Lasers in Dentistry II (Treatments)

The application of lasers in dentistry opens the door for dentists to perform a wide variety of dental procedures they otherwise may not be capable of performing. Dentists using lasers in dentistry have become adept at incorporating the state-of-the-art precision technology into a number of common and not-so-common procedures:

• Benign Tumors: Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of benign tumors from the gums, palate, sides of cheeks, and lips.
• Cavity Detector: Low intensity soft tissue dental lasers may be used for the early detection of cavities by providing a reading of the by-products produced by decay.
• Viewing Tooth and Gum Tissues: Optical Coherence Tomography is a safer way to see inside tooth and gums in real time.
• Cold Sores: Low intensity dental lasers reduce pain associated with cold sores and minimize healing time.
• Crown Lengthening: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue and bone to expose healthier tooth structure. Called crown lengthening, such reshaping provides a stronger foundation for a restoration.
• Dental Fillings: Hard tissue dental lasers may eliminate the need for a local anesthetic injection and the traditional turbine drill. Lasers used in dental filling procedures are capable of killing bacteria located in a cavity and this may lead to better long term tooth restorations.
• Muscle Attachment (Frenula): A laser frenectomy is an ideal treatment option for children who are tongue tied (restricted or tight frenulum) and babies unable to breast feed adequately due to limited tongue movement. A laser frenectomy may also help to eliminate speech impediments.
• Nerve Regeneration: Photobiomodulation can be used to regenerate damaged nerves, blood vessels, and scars.
• Sleep Apnea: In cases where sleep apnea is a result of a tissue overgrowth in areas of the throat (which sometimes occurs with age), a laser assisted uvuloplasty or laser assisted uvula palatoplasty (LAUP) procedure can be performed to reshape the throat and relieve the correlating breathing problems associated with sleep apnea.
• Soft Tissue Folds (Epulis): Dental lasers may be used for the painless and suture-free removal of soft tissue folds often caused by ill-fitting dentures.
• Teeth Whitening: Low intensity soft tissue dental lasers may be used to speed up the bleaching process associated with teeth whitening.
• Temporomandibular Joint Treatment: Dental lasers may be used to quickly reduce pain and inflammation of the temporomandibular jaw joint.
• Gummy Smile: Dental lasers can reshape gum tissue to expose healthy tooth structure and improve the appearance of a gummy smile.
• Tooth Sensitivity: Dental lasers may be used to seal tubules (located on the root of the tooth) that are responsible for hot and cold tooth sensitivity.

Study links periodontal disease to pre-diabetes

According to a study in a recent issue of the Journal of Periodontology, periodontal disease may contribute to the progression of pre-diabetes, a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not enough to be classified as diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that more than 54 million Americans suffer from pre-diabetes. Of those, many will develop type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years.

A team of Denmark researchers conducted a study with animal models known to exhibit pre-diabetes characteristics and concluded that having periodontal disease such as gingivitis or aggressive periodontitis can cause patients to develop pre-diabetic characteristics. They also found that periodontal disease can disturb glucose regulation and may ultimately contribute to the progression of Type 2 diabetes.

“We have known that people with diabetes are more susceptible to periodontal diseases and have more severe disease,” said Dr. Preston D. Miller, Jr., president of the American Academy of Periodontology. “This breakthrough research shows having periodontal disease may aggravate pre-diabetes which is a precursor for diabetes. These findings underscore the importance of taking good care of your teeth and gums: it may be a simple way to prevent diabetes, or to prevent the progression of diabetes.”

Signs of pre-diabetes include: elevated blood sugar levels, obesity, inactivity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a family history of diabetes. Also, mothers who develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at risk to develop the disease later on in life

Lasers in Dentistry I (introduction)

Dental Lasers are an exciting innovation to the practice of dentistry. Laser dentistry is capable of significantly minimizing discomfort, enhancing recovery times and improving the overall efficiency of the dental office.

Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In essence, a dental laser is a medical device that generates a precise beam of concentrated light energy. This beam sterilizes the area and can simultaneously coagulate blood vessels which minimizes the occurrence of infection(s) and/or bleeding. Patient discomfort is decreased and the need for anesthetic in many cases may be completely eliminated. Certain procedures can be performed in a fraction of the time, which means less time in the chair for patients and greater practice output for dentists.

Even though lasers are somewhat new to the general dental practice, dental lasers were first introduced in the 1960's and the safety of dental lasers is substantiated by several years of qualified research and a multitude of published reference papers. The benefits drill free dentistry are shared by patient and clinician as patients no longer fear the sound or vibration of the drill and in most cases, do not require injections.

Lasers are used to perform a variety hard and soft tissue procedures, including cutting (hard and soft tissue), coagulation, bacterial decontamination, curing and activation of bleaching materials.

