Simply put, an orthodontist is a type of dentist. However, many people don’t know this because general dentistry and orthodontics are treated as two very separate kinds of dental care. While some dental practices have both general dentists and orthodontists under the same roof, sometimes your general or family dentist will refer you out to a separate orthodontist’s practice if you need braces or another kind of orthodontic treatment.

Just like a general dentist, an orthodontist has gone to dental school and earned a DDS or DMD degree (or BDS degree outside North America). So an orthodontist has all the same training as a general dentist (or a prosthodontist or a periodontist for that matter). The difference is that the orthodontist has gone on to take 2 additional years of training in the specialty of orthodontics.

So what do orthodontists do? To put it plainly, they look after the alignment of your teeth, your bite, and your jaw. If you have teeth that are crowded or too far apart, an orthodontist can diagnose the problem and create a treatment plan to fix it. If your bite is misaligned so your teeth don’t come together properly when you close your mouth or chew, an orthodontist can also diagnose the problem and plan your treatment. Orthodontists can also treat jaw problems, including problems with the temporomandibular joint (or TMJ).

If you already are pretty familiar with what an orthodontist does, chances are you had braces as a child. Braces are the most common treatment that orthodontists are known for. They can be used to both realign teeth and to realign your bite. Orthodontists can also realign teeth using invisible plastic aligners, such as Invisalign, though general dentists can also treat patients using most forms of dental aligners. Once your teeth are aligned, your dentist may also provide you with a retainer to help keep your teeth in their new position.

So while a orthodontist is a dentist with all the same training as a general dentist, they have chosen to restrict their practice to treating tooth alignment and facial development.

While we all experienced losing teeth as a right of passage through childhood, losing a tooth as an adult is no fun at all, especially when it’s the result of an accident. If you should ever be unfortunate enough to have a tooth knocked out, a little knowledge about what to do can go a long way in preventing longterm damage to your smile.

Of course, on of the first things you should do if your tooth gets knocked out is make an emergency dentist appointment. However, depending on where and when your accident happened, it may be hours before you’ll actually be in the dentist’s chair. There is a good chance that the dentist will be able to put it back in place regardless, but only if you follow a few vital steps between the accident and your arrival at the dentist’s office.

Your primary goal after your tooth has come out is to keep the tooth alive, which means making sure the tooth root remains moist and as undamaged as possible. The tooth root is the tissues that provide blood flow and nutrients to the tooth. If these tissues dry out they can die, which makes it much harder for for the dentist to put it back in its socket successfully.

First, you should try to immediately fit the tooth back in its socket. If you manage to get the tooth back in place, you can bite down on gauze or a wet tea bag to keep in there until you get to your emergency dentist appointment. If you can’t get the tooth back in its socket, you’ll need to use other means to keep it safe.

If the knocked out tooth as dirt or debris on it, rinse it off using tap water or bottled water. Always hold the tooth by the crown (opposite end as the root) and don’t touch the root, as this may damage it. Do not brush the tooth or try to sterilize or clean it with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. These things will do more harm than good.

Next, to keep the tooth moist you need to put it either cow’s milk, or if milk isn’t available, put it in saliva. You can also keep the tooth in your mouth, either under your tongue or between your gums and your cheek. But be careful not to swallow it! Don’t put the tooth in water to keep it moist. Water is not as gentle as milk or saliva and can cause damage to the cells in the tooth root. Once you get to your emergency dentist appointment, the dentist will take care of sterilizing the tooth in a way that doesn’t risk damaging it.

The dentist will assess the damage to your tooth and your mouth and determine the best way to proceed. Usually this involves cleaning the area and the tooth and gently inserting it back into its socket. Sometimes the dentist will apply a splint to keep the tooth in position as it heals back into place. This splint resembles braces and will usually be in place for 1-2 weeks.

The biggest thing to remember when a tooth gets knocked out is that it can be put back if you follow the right steps! Be sure to call your dentist for an emergency dentist appointment right away and your smile should be back to normal in no time.

Please note: If you injuries could be life threatening, contact emergency medical services right away and worry about the dentist later!

