• • How to achieve a relaxing, pain-free dental visit 3423 view(s)
  • Are Silver Amalgam Fillings Hazardous to my Health? 2061 view(s)
  • Do I Need Dentures (False Teeth)? Do I Have Alternatives? 1876 view(s)
  • A Lighter Look at Visiting the Dentist 1849 view(s)
  • Clear Braces - What are the Choices and Cost? 1578 view(s)
  • Home Remedies: How to Fix or Remedy a Toothache or Sore Tooth Until You Get to the Dentist 1163 view(s)
  • Importance of Equipment & Technology when Finding a Dentist 1075 view(s)
  • Teeth Whitening: What Works and What Doesn't 1046 view(s)
  • What is a Root Canal or Endodontic Surgery? 1041 view(s)
  • What You Should Know About the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry 938 view(s)

Related Posts

• • Are Silver Amalgam Fillings Hazardous to my Health?
  • Cosmetic Dentistry: The Details, Cost and Specifics of Dental Veneers – Porcelain or Otherwise
  • Guide to Finding a Good Dentist in San Francisco, CA
  • Beware of Using Social Media Sites to Search for a Dentist
  • Home Remedies: How to Fix or Remedy a Toothache or Sore Tooth Until You Get to the Dentist
  • What is a Root Canal or Endodontic Surgery?
  • Say Goodbye to the Drill and Hello to Waterlase!
  • Is Invisalign Right for You?
  • Teeth Whitening: What Works and What Doesn’t
  • How Digital Images Can Save the Planet
• 
  



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Something revolutionary has worked its way into dental offices around the world, and its name is Waterlase.  Write it down. This is a name you won’t want to forget.

The Waterlase system, invented by Biolase, acts like a drill and scalpel but has no sharp edges and doesn’t even touch your tooth. That’s right, I said it, it doesn’t even touch your tooth! What does touch your tooth? Water. Waterlase is a comfy combination of a laser beam and water.  A variety of dental procedures are now being performed with a laser instead of the traditional and often painful drill and scalpel. That means no more novacaine injections, and just as importantly, no sippy cup for that post-dentist drink.

How is it possible that our dentists can now fill our filings and root our root canals with a simple stream of H2O? Easy. The system uses a very accurate stream of water that is energized by the laser to cut through tissue or tooth. It sounds sci-fi but I promise you it’s the real deal. Biolase has even come out with a “Turbo” version of this technology.  If turbo means I get in and out of my appointment quicker, I’ll take two!

Can Waterlase be used for all dental procedures? Not quite. For example, Waterlase can’t be used to remove silver fillings. But Waterlase can be used to perform a variety of dental procedures, such as:

Treating mild to moderate periodontal disease
Remove decay
Fillings
Root canals

All of this with little or no pain. No more needles, no more vibration or heat or loud drilling noises. Believe me when I say, the face of dentistry is changing.

In 1998, Waterlase was the first device of it’s kind to receive FDA approval for use on soft and hard tissue. You might be doing the calculations in your head. 1998… 2010…hmm… Don’t ask me why you haven’t heard of this before, ask your dentist.  Or better yet, use DoctorBase to find a dentist schooled in this technology and be on your way to a fast, easy and painless dental procedure.

For more information on pain-free dental visits, you might enjoy How to Achieve a Pain-Free Dental Visit.

If you’re a dentist who has used Waterlase to treat patients, please enlighten us all by leaving a comment regarding your experience with this technology.

Invisalign: What is it? Invisalign is a series of clear alignment trays that you wear in order to straighten your teeth. Is it a true alternative to traditional metal braces? Somewhat. Is it a way to avoid the awful teenage years of having a mouth full of metal and a head-gear as a best friend? Definitely.

So how does this too-good-to-be-true braces thing actually work? First, have a consultation with your orthodontist to decide if Invisalign is right for you. If you decide to move forward with it, your orthodontist will take a mold of your teeth, work up a treatment plan and send the molds and the plan off to Invisalign. The company then makes a series of clear “alignment” trays that you wear continuously except when you’re eating and brushing. Typically, you wear a new tray every two weeks until you’ve completed your treatment plan; at which time your teeth should be perfectly straight!

