Can anything be done about my teeth grinding?

Teeth grinding is a tough thing to deal with.

The problem here is that most teeth grinding is done while you sleep.

Thus, you are doing it subconsciously.

Well, unless you can control your subconscious then you might be out

of luck in making yourself stop grinding all together.

So what can be done?

The only thing that can be done is an attempt to stop the damage being

done from the grinding.

Serious damage can occur as you grind your teeth.

Chipped teeth is one of the biggest things.

To help avoid chipping, and even completely breaking, your

teeth we recommend a night guard.

Its not complicated.

Its just a piece of plastic that is made to fit your teeth.

The fit needs to be fairly tight so that it does not fall off into your mouth at night.

You will still be doing the grinding but instead of grinding teeth on

teeth you are now grinding teeth on plastic.

Over time the plastic will wear out and you will need a new one.

It is however, much cheaper to replace a piece of plastic then it is to replace your teeth.

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Are Clear Plastic Braces for You?

Everyone calls these types of braces Invisalign.

However, another product is out on the market that

does the exact same thing except less expensive.

This product is called Clear Correct.

The trays are still clear.

Your teeth still move.

You can still take them out.

If you have orthodontic insurance you are still covered.

So are there any differences?

Yes

You pay less.

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What kind of teeth bleaching is right for me?

Teeth whitening is a very hot topic these days.

It seems as though everybody and their dog is offering to have your

teeth whitened for life, by tomorrow.

So what is real and what is hype?

As a disclaimer let me just say that tooth whitening can be accomplished successfully with ANY of these methods and that the following is based on fact with my opinion thrown in for flavor.

There are basically 3 ways to whiten your teeth.

#1 With the whiteners you buy in the stores.

This includes strips, trays, paint on stuff, etc.

Couple of things to consider here. The strength of the bleach has to be over the counter strength which is going to be less then bleach you can get form your dentist. Its like buying Tylenol from the store vs getting Lortab from the dentist. Next is the way the bleach is delivered. Below is a picture of a bleaching strip. Since this strip is sold to everyone, it then by nature, fits no one. Administering bleach to the masses can be a very inexact science that could lead to burned gums or uneven bleaching of the teeth.

#2 Is custom trays made by your dentist and you do the bleaching at home.

This way of bleaching has a lot of up side.

First the strength of bleach is prescription strength which will allow you to bleach faster. Second while bleaching faster it is still slow enough to stop when you begin feeling too much sensitivity. Lastly the trays are made specifically for you. They will fit no one else and thus deliver the bleach right to where it is needed.

#3 In office light whitening.

This option is nice because it is the fastest. But there are some draw backs. The machines to do the bleaching are expensive so the cost must be passed on the the patient. Next, you can't stop bleaching when you begin to feel sensitive. You will lay back being one shade and be several shades lighter when you sit up. If you happen to have lightened up too much and your teeth are very sensitive to even breath you are kind of out of luck.

So again, there are probably many of you reading this that have gotten your teeth whitened by any of the ways just mentioned and it has worked well for you. And that is great. I personally have chosen to offer only the 2nd option in my office as I feel it is the best bang for the buck and offers the least chance of complications for my patients.

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What is a retainer and what kinds are there?

Lots of people ask me about retainers.

Most retainers are given to folks from their orthodontists.

The type of retainer you have really depends on the personal preference of the Orthodontist.

Some orthodontists like the retainers that you can take in and out every night.

These come in two forms. The ones that use wire to retain the teeth position

and the ones that are made simply of clear plastic.

Other orthodontists like the small metal wires that are actually

glued to the teeth and can not be removed.

So which one is better?

That depends on what irritates you most.

Would it irritate you more to have something glued into your

mouth that you could never take out?

Or would it irritate you more to always have to remember to put your retainer

in every night and take it with you on every trip vacation and overnighter you go on?

Both will do a fine job.

My Mother has a retainer that she puts in every night and has done so for over 30 years.

My wife has a bonded metal wire that she has had in place for over 20 years.

Both seem to like what they have and wouldn't change.

If you have a particular type of retainer and you would like

to try another kind that is no problem.

We can switch you to another kind, let you try it for a while, and then

switch you back if you don't like it.

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Did you just sneeze on me!!??

We have all had it happen to us.

A co-worker lets out a sneeze without covering their mouths.

You try, without the sneezer noticing, to politely turn away as to not ingest their germs.

Does that work?

Well, only if you are really really fast about it.

A sneeze comes out of your mouth at hundreds of miles an hour.

That's right.

HUNDREDS!!

Estimates are a little scattered as to just how fast but it ranges anywhere from

100 mph to 800 mph. But regardless of which of these numbers is closer

to the real number is kind of irrelevant. The point is that unless you can turn your head

very very quickly you are out of luck. The sneezer's germs are now your germs.

