Dental Info

A recent, three-part study by Crest® puts numbers to what most of us already knew – white teeth are beautiful and powerful! The study used both qualitative and quantitative measures in multiple settings to determine what effect white teeth can have on a person’s life. In a portion of the study on employment, researchers found that whiter teeth greatly increased a person’s chance of being offered jobs but also of receiving higher pay. In a portion of the study on romance, subjects went on simulated dates and found the dates were more successful after their teeth had been whitened. Dr. Dacher Keltner, smile psychologist and psychology professor, says, “This study provides some of the first findings that speak to the powerful benefits of having a whiter smile.” Why We Like White Teeth There’s no arguing it, people like white teeth – on themselves and on others. Perhaps this is because white teeth appear healthier and cleaner. Some scientists also guess that having white teeth is a si...

It’s no secret that diabetes is a health condition that must be treated because of the problems it can cause throughout the body—including your mouth.  Almost 26 million children and adults in the U.S. suffer from diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association . St. Augustine dentist, Dr. Gordon wants you to know the side effects diabetes can have on oral health. When diabetics experience high glucose levels, those elevated sugars can help bacteria thrive, which causes major problems for their teeth.  Because of the risks, it’s important for diabetics to take especially good care of their teeth. Some diabetics have chronic inflammation and infections in their mouths or other special oral care needs. Common dental conditions associated with diabetes include tooth decay, gum disease , saliva gland dysfunction, infections, and delayed healing.  If you are diabetic, it is paramount that you share that information with your dentist. Diabetics, like all other...

Your smile is more powerful than you may know. Scientists have studied many aspects of smiling, such as how it affects your brain, your health, and your overall experience of life. Even the situation you’re in and the people around you are influenced by your smile. The findings may surprise you. Or, if you’re someone who smiles often, they may just confirm what you already know. Dr. Laura Provine and Dr. Thomas Brickey in Salt Lake City love a good smile and wants to help you smile more—to let us convince you to smile more and to maintain that smile with a healthy dental routine, keep reading! Smiling & Your Health The physical act of a smile can benefit both your mental health and your physical health. Experiencing an emotion connects all the parts of yourself: body, mind, and spirit, so the physical act of smiling can improve your overall experience of life. Studies show that smiling makes your brain function better to fight stress and to prevent stress from building in the fi...

Essential oils are time-tested treasures gaining new popularity among fans everywhere. These potent liquids are fun and fresh ingredients that you can customize for almost any oral hygiene need. As with any DIY dental treatment, do your research and be cautious. Not all oils are safe to ingest, and some may hurt you if applied directly to your skin. Essential oils are distilled from plants and usually sold singularly with one ingredient per bottle, although you can also find oil blend products. Like other supplements, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate their safety or efficacy. Using Essential Oils for Oral Health Those in the natural health field are concerned that dangerous chemicals in conventional health products may hinder natural bodily functions, especially the endocrine system. The attraction to using essential oils in dentistry is that they may not pose such a risk to the body. Cinnamon, peppermint, spearmint, myrrh, clove, and tea tree essential oils are al...

At Northern Trails Dental Care, our goal is to make your dental visits as pleasant as possible. Part of this effort includes taking the complication out of utilizing your insurance benefits. Dr. Buck knows there can be confusing terms and stipulations in insurance plans that can be a barrier between you and the care you need. We aim to remove that barrier by filing paperwork for our Gwinn patients and providing the details necessary for you to make the best decisions possible for your oral and overall health. If you have further questions, we’re just a phone call away ! Am I covered? Similar to medical coverage, there are numerous types of dental plans, typically with the focus on prevention. What does this mean? It means Dr. Buck wants to keep your mouth free of infection and pain, and your smile bright and beautiful. If you are insured, your dental plan can help us achieve this goal. How? Usually by covering 100% of the cost of preventive services, such as professional cleanings ...

This is a trick question. Yesterday I examined a patient with six implants from 5-12 that were splinted with a one piece ceramometal fixed restoration. My associate at the time when it was made had wanted to keep the patients cuspid teeth since they were in perfect condition. I had explained to her that I thought they wouldn't add any support to the final restoration, because natural teeth move slightly an implants don't. Because of this they can separate from a cemented restoration and if any material gets trapped between the restoration and the natural tooth it will decay or intrude. She still didn't want to remove #6& 11 and asked me help her design the case. We decided on a one piece restoration with telescopic copings on her cuspids (little gold coverings for the prepared teeth that fit into the fixed restoration). These copings would protect the cuspids from recuurent decay in the event that the bridge would become separated from the natural teeth. My associat...

