Nov 22, 2016
When a tooth fractures it can often be restored and saved, but not always. Some fractured teeth require removal so we should try to minimize the risk. How Teeth Fracture and Solutions for Treatment and Prevention 1. Traumatic injury- For example: sports or accidents Solution: Unfortunately we can do little about accidental trauma. Sports injuries to the teeth can be reduced by wearing a protective mouth guard. 2. Substantial weakening after a root canal treatment Solution: A weakened root canal tooth can have a crown placed on it. 3. Overloading the tooth structure with forces the tooth is not strong enough to support Details: When a tooth is overloaded with force, it either fractures in the crown or the root of the tooth or chips away at the midpoint between the crown and root. Solution: A night guard can help prevent this. 4. Very large fillings leaving very little supported tooth structure Details: Large fillings leave very little remaining tooth structure. This is problematic. What tooth structure is left is weak and brittle. It frequently fractures during normal chewing. Solution: Placing a crown or onlay on the tooth makes it stronger. 5. Decay (caries) Details: Decay (caries) expands and grows under the enamel of a tooth. The enamel is undermined by the decay and will eventually fracture into the decay. Solution: The solution here is to get a filling. Read The Most Common Reason People Think They Visit the Dentist (and What to Do About It) for more about caries. 6. Teeth with a post in the root canal Details: Teeth with posts...
Nov 22, 2016
Decay (cavities) is probably the most common reason people think they visit the dentist. Decay (medical term: caries) starts with acid levels in the mouth dissolving tooth enamel. This dissolving of enamel happens more frequently in areas where plaque (bacteria) resides. These areas are most commonly: Pits and fissures (chewing surfaces of back teeth) in between the teeth where the teeth contact each other Around rough areas such as pre-existing dental work Along the gum line of the teeth To prevent decay we must: Reduce the acid (plaque) Reduce retentive areas where plaque collects Make the tooth stronger and more resistant to dissolving acid Caries (cavities) can be minimized throughout a person’s life by strengthening the tooth structure. This means: Fluoride systemically throughout childhood, either by drinking fluoridated water or fluoride supplements (ages as early as 6 months). Using topical fluoride; either varnish or rinse and toothpaste (varnish is better for high decay rates) Re-mineralizing products to reverse caries (for seniors and high decay rate) Practicing good oral hygiene to remove plaque; brushing, flossing, waterpik (throughout lifetime) Professional visits with a dental hygienist and dentist (starting 6 months after 1st tooth and throughout lifetime) Sealing small pits and fissures on back teeth so the caries don’t get started in those areas (age 6+) Restore caries when they are small Lastly, restore teeth using durable methods, so that the restored tooth can last a lifetime Practising some or all of these will reduce the chances of one of the reasons teeth get extracted: decay (caries). What If I Already Have a Cavity? “A cavity” once caries has cavitated (broken through...
Aug 29, 2016
Wouldn’t it be nice to keep your own teeth for a lifetime? There is no way to know for sure, but lets look at what we do know. One way to help prevent tooth loss is by visiting your downtown Vancouver dentist for annual dental check ups. We are currently accepting new patient at our new location on West Georgia, conveniently located close to the Granville Skytrain station and the Vancouver City Centre Skytrain station. Adult teeth need to stay healthy for about 80 years (age 6 – 86), this is a long time for anything on our bodies to last. What can we do to make sure our teeth stay healthy for as long as possible? The oral environment is somewhat complex but when it comes to Mother Nature not wanting a tooth anymore the list of reasons is relatively short. Let’s examine the cause of tooth loss and work backward from there to recognize ways to prevent tooth loss from happening. When does a dentist need to remove a tooth? Infection Decay (called caries) Gum disease (called periodontitis) Fracture of the tooth Overcrowded teeth All of these are also affected by economic factors. We will look at all of these in future blogs to understand what we can do to keep our teeth. Stay tuned. When was your last dental check up? Click here to contact us and visit our new location downtown...
