FAMILY DENTISTRY
Prophylaxis-teeth cleaning
Most people get cleaning twice per year but some patients have more build up than others and do require more frequent cleanings. Children as young as one year can benefit from a cleaning. For the youngest patients, a soft, rotating brush, and special flavored paste will be used to polish teeth and remove any plaque accumulation.
We Use Only
Contemporary Tooth Color Fillings
Fillings would be some of the most common procedures performed in dental practices across the country. We use the highest quality materials, latest technology, modern techniques when doing ours.
Οnly composite, or “tooth-colored,” fillings
Our practice places only composite, or “tooth colored,” fillings which blend in with the tooth are nearly invisible. Composite is a resin material, which means it’s a type of plastic. The alternative filling material is amalgam and is silver in appearance. Amalgam contains mercury, among other metals, most of which gets released as the filling is setting.
These “silver” fillings expand when setting, resulting in greater risk of tooth fracture later in life. The metal does not bond, or glue itself, to the tooth on any chemical level. It simply hardens, expands, and gets stuck in the hole in which it was placed. The “white” composite fillings do bond to the tooth and actually seal the cavity site.
Fillings Process
Prevalence of cavities makes fillings the most common procedure performed in dentistry. The process consists of removing the cavity (soft, bacteria filled lesion on the tooth) and restoring that area with a “tooth color” composite material. We use modern techniques, newest technology, and highest quality materials to do just that.
You Can Relax with
DryShield Technology
We start by applying topical anesthetic to give a more gently injection. Once the patient is numb, we then use DryShield technology to isolate the tooth and keep it dry throughout the procedure. Keeping the tooth dry is required in order to get the best possible longevity and performance from our filing material.
DryShield ensures quality services
The DryShield also keeps the patient’s tongue, cheek, and lips comfortably retracted and out of the way. It removes waster and saliva effortlessly and efficiently eliminating that dreaded “drowning” feeling we’ve all gotten at dental offices when water and saliva was allowed to accumulate and was not removed promptly.
DryShield has a built in bite block, a mouth pillow, that a patient can rest their teeth on, making staying open effortless. Lastly, it protects the airway by preventing any particles of debris from falling down the patient’s throat. In all, our entire DryShield experience is a lot less stressful and more enjoyable for the patient.
The no-pain tooth-filling process
Once we have the tooth adequately numb and isolated, the cavity is removed using a spinning handpiece. The filling material is “glued on” in steps and layers. A special light is shined on each new layer. This light speeds up the chemical reaction that hardens the material. Once the light is turned off and removed, the filling material is as hard as it will get and is ready to withstand all the forces and demands required of it during chewing. The filling is then shaped and polished to allow it to fit perfectly into the bite.
3 Common Causes of
Tooth Cavity You Need to Know
Cavities, or caries
They inflict more than 90% of the US population. 60% of cavities occur in 20% of population. It’s the single most prevalent chronic disease in childhood. Cavities are the result of a number of factors including poor oral hygiene, diet, and each person’s individual bacterial population in their mouth.
Sugar and other carbohydrates
In short, particular cavity causing bacteria convert sugar and other carbohydrates into acid, which causes the enamel (shell of the tooth) to lose minerals, weaken, and break down. These bacteria can then move into the broken down enamel and continue this cycle. The result is weakened, soft, bacteria filled lesion on the tooth commonly known as a cavity.
Acidic food and drinks
Generally acidic environment in the mouth must be present for cavities to develop. Acidic food and drinks, as well as, health factors such as Acid Reflux can contribute to this environment and make the patient more susceptible to cavities. In addition to strengthening enamel, fluoride can help reduce general acidity in the mouth.
Good use of Fluoride
Fluoride application-fluoride has the potential to repair minor damage to your enamel, outer hard shell, of the tooth!
It does so by incorporating itself into the enamel and fortifying it and making it more acid-resistant. It is also highly effective at killing cavity causing bacteria.
Oral Cancer Screening Vital?
