August 26th, 2011 amogell
Most people don’t think very much about the different parts that makeup a tooth – until something goes wrong. This blog will be a short description of the parts of a tooth.
The part of the tooth that we see above the gumline is called the crown. The part that we can’t see below the gumline is the root which extends down and anchors the tooth to the jawbone. Each individual tooth is made up of four types of tissue:
- Enamel is the hard substance that covers the visible part of your tooth. This translucent substance is hardest substance in the human body and protects your teeth from decay.
- Dentin is the layer found below the enamel. This substance is calcified and looks like bone. The dentin is not as hard as enamel and is likely to become decayed if the enamel is missing from the tooth.
- Cementum is light yellow in color and covers the tooth root and helps anchor the root to the bone. This substance is softer than dentin or enamel but is usually covered by the gums. If the gums are worn away or shrink because of disease or damage then the cementum can become the target of harmful bacteria.
- Pulp is the substance that forms the center of your tooth. This part of the tooth contains blood vessels, nerves and other tissues that deliver nutrients to your tooth.
Keeping your teeth healthy starts with good home care. This means brushing and flossing daily to remove harmful bacteria that can break down the enamel of your tooth. Using fluoride toothpaste helps rebuild damaged enamel.
Once decay has occurred your tooth cannot heal itself. The good news is that cavities can now be filled with tooth-colored composite restorations which allow you to maintain a beautiful, white smile. No more ugly, black, mercury amalgam fillings. These restorations are more than just cosmetically pleasing, they are also strong, durable and less reactive to heat and cold than old-fashioned fillings.
To schedule your appointment for restoration of a dental cavity please contact StoneRidge Dental Care today at 614-476-6696.
Posted in Mercury Free, Oral Heath Care | No Comments »
December 16th, 2010 amogell
An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) met on December 15 and recommended that the FDA examine all relevant evidence when it reviews the 2009 ruling it made that concluded that mercury dental amalgams were safe.
The panel said that the FDA needs to look “not at just certain studies but all scientifically sound studies” when undertaking the review. The panel also felt that while amalgam filling material is safe for most people there are existing studies that “there does appear to be a very sensitive subpopulation” according to panelist Susan Griffin, PhD. Several people with such sensitivities testified during the advisory panel meeting including patients with dental amalgam fillings and dental office workers.
High levels of mercury exposure can cause memory problems, tremors, mood swings, headaches and lead to brain and kidney damage. Some dentists still support the use of dental amalgam because it is a cheap, easily placed filling material for dental cavities. Modern, tooth colored dental fillings not only look nicer than amalgam fillings but are also not subject to cracking when exposed to heat and cold.
The dental practice of Dr. Mark Levy is mercury-free office conveniently located in Gahanna, Ohio. If you are concerned about mercury exposure due to the breakdown of your old dental fillings please contact us at 614-476-6696 to discuss your options for replacing your mercury-based fillings.
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December 10th, 2010 amogell
An advisory panel at the Food and Drug Administration will look at a study that claims that 67 million Americans with silver, mercury-based dental amalgam fillings are being exposed to levels of mercury that exceed EPA guidelines. The study was commissioned by a group promoting mercury-free dentistry. The review will focus on the potential risks to pregnant women, fetuses and young children.
Dental amalgam is made up of about half mercury and half other metals such as silver, zinc, copper and tin. The FDA has long maintained that dental amalgam is safe for use in children 6 years and older.
The use of mercury-based amalgam as dental fillings has been falling dramatically in this country in recent years and is only used for about 30% of all fillings. Sweden, Norway and Denmark have banned the substance because of potential risks to patients, dental professionals and environmental damage.
Another recent study about mercury risk was published in the November issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease which concluded that mercury may be a factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
StoneRidge Dental Care is proud to be a mercury-free facility. If you are concerned about the safety of your old mercury amalgam fillings please contact our Gahanna, Ohio office at 614-476-6696 to discuss your alternatives for safe dental restorations.
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December 6th, 2010 amogell
Do you crunch on the ice in your soft drinks? Can’t wait to get to the center of that Tootsie Pop so you bite instead of lick? Both are common ways that people chip their teeth. Other people grind or clench teeth, many times at night so they don’t even realize they are doing it until their dentist sees damage. Simply exposing teeth to heat and cold can lead to chips, cracks, and breaks in your teeth.
Tiny chips are usually not a bother. But large chips and cracks in teeth or in fillings can lead to pain or permanent tooth damage. If you recognized yourself in this list of bad habits – it is time to stop. No more ice munching, no more crunching hard candy or cough drops. Protecting your teeth from damage will save you discomfort and hours in the dental chair repairing problem teeth.