Bonus fact: The clinical term for a knocked out tooth is an avulsed tooth.

Generally speaking, there are two types of wisdom tooth pain: the kind that indicates a problem and the kind that’s just part of growing up.

In case you don’t know, wisdom teeth are an additional set of adult molars that typically start coming in between ages 17 and 21. Most children finish getting their adult teeth at around age 12, so wisdom teeth get their name because they appear a few years later, when a person is older and wiser. However, because they come in so much later when most of the adult teeth are already in place, wisdom teeth can often cause problems.

The normal process of tooth eruption can cause wisdom tooth pain. Just like all the other teeth, wisdom teeth need to push up through the gums in order to come in, which can cause occasional aches and soreness. This pain should subside once the tooth has come in all the way, but in the meantime it can be alleviated with topical pain relieving medications, such as Orajel.

However, in a good amount of the population, wisdom teeth do not emerge properly. The teeth can come in a bad angle, get jammed up against the existing molars, and get stuck beneath the surface of the gums. This is what dentists call impacted wisdom teeth.

Impacted wisdom teeth pain is usually an ache that comes and goes over time. It can be irritating and uncomfortable, and often the only long-term solution is to have the impacted teeth extracted. It’s important to note that while extractions are referred to as oral surgery, they are a very routine procedure that usually only requires a day or two of recovery time.

Another cause of wisdom tooth pain is an abscess. This often happens when debris or bacteria get caught in the pockets or crevices caused by a partially erupted wisdom tooth (i.e. a tooth that has only come in part way through the gums). Trapped debris causes and infection, which leads to pain and swelling in the wisdom tooth area. In these cases, the wisdom tooth needs to be removed as soon as possible.

If you have any wisdom teeth pain, it’s a good idea to talk to your dentist about it right away.

Most patients, especially those in suburban areas near cities, have two choices for the types of dental practices they can go to. There are classic privately-owned practices, which are small businesses where the supervising dentist is also the owner. There are also corporate dental offices (also called DSOs) which are owned and run by corporations, and the dentists that practice within them are employees of the corporation.

Clinically speaking, the quality of care at a corporate dental center versus  privately-owned dental practices will be roughly the same. Both types of dental practices are staffed by dentists and hygienists who were held to the same standards in order to earn their DDS/DMD degrees or RDH certifications. That being said, some dentists working in corporate dental practices have complained that they’ve felt pressured by their corporate employers to offer expensive care that the patient might not need, instead of basing treatment decisions on their patients’ individual health, insurance and financial situation (source).

While we hesitate to make generalizations for all such practices, the ethics of care at a corporate dental practice may be clouded by the pursuit of profits. After all, the owner of the practice is a distant corporation, not a dentist who lives down the street, shops at the same grocery store as you and whose children go to the same school as yours!

At dentist-owned dental practices, treatment decisions are between you and your dentist, with no outside influence. Your dentist knows you personally and has the chance to get to know your goals for your health and your appearance, and can take your financial situation into account when helping you weigh your choices. Dentist-owned offices can help you maximize your insurance in a way that’s best for your health and your wallet, as opposed to what’s best for a corporation’s bottom line.

Just because a dental practice has more than one location in your area doesn’t mean it’s corporately owned. Just like your favorite mom and pop sandwich place might have locations on both ends of town, so too can a local dentist have multiple dental practices. One of our aspirations as dental professionals is to provide accessible, compassionate dental care to as much of the local community as we can, and having multiple locations is a way to do that.

While corporate offices have traditionally had the buying power to acquire all the latest equipment, as technology has advanced, the most leading-edge equipment is also increasingly available to privately-owned practices. With all other aspects of your care being equal, would you rather have your smile cared for by local people that you know and trust, or a corporation?

There are many ways to replace missing teeth & restore your smile, & bridges are a good permanent solution. They can replace one or more missing teeth, including molars, & cannot be removed, unlike dentures.

Bridges are called bridges because they create a “bridge” between teeth. The false tooth, called a pontic, is connected to the surrounding existing teeth or implants. The teeth or implant where the bridge is attached is called an abutment.

