How Often Should I Get My Teeth Cleaned?

As a hygienist I'm frequently asked, "How often should I get my teeth cleaned?"  The answer depends on your genetics and how well you care for your teeth between cleanings.

Plaque is the soft film of bacteria that naturally grows on teeth.  The byproducts of plaque cause bleeding gums, bone loss and cavities.  Everyone also forms calcium deposits on their teeth at different rates.  Calcium deposits are sometimes referred to as calculus, tartar or hard deposits.  These deposits create a very rough surface on the tooth giving plaque many places to grow undisturbed and making it extremely difficult for you to remove.  Regular cleanings keep the tooth surfaces smooth making it so much easier for you to clean the plaque off your teeth.  When you do produce calcium deposits quickly on your teeth it is necessary to have your teeth cleaned more frequently so you can continue to remove the plaque and keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Your genetic make up contributes to how quickly you form calcium deposits and can play a major role if you have inherited certain diseases such as diabetes or a compromised immune system.  In such cases it is often recommended that you have your teeth cleaned every 3-4 months.  Under normal conditions every 6 months is a good rule of thumb.

So, to answer the question "how often," there are many factors to consider.  Talk it over with your hygienist to determine the best schedule for you to keep your teeth and gums healthy.


Rosalie
Hygienist

Esthetic Tooth Recontouring

Creating a beautiful smile doesn’t have to be expensive.

Sometimes the best looking (and longest lasting!) results can be obtained just by making some small changes to the shape of your front teeth.

Take a look at the following case we just completed in our office:

Before

After

 

 

              

                                             

The entire procedure took about an hour and a half and consisted of replacing some bonding on her front teeth and reshaping the corners of the teeth to give them a more feminine, younger look. 

There were no veneers or crowns done here which meant a relatively small amount of drilling on her teeth and almost no sensitivity afterwards.  It also means relatively little cost associated with the procedure.  It really is a great option for many, many people.

Next time you come in to see us ask about the possibility of doing something similar to this with your smile.  It could be just the change your looking for.

Keep Flossin’!

Dr. David J. Barry, DMD

Technology

            When I think of Technology I remember this little clip from Napoleon Dynamite, “Yes, I love technology.”  In the field of dentistry there is a lot of research being performed; and new materials and products being created and tested.  In the past twenty years dentistry has taken great strides in providing new materials that last longer, bond stronger and look better.  This, in my mind, is a great benefit to each patient that is treated and to me as a dentist, providing the best service possible.

            A down side to all of the new materials being produced is not knowing which products really work.  Just because it is new doesn’t mean that it is the best.  For the past 36 years Gordon Christensen, a local dentist, has been testing new products as well as new techniques.  In the dental field he is known around the world for his work.  Each year we attend his lecture course to hear about many of the newest and best things.  They give us a recommendation of the top products for the year and the best techniques.  We feel our office can provide the best fillings and crowns possible.  We attended his course the weekend of January 25-26, of this year. 

            Here are some highlights we learned from the course this year.  For the past twenty years the most common type of crown used was a porcelain fused to metal, called a PFM.  Just in the past couple of years they have come out with some all porcelain crowns that have the same esthetic look, they look just like your normal tooth.  As well as some types that are strong enough to withstand the forces that will normally break the weaker but better looking types of crowns.  These new types of crowns look better, and they don’t chip and break if they are placed and made in the right way.  In our office in the past year we have started using these types of crowns.  Now, with such good test results, we are moving to use them even more. 

            Post operative sensitivity.  This is one of the hardest things to eliminate and the hardest to control as a dentist.  They gave us more tips on how to fight this, from types of desensitizers to place on the tooth before the filling, to the type and intensity of light used to cure the filling, to some new cements used to cement a crown that lower the sensitivity.  Who wouldn’t love coming to the dentist, when you can leaving and feel like you didn’t have any work done?

            Other technologies that are useful and making a lot of ground are the use of lasers.  Some gum procedures can be done now that normally would require some stitches and a moderate amount of pain associated with healing, that are eliminated with the use of lasers.  Digital impressions when we make a crown that will eliminate using impression material that tastes bad and can make you gag.  This way of taking an impression can speed up the process of making a crown.  Instead of physically taking an impression and sending it to the lab.  We can email the impression to the lab and they can start making the crown that day. 

            We are very excited for these new changes and can’t wait to make your experience at our office more and more enjoyable with better and better outcomes.

 

Dr. Mark T. Barry, DDS

Happy New Year

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and that 2013 is filled with Joy and Happiness for you and your family.

