Tag Archive for: lafayette dentist

How to choose the right toothbrush

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How to coose the right toothbrushWhere ever you shop, it’s safe to say the toothbrush isle is overwhelming and a little out of control. It might be tempting to go for the light up toothbrush, the superhero toothbrush, or 20 pack of tooth brushes (so that you don’t have to go down that isle for a while) but there is actually a lot more to the picking process. We spend over 1000 hours in our lifetime brushing our teeth, so it is important to know what to look out for when purchasing a brush. The most important factor is brushing twice a day and doing it throughly. Dr. Chauvin and his team want to make sure you have all the information to help make your smile bright and happy for years to come.

Types of toothbrush bristles

The most common types are Soft, Medium, and Hard. Most dentists recommend soft-bristled toothbrushes, and extra-soft bristled toothbrushes for anyone who has sensitive teeth or gums, or is recovering from a dental procedure. Some people simply prefer soft bristles. But many people who don’t have sensitive teeth or gums prefer firmer bristles because they believe them to be more effective for removing plaque and stains from the teeth, though that is not the case. Effective toothbrushing can be accomplished with soft and extra-soft bristles. 

A hard toothbrush bristles do not necessarily equal cleaner teeth, but they can instead scratch your enamel and irritate your gums. Over time, this can cause gums to recede prematurely. Often people assume with a hard bristles toothbrush they are brushing more of the grim off, when in fact a soft bristled toothbrush does the best job. 

 

Toothbrush sizes

A toothbrush with a small head is better than one with a larger head. No matter how big your mouth is a toothbrush with a small head can access narrow, inaccessible areas of your mouth. Most importantly, your molars.  Angular placement of bristles on the head means you can clean teeth from all directions. This can help in prevention of plaque, which can accumulate if not cleaned on time.

 

Electric or manual toothbrushes

This part of picking the right toothbrush does not come with a wrong answer. If you are brushing the right way, for the right amount of time, and have no complaints with a manual toothbrush – then stick with that. On the other hand, if you have a hard time committing to oral health, have arthritis, or do not trust that you are brushing correctly the electric toothbrush might be for you.

Electric Toothbrush: These come with a ton of technology and features, electric toothbrushes provide the many oral health benefits. Some can even enable you to improve your brushing habits. 

  • Modes specialized for sensitive teeth or gum-massaging action
  • Pressure sensors that let you know when you’re brushing too hard
  • Very easy to use, all you need to do is place the toothbrush at a 45° angle and let the toothbrush do all the work.
  • Studies have shown that electric toothbrushes do a better job of cleaning your mouth and removing plaque and gingivitis.
  • More fun to use for children
  • Built in timer that stops the toothbrush once two minutes are up
  • Reminders to replace your brush head
  • Rotating bristles 

Manual Toothbrush: While ordinary toothbrushes don’t nearly provide the benefits and features of electric toothbrushes, the technology featured in their brush heads, bristles and handle designs can be quite advanced, for example:

  • Crisscrossed, extra-long or multi-level bristles
  • Polished or rounded bristle tips
  • Textured bristles
  • Easy to travel with
  • No batteries or charging
  • Inexpensive and often free whenever you make a trip to your dentist
  • Cupped-bristle design for whitening benefits
  • Ergonomically designed handles with special grips
  • Tapered or angled brush head
  • Gum stimulators
  • Tongue cleaner pads

How often should you replace your toothbrush?

The American Dental Association recommends getting a new toothbrush or brush head about every three months. This is more because of the wear on the bristles rather than germs. 

Bristle wear is the main reasons for replacing your brush, but they also harbor bacteria. If not cleaned properly, microscopic bacteria can live on your toothbrush. After time and several uses, toothbrushes will lose their effectiveness. Once the bristles begin to wear down, they are not as efficient at cleaning plaque and removing food and other debris from your teeth. It is also suggested that you change your toothbrush after any type of illness, such as a cold, the flu or any type of mouth sores. 

