Free I-Pod with Brain Surgery

Would you get your brain surgery from a surgeon who advertised that

you would get a free I-Pod if you got your surgery from him?

Would you get a knee replacement from a guy who offered a free

DVD player with every knee replacement?

Of course not!

These things are too important to trust to someone who may be doing

a terrible job on people and is simply trying lure people in with free stuff.

Please use this same logic when you choose your dentist.

Your teeth mean more to you then you will ever know.

Good looking teeth will help in your self confidence, relationships, getting a job,

respect of co-workers, neighbors, etc.

What do you think of when you see someone with no teeth, missing teeth,

badly stained teeth, etc?

You may place labels on them that are not all that flattering.

These labels may not be true but someone that has a horrible looking

smile may be overlooked for someone, less qualified, but with a better looking smile.

Getting freebies is cool.

But get the freebies from Old Navy or some place like that.

DO NOT get your freebies from someone that will be providing medical or

dental care to you that may effect you the rest of your life.

Ask around.

Get referrals.

Ask to see before and after pictures.

Know before you go.

If you really want the free I-Pod that is great.

Just don't be shocked if the teeth you end up with don't match your expectations.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

Cosmetic Bonding Mindy Anderton Wright

This is a cosmetic case for Mindy Anderton Wright.

She is a part time hygienist for our office and the shortest sister in law I have.

She has always hated a gap she had in front of one of her teeth.

She finally decided to do something about it.

(She decided to wait and see what to do with the gap in back of the tooth.)

This procedure took 20 minutes.

No shots. No pain.

She is ecstatic with the results!!

Before

After

Dr. Ellis Facebook

Dr Ellis Website

How did I get a cavity?

Happens everyday.

I tell people they have cavities and they look at me

with this questioning and confused look and say,

"How do I have cavities? I brush my teeth."

This is probably just an eternal battle for me as a dentist.

For a person to say...

"How can I have cavities? I brush"

Is like saying...

"How did my engine overheat? I put water in the radiator."

Good job on the water.

That is a very necessary part of helping keep your engine cool.

However, so is adding oil to the engine itself.

Adding the water is nice but its not enough.

Just as brushing is nice but it is not enough, on its own, to prevent tooth decay.

Moral to the story.

Brush AND Floss

Brush AND Floss

Brush AND Floss

Brush AND Floss

Got it?

Good.

Now have a wonderful day.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

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.

Dr. Ellis Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

Your Child and Getting a Mouth Guard.

As the winter months are upon us my kids, and perhaps yours,

are starting up things like indoor soccer, wrestling, or basketball.

No doubt that these activities will lead to a few bumps and bruises.

In time these bumps, bruises, and even broken bones will heal.

Something that would not heal however, is a broken tooth.

Teeth, unlike bones, will not grow back.

To save teeth requires root canals, crowns, and any number of other things.

Please Please Please.......

get your child a mouth guard to wear during their sporting events.

The ones that you can buy from the store and mold to your

child's teeth will do, but a custom made mouth guard from

a dentist is always the best way to assure the best way to go.

I don't care if you get one from me or the other guy.

That is not the point.

The point is to protect your child's teeth.

They will have them for a very long time.

Dr Ellis on Facebook

Dr Ellis Website

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.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

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.

Dr. Ellis Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

What is an underbite

Typically your upper teeth protrude out over your lower teeth.

This makes it so that when you close your teeth you see mainly see your upper teeth.

In some cases the lower teeth will cover the upper teeth when you close.

This is known as an under bite.

Under bites can come in two forms.

#1 is a problem with the tilt of the teeth.

If the lower teeth are flared out or the top teeth are pushed in then an under bite may occur.

This problem can usually be corrected very easily with orthodontics.

#2 is a skeletal problem.

This means that the lower jaw grew to far out or the upper jaw didn't grow

out far enough or both.

This kind of under bite can also be corrected with orthodontics, but

in severe cases may require surgery to fix.

Best thing to do is to get your child to an orthodontist if you suspect that trouble.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

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.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

Are those supposed to feel like separate teeth?!

Your teeth are all meant to have some space in between them.

Some teeth have only a tiny space and may be very hard to floss.

Some teeth have more space and may be very easy to floss.

But all teeth are supposed to have space between them.

Take your tongue and run it along the back side of your bottom front teeth.

Does it feel like a wall of teeth or does it feel like individual teeth?

If it feels like a wall of teeth with very little space in between then you need a cleaning.

Below is a picture of some front lower teeth before and after they were cleaned.

The yellow stuff in between the teeth is build up that is too hard to

be cleaned off by your tooth brush alone.

The only way to get this stuff off is by a trained dental hygienist or dentist.

It doesn't look very good but that is not the worst part.

The worst part is the bacteria that can be harbored in your mouth

and thus pose health risks, some severe, throughout your entire body.

Before the cleaning.

After the cleaning.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

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!

Dr Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

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.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

There has been a large push in the media over this issue but we are still

seeing it in the office so I think it bears repeating.

Early childhood cavities are bad news.

These cavities are costly to fix, it is harder to keep them intact,

and drilling on children gives them a bad perception

of what going to the dentist is all about, which will stay with them

for a long long time and effect how they view dental care in the future.

Simple rule of thumb here.

Do not give your children anything to drink, that is not water, in between meals.

At meal time they can have lots of stuff.

Juice, milk, koolaid, etc.

After the meal is over have them brush their teeth or swish with a glass of water.

This will help clean the sugars out of their mouths that they got form the meal.

ANY other time you should be giving them water.

It is the child that is continuously exposed to sugars that will get the cavities.

And for the love of all that is good and holy do not, under any circumstances,

put your child to bed with a bottle of juice, milk, or anything else.

Dr Ellis on Facebook

Dr Ellis Website

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.

Dr. Ellis on Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website

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.

Dr. Ellis an Facebook

Dr. Ellis Website