Ask the Dental Experts

Sunday, May 24, 2009

The Many Applications of the Snap-On Smile

The Snap-On Smile is a non-invasive, patented dental device that can be used in both restorative and diagnostic applications.
There is no need for any drilling, Novocain shots, or adhesive bonding to install it. In fact, most applications can be completed in as little as one half hour.

The Snap-On Smile can raise the vertical dimension of facial height.
Tooth surfaces diminish after long periods of Bruxism and attrition. Face muscles will eventually begin to sag because of this. Restoring the proper surface areas of teeth will in reverse this drooping effect, create a healthier and more natural looking smile, and prevent further Bruxism at night.

The Snap-On Smile is the most comfortable and attractive cosmetic removable partial denture developed to date.
Tooth loss creates two problems for people. One problem is gaps in the smile. The other problem is the damaged appearance of remaining teeth. By applying a Snap-On Smile, both problems can be corrected at once. The Cosmetic Dentistry Center of Houston can make these cosmetic removable partials in either quadrant or full arch sizes. Patients almost unanimously report these are the best dentures they have ever used. One group of patients in particular—those with a strong gag reflex—especially like these dentures because they cover only the teeth, not the palate.

The Snap-On Smile has consistently proven itself to be a superior form of temporary replacement for people receiving implants.
The unobtrusive nature of the device prevents it from coming from impinging on gingival tissues. Because of its 100 percent tooth-retention, it puts far less pressure on the mouth in general. This makes it far easier for tissues that have received an implant to heal.

This device has also proven to be a very effective surgical template in a number of procedures such as cosmetic gingivectomies. After such a surgery is performed, the near perfect fit that the tooth-retained partials provide provides the gum line with an ideal contour to follow in healing and post-surgical growth.

Many people come to us looking to use The Snap-On Smile for exclusively cosmetic purposes.
There are all types of negatives that can impact the way teeth look. Such issues as midline discrepancies, stains in teeth, worn teeth, chips and small cracks, dark triangles, and even uneven tooth sizes can all be cosmetically altered by this simple device. It is also possible to use these remarkable tooth retained dentures as temporary tooth replacements during full mouth reconstruction work that can take up to 18 months. While bridges and implants are being placed in the mouth, the Snap-On Smile can show a consistently natural and healthy looking face to the world while the dentist works quietly behind the scenes.

Labels: cosmetic dental implants, cosmetic removable partial dentures, cosmetic tooth whitening, dental abfraction, dental tooth implants, full mouth reconstruction, Snap-On Smile

Monday, April 6, 2009

Tooth Sensitivity

Hi doctor,

Is it possible for a teeth's nerve to die off after putting braces?
I have my ceramic braces on for about 2 months now. Recently, I have been experiencing sharp pain on two of my teeth after drinking cold drinks for a week. I understand that the movement of the teeth would cause sensitivity issue. However, the pain which I was experiencing was somehow different. I went back to see my dentist and was told that this was an unusual encounter that the worse scenario is that my nerve may have possibility died off. Nevertheless, he give me some anti-swelling oral medication and ensure me that the problem will be resolve in a few days time.

However, 2 weeks later the same symptom happen again, but this time it lasted for 5 hrs. I went back to the dentist again and I was told that the nerve is going to died off soon. I was so shocked and disappointed after hearing that. He said that I have exceptionally sensitive tooth and that the force he applied to tighten the braces was generally acceptable by all his patients. He told me that the only solution now is to undergo root canal treatment. I was so shocked to hear that. How can a set of teeth that was previously healthy become bad teeth after putting these braces? Is this true? How can it happen and is the root canal treatment the only solution? Kindly reply to me. Thank you for your time.

Regards,
John

Good question – Your story is not unusual. The nerves of the teeth can respond negatively to trauma, whether the trauma is from a blow, a fall, grinding your teeth, deep decay, deep fillings, fractured root, gingival recession, orthodontic movement – sometimes it just seems to be nothing in particular, the simplest thing, that triggers nerve sensitivity. Nerve sensitivity can be reversible and slowly go away, or it can respond to treatments for sensitivity such as topical fluoride, topical fluoride varnish, Sensodyne tooth paste, bite adjustment, etc. Or, sensitivity can be irreversible – such that nothing that is done will make it better… and in this case, root canal treatment is the most common treatment.

