So lately, we’ve been getting a lot of questions from patients about improving their smile. I guess it’s the new year and the popular new year resolution is to improve one’s smile. One of the most conservative options is to whiten the existing teeth. And what I’ve found is that patients are sometimes confused on the many options that are out there. Everything from over-the-counter products to whitening procedures by your dentist to kiosks in the mall and at the spa.
First, let’s have a dental lesson and discuss how whitening works. Any of these products (at least the ones I know of) will have either hydrogen peroxide (different formulation from what’s in the bottle, so don’t swish with bottled hydrogen peroxide and expect white teeth) or carbamide peroxide. These come in gel form which allows it to stick to the tooth. The gel is put in a carrier and then applied to the teeth. The peroxide oxidizes the staining within the tooth and removes the color. It also dehydrates the teeth which can cause mild sensitivity, but as the teeth rehydrate the sensitivity will subside. There is no evidence that the whitening gel damages the teeth unless you are using it incorrectly.
Over-the-counter products range from Crest Whitestrips and Aquafresh trays to any sort of generic store-packaged products. The advantages to these things are they are cheap and are to be worn for less time each day. The disadvantages are that they usually do not cover all the teeth (usually the front six teeth), they do not have as strong of bleaching gels in them, and they do not get the in-between areas of the teeth, especially if you have any crowding or rotation of your teeth.
You’ll find these kiosks at the mall or in your local spa in which they will sit you in a chair and apply bleaching gel to your teeth. I don’t know a lot about these places, but I can say that are cheaper than going to your dentist to get your teeth whitened, but more expensive than the over-the-counter stuff. The issue I have with a place like this is that it’s an uncontrolled environment. They don’t take formal medical histories and don’t have any dental training to diagnose if whitening is even going to work (some teeth just don’t whiten very well). Plus from what I understand, some of the products used are not FDA approved. If you’re considering a place like that, talk to your dentist so he/she can at least give you some insight.
Obviously, I’m biased, but the best, long-term whitening results come from your dental office. We offer three procedures to whiten our patients teeth. The in-office whitening involves coming in for about an hour or so and we whiten your teeth while you sit in the chair. I usually recommend that if you have an event such as a wedding, reunion, or other life event when you need white teeth soon. We also sell a universal tray system that uses a stronger gel than the OTCs and covers the back teeth as well. The most popular procedure is to make custom bleaching trays. We take impressions of your teeth then you wear the trays usually overnight with the gel inside for a couple weeks. In my experience it gives you the best results that last the longest. Most patients whiten every one to three years. The trays get those tough in-between area and along the gum line better than any other products out there.
Sorry to be so long winded in this post, but hopefully that enlightens you a little on the whitening stuff that is out there. I’m always available for any questions, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

You know how kids are. They are very inquisitive and have a lot of “why” questions. My 4 year old asked me the other day, “Why is the sky gray when it snows?” I joked that in Ohio it’s usually gray whether it snows or not. Anyway, I get a lot of kids who look me in the eye ask why they have a cavity. So I thought I like to be as scientific as I can with the kids. I tell them that there are tiny germs in their mouth that they can’t see. These germs love the foods that we love and eat the sugars from those foods. Now this is where it gets scientific; I tell them the germs poop out acid and this acid then causes holes or cavities in their teeth.
Obviously there is more scientific and dental verbage that can be used here, but that is the summary of what causes a cavity. Our mouths are dirty places and there are some nasty bugs in there. Some are known to cause cavities, others are known to cause gum and bone disease and some have been found to cause heart disease and/stroke (please refer to our previous blog entry about periodontal disease). The sugars and carbohydrates (chips, fries, bread, etc.) provide food for the bacteria and they also create a sticky matrix on the tooth that the bacteria can adhere. Most small cavities cause no symptoms. This is why you should see your dentist at least twice a year so we can detect these visually and radiographically. When you start noticing sweet or cold sensitivity, the cavitation is deeper in the tooth and the nerve is detecting those acids and temperature changes. The next step is the bacteria get so deep they enter the nerve chamber then it’s root canal time because the tooth hurts and the nerve within the root is now infected. So keep those preventative exam and hygiene appointments so we can catch those little cavities early. As you can see in the first x-ray, the dark area (aka the cavity) is shallow and the patient was having no symptoms. The second photo shows a cavity in the nerve and the patient said it was more painful than giving birth.