Now let’s talk advantages and disadvantages. The most obvious advantage is that it isn’t obvious. Because it’s clear. You also won’t get a sore mouth from metal wires sticking into your cheeks and gums. And they’re removable so you can brush and floss like you normally would, whereas with metal braces you need some sort of 007 special gadget to get the floss under the wire and between the brackets.

A disadvantage is that Invisalign’s effectiveness is limited. It can only correct your teeth so much, so if you have a serious over-bite or massive structural problems, Invisalign probably won’t do the trick. And then there’s cost. I can’t tell you what your orthodontist is going to charge you, but I can tell you that his office has to pay up front for all of the trays, which means it’s likely you’ll be required to pay a much larger down payment than you would with metal braces.

In a dentistry.com  forum, you can read about patients’ experiences with Invisalign. One popular complaint is that when the trays are removed to eat, patients just forget to put them back in. If you’re eating at home it’s not such a big deal, but if you’re stuffing your face at Mc Donald’s and you wrap the trays in a napkin for safe keeping, you can kiss them goodbye. Of course you could always try your luck at dumpster diving, but chances are you won’t find them. After all, they’re invisible.

If you’ve been thinking about trying Invisalign, visit a Doctorbase orthodontist and discuss it. Decide whether you’re going to try this new, stealthy method or kick it old school with metal.

If you’ve recently noticed that your pearly whites would better be described as pearly yellows or worse yet, nearly browns, then this article is for you. Bringing your teeth back to their pre-nicotine, pre-Starbucks whiteness isn’t as simple as going to your local drug store and picking up some whitening strips. Although at-home bleaching kits and whitening toothpastes are readily available, their effectiveness is questionable. In-office professional whitening systems, such as Zoom! or BriteSmile, are the way to go for the best immediate and long-term results.

Keep in mind there are many variables that will help determine the right teeth-whitening method for you. What color are your teeth? What is the cause of the discoloration? How much money and time are you willing to spend on whitening? Is this something you want to accomplish while watching an episode of Heroes? Or are you willing to spend a few hours in the dental chair? And last but not least, how do you know which ones really work and which ones will leave you yellow-toothed and broke.

Your best bet is to find a dentist who is knowledgeable about the latest and greatest teeth-whitening techniques. Spend some time together, give a great big smile and let the evaluation begin. Once evaluated, your dentist will make some recommendiations as well as review the pros and cons of each option. They will also be able to steer you away from the companies who promise you whiter teeth and then don’t deliver. Don’t get me wrong, your teeth will look whiter, in comparison to your beat red face at the realization you’ve just been duped. One company very popular among the complaint boards is Dazzle White. So do your research! And then get to your dentist so your pearly whites can live up to their name.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, dentists would use x-rays to see what was going on inside our pearly whites. Today, x-rays are starting to take their place next to cassette tapes and VCRs as digital images steal the spotlight. And for good reason: Among other advantages, digital images are a much cleaner, greener way to go.

To take an x-ray, the dentist places a square piece of film in our mouth, which is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, while we hold real still and get doused with little bits of radiation. Then the dentist or the dental assistant disappears for a bit while the x-rays are processed. They then return with the x-ray in hand to show us what not brushing after every meal has done to us. With digital imaging, the dentist places a simple sensor in our mouth, takes a “picture”, and voila! Everything you ever wanted to know about your teeth pops up on the computer screen in seconds, with our precious selves exposed to a fraction of the radiation.

Now for the real improvement: Traditional film x-rays require an x-ray machine, x-ray film, developer and fixer (both chemicals), lead foil and lead shields. Stay with me here… fixer contains silver and is considered hazardous. The developer is not considered hazardous unless it gets mixed with the fixer. The x-ray developer cleaner may contain Chromium, which is also considered hazardous. Not to mention the lead in the lead aprons and shields. Yikes! I feel contaminated just writing this! Now add all that hazardous waste up and remember that it needs to be disposed of. Somewhere. Somehow.

