Take this oral health quiz to find out…

1. How many times a day should you brush your teeth?

a. once

b. twice

c. after every meal

2. How often should you floss?

a. daily

b. weekly

c. monthly

3. How often should you visit the dentist?

a. every month

b. every six months

c. every year

4. How often should you replace your tootbrush?

a. every week

b. every month

c. every three months

5. Brushing and flossing your teeth can prevent:

a. cavities

b. gum disease

c. both

Answers: 1. b; 2. a; 3. b; 4. c; 4. c

Most people brush their teeth.  But only one in 10 people brush correctly.  And only about 12 percent of people floss daily.   Research shows that good oral hygiene helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease.  Taking care of your teeth and gums can also help reduce your risk for heart disease, diabets, stroke, and other health conditions.

Source: American Dental Association

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Good question. 

We’ve all heard the old addage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  In the case of an infected tooth, however, it IS “broke” - in the sense that the tooth is injured and this injury needs to be addressed, whether there is pain associated with the tooth or not. 

Not taking care of the infection can lead to a serious problem, including:

• increased pain
• loss of  the tooth
• systemic infection 
• in worst case scenario – death

While you may not be experiencing acute pain (if the infection has an escape route, there may be little to no pain) there is still a chance the infection can cause serious problems with your tooth and/or overall health…An infected tooth is not something you should gamble on getting better on its own.

An infection of the root of the tooth is most commonly diagnosed by Dr. Luther with a periapical x-ray (or PA) and possibly some additional tests to determine how sensitive the tooth is to hot, cold and/or biting.

If you do have an infection in your tooth, it will require a root canal (by Dr. Luther or by a root canal specialist)  to rid the tooth of the infection; an active infection will also require antibiotics.

Generally speaking, once a root canal has been performed (and the blood supply is removed from the tooth), the root canal tooth will then need a crown, a post and core to help support the tooth, and most probably a crown buildup to bring the tooth structure back to an appropriate level to seat a crown on the tooth tightly.   

We urge you not to let an infected tooth go untreated.  We value ALL of our patients and want you to stay healthy!

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large silver amalgam fillings restored with porcelain crowns

What is a crown anyway?  Why won’t a filling suffice?

A crown is a tooth-shaped restoration, usually made out of all porcelain, porcelain baked over metal, or all metal.  Unless requested by the patient, we almost exclusively use all porcelain at TimberCrest Dental.  This crown covers (or “caps”) a tooth to restore it back to normal shape, size and functionality.  This restoration can improve the appearance and strength of an existing decayed or broken tooth.

The need for a crown is determined by Dr. Luther through clinical exam and with the aid of  radiographs and digital photographs. 

Possible reasons for crown need include:

• severely decayed tooth, non-restorable with a filling
• fractured tooth
• large amalgam (silver) filling with extensive cracking of the tooth and/or amalgam
• root canal therapy

If your tooth is severely decayed and the decay area or existing filling is too large, Dr. Luther may not be able to restore your tooth with a filling.  When the decayed area is too large, you risk the chance of the tooth and/or filling breaking off (resulting in the need for a crown) or an infection (resulting in the need for a root canal).  Dr. Luther will discuss the possibility of restoring the tooth with a bonded filling vs. restoring the tooth with a porcelain crown.

Large (silver) amalgam fillings that are cracking or causing the tooth surface to crack around the filling can cause in infection (thus resulting in the need for root canal therapy) or can cause a portion of the tooth to fracture off.

 If  you’ve had a root canal on your tooth, chances are you’ll also need a crown.  By removing the blood supply in the canal of the tooth, the tooth becomes brittle and can break off at the gumline.  When the tooth breaks off at the gumline, it may be impossible to salvage the tooth.

If the tooth is fractured or has had a large filling in the past, you may also need what is called a crown build-up.  This crown build-up builds up or restores the missing portion of the tooth with a hard bonded base that the crown hugs; the build-up strenthens the restored tooth root to help support the crown.

Porcelain crowns look just like natural teeth, and need to be kept clean just like natural teeth. It is still possible to get decay along the edge of the crown where it meets the root of your tooth, so brushing and flossing are necessary to keep your investment healthy.