Jul 13, 2016
“I always hear that whitening isn’t great for sensitive teeth. If my teeth are sensitive, is there any way to whiten them?” Many of our patients downtown Vancouver are concerned about their teeth being too sensitive to whiten. Fortunately, sensitive teeth can be whitened – just with a little bit of extra effort to ensure your sensitivity isn’t triggered. What is the best way to whiten sensitive teeth? The best way to whiten sensitive teeth is with a home whitening program, but not the kind you pick up at the drug store. The kind of home whitening program we’re referring to here involves custom trays for your mouth, which we’ll make for you. Why are home whitening kits the best option for whitening sensitive teeth? The benefit of this custom program is that the amount of time the bleaching chemical is on your teeth can be controlled. How long should I keep the whitening trays on for? You can begin with very short intervals of just five or ten minutes. These short times will not cause sensitivity, but will still be effective. The whitening time can remain short – in those little five or ten minute bursts – or it can be increased, if it’s not causing sensitivity. How long will it take to see results from home whitening kits? This isn’t one of those programs that takes months to see effects – in fact, after just two weeks, your teeth will be whiter, and your sensitivity will be no problem at all. What is included in Bay Dental’s Take-Home Whitening Kits? Take-home teeth whitening kits include: a custom-whitening...
Jun 3, 2016
Plaque is the sticky bacterial matrix that sticks to teeth, causing problems in our mouths. We should all do everything we can to disorganize or remove this bacteria. Luckily, there are ways to get rid of this sticky stuff. One tried and true method that everyone is familiar with is dental floss. What type of floss should I use? There are many types of dental floss to choose from, varying in everything from flavour to coarseness. At the end of the day, the type you should use is the type you will use more frequently. In other words, pick the type you personally like. Standard dental floss is braided. This means that when it comes in contact with the side of a tooth, it spreads out of clean more surface area. How do I floss? Step 1: Wrap the floss around your middle fingers. To become a proficient flosser, you need to use and be able to control a short piece between your fingers. Too long of a piece will be too hard to control. Step 2: Start flossing. Control your Floss To floss your upper teeth, control the floss with your thumbs. For your lower teeth, use your index fingers to guide and control the floss. Follow the Curves Floss needs to curve around the tooth. Teeth aren’t squares or rectangles – they’re circular or rounded! Floss should follow around those curves. Floss each side of each tooth using a curved piece of floss. Your floss should look like a ‘C’ or a ‘V’, not a straight line. Flossing Along the Contact Points...
Apr 14, 2016
And what is that, anyhow? The surrounding tissues in your mouth are very susceptible to inflammation, which is otherwise known as periodontal disease. In fact, over half of the adult population will have inflammation present in their mouth. In the last 5 to 10 years, there has been a shift in thinking about the consequences of this chronic inflammation. In the past, it was generally agreed that the consequence of this inflammation was that it lead to tooth loss. In recent years, however, there has been rapid change in understanding inflammation and its consequence in humans. The consensus is that there is a connection and linkage between all inflammatory processes. Those inflammatory processes don’t just include the periodontal disease we’re talking about here, but also systematic disease such as cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes. Looking at the body from this perspective, it’s clear that tooth loss is not the only consequence of periodontal disease. While in the past, your dentist might only have been concerned about your oral health, we at Bay Dental want to ensure you’re healthy from head to toe. From a total body health perspective, that means we need to assess whether a patient has periodontal disease or not and how advanced it is. To assess periodontal diseases, we of course need accurate data to establish a diagnosis and a baseline for examinations in the future. This can only be done with a comprehensive periodontal examination. As you’ve just read, periodontal disease can be related to other diseases in the body – meaning this examination is just one more way Bay Dental is looking after your...