Other advantages of digital use include:

• No more waiting for x-rays to be “processed”.
• We are subjected to less radiation. No two-headed offspring for us!
• Easy manipulation of the image, such as enlarging it, adjusting contrast and brightness and ability to improve a not-so-great image without having to retake the x-ray.
• Ability to email or place the x-ray on a disc. Great use if you are being referred to a specialist or move out of state.

Not every dentist out there has become a convert of the digital image just yet, and possibly for good reason. After all, it can cost thousands of dollars to make the switch from film to digital imaging and some dentists are perfectly happy with their old technology. But, if you’re a fan of Mother Earth, keep digital technology in mind when searching for a dentist and reading dentist reviews on DoctorBase.

ADA, AACD, OMG, LOL… there are tons of acronyms out there, but the most important one that applies to cosmetic dentistry is AACD. AACD stands for The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Most professions have organizations that members of a particular field can join and in turn enjoy all sorts of benefits. If you’re thinking, I have no idea what that means or why I should care, let me break it down for you.

Per the AACD website, “The AACD is dedicated to advancing excellence in the art and science of cosmetic dentistry and encouraging the highest standards of ethical conduct and responsible patient care”. This might be the perfect time for another acronym: WTF?

If I may be so bold as to restate their mission statement in layman’s terms, I’d say their goal is to provide their members with the necessary tools so we, their patients, will receive the best possible care. The AACD wants to make sure we walk out of our dentist’s offices with winning smiles instead of a snaggle-tooth grin. By becoming a member of the AACD, cosmetic dentists gain access to a wide variety of resources and benefits to assist in their professional growth. Some of these benefits include:

• Annual conferences where all the members meet at some fancy shmancy resort that I could never afford to stay at and proceed to be instructed by the top educators in their field. They also get an opportunity to do some fun hands-on training. Who’s up for Veneers?
• Availability of a forum where experts can bounce ideas off of each other and share their knowledge with their peers. Sort of like an AOL chat room, except a lot less fun. And for dentists.
• The most up-to-date dental journals with information regarding the latest research and results.
• Discounts on a variety of dental publications. Who doesn’t like to save a buck?
• So why should you care if your cosmetic dentist is an AACD member? You should care because there are cosmetic dentists out there who graduated from dental school and then made no effort to keep up with the latest technologies and advancements. That could translate into a cosmetic dentist making an abstract art piece out of your mouth instead of a Picasso.

Here is a video of some great cosmetic dentistry before and afters.

By choosing a dentist who belongs to the AACD, you can rest assured your cosmetic dentist has been required to meet the highest standard of service and that they’re committed to continually improving their knowledge and skill set. In other words, no disfigured mouth for you!

Now that one less acronym is a mystery to you and you understand what being a member of the AACD means, you’re better equipped to evaluate which cosmetic dentist is right for you. YMMV.

Most of us have, at one time or another, used Yelp! or some other social media review site to research a place of business, such as a restaurant. Using a review site to find a great restaurant may be ideal. If it turns out the reviewers were a bunch of compulsive liars, worse case scenerio is you end up hugging the toilet for a few hours.

On the other hand, if you’re searching for something as important as a doctor or a dentist, you might want to think twice before trusting Joe Schmo’s review. Call me crazy, but when it comes to choosing a health professional who will be injecting my mouth with lidocaine and drilling for oil, I want to know more about the business than whether the receptionist was friendly.

That’s where DoctorBase comes in. Doctorbase is different than your typical social media network site. For one, each review posted on DB is verified. DB makes sure that only reviews with useful and pertinent information are posted. Secondly, when searching for a dentist you can also filter the results by procedure or insurance company. Third, DB posts "reviews across the web" for each dentist, which is a summary of all reviews that could be found for that particular dentist. All in all, DB makes sure that the reviews posted answer some pertinent questions that will help you decide on the right dentist for you.