Once a tooth has been damaged the treatment required to restore that tooth will vary depending upon the type of crack or chip, how bad the crack or chip is and where it is located in your mouth. For some simple repairs dental bonding or tooth contouring may be all that is needed. Porcelain veneers or crowns are usually needed to fix badly damaged teeth. Old, cracked mercury silver fillings are always replaced using modern dental restoration materials that do not contain mercury.
In the Columbus, Ohio area please contact StoneRidge Dental Care today at 614-476-6696 to schedule your appointment. Cracked or broken teeth will not heal themselves and the problems will only get worse over time. Call today to discuss your options for repairing damaged teeth.
Posted in cosmetic, Mercury Free, Teeth Grinding | No Comments »
December 2nd, 2010 amogell
Yet another reason to get those old mercury amalgam fillings out of your mouth. The November issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease states that inorganic mercury, the type found in dental amalgams, likely is a contributing cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
A systematic review of 106 studies found that the symptoms and features of Alzheimer’s disease were reproduced, or occurred more quickly, when mercury was introduced. Forty of the studies tested memory in individuals exposed to mercury and thirty-two of them found significant memory problems following exposure.
The study authors noted that the evidence against mercury was “strongly suggestive” but added that some links between inorganic mercury and Alzheimer’s were missing. “The situation is similar to the early 1970′s regarding smoking: enough experimental evidence existed, but human studies were inconclusive at the time and were under attack by groups with a vested interest” said lead researcher Dr. Harald Walach.
Dr. Walach called for “the removal of mercury from public and ecological circuits and replacing it wherever possible by less toxic alternatives. “ He added, “To wait until irrefutable evidence has accumulated is not the best options in view of what we already know about the toxicity of mercury. The removal of inorganic mercury from ecological cycles might prove to be the easiest and most effective public health measure to contribute to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.”
StoneRidge Dental Care is mercury-free and we can help you and your family become mercury-free as well. Please contact us today at 614-476-6696 to discuss your treatment options. for replacing mercury fillings with safer, non-toxic and more attractive restorations.
Posted in cosmetic, Mercury Free | No Comments »
November 9th, 2010 amogell
The California city of Costa Mesa has become the first American municipality to pass a resolution calling for banning the use of dental amalgam. The silver colored filling material is controversial because about half of it is mercury, a known neurotoxin. The resolution passed by the city council calls on federal and state agencies to ban amalgam, for dentists in Costa Mesa to voluntarily switch to non-toxic alternatives and for the other 33 cities in Orange County to adopt similar measures.
California already has declared the mercury in amalgam to be a reproductive toxin and the Dental Board of California requires dentists to distribute a fact sheet to each patient disclosing amalgam’s risks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold hearings at the end of 2010 to consider banning amalgam for children and pregnant women and the E.P.A. announced in October that it would require dentists to install technology to catch waste mercury before it goes down the drain and into the water supply.
Costa Mesa City Council Member Gary Monahan said that dentists and their staff members will benefit because without mercury vapors, dental offices will be a much safer workplace environment. He also noted that consumers have been deceived by the term “silver fillings” and explained that a 2006 poll showed that over 80% of California residents would pay more to get non-mercury fillings but only 40% of them knew that amalgam’s main component was mercury.
StoneRidge Dental Care is proud to be a mercury-free environment. Our commitment to the total health of our patients means that we offer only mercury-free dentistry. Removal of old mercury amalgam fillings and replacement with new composite filling material will reduce exposure to mercury and reduce further damage to teeth from old, cracked amalgams.
In the Columbus, Ohio area please contact my office at 614-476-6696 today for more information about mercury dental amalgams and their effects on the environment and your health.
Posted in cosmetic, Mercury Free, Oral Heath Care | 2 Comments »
October 1st, 2010 amogell
According to the American Dental Association (ADA) the Environmental Protection Agency has plans to set up rules to reduce mercury waste from dental facilities. The EPA expects the new rules to take place in 2012. While the ADA has a policy that encourages dentists to voluntarily reduce amalgam in dental office wastewater it is now expected to review its amalgam separator policy before the EPA rule is is place.
The EPA believes that dental amalgams are responsible for 3.7 tons of mercury discharged into wastewater from dental facilities each year. Technology called “amalgam separators” can reduce 95% of this mercury that is normally sent to local wastewater treatment plants. The separators capture the mercury which can be recycled and reused.
Countries worldwide have banned dental amalgam completely because of the dangers of mercury. Here in the United States it is still used primarily because it is cheap and easy to use. StoneRidge Dental Care is mercury-free and more and more dental offices are deciding that, like StoneRidge Dental Care, using amalgam is unacceptable.
If you have old mercury-based amalgam fillings it is probably time to have them replaced. Amalgam expands and contracts when in contact with heat and cold. This leads to leaks in the filling itself which allow bacteria to begin decay of the tooth under the filling. It can also lead to cracking of the tooth when the filling expands.
