Author Archives: rgangwisch

Panoramic X-Rays

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Panoramic X-Ray MachinePantomographic radiographs, panoramic x-rays for short, show a picture of the entire upper and lower jaws and the surrounding structures. They are an excellent tool for your dentist to find dental diseases in there early stages. One can see tumors while they are small and have caused minimal damage. Removal at that stage can be less debilitating, and, if cancerous, can greatly increase the survival rate. One can see impacted wisdom teeth and their relationship to major structures such as nerves and sinuses. They are great for an orthodontist to check root alignment and blunting of the roots The detail is not enough to spot cavities in their early stages. It is also not generally used to diagnose gum disease since the closeup x-rays give better detail.

The amount of radiation is about the equivalent of a chest x-ray. It is not recommended on a routine basis, except for every third year. It can be an excellent screening tool to see things that don’t normally show up on the routine x-rays such as failing root canals, root fractures, or cysts. The use of panoramic x-rays can help keep costs of dental treatment down due to being able to catch things in their early stages and can also save lives.

Alternatives for Porcelain Veneers

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Invisalign aligners - Invisible Braces

Invisalign® Aligner

Porcelain laminate veneers are a fantastic way to create an utterly dazzling smile. Since a small amount of tooth structure generally must be removed, it is not a reverisable procedure. If the teeth themselves look good, and the cosmetic concern is the alignment, then there are other alternatives available to get a great smile. Invisible braces (for example, Invisalign®) are now available for many types of alignment problems. This way, the teeth can be straightened in such a way that there will be no changes in the front of the tooth surface. Therefore, it is a reversible procedure. Many a beautiful smile has been created by simple straightening and bleaching.

The pros of the invisible braces approach are cost and reversibility. Fees tend to be about 60% less than porcelain laminates. The cons of invisible braces are retention and inability to mask stains. Once invisible braces have been completed, the teeth must be retained in their position by wearing a retainer each and every night. It’s not as daunting a task as it sounds, but it still requires one to put the retainer in every night. If the teeth are stained in such a way that they cannot be adequately improved by bleaching alone, then porcelain laminates are usually the better alternative.

Gum Disease and Diabetes

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There is a connection between periodontal (gum) disease and controlling a diabetic’s blood sugar. A 1997 study of Pima Indians found that when gum disease was eradicated in diabetics, their blood sugar management improved. It is much easier for gum disease to gain a foothold because diabetics are more prone to infection. Thus, the two diseases feed off each other.

It has been found that diabetics who have gum disease are more prone to high blood sugar levels. Due to the fact that this relationship exists, it becomes extremely important for a diabetic to perform very meticulous home care. They should get regular dental examinations at least twice a year along with a thorough professional cleaning. Some diabetics require even more frequent cleanings, maybe up to 4 times per year, accompanied occasionally by scaling and root planing (a very deep cleaning usually done with a local anesthetic). This can be very helpful in managing blood sugar levels in a diabetic.