Flower Mound General Dentist | Dr. Golab Dentistry Blog

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Is There A better Method Than Crowns?

March 7th, 2010 by golab

IS THERE A BETTER METHOD THAN CROWNS?

If I have a very large filling in my tooth that is cracked, decayed, or broken, is there a better way to fix my tooth other than a cap (crown)?

Yes. Traditional dentistry utilizes the process of crowns (caps) to fix large areas of decay or large defective fillings. The disadvantage of these procedures is that they require the dentist to grind your tooth down to a tiny peg, which is very aggressive and traumatic to your tooth. It not only grinds off all the sick areas of the tooth, but it also grinds off all of the healthy area of the tooth. Current technology is awesome! You can now fix your tooth with very conservative, longer lasting tooth colored “Inlays and onlays.” These restorations are terrific in that they do not grind your tooth down to a peg, may actually strengthen your tooth (by the simple fact of removing less tooth structure), and fix only what is broken, leaving your healthy tooth structure intact. And as an added feature, they are virtually “Invisible” to the naked eye, unlike the porcelain crowns found currently in traditional dentistry. They are metal free. Rubber dam.

Q. When I visit the dentist, how do I know if I have decay?

A. Unfortunately, pain is the last stage of a disease, so waiting for a tooth to “hurt” is not the best way to determine if and when you have decay. For many years, the standard for detecting decay in a tooth was the dental xray, or using the “dental explorer” whereby the dentists “picks” at your tooth to find soft spots (decay). The drawbacks of these methods are that traditional dental xrays emit more 50% or more radiation than the digital xrays we utilize. Instead of the “sharp explorer” to “pick” at your teeth, we prefer to utilize a dental laser, which detects decay in advance, sometimes before digital xrays. Poking a tooth with a sharp instrument is essentially not the standard to detect decay, as you can “contaminate” other teeth with the decay from the tooth previously checked, or you can press too hard and penetrate the enamel, essentially opening up a hole for food and sugar to further promote decay.. With digital xrays and the dental laser, we can conserve vital and important tooth structure, reducing the need for more invasive procedures such as crowns and root canals.

My dentist told me that I have five cavities to be filled. Is there any way to fix them without being numb?

Yes. For moderate and smaller cavities, it is possible to get dental fillings without having to be “numbed” or use needles by utilizing “air abrasion” which is also referred to as “drill-less” dentistry. It works by using air pressure to aim “sand-like” particles at your tooth, gently spraying away decay. However, if the cavity is large, this may not be possible. But for the most part, it is a phenomenal advance in dentistry, and is a terrific technology to offer our guests.

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THE MOUTH-BODY CONNECTION

September 7th, 2009 by golab

THE MOUTH-BODY CONNECTION

Periodontal (gum) disease affects approximately 85% of adults today with only a few noticeable signs or symptoms whereby most people do not even realize that they have it. It may lead not only to tooth loss, but to other diseases and problems, such as:

· Heart disease: periodontal disease predisposes you to becoming twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease and stroke.

· Low birth weight/pre-term babies.

· Poses a serious threat to people whose health is compromised by diabetes, respiratory diseases, or osteoporosis.

· Infecting others and your family members through saliva.

Don’t Ignore Your Oral Health

If you value your oral as well as your overall health, and you have any of the following symptoms, seek advice from a dental professional immediately:

Pain in your mouth
your gums ever bleed when you brush your teeth or when you eat hard food
spaces developing between your teeth
your gums feel swollen or tender
your gums are receding (pulling back from your teeth) or your teeth appear longer than before
you have persistent bad breath
you have noticed a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
you develop sores in your mouth that do not get better within two weeks
you have noticed pus between your teeth and gums

If you have any of the symptoms described above, you may have periodontal disease. So if you have heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, osteoporosis, or are thinking of becoming pregnant; have a family member evaluated

Treatment of gum disease in its earliest stages has an excellent success rate, so the earlier you seek treatment, the better the chance for success. We utilize many comfortable, successful, and easy treatments for gum disease, and the majority of treatments do not require being numb. These state-of-the-art procedures include lasers and microsonics (works by not even having to touch your teeth and replaces the outdated method of scraping your teeth), oral antibiotics, and special anti-microbial rinses. With treatment success being so easy to achieve, you should not hesitate to seek an evaluation and/or treatment immediately!

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Treatment For Gum Disease

March 26th, 2009 by golab

You can’t have a healthy mouth without healthy gums. Sadly, 75% of Americans have some form of periodontal (gum) disease. (more…)

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Your Teeth Are the Windows To Your Overall Body Health

December 21st, 2008 by golab

It has been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. But is your mouth the window to the rest of your body? (more…)

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What Can Porcelain Veneers Do For You?

October 6th, 2008 by golab

As we grow older, our teeth start to deteriorate. A lifetime of chewing, biting, poor maintenance, and decay, negatively impacts our teeth and our overall body health. (more…)

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How white should your teeth really be?

September 28th, 2008 by golab

Teeth whitening has become the country’s No. 1 requested cosmetic dental procedure, according to the American Academy of Cosmetic dentistry. There’s no shortage of ways to whiten. (more…)

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