Tag Archives: dental health

Radiographs (x-rays) provide dentists of all types and specialists to see things that cannot be seen by the naked eye. All dental x-rays are used with low levels of radiation and are extremely important to evaluate your oral health. Family dentists can view early decay between the teeth and they can observe when bone loss is occurring. Additionally, unerupted teeth can be noted as well as extra or missing teeth. Finally, cysts and tumors are often discovered as they become evident on digital x-ray images. Orthodontists consider a panoramic x-rays (the one that scans the entire lower face) as the most valuable diagnostic tool in orthodontics. The overall dental and periodontal health can be observed as well as root positioning. All children should have a panoramic film by age 7. It shows us when developing teeth need more space to emerge so we can treat most conservatively to avoid the…

As a culture, we tend to think of braces as a teenage experience, so it can be surprising to learn that the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that children have an initial orthodontic consultation by age 7. If a child is starting to develop complicated orthodontic problems, this early checkup allows the orthodontist to head them off with Phase 1 treatment. Below are 5 conditions that you, as a parent/guardian should look out for.  Here are 5 conditions that warrant early treatment during mixed dentition (ages 6-9). 1. Mouth breathing /snoring This can cause narrow arches which delays and causes poor tooth emergence. Our patented Press-On expanders painlessly correct this condition. 2. Lack of Space for Permanent Teeth Permanent incisors normally emerge at age 6. Delayed emergence usually indicates a lack of space. This is easily corrected with painless expanders and or with short term braces (less than one…

MOST PEOPLE GRIND OR CLENCH their teeth briefly when annoyed or in a tense situation. That level of teeth-grinding isn’t really something to worry about. It’s when you do it far more frequently, often without even realizing it (you might even do it in your sleep!), that it can potentially become a serious problem. The medical term for this kind of teeth-grinding is bruxism. Bruxism: What and Why The main causes of bruxism is stress and an imperfect bite. Symptoms of Bruxism: Frequent headaches from all the strain Enlargement in your jaw muscles (because you’re giving them quite the workout!) Shifting teeth Flattened chewing surfaces of teeth Exposed dentin and increased tooth sensitivity Chipped/cracked/split teeth Tooth loss Your Next Steps Depending on which type of bruxism you have, there are a variety of treatments or approaches to either reduce the grinding or the damage it causes. Relaxation Particularly for stress-related bruxism, relaxation techniques such…

THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS COME in all shapes and sizes. From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to breaking the wishbone to getting together with those wacky yet lovable relatives, traditions vary from family to family, and that includes the families of our practice’s team members! Unusual Thanksgiving Traditions Dr.McSurdy enjoys brining the turkey before he roasts it. In the past, he has also tried to deep fry a turkey (in 45 minutes) in the freezing cold. Lastly, he enjoys having a turkey bowl with his neighbors. Favorite Thanksgiving Memories Dr.McSurdy’s favorite memories on Thanksgiving include it snowing on Thanksgiving (twice), watching football with a fire in the fireplace (every year), eating dinner with his family and enjoying his wife’s great tasting turkey and sausage filling. Traditions In Our Practice Every year in our office we host a potluck. Each team member makes a side dish and we share our food together at lunch.…

If your dentist informs you that your child has congenitally missing teeth, it is important to have an orthodontic consultation as soon as possible. This is especially true if there are missing front teeth. Why Should You Seek Orthodontic Assistance for Cogenitally Missing Teeth? Why is this so important? Often, orthodontically, we can substitute primary teeth into missing permanent teeth positions. Also, often we can move permanent canines into the missing incisor positions. In this manner, we can prevent your child from having noticeably missing tooth spaces, and we can help to normalize the emergence pattern of the permanent teeth. Getting Orthodontic Treatment For Your Teenager If your child is already a teenager, then orthodontically we idealize missing tooth spaces so that an appropriately ideally sized prosthodontic tooth can be placed by your dentist. In this way it is virtually undetectable that a missing tooth situation exists. An orthodontic consultation…