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Cone Beam-What? Translation: Better Dental Experiences

Dr. Case, your trusted Portland dentist, is passionate about finding ways to improve the patient experience and achieve lasting results when it comes to the health and appearance of your smile. This requires continuous learning and investing in the types of advanced technologies that will stand the test of time—because keeping up with trends can be exciting, but optimal oral wellness and the overall health it contributes to will always be in style. 

So, without further ado, we’d love to introduce you to one of Family Dental Health’s favorites—the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scan, Cone Beam CT for short (and CBCT for shortest). What the heck is the CBCT? Oh, just a piece of equipment that has revolutionized dental treatment!

Does this Machine Possess Magical Powers?

While CBCT scans do provide superb detail to a point that could make it seem we have the gift of prescience, a great deal of thanks is owed to scientific progress. We think our patients will appreciate the many benefits of CBCT scans. Wondering what those benefits are? Dr. Case is glad you asked!

• Cone beam CT scans are non-invasive, painless, and eliminate the need for messy impressions
• In about 15 seconds, Dr. Case will obtain a panoramic view of your head, neck, and jaw
• Reduced radiation exposure compared to traditional x-rays
• Higher resolution 3D images allow for precise treatment planning

The speed and ease with which scanned images are obtained might lead you to believe we’re not getting a full picture, but Dr. Case will be able to show you everything they see with great clarity.

Do I Need a Cone Beam Scan?

If Dr. Case were only interested in what we could see with traditional x-rays and our own eyesight, the answer would be no. However, when we can’t see what Cone Beam CT scans can, diagnostics may be delayed. In some cases, this means not catching something until it’s visible to the naked eye, which may also mean you’re experiencing symptoms that worry you. Even traditional x-rays might not show us tumors in the bone that can be seen on cone-beam CT scans. 

What else do CBCT scans help with?

• Treatment planning – dental implant placement, tooth extractions, reconstructive and even cosmetic procedures can be precisely planned with the 3D, panoramic images CBCT scans provide
• Differentiation between types of tissue – bone, nerves, soft tissue, and teeth are seen more clearly in CBCT scans
• TMJ diagnosis – we can more accurately determine the severity of temporomandibular joint disorders
• Jaw, sinus, nerve canal, and nasal cavity evaluation – these evaluations can help us diagnose obstructive sleep apnea and customize an oral appliance that gets you back to sleeping restfully
• Locating pain at its source – we can eliminate the guesswork of what’s causing tooth, mouth, and/or jaw pain, then get to work solving the problem

Elevating Standards & Improving Experiences

When we discuss the advantages of CBCT scanning, the fact that oral health extends beyond the mouth is much easier to see instead of remaining an abstract concept—and the visual proof helps drive this point home, too! 

At Family Dental Health, we believe in treating people, not just their teeth. We take great pride in making the dentist’s office a warm, comfortable place to be, and find fulfillment in increasing your oral wellness and smile confidence. 

The implementation of CBCT scans helps us accomplish these goals, and we’d love to help you accomplish yours- contact us at Family Dental Health today to schedule an appointment!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Straight Talk on Straight Teeth: Do Braces Hurt?

Orthodontic treatments have been around for centuries, but luckily the materials and methods used have been updated with the expansion of education and technology. If they hadn’t, you might see metal bands or golden wires wrapped all the way around teeth instead of small brackets held in place by wires—or worse, cords made from animal intestines. You might be thinking, “Yikes on bikes, I’d never!” but the reason people in those ancient times were desperate enough to seek teeth straightening through these means is that orthodontics serves more than a cosmetic purpose. 

Straight teeth tend to be healthier teeth as proper alignment makes for a happy jaw and simpler oral hygiene routines for better oral health. This is a primary concern for Dr. Case of Family Dental Health, who wants Portland families and friends to have healthy, happy smiles. However, when braces are recommended, many patients ask, “Do they hurt?” Dr. Case is happy to answer the question.

Where Did My Teeth Go Wrong?

First, if you’re cursing the alignment of your teeth and wondering why they couldn’t stay in line—please don’t. We know that hearing you or your child will need orthodontic treatment isn’t the most welcome news, but it’s a very common need. In fact, the American Association of Orthodontists estimates that at any given moment, over four million people in the United States are undergoing orthodontic treatment, and 25% of them are adults. 

