Medical technology keeps moving at lightning speed, and the same is true for dentistry.  Just as you’ve heard about the use of lasers in medical care, these state-of-the-art machines are being used more in dentistry.  Laser dentistry minimizes bleeding as the high-energy light beam helps with quick blood clotting.  Bacterial infections are minimized because the laser beam sterilizes the area.  Damage to surrounding tissues is minimized as well, and wounds tend to heal faster.

Here are some ways we use lasers in the office to help our patients:

Hard Tissue (tooth) Laser Dentistry:

*There is a low intensity dental laser than can detect cavities even earlier.

*Hard tissue dental lasers may eliminate the need for a local anesthetic injection and the traditional turbine dental drill for some fillings and tooth preparation.

*Dental lasers may be used to seal tubules responsible for hot and cold tooth sensitivity.

Soft Tissue (gum) Laser Dentistry:

*Lasers may be used when crown lengthening is needed.  This is when gum tissue needs to be reshaped to expose healthier tooth structure.

*They can also be used to reshape gum tissue to expose healthy tooth structure and improve the appearance of gummy smile.

*A laser frenectomy helps children who are tongue tied and babies unable to breast feed adequately due to limited tongue movement.

*Denture wearers can benefit from dental lasers when they are used to painlessly remove soft tissue folds caused by ill-fitting dentures.

Other Dental Laser Uses:

*Lasers are being used to speed up certain whitening procedures.

*Dental lasers may be used to painlessly remove benign oral tumors.

*Low intensity dental lasers can be used to treat cold sores, reducing pain and shortening the heal time.

You know the problems with cavities, but are you aware of tooth erosion, another serious tooth problem?  Tooth erosion is the wearing away of the tooth’s enamel-the tooth’s outer coating that helps protect it. 

How Does This Happen?

When you consume carbonated beverages, fruit juice, or highly acidic foods, the acids attack tooth enamel.  The calcium in your saliva would normally help remineralize your teeth, but if you consume too much acid, it can’t keep up.  Acid attacks can come from a variety of sources:

*Carbonated beverages, even diet versions, contain a lot of acid and can quickly do serious damage.  It is worse when you drink large amounts or continuously throughout the day.

*Pure fruit juice has similar effects on your teeth because it also contains a lot of acid.

*Besides acids you ingest, there are also acid attacks from bulimia and acid reflux.  In both of these, the damage comes from stomach acids.

How do I Know if I’m Suffering from Tooth Erosion?

There are a wide range of signs and symptoms-from its early stages (sensitivity, discoloration, rounded teeth) to the later, more severe stages (cracks, severe sensitivity, cupping). 

Here is how they break down:

*Sensitivity-with the protection from enamel wearing away, you may feel pain when you consume hot, cold, or sweet foods and drinks.

*Discoloration-teeth can take on a yellow cast as the dentin layer of the teeth is exposed.

*Rounded teeth-you may notice your teeth have a rounded or “sand blasted” look.

*Transparency-your front teeth may become translucent near the biting edges.

*Advanced discoloration-as more of the enamel wears away, more of the dentin is exposed.

*Cracks-small cracks and roughness may appear at the edges of teeth.

*Severe sensitivity-sensitivity increases as more enamel is worn away.

*Cupping-small dents may appear on the chewing surface of the teeth; you may also notice fillings appearing to rise up out of the tooth.

When Can I Do?

You don’t have to accept tooth erosion as a fact of life.  There are lots of things you can do to avoid the damage altogether, or at least, to mitigate against it.  For instance, if you swear off carbonated beverages, you are avoiding that source of acid outright.  Short of that, you can reduce the damage from these tasty treats by doing things like:

*Drinking through a straw.  This helps limit contact between the acids and your teeth.  And don’t swish carbonated beverages around or hold them in your mouth for long periods.

*If you consume acidic food or drinks, rinse with water to neutralize the acids.  You should also wait an hour before brushing your teeth.

*Increase saliva production by chewing sugar-free gum.  This helps your teeth to remineralize.

*If you suffer from bulimia or acid reflux, see your doctor for help.

The thermometer outside is rising, and all you can think about is how good that chocolate ice cream cone or fruity popsicle is going to taste.  On a diet?  Then maybe it’s a glass of ice cold tea your mouth is watering over. 

You go inside, open the fridge, and prepare your cold treat.  But as soon as it hits your mouth….ouch!  Uh-oh, your teeth are temperature sensitive.

According to research, one of the causes of this frustrating problem can be found in the dentin tubules (tiny tube-like passageways) of the teeth.  The tubules in those with temperature sensitive teeth are larger than in those without a problem.  There is also a highly significant increase in the number of surface tubules in sensitive teeth compared with non-sensitive teeth.

There are other possible causes of tooth sensitivity as well.  You may be brushing too hard and damaging the enamel coating protecting your teeth.  If your gums are receding, exposing more of the tooth than normal, this too can lead to sensitive teeth.  If a single tooth is affected, come in immediately-that tooth may have a cavity, crack, or an old filling may be loose. 

You don’t have to suffer from this problem though.  If your teeth are overly sensitive, come in to the office right away.  We will perform a thorough examination to determine what is causing it and provide you with options to handle your sensitive smile.

Even the most diligent patients who practice thorough home hygiene can not get to every area bacteria and plaque can.  Getting below the gumline especially can be difficult.  We have seen patients with absolutely beautifully cleaned teeth-above the gumline-but with tarter building up below and out of sight.  This leads to one of the advantages to having the hygienist regularly cleaning your teeth.  She can see what you can’t.  From her bird’s eye view, she can see plaque and tartar building up in places you miss.

The tools we use are designed specifically for removing the hardened tartar.  Hygienists are trained to perform this type of removal without harming your gums.  This is very important!  The soft tissue of the gums can be easily damaged if you poke them or brush too vigorously.  This can expose the delicate roots of your teeth to more attack from plaque-causing bacteria.

How often you should come in for a professional dental cleaning depends on the health of your gums.  Some patients only need to be seen twice a year, but others need more frequent cleanings.

At your hygiene appointment, we check your gums for early signs of periodontal disease.  If caught early, the damage can be halted and treated before it leads to tooth loss and other serious health conditions.  For instance, studies are finding connections between periodontal disease and things like heart disease and stroke.  So don’t put off that professional teeth cleaning-for the health of your teeth, gums, and body.

Conscious sedation enables many patients who have dental anxiety or dental phobia a safe and effective way to have an anxiety-free dental experience many have only dreamed of.  Our main objective is to ensure our patients are comfortable throughout the entire procedure.  With sedation dentistry, you are in a relaxed state before, during, and after your entire treatment.  You will have little or no memory of the procedure once the treatment is complete.

It is not only for people who have anxiety before their dental appointments, but also those who need extensive treatment completed in a limited amount of time and appointments, or just want to be completely relaxed during their procedures.  Dr. Donnelly has been helping his patients have anxiety free dental experiences for many years.

When you get to the dental office for your procedure, you will be given a combination of sedative drugs and nitrous oxide, which will put your body in an extremely relaxed state with reduced perception.  A local anesthetic will then be administered to eliminate pain.  You won’t feel pain or even remember the numbing when the procedure is complete, due to the sedative.  We will be monitoring your vital signs during the entire procedure and help to keep you comfortable and relaxed.  While you may fall asleep during the procedure, you are not completely put under as with general anesthesia, but remain in a responsive state and all body functions stay normal.

You may be very drowsy after the treatment because of the sedative, therefore it is necessary to have someone drive you to and from the office on the day of your treatment, and supervise you afterwards.  If sedation dentistry sounds like something you’re interested in, please call our office for more information.