If you have any questions about a crown or crown build-up, please call our office (734-9148) and one of our freindly staff can help answer any concerns you may have.

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Many times adults wish to straighten their teeth but don’t want to go through the hassle of the wires, bands and brackets that are the earmark of traditional metal braces.  Their jobs and lifestyle simply won’t accommodate the discomfort and inconvenience  of traditional orthodontics, not to mention that high visibility professions require a noticeable lack of what is commonly referred to as “metal mouth”.

Now, you can have straighter teeth without the hassle of unattractive metal wires, brackets and bands.  TimberCrest Dental Center offers Invisalign – a tooth straightening system where you wear an aligner tray that is amazingly comfortable and allows you to talk with ease; there is  no changing your busy lifestyle to fit your metal appliance.

You can continue to eat your favorite foods, and brush and floss as usual because the appliance is removable.

Invisalign uses 3-D computer technology to map out the complete treatment from start to finish, customizing the treatment to each individual patient.  From this plan, custom made aligners (clear, virtually invisible trays that fit over your teeth) are worn for two weeks at a time, being replaced by the next in the series until final best position is achieved.  Every six weeks or so you visit our office to check your progress and get your next several sets of aligners.  Average treatment time is about one year.

This is one of the easiest and most esthetic ways to get your teeth straightened – without metal!

Call us at 734-9148  today to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign.

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Teeth Whitening

With another year upon us, many patients want to exhibit a more youthful appearance. Whether for the patient’s own self-confidence, a new job, or for a family member’s benefit (most often grandkids), we have seen an increase in questions about teeth whitening:

• “What kind of bleaching does TimberCrest Dental Center offer?”
• “Does my insurance cover any of the cost?”
• “How long do the effects last?”
• “Will my teeth become sensitive?”

TimberCrest Dental Center offers three different methods for getting your teeth whiter and brighter, and exhibiting a more youthful smile.

These methods range in both price and effectiveness.

1. The least expensive is the Crest Professional White Strips. This is similar in process to what you find over-the-counter in the retail stores, with a few major differences: The Professional White Strips that we offer include a higher percentage (stronger) whitening solution.  The Professional White Strips cover more teeth (pre-molar to pre-molar vs. canine to canine) Professional White Strips include three weeks worth of strips vs. the two  weeks of strips offered in over-the-counter strips
2. The middle-of-the-road method is the one most people are familiar with – the custom-made tray method. With this method, we take impressions of your teeth and fit you with bleaching trays that are custom-made to fit your mouth. This reduces sensitivity to your teeth and protects your gum tissue. You also get whitening solution for approximately two weeks worth of whitening. (A single drop in each tooth portion of the custom-made tray is all you need; then wear for 1/2 hour to one hour per day. Many patients like to pop them in when showering.) You can purchase extra syringes of whitening solution whenever you feel the need for a touch-up; usually one syringe will do the trick.
3. The “King Daddy” of whitening is the Deep Bleaching method – one of the most effective whitening methods ever developed. It involves three stages: first an in-office visit where we condition your teeth so they can become their brightest, and take impressions for your custom-made take home trays. Followed by two weeks of whitening at home with custom-made trays Last, we follow up with a second in-office visit – the one we call the “WOW” visit. At this in-office visit, we put the finishing touches on your whitening experience. With easy periodic home maintenance, the Deep Bleaching method is entirely permanent.  While we try very hard not to say “WOW”, none of us have ever been able to refrain from expressing this sentiment. Deep Bleaching works by restoring your teeth’s ability to absorb oxygen, which in turn helps the whitening solution to be absorbed by your teeth, thus dissolving stain molecules.

Almost no insurance company will cover any of the cost for whitening as they consider this a cosmetic procedure.

Your teeth will remain white with periodic touch-ups, each whitening session lasting a different amount of time depending on the method you use and your personal habits.

Sensitivity with the whitening methods vary as well. The least amount of sensitivity is noticed with the Deep Bleaching method, the most sensitivity with the White Strips.

If you have any questions or concerns about whitening, don’t hesitate to contact our office today!

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But, it’s actually a pretty common condition.

