Today we did an oral cancer screening using ViziLite Plus. The woman was in her 70’s and had a family history of cancer. Luckily, her screening came back negative, but now she has piece of mind.
With the ViziLite Plus you rinse with a cleansing solution that taste a little like raspberry vinaigrette. Then, the hygienist and Dr. Castaneda will examine your mouth using ViziLite, a specially designed light technology. If a suspicious lesion is detected, it will be marked with T-Blue 630, a blue dye, and documented. [More]
There are two major components in a good dental hygiene regimen. The parts performed at home every day, and the regularly scheduled preventative visits to a dentist’s office.
Tooth Care at Home
The most obvious portion of home dental care is brushing. Everybody knows to brush their teeth, but many people fail to perform this task properly. Brushing should occur after each meal or at least three times a day. Brushing at night before bed is especially important since germs can fester freely if given a chance. During brushing, the gums, the roof of the mouth, and the tongue should all be included to knock out all the places where bacteria grow. [More]
Dr. Castaneda will be attending the Myotronics 42nd Anniversary Seminar held in Seattle, WA on July 18-19. New materials and techniques for aesthetic and restorative dentistry have propelled the public interest in dentistry to new heights. Aesthetic, Restorative, or TMD, the common denominator influencing all major dental procedures is occlusion. Neuromuscular evaluation with Myotronics instrumentation provides the doctor with additional information to aid in optimizing diagnosis of the occlusion that leads to more predictable and durable treatment. Dr. Castaneda will return from this seminar with a vast amount of knowledge to share and implement.
The patient came into our office desiring cosmetic treatment with sensitive teeth and a history of drinking soda and iced tea with lots of sugar. Her goal was to have the perfect smile with veneers. One of her fillings had fallen out. The patients teeth were so sensitive that she requested we only use plastic instruments on her. We used the Diagnodent Laser cavity detector. We discussed with the patient the option of composite veneers verses porcelain veneers. We offered cosmetic imaging so that the patient could see what she would look like with veneers. It will definitely be a life changing and dramatic transformation!
We had a patient come in with a missing front tooth. It was knocked out when he was 16 years old and on vacation. We were able to make a bridge instead of a partial. We only had to take tooth structure from the back of the tooth . He had never been given that option before. He left the office smiling!
Poor dental hygiene today leads to greater monetary expense tomorrow. A lifetime of proper brushing and flossing will preserve teeth as long as they are needed, but let those habits slip and tooth decay occurs. Extensive decay leads to restorative dental procedures such as inlays, onlays, or crowns.
Inlays are a restorative treatment used to treat damaged areas of the tooth inside the cusp of the tooth. Stronger than silver fillings, the inlay is bonded directly to the tooth to strengthen it and provide a more aesthetic appearance. Onlays are basically the same as inlays, except some portion of the onlay is fitted over the cusp of the tooth and is more exposed when biting. Inlays and onlays are considered to be more conservative options than their cousin the crown is.
Crowns or caps replace a significant amount of tooth material due to decay or breakage. In order to apply a cap, much of the original tooth is removed. The cap is created to fit the bite of the alternate tooth and is cemented into place. All three restoratives can be made of gold, dental porcelain, or composite resin depending on the patients needs.
In most offices, two visits are required for inlays, onlays, and crowns. The dentist prepares the tooth and makes impressions for the restorative during the first visit. A temporary is placed and the impressions are sent to a dental lab to be custom made. In a few weeks, during the follow up visit, the inlay, onlay, or crown is cemented permanently in place. In some offices, the processing time is reduced because the fabrication is performed during a single visit.
If you have neglected preventative dental care and need same day restorations in the Shawnee area, contact Dr. Castaneda, who specializes in sedation dentistry; go online to schedule an appointment today.
Today was a very rewarding day at our office. Our patient finished her treatment today.When she first contacted our office, she felt as if she could not smile because she was embarrassed to show her teeth. We completed her smile makeover in 3 appointments. She participated in choosing the perfect smile for her, she chose the size and color of her new smile. It is so rewarding for our team to make a difference in someone’s life and to give them the confidence to smile again.
In James Michener’s novel Centennial, Michener tells of an elderly Native American who lost his final tooth. Since he could no longer eat the tough jerky of the warrior and was reduced to eating the softer pemmican, he decided it was better remove himself from the tribe and die in the wilderness. Fortunately, in modern times losing one or more teeth isn’t the death sentence it used to be.
Thanks to modern technology, the entire tooth, root and all, can be replaced with a titanium implant and ceramic cap. The tooth portion is made out of tough ceramic called porcelain, which mimics the translucent qualities of natural tooth enamel. The root portion is made of titanium metal, which is well received by the body. Titanium is used in many surgical applications.
After a period of several months, the bone ossifies around the rough edges of the titanium screw, making the implant extremely stable. The new implant not only replaces the missing tooth, it stabilizes the neighboring teeth by filling the void where the extraction occurred.
If you suffer from tooth loss, and live in the Shawnee area, don’t give up; contact Dr. Castaneda today to schedule an appointment and find out more about dental implants.
When looking for a qualified cosmetic dentist, a good place to start is with your general dentist whom you visit regularly. Many of the procedures performed by a cosmetic dentist may be outside of the scope of your current dentist’s practice, and he or she may have somebody they recommend. It is important to get all regular dental work taken care of prior to visiting a cosmetic dentist. Most cosmetic treatment should be performed on a relatively healthy mouth.
Another good resource is to check with family members and friends who have undergone cosmetic dentistry treatments. Each practitioner is different and has a different chair side manner. Ask people you trust whom they would refer. When you visit the cosmetic dentist, he or she should be willing to show you some before and after photos of similar cases. If you like the results, that can go a long way in deciding which dentist to choose.
Finally, you should look for a dentist who is an accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Members of this group must maintain a level of training and competency in order to retain their accreditation.
If you are seeking a cosmetic dentist, specializing in sedation dentistry and same day restorations, in the Shawnee area, contact Dr. Castaneda today and schedule an appointment.
Now that the panic created in the ’90s over mercury levels in amalgam fillings has calmed somewhat, a more rational evaluation of the perceived problems can be adopted. It is concluded that the amounts of mercury vapor releases from dental amalgam is in such small quantities as to be harmless, even in a mouth full of dental work. That said many people might still desire to have all such work revised with the latest filling alternatives containing no trace of mercury.
In most cases, removing all existing amalgam fillings and replacing them with a composite alternative is not worth the associated risks. The only medical benefit is in the patient’s own perception of safety. Meanwhile, real risks of infection and problems with local anesthesia outweigh any actual benefits from removing amalgam filling that contain trace amounts of mercury.
However, poorly created fillings, or fillings mixed with too much mercury may justify replacement. It is best to consult with a trusted peridontist, cosmetic dentist, or oral surgeon to find out if current amalgam fillings are defective in any way. If removal and replacement is recommended, or desired by the patient for aesthetic reasons, the procedures can still be effectively completed. The benefits of sedation dentistry make the prospect of replacing all old fillings with new ones, if not exactly a pleasure, at least more palatable than when the original work was performed.
To find out more about amalgam filling replacement using composite fillings in the Shawnee area, contact Dr. Castaneda today.