You should always rinse your toothbrush after use and let it air dry in an upright position. If you are really worried about germs and bacteria, you can soak your toothbrush in alcohol, or mouthwash as it is also an antiseptic. Another option would be to dip your toothbrush in boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds. Never put your toothbrush in the microwave or the dishwasher, as both these methods will damage your brush. 

When in doubt, talk to your dentist!

Your favorite Lafayette Louisiana dentist, Dr. Chauvin serves as a valuable resource for anything pertaining to your oral health. If you want to choose a toothbrush that targets your specific issues, you can ask your dentist for advice the next time you go in for a teeth cleaning.

A Tooth Friendly Easter Basket

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tooth friendly easter basketChocolate bunnies, heavenly hash, and bright yellow peeps are the traditional part of Easter Basket fun. The National Confectioners Association says that Americans spend more than $1.5 billion on Easter candy each year, second only to Halloween candy! This is the equivalent of 25 pounds per candy per person! However, here at your favorite Lafayette dentists office, we have it on good authority from the Easter Bunny that there are many fun items you can include in a tooth friendly easter basket that are not filled with sugar. 

Whether you’re 5 or 35, Easter candy can be incredibly tempting. However, too much of a good thing can be a very bad thing – 92% of adults age 20-64 have had cavities in their permanent teeth. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, each person in that same age group has an average of 3.28 decayed or missing permanent teeth and 13.65 decayed and missing permanent surfaces. And it’s not just grown-ups: The Pew Center on the States says that about 60% of children have dental decay. 

Going easy on the sugary, sticky candy that hangs on to teeth long after the taste is gone is a better idea than you might think. Sugar in candy combines with the bacteria in your mouth to create acids, which attack the enamel of your teeth. What tastes so great in the moment can lead to cavities and other dental problems down the road. And if you skip the sugar in your child’s basket, you might even avoid the sugar rush! You can have them to drink plenty of water between each piece of candy. Rinsing their mouth frequently will clean their smile of some acid formation and bacteria from sugar. Since dry mouth is more conducive to bacteria, hydrating your mouth is a good practice for daily oral hygiene. But a better alternative is simply replacing the candy in your tooth friendly easter basket!

Tooth Friendly Easter Basket Ideas:

Maintaining healthy teeth and gums is important, but that doesn’t mean kids can’t have fun with it. 

  • Novelty tooth brush
  • Play Dough
  • Bubbles
  • Glitter Pens
  • Stickers –scratch n sniff of course
  • Legos
  • Fruit snacks
  • Dark chocolate

 

As always, there’s no substitute for brushing and flossing at the end of the day to keep teeth clean and cavity free. The easter bunny never intended for tooth decay to go hand in hand with his delightful reputation.

If you need help keeping your family’s mouth healthy contact Dr. Chauvin’s office today and schedule a check up or teeth cleaning.

 

Types of Dental Fillings and the Right One for You

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dental fillings

Are you curious about what types of dental filling options you have, and what types there are? Lots of people can get confused by what sort of dental filling options they have. Thankfully, Dr. Chauvin, your favorite Lafayette Louisiana dentist is extremely experienced and can help you along this process by offering a great deal of options for your procedure.

 

Your dental options vary depending on your health, where and how the filling is placed, the amount of pressure the tooth will have to take while chewing and the type of materials that should be used for your individual needs. Most fillings are used to fill the hole that is left behind when a dentist takes out a cavity. Fillings can also be used to repair cracked or broken teeth, or give new shape to a tooth.