There are four major types of bridges:

1. Traditional Bridges

Traditional bridges are held in place by dental crowns placed over the two existing teeth on either side of the gap. That means that for this type of bridge, there must be natural teeth on both sides of the gap. Your dentist will file down the existing teeth to place a crown over them so that the bridge can be attached to these new crowns.

2. Cantilever Bridges

In cantilever bridges, the pontic is only supported by one crown, instead of two. These are not as popular because sometimes the bridge can act as a lever & can have complications, like fractured teeth or loosened crowns.

3. Maryland Bridges

In Maryland bridges, the pontic is held in place by a metal or porcelain framework that is bonded to the back of the surrounding teeth, kind of like little wings. This type of bridge is nice because your surrounding teeth don’t need to be filed down.

4. Implant-Supported Bridges

These bridges are useful when more than one tooth is missing. An implant is placed for every missing tooth, & a bridge is attached to the new implants. If an implant can’t be placed for every tooth, then a pontic can be suspended between two surrounding implant crowns instead. These bridges take a bit longer, since implants can take up to five months to place.

Bridges are a long-lasting way to restore your smile & prevent other dental health problems, like bad bites, gum disease & TMJ disorders. Bridges can last up to 10 years with proper care, so practice good oral hygiene to keep your teeth & gum free of decay, & avoid eating hard foods & ice. Keep your bridges clean with proxy brushes, floss threaders & antibacterial mouthwash, & by flossing underneath the false tooth.

Talk to your dentist to find out if dental bridges are right for your smile!

Recent studies have revealed that there is a strong correlation between gum disease and cardiovascular disease. Gum disease, which is referred to by dentists as periodontitis, is when the space between your teeth and gums becomes infected, creating pockets of bacterial infection that leads to swollen, bloody gums, bone loss, and eventual tooth loss. Cardiovascular disease affects your heart and blood vessels and can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

The same bacteria that accumulate in the pockets of your gums due to periodontitis can enter your bloodstream and end up in your heart (as well as throughout your body), which can cause inflammation that leads to cardiovascular problems (source). One bacteria in particular, called Streptococcus sanguis, can appear in gum disease infections and has been linked to strokes.

The link between the two diseases may also be inflammation. People with either disease have more inflammation in their bodies, and there is some evidence that the inflammation caused by gum disease can be a contributing factor in higher risk for heart disease and stroke.

The correlation between gum disease may also have to do with lifestyle choices and other health problems. For example, those with diabetes are more prone to gum disease. Many patients who are not taking care of their teeth may not be taking care of themselves in other ways, such as not eating right and not exercising, which can also contribute to heart disease.

While the evidence of a correlation between the two diseases continues to mount, there is still no evidence of causation. In other words, we have no reason to think that gum disease can cause heart disease in someone who would otherwise not have been at risk. That being said, the possibility remains that gum disease could make cardiovascular disease worse.

One thing we do know for sure is having poor oral health makes it hard for you to stay healthy overall. People with advanced gum disease will often start to lose their teeth or need tooth extraction. Tooth loss and the discomfort associated with it make it hard for people to eat the nutritious foods they need to keep their bodies healthy. The best way to prevent gum disease is to take good care of your teeth and gums by brushing twice a day for at least two minutes, flossing daily, eating well and seeing your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and checkups.

Bruxism is what dentists call teeth clenching and teeth grinding. The symptoms of bruxism are fairly easy to spot, as are the complications that can result from it. The causes of bruxism, however, a more varied and mysterious.

Teeth grinding involves the moving of teeth back and forth across each other. Most teeth grinding is unconscious and happens during sleep. Grinding is more common in children and they usually grow out of it once they’ve finished losing their baby teeth. Most adults who grind their teeth are unaware of it until a partner tells them they can hear the grinding sound while they are sleeping or their dentist spots signs of wear on the teeth (more on this later).

Teeth clenching involves tightly pressing your top and bottom teeth together. While normal eating and chewing only exerts 20 to 40 pounds of force on your teeth, the clenching that occurs in bruxism can exert hundreds of pounds force on your teeth. Clenching is also unconscious, but it can occur both while someone is awake and while they’re asleep.