So, what type of information should you be looking for when searching for a dentist? For starters:

• What sort of technology is the office using? Did you know that on average it can take a dental office more than 10 years to adopt a new technology? While one dental office may be using state of the art equipment, another office is using the same equipment as when they opened in 1984; technology that was bigger, louder and way less efficient. What does this mean for you? It could mean that while your best buddy who is having the same procedure as you is only making one visit to the dreaded D, you will be making three. Three times the cash and three times the pain. It seems sort of worth it to ask about the technology, doesn’t it?
• How many times has the dentist performed the specific procedure he claims to be specialized in. I’m quite certain this information wasn’t disclosed in the "he was so friendly and his office was adorable" review.
  

Positive reviews aren’t the only ones that should be ashamed of themselves. Negative reviews can be just as inadequate. A common reason for a ‘one star’ review is that someone was "upsold on an unneccessary procedure". The fact is, in the majority of cases, this is simply untrue. Insurance guidelines dictate that dentists justify all submitted charges via a photograph. Basically, dentists have to plead their case to the almighty insurance Gods and hope they are granted their wish of reimbursement. Keep in mind, as evil as it sounds, insurance companies reserve the right to say "yay" or "nay" to covering any procedure they wish. Fair, isn’t it? The problem is, your average reviewer doesn’t know this and you can find a number of dental forums where this is a major complaint.

So what have we learned? A typical dental review on a social media site leaves out crucial information needed to determine whether a dentist is favorable or not. Remember, don’t be fooled by the rave reviews of dentists being friendly and funny and having offices that smell like freshly picked roses. Go deep and go for the good stuff. Your mouth will thank you for it.

      OK folks, this is going to be short and sweet. Here are 2 questions to ask yourself and 1 friendly tip to keep in mind when searching for the perfect dentist.

1. What is your purpose for wanting to visit the dentist? Did you smoke too many Marlboro lights in high school and now your teeth are a lovely shade of nicotine? Or maybe you wince in pain every time you chew on anything thicker than baby food. The answer will help you determine what type of speciality you’ll want your dentist schooled in.
2. What’s your budget? Do you have dental insurance to help foot the bill? If not, are you willing to give up next year’s vacation in order to afford a doc with the latest Matrix-like technology? Decisions, decisions…
3. When reading reviews of a dentist on a social media site, please please please keep your salt shaker by your side. Review sites possess a few fundamental flaws. These include:

• The reviews are opinions. We all perceive experiences differently.
• There are rumors that businesses pay people to write positive reviews. I’m no Veronica Mars, teenage PI, and I have no proof of this, but it’s definitely conceivable.
• There is the probability that some of the positive reviews are being written by employees of the business while negative reviews may be written by their competitors.
• Small sample size. Users are basing their decisions on possibly one or two reviews when the business is visited by hundreds or thousands of people.

Hopefully answering these questions will give you a bit more focus on what type of dentist you’ll want to look for. For more helpful tips on finding that one-of-a-kind dentist in San Francisco, check our dentist reviews and ratings.

Photo by gerlos

      Do you find yourself hanging out at your local coal mine? Do you love to feast on large amounts of shark or swordfish? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions you may be at risk for mercury poisoning. However, if you’re consumed with worry that those little silver fillings in the back of your mouth are poisoning you, just relax and get back to your fish fest; your fillings are harmless.

Myth: All silver amalgam fillings should be replaced for fear of mercury poisoning.

Fact: There are many things that may cause mercury poisoning, but according to the American Dental Association, silver amalgam fillings ain’t one of ‘em.

Like most controversial topics, there are two sides to this story. Some dentists believe the mercury from silver amalgam fillings can leak out of the filling and into your body causing health problems. If you search youtube you’ll find there’s no shortage of dentists (or actors who play one on TV) trying to convince you that silver amalgam fillings are harmful and need to be replaced. The ADA, the watchdog of dental practices, is in agreement with most major health agencies and scientific bodies that silver amalgam is safe and reliable. The ADA states, “…the mercury in amalgam combines with other metals to render it stable and safe for use in filling teeth”. In addition, research has failed to show any link between amalgam restoration and health problems.

Of course, there will likely come a time when an amalgam filling needs to be replaced due to it being old and cracked or worn. When that day arrives, you’ll want to find a well reviewed dentist who makes certain to use safe practices when replacing these fillings. Dr. Eccles, located in Livermore, California, is one of many dentists who specialize in health-centered dentistry.