What is oil pulling? Claiming to achieve everything from whiter teeth and healthier gums to decreased body aches and pains, oil pulling is the latest trend in DIY detox therapies. Newly popular among celebrities and lovers of natural health and wellness, oil pulling is a dental hygiene practice that actually dates back centuries through the Indian medical tradition of Ayurveda. Simply put, oil pulling uses common plant-based oils (coconut is a favorite) in place of store-bought mouthwash. Users swish, or “pull” one tablespoon of oil in their mouth for 10-20 minutes every day. The volume of oil usually doubles in size due to the collection of saliva and toxins from the mouth during this process. Users are strongly warned to spit out the oil because it contains the microorganisms which pulling aims to extract. Oil is believed to draw toxins out of the mouth by sticking to their outer, fatty layer. Since oral hygiene is linked to health in all parts of the body, it’s believed that the b...

You’ve heard of probiotics before. These beneficial bacteria are everywhere, from yogurt to face masks. You might even be taking a daily probiotic supplement to help support the health of your gut, which can then impact other factors including digestion and mood. But you may be unaware of a different type of probiotic—one that benefits oral health. These oral probiotics are critically important for maintaining a balanced oral microbiome , which can prevent cavity development , maintain breath fresh, and keep gum disease at bay. It’s also important to note that the implications of a well-balanced oral microbiome go beyond the health of your teeth and mouth. Numerous diseases have been associated with oral pathogen overgrowth (that is, having too many bad bacteria in the mouth and not enough of the good guys), including: Cancer ( 1 ) Heart disease ( 2 ) Alzheimer’s disease ( 3 ) In fact, there are specific strains of oral microbes associated with each of these diseases. With predi...

Yesterday was my first day at NYUCD. I decided to return to my old haunts  to teach third and fourth year students in Module #3AB. Although it was completely redecorated it is the same space where I spent my clinical studies in my third  and final year of dental school. The clinic and the school have definitely had a facelift since my days as a student and clinical instructor in the 1980's ( I was also teaching in module 3AB as well. My practice hours in my own dental practice have been modified to include a later start time on Thursdays ( about one PM) since I will be teaching on Thursday mornings and all day Friday. I even have time for me to walk to and from the school from my office. Its only about a 25 minute walk, so I intend to use the time to get some much needed exercise. I will spend the next month shadowing experienced faculty, so I can observe the "new" NYU ways , since things have changed a lot since my last stint teaching. I also have some online train...

If the pocketing is isolated to one tooth, it can indicate that the tooth has a "perio involvement" but the patient may not have other teeth that are involved. This is not unusual at all, especially if the tooth has an anatomy that tends to promote pocketing. Often teeth exhibiting deep vertical cracks can develop a pocket adjacent to a crack. Similarly teeth that have a strong groove on their proximal surface often can be difficult to clean and can become periodontally involved as well. Some teeth have roots that are touching the proximal surfaces of roots of adjacent teeth (a root proximity problem) and this can also contribute to the development of pocketing. That being the case, these patients often do not exhibit generalized periodontal disease, but instead display a more focalized type in which one,two or three teeth are involved and once these issues are taken care of their mouth is generally in a state of good periodontal health. Unfortunately, often the cure involv...

This post really just reflects my opinions. I believe that when treating periodontal abscesses (infections around a tooth that do not stem from fractures or endodontic issues) its best to catch them early. During the initial acute stage there can be rapid bone loss, but because its an active process, treatment can result in some bone regrowth and  more likely result in a resolution of the infection. All too often patient come in with an abscessed tooth that has been bothering them for longer than a month and report that they waited to see if the problem would "go away" on it's own. Although this can occur, its more likely to resolve if a dentist can debride  and root plane the tooth involved. When I see the patient with a perio abscess, I take a periapical radiogrpah or two and then set up my cavitron and place some sharp periodontal currettes on my bracket table. These instruments can be used to clean around the tooth and scrape any tarter that is along the tooth...

As a dentist, I am a strong believer in equipping my patients with the necessary tools and information to treat the root cause of their dental issues, instead of just treating the symptoms. And that is certainly the case when treating cavities. Many people suffer from dental anxiety, and it’s often related to cavities. Unfortunately, fillings are often the first line of defense against tooth decay, no matter how minimal the decay may be. There are definitely some cavities that require fillings (typically those that are deep enough to reach the nerve, thus causing pain), but I want you to also be aware that you have the power to reverse smaller cavities on your own, at home—and much of that power comes directly from the foods you eat. Obviously, the best way to treat cavities is to avoid them altogether, and the good news is that the diet that helps to heal existing cavities also helps to prevent new ones from forming. But before we get into the specific foods that can heal and prev...