Most studies and indicators tie daytime bruxism to stress. As a result, daytime clenching can often be relieved with stress reduction techniques, massage or physical therapy. Sometimes just being made aware of the clenching problem helps sufferers change their habits.

Nighttime bruxism is trickier. Because it occurs while a person is asleep, it is impossible to treat with behavioral changes. As a result, nighttime bruxism is usually treated by your dentist, often with a dental appliance referred to as a splint or a mouthguard. This is usually a custom made rubber or plastic piece that fits over your top or bottom teeth to protect them from the forces of clenching and grinding.

In the past, bruxism was linked to misaligned teeth and was sometimes treated using orthodontics (braces). However, the link between bruxism and misaligned teeth (called malocclusion by dentists) has been somewhat disproven, so orthodontic treatment for the disorder has become more rare.

Recent studies have started to link bruxism to sleep apnea, and while more study is needed on this topic, it is possible that undergoing treatment for sleep apnea by your dentist (which often involves an oral appliance of some kind) could help alleviate nighttime bruxism.

As mentioned before, while the causes of bruxism aren’t totally clear, the symptoms are. Patients usually experience one or more of these symptoms:

• Headaches, especially in the morning
• Ear pain (because of the jaw joint’s proximity to the inner ear)
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• Sore jaw or full-blown TMJ disorder
• Tooth sensitivity (to hot, cold or sweet)
• Anxiety & tension

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should start a discussion with your dentist about whether you have bruxism.

In addition to uncomfortable symptoms, bruxism can have consequences for the health of your teeth. Some people with bruxism don’t have any of the symptoms listed above. They are diagnosed instead by the pattern of wear that the dentist sees on their teeth during an examination. Teeth worn down from grinding or clenching can eventually crack. Bruxism can also wear away the protective outer enamel layer of the teeth, making the exposed softer dentin more susceptible to cavities. Damage or decay in your teeth could lead to pain or even tooth loss. This is why it’s important to get treated for your bruxism once you’ve been diagnosed.

Just like a post you place when building a fence, a dental post is intended to keep something stable and in place—in this case, a tooth. From a basic description, you might think a dental post and a dental implant are the same thing. In fact, they are quite different.

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that serves as the foundation for a fake tooth crown or dentures. A dental post is added to an existing tooth that is still in place but needs to be reinforced.

Dentists use a dental post to help stabilize and secure a tooth that has undergone root canal treatment (also called endodontic treatment: “endo” means inside, “dont” means tooth). The root canal is the tube inside your tooth that contains all the tissues that nourish your teeth. If these tissues become damaged or infected, you will need root canal therapy to clear out the bad tissues and seal the canal back up again.

In some cases, in addition to infection in the root canal, there is decay (big cavities) in the outer structure of the tooth that needs to be removed. After the decayed parts of the tooth is removed, there sometimes isn’t enough tooth structure left to keep the tooth stable. In this case, the dentist will install an artificial post to connect the tooth with the remaining tooth root that is embedded in your gums and jaw. This additional reinforcement helps make the tooth and any fillings sturdy so they function like a healthy tooth again.

Dental posts are made from either titanium, titanium alloy, or composite materials. Today, fiber-reinforced resin-based composite posts are the most common. Sometimes, depending on the size and condition, the dentist may place more than one post in a tooth (for example, in a molar). Dental posts are not used in all root canal or endodontic treatments, and there are very specific clinical reasons for choosing to place a dental post that your dentist will consider carefully when planning your procedure. If your endodontic treatment will involve the placement of a post, your dentist will review this with you when you go over what your treatment will entail.

In a world filled with whitening toothpastes and drugstore whitening kits, it’s important to know that the most effective teeth whitening treatment still comes from your dentist. Not only do dentists have more powerful tools at our disposal, we are also experts on your smile, and can tell you whether teeth whitening is right for you and what kind of results to expect.

To understand how to whiten teeth as effectively as possible, let’s start with a little science.

If you look at teeth under a microscope, you can see that the hard outer layer, called enamel, is made up of a tightly packed crystal structure called rods. While this layer seems solid and smooth to the naked eye, it’s possible for the molecules that cause stains to get deep into the enamel by seeping between the rods. In order to remove stains, dentists use a chemical that can get down to where the stains are and break up them up using a chemical reaction.