Be sure to listen with a cautious ear when a dentist urges you to replace your silver fillings because they are a health risk. If the fillings are still in good condition, it’s quite possible it’s not your fillings that need replacing, but your dentist’s BMW.

Does the idea of visiting the dentist make you want to pee your pants? Do you shudder in fear as you flashback to your childhood when your friendly neighborhood dentist was holding a syringe with a 5 inch needle aimed at your mouth? You’re not alone. According to sedation.com, nearly 30% of the population has an overwhelming fear of dentists. A sense of panic hits them and they decide they’d rather suffer with the pain of a rotting tooth than suffer through another root canal. To compound the problem, anxiety and fear can cause you to have a lower pain tolerance. That means if you walk into a dentist office anxious or fearful, you’re already at a disadvantage and will most likely have more pain than if you walked in relaxed. So what’s the solution?

Three beautiful words. Oral Conscious Sedation. Say them aloud with me. Invite them in and get to know them. They will become your new BFF. What exactly is oral conscious sedation? It’s a means of achieving sedation by taking oral medication. You’re not put asleep during the procedure. You’re awake, you can answer questions and respond to commands, but you are pain-free and completely relaxed. Through oral conscious sedation, you can experience a dental visit with little or no pain, and possibly little memory of the event, which lets the dentist do his job in a more efficient and thorough manner. If your dentist doesn’t have to sit there for an hour trying to calm you down or pry open your tense jaw, he’s free to get in there, do the work, and get out.

It may seems simple to you, take a pill and all is well. And for you, that will likely be the scenerio. But you’ll want to know that your dentist has the proper training so you find yourself feeling like Goldilocks, not over-sedated or under-sedated, but just right. Every state’s sedation regulations differ, but most likely there are special classes your dentist will need to attend in order to be certified and legally allowed to administer oral conscious sedation.D.O.C.S or Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation is a well known organization who offer sedation education to dentists. Your dentist needs to be educated in the specific drugs that are available, their side effects and how to monitor your safety and well being while still achieving a sedative effect. There are many different drugs that may be used in oral conscious sedation and your dentist will decide which is most appropriate for you. This is usually based on your health history and level of anxiety.

Are there side effects, you ask? There are always side effects. But most of the side effects from the sedation drugs can actually be beneficial to you. For example, some of the drugs used for conscious sedation have a side effect called “retrograde amnesia”. This means that by the next day you may have very little memory of the dental visit. You don’t have to ask me twice if I’d like to forget the sound of my brain being drilled out or the story of the receptionists genius little toddler who loves to eat dog food. Another side effect you may experience is dry mouth. A dry mouth is beneficial to both you and your dentist. It’s beneficial to your dentist because it prevents him from having to work under waterfall conditions. And it’s beneficial to you because you won’t have to deal with the dental hygienist constantly vacuuming out your muzzle with that unnecessarily loud suction machine. There’s nothing like a dry mouth on a calm, relaxed person to get a dental procedure completed in record time with little or no complications. You should always ask your dentist (or any doctor) about all possible side effects and what you can expect from the specific drugs the dentist is going to administer. Surprises are fun, but not when they involve your health.

When you want to find a dentist, make sure you ask if they offer oral conscious sedation. It’s time we put our fears of the Big Bad Wolf to rest and get in there and take care of our teeth, before they have their own resting place in a glass of water next to the bed.

For more information on a pain-free dental visit, read about the Waterlase system!

What are Dental Veneers?

According to Wikipedia:

“In dentistry, a veneer is a thin layer of restorative material placed over a tooth surface, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth, or to protect a damaged tooth surface. There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer, composite and porcelain. A composite veneer may be directly placed (built-up in the mouth), or indirectly fabricated by a dental technician in a dental laboratory, and later bonded to the tooth, typically using a resin cement such as Panavia. In contrast, a porcelain veneer may only be indirectly fabricated.”

What is the Dental Veneer Procedure Like?

How Much Do Dental Veneers Cost?