The reasons for misaligned teeth are varied, ranging from having a jaw that’s too small for each incisor, canine (or cuspid), and molar to co-exist in harmony, to habits such as chronic and prolonged thumb and pacifier sucking in childhood. While this does suggest alignment can be helped by the avoidance or breaking of habits that can negatively affect your bite (or your child’s), genetics and jaw size are factors not entirely in your control. 

Orthodontics can save the day—or rather, the days post-treatment when your teeth have been straightened and your bite has aligned like the stars of Orion’s Belt, which we think is a fitting simile because your eyes may twinkle when you see your renewed smile! There are different types of orthodontic treatments available today, but to answer the frequently asked question we posed earlier, we’ll focus on…

The Tried & True

Traditional braces remain one of the most popular forms of orthodontic treatment because of their ability to improve nearly any bite and smile. While treatments like Invisalign® or SureSmile®  continue to innovate their aligners to treat a wider variety of cases, they don’t provide orthodontists (or general dentists who have received the advanced training and education needed to perform orthodontic treatment) with the same amount of control over the movement of individual teeth. 

If you or your child have a severe malocclusion, teeth that are rotated more than 20 degrees from their proper position, teeth angled more than 45 degrees, or spaces between teeth that are larger than 0.6 centimeters, braces are the prescription that will create the smile transformation you’re looking for. This is because braces don’t just apply pressure to the tops of your teeth—they also encourage the tooth roots to shift. When we mention shifting of tooth roots, the question we set out to answer in this blog becomes emphasized, doesn’t it? So, without further ado…

You Will Feel Some Pressure

It’s one thing to go from a mouth free of metal, and another thing entirely to have metal brackets, wires, and bands placed on your teeth. That’s one difference that comes with an adjustment period. But what about the shifting of teeth? Let’s take a look at what’s moving:

• Dentin – A hard, dense, bone-like tissue within your teeth that lines the pulp cavity. Dentin is harder than bone but softer than its exterior, which is our next point!
• Enamel – Enamel is the hardest substance in your body and coats each tooth. When you experience tooth sensitivity, it’s usually an indication of sensitive enamel or an infection that has gone beneath your enamel.
•  Cementum – Connective tissue that binds your tooth roots firmly to your gums and jawbone.
• Periodontal Ligament – Tissue that helps keep teeth firmly held against the jaw.

There’s a lot of strong material at work in your mouth, so the honest answer is that you’ll definitely experience some discomfort during your treatment with braces. The good news is, there are ways to treat each symptom you may face while your teeth shift into alignment. 

If you’re experiencing pressure and pain from the tightness of your braces and the movement of your teeth, you can suck on an ice cube (don’t chew!) or apply a cold compress to the outside of the face. If your discomfort is due to wires and brackets rubbing against your cheeks and lips, dental wax can be applied as a barrier. You can also take anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen to reduce soreness and prevent irritation to your tongue by avoiding the action of running it along your braces.

The most important thing you can do to prevent additional discomfort is remaining diligent in your oral hygiene regimen. Trust us, you do not want to add gum disease treatment to your orthodontic treatment plan. 

If you have more questions about orthodontic treatment, Dr. Case would love to hear from you! Or, if you’ve already gotten braces and are looking for suggestions on how to adapt while you wear them (remember, this is temporary and your results will be worth it!), don’t hesitate to contact your Portland dentist, Dr. Case at Family Dental Health and schedule an appointment today!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Xylitol: Is it Safe for Kids?

What is Xylitol?

Xylitol is a naturally-occurring substance found in the birch tree and in many fruits and vegetables. Its chemical structure resembles a cross between sugar and alcohol—but it is neither. Xylitol is used as an FDA-approved artificial sweetener that can also assist in the prevention of tooth decay, so Family Dental Health would like to share some information about xylitol’s safety for children.

How is Xylitol Used?

Because bacteria in the mouth cannot use xylitol as an energy source, oral care products like toothpaste and mouthwash often contain xylitol to help alleviate dry mouth symptoms and prevent tooth decay. When extracted from birch wood, xylitol can be used as an active ingredient in other medicines as well. Its capability to eliminate or reduce the effects of bad bacteria extends to those that cause ear infections in young children.

How Does Xylitol Work?