Cracked Tooth Syndrome typically affects teeth that are heavily filled, usually with an old silver amalgam filling. 

Cracked Tooth Syndrome typically occurs when a large silver amalgam filling acts as a wedge cracking the tooth structure around the filling.

Cracked Tooth Syndrome occurs when a large silver amalgam filling acts as a wedge cracking the tooth structure around the filling.

The problem with old silver amalgam fillings is they don’t bond directly to the tooth; silver amalgam fillings are usually held in place by retention rather than bonding.

Like all hard materials, tooth structure is affected by stress; repeated biting or chewing can cause hairline stress fractures at the bottom corner of the silver amalgam filling. (Think of the silver amalgam filling as a “wedge” you’d drive between two objects to force them apart.)

Once the hairline fractures are formed, biting on the tooth causes it to flex microscopically, stimulating the nerve. The tiny fluid-filled tubules that run from the outer surface of the tooth to the inner pulp chamber where the nerve is housed, flex as well. This flexing allows the crack to open and close, which in turn causes the fluid to push and pull on the sensitive nerve – this can cause pain when biting or putting pressure on the tooth. The nerve is further aggravated by the crack and the bacteria that gets pumped into the pulp chamber via the tubules; this can make the tooth sometimes sensitive to hot and cold.

If left untreated, the crack will eventually spread and deepen, which may result in part of the tooth fracturing off. If the tooth fractures below the gum-line, it may become unsalvageable. The crack can also cause the root to fracture vertically, causing the tooth to be unsalvageable. Or an abscess can form when bacteria gets into the pulp chamber, resulting in a root canal to save the tooth.

The only real solution to cracked tooth syndrome is to restore the tooth with a permanent crown. At TimberCrest Dental Center, we use tooth-colored porcelain crowns which immobilize the crack so chewing forces move the tooth as a whole. This prevents the tooth from further cracking and splitting apart. The crown is bonded over the entire tooth, sealing all the micro-cracks and covering the tubules, thus reducing the chance of bacteria entering the pulp chamber via the tubules (and reducing the need for a root canal).

Cracked Tooth Syndrome may also require the need for a root canal.  This depends on how deep the crack extends and how effectively the nerve recovers from the repeated flexing and trauma of the cracking. The longer you wait to crown a tooth diagnosed with Cracked Tooth Syndrome, the more likely the need for a root canal.

If you’ve been diagnosed with Cracked Tooth Syndrome, or suspect you may have Cracked Tooth Syndrome, don’t hesitate to call our office for an appointment.  Restoring the tooth early can  go a long way toward eliminating the need for a root canal.

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Treatment for periodontal (perio) disease ranges from non-invasive to surgery under general anesthesia:

• Non-surgical procedure called “Scaling and Root Planing” (SRP) – done at Timbercrest Dental Center by a Registered Dental Hygienist
• Referral to a specialist (Periodontist) for Surgery

Since its our custom to practice standard of care at TimberCrest Dental Center, we typically start with the least invasive method, which is the non-surgical procedure, SRP.

SRP is generally broken down according to number of teeth needing treatment:

• 1-3 teeth (this will be used if only one to three teeth exhibit deeper probe depth numbers during your scheduled cleaning or maintenance appointment)
• by quadrant if 4 or more teeth in a quadrant need attention (the mouth is divided into quadrants – upper-left, upper-right, lower-left and lower-right)

This may or may not be used in conjunction with a site-specific Minocycline antibiotic (in the Tetracycline family) called Arestin. Dr. Luther will determine if the addition of Arestin would benefit your specific Perio condition.

Note: It’s always a good idea for you (the patient) to check with your insurance company to see if they specify certain conditions for coverage; i.e. some insurance companies will cover Arestin only if its placed “X” number of days following the SRP procedure; some will only cover Arestin if placed the same day as the SRP procedure. Because each insurance plan is different, it is often difficult to know every clause for every plan. Our office insurance expert is top-notch, however, it is the end responsibility of the patient to understand their own specific insurance plan.

Once SRP has been performed, a perio maintenance appointment will be required at three month intervals, with the patient eventually graduating to six-month intervals when perio health warrants. This perio maintenance appointment replaces the standard six-month prophylaxis (cleaning).