The cost does vary depending upon the part of the country you are in but a good average is $1500 per veneer at the time of writing this where the lowest being just under $1000 & the most expensive being around $2000. Be wary of bargain hunting; you should not find too “cheap” a Dentist.

Where Can I Find a Good, Well Reviewed Dentist that Offers Veneers?

We thought you would never ask. Try here.
Email the author with a question, seriously I don’t mind, it’s what i’m here for. If I don’t know the answer, I know a lot of dentists, i’ll get you an answer.

Having a toothache can be a frustrating experience to say the least. Toothache mainly comes from damage to the nerve inside a tooth. Exposure to the air can cause pain and there may be infection present.

Photo Credit Kayepants

Here are some recommended home remedies that will make the toothache better until you can get to the dentist.

1. 1/2 a teaspoon of Nyquil or similar product. Swish around your mouth until better.
2. Cut a piece of fresh onion and put it by the affected tooth.
3. Gargle with alcohol based mouthwash.
4. Put a piece of raw garlic by the affected tooth.
5. Gargle with hard liquor like whiskey or vodka.
6. Swab tooth with clove oil (be careful, it can burn your skin in some cases).
7. Rub the palm of your hand with some ice … some report this really works.
8. Rinse mouth with salt water, brush teeth and rinse with alcohol based mouthwash (get you through a few hours).
9. Swab tooth with vanilla extract.
10. Crushed aspirin dissolved in warm water, gargle.

I’m sure there are a million more (feel free to post yours below in the comments if you have one or success from any of these).

If you are suffering through pain and feel you cannot afford the dentist, go see one anyway – you may be surprised and the dentist will cut you some slack or let you pay by next payday. Toothaches will not get better by themselves. Feel free to use our list of well reviewed dentists in your area if you a looking for “good people”.

Good luck!

San Francisco is a diverse, multicultural, cosmopolitan city with almost every ethnicity you could imagine. Reflective of that finding a good dentist is not difficult since there is a high concentration of quality dentists in the city, whether general dentist or a specialist.

Before hitting the yellow pages or searching for a San Francisco dentist online there are a few criteria you should be wary of.

Reputation

All dentists, as with any profession, were not created equal but you will be glad to know that the general level of technical capability of San Francisco dentists is quite high for the most part. Searching for dentist reviews online can help as can word of mouth from a friend but remember that it can be difficult for a layman to tell the difference between good, bad and average. Professional referral is a slightly better gauge as a dentist will know a good, bad or average dentist.

Facilities

Did you know there are tools to get rid of or reduce that gagging feeling, or a machine that can build a dental implant immediately on site removing the need for multiple visits or that there is a shot that halves the time you have that numb feeling after you visit? Well, there are and not all San Francisco dentists have all. Some people have such levels of fear when visiting the dentist that full or partial sedation is a definite need – not all San Francisco dentists do this, but some do. If you have an idea of what work you will be doing, ask about the appropriate equipment the dentist will be using or ask him what is available to combat any concerns you might be harboring.

Cost

Depending on the procedure the cost of a visit to the dentist in San Francisco can become somewhat expensive. Factors that determine cost will be primarily reputation or experience, equipment (he has to pay for the machines some way), location (San Francisco rent is not cheap) and of course the procedure being delivered.

Insurance

For most, dental insurance is quite basic so if you are getting more than a check-up or a filling, do not bank on insurance protecting your wallet. I am including this here so sticker shock is somewhat reduced if you are seeking something like cosmetic dentistry.

Convenience

In some cases, you may be required to make multiple visits in a short amount of time so thinking with location, parking and even traffic may be an important factor. What is the point of driving to a cheap part of San Francisco (if there is one) to save a couple of hundred dollars when the time to get off work, drive and park negates that saving.

So there you go. Don’t worry, your odds are good. We at Doctorbase would like to humbly offer our listings of quality dentists in San Francisco as they have been checked for reviews and facilities with many having peer reviews too. They wouldn’t be on our listings if they had a bunch of bad reviews. If you choose not to, you obviously know how to use Google – you found us – so good luck.