Xylitol tastes sweet like sugar but contains fewer calories and is absorbed more slowly by the body, reducing the likelihood of dramatic blood sugar spikes. These characteristics make xylitol an ideal sugar substitute for diabetics. Unlike other artificial sweeteners and sucrose (actual sugar), xylitol reduces the bacteria that cause tooth decay in the saliva. 

Is Xylitol Safe for Children?

The unaltered natural xylitol present in fruit and vegetables should be safe for kids, barring allergies or a major produce binge. Cavity prevention medicines containing xylitol used in pediatric dentistry typically range from 7 to 15 grams per day (divided into three to five doses). More than 20 total grams of xylitol per day is not recommended for children. 

Like other artificial sweeteners, exceeding the recommended intake of xylitol can cause pronounced physical discomfort, including diarrhea and intestinal gas. Because children’s medicines containing xylitol may taste as good as regular candy, parents need to be careful that kids don’t eat more than the recommended amount!

Non-Medical Products that May Contain Xylitol

If you buy sugar-free items a lot, it’s good to be aware of which items in your kitchen, fridge, or pantry may contain xylitol:

• Packaged goods (ice cream, yogurt, gelatin, pudding)
• Packaged mixes (pudding, gelatin, baking mixes)
• Flavored bottled water
• Powdered drink mixes
• Candies, chewing gum, and mints (keep an eye on your purse!)
• Jams and jellies
• Syrup and honey
• Protein bars and powders
• Peanut and other nut butters
• Vitamins and supplements (especially gummies)
• Liquid shots for energy, sleep, etc.

Keep the Xylitol Away from Your Pets

Xylitol in any amount can be toxic to dogs and cats. If you have reason to believe your pet has swallowed anything containing xylitol—especially if it also contains chocolate—take them to the vet immediately.

Xylitol in the proper doses can be very useful and safe to promote better oral health for both adults and kids. If you have any questions about xylitol, its uses and its safety, contact us at Family Dental Health today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

What to Expect: Your Child’s First Visit to the Orthodontist

If you had to undergo orthodontic treatment as a child or teen, hearing it recommended for your little one might make you wince—we understand! However, we’d like to assure you that just like general dentistry and treatments today, orthodontic care has improved in hopscotch-style leaps and bounds! 

Thanks to advances in technology and early intervention, Family Dental Health can focus on building your child’s comfort in our care, and confidence in their smile! Read on to learn about what you can expect during your child’s first visit to the orthodontist, and feel free to contact Family Dental Health with any questions! 

Getting Acquainted

We enjoy getting to know everyone who sits in our chair, and we want you and your child to trust that you’re in safe, qualified, and caring hands. We’re here to answer questions in ways that make sense and take any fear out of treatment. Your child will get an opportunity to meet the Family Dental Health team and tour the office before we settle in for some radiography (x-rays) and digital photography to get a clear picture of what’s going on internally and externally. 

Oral Health Exploration

Once we have a chance to look over the images and share them with you both, we’ll move to the next phase of examination. Gathering the physical clues is imperative, but there are certain signs to be aware of that will make diagnosis and treatment more individualized and effective. We will want to know if your child displays any of the following habits:

• Mouth breathing
• Thumb sucking
• Trouble sleeping
• Jaw clenching & teeth grinding
• Difficulty eating/chewing food
• Frequent cheek biting

If there is an issue to address and intervention is desired to prevent complications at a later stage, we can create a fully customized treatment plan. We will go over options with you and weigh the pros and cons, and we absolutely want the input of your child or teen—it’s their mouth, after all! 

Game Plan

Once a treatment method has been chosen, you and your child will be given an estimated timeline as well as an estimate of the cost. Our staff will review your insurance benefits and work to maximize them when applicable—either way, we can discuss financing options and payment plans to suit your needs. We want everyone to be able to get the care they need and deserve without breaking the bank.

We’ll get to visit with your child as often as every 4 weeks, or as few as every 10 weeks depending on their appliances and progress. However, it’s very common for people to have questions or concerns between appointments, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us as they pop up. We’re here to help teach you both how to care for the hardware and maintain proper dental hygiene throughout treatment. 

Once they have completed their treatment, we’ll be able to congratulate them, celebrate their healthy, beautiful new smile, and prescribe a retention appliance when necessary—achieving that smile was a process, and we want to ensure they hold onto it for a lifetime! 