Once a patient achieves “perio maintenance” status, the frequency of maintenance appointments depends on the periodontal condition; each patient’s condition is different, with each patient “graduating” to six month  maintenance appointments at a different rate. We custom design treatment and frequency recommendations based on what we observe at each maintenance appointment.

While we try to work with insurance companies to get you the maximum benefit coverage, we always keep our patient’s best interest at the forefront of all recommendations. At TimberCrest Dental Center, we recommend treatment based on your needs, not on what your insurance company will cover!

As always, answers to your questions are only a phone call or email away.

The post I Was Diagnosed With Perio Disease – Now What? (Part 2) appeared first on .

They check for perio disease by:

• observing the color and firmness of the gum tissue (should be pink and firm)
• measuring the space between your teeth and gums (healthy probe depths are 1-3 mm) with a small instrument called a periodontal probe
• taking and viewing recent x-rays to see how your bone supports the tooth root 
• checking how your teeth fit together

Healthy gum tissue fits around a tooth like a glove. When someone has perio disease, the gums pull away from the teeth and form spaces called pockets – which are caused by bacteria and in turn harbors more bacteria. Without treatment, the bone supporting the teeth become damaged and cause mobility, which ultimately results in loss of teeth.

In a recent 2012 survey of U.S. citizens by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) 47% of Americans are afflicted with periodontal disease. Because clinical research suggests that diabetes and heart disease are linked to perio disease, it’s important to your overall health to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy.

If you experience any of the following, please call our office for an appointment right away – you may have perio disease:

• gums that bleed during brushing or flossing
• red, swollen and tender gums
• chronic bad breath
• loose teeth
• a change in how your teeth fit together
• a change in how your partial dentures fit
• gums that have pulled away from your teeth

Part 2: I Was Diagnosed With Perio Disease…Now What Do I Do? will be coming your way soon!

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If you still have insurance or flexible spending benefits left this year, consider having that filling or crown done in 2012, instead of waiting for next year.  

We’ve seen this happen too many times:

A patient will by-pass this year’s available insurance benefit dollars with plans to do the work  in the next insurance year. Something unforeseen occurs – a different  tooth fractures or an abscess forms early in the next year and the insurance or flexible spending dollars are used up on an emergency basis on something else.  Then, the unthinkable happens – the tooth that Dr. Luther originally recommended restoring becomes too weakened and also fractures.  There are no longer insurance or flexible spending dollars available, because they were used up with the emergency work.  Now it becomes even more expensive for the patient, because the entire cost of the new crown comes out of the patient’s pocket.

Don’t let this be you…

If you have unused dental insurance or flexible spending dollars left and have some restorative work (filling or crown) that needs to be done, now is the time to schedule your work.  

If you have a crown (or bridge) that needs to be done:

• Call our office today (920-734-9148) if you want your crown prepped and seated before end of December…by Wisconsin law we must charge out the crown on the seat date – which follows two weeks after prepping the tooth for the crown 
• Call our office today (920-734-9148) if you plan to use insurance  or flexible spending dollars before the end of the year – your crown may still need to be pre-authorized and this can take several weeks

If you have any questions about your available insurance benefits, or about pending restorative work, now is the time to contact us. 

Use your insurance and flexible spending dollars wisely and optimally!

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Implants are actually metal (usually titanium) posts that are surgically placed in your jaw bone to replace the root of your tooth. This post fuses with your jawbone and becomes a very secure support for artificial custom-made teeth (single teeth, dentures or bridges).

Implant placement requires three phases or stages:

1. Placement of the Implant – where Dr. Luther surgically places the Implant into your jawbone.
2. Healing Process – this is where the jawbone grows around the implant and holds it in place (called osseointegration) and can take several months to complete
3. Placement of the Prosthesis (placing the artifical custom-made crown on the tooth)

Dr. Luther will determine if your jawbone is in good health and can support an implant, or if you are a good candidate for surgery to build up the bone where the implant will be positioned.

Implants can last a lifetime with proper care – regular dental checkups will be required.

Feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns you may have regarding implants, or to learn about other missing tooth replacement options.

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