Laser whitening is one of the most lucrative laser dentistry procedures and it can deliver excellent results while minimizing the discomfort, nconvenience, excess time and potential chemical absorption risk associated with other whitening procedures.It not only removes common food stains, but is also effective on tougher stains such as those caused by tetracycline.

Now it's easy to lenghten your teeth

Orthodontists now are offering to lengthen your teeth and that improve the way you look, especially when you smile.
"Every decade over the age of 30," US dentist Dan Deutsch says, "you show a millimeter less of your front teeth." Everything starts to sag a little, and the elasticity in the skin around the lips isn't what it used to be. So, as gravity pulls its weight, more of the bottom teeth show.But there's a way to reverse — or at least slow down — the inevitable."

Orthodontist Garrett Djeu explains there are tiny fibers that connect teeth to bone in the mouth."Those fibers tend to pull the teeth back to where they came from" Djeu says, "so that's why you commonly get relapse."

To solve the problem, one company has popularized invisible braces called Invisalign. The technology involves using a sequence of transparent, plastic molds that are worn like retainers.
"Invisalign works very well in certain types of cases," Djeu says. But it's not for buck teeth, overbites or crossbites. Djeu found that Invisalign is good at closing small gaps and correcting mildly crowded teeth.

The cost of veneers can also run a couple thousand per tooth. Invisible braces range from about $2,000 to $6,000.

Micro-Dentistry II

Technique

Small cavities are identified and scheduled for early treatment.
The teeth are isolated either with rubber dam or cotton rolls and the decay is removed with the air-abrasion machine, under magnification and special light sources in a very conservative manner. Special cavity stains are used to chemically stain decay in the teeth to help us see any small spots so nothing is missed. Once rinsed off, the tooth is now ready for the filling.
The prepared tooth is treated with an etching solution to roughen the surface and get it ready for the bonding process. Once “etched”, the tooth is ready for bonding agents and the conservative filling. We use special lights to harden the filling and then complete the process by polishing the filling.The surface is sealed and protected leaving the tooth restored to its original strength and beauty.
Micro-dentistry is an excellent preventative treatment for those who share our belief that early, conservative care is ideal. You can have decay removed without a shot, loud noise, or bad smells.

Micro-Dentistry I

What is Micro-dentistry?

Micro-dentistry is a new, alternative way to treat decay in teeth. The idea behind this technology is to remove as little of the natural tooth as possible while removing all of the decay. With the advent of our new bonding techniques, decay indicating dyes, magnification, fiber-optic lights and white filling materials, decay can be conservatively removed from a tooth and a filling placed that will restore a tooth to its original strength and beauty. Over 90% of the time, we do not need to make you numb to do micro-dentistry and air abrasion so we can eliminate the need for a shot. With the reduced need for anesthetic, we can complete more work in a shorter amount of time since we can work in multiple areas of your mouth in the same appointment. In addition to saving time, you will enjoy the reduction of noise normally caused by a traditional dental drill.

How is this done?

use air-abrasion, which is a relatively new process in which a fine, pressurized stream of aluminum oxide powder is used to remove the small decayed pits and fissures in teeth. Research studies have shown that in the absence of smoking and coffee drinking, if a patient has dark stained pits in their teeth, decay is present over 90% of the time underneath the stains.
It just makes good sense to treat small cavities early with conservative micro-dentistry than to wait for things to get worse.

Six Ways to Prevent Dental Damage from Acidic Foods and Drinks

When and how often you consume acidic foods or beverages affects dental health, says a new report, suggesting six ways to minimize the risk of damage.

Besides sugar, acids found in diet and regular soda, energy drinks, juice and wine can erode tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay.

Now, the February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter has suggested ways to cut the risk of damage from acidic foods and drinks.

1. Limiting consumption: There should be a limited consumption of soda, wine, energy drinks and juice, high-acid foods including tart candies, citrus fruits and foods containing vinegar.

2. Timing consumption: Having acidic foods as part of a meal helps neutralize and eliminate acids. Eating acidic foods before bedtime is the worst time to consume, because production of saliva decreases during sleep. Saliva helps neutralize and dilute acids.

3. Drinking right: To drink soda or juice, a straw should be used as it helps minimize contact with the teeth. Also, drinking quickly and not sipping over long periods helps reduce the effects of acid on tooth enamel.

4. Neutralizing: After having acidic food or drink, eating cheese or swishing with water or a fluoride rinse helps neutralize the acid.

5. Timing your brushing: Before consuming acidic foods or drink, brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste 30 minutes is most beneficial. Brushing immediately afterward should be avoided.

6. Chewing sugar-free gum: Having a sugar-free chewing gum can help stimulate saliva flow, which neutralizes and dilutes acid.