E-mail the author with a question, seriously I don’t mind, it’s what i’m here for. If I don’t know the answer, I know a lot of dentists, I’ll get you an answer.

Before you go any further, you should know that invisible, clear braces are not for everyone. They are only for adults with specific tooth movements. Certain alignments will have to be handled with more traditional braces.

Choices

Invisalign©

This is the brand of clear braces most will be familiar with. They are designed and fitted to adjust your teeth while showing the most minimal amount with their clear design.

Ceramic Braces

These are more like the traditional braces but with clear ceramic material contacting the teeth, reducing the amount of visible metal on the teeth.

Cost

The factors that determine the cost of getting braces, not just clear braces, are amount of work, experience of dentist, area and choice of procedure or brace style. For most in the United States, you can expect to pay anywhere between $4,000 to $12,000 in 2009.

Find a well reviewed orthodontist in your area

Maintenance

As with your teeth, the clear braces will need to be cleaned and periodically adjusted. Your dentist will give you a schedule for maintenance. Below is a good video on cleaning the clear braces.

If you are losing teeth, or have lost them, you may have already confronted the idea of getting false teeth (dentures). This may not be appealing to you as the image of dentures sitting in a glass next to the bed may not be something you wish to see or experience.

Photo Credit Toestubber

The technology of Dental Implants may be a solution to your worries.

Wikipedia defines Dental Implants as:

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root replacement and is used in prosthetic dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth. There are several types of dental implants. The major classifications are divided into osseointegrated implant and the fibrointegrated implant. Earlier implants, such as the subperiosteal implant and the blade implant were usually fibrointegrated . The most widely accepted and successful implant today is the osseointegrated implant, based on the discovery by Swedish Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark that titanium can be successfully fused into bone when osteoblasts grow on and into the rough surface of the implanted titanium. This forms a structural and functional connection between the living bone and the implant. A variation on the implant procedure is the implant-supported bridge, or implant-supported denture.

Photo Credit Rikomatic

Here is a video describing the basic procedure although note there are variations from the different types and brands.

You can find a well reviewed dentist local to you who does implants here, or one that provides dentures for that matter.

To give you some idea of modern dentistry and the technology of getting orthodontic braces, here is a simple time lapse video showing a gentleman getting his braces set on his lower teeth in just around an hour.

There are many different types of braces and some are more aesthetically pleasing with a clear style. If you wanted to find a dentist to get braces, you will find many types available so make sure to ask when you get your appointment of what is available to you.

Photo Credit: Monica Nguyen

Wikipedia has a good writeup on the details of orthodontic braces including history to the many different styles and methods.

For those of you searching for info on what exactly is a root canal (or endodontic surgery), here is an excellent overview.

From Wikipedia:

A root canal is the space within the root of a tooth. It is part of a naturally occurring space within a tooth that consists of the pulp chamber (within the coronal part of the tooth), the main canal(s), and more intricate anatomical branches that may connect the root canals to each other or to the surface of the root. The smaller branches are most frequently found near the root end (apex) but may be encountered anywhere along the root length. There may be one or two main canals within each root. Some teeth have more variable internal anatomy than others. This space is filled with a highly vascularized, loose connective tissue, the dental pulp. The dental pulp is the tissue which forms the dentin portion of the tooth. The formation of secondary teeth (adult teeth) is completed by 1-2 years after eruption into the mouth. Once the tooth has reached its final size and shape, the dental pulp’s original function ceases for all practical purposes. It takes on a secondary role as a sensory organ.

Root canal is also a colloquial term for a dental operation, endodontic therapy, wherein the pulp is cleaned out, the space disinfected and then filled.

You can find an endodontist in your area.

We all know what most have trepidations about visiting the dentist and getting that work done. We decided to throw together a few videos to lighten the mood for your next visit.

First up, Mr. Bean jumps in the dental chair.

Next, a young man named David has some unusual post dentist visit reactions.

Kramer from Seinfeld has a little numbness after his procedure.

Bill Cosby chimes in with his take on the Dentist.

and finally for the surreal, as only Monty Python can deliver, Secret service dentists.