The chemicals used in professional teeth whitening are hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide (which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide in your mouth, so hydrogen peroxide is still the active ingredient). Hydrogen peroxide penetrates the teeth and causes a reaction called oxidation, which breaks down the stain compounds.

By the way, whitening toothpastes work by removing surface stains on teeth, not the ones under the surface. They do this by being more abrasive than other toothpastes, which is why your dentist may discourage you from using whitening toothpastes if you have complained of tooth sensitivity. More than anything, toothpastes are good for preventing stains, not removing them!

At-home teeth whitening products from the drugstore also contain carbamide or hydrogen peroxide, but in much lower concentrations. They also contain other ingredients for flavor and to help reduce the possibility of tooth sensitivity. While drugstore kits are much cheaper, because the bleaching agents in these kits are less potent, you can expect to see results in weeks as opposed to days (with a home kit from your dentist) or minutes (when you get your teeth bleached at the dentist).

Another reason that it’s a good idea to go to you dentist for whitening treatments is they can evaluate whether your teeth should even undergo whitening to begin with. Some people don’t realize that whitening only works on natural teeth. Fillings and crowns are made of artificial materials that look like teeth, and feel like teeth, but chemically speaking, they’re very different. Most restorations are made from ceramic, porcelain, or composite resin. These materials do not react the same way to bleaching chemicals as your natural tooth enamel does. If you have large fillings or crowns, a dentist can recommend alternatives to bleaching for improving the appearance of your smile.

The professional teeth whitening process starts with a consultation with your dentist. Not everyone is a good candidate for teeth whitening, which is why you want to talk to a dentist before you have it done. If you have large fillings or crowns (caps) on your front teeth, teeth bleaching is not a good idea. The chemicals will bleach your natural teeth but not your dental restorations (which are made from ceramic, porcelain or composite material), resulting in your teeth being different colors.

Teeth whitening is most effective on yellow discoloration, and can be less effective on brown or gray discolored teeth, especially when the discoloration is the result of exposure to tetracycline antibiotics while teeth are still developing (before age 8).

Next comes the actual whitening appointment. Once you’re comfortable in the chair, the dentist will insert a lip retractor into your mouth, which is just a plastic guide that moves your lips out of the way so your teeth are easy to access.
The dentist will then cover your gums around your front teeth with a gel and then harden it with a high-powered light. This is called a gingival barrier, and it protects your gums from the teeth bleaching chemicals during the whitening process. The dentist may also apply a compound to your teeth that will help prevent tooth sensitivity.

The actual whitening process involves the dentist applying a gel made of 15% to 35% hydrogen peroxide to your front teeth. Hydrogen peroxide can penetrate the porous outer layer of your teeth and break apart stain compounds using a chemical reaction called oxidation. Depending on the whitening system being used, the application of the whitening gel may be followed by applying a high-powered light that speeds up the whitening process.

Most systems involve multiple applications of the gel throughout the whitening session. The dentist will rinse off the gel and reapply a fresh coat as many times as necessary within the space of about 40 minutes. Once complete, the whitening procedure can achieve four to six shades of whitening after only one session. Some patients experience tooth or gum sensitivity after whitening, but this usually goes away within a day or two.

While the effects of teeth whitening can last quite a while (months to years), depending on diet and other habits (like smoking!), the stains on teeth will eventually return. Some dentists may recommend maintaining a freshly whitened smile with a professional home whitening kit. These kits include custom made trays to fit your teeth and tubes of whitening gel that has a lower concentration of bleaching agents than the in-office variety. The patient lines the trays with the gel and wears them for a few hours at a time each day or while sleeping.

When it comes to teeth whitening, you get what you pay for. While over-the-counter kits from the drugstore are cheap and offer the convenience of at-home bleaching without a visit to the dentist, they are slower and less effective than professional whitenings. And of course, without the supervision of a dentist, you don’t have the guidance you need to get the best results. If you want truly Hollywood-white teeth, invest in a professional teeth whitening administered by your dentist.