Types of Dental Fillings:

  1. Amalgam Fillings –  These metal fillings are typically made up of mercury and copper. Amalgam fillings are strong and long-lasting, but are aesthetically unpleasing. Advantages include: Strength, inexpensive, and can be completed in one visit.  Disadvantages include: Do not blend in, healthy parts of tooth may be removed to make room for filling, can tarnish over time, can crack in temperature changes.
  2. Composite Fillings – These tooth-colored fillings are made of a hard plastic material, making them very safe and strong. The main advantage is that they are made to match your teeth. However, the 5 year lifespan is very short compared to other filling options, so they may not be the first option for people on a budget in the long-term. 
  3. Porcelain Fillings – Also called inlays or onlays, porcelain fillings are custom created in a dental lab and then bonded to the tooth by the dentist. They can be matched to the color of the tooth, resist staining, and are about the same cost as gold fillings. A porcelain restoration generally covers most of the tooth, making the filling nearly undetectable.
  4. Glass ionomers –  These glass and acrylic fillings usually last less than five years, but they are often a good choice for children whose teeth are still changing. Also, they can release fluoride, which can help prevent tooth decay.

An Alternative to Dental Fillings: Dental Crowns and Dental Implants

For some patients of Dr. Chauvin, dental crowns may be necessary in the presence of severe tooth decay. Dental crowns are used to protect teeth that are weak from decay and in danger of breaking or cracking. Teeth that are already cracked can also be held together with a dental crown. When there isn’t enough tooth left after a filling has been placed (when the filling is too large), a dental crown can be used to protect and cover the tooth. A dental crown is a cap placed over a tooth to restore strength, shape, and size. Dental crowns may also be used to improve the appearance of the teeth, and once placed, fully encase the entire visible portion of the tooth above and below the gumline. 

If your tooth has suffered so much damage that it cannot be saved, the tooth will need to be extracted and replaced.  Dental implants often offer the most stable, durable, and natural looking tooth replacement option.

Learn More about Dental Fillings

Want to know more? Please contact your Lafayette La dentist Dr. Chauvin. He readily shares his knowledge and expertise with our patients. We would be happy to answer any questions or schedule an appointment for you.

It’s important that you take good care of your teeth by brushing twice a day and flossing regularly. And of course, visiting Dr. Chauvin twice a year for your regular check-up. Doing so will ensure that issues with tooth decay are caught and dealt with early and that your teeth remain as healthy as possible.

How does a root canal work

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How Does a Root Canal Work-Did you know that more than 15 million teeth are treated and saved each year with root canal treatments? Despite those numbers root canals still have a pretty bad reputation.  The root canals stress-inducing reputation took hold several decades ago, when root canal treatment really was painful. Today, its reputation remains unchanged, even though the procedure itself has changed. A survey conducted by the American Association of Endodontists showed that patients who’ve had a root canal performed are six times more likely to describe it as “painless” than those people who have not had root canal treatment.

A simple fix to this bad reputation is understanding the root canal procedure, starting with the anatomy of the tooth. Inside the tooth, under the white enamel and a hard layer called the dentin, is a soft tissue called the pulp. The pulp contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue, and helps to grow the root of your tooth during development. In a fully developed tooth, the tooth can survive without the pulp because the tooth continues to be nourished by the tissues surrounding it.

Why is a root canal necessary?

Once the pulp is infected, it must be removed in order to save the tooth. A tooth can become infected for several reasons, including severe tooth decay or a crack or chip in the tooth. The most common way for the pulp to become infected is from an untreated cavity. Failing restorations such as dental fillings and dental crowns can foster bacterial leakage into the dental pulp. Once infected, the dental pulp begins to die and the body’s inflammatory responses set it. The combination of infection and inflammation can cause significant pain. The end result is a toothache. 

You can use the following checklist to help you determine whether a root canal may be called for.

 

  • Do hot or cold food or beverages cause a toothache?
  • Do you find it excruciatingly painful to eat?
  • Is your tooth sore to the touch?
  • Do you have a severe toothache?
  • Do you have a bump (possibly filled with pus or blood) on your gum?
  • Do you have pain that may radiate from one part of your mouth to another or from your mouth into your head or your ear?

What is the root canal procedure like?