If you’re curious about pediatric orthodontics in Portland or would like to schedule an appointment, contact us today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

What a Great Smile! Dental Bonding for Kids

Dental bonding is a versatile cosmetic and restorative dental procedure that can be performed on patients of all ages. It can repair damage, fill gaps, and improve the look and structure of teeth. Family Dental Health wants all our patients to enjoy healthy, confident smiles, and if your child faces problems with chipped, misshapen or gapped teeth, your Portland dentist may recommend bonding treatment.

What is the Bonding Procedure?

Dental bonding is a treatment where a tooth-colored material is applied directly to the teeth—a composite resin or modifiable ceramic—that restores, rejuvenates, and improves teeth in appearance and function. This minimally invasive same-day dental solution is performed in-office, and rarely requires anesthesia unless it is being used to correct decay.

To assist the bonding composite in adhering to the tooth, Family Dental Health roughens the tooth surface and applies a conditioning liquid. Since bonding requires little preparation, the maximum amount of existing tooth structure can be preserved, and the composite resin strengthens and fuses itself to a child’s natural tooth. Tooth-colored resin with a putty-like consistency is color-matched, applied, molded, and smoothed to the desired shape. 

Once this has been achieved, an ultraviolet (UV) light or laser is used to harden the material. Once the bond has hardened, it is trimmed, shaped, and polished to match the rest of the tooth’s natural sheen. The overall bonding process averages 30-60 minutes per tooth.

Is Bonding a Good Solution for My Child?

Every child’s dental situation is different. If bonding is being considered purely for aesthetic purposes, you may want to consider factors like how long your child can comfortably sit still and whether the affected tooth will fall out on its own soon. Bonding is often used for pediatric patients in the following situations:

• To repair decayed, chipped, cracked, or broken teeth
• To improve the appearance of teeth – close a gap, fix alignment, make tooth shape more uniform
• To fill in the tooth root area that has been exposed by receding gums
• As an alternative to amalgam fillings (depending on location in the mouth and extent of decay)

How Should Bonded Teeth Be Cared For?

Bonded teeth look, feel, and function like natural teeth and should be cared for with a sound oral hygiene routine. Beverages like soda, dark-colored juices, and sports drinks should be avoided whenever possible to prevent staining, and we recommend a custom-fitted mouthguard be used during your child’s active pursuits to prevent damage and injury. 

Eating ice, biting nails, or chewing pencils and pens chips away at bonding material (and natural teeth!), so if your child has these habits, they should work on curbing them to get the best results from bonding. If your child observes that their bonded tooth suddenly feels “different” or “funny”, ask for details—they could have chipped the bond, in which case you should call us as soon as possible!

Will Future Dental Restoration Be Needed?

The answer is: most likely. Dental bonding material isn’t as strong as tooth enamel, but usually lasts several years (about a decade) before it needs repair or renewal. Bonding resin on teeth shows wear over time and can become stained or appear dull with age. Once a child finishes growing, a more permanent restorative procedure like a crown or veneers may be advised.

In Summary: Bonding Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Takes an hour or less to apply 
• Less expensive alternative to fillings or other restorations
• Looks natural – bonding solution is matched to natural teeth
• Minimally invasive
• Rarely requires anesthesia 
• Does not reduce natural tooth structure

Cons:

• Can stain or dull over time
• Easier to break or chip than other restorations
• Will likely require repair or restoration in the future

No one should be able to tell your child has had dental work done—but expect lots of compliments on their bright smile! Contact us today if you have questions or would like to learn more about dental bonding for kids. Your Portland dentist, Dr. Case at Family Dental Health looks forward to helping your little one feel confident in their smile.

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Lasers: A “Groovy” Tool for Dentists

At Family Dental Health, we take pride in staying ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest and greatest in dental treatments and technologies. That’s why we think dental “lasers” are truly smashing. And if you’re worried about paying one million dollars, rest assured laser treatments are more accessible and affordable than ever. Austin Powers jokes aside, we’re here to tell you how lasers work in dentistry and how they can benefit your smile—and make for a more comfortable dental experience!

How do dental lasers work?

Advanced laser technology has been one of the most important improvements in modern medicine and dentistry, allowing us to hang up our other tools while providing treatments that are less invasive, more comfortable, and with healthier results than ever before.