So the holiday season is upon us and just like you, I can’t believe it came so fast. Seems like yesterday that I was struggling to hit that little white ball down the fairway or in the cup. No clinical dental talk in this posting. I just wanted to write and declare my appreciation and thanks to the wonderful staff and patients that we have here at our office. This practice has given me the opportunity to improve not just my professional career, but the lives of myself and my family.

When I bought this practice almost two years ago (wow, it’s gone so fast), the Drs. Davis and Garvey said that I would really like the staff. With some obvious trepidation, I nodded and went to meet them. From the very first “Hello”, they have treated me with kindness and respect. They are hard workers who really demonstrate their caring for our patients every day. They are creative and knowledgeable with the ability to have an intelligent dental conversation with myself or any of our patients. And without them, my ability to provide dental care would be very difficult.

I really appreciate our patients as well. I realize how hard it is to change healthcare providers especially someone you’ve seen for many years. Since my purchase of the practice, our patients have welcomed me and given me the opportunity to gain their trust. Even when I bear bad news about a diseased tooth, they have listened and trusted my professional opinion. I enjoy coming to the office each day with the possibility of making someone more healthy or even changing their lives with dramatic improvements to their smile.

I feel very blessed to be in the place I am both personally and professionally. I hope you all feel the same way during this holiday season. Enjoy your family and friends and have a great holiday!

So we all know that the economy is struggling and most of the time the media has made it sound like the United States is going to implode because of it. Well dental practices are not immune to changes in the economy, both good and bad. So while we see smiles that could be improved dramatically with comprehensive, rehablitative care, we’ve had to get pretty creative with fitting that dentistry into their budgets. With financing, payment plans, and phasing treatment, we still are able to provide those beautiful smiles that we’ve become known for.
But restoring just individual teeth can be a struggle in today’s “new economy”. No matter what the economy does, there will always be broken and diseased teeth. And when preventative dental care is put off, we see more of those types of teeth. So generally, when a tooth hurts, especially from disease/infection, a root canal and crown is necessary to restore form and function. The other option is to take the tooth out. So I get the age old question, “Can’t I just take the tooth out.” Well extraction is always an option, but there are long term considerations. First, if you lose a molar, for example, you lose at least 25% of your function on that side and the remaining teeth have a heavier workload. Second, the teeth around the space both upper and lower will collapse on that opening. These factors can affect your bite leading to joint and muscle problems, not to mention the ability to enjoy your favorite meal. I only ask that you look long term on the situation. There’s nothing better than your natural teeth and my advice is to make every effort to save them.
Here at our office we always give you all of your options and risks/benefits to each including time, finances, and long term prognosis. So the next time you have a tooth your having trouble with, come see us and we’ll discuss those options. And don’t let the media coverage of the economy get you down…cherish your family and friends, focus on the important things, and take good care of yourself.

Having dental insurance is different than other types of insurance. We call them dental benefits because if used as intended they will help benefit your dental and overall health. Dental benefits will not pay for everything like your medical insurance after you cover your deductible. Your employer decides what type and amount of dental benefits you will have available and dental benefit plans always have a maximum dollar amount that can be used each year. Dental plans have been around since the 1960s. The maximums back then were about the same as today and those maximums have not kept up with the rising cost of health care (they haven’t even kept up with inflation). Most insurance companies put these maximums around $1000, more or less. While this dollar amount doesn’t go as far as it used to, it will usually cover most of your preventative appointments (exams, x-rays, cleaning, fluoride, etc.) and can help subsidize some of the other costs to make your teeth and mouths healthy.

