A cavity is a hole caused by damage to the structure of the tooth.  A cavity is caused by decay (or dental caries).  Decay is an IRREVERSIBLE bacterial infection, meaning the decay will get bigger until it is removed.  The decay will keep going and eventually destroy the tooth.  Decay does not hurt in the early stages, which is good.  As the decay progresses and the cavity gets bigger the symptoms of a tooth ache appear.  If the decay reaches the nerve then severe symptoms or swelling can occur. 

We can treat the decay and fix the cavity by doing a filling, crown or onlay. Fillings are done when the damage is smaller, crowns and onlays are done when the damage is greater.   With the decay removed, the remaining healthy tooth can be saved and the missing areas replaced.  We use complete exams and the latest technology to look for cavities caused by decay BEFORE they cause a tooth ache or before you can notice them.  When they are detected early they can be treated quickly and easily, sometimes without numbing.

The Indiana Dental Association has wonderful information on the destruction of teeth by sugary drinks.  Please visit www.drinksdestroyteeth.com    Bacteria cause cavities.  Bacteria eat sugar and make acid which causes the cavities.  So if you only have two sugary drinks, BUT you sip them all day you are giving the bacteria all the food they need to make cavities ALL DAY LONG.  Normally your mouth will get back to normal (non-acidic) in about 15-20 minutes after you eat or drink.  Teeth that are damaged enough by acid stay damaged or get worse.  Remember cavities and cracks start LONG before they can be felt or before a tooth ache becomes noticeable. 

If you enjoy a drink with sugar, brush after drinking.  Don’t sip on the drink for extensive periods of time.  If you are really thirsty water is the best drink.  Watch children and what they drink.  It is easy to forget that Minute-Maid apple juice has as much sugar as a can of Coke!

At Martin Dentistry we have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.  We get the chance to do what we enjoy everyday, helping people with great dental care.  One of the other things to be thankful for is cooking!  The following is a Martin family recipe

Cranberry raspberry gelatin

1 can of jellied cranberry – melted, 6 oz of raspberry jello dissolved in 2 cups of hot water, 1 package of frozen raspberries – thawed, 1 cup of crushed pecans.   Dissolve the jello in the boiling water, add the jellied cranberry and stir.  Add the raspberries and pecans.  Pour into a serving dish and let cool and firm.  It takes about 2 hours.  An easy recipe, but it always get eaten.  Enjoy

We frequently have questions and address concerns about having dental radiographs or x rays. People are concerned about radiation exposure. Fortunately exposure to sources of radiation can be measured and compared. While it is best practice to avoid exposure if unneeded, the flip side is you are exposed every day all day long to sources of radiation. We will use a MICROSEVERT as a dose for examples sake.

Compare a set of 4 bitewing xrays:   5 doses

Eating a banana a week for a year:   5 doses

Normal Background Radiation for a day:   10 doses

Traveling to LA fro NY by flying:   40 doses

Living in a brick home for a year:   80 doses

Mammogram:   3,000 doses

Chest CT scan:   5,800 doses

Yearly dosage allowed for a US radition worker:   50,000 doses

We use radiographs to help detect disease and cavities, which if left untreated will become worse over time.  As you can see from above, the dose received at the denatl office is very low.  At Martin Dentistry we use DIGITAL radiographs, which reduce exposure over traditional xrays by 60% .  You should be concerned about health and what you are receiving, but you should also be informed.  If you have any questions or need more information don’t hesitate to ask.

First of all, rubber dams are not made of rubber or latex. We use a non-latex material to avoid allergy reactions.
Rubber dams are used to isolate the teeth and to help keep things dry. Our filling materials won’t work if they are wet.
A holder is placed around one of the teeth and holes are place in the dam for the remaining teeth. Dams allow use to work quicker, have better isolation, gain a better bond strength and make restorations that last longer. In other words, better quality and longer lasting restorations. That saves time and trips to the dentist. Don’t worry we won’t make you wear one home

When cavities, fractures or trauma damage teeth a filling may not be able to fix the situation.  When a majority of the tooth is gone, something more solid and whole is needed to fix the problem.  That is when crowns (caps) or onlays (a restoration that replaces a lot of tooth structure) are used.  With CEREC 3D we can make some crowns and onlays in the office while you wait.  That means no second appointment and no temporary.  They are natural looking and as hard as your natural teeth.  CEREC restorations can not be used in all situations and we will always chose what treatment is in your best interest.

The recommended level of fluoride in drinking water has been reduced to 0.7milligrams per liter.  The previous range was 1.2 to 0.7 mg/liter.  There was a concern that high levels of fluoride could cause harmless white spots (fluorosis) to form on the teeth.  The 0.7mg/l dose is still considered effective by the American Dental Association and the U.S. government.

The fluoride that is in water is incorporated (taken up) into the developing teeth.  Your adult teeth form under the gums when you are a child, this is when fluorosis can happen.  People over the age of 8 don’t have to worry about fluorosis, their teeth are already formed.

The fluoride used in a dental office is a topical fluoride, which is applied directly to the teeth.  This is a different form of fluoride than is in the water and does not stain the teeth.  The fluoride used in the office is up to 20 times stronger than that in tooth paste and can actually help to repair some damage.  Adults and children can use the fluoride in the office.

Most cavities or fractures don’t cause pain at first.  It is only when the damage becomes much larger, that you start to notice symptoms.  With early detection we can treat some cavities in 5-10 minutes withoutthe need for numbing.  When cavities (decay) or fractures become larger, they destroy more tooth and they take longer to fix.  This may mean a greater expense or less of a chance of saving the tooth.

Once you develope a toothache, the damage is already severe.  At this point the chance to fix the problem conservatively could be gone.  Taking care of damage before symptoms are noticable  can save time and expense.  Treatment of teeth that you don’t feel pain in is not preventative, the damage is already there.  We are trying to keep you out of pain and healthy.