Best thing to do is to tell the sneezer to cover his/her mouth!

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Your teeth have something to say.

Your teeth will speak volumes before you ever have a chance to say a word.

Your teeth say a lot about you whether you like it or not.

Look at the following pictures and say the first thoughts that come to your mind.

#1

#2

#3

#4

Ok. So what were your thoughts?

Were they positive thoughts about these people or negative.?

Bear in mind that you do not know these people.

You do not know their personalities.

You do not know their contributions to society.

You simply can see their teeth.

Now take a look at the following picture.

What are the first thoughts you have about this person?

Are your thoughts about this person different then the others?

Why?

Teeth make a huge difference.

Getting a job, impressing a potential boss, making friends, etc.

It may not be fair but its true.

Don't let your teeth say the wrong things about you.

No matter the situation there are things that can be done.

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Why are my new fillings so sensitive?

New fillings that are placed by your dentist should not be sensitive.

If they are they should not remain that way for long.

Some very large fillings may take longer then others, but

eventually every filling should calm down.

So what exactly is going on when a fillings sensitive?

It has to do with expansion and contraction.

As with most things, when a tooth is exposed to hot or cold

temperatures it will expand or contract accordingly.

If a tooth has never had a filling it will all contract and expand at the same time.

If a tooth HAS had a filling however this is where we may get an issue.

If the tooth and the filling have a different point at which they want

to expand or contract then there can be some discomfort.

Over time this discomfort should go away as the tooth gets used to the filling.

If the discomfort does not go away then the filling needs to be re-done.

If it still hurts then there are some different types of filling materials that can be used.

If it still hurts then other treatments may be needed.

Filling sensitivity is a funny thing.

Someone can get 4 fillings in the same day.

Same doctor.

Same filling material.

Same everything.

But only 1 will end up hurting.

It is a real tooth by tooth thing and can drive patients, and dentists, crazy!

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Does Dr. Ellis.........?

I get asked all the time, "Dr. Ellis do you......"

followed by all kinds of questions.

Here is a little list of the most popular questions I get.

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Before and After

The picture quality is not as good as I would like but you get the idea.

Patient came into the office with some trouble on her two front teeth.

She had bonding done on the teeth about 22 years ago.

The bonding had since chipped and discolored.

The gums had also receded which revealed more discolored tooth up by the gumline.

We removed all of the old bonding.

The patient chose the color that best suited her and it was placed within about 45 min.

Patient was happy with result and if there is anything that she does not

like then we can change it just that fast.

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Does getting a root canal hurt?

If the conditions are right a root canal absolutely does NOT need to be

any more uncomfortable then any other dental procedure.

There are a ton of stories out there about root canals that were so terrible

that the people don't ever want to go back to the dentist.

Most of the stories about painful root canals comes from root canals that

were done many many years ago.

Technology has changed and root canal procedures

today are much better then they once were.

The second biggest reason why people have tough

times with root canals is they wait too long.

Please do not wait until your face is swollen to come into the dentist.

The swelling, and infection associated with it, make it very hard to get someone numb.

A root canal is simply cleaning out the inside of the tooth.

Teeth are hollow. The inside is filled with nerves and blood vessels.

A root canal is a procedure where we clean out the inside of the tooth.

Since the tooth then no longer has any nerves it can no longer

feel pain and you are back to your old happy self.

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Tongue Piercing = Bad Idea

You see it all the time.

People with barbells sticking out their tongue.

You may even have one yourself.

But is it safe?

In a word...... NO!

Can you feel a stray hair on your arm? Probably not.

Can you feel a stray hair on your leg? Again, probably not.

Can you feel a hair in your mouth? Absolutely.

The reason for this is because the tongue has more nerves contained in it then almost any other part of your entire body. It is very sensitive and very precise. Therefore, ramming a large steel rod through it will certainly damage these nerves. Piercing the tongue can lead to a loss in ability to feel your tongue and ability to taste food.

Besides loss of taste and feel there are also other dangers.

Since the mouth can not be kept sterile, as other parts you may pierce,

the chance of infection is greater. The above picture is a very nicely infected tongue.

Cracking your teeth on a tongue ring is also a very real concern. I have treated many cracked teeth from people biting down on tongue rings.

Want another reason?

How about this one.

If you catch your tongue ring on something.

You can actually pull it out of your tongue and cause, this......

Look Fun????

My suggestion, DON'T DO IT!!!

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It's just a little spot. No big deal. Right?

Enamel is the white stuff that makes up the outer covering of your teeth.

Enamel is the strongest substance in your body.

It is very difficult for bacteria to penetrate this layer.

Once it does however, the next layer, dentin, is much softer and easier to get through.

