Tooth Talk

Toronto dentist Jay Rabinovitch provides dental information

A porcelain crown is used to completely cover a weakened, damaged or cracked tooth above the gum line and protect it. Colored and shaped to match your own teeth, crowns can look and feel almost exactly like a natural tooth.

The process:
Soft, moldable material is used to make a precise “impression” of the tooth to be crowned and nearby teeth. A dental technician uses the impression to make the crown the exact height needed. A temporary crown made of plastic is put over the tooth until the crown is made. When the porcelain crown is fitted, small adjustments are made to ensure you retain your natural bite. Depending on the strength of the tooth underneath, with good dental hygiene a crown can last for many years.  Porcelain crowns available at Toronto Dentists of the Toronto Dental Care Clinic

In dentistry, crown and bridge refers to the restoration of natural teeth that have been damaged, decayed or lost. Once your dentist has examined your teeth and has evaluated your dental and medical history, he/she will be ready to provide a diagnosis and treatment options. A crown may be constructed to restore an individual damaged tooth back to its original form and function, while a bridge may be utilized to replace one or more teeth. These restorations are cemented onto the teeth and are referred to as “fixed” dentistry as opposed to a restoration of missing teeth with a removable appliance or partial denture. Crowns and posts dental services available by Toronto Dentists at Toronto Dental Care Clinic

The most common cause for multiple cavities in toddlers is prolonged use of their bottle. Most often children sleep with their bottles and are used as pacifiers. If anything but water is in the bottle, for example juice or milk, baby bottle cavities will most likely occur.

Unfortunately, most children are not treated in a timely fashion. By the time they are diagnosed the cavities have become quite large. Simple fillings may not be the only treatment necessary and the possibility of infection is very real. As well, due to the number of cavities and the age of the patient, most of these children need to be given general anesthesia to be treated adequately.

Treating this condition in a timely fashion is extremely vital. Baby teeth act as space maintainers, allowing adult teeth to come in properly. They also play a significant role in speech development.

One of the most common problems patients bring to the office is sensitivity to chewing or biting.  It doesn’t happen every time they eat.  They know what area of the mouth it’s coming from, but it’s hard for them to identify exactly which tooth.
First of all, let me explain why it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which tooth is the problem.  It is due to a phenomenon known as ‘referral of pain’.  All of your teeth have nerves that are offshoots of a larger main nerve.  When one nerve fires, signals may get confused or crossed and any of the offshoots may be felt as the source.  The only thing you know for sure is which side it’s on.  You may even confuse top to bottom.
Biting sensitivity usually means there is a crack somewhere in the offending tooth.  When you chew or bite, the forces involved are bending or flexing a part of the tooth, resulting in a pain signal.  If the angle of the force doesn’t cause movement of the cracked area, no pain is felt.  That’s why the pain isn’t always there.
There are tests your dentist can perform to identify where the crack is and propose a treatment to remedy the situation.  Sometimes removing a small portion of the cracked area and placing a filling is enough to stop the flexing/bending and relieve the pain.  Other times a crown or cap may be necessary.  On occasion, the crack extends to such an extent that the tooth can’t be saved.  As always, if extraction is the only treatment recommended; always discuss the various treatments available to you regarding tooth replacement and the consequences of the “do nothing option’.

Although dentists do not take the Hippocratic Oath upon graduation, everyone in our office practices by the central Hippocratic ideal of ‘above all else , do no harm’.  It is for this reason that although many patients had expressed an interest in the Zoom bleaching system, we didn’t offer this service until the third generation of Zoom came into being.  Issues of post bleaching sensitivity and longevity of results held us back.  When the third generation of Zoom (ZoomAP) was introduced, we brought our regional sales rep into the office and collectively gave her the third degree regarding our reservations.  Her responses satisfied our concerns.  However, before bringing the system into our office, I decided that I would have to be the trial patient.  I can’t advise my patients to do anything differently than that which I would prescribe for myself or my family.  When all was said and done, I had only minor intermittent tingling during the procedure and no post procedure sensitivity whatsoever.  I am happy with the colour change and can now, with confidence, recommend Zoom whitening to those patients who express an interest.  Always remember that although Zoom whitening is safe and effective, it still may not be an appropriate treatment for everyone and all treatment options should be considered and discussed before any final decision are made.