Don’t be Afraid of the Dentist! We at Northern Trails Dental Care know that some Gwinn folks avoid the dentist’s chair like the plague. According to studies at the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington, as much as 8% of Americans are too afraid to go to dentists and 20% are too anxious to visit a dentist for anything other than an emergency. Dr. Buck understands that dental anxiety prevents a lot of people from getting the care they need, so we’ve designed our entire practice around your comfort . Read on to find out about how we can help! Overcome Your Fear of the Dentist First of all, don’t feel bad if you fear the dentist. It’s very common and understandable. Your mouth is sensitive and private, and having someone else poke around in there can be traumatic. However, there are a ton of things we do at Northern Trails Dental Care to make sure that every patient feels safe and comfortable. That means that from the waiting room to Dr. Buck’s chair, you are in...

There are many kinds of doctors – Doctors of English, Doctors of Philosophy, Doctors of Medicine, Dr. Pepper… Of course, when we use the term doctor, we most often mean a physician or doctor of medicine. But did you know that dentists are doctors, too? Every doctor has a specialty, and a dentist’s specialty is oral health. Dr. Michael Berglass , your Charlotte dentist explains how dentistry is a specific branch of medicine, and what it all means for the link between oral health and overall wellness. Dentists Are Doctors Dentists are every bit as trained and educated as physicians. They have the same general education in science as physicians before they get clinical training in dentistry. This background education helps dentists look at you – the whole package – when taking care of your teeth. Dentists are specialists in the science and mechanics of oral health, which extends to your head, face, and neck (the craniofacial region)—important parts of your body! Your oral health is ...

Someone once said, “Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.” How true!  While it can be frustrating to watch your health change as you age, you don’t have to accept poor oral health and tooth loss as just an inevitable part of the aging process. Your oral health is just as important now as it has ever been, and it has a great deal to do with your overall health and wellness. When it comes to senior dentistry and oral health, Dr. Laura Provine and Dr. Thomas Brickey shares the top concerns you may have, and how to address them. Gum Disease A shocking 70% of adults over 65 years of age have gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among seniors. Gum disease is your body’s way of trying to kill germs that infect and inflame gum tissues.  Chronic exposure to inflammation in the body quadruples your chance of developing Alzheimer’s later in life, according to the American...

Originally created for people unable to consume regular sugars, alternative and artificial sweeteners have become extremely popular in St. Augustine in all kinds of different products. From chewing gum to diet soda, Dr. Gordon wants you to know which of these options are best for your dental and general health – so here are the facts about a few of the most common sweeteners. The Big Five Sugar Substitutes The benefits of artificial sweeteners were first recognized as a safe option for diabetics, but have since exploded in popularity because food, beverage, candy, and snack companies have discovered that it is easier to sell fewer calories. In addition, St. Augustine residents with a sweet tooth know that artificial sweeteners are notorious for their ability to ruin your portion control. The substances listed below are considered sugar-free and inhibit tooth decay because bacteria cannot ferment them into enamel-destroying acids. Despite ongoing controversy about health concerns of...

After talking with one of my specialist colleagues who is retiring soon it has become apparent that there is a definite change in the thinking of many young dental specialists. Many are burdened with educational loans and prefer to work "risk free" in other dentists offices rather than invest in their own specialty practice. That way, they don't rent or have other overhead  to worry about and referrals are more or less guaranteed. My friend did not find it easy to find a young colleague who wanted to buy his practice and instead he is just walking away from his practice at the end of his lease. Working in other dentists offices is obviously lucrative and attractive for young specialists, but it may have some drawbacks. As an owner of his own practice, a specialist has his risk spread out over his referral network  of referring dentists. As a specialist, employed by a practice, he may have guaranteed referrals but  he or she works at the pleasure of the employer dentis...

Kids are constantly growing and changing, and their mouths are no exception! Throughout childhood, kids lose their baby teeth, gain adult teeth, and they begin to take ownership of their own oral health. From brushing to braces to practicing their smile, oral health is important for every kid at every stage. Read on for tips to help keep your kid smiling for life—we know you love to see your child smile, and so does Brewer Family Dental! Caring for Kids’ Teeth Your child’s first teeth—often called “baby teeth”—make their momentous early arrival and continue to serve many purposes until they fall out and are replaced by adult teeth. Baby teeth hold a place in the jaw, paving the way for the adult teeth to grow in properly.  Kids who develop cavities are more likely to develop them later as adults. Don’t dismiss the importance of oral health for kids, even though there’s so much transition in their mouth in these early days. Basic oral health for kids includes brushing and flossin...