Category Archives: Tooth Decay

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HELP! MY GUMS BLEED WHEN I BRUSH

HELP! MY GUMS BLEED WHEN I BRUSH
Do you spit out blood with your toothpaste when you brush your teeth?  Are your gums swollen and red no matter how much you brush?  You may have gingivitis. GINGIVITIS Gingivitis is inflammation of the tissue surrounding the teeth.  It can be acute or chronic and is a response to bacteria on the teeth. The…
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“ONE SHOT OF NOVACAINE ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE” AND OTHER DENTAL COCKTAILS

“ONE SHOT OF NOVACAINE ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE” AND OTHER DENTAL COCKTAILS
Novacaine is actually NOT novacaine... Novacaine is actually NOT novacaine... People use the general term of novacaine to denote the numbing agents that we use today.  The chemical structure of novacaine was derived from esters.  There were many complications and allergies with that preparation. Our modern anesthetics are derived now from the biochemical amide group. …
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KING FOR A DAY! WHAT IS MY CROWN MADE OF?

KING FOR A DAY! WHAT IS MY CROWN MADE OF?
Your dentist may prescribe a crown, often called a “cap”, for various reasons.  Generally, a crown replaces decayed or broken tooth structure to restore the form and function of the tooth.  Then you are hit with a smathering of choices—PFM, gold, ceramic, zirconia… yada, yada, yada. Let us explore the common materials… GOLD High nobel…
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MY DENTIST SAYS I HAVE “DEEP POCKETS” BUT I’M ALWAYS BROKE!

MY DENTIST SAYS I HAVE “DEEP POCKETS” BUT I’M ALWAYS BROKE!
While “deep pockets” are a blessing in the financial world, they are a curse in the dental world. Discovered by using a small instrument with 3-millimeter increments (a perio probe), the measurement is used to diagnose periodontal disease. WHAT IS A PERIODONTAL POCKET? Our teeth are anchored in boney sockets.  When a particular type of bacteria…
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