Darrel Bischoff's Blog

When Should My Child First See a Dentist?

darrelbischoff — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:47:09 +0000

Your child’s first visit to the dentist should happen before his or her first birthday. The general rule is six months after eruption of the first tooth. Taking your child to the dentist at a young age is the best way to prevent problems such as tooth decay, and can help parents learn how to clean their child’s teeth and identify his or her fluoride needs. After all, decay can occur as soon as teeth appear. Bringing your child to the dentist early often leads to a lifetime of good oral care habits and acclimates your child to the dental office, thereby reducing anxiety and fear, which will make for plenty of stress-free visits in the future.

Just Say No To Soda Pops

darrelbischoff — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:13:19 +0000

Sugar and acidity can be lethal to teeth!

Drinks that are sweetened harm your teeth’s protective enamel. Enamel is the outer layer of the exposed tooth. It is a hard thin translucent layer of calcified substance that envelops and protects the dentin (the main portion of the tooth structure) of the crown of the tooth. Exposing dental enamel to carbonated beverages weakens and permanently destroys the enamel. Non-colas and canned iced tea are especially harmful. They contain flavor additives, such as malic, tartaric and other organic acids which are more aggressive at eroding teeth.

Root beer could be the safest soft drink for your teeth, but many other popular diet and sugared sodas are nearly as corrosive to dental enamel as battery acid.

Soda consumed at meal times is less injurious than when consumed alone and continuous sipping is more harmful than the whole drink taken at one time. Drinking soda thorough a straw may help reduce the amount of soda that comes into direct contact with your teeth. Also rinse your mouth out with water after drinking and use toothpaste that contains fluoride.

http://www.dentalcarebydesign.net/

Questions Answered About CEREC

darrelbischoff — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:58:58 +0000

To Sedate or Not Sedate and What’s the Real Difference between IV and Oral Sedation?

darrelbischoff — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:51:43 +0000

Sedating helps the patient become unaware of the pain they are receiving during treatment, as if you were relaxing or sleeping. Usually, it is an anti-anxiety drug. Most patients do not experience discomfort during treatment and feel fine afterward. Sedation is used for treatments such as implants, dentures, crowns, and even gum surgery.

Should you choose to be sedated, here is a little information on the difference between intravenous and oral sedation:

IV, also known as intravenous, sedation can produce either partial or full memory loss (amnesia) for the period of time when the drug first kicks in until it wears off. As a result, time will appear to pass very quickly and you will not recall much, or perhaps even nothing at all, of what happened. So it may, indeed, appear as if you were “asleep” during the procedure.

Oral, in the form of a pill, sedation is prescribed for relieving anxiety in the hours immediately before a dental appointment. An anti-anxiety or sedative-hypnotic drug taken the night before the appointment, an hour before going to bed, can help with falling asleep and getting some rest. This form of sedation is becoming quite common. It will be necessary for you to arrange transportation to and from the dentist’s office because the drug’s effects take a while to wear off.

Sedation medications are should be chosen based on an individual’s medical history. Many sedation dentists use sophisticated dental-specific drug interaction software that automatically cross-checks your medications (even herbal and nutritional supplements) with sedative medications. Check with your dentist about sedation and make sure you understand your options and risks before you go under.

http://www.dentalcarebydesign.net/

Do Dental Sealants Really Help Prevent Tooth Decay? Let’s Find Out

darrelbischoff — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:46:10 +0000

Dental Sealants are becoming more and more popular and for good reason, they actually work.

Most of the general public don’t really understand how dental sealants work or if they work. So I thought I would answer some of the most common questions asked about sealants and hopefully clear up any misunderstandings about dental sealants. So let’s get started:

How does a sealant help prevent tooth decay?

A sealant is a white or transparent plastic coating that is usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth—1st and 2nd molars and premolars as they erupt. This plastic resin bonds into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures to be more technical) of the chewing surfaces of back molars. The sealant acts as a barrier, protecting enamel from plaque and acids.