The incidence of oral cancer is on the rise. Risk factors include tobacco and alcohol use. There is also a strong association with human papilloma virus. This cancer can be aggressive and difficult to treat, resulting in a five-year survival rate of just fifty percent.
Because of this screening and early detection are very important. Our practice utilizes OralID®, which uses fluorescence technology to help clinicians visualize and identify potential problem lesions early.
A Special Preventative
Treatment for Children
Sealants-a sealant is a protective coating of flowable composite material applied to the most cavity prone parts of the chewing surface of the tooth. These consist of the line lines and grooves, or pits and fissures, going through the middle of the chewing surface.
Ideal for children
This preventative treatment is ideal for children because as teeth are erupting, chewing surfaces can accumulate bacteria containing plaque, as well as, sugars and carbohydrates from food. The combination of the two will result in the formation of cavities.
Sealants can reduce the incidence of chewing surface
Many children are not as thorough at brushing and cleaning those chewing surfaces as we’d like them to be. Studies have shown that sealants can reduce the incidence of chewing surface cavities in permanent molars of children and adolescents by about 80%. Studies have also showed that due to reasons previously mentioned these chewing surface cavities in children when developed, are aggressive and likely to progress quickly.
Sealant placement is simple, painless, and non-invasive.
Numbing is not necessary because no tooth structure is cut into or removed. Isolation of the area is achieved using our DryShield. Area of placement is polished, washed, dried, primer applied, and a thin film flowable composite material applied to the grooves on the chewing surface. The special light is then shined on the composite to harden it.
Conquer your fear
Of Tooth Extraction
We will numb the area just as we would for a filling, ensuring that the procedure is completely pain free.
Once completely numb, we’ll rock the tooth side to side using a special forceps, not unlike wiggling a baby tooth out as we all did when we were children. Adult teeth have more dense bone surround their roots requiring more working time and a greater amount of pressure applied.
Immediate Recovery after a tooth extraction
The patient may feel some pressure during the course of the procedure, but should feel absolutely no pain.
Immediately following the extraction, the patient has to bite down on gauze for 30 minutes to an hour in order for the bleeding to stop. Once the tooth has been extracted, your body begins to form a blood clot, similar to a scab over the extraction site. This blood clot stops the bleeding and helps to begin the healing process.
It is very important that it is not disturbed, as the clot is soft and fragile for the first few days following the extraction. Dry Socket, which is very painful and easily preventable, is the result of the blood clot coming loose.
What to avoid after the extraction
Forceful swishing, spitting, drinking through a straw, or smoking, can result in enough pressure to dislodge the clot and cause dry socket. This typically occurs in the first few days of healing. In the event this does occur, the area must be anesthetized, socket cleaned out thoroughly, and medication applied directly into it.
To aid in normal healing avoid vigorous exercise for the first 24 hour following the extraction. If minor swelling occurs apply an ice pack, or a bag of frozen corn or peas. The inflammatory process peaks at 24 to 48 hours, after which any swelling should begin to subside. Eat soft, room temperature food for the first 24 hours.
When do I need a
Root Canal Treatment?
A root canal is necessary when the nerve, or pulp as we call it, becomes damaged due to a cavity of a fracture. When bacteria get into the nerve space, it will become irritated and painful.
Root canals have a bad reputation for being painful. The pain is the result of the infection in the nerve, the procedure itself should not be painful at all.
In some cases, antibiotics should be taken prior to having the root canal procedure done and in order to reduce the bacterial load and ensure a painless visit. We start by getting the patient numb, just as we would for a regular filling.
We place topical anesthetic to reduce the discomfort and make the injection as gently as possible. Once numb, clean out all the decay, as well as, the nerve space inside the tooth. Once properly cleaned, we fill that space and rebuild the tooth. If properly anesthetized this is all completely painless. Most root canals will require a cap, or crown as we call it, in order to reinforce and strengthen the treated tooth.
Whatever your dental problem is, Rufe Snow dental group is here for you! Don’t hesitate, fill out the form today and book your appointment. We are here to help you get your smile back!
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Address
5757 Rufe Snow Drive, Suite A N. Richland Hills, TX 76180
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