All lasers work by creating energy in the form of light, but the precise function in dentistry depends on the type of procedure. With surgical and other types of restorative dental treatments, the laser functions as a cutting device, replacing sharp dental tools, or as a vaporizer of diseased or decayed tissue—leaving healthy tissue intact. For teeth whitening, the laser functions as a heat source to speed up and enhance the effects of bleaching agents.

No Fear Here

One of the greatest things about dental lasers is they are great for patients with any level of dental anxiety. They eliminate the sharp tools, so you don’t have to hear or feel the scraping on your teeth, or the sounds and vibrations of the dental drill. Lasers create a calmer, more relaxed dental experience that can eliminate dental anxiety for many patients. 

Laser Cleanings

Don’t you just love good teeth cleaning? No? While some folks do enjoy that fresh-from-the-dentist clean feeling, most don’t enjoy the cleaning itself. Lasers can help with that! Rather than using sharp tools to scrape plaque and tartar off your teeth and around the gum line, low-level lasers target and disintegrate plaque and tartar buildup without the invasive techniques. Where traditional cleanings can irritate the gum tissue, causing bleeding, swelling, and pain, laser cleanings leave healthy tissue alone, so you can have a more comfortable cleaning.

Laser Gum Disease Treatment

Similarly, we can also use lasers to provide periodontal therapy or gum disease treatment. Where a laser cleaning focuses mostly on the visible crown portion of the tooth and buildup along the gum line, periodontal therapy goes deeper—under the gum line, removing plaque and tartar while targeting and killing the infection and leaving healthy tissue intact. 

Traditional gum disease treatments involve sharp tools and invasive techniques like scaling and root planing, gum grafting, and gum surgery—and these techniques only treat the physical symptoms of the disease. Laser periodontal therapy, however, gets to the root cause of the problem—treating the infection at the bacterial level and creating a healthier environment for the gums to reattach to. Laser gum disease treatments are more comfortable, more conservative, and garner healthier results so you don’t have to treat and retreat.

Tooth Decay & Root Canals

If you have a cavity or an infected tooth, lasers can help with that, too! Lasers can be used to remove areas of decay from within a tooth and prepare the surrounding enamel for a tooth-colored filling to be placed. If your tooth is infected and you’re in need of a root canal, lasers can help us carefully and conservatively remove the infection and save the tooth.

Biopsies & Lesions

Lesions and tissue abnormalities in the mouth are serious business, so it’s a good thing we’ve got laser technology on our side! Lasers can be used for biopsies, which involve taking a small sample of tissue from the mouth so that it can be screened for oral cancer. Laser biopsies are less invasive and more comfortable than traditional biopsies. Lasers can also be used to remove lesions in the mouth and treat canker sores. What a relief!

Teeth Whitening

By far the most popular cosmetic dental treatment, teeth whitening can be assisted by our trusty dental lasers to speed up the in-office bleaching process. First, we apply a special peroxide bleaching solution, which is then activated further by the laser light which heats up and speeds up the whitening power to full throttle, so you can leave with a dazzling smile after a single visit.

Mr. Powers could have benefited from dental lasers, himself, don’t you think? If you’d like to learn more about laser dentistry and how it can make for a healthier mouth and a more comfortable dental experience, we would love to speak with you. Contact your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case at Family Dental Health today to schedule a visit. We would love to help make your smile… groovy baby! Yeah!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Silver Diamine Fluoride: An Affordable Filling Alternative

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an antibiotic topical liquid solution brushed onto teeth to halt the progression of tooth decay. Research has shown the effectiveness of SDF in cavity prevention and arrest, and it has been used safely and successfully worldwide with patients of all age groups. Family Dental Health uses silver diamine fluoride to help our patients alleviate and battle tooth decay in a noninvasive, affordable way. Read on to learn more about SDF and what it can do for you or your child’s oral health!

What is Silver Diamine Fluoride?

Silver diamine fluoride combines fluoride to promote mineralization, silver to act as a microbial, and ammonia to stabilize the high-concentration solution—so the silver kills bacteria while fluoride prevents further breakdown of the tooth structure. Since it is applied topically with a brush, it requires minimal disruption of the natural tooth—meaning no drills or fillings! Future dental restoration will almost always be necessary, even following SDF treatment, but it can drastically reduce the severity of damage and postpone the need for more extensive dental work.

