Myth about most “metal-free” dental crowns

As a restorative dentist, I place equal value on predictability, longevity, comfort, biocompatibility, and aesthetics.  One soap box I don’t mind stepping on is the busting down the metal-free myth about the more popular new ceramic crown options. The two most popular types of all-ceramic crowns for back teeth are made from aluminum oxide and…

Read More

What is JVA?

What is the JVA? The JVA or Joint Vibration Analysis machine is a small set of headphones which we place in front of the patient’s ears. But instead of the patient listening to music, this small sensor will pick up vibrations inside the patient’s jaw joint. Healthy jaw joints make very little friction as you…

Read More

Hard raw-foods diet leads to fractured fillings; gold chewing surface sustains bite

Conservative dentistry and naturally sustaining lifestyles go together, and as such, many of the people attracted to our practice focus on their nutrition and overall health.  This patient eats a strict raw-foods diet, including very hard foods like raw carrots and almonds.  Though amalgam filling material has a compressive strength (aka, ability to resist biting…

Read More

Kim H.

Dr. Caughey and staff make an obvious effort to know their patients on a personal level, inform patients thoroughly, and constantly keep the patient’s comfort top of mind!

Read More

Accidental fork bite threatens lower teeth

This lovely 90-year-old patient has kept most of her teeth her whole life. She flosses twice daily and uses fluoride every night! One day at a luncheon with friends, she accidentally bit a salad fork, and felt two of her lower front teeth become rather loose and painful to the touch. After determining that the…

Read More