gerlach, who leads the studies on whitening at crest, says the right whitening toothpaste can make a huge difference. “The before and after images are remarkable; the patient clearly looks remarkably better. But we haven’t affected the underlying tooth color. To do that we have to diffuse peroxide in. So if you don’t have stain on your teeth, we can’t remove that stain.”
Dr. Gerlach says there are innumerable studies to back up the whitening claims. And to add to that, four crest and three Colgate pastes have the ADA seal of approval for whitening.
Dr. Clifford Whall, Director of the ADA Acceptance Program, says, “Our guidelines set specific levels of whiteness that they have to achieve in order to receive our seal.”
That’s not to say other toothpastes with whitening on the label but without the seal don’t whiten…in fact, if they contain silica, for example, they probably do.
“The second thing the whitening toothpaste do, however, is they prevent daily stain accumulation,” states Dr. Gerlach.
The ADA seal adds a layer of guarantee that there is clinical data to back up the claim.
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Halitosis: Bad Breath!
Do you have stinky breath? Not a socially acceptable question, but then again, if you have it, you’d certainly want to know and get rid of it.
But how do you do that…and prevent it even?
The latest research shows a lot of what’s out there for the problem doesn’t work.
Now, the fact is there are lots of reasons for bad breath…from sinus problems, to not eating, to eating and not brushing the teeth.
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Mercury Fillings
Could your dental fillings be putting you and your family’s health at risk?
The issue at hand: the fillings contain mercury, which is a known danger to the nervous system.
This is a controversial issue and has been for years.
Mercury is a component of the amalgam used in "silver" fillings. In fact, it’s 50 percent mercury.
Now, this mercury has been thought for most of the 150 years it’s been used to be inactive…and causing no harm.
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Kissing and Cavities
Ah yes….it’s Valentine’s day….
And what better time than talk about the health pros and cons of ….kissing!
Could a kiss be hazardous to your health?
Could it actually be beneficial?
Not to ruin the whole experience for you, but have you ever considered that when you’re kissing, you’re sharing what’s in the other person’s mouth…namely, bacteria.
And if your loved one of the moment isn’t practicing good dental hygiene…the downfall of his or her practices could be passed right down…to you.
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TEETH WHITENING
So you want to have a beautiful smile?
You might be considering tooth whitening. But for many, the process may not have the results one wants, and they may have problems with the whitening process.
With all the colas and coffees and smoking which can stain the teeth, there’s been a big push by the american public to use whiteners to rejuvinate our smiles.
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Types of Teeth and Tooth Decay
In this animation we will show the different types of adult teeth. What actually causes tooth decay and how that process can be prevented?
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