 

Just like any other industry, dentistry has been going through technological evolutions. Many of us remembering our childhood visits to the dentist give us a recall of numbness, scary sounds, needles, gagging feelings, metal on teeth and other various sensations.

Dentistry has undergone many technological advances over the past few years to remedy many of the discomforts and annoyances inherent in the activity. Dentists these days have huge options of equipment, tools and drugs to better improve the dental patient experience.

Long gone are the days of foot powered drilling.

Here, as an example, are some tools now available to today’s dentist to remedy certain less popular experiences in the dental chair…

Negative Effect: Metal Mouth – Fix: Invisible Braces

The powerful image of a mouthful of metal may not be the most aesthetic image, so new technologies such as Invisalign® offer a remedy to this image and comfort issue.

Negative Effect: Dentures – Fix: Oral Implants

A way to replace a missing tooth from gum disease or from accidents is with “fake” teeth. Dental implants look and feel like normal teeth, but cost more than dentures. Implants look very natural and are stable like real teeth as they are “fused” to your bone with screws. Implants often require multiple office visits.

Negative Effect: Gagging – Fix: Isolite®

Like a “flashlight for your mouth,” the IsoLite® mouth irrigation & lighting system was one of the most popular hits of the CDA (California Dental Association) Show of 2009. A clear plastic apparatus replaces the traditional array of hoses & nozzles within the patient’s mouth, forcing their tongue to the side in a comfortable manner yet in a way which allows the dentist to see the inside of a patients mouth more clearly and easily.

Negative Effect: Off Colored Teeth – Fix: Zoom! Teeth Whitening®

A popular teeth whitening system available only from dentists, Zoom!® was featured on the popular ABC show “Extreme Makeover” and its popularity has surged in recent years. Other popular teeth whitening systems include Pola®, Beyond®, Sapphire®, LaserSmile® and Rembrandt®; however, it should be noted that no whitening system can take gray teeth to an ultra-white. There is also some controversy in the dental community as to whether the added light (used as an addition to Zoom!) actually improves the efficiency of any teeth whitening system.

Negative Effect: Numbness – Fix: Oraverse®

Oraverse® is a new product that will reduce that numbness feeling after your procedure. The average time spent waiting for numb gums and cheek to go away is reduced by half. Handy if you are getting dental work during lunch break.

These are just a few of the new tools available to the modern dentist. When evaluating your dentist, make sure to check on the technology in the practice. This may be a deciding factor that reduces the discomfort and increases the pleasure of a trip to the dentist chair.

• Contributor Bios

  
  
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• Jenna Rogers, RN
  Jenna has worked in the health care field for 13 years as a Registered Nurse, specializing in Oncology and clinical research. Jenna writes articles and equipment and procedure explanations for DoctorBase with the consumer-patient perspective in mind. She is an avid writer and photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area and in her spare time writes a relationship improvement column for Examiner.com.


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• Dan Gustavson, DDS
  Dr. Dan Gutavson, DDS is a dentist in the Glen park area. He earned his dental degree at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry and was President of the San Francisco Dental Society in 2000. He also served as a Delegate to the California Dental Association. He belongs to the ADA and has been President of the Glen Park Merchant’s Association,
  Vice-President of the San Francisco Council of District Merchants’ Associations and enjoys being a Big Brother in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentor program.


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• James Newman, MD
  James Newman, MD completed his fellowship in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford University where he continues to serve on the Clinical Faculty. He has performed over one thousand surgical procedures and is trained in the use of every major laser system used in plastic surgery today. Dr. Newman is well known for his surgical expertise and shares his clinical experience by teaching surgical residents at Stanford University as well as authoring over 30 scientific publications related to plastic surgery and laser surgery.


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• Marzieh Oghabian, MD
  Dr. Marzieh Oghabian, graduated from Case Western University School of Dentistry in Cleveland OH with a doctor of dental surgery . Dr. Oghabian was awarded the "Excellence in Prosthodontics" award from Case Western where she also completed an externship in Oral Surgery. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Neurophysiology and Biology from University of California, at Davis. She is a member of the American Dental Association.