Tag: dental
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Methemoglobinemia and Dentistry: A Potentially Lethal Combination
This post is intended to be a refresher on the causes, complications, and treatment of Methemoglobinemia –which can occur because of certain medications in dentistry. Methemoglobinemia is “A condition in which a higher-than-normal amount of methemoglobin is found in the blood. Methemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen.”1 Essentially, methemoglobin is still…
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Busting Wives Tales: Crushed Aspirin for a Toothache
Aspirin is a Non-Steroirdal Anti-Inflammatory or NSAID, commonly used for everyday aches and pains. Some people are also prescribed this drug to manage the risk of heart attack. So besides taking this over-the-counter drug for cardiovascular reasons, it might make sense to take it for a toothache. For some reason the myth of crushing up…
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What The Dentist Sees in Your X-rays
A series of photos below will walk you through the progression of some cavities, and what we are looking out for after your most common X-rays. Now you know what to look for at your next cleaning and exam appointment with your dentist when they swing that monitor or film with your x-rays on them.…
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So You Lost Your Tooth
You’re putting up the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving (hopefully) and, while carefully placing ornaments, you turn around to be greeted by your kid swinging a branch. You look down to reveal your front tooth in your hand and you’ve quickly realized what has happened – you just lost your tooth! Quick – let’s review what…
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Let’s Talk Fluoride
I have a patient at least once a week tell me they don’t use fluoridated toothpaste, and I promptly ask them to divulge why. Let’s talk about why dentists recommend the use of fluoride and why I believe you should use it, too. What Is Fluoride? The CDC states the following about fluoride – ‘Fluoride…
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Sensitive After a Filling?
‘Well it didn’t start hurting until you started messing with it!’ We get this as dental professionals a lot. And we understand. Let’s talk about why post-operative sensitivity can happen and why it (usually) isn’t something to worry about. What Is Post-Operative Sensitivity? A study in 2013 decided to determine what different types of variables…
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What Is Oil Pulling?
Charcoal toothpaste, sucking on lemons, placing aspirin in your mouth – there’s never a shortage of new tips and tricks in dentistry. There’s always going to be changes and claims in medicine as well as new methods to treating disease. It’s our job as practitioners to question these ideas and find research that supports or…
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How Long Will My Crown Last?
More often than not, patients ask me how long their restorations will last. Why should they get a crown when they have a filling that’s doing just fine? There’s a lot of factors that go into the treatment plan a dental practitioner creates, but I think it’s important to understand the longevity of the restorations…
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What Is Combination Syndrome?
The study of prosthodontics allows us to create appliances for those who are missing teeth, and give those who are edentulous a chance to speak and chew properly again. Edentulism (the process of losing teeth) comes with it a host of issues – the syndrome we are going to discuss today has a ‘combination’ of…
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Jada Review: Oral Manifestations of COVID 19
The coronavirus outbreak has been at the forefront of news each week since what seems like forever, and I don’t anticipate the news slowing down anytime soon. Fortunately, new breakthroughs in vaccines have calmed the storm – though reports of new strains and new symptoms seem to continue. In this short summary, we will illustrate…
Teeth & Chiefs 