Tooth sensitivity is our most common complaint in general dentistry. It is sometimes obvious as to the cause, but it is also common to have the cause very vague and hard to figure out. Your dentist is doing appropriate conservative treatments, trying to allow some time to pass, since sometimes the problem goes away without treatment. He is also correct in telling you that sometimes these problems will only resolve with root canal treatment…true. Nothing has been done wrong, it is just that some people have very sensitive teeth – if you look around your mouth, you will probably find other signs that predispose you to tooth sensitivity:

Ø Large, deep fillings
Ø Muscular grinding / clenching habits
Ø Gingival recession
Ø Gingival abfractions
Ø Fractures in teeth
Ø Old trauma – falls, etc.

This is all difficult to predict and very different from person to person. Sit down and have a discussion with your dentist about your situation relative to other teeth that might have similar potential problems. It is much more complicated than you are assuming.

Labels: dental abfraction, dental fillings, gingival recession, tooth fractures, tooth sensitivity

Sunday, February 8, 2009

A Case of Dental Abfraction Treated with Cosmetic Dental Bonding

There was a man named Kevin who came to the Cosmetic Dentistry Center. He was 38 years old, and complained that his teeth seemed unusually sensitive to cold. He explained that a few weeks prior to his appointment, he had been drinking iced tea, and had first noticed the condition at that time. Over the next several days, the pain became more noticeable. Now he was feeling pain just from breathing in cold air when he ran around Memorial Park in the mornings. His wife was concerned he might need a root canal, because she had heard him grinding his teeth in his sleep. Kevin was now worried that he might have an abscess forming. We reassured him this was probably not the case. His symptoms sounded much more like a case of dental abfraction than an infection of the nerve chamber.

Dental abfraction is often caused by Bruxism—the grinding of teeth in the sleep. Bruxism causes the teeth at or below the gumline to become notched. Heightened tooth sensitivity and discomfort result. Other conditions can also result, such as bicuspid drop-off, worn teeth becoming frayed around the edges, dentin becoming exposed, and gingival recession.

Mild cases of dental abfraction can be treated with topical treatments such as fluoride gel or Sensodyne toothpaste. Flexible trays, custom made to fit the mouth, can be used to apply these treatments for 20 minutes every day. More advanced cases need more aggressive forms of treatment. We did not know what Kevin would need until we examined his teeth more closely, and did a thorough check on his medical history.

When we accessed his records on our computer, we discovered that Kevin had been involved in a minor accident where he had been hit in the mouth by a falling object. He had gone to the emergency room and been treated with several stitches, but none of his teeth were knocked out. A few seemed a bit out of alignment, but nothing that made him consider cosmetic dentistry. Over time, however, biting down on teeth that were now misaligned had resulted in dental abfraction.

We discovered this when we took a close look at his mouth with our intraoral camera. This is one of the many advantages that patients get when they come to the Cosmetic Dentistry Center. The intraoral camera allows us to look at things such as dental abfraction, cracked teeth, and periodontal disease on a magnified, full-color monitor. In this instance, Kevin suffered from acute gum recession and dental abfraction below the receding gum line. This had exposed the roots of both teeth, which was causing Kevin to feel such painful sensitivity to cold. However, we had caught the condition in time before the roots began to die. We were able to treat Kevin with cosmetic dental bonding, and then have him use Sensodyne toothpaste to reverse the gum recession.

Kevin has since reported that all symptoms have since disappeared. If you are currently feeling an acute sensitivity to heat or cold, it may be because you too suffer from dental abfraction. Schedule an appointment with us today. The sooner you get treatment, the quicker and painless the treatment normally is.

Labels: Bruxism, cosmetic dental bonding, dental abfraction, Sensodyne Toothpaste