Thorough brushing and flossing help remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth, but the bristles cannot reach all the way into the depressions and grooves to remove food and plaque. The purpose of the sealant is to cover the deep grooves in the middle of the tooth so food particles and bacteria will not accumulate and start tooth decay.

For more information, please visit our website.

For the rest of the article, visit ChildrenDentistryTips.com

All About Brushing

darrelbischoff — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:18:31 +0000

One of the first things we learn about hygiene is brushing and flossing. We are taught this at a very early age. The proper amount of time to take when brushing your teeth is actually two minutes. Many adults spend much less time than this brushing, which is not enough time to really get the teeth cleaned. Some suggestions would be to use a stopwatch or a two minute timer while brushing, ensuring to brush for the full amount of time.

Pressure should be avoided or kept to a minimum while brushing. It is a much better idea to use short, light strokes. It is better to spend more time focusing on the back teeth, ensuring to get all of the crevices in between the teeth. The eating surfaces should be done very well and then lastly the upper and lower gums should be lightly brushed.

A good toothbrush and toothpaste are key factors to proper brushing techniques. It is sometimes hard to pick a toothbrush as there are so many different choices and models. The brushes should have softer bristles, which tend to be easier on the gums, but will remove plaque and tarter just as efficiently as using a hard bristled brush. Another thing to look for is a brush with a smaller head, making it much more easy to get hard to reach areas and the back of the mouth. As far as choosing a toothpaste, there are also lots of choices there. They range from pastes to stop sensitivity and prevent tartar buildup. The best thing to do when determining the proper paste is to get suggestions from the dentist.

There are several different reasons that a toothbrush should be replaced. It should be replaced every couple of month, regardless. It should be replaced earlier than that if there are signs of wear or if the user has had a cold. If the bristles on a toothbrush start to be worn down, they can cause tears in the gums and cause tooth sensitivity.

Brushing teeth on a regular basis is the best way to maintain them and keep them cavity free in between dental visits. Brushing will keep the teeth free of infections and cavities, making for a much healthier smile.

For more information, please visit our website.

Read the rest of the article here.

What are Fillings?

darrelbischoff — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:59:24 +0000

Fillings are one of the most common types of dental work that is performed on teeth. They are primarily used to repair a tooth that has suffered either a cavity or tooth decay and restores the function of the tooth as well as is in place to prevent further decay.
How they Work

Fillings work by closing off the previously damaged area from bacteria in an effort to prevent further tooth decay. They are inserted into the tooth after the decay has been cleaned out and are formed to fit the existing tooth.

The materials used in fillings vary, but gold, silver and porcelain are most commonly used. They each have their strengths and weaknesses which we will look into below.

Welcome to Dental Care By Design

darrelbischoff — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:27:56 +0000

What are Sensitive Teeth?

darrelbischoff — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:01:22 +0000

Sensitive teeth, also known as dentin hypersensitivity, is a common malady that is experienced by almost 30% of the U.S. population at some point in their lives. It is a sharp, momentary pain felt by the teeth due to a variety of stimuli – from pressure changes, to temperature and electrical changes. Tooth sensitivity has a bi-modal distribution peaking initially between 20-30 year olds, and again in the 50 year olds.

Tooth sensitivity is very common in premolars and canines, whose facial surfaces near the cervical aspect are generally affected. The initial cause in majority of cases is gingival recession, which in turn can be caused by periodontal diseases, improper brushing or overzealous brushing of teeth, or some periodontal treatment.

What are Cavities?

darrelbischoff — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:54:20 +0000

Cavities are an simply tooth decay which if left unchecked can result in pain and potentially the destruction of your tooth. This can be caused by many factors including what you eat, your commitment to oral hygiene and genetics. But if you take a proactive approach with respect to proper oral hygiene you may be able to reduce the effects of cavities and even avoid them altogether.

Read the rest of the article here.

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