Less Taste More Fillings?

The band Steely Dan once sang a song about "Gold Teeth" - but more of us probably have silver in our teeth than gold.  Recently many patients have been asking about the difference between traditional "silver"  filliings and the more modern tooth colored or "white" fillings.  Here is a little history {we will try to make it fun} and then some answers to the many questions people seem to be having.
Ancient dentists used materials as diverse as cork, turpentine, gum, lead and stone chips to restore decayed teeth. Then in China in 659 AD (long before they were making iPods and Nike tennis shoes) dentists began experimenting with using silver as a material to plug unwanted dental holes.
After experimenting with many formulations over the years, in the early 1800s a French dentist named Louis Regnart added mercury to the mix, creating the first version of the modern day silver filling, known as dental amalgam.  The formula was so controversial that when it was first introduced in the United States by two other Frenchmen known as The Crawcour Brothers, they were run out of the county!
Eventually the formula was perfected and it became the material still in use today which we call "silver  fillings."  Most Americans who visit the dentist on a regular basis (especially those of us over thirty or so) have a few of these gems in our mouths.
Lately some groups have pointed out that mercury can be a very unhealthy thing to have in your body, and have actually called for all these fillings to be removed!  While it is true that large quantities of mercury is toxic, after extensive studies the American Dental Association has concluded that there are no significant health risks to using this time-tested material.
However, we feel it is important to point our two major differences between tradational silver  filllings and the more modern tooth colored materials.
A silver filling does not actually bond to the healthy tooth material; it is kept in place by placing the material using a wedge efffect or undercut to hold the silver in.  So while it may do a good job of replacing the decayed area in your tooth, it also weakens the tooth and makes it more susceptible to cracks and fractures, often leading to more extensive treatment such as a crown which covers the tooth completely.  For this reason, we are extra careful to check those fillings closely during your examination for any signs of breakdown.
On the other hand, a tooth colored filliing (known as a "composite")  actually bonds to the healthy tooth and creates one big strong healthy tooth unit and generally takes away less tooth.
The other major difference is obvious- a composite filling is a beautiful almost invisible way to treat a decayed tooth while an amalgam filling looks like metal.  Do you ever see a famous singer on TV open really wide to reveal a mouth full of silver?  We see it all the time.  (Of course we are dentally obsessed and may be looking much more closely than you!)
So keep brushing and flossing well, eating a healthy diet and getting regular dental visits, and maybe you will never have to worry about this.
But should you have a "cavity" - we will be glad to discuss all the options with you and work together to figure out the best way to treat your individual situation.  Our goal is to provide treatment which is strong and beautiful too.  At  Dr.Patricia McGarry's office, we always want to recommend the absolute best options to suit your needs and keep your mouth healthy for the rest off your life.
Should you have anu questions, or if you would like to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 810-735-9426.  We are here to help you!

My Gums Have Always Bled-Isn't That OK?

More and more scientists are finding links between gum disease and the  bacteria that that are able to move within the bloodstream and can go anywhere.  The placenta is an immuno-suppressed organ compared to other organs like the liver and spleen and bacteria can colonize easily in the placenta.  For the first time scientists have linked bacteria from a mother's gums to an infection in a baby that was full- term but was born stillborn.  You can find more information on msbc.com (mother's gum disease linked to infants death)  Obviously this is a rare occurence -but even gingivitis is gum disease and the bleeding it causes can move thoughout the body and is a  known link  to premature babies, diabetes, heart attacks,rheumatiod arthritis,alzhiemers and strokes.  The mouth is a portal to the whole body- the bacteria can go everywhere.  The human body has ways to protect itself from bacterial infections -but if it is overwhelmed the consequences can be scary.  If you are expecting or know anyone who is pregnant tell them to see a dentist and make sure that they do not have gum diseased or make sure  it is very controlled and their gums are not bleeding!

One Out Of 5 Adults Do Not Have Any Teeth-What Can They Do?