Please contact my Gahanna, Ohio office at 614-476-6696 and ask about your options for replacing mercury-based dental amalgam today.
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August 12th, 2010 amogell
It is that time of year again – back to school preparations are underway. Kindergarten to college age, families are busy shopping for school supplies, new school clothes and desperately searching for the perfect backpack. Many students are also undergoing back-to-school physicals because of participation in school sports.
Don’t forget to schedule the dental check-up as well. For college age kids this is the last chance to spot problems before they crop up when your son or daughter is far from home. For younger children this is a good opportunity to arrange their dental visit before school and extracurricular activities overflow the family schedule.
Children who are participating in sports should be fitted for a mouthguard to protect their teeth during play. If you have a child that is participating in sports at a very advanced level you may want to discuss a performance mouthguard like the Makkar Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM). PPM mouthguards are used by elite athletes in many sports and are scientifically proven to improve performance.
The school year can also be a stressful time. Many young people, particularly high school and college age students, react to stress by grinding their teeth during sleep. This condition is called bruxism and can cause jaw problems as well as wearing down or breaking teeth. As an experienced neuromuscular dentist, Dr. Levy can diagnose and treat nocturnal teeth grinding preventing further damage and discomfort.
Please contact our Gahanna, Ohio office today at 614-476-6696 to schedule examinations for your family. Our office is mercury-free and utilizes digital x-rays to reduce radiation exposure – your family’s overall health and their healthy smiles are important to us – please call today.
Posted in Mercury Free, Oral Heath Care, Teeth Grinding | No Comments »
August 11th, 2010 amogell
A faculty member at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine recently wrote an article outlining common dental myths – here are a few dental myths debunked:
- Losing baby teeth to tooth decay is OK. Myth – Some people believe this since baby teeth fall out anyway but decay in baby teeth can damage the developing adult teeth under the gums. If baby teeth are lost too early the permanent teeth may not be positioned correctly and need orthodontics later on.
- Tooth decay only affects children and young people. Not true! In adults and seniors common drugs such as sedatives, antihistamines, diuretics (used to treat high blood pressure), and antidepressants can cause saliva production to slow down. Since saliva bathes and cleans the teeth this means that oral problems will increase. Our gums naturally recede with age and these receding gums can result in decay along the roots of the teeth.
- Osteoporosis only affects the hips and spine. People don’t think about it but teeth are held in place by the bone of your jaw. Lose the jaw bone and you lose your teeth. Of course, if you lose your teeth (due to gum disease or decay) you will also begin to lose jaw bone even if you don’t suffer from osteoporosis. A good diet that includes calcium and vitamins D and K can help protect you.
Tooth decay is not something that can be ignored whether you are a toddler, teenager or an adult of any age. Dental cavities that are not treated will eventually cause pain – usually at the most inconvenient times (holidays, weekends or just before you leave on vacation).
Screening for cavities at Stone Ridge Dental care includes using digital radiography and an instrument called Diagnodent to screen for cavities in hard to see areas. If cavities are discovered they will be treated using modern dental materials – not old fashioned mercury based amalgams. The tooth colored dental resins match the color of your teeth and provide a safe, attractive restoration for your cavity. In the Columbus, Ohio area please contact us today at 614-476-6696 to schedule your consultation.
Posted in cosmetic, Mercury Free, Oral Heath Care | No Comments »
April 25th, 2010 amogell
Dental amalgam or silver fillings have been used for over 150 years. They were initially created as a low cost alternative to gold fillings. The original recipe contained silver shavings, zinc, copper, tin and mercury. We now understand that mercury is a powerful toxin. This controversial substance is still used by some dentists because of its low cost.
In addition to the toxic mix that makes up dental amalgam, there are other risks to these old fashioned fillings. The amalgam material is very sensitive to temperature changes – it expands and contracts in the presence of heat and cold. This often causes small cracks and fractures in the filling which can cause tooth sensitivity or even weakening of the tooth. The tiny cracks can also allow bacteria to enter through the filling leading to additional decay and creating a bigger problem in the future. The dark fillings are also very unattractive and can lead to a loss of self-esteem when smiling.
Dentistry today offers many different types of composite filling materials that are bonded to your tooth structure. These composites protect against future decay and help strengthen the tooth as well. Once bonded in place, a composite filling won’t change shape or be affected by what you eat or drink. Best of all, because these fillings are matched to your natural tooth color, they are virtually invisible when you smile.
Mercury fillings have long been controversial and, as time goes on, more and more dentists are following the lead of dentists like Dr. Levy and getting the mercury out of their offices and out of the mouths of their patients. Better health and a more beautiful smile can be achieved with the replacement of old fillings. If you are concerned about your old mercury fillings contact our Gahanna, Ohio office at 614-476-6696 to arrange a consultation.
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