Mar 3, 2016
Every parent knows the struggle of getting kids to brush their teeth and floss. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those “lose the battle, win the war” situations – teeth need to get brushed and flossed. It’s of paramount importance to ensure your kids are doing everything they (and you!) can to make sure their teeth are as healthy as possible. Here are some tips to keep your child’s teeth in great condition: 1. Teeth with deep pits and fissures should be evaluated for the risk of developing a cavity. You can discuss this one of our dentists at Bay Dental, who will evaluate any potential for decay. If that potential is there, your child’s teeth should be sealed to ward off cavities. 2. It’s important to educate your child about plaque removal. Show them how to effectively brush and floss to remove plaque from their teeth, and areas of high plaque accumulation should be pointed out. 3. An evaluation should be made with your child’s dentist on an ongoing basis to ensure your child is accomplishing plaque removal. A dentist can best assess your child’s teeth and help you and your child develop good dental health habits that will last a lifetime. 4. Fluoride varnish should be applied to the teeth by a dental professional. If you’re not sure what this is or if your child is receiving this treatment, talk to your child’s dentist. 5. Ultimately, just like caring for adult teeth, your child’s dental health comes down to good brushing and flossing technique. We’re happy to help you with this – in fact, it’s our job. A dentist can...
Mar 3, 2016
Abscessed teeth are common and many people suffer from them and are treated without ever really understanding what’s going on with their teeth. This common expression – an abscessed tooth – most likely means a few different things. It universally implies infection, which is the presence of bacteria in the pulp (or the most interior aspect) of a tooth. That bacteria may also extend to the bone just beyond your tooth. Bacteria usually first enters a tooth through a cavity in the visible part of the tooth – yet another reason to visit your dentist regularly to treat cavities and other dental health issues as soon as they crop up! Most people will get a toothache at this stage, which is often the first indication that something is wrong. There may be a very small abscess in the pulp of the tooth at this point. Not all people will get a toothache, and sometimes people that have had a toothache will find that the toothache just goes away. In these cases, the bacteria will move further into the pulp of the tooth and follow the root to its tip. At the tip of the root there is a tiny hole, allowing the bacteria to travel through and enter the bone. Once the bacteria are in the bone, a person’s immune system will try to wall off the infection. A variety of symptoms may develop depending on who ‘wins the war’ between the bacterial invasion and your immune system. These symptoms can involve pain on biting, swelling, and tenderness to pressure above the tooth. More severe generalized pain and swelling...
Feb 16, 2016
It’s strange to hear about our teeth having roots – aren’t those normally reserved for things like plants? Just like a tree’s roots keep it in place in the earth, our teeth’s roots keep them anchored in our mouths – an important job! The first three teeth in both the top and bottom job have only one root. The fourth and fifth teeth have one root on the bottom jaw (usually) and the top fourth tooth usually has two small roots, like the tops of rabbit ears. The fifth tooth usually has one root. The sixth and seventh teeth (molars) usually have two roots on the bottom jaw and three roots on the top jaw. The third molar (wisdom tooth) demonstrates a lot of variability, from 1-3 roots. Usually, the lower wisdom teeth have...
Feb 16, 2016
We hear a lot about fluoride – it’s likely in your toothpaste and maybe even in your drinking water. What we don’t often hear, however, is what this useful element actually does for our teeth. To start with, our teeth are covered in a mineral called enamel. Enamel has a crystalline structure to it called hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite has a certain strength to it that helps to protect our teeth and keep them healthy. When acids from the foods we eat attack hydroxyapatite, it can break it down and begin the decay process. This is where fluoride comes in. When fluoride interacts with a tooth there is a change in the crystal. A new crystal, called fluorapatite, is formed. Fluorapatite is actually stronger than hydroxyapatite! This means the tooth, with its new crystalline structure, is more resistant to acid attack and therefore, decay. With use of fluoride, there is approximately a 50% reduction in decay. I know there might be some chemistry folks out there who are interested in how this happens – in fact, the OH (Hydroxyl ion) in hydroxyapatite is replaced with a Fl (Fluoride ion) to make fluorapatite, which has a higher bond strength. If you have any questions about keeping your teeth healthy give us a visit at Bay Dental located on West Georgia downtown Vancouver. Feel free to give us a call at 604-569-0099 to book an appointment....