There are 35-40 Million Edentulous People in the U.S. (No Teeth in either the top or bottom of your mouth ) What Can Be Done To Help Them?  Dentures are the only options when there is advanced gum disease and very little bone is left  in the mouth.    What about  people  who have a few teeth and are missing others?  One solution is MINI-IMPLANTS- they are fabulous- they hold a shifting and movable denture  or partial and even help maintain the bone around the implant.  When your teeth are removed the bone starts to dissolve in your mouth- this is called resorption.  The longer the teeth are gone the more bone is lost.  Implants save the bone .   The sooner they are put in the better- implants actually become part of the bone- that is called osseo-integratiion.  The only reason we have bone in the mouth is because we have teeth.  That bone forms and shapes the face.  Once the teeth are gone so goes the bone. 2 or 4 mini-implants under a denture can make a super difference.  If you have a partial and all of the teeth are gone in one part of the month   One or two minis will give the partial some thing to hook on to instead of moving whenever the tonque or cheek hits it when you talk or eat. The best part is Minis are a lot more affordable than regular implants - about 1/2 the price!

Can Asthma Cause Cavities??

Asthma per se may not be a risk for cavities.  But the people who have asthma can  have extremely dry mouths due to nebulizers and basic asthma medications witch can cause decreased saliva flow.  If you eat refiined carbohydrates {candy,pop,chips,pretzels, - too numerous to mention} and there are sweeteners in the inhaler medications then dental care on  a very regular basis would be extremely important.

Would You Bathe Your Teeth In Acid???

There is more to worry about than the sugar content and gaining weight when you drink soda or pop.  Many carbonated sodas are nearly as corrosive to the enamel as battery acid!  While non cola drinks are less acidic than cola drinks in general, the potential of cola to erode your teeth is ten times that of natural fruit juice with no sugar added.  The new energy drinks are even worse -- They contain acid which the manufacturer puts in to give it a longer shelf life.  Now they have discovered that diet drinks have more acid in them than the sugar colas.  If you must drink colas or acidic diet or energy drinks, SLAM IT - drink it all at once and try to rinse or brush afterward.  Every time you  take a sip the pH in your mouth goes down- the more acid in the pop the worse it gets.  So if you sip on pop it will keep the pH down and really corrode your teeth.  The good news is that our saliva is hypercalcified so it will return the pH to the normal values within 1/2 hour and recalcify the teeth--if you have normal saliva.  Some people take a lot of medications that cause dry mouth now there are over 1800 medications that can do this- but that will be another blog

Chemo, Cancer and Mouth Sores

Biotene which you  can get at the drugstore is a toothpaste that doesn't contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) and doesn't cause much irritation.  The mouthwash is soothing and and gentle.  The mouth moisturizers might help lubricate the mouth and help with dry mouth.  A low acid, bland diet is also helpful.  Avoiding citrus fruits and juices and anything hot and spicy is recommended.  Soft and pureed foods are easier to get down than foods that require a lot of chewing.  Ensure,Slim- Fast or Boost shakes are easy and they are packed with nutrition and the calories they need.  Your dentist or oncologist can prescribe viscous lidocaine and rinse with it as needed.   If you are doing it before eating this will numb the mouth and palate.  Some need to take anything from Tylenol to Vicodin depending on the pain level an hour before meal time.  Even with a sore mouth try hard to clean the mouth thoroughly -secondary infections can occur and fungal infections or Thrush can happen during chemo.  The flouride tooth paste ProDenX made be Zila  is SLS free.   A mixture of equal parts of liquid Benadryl and Malox is a great rinse for radiation patients.  Be sure to get  fluoride trays made at the dentist so it will help protect the teeth from root caries which are bacteria which will cause a lot of decay quickly- these trays should be used daily with a small amout of prescription fluoride which is 5x stronger than regular toothpase.

Can You See It Or Not?

What do you do when you dentist tells you they see 2 cavities in your teeth?  At our office we can show you what they look like by digital x- rays  and Intra- Oral Cameras.  The camera is an amazing device that is and actual minature video camera that displays a closeup picture of the inside of your mouth.  You can see for yourself what work needs to be done and which teeth are doing fine- Then you become a participant in each dental decision.  You will love how this works.  Digital X-rays are a fabulous newer technique that  gives 90%  less radiation of a  normal X-Ray.  We can make the image look bigger so that you don't have to be a dentist to see the cavity in your teeth. We have a  Digital Panorex which goes around your head and takes an x-ray picture of your whole jaw.  We even have a special type of X-ray that we can take on little kids who can't   bite on the x- ray taker because their mouth is too small - then we can see if they have any flossing cavities in between thier teeth--so Can You See It Or Not --You Can At Dr. McGarry's Office!!