Root canal therapy is a complex procedure that requires both skill and experience. Often requiring one or more visits to the dentist. Luckily, you won’t mind seeing your favorite Lafayette Louisiana dentist, Dr. Chauvin, more than once!  The first step in the procedure is to take an X-ray to see the shape of the root canals and determine if there are any signs of infection in the surrounding bone. Local anesthesia is then used to numb the area.  A drill is used to make small hole through the enamel and dentin, and into the pulp. Using flexible nickel titanium pin-like files, the inside of the canal is shaped. This is done delicately, but thoroughly, to completely remove all traces of infection or debris. This process is performed with a great deal of care in order to minimize damage or trauma to the surrounding ligaments and bone.

The next step is to disinfect and seal the tooth using a special type of heat gun to fill the canal with a material called gutta-percha. Gutta-percha is a natural, biocompatible, anti-bacterial material that expands and seals the hollowed area within the span of about 15 minutes. 

If the root canal is not completed on the same day, a temporary filling is placed in the exterior hole in the tooth to keep contaminants out between appointments.

 

The final step may involve further restoration of the tooth. Because a tooth that needs root canal therapy often is one that has a large filling or extensive decay or other weakness, a crown, crown and post, or other restoration often needs to be placed on the tooth to protect it, prevent it from breaking, and restore it to full function.

If you are experiencing pain or think you may need a root canal give Dr. Chauvin in Lafayette Louisiana a call today.

 

 

The history of braces

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history of bracesIf you think braces are a modern development, think again.  Archeologist discovered that braces date back to ancient man over 3000 years ago.  Although, a better choice then was not letting anyone know you had crooked teeth. You would end up with what is referred to as ‘mouth appliances.’  That wouldn’t get me excited for my next selfie…

Early history of braces

Archaeologists uncovered mummified remains with metal bands wrapped around individual teeth. They used cord from animal skin (catgut) to bind the metal bands together in attempts to straighten teeth.  Installing these devices along with new teeth (dental implants) were often done after death to ensure they looked good enough to enter into the afterlife. 

The first recorded attempts among the living were by the ancient Romans. Aulus Cornelius Celsus wrote about his use of hand pressure that involved applying finger pressure to the teeth at regular intervals.  Today, many Roman tombs opened up by archaeologists reveal that some teeth of the deceased had a small gold wire that was used to attach the arch wire to the bracket. The wire was bound to the teeth in an effort to force the teeth to move and close off noticeable gaps. 

The most important breakthroughs came between 1728 and 1757 with the publication of 2 books by French dentist, Pierre Fauchard and Ettienne Bourdet. The first book titled “The Surgeon Dentist”  talked about all facets of diagnosis and treatment of teeth, with an entire chapter on ways to straighten teeth.  Fauchard used a horseshoe-shaped device made of precious metal which helped expand the arch, called a “Bandeau”.   In 1757,  Ettienne Bourdet’s book, “The Dentist’s Art”, also had a chapter on straightening teeth and using mouth appliances. Bourdet was the dentist to the King of France and further perfected Fauchards’ Bandeau. He is the first dentist on record who recommended extraction and the first to scientifically prove jaw growth.

In 1771, John Hunter, a Scottish doctor wrote a book titled “The Natural History of the Human Teeth,” which described dental anatomy in accurate detail.  John Hunter was responsible for coining the terms still used today for teeth, such as bicuspids, cuspids, incisors and molars.

Almost 50 years later, in 1819, the first modern braces for teeth were created by Christophe-Francois Delabarre. Using a wire ‘crib’ to help straighten teeth, this marked the beginning of modern orthodontics. 

Braces during the 20th century 

It wasn’t until the early 1900’s that the term ‘braces’ was officially used. Dentists would individually wrap bands of materials varied around each tooth. They typically used gold, platinum, silver, steel, gum rubber and occasionally, wood, ivory, zinc, copper, and brass.  Wooden teeth were worn by many but made famous by George Washington (who actually didn’t wear wooden teeth).

Advancements in the 1970’s

In the 1970’s everything about braces changed. Orthodontists could now bond brackets right onto a tooth with a new dental adhesive and secure the wire to the bracket with colored ties. Wires got a new look as well: more flexible metals, like nickel, titanium and copper made things more comfortable.