Therefore, all it takes is one little spot of decay to get into your tooth

and you could be in serious trouble.

Once bacteria are on the inside of the tooth they begin to multiply.

Bacteria need food, water, and warmth to multiply.

And your mouth has an abundance of all three.

Here is a before and after picture of a case that we just did today.

The patient came in complaining of intense pain but did not know why

as her tooth only showed the most mild of decay.

First picture shows the tooth before we started.

Only a small amount of decay present.

This picture shows the insides of the tooth after the decay was taken out.

The holes in the bottom are the places where the nerve used to be.

This tooth ended up getting a root canal.

Be careful. Any discoloration may be too much.

Get it checked out.

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Its called pericoronitis

That's right. You may have a Pericoronits.

It simple terms it is a little flap of skin that is hanging over the top of your last tooth.

Or it may be that the tooth isn't all the way in yet and its half covered by tissue.

Whichever it is, this tissue will tend to get inflamed from time to time.

When it does get inflamed chewing can become very painful.

The problem can be helped by swishing with a mouthwash and ridding the area of debris.

But this is only a short term solution.

What is the long term solution?

# 1 You can get the tooth that is partially erupted taken out.

That works well if the tooth happens to be a wisdom tooth.

But not so well if it happens to be a normal molar.

#2 You can get the tissue trimmed off.

This works very well for normal molars but not so well if the problem is a wisdom tooth.

Whatever the problem happens to be just know that you are not alone

in having this problem and that there are several simple solutions.

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How long will it last?

"How long will it last doc?" is a question I get asked all the time.

Usually I get asked this question after I tell someone they have a cracked tooth.

The Answer I give people is, "it depends".

And although it sounds like a cop-out it is absolutely the correct answer.

If we can see a crack in a tooth that means that the tooth is giving way.

Whether it is giving way like the beach to erosion.

Or whether it is giving way like a pony with a sumo wrestler in its back

is the question.

It all really depends on your diet.

If you eat nothing but yogurt the rest of your life then the tooth will make it a long time.

If you crush ice and corn nuts with your teeth then the tooth may break by tonight.

So the dentist really doesn't have any idea.

Its all up to you.

Best thing to do is to get it taken care of right away so that you don't test the

limits of your tooth's toughness.

If it does break the consequences could be dire.

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Before and After Cosmetic

Here is a patient of ours who just wanted to smile again.

She had very weak teeth and was suffering from multiple deep cavities.

Here is her before picture.

The whole procedure took about 2 hours but the patient thought it was worth it.

We used filling material due to the expensive nature of getting every tooth crowned.

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My Kid Just Knocked Their Front Tooth Out?!

Okay. First of all, as in most traumatic situations.

Do not panic.

Its likely that your child has never gone through this before.

Therefore, they are fairly unaware whether what just happened

to them is simply a minor thing or whether they will soon be in the hospital.

The way they will be able to tell how severe the situation

is is by looking at their parent.

If you are flipping out then they will too.

The first thing to do is to educate yourself BEFORE something like this happens.

It is very important to know when your child's baby teeth will come out naturally.

Here is a chart of, about, when that will happen.

This is important because if the tooth that was just knocked out was about to

come out anyway then there is much less to worry about.

If it's still a year or so away, or you know that its already the permanent tooth

that just got knocked out then there is much more to worry about.

So lets say your child is 8 or 9 years old and it is the adult tooth that just got knocked out.

First thing is to do is obviously check your child for signs of significant injury.

If they hit their face hard enough to knock a tooth out

you need to check for signs of a concussion.

If they seem to be alright except for the tooth then the next step is to find the tooth.

Once the tooth is found treat it very gently.

The tooth is attached to the bone by ligaments.

Parts of those ligaments will still be attached to the tooth and must not be damaged.

First carefully pick off any large pieces of debris.

Secondly the smaller pieces need to be rinsed off.

This is best accomplished by gently rubbing the tooth against the inside of your child's cheek.

This will get all the small particles off and still treat the tooth gently.

Then, are you ready for this..... you need to stick the tooth back in.

That's right, you need to gently place the tooth back into the socket from which it came.

Its pretty simple.

The Skinny part goes in first.

Just simply slide it back into place.

Don't force it. Simply get it as close as you can.

If it wont go or you don't have the stomach for it then place the tooth

into your child's mouth in the bottom jaw in between the cheek and gums.

Holding the tooth there will give it the best chance for survival.

Another idea would be to place it in a glass of milk.

Saliva and milk are the best places for a knocked out tooth.

DON'T place the tooth in a glass of water.

The water will destroy any chance we would have had to

get the tooth to reattach to the body naturally.

Then finally, in all cases, get to a dentist ASAP.

The dentist will know what to do and will give you options depending on the

severity of the accident and the condition of the jaw and tooth.

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