What should I do about the fact that my teeth are discolored, they’ve been like this all of my life? These are some of the questions that my patients used to ask frequently. I will add to them as my memory allows.
What should I do about the fact that my teeth are discolored, they’ve been like this all of my life?
What’s the difference between a CROWN, and a CAP?
If FLOURIDATION is mandated in my state, or county, should I be for, or against it?
Is a Canker sore bad?
If you have a question, send it to
bradf@milko.net. I will do my best to answer by email. If your question has enough general interest I will post it here.What should I do about the fact that my teeth are discolored, they’ve been like this all of my life?.
Well, you might want to have your DENTIST make some special trays that fit very well to your teeth. In this tray, you could put a VITAL BLEACHING material, to lighten the color of your teeth. Be sure to have your DENTIST shade match your teeth first. Every DENTIST should have a shade guide to match the color of your teeth. In this way you or your DENTIST can monitor that you'll obtain. If they're getting too bright, which is most unlikely, you can just choose not to use the bleaching technique too often. However, the reason for monitoring the shade of your teeth is mostly, to see if you're obtaining the desired results. Because usually, people have one, or two teeth which have had root canals. These teeth have usually discolored because they've become non vital, due to the root canal procedure. These teeth will most likely need something a little more invasive; for instance usually a crown is required. However, if it is an ANTERIOR, front tooth, a PORCELAIN VENEER may be adequate, after a non vital bleaching technique is performed on it. Let me talk a little bit about the non vital bleaching technique. This involves heating up a small ball of cotton inside the tooth, with some PEROXIDE solution on it. I believe the heat activates the PEROXIDE solution to cause the HYDROXYAPETITE crystals in the ENAMEL layer of the tooth to sort of desiccate. This is one good reason for full coverage protection of the tooth i.e. a crown, OR a VENEER. Conservatively, a crown would be required. However, aesthetically speaking a PORCELAIN VENEER may be more desirable. After reading this, the question most of you would have is what's the difference, between VITAL, and NON VITAL bleaching techniques? Well VITAL just means the tooth, or teeth are still alive. Whereas NON VITAL bleaching takes place after the teeth are dead, or no longer vital, i.e. after a root canal procedure has been performed.
What’s the difference between a CROWN, and a CAP?
Well, none. A CAP is the layman's term for a CROWN. These terms are one and the same. You'll often here your friends, or colleagues refer to any kind of full coverage protection of a tooth as a CAP. However, DENTISTS, or anyone who's been involved in DENTAL care, will usually refer to these types of restorations as CROWNS.
If FLOURIDATION is instilled in my state, or county, should I be for this, or against this?
Well, some feel putting FLUORIDE in the water supply is dangerous. However, FLUORIDE DOES occur naturally in some areas, especially mountainous areas of say COLORADO, and some parts of CALIFORNIA, and even UTAH, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, and some areas of MEXICO. The only bad thing which has occurred to people raised drinking the natural water in these areas, as been some MOTTLING or tooth discoloration. However, it's been also found that these same individuals have had lower ACTIVE CARIES rate, fewer cavities. Now, I'LL leave up to each individual to decide whether it's a good thing or bad thing to have their water supply FLUORIDATED, but, when I was a kid growing up in CALIFORNIA, we didn't have FLUORIDE in the water supply. However, my parents had read some literature, that they had probably gotten from our DENTIST, telling them of the benefits of FLUORIDE on tooth decay, and they had me, my brother, and sister, take FLUORIDE tablets. They were then, and I think still are now, small PURPLE tablets with, I think a small cross on them.
Many people, including, unfortunately sometimes, misinformed HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS, call HERPETIC LESIONS, CANKER SORES. When in reality, a CANKER sore is what used to be a term, which mostly just applied to the lesions associated with SYPHLISS or GONOREAH. If people knew this, I don't think they'd so readily call what are really HERPETIC LESIONS, CANKER sores. However, a very communicable virus causes both lesions. HERPETIC lesions by the HERPES virus, otherwise known as the KISSING VIRUS. Canker SORES FROM THE syphilis virus, or the GONOREAL MENINGOCOCL VIRUS, I'M not sure which one it is. I'M proud to say I'VE never contracted SYPHLIS or GONOREAH. I have however, as have 90% of the rest of the population contracted HERPES VIRUS. However fortunately, this virus only rears it's ugly head whenever my body undergoes some form of stress. And then it only makes itself known in the form of a small bubble like lesion somewhere usually in my mouth. A lesion like this can be very painful depending, of course, on its location. I was just at the DENTISTS office for my cleaning which I like to have done every three to four months as it's very difficult to take care of my ORAL HYGIENE now that my right hand is paralyzed. And this particular COLD SORE just happens to be located just at the GUM LINE making it painful to brush my teeth. Hence, I undergo pain twice a day. Once after breakfast, and again before bed. I can be such a good boy, when I want to be. However, I try to make this one of my routines (see ROUTINES the story in the thoughts about life for a brain injury survivor category) Please, and thank you!
Those are some examples of questions commonly asked, please feel free to ask me whatever you'd like. You might have a much more technical question for me. Such as the one somebody asked me from my web page a couple of weeks ago. He asked me if he should get DENTURES made for him. He described a condition which at the time I couldn't remember the name of. However, from his description of the condition I remembered what it was later, after I had told him that although I never like to recommend DENTURES for anybody, to go ahead and get the made. I think the condition he described to me, was something called AMELOGENESIS IMPERFECTA or something like that. A congenital disorder, something he was born with. It can't really be treated other than to eventually go to FULL UPPER and FULL LOWER DENTURES. However, I DID recommend that he could restore his function, and smile with IMPLANTS. Admittedly, a very expensive AND invasive procedure. However a well fitting well made set of DENTURES, FULL UPPER and lower would most likely be about the same fee.
These have just been some examples, of questions one might ask. However ask away because if I don't know the answer, I'LL be sure to either direct you to someone who knows or I'LL find out the answer myself! Send questions to
bradf@milko.net. I will do my best to answer by email. If your question has enough general interest I will post it here.Back to the top
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