What Does SDF Do?

SDF has been used worldwide for more than 80 years, particularly in Japan and China. In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared SDF for the treatment of sensitive teeth in adults 21 and older, and it is marketed under the brand name Advantage Arrest™ in the United States. 

SDF can accomplish the following:

• Relieves hypersensitivity in teeth
• Inhibits bacterial growth on teeth
• Hardens teeth, making them more resistant to acid erosion and abrasion
• Stops cavity growth
• Prevents new lesions on teeth where it’s been applied
• Stains areas of dentin and enamel that are not sound, providing important clinical feedback to the dentist for a more effective plan of action for treatment

When is SDF a Good Choice?

SDF is effective for use in teeth with healthy pulp that is free of infection and necrosis (which means localized, irreversible death of living tissue). Because it is a noninvasive treatment, but it does stain the teeth where it’s applied, it is a good choice for children, people with disabilities, people who cannot tolerate conventional dental methods or those who have limited access to dental care and traditional restorative treatment for dental decay.

Since SDF has been used successfully overseas for decades, there is plenty of research to back its safe and effective use for children—dentists now treat pediatric patients “off-label” with SDF with positive results and positive experiences in the dental chair. It is a good stopgap measure for kids with baby teeth, and it can be used to treat primary teeth as well, both for cavity arrest and prevention as well as to combat sensitive teeth.

If you are interested in SDF treatment for yourself or your child, Dr. David Case and our dental team in Portland would love to talk more with you about it. Contact us today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

The Buzz on Electric Toothbrushes: Are They Really Worth the Investment?

Electric toothbrushes have been on the market for years now, and whether you’re a devout user or a critical skeptic, you may still be wondering: do they really work better, or have we all been duped? Dr. Case is here to break down some of the myths and separate fact from fiction to give us the spin on electric versus manual toothbrushes.

What’s Wrong with Ol’ Trusty?

Well, nothing… really. People have been brushing manually since the Middle Ages and continue to use manual toothbrushes effectively today. So why reinvent the wheel if it already rolls? Simple—technology and innovation drive us forward. Wheels today aren’t made of stone, they’re made from high-tech metals and rubber because we’ve discovered better materials and designs that fit our modern needs. Yes, they both accomplish the same end goal, but one is clearly more efficient than the other. 

So, the question becomes not what is wrong with manual toothbrushes, but what’s wrong with how we’re using them? With the proper technique and routine, manual toothbrushes and floss are usually all that’s needed to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. The problem is, most of us slack off with “drive-by brushing”—we don’t brush long enough or use the proper technique to clean our teeth and gums effectively. 

Don’t Fight the Power

Standing up and speaking out for social justice causes is encouraged, and the power of electric toothbrushes is one movement you may want to jump on board with. Electric toothbrushes clean at up to 30,000 strokes per minute, while manual brushes only produce up to 200 strokes. More brush strokes equal more plaque removed, so that figure alone should tell you an electric brush is well worth the extra cost.

Compared to manual toothbrushes, electric models reduce 21% more plaque and 11% more gingivitis after three months of use according to an analysis of 56 studies published in 2014 by the international evidence-based research organization, Cochrane.

Quit Working So Hard

Do you ever struggle to find the energy to brush and floss right before bedtime? No… just us? Ok. Well if you did, you might be interested to know that electric toothbrushes are not only more effective, but they require less effort than a manual. As the name implies, manual brushes require your own energy to move the brush in small circles (not up and down). With electric models, however, you can sit back and let the brush do the work for you. That is not to say you don’t have to do anything—you still need to move the brush along each tooth surface and get the bristles between teeth and under the gum line—but the brush does most of the heavy lifting. So, if your technique isn’t perfect (like most of us), you can rest assured you’re still getting a quality clean each time. 

Proper brushing technique requires a certain level of dexterity, which can make it difficult for children, the elderly, or people with disabilities. Electric brushes are great for everyone, of course, but these particular demographics that may otherwise struggle to brush effectively can have a trusty tool on their side to get the job done better.