WHY FLUORIDE?

• The reason why fluoride is important to maintain healthy teeth is because it is absorbed into structures such as bones and teeth. This in turn makes them more resistant to fractures and decay.
• Fluoride is like any other nutrient –safe and effective when used appropriately.
• It is effective in preventing and reversing early signs of dental decay.
• Topical fluoride (the fluoride placed on your teeth after a dental cleaning) strengthens the teeth present in the mouth making them more decay –resistant.
• Systemic fluoride is the pill or liquid form that is ingested and incorporated into the tooth structure while it is forming. This is given to infants and children while their primary and permanent teeth are forming.
• Fluoridation has been part of the American water supply for decades and there is no conclusive proof that fl2 has led to serious and detrimental effects on the American population. 
•  A Study in Colorado Springs with adults aged 20-44 years,  who used water with natural fluoride showed 60% less decay than adults in Boulder Colorado where fluoride is deficient in the water. In Boulder adults had 3 to 4 times as many permanent teeth removed.

We recommend fluoride because we can see a significant decrease in decay.  Most states have incorporated fluoride into the water supply.  Utah has not yet done so and we see much more decay here.  I wish all insurances would cover fluoride because it is so beneficial in protecting the teeth from decay.  Fluoride has been named “Natures Cavity Fighter” and we highly recommend it!!

I am so grateful to be able to work in an office with such fantastic patients!  It is a joy to come to work and to be able to help people to achieve healthier mouths.

Loreen--Hygienist

Snoring & Sleep Apnea

Honey, Do I Snore?


My wife and I recently celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary.  We decided, to celebrate the big day, to go on a camping trip with all of our kids up to the Payson Lakes area.  I know, sounds romantic, doesn't it?

Despite all of the kids being with us for the big day we still had a great time.  The kids even allowed us a few minutes alone on the canoe...sort of (our 3 year old insisted on coming with us.)

As I've contemplated the past several years of marriage and the relationship I have with my wife I have come to realize that there are quite a few things that I do in my wife's presence that I never would have felt comfortable doing or having my wife know about me during our dating years nor even during our first few months of marriage.

Take, for example, snoring.

Would I have wanted my future wife to know that I snore while I sleep sometimes?  Would that have affected her decision as to whether she was willing to tolerate me for the rest of her life?  I dunno.  But I never told her.

And would I have wanted to know that she snores sometimes?  (Sorry, honey, everyone knows now.)  Would that have affected my decision?  Hmm...probably not.

Well, whether you talked about this with your significant other or not, you are now together and must deal with it.  And modern dentistry has some solutions to this common problem.

Yes, Honey, You Do Snore


See, the reason we snore is that soft tissue in the back of our throat (i.e. the tongue and the soft tissue of the upper throat) relaxes when we sleep and falls back into our airway.  So, when we try to breathe while we're sleeping that soft tissue that has collapsed into the airway vibrates, causing that snoring sound.  It's kind of like air rushing past a taut string or rope which vibrates and makes noise.

The solution for this is fairly simple:  move the soft tissue forward so it won't vibrate.  And there is an oral appliance that can do this for you.  It looks like this:

It works like a charm.

Sleep Apnea


Another similar problem to the snoring issue is sleep apnea.  But, in the case of sleep apnea, the airway is cut off so severely that all breathing can completely stop for a short period of time (up to 30 seconds) and this can happen multiple times per hour (up to 60 times or more per hour!).  This can cause a severe lack of sleep and all of the problems associated with sleep deprivation.

In mild cases of sleep apnea an oral appliance can help alleviate this problem, but in moderate to severe cases you may need to use a machine of some kind to help you breathe at night.  This is something that your physician will evaluate and treat you for.

Help Is Available


Whether you're breathing is stopping completely, you're snoring, or whether your significant other or children is/are having problems with any of the above issues, there is help available.  And that help may be more easily obtained than you think it is.

Come try it out.  It may help save your marriage.









Dr. David J. Barry, DMD

Enamel Microabrasion

Enamel microabrasion is the process of removing stains and other discolorations associated with your teeth.  This procedure removes some types of stains that can not be removed by bleaching alone.  It allows you to avoid other dental work such as cosmetic bonding or porcelain veneers. This is done by polishing your teeth with a fine paste that removes most brown, gray and white superficial staining.  This procedure is a painless and easy way to brighten your smile.  If you have any questions or would like to know more about this process, please don’t hesitate to email or give us a call. 

Mark Barry, DDS