by Bay Dental | Nov 22, 2016 | Tooth Health
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...
by Bay Dental | Feb 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
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....
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