Dental Info

 Although this is an unusual  event, it can happen. Interestingly, patients who experience changes in their bite either do not notice or just don't complain to their dentists. Even though patients don't complain, a change in their bites can be evidence of a deteriorating oral condition.There can be several possible causes. Patients with TMJ problems can definately have an altered bite. This may be due to muscles of mastication that are inflammed and functioning in an imbalanced way or can be caused by skeletal remodeling of the mandibular condyle that cause the two ramuses to be different lengths. Musclar problems tend to cause different types of changes in the bite than skeletal.  When the muscles are inflamed a patient may not be able to occlude in their usual comfortable bite but instead my be biting slightly more anteriorly. One way to deal with this sort of issue is to make the patient wear a deprogammer  24/7 for a couple of weeks to see if the patients bite ...

Many patients have unused money in their FSA account (Flexible Spending Account). This money is a lose it or use it proposition. If it is not used for a appropriate medical bill it will not be usable going forward and the money will be lost. These accounts are subject to the rules of the company that is sponsoring them and sometimes a detailed bill is required to insure that the money is being used for an acceptable medical (or dental) procedure. Starting in October patient often discuss what sort of treatments they might have that could use up the amount that is left in their account. Often we can use these funds for fillings, crowns, periodontal treatments,  night guards or implant restorations. Some plans are quite flexible and only require that we submit a receipt of funds for undisclosed dental services. More and more my patients use a FSA credit card to pay for their end of the year dental services and no explanation  of the services provided is required. If you hav...

So... it truly  feels a lot like we are in prison. I am lucky enough or unlucky enough (denpending on one's point of view) to be let out for"work release" every day Monday- Thursday. I get to leave my appartment every day, travel to work and go home at the end of the day on public transportation wearing triple masks (N95, surgical type two and black Coppermask to cover up the other two masks). So far so good, apparently My staff and I have remained Covid free even though our office has been open and increasingly busy since June 8th. It could be a lot worse, since we are not incarcerated in an actual jail and  choosing wisely to remain safe, and somewhat isolated, until things are more sorted out.  This is sensible, since our goal is to put off getting this virus for as long as possible. The longer we delay getting it the better. Treatments are continuously improving  and multiple seemingly effective vaccines are about to be released. It  Now that the holida...

 I really hate to write this post. We are taught not to criticize other dentists but given what I am seeing when some of my patients choose to leave the fold and then return can leave me deeply disturbed. Twice in the last 30 days patients have returned to my practice after seeking care closer to home, only to find that they were diagnosed with five or more cavities that need restoring.  Upon examination and reviewing their radiographs I could not find the need for any of their diagnosed fillings.  We dentists are taught not to criticize other colleagues, but some of the clinics that my patients have gone to  are guilty of violating the public's trust. After all, as dentists we have a legal and moral obligation not to perform  unnecessary procedures. It saddens me to think that some of my colleagues are more concerned with paying their bills than doing the right thing Ethics is currently a topic of concern for many health professionals today and dentistr...

Full disclosure before your Salt Lake City dental team at Natural Smiles Dentistry starts dropping knowledge on the muscles in your mouth that are partially to thank (or blame) for the foods you love: we’re hungry as we write this and are envisioning pizza; yummy, savory pizza with cheese that stretches when you grab a slice, crust with just the right amount of crunch, sauce with the best blend of veggies and herbs…what were we going to talk about? Oh yeah, taste buds ! Wait—are you craving pizza now, too? Let’s go halfsies on some ‘za! Gusta-what?! The scientific term for your taste buds is gustatory receptor cells . Jot that down because there will be a quiz later (we joke). These taste buddies (that’s just more fun to say, isn’t it?) form before we evacuate the womb. In fact, based on their sensitivity to sweet and bitter tastes, newborns may have more taste buds than adults. For an image to distract from the pizza that may still be on your mind, picture babies trying new foods....

Do you remember feeling like standards of beauty were unattainable when you were a teenager? Heck, many of feel this way as adults! It makes sense that teenagers might be concerned with the appearance of their smile and pine for bright white smiles the same way adults do, because they’re often exposed to the same media that displays stunning smiles nonstop.  There’s a lot to be said for defying those expectations, but if there were a simple, safe, and widely available treatment that could make a world of difference for your teen’s self-confidence, would you be ok with it?  Your Dentist Can Help If your teen has expressed that they’d like to have their teeth whitened, you might be inclined to gasp and reply, “Your smile is perfect as it is!” We understand, and at Michael Colleran DDS, we do love how unique smiles are from person to person, and we want everyone to feel comfortable with their natural smile just as it is.  However, maybe it can lead to a productive discu...

Sore jaw? Restless nights? Play sports? If any of these apply to you, you might be surprised to hear that you could use a mouthguard!    Functions of Mouthguards Mouthguards are solid pieces of plastic that keep your teeth and jaw in a specific resting position. The basic function of a mouthguard is protection. Mouthguards help prevent accidental mouth injuries, ease pain from grinding your teeth, and can even help patients with trouble sleeping.  They usually only cover the top row of teeth, but can sometimes be made to cover the bottom row too. You can buy a mouthguard pre-made, custom-made, or use the “boil and bite” method for something in the middle. Custom mouthguards from your Brooklyn dentist offer the highest level of protection and the most comfortable fit, but no matter where you get your mouthguard, actually wearing it is the most important part.   Types of Mouthguards All mouthguards look and function mostly the same, but they might be slightly di...