Don’t replace fillings just because they’re old
When you have a cavity, the dentist removes it and puts in a filling. These fillings can last for many years, but some people get silver fillings removed because they don’t like the color. However, the process of removing a filling can weaken the tooth. Additionally, insurance may not cover the removal.
To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.
Use toothpaste with fluoride for infants and children
For children younger than 3 years, you should begin brushing a child’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste in an amount no larger than a grain of rice. For children 3 to 6 years of age, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
Consider sealants to prevent decay or treat beginning cavities on the back teeth
Dental sealants act as a barrier to prevent cavities. They are a plastic material applied by a dentist to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where decay occurs most often.
To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.
Introducing Laser Dental Procedures
Dental lasers are FDA-approved and provide an exciting new way to ease discomfort during dental procedures. Treatments that were previously performed with scalpels or incisions can now be completed with a laser. Less-invasive treatment means improved results and faster healing. We are able to cosmetically treat uneven gummy smile lines, clean and re-contour inflamed tissue around crowns, arrest gum disease, and heal painful canker sores and mouth ulcers with instant relief! The results are absolutely outstanding!
Grand Traverse Smile Center
Ryan Paulson, DDS
928 S. Garfield Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 935-4872
GTSmileCenter.com
Isolite™ – An Advance in Patient Comfort
Would you like to spend a third less time in the dental chair? We are pleased to offer a new technology that not only makes shorter treatment times a reality but makes your time in the chair even more comfortable. Isolite combines a suction device with a brilliant light that illuminates the oral cavity, eliminating distracting shadows in addition to vacuuming away debris. You'll no longer suffer through the "gagging" feeling that can occur when saliva builds up. The advanced illumination also helps the doctor’s accuracy. Isolite keeps the teeth and gums dry and can often eliminate the need for a bulky rubber dam, which means less chance that you'll ever again experience over-extension fatigue in your jaws. Good news for your next visit to the dental chair.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
A lighter option is nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. You breathe it through a mask and soon are relaxed to a point that allows local anesthetic to be administered with little to no pain. Recovery happens quickly, and you can drive yourself home. This is best for patients who are a little nervous or who need a simple restoration and don’t require the full relaxation of oral conscious sedation.
Grand Traverse Smile Center
Ryan Paulson, DDS
928 S. Garfield Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 935-4872
GTSmileCenter.com
Intra-Oral Camera Makes You a Part of the Team
An intra-oral camera is a high-tech miniature video camera that allows you to see the inside of your mouth on a display screen. Now you can see what Dr. Paulson sees, and together you can make informed decisions about your dental care. You'll love your ability to become an active participant in the process of improving your dental health.
Grand Traverse Smile Center
Ryan Paulson, DDS
928 S. Garfield Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 935-4872
GTSmileCenter.com
A Selection of Sedation Dentistry Options
Dr. Paulson is skilled at painless anesthesia delivery, but some people still suffer intense anxiety at even the thought of a needle or the actual treatment process. At Grand Traverse Smile Center, we offer oral conscious sedation. A small pill that we’ve provided to you is taken about one hour before your visit. You'll relax to a level of relaxation that allows you to respond to questions but mostly sleep through your entire visit. This is ideal for people suffering from dental anxiety or those who have a busy schedule and want to get all their treatment done in one visit.
Oral conscious sedation doesn’t “knock” you out like you would be for general surgery. The level of sedation is just deep enough so that you feel nothing but are still conscious. Some patients may have anxiety about dental work but also a fear that centers on losing control or not being able to perceive what’s going on around them. Conscious sedation provides a happy medium, allowing comfort and relaxation while maintaining control and understanding what’s happening.
For some people, anxiety isn’t an issue but they are highly resistant to anesthetic. They just can’t get numb. Also, when someone has extensive dental work needed but can’t spare the time to make repeated visits to the dentist, oral conscious sedation lets them get their work done in one longer visit. Years of treatment can be accomplished in just a single visit!
Grand Traverse Smile Center
Ryan Paulson, DDS
928 S. Garfield Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 935-4872
GTSmileCenter.com
Natural-Looking Crowns Made While You Wait
You have a tooth that needs a crown. So, you visit the dentist. They take a tooth impression and place a temporary crown. Then, you wait about two weeks for the permanent crown to be made before you return to the dentist; if the fit isn't perfect, the crown goes back to the lab and you wait some more.
At Grand Traverse Smile Center, we've changed that practice. We can reduce that two-week waiting period and the two or three office visits down to just a single visit, using a new technology called CEREC™.
CEREC is a computer-aided design and milling device. It allows us to create a permanent crown in just minutes. No more waiting for a lab and no return trips to the dentist. The entire process to repair a damaged tooth takes about an hour. Our patients love it!
To make the restoration, we use a special camera to take an accurate picture of the tooth. The picture is then displayed on a computer screen, enabling us to design the restoration. The CEREC device then automatically creates the crown, inlay, or onlay. Finally, we bond the new restoration to the surface of the old tooth.
All this makes going to the dentist much easier and faster, and who really wants to spend more time in the dental chair?
Let's just say, it might be time to get your pearly whites checked.
It's time for Americans to get over their fear of the dentist. According to new data published from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, more than 25% of U.S. adults aged 20 to 64 have untreated tooth decay. Additionally, 1 in 5 adults aged 65 and older may have it as well.
And if that's not motivation enough to take a seat in the dental chair, 91% have one tooth (or more) that has been treated for tooth decay or needs to be.
To read the entire article written by Samantha Toscano, please visit GoodHouseKeeping.com
Grand Traverse Smile Center Ryan Paulson, DDS 928 S. Garfield Avenue Traverse City, MI 49686 (231) 935-4872 GTSmileCenter.com