But They’re So Expensive

Not compared to a dental crown or gum disease treatment! We know, the cost of an electric brush can be more than three times that of a manual (and often you get a manual brush for free after seeing the dentist), but if you look at the lifetime value and return on your investment, electric is the way to go. Electric brushes can range anywhere from $30-$200+ dollars, but with up to 150x the cleaning power, the investment is well worth it. 

If you’re an expert brusher and flosser with perfect technique and you’ve never had any issues with tooth decay or gingivitis, then a manual toothbrush is probably just fine—but if you’re like the rest of us, an electric toothbrush is the way to go. Dr. Case would be happy to recommend one that suits your individual needs and budget. Whatever brush you use, be sure to use light pressure, a 45-degree angle, and small circular motions for at least two minutes, twice per day for the best results.

If you’d like to talk toothbrushes with Dr. Case, contact your Portland dentist at Family Dental Health today! And remember, when it comes to choosing a toothbrush—you gotta feel it… it’s electric! Boogie woogie woogie woogie!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Dental Implants: A Brief History of Tooth Replacement Innovation

Today’s dental implants boast a long-term success rate of near 97%. Because implants support surrounding teeth, encourage new tissue growth and continued bone formation, and give patients back full chewing ability and a complete smile, they have become the industry standard for tooth replacement. 

Today, your Portland dentist, Dr. Case, would like to share some interesting history about dental implants and how we got to where we are today.

History of Dental Implants

• • 4,000 Years Ago: The first record of temporary dental implants were bamboo pegs used to replace missing teeth in China.
  • 3,000 Years Ago: The first recorded case of a metal replacement tooth (a copper peg) fixed to a jawbone occurred in the mouth of an Egyptian king. Experts believe it may have been placed after death due to how painful placement would have been to a living person. There is also evidence that the Egyptians tried to stabilize teeth with ligature gold wire around this same era.
  • 2,300 Years Ago: An iron tooth was found among real teeth in a Celtic grave in France. Experts again concurred replacement teeth like these were likely to have been placed after death.
  • 2,000 Years Ago: People replaced missing teeth with human teeth purchased from underprivileged people or teeth stolen from corpses or animals. Teeth like these would be rejected by the host due to infection.
  • 1,350 Years Ago: An excavation of Mayan ruins in Honduras uncovered a jawbone with what may be the oldest recorded permanent tooth replacement using seashells. The replacement tooth had actually begun the process of fusion with the jawbone, indicating that it was placed during life, not after death.

• 800 AD: A stone implant was found among cultural artifacts from early Honduras.
• 18th Century: A European doctor implanted a still-developing tooth into a rooster – and the tooth integrated with the rooster’s tissues.
• 1886: A porcelain crown mounted on a platinum disc, silver capsules, corrugated porcelain, and iridium tubes were some of the materials to make implants during this time without much success.
• 1930s: Drs. Alvin and Moses Strock are believed to be the first to place the first endosteal (in the bone) implant made of a biocompatible metal.
• 1940s: A number of different doctors continued to experiment with and design implants made of different types of metal, perfecting the design along the way to allow for greater stability in the jaw.
• 1952: A Swedish orthopedic surgeon named Branemark discovered titanium fused and regrew bone while studying blood flow in rabbits.
• 1960s: The 1960s saw more innovations in implant design from many different doctors. Implant design expanded to allow for placement into the maxilla or the mandible and to accommodate more than one missing tooth. 
• 1965: Branemark placed his first titanium implant into a live human volunteer. Branemark continued to research bone healing, performing experiments and publishing studies, eventually making dental implants a commercial endeavor in 1978. 
• 1980s: The 1980s ushered in the use of titanium for implants, which have continued to improve to the present day. Recent developments include antibiotic coatings to prevent infection and even more biocompatible materials like zirconia and ceramic.

Family Dental Health can give you all the information you need about the history of implants and how they exist today and everything they can do to bring back your full, healthy smile. If you are curious to discover more about implants or wonder if you could be an implant candidate, contact us today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Salivary Diagnostics: What Can Your Saliva Reveal?

If you’ve tuned in to any crime scene investigation shows, you’ve probably heard of salivary testing, but did you know it’s becoming increasingly common in dental offices? Salivary testing has a bright future in medicine because of how much it can tell us about your state of health—both oral and overall.

One of the reasons it’s especially important in the dental office is because we screen for oral cancer, and the number one culprit for diagnoses in recent years is human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be detected through saliva.

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