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At most dental offices, on the first visit, patients typically receive an injection of anesthesia, have a tooth prepared, an impression taken, and a temporary restoration put on the tooth. The second appointment is generally made for a couple of weeks later. At that time, the patient will get another injection, have the temporary restoration removed, and have a permanent restoration placed.

The only way to reduce your risk of developing shingles is to get vaccinated. Adults age 50 years or older can receive a single dose of the shingles vaccine called Zostavax®. If you had chicken pox the virus is still in your body years later. Almost one out of every three people in the United States will develop shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster. There are an estimated one million cases each year in this country. Anyone who has recovered from chickenpox may develop shingles; even children can get shingles. “However the risk of disease increases as a person gets older. About half of all cases occur among people 60 years old or older,” remarks Dr. Reid. Particularly relevant in dentistry, one of three branches of the trigeminal nerve may be affected: the ophthalmic branch, the maxillary branch, or the mandibular branch.

When you floss, you help prevent your gums from becoming inflamed. What is happening when your gums are inflamed is that you have a chronic bacterial infection in your mouth. Dr. Donald Reid, Tahoe Dental Artistry comments, “This harms your arteries through two mechanisms: the bacteria find their way in to your arteries and hang out (causing plaques), and your body mounts a response to the bacteria in your mouth, causing inflammation, which in turn can cause your arteries to narrow.” This can lead to a serious immune response such as a cardiac (heart) event or a cerebral (brain) event. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), a toothbrush works by physically removing plaque, a sticky, bacteria-laden film, from your teeth with its soft bristles. Toothpaste enhances the effect of the toothbrush, and kinds that contain fluoride help reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth. But brushing has one big drawback: A toothbrush's bristles can't adequately clean between the teeth or under the gums [source: ADA].

TMJ is an acronym for temporomandibular joint, which is a fancy way of saying jaw joint. Clinically, Dr. Reid refers to problems associated with the TMJ (jaw joint) as TMJ syndrome or TMD (disorder). But many patients just call it ‘TMJ’. Often, TMJ syndrome presents itself as a popping sound and sensation near the jaw joint.

The system, named BiteFX would easily explain to patients why they may have temporal headaches, why they were grinding their teeth or why they have breaking teeth. BiteFX is an animated software program that shows the patient what a natural bite is supposed to look like and explains how their occlusal disease is causing problems for them.

The Tahoe Reno Dental Library is meant to offer important news and information about changes and opportunities in dentistry specific to families in the Lake Tahoe area.