Trevor L. Denny D.D.S., M.A.
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How Green Dentistry Benefits You
Green dentistry isn’t a fad; it’s easy to do and a way of life that benefits everyone. Here are some of the ways we are trying to do our part.
We use digital x-rays instead of film, which means you are exposed to 90 percent less radiation than is used by traditional x-rays. We’re not exposed to hazardous chemicals used to process the images, and there are no hazardous materials to dispose of.
The bio-hazard disposal receptacles in our office ensure that neither you nor the environment comes in contact with used needles or toxic chemicals.
Our office is paperless because we use a computerized patient management program. Computerizing your records presents fewer opportunities for human error when reading others’ handwriting. We remove fewer trees from the forests. What paper we do use can often goes to the recycler instead of a landfill.
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A Bridge for Everyone
If you’re missing a tooth or two, a bridge could be a good choice to fill the gap. Different types of dental bridges are created depending on where you have a tooth missing.
We use four types of dental bridges: a 3-unit, cantilever, Maryland and implant-supported.
A 3-unit bridge uses a tooth on each side of the missing tooth to anchor the bridge. The anchor teeth are reduced in overall size because they will have a crown cemented over them. The artificial tooth is suspended between the crowns. This bridge is placed on posterior teeth that must withstand heavy chewing forces.
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Doc! My Cheek Looks Weird
We love it when we reassure a patient, “No, that is not cancer!”
One day you might look at the inside of your cheek and see an unusual gray- or bluish-white patch of rough skin. This patch is called “leukoedema,” and it is very common, especially in the darker-skinned population. About 90 percent of Blacks and 50 percent of Whites have this condition and never know it.
It is generally more difficult for someone with light-colored skin to see leukoedema because it doesn’t show up well in lighter skin pigmentation.
Most often, leukoedema is noticed when you bite your cheek. You look in the mirror to check the damage and see the strange looking patch.
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When Harmless Bacteria Turn Ugly
Bacteremia (back-ter-‘ee-me-uh) means there are bacteria in your bloodstream. Bacteria enter your bloodstream when you brush your teeth too vigorously, scrape into the gum tissue and puncture tiny blood vessels, or when your gums are not healthy, eating a hard food like a carrot can scrape into the gum tissue, for example. Your body’s immune system generally handles bacteremia without much fuss. However, if you have inflammation in another part of your body, bacteremia takes on a serious dimension. Inflammation is complex because it is influenced by many factors, including genetics, smoking, diabetes and other conditions.
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Dont Ignore This Oral Infection
Your teeth should not have pockets.
A pocket next to a tooth indicates you have a severe dental infection called periodontitis, or perio, for short. If not treated, a perio abscess can form, and then, you could be in serious danger.
A perio pocket develops from a tiny moat called a sulcus that surrounds each of your teeth. A sulcus is similar to a snug collar, and it can become infected. Sometimes, a food particle like a popcorn hull will lodge in the sulcus, between your gum and tooth [top image]. The hull quickly attracts hungry bacteria. If the hull is not removed, your saliva can't flush out the rapidly multiplying bacteria.
You might notice swelling, redness and pain in the area along with a nasty taste in your mouth [bottom image]. Sometimes, there will be no pain, but that doesn't mean you aren't in danger.
When bacteria grow to the extent that an abscess forms, the abscess can cause enough pressure that the infection will push out through your gum and discharge its foul contents into your mouth. The infection could also invade your jawbone, tooth and surrounding structures, like nerves and blood vessels. If they are damaged, you could lose your tooth and the neighboring teeth. The infection could also travel to your brain or other parts of your body and do extensive damage.
It is important for us to treat an oral infection as soon as possible because home remedies cannot kill the infection and sa...