Making Tooth Pain Go Away

Pain Pain Go Away



I will sometimes get phone calls from patients who are in pain and for whatever reason can't come in. Normally you can tell them to take pain killers or call in a prescription. Sometimes this is not possible. So, how does a person stop the pain of a toothache? Sometimes you can use an ice pack and put it on the area, this is what we do when we take out teeth. It works really well and you don't have to take anything . A really great way to control tooth pain is to soak a small ball of cotton(about the size of a pea) and place it on the tooth in question. Clove oil is a natural

anesthetic . Dentists use it in sedative fillings when they can't finish a treatment and don't want to have the patient in pain. It is non-toxic, doesn't cause stomach upset and is all natural. It will work wonders and give you relief in a pinch.

Wire Act

With the advent of wire free braces people ask me if wire braces are still done.
The answer is yes. While removable braces may be unseen (for the most part) and very popular because of that , wires still have a place. The biggest use is in children and adolescents. Removable braces can be misplaced or damaged. In adults the teeth can't be moved in the right direction by removable braces. The downsides to the wires are they are noticeable, they can irritate the lips and cheek, and your hygiene has to be very good or you end up with discoloration or cavities. The things that wired braces have going for them is they don't involve the patient so much, work in situations where removable braces won't work. These two are the most valid reasons .They really have been sidelined by the clear braces but in certain niches they work extremely well.

Spring Cleaning (Cruddy Buildup on the Back of Lower Front Teeth)

The Buildup of Tartar (really calculus but if I mention it people
think I am going to talk about Descartes and math. Which
is probably slightly more boring than Dentistry) on the
back of the lower front teeth are due to a combination of factors.
First there is a Salivary duct under the tongue that does nothing
but squirt saliva on the backs of these teeth.
Then there is gravity which allows the saliva to pool on
the floor of the mouth. Last but not least it is hard to reach
with a toothbrush, manual or electric.Enter the Sulcabrush.
It will clean the back of the bottom teeth like a charm.
A couple of passes in the morning and you are set! It will
make the cleaning
at the dentist so much easier because you are keeping it
off instead of once, twice a year.

I was reading the other day and an article caught my eye . It was about how the maker of Mevacor,a cholesterol medicine, was trying to suppress the suppliers of Red Yeast Rice Extract.. It turns out that Red Yeast Rice Extract (RYRE) has the same cholesterol lowering substances as Mevacor. Mevacor is the name of a prescription pharmaceutical used to lower cholesterol This Substance is Monacolin K also known as lovestatin when used in Mevacor. The RYRE is of course much cheaper than Mevacor.

I've seen this before where a pharmaceutical company uses a naturally occurring substance and in an effort to protect their profit want to "owm" natural substances.

Well anyway looking into RYRE is not such a bad thing to do as a first step if you are looking to control high cholesterol.

Teeth Stain and how to get it off

Most people will not notice that their teeth are becoming discolored. It happens so gradually that it is unnoticed day to day. When a person does finally notice or gets told about their stained teeth they then go to the dentist to have them bleached. Bleaching is a harmless treatment in which hydrogen peroxide jelly is used to remove the stain that collects over the years. It cleans deep into the tooth . It does not damage the teeth and can be done in the office (in about an hour) or at home. Then the process happens all over again. There are ways to get off this merry-go-round. One way is to bleach at home. I would recommend a dentist made tray and a person wears it for a couple of hours every four to six months. The upside is the teeth stay white. The downsides teeth can become sensitive. Another issue is you have to keep buying more gel.

If a person doesn't want to do this can brush their teeth with baking soda. This will remove the stain sitting on the tooth. Salt works , but, if you have high blood pressure then this is not for you.Diatomaceous Earth powder is good stuff too. All of these things will gently scrub your teeth without being too abrasive

Don't under any circumstances use lemon juice or any other acid. It doesn't matter if it is natural or not. These caustic liquids make your teeth whiter but do it by removing the calcium. So whiter yes but also softer.

Whitening toothpaste and rinses are a waste of time and money? They don't work. If you are bleaching the teeth get gel from a reputable source. I have heard charcoal works but I think it does because of it's slight abrasiveness. I don't believe it works because of any intrinsic properties.

If you have an occasion to attend, I have had patients who had job interviews come in for a scrubbing. They didn't want to bleach but wanted clean teeth.

What is Holistic Dentistry?

People often ask me "what do you do?" When I tell them that I am a holistic dentist.The next question is what is that?

A good definition is the one given by Dr Weill. He says that "Holistic dentistry, also known as biological dentistry, takes into account a person’s entire state of physical and emotional health. Holistic dentists use natural therapies (often in combination with conventional ones) to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases of the oral cavity." This is a pretty broad definition. I find it sad that it is the definition of a certain kind of dentist. Shouldn't all dentist (and health practitioners in general) approach patient care that way?

To the above definition I would add minimally invasive to boot. Removing and replacing mercury fillings carefully. Performing root canals, preventing cavities, and gum disease. These are all things that dentists should do but most don't.

It is doing Dentistry with an eye on what you use and taking into account the whole patient.Again pretty much common sense.

In my practice we emphasize prevention strongly.That I have to mention this is just a sign of the state of dentistry. We monitor our patient's closely. I would prefer to prevent a problem than to cure one. Decay and gum disease can be prevented. They can be reversed in some situations and sometimes they have to be managed.

Diet has a huge impact on the health of the patient not to mention the oral cavity. If a patient returns and returns with decay then something in their life is not being dealt with.

Exercise, medications, life/work balance, systemic health. These are some of the things we ask about and investigate.

I guess it is a rejection of drill and fill. It is a realization that companies are out to make money that is their nature. This is not a repudiation of capitalism and this is definitely not the place I comment on the structure of economics and society. It is a statement of fact. The statement recognizes that companies are not for your betterment, but to sell you things, period. Since "I am piggy and I have the conch", The Lord of the Flies mentality prevails and the I really don't trust them to think about what they put in their products and the government seems to steer clear of regulation. I feel that people need an advocate as to what should be used.. So this is Holistic Dentist.

Two Step permanent replacement of a missing tooth without drilling, needle in two easy steps

Two step

The other day I was talking to a patient about what to do with a loose tooth. It was a upper front tooth and she didn't want to touch the teeth on either side. The teeth that were on either side had nothing wrong with them and we didn't want to cut them down to put a bridge there. If you cut down teeth to put a bridge on, the chances of needing a Root Canal in the future goes up by 25%. We then talked about implants which are a great option if a patient wants to replace a tooth without involving adjacent teeth. The argument against is having to wear something that comes out while the implant integrates. There is a method of putting in an implant and putting on a temporary crown while the implant heals. The downside? The success rate is a little lower. We finally decided to use a Maryland Bridge. This treatment allows you to glue a fake tooth in the space the same day we took the tooth out. It is permanently glued. If you want to place an implant, the Maryland Bridge will be glued in place and when the implant is ready then the bridge can easily be removed and a temporary crown placed on the implant. Walk in with a permanent tooth walk out with a permanent tooth. The process is simple. You take an impression of the tooth that needs to come out. The lab makes the Maryland Bridge. Next appointment the tooth comes out and the bridge is cemented in place.
No muss no fuss and done with a two step.