A large filling is frequently not strong enough to withstand biting pressure on a cracked or damaged tooth. In that case, it is customary for the tooth to be protected with a restoration called a crown. Crowns can be made of different materials: gold, porcelain, or some combination. This patient had a porcelain-metal crown on…
Read MoreConventional film X-rays would require chemical processing and did not have the capability of changing contrast and gain. With digital X-rays, we can see the earliest of decays, and thus treat decay conservatively. This patient was seen in our hygiene department for routine cleaning and check-up. The ultra low-radiation exposures did not initially show the…
Read MoreGeneral dentistry in the United States has been trending toward the discontinued use of silver-mercury alloy fillings, aka, amalgams. My own preference for tooth-colored resins is for several reasons, the most obvious being that as an aesthetic dentist, I like teeth to look like teeth. Additionally, resin is not affected by temperature the way metallic…
Read MoreOne of the most challenging types of “simple dentistry” is to accomplish a direct resin restoration (aka, white filling) that looks good, functions well, and seals out bacteria from re-entering the side of the tooth. Only a few years , which had been somewhat sensitive since being placed. An X-ray of the area shows where…
Read MoreThis patient had been diagnosed with Moderate OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea), meaning he would stop breathing in his sleep between 15-30 times an hour. His physician fitted the patient for a C-PAP but the patient did not tolerate it well, due to the leaking around the face mask. Oral exam shows two…
Read MorePeriodontal disease affects approximately 80% of adults in the USA and can show up differently across the spectrum. This patient had very little active infection evident, yet a very high susceptibility to losing the tooth attachment to the jaw bone. Visually, the teeth are very clean and the gums are a healthy light pink…
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In his book The Power of Now, spiritual leader Eckhart Tolle discusses the concept of the pain body . . . Tolle: The pain-body is my term for the accumulation of old emotional pain that almost all people carry in their energy field. I see it as a semi-autonomous psychic entity. It consists of negative emotions that were…
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