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Usually, we aim to write about things that are helpful to the overall understanding of dentistry, so the topics will cover such broad themes such as proper home care of your mouth (flossing, diet), biological issues (jaw joint issues, fluoride), or aspects of clinical dentistry (rubber dam, early detection of problems, evidence-based dentistry). In this…
In dentistry, one of the well-understood implications of working with teeth is that you’re not only working in the mouth. From our perspective, there are two other major players when dealing with proper functioning of the oral system: the joints and the muscles. When the whole system is not functioning in harmony, we can see…
This post addresses a very common situation and question that we encounter in daily practice: the root canal. What is it? And what is involved? First off, we should talk about a normal tooth. When forming, teeth form from the outside in (roughly), and at the end of the formation phase, a space at the…
Everybody knows what a cavity is, right? When you get right down to it, it turns out that very few people actually know how a cavity is formed. This is important, because it goes to the heart of managing (and preventing) cavities. So let’s explore this most basic of dental problems… A cavity is a…
What is root surface caries? Why does this topic merit its own post? How does it concern you? Root surface caries is decay at the exposed roots of teeth. This is an increasingly relevant problem in Canada as it is a dental problem increasingly seen in an aging population. For several reasons, recession of the…
One of our guiding principles is that there is no tooth better than natural tooth. We try to conserve as much original tooth as reasonable when things like decay occur, but when there is trauma and the original tooth is broken, we’ve got to try and repair it with something that will hopefully last. Nothing…
Cavities in people with good oral hygiene is not as rare as one may think. These can be broken down into two categories: the cavities in the pits and fissures of teeth, and decay in between the teeth. The cavities that develop in the grooves (pits and fissures) of the teeth are almost impossible to…
Whatever your politics, the topical effects of fluoride are well known. It renders enamel more resistant to decay after it is incorporated into enamel’s crystal structure. Barrie water is not fluoridated, so we are strong advocates of regular fluoride exposure for your teeth. Alarmingly, the decay rate in children for the Muskoka-Simcoe area is amongst…
This seems counterintuitive, and certainly not what most people expect to hear, but here is the reasoning: during and after meals, there will likely be release of acid onto the teeth as a result of the food. These acids temporarily weaken the teeth, and if they are brushed when weakend, the teeth will be worn…
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