What many people don’t realize that while employers consider this to be an employee benefit, the average employee pays $600 of their hard-earned paycheck per year plus $50 out of pocket for a deductible to receive a $1000 dental benefit plan. Dental benefit plans typically give you one year to use those benefits. The point is that you spend money on your benefits and if you don’t use them within that year, you are just donating money to the insurance companies. Insurance companies make millions of dollars on people that don’t use their benefits. And they don’t give you any of your paycheck back either.

Our practice mission is twofold, one is to make our patients are healthy as possible. We never let insurance companies dictate what we recommend to make you healthy. The other is to be as informative as possible and to communicate openly and honestly with our patients. Trust us, you will not receive a newsletter or email from the insurance companies to let you know that you have unused benefits. Insurance companies make money by not paying out money. We feel that we have a responsibility to keep you informed and as an added service we keep track of your dental benefits. So if you have treatment that you’ve put on hold, now is a great time to maximize your dental benefits plus use any of those remaining flex account dollars as well. We understand that there is always some out of pocket costs for dental treatment, but there is no cheaper time to get a tooth fixed than the present. If a tooth is fractured, broken, or infected with decay, it only gets worse and will cost a lot more to fix.

Fall is upon us, the kids are in school, and the holidays will be consuming our thoughts and time before we know it. If you or someone in your family has treatment that needs done, give us a call today to schedule an appointment.

Do you ever wake up in the morning and it feels like you’ve just chewed a whole pack of gum?  Your facial muscles feel sore and tired or you wake up with a headache, neck/shoulder pain, or ear pain.  Or do you look in your mouth and you see where your teeth end and the root begins because the gums have receded?  The roots may have notches in them (see below, the yellow is where the roots begin and are notched). 

Feel your back teeth with your tongue.  Do they feel and look flatter than they used to? Little divots where the points used to be is a sign of wear (see below, the yellow is where the wear is through the enamel)?
 

So some of our patients have been asking about our Share the Care program and want more information.  Our staff and I value each and every one of our patients.  We do not have a large type of practice that herds our patients through as fast as possible.  We take our time to properly diagnose, treat, and provide the best care possible.  In a time when customer care is lacking in our society, we try to do the little things to make your experience the best possible.  Services such as reviewing insurance benefits for you, Tempur-Pedic chairs, wireless headphones, laughing gas, and just a friendly staff with a smile are all benefits that we can provide to make your experience a good one.

So back to the original question about the Share the Care program.  Because we value and enjoy the times we have with our patients, we would like to see new patients just like our existing patients.  So this is a referral program in which we provide incentive for our current patients to send us their friends, family, and collegues.  So there is a monetary incentive; send a friend or family member and we give you each a $50 credit in our office.  There is a food incentive (they say happiness is found through the stomach afterall); you get a complimentary pizza and cheesy bread at Papa Murphy’s for sending in a friend or family member.  And lastly, you have our thanks for trusting us to take care of someone you care about.  So the next time your new neighbor or work friend asks who your dentist is, send them our way and rest assured that we’ll take good care of them.  Or if you’re just hungry for a good pizza, refer them our way.

Cars, homes, and vacations can get boring and stale if you don’t change things up a little every once in a while.  Websites are no exception so we decided to renovate and improve our website.  We feel the format is a little more contemporary and up to date.  It also features new links to our blog (obviously!), services we offer, before and after photos, and links to our facebook and twitter pages.  You can see what other people are saying about our practice through the testimonial page.  We didn’t even pay for those nice comments.  And there are some informative articles and FAQs under the patients tab for you to take a look at.  I put our old blog entries into this one so you can take a look at those as well.  So we feel that these updates will help current and new patients discover that this is a place to feel welcome and receive great care.  And if you know a friend or family member that is looking for a new dental practice to call home, send them our way.  Because like websites, a new smile can be improved and let people know the true you.  Let us know if you have any suggestions for the website or if you wan to discuss your smile.

by Dr. Buck 4. May 2010 22:28