Several attempts at hidden or ‘invisible’ braces happened but the techniques never really gave people what they wanted. It would be several decades before invisible braces became what they are today.  

Invisalign was created in 1997 by Zia Chishti.  Chishti was a Stanford University graduate with no dental background. She took the concept of the plastic retainer, the same one ancient Egyptians used 5000 years before, and figured out how to use it to straighten teeth, instead of maintaining already straight teeth. Along with Kelsey Wirth, they used 3D imaging software to map out a patient’s mouth and create custom aligners that would slowly transform the wearer’s smile. This eliminated the uncomfortable tightening of wires and more importantly no more ‘metal mouth.’

Invisalign was tested and perfected over 3 years before finally becoming available to the public in 2000. Since then it has grown in popularity over a decade and become the new standard for many patients seeking dental treatment.

So what’s next for braces?

Orthodontists think that the popularity of orthodontic treatment will only increase as both the cost and length of treatment time decreases. 

NASA discovered a special heat-activated, nickel-titanium metal discovered that might change the face of orthodontic treatment. It can be molded into a small wire and improve how teeth align in the mouth while cutting down on office time. 

There is also a futuristic possibility of 3-D printed braces. This was highlighted at a gadget trade show in Las Vegas.

So as companies develop more precise, high-tech materials and methods, your braces will be on for a shorter period of time, be smaller and less visible, result in less discomfort, and give great results. We’ve sure come a long way from the wrap-around “metal mouth” – and that’s something we can all smile about!

Contact Dr. Chauvin – Your Lafayette dentist if you have more questions!

What to do if your tooth is knocked out

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Your first reaction if your tooth is knocked out might be to freak out, cry, flail your arms and tell yourself life is over (speaking from experience).

Do not do that – Unless you are a famous hockey player who wears this empty tooth slot like a badge of honor. Everything will be fine.

Modern dentistry has come along way and if you act quickly it will increase the likelihood of saving the tooth.

Dental implantThe upper front permanent teeth are the most common teeth to be completely knocked out. Baby teeth are usually not reimplanted in the mouth after an injury, since they are replaced naturally by permanent teeth later. When a tooth is knocked out, the nerves, blood vessels and supporting tissues are damaged, too. The nerves and blood vessels can’t be repaired. That is why all avulsed teeth will need a root canal. However, the bone can reattach to the root of the tooth once it’s put back into place.

It’s very important to get to the dentist as fast as possible, typically within one hour, to avoid the tooth being damaged any further.  There are several steps to take to assure safe and clean keeping.

Tips to follow to increase chances of saving the tooth:

  • Do not touch the root
  • If the tooth is dirty rinse it with milk. (Milk helps the roots survive) Water will do if you do not have milk.
  • Do not use fabric to clean the tooth
  • The most important thing is to keep the tooth moist.  Drop it in a glass of milk. If you can’t do this, place the tooth in your mouth, between the cheek and gum.
  • Try slipping the tooth back into its socket. If this does not happen easily revert back to the option above.

Teeth cannot always be saved, however.  At that point your dentist will discuss options of porcelain crowns and dental implants.

Once you are at the dentist he/she will rinse the tooth and asses the condition of the mouth and tooth. The dentist may perform a root canal right away, or may wait. It mostly depends on how long the tooth was out of the mouth.  The dentist will splint the avulsed tooth to the teeth on either side with a soft wire material. Usually splints the tooth to the surrounding teeth for 7 to 10 days. If the bone around the tooth also has been fractured, the tooth may have to be splinted for 6 to 10 weeks. Reimplanted teeth eventually need root canal treatment.  This will be used to hold the tooth in place for several days.  Your dentist will decide how long the splint should remain in.

Once the hard part is over your dentist will examine the tooth in three to six months. Unless there are signs of infection, the next visit will occur at your yearly checkup. The dentist will follow up for the next two to three years to ensure that the tooth re-implanted successfully.

Contact Lafayette Dentist Dr. Chauvin immediately if your tooth is broken or knocked and follow the steps above to assure your mouth health stays on track!