Modern dentistry is a great thing.  We can offer so many solutions to common dental problems.  The treatment variations can seem overwhelming, or perhaps patients don’t know what choices and alternatives are available to them.  One Goal of the “dental profession” is to save teeth, and many of the things we do are with this endpoint in mind.  But, there comes a time when trying to save a tooth is longer feasible, possible, or practical.

Bobbie, who works here at Dental Designs, has a friend who was having an ongoing issue with a tooth, and with the treatment being offered by her dental office.  She asked Bobbie for her ‘dental opinion’.  Believe me, we get these every week when we are ‘out of the office’.  It is like asking a stock broker for tips at the neighborhood party!

Well, Bobbie’s friend had been seeing the same dentist for a while, and things were just not resolving with a tooth attached to a bridge.  Bobbie, having having worked with us for over 3 years, knows our practice philosophy and knows Dr. Braga, our periodontist, and I would be more than happy to give her friend a complimentary second opinion.  Bobbie knows a lot about dentistry, and could tell that her friends proposed treatment would not be the best case scenario.  So, her friend came to see us this month.

In this friend’s case, things weren’t working and it was time to see what else could be done.  She explained to us what her current dentist proposed, what had taken place over the last 1 year, and why she was feeling frustrated as a patient.  She likes her dentist, and trusts him as well, but she wasn’t getting a resolution to her problem.  I am glad she came to see us, because I think we found an answer for her that will make a world of difference.  Even though her dentist’s proposal was good, Bobbie’s friend just needed to see ‘what else I can do’.

My philosophy, and Dr. Braga would agree, is that we want to provide you with an honest opinion, treatment options, and any information you need to make an informed decision.  Remember, as the patient you should be taking part in a dialogue with your caregiver about your health.  There are no silly questions.  We undertake hours of training and updating to be able to be the pathway for you the patient to make choices.

And, just so you know, I completely understand when patients want to go to another office to get a second opinion.  I feel like if a patient is not happy with my solutions, then they need to find someone who can help them. I tell them, when they see another dentist, don’t tell them what my treatment is.  Rather, see if their plan of action is the same or different. Sometimes, when we dentists hear what another dentist will or won’t do, it can cloud opinions or form judgements without knowing the whole story.  Rather, present your case from your point of view, and see what happens.  This is exactly how Bobbie’s friend came to us.

I am also happy to report that patients have come back from getting a second opinion and tell me, “Gee Dr. Shetty, they didn’t give me as many options as you did”, or “That other office said the same things you guys did”.  Either way, I feel great.  Not every dentist will see eye to eye on every case, but they should be able to give you options.

So, if you or someone you know has questions about their dental health, or treatment, please give us a call for a complimentary second opinion.

Like this blog?  Learned something? Please share it with friends and family who may find it useful.

If you are looking for a dentist in Merrimack, Nashua, Bedford or Manchester, give us a call at 429-2199, or visit us online at www.dentaldesignsofnewengland.com.  Email us at info@ddne.net if you have questions about our practice or services. We promise to answer you!

Happy July4th to you and yours.  Thank you America. Stay Safe and Enjoy.

Hey, don’t’ worry Teeth Grinding is not a disease, but it can ruin your teeth permanently.

“Doc, what do you mean I grind my teeth? “  You would notice if you grind your teeth, wouldn’t you?  Do your front teeth ever get worn out, or those fillings on your front teeth that keep chipping and breaking every few years? So why don’t’ you think you might be a grinder?

Chipped front teeth

What is it? Bruxism is when you clench (tightly hold your top and bottom teeth together) or grind (slide your teeth back and forth over each other) your teeth.  It is a ‘parafunctional’ action, an action that serves no useful purpose.  But it is not an action that you can control, like eating, talking, or swallowing (things the mouth and teeth are made for).  It is an action that you can’t control, like your heart rate or digestion.

When you are awake, you can control how strongly you bite, chew, or ‘grind’ your food.  But all bets are off when you are asleep.  The biggest culprit of bruxism are the strong muscles of mastication, which are the muscles in our head that helps our jaws move.  Those muscles are ‘exercising’ all night long when you are grinder.  Since you have no control over it, you are actually grinding or clenching much harder than you would if you are awake.  Since it is happening while you are sleep, like your breathing and heart rate, you may not be aware of how serious the problem is.

Some people probably clench their teeth and never feel symptoms.  Whether or not bruxism causes pain and other problems may be a complicated mix of factors:

• How much stress you are under
• How long and tightly you clench and grind
• Whether your teeth are misaligned
• Your posture
• Your ability to relax
• Your diet, alcohol use, drugs/medications use
• Your sleeping habits

So how does the dentist know that you are a bruxer?

Some of the signs of bruxism that your dentist sees are:

• Worn down back teeth
  

  Your teeth due to grinding

• Worn down front teeth
• Broken teeth
• Broken fillings
• Pain in muscles of the face
• History of Migraines or headaches that do not get better even with medicaitons
• TMJ pain
• ‘Tired’ facial muscles, neck pain, shoulder pain, tightness in the face even after a good night’s sleep

There is no cure of bruxism, but there are things we can do to help. A night-guard, worn everyday, will help tremendously with both the grinding habit, and protecting the teeth long term.  I almost always tell any patient who is a grinder, or even if there is remote chance that they are grinder, that the best investment in protecting not only their own teeth, but any dental work they have, is get a night-guard.

Give us call to learn more about the NTI system.  The NTI-tss is an FDA approved oral appliance originally developed for migraine sufferers.  We have helped both types of patients find relief with the NTI appliance. Check out our ‘smile gallery’ to see photos of what modern dentistry can do for you if you have worn out teeth and want them to look good again.

I was waiting at the hair salon the other day, and I picked up a magazine with the simple headline ‘How to Save Money on Dental Bills’. Of course, I had to read the article. I am glad I did as it reinforces the things that we talk about all day long to our patients.

When times are tough, we look to tighten our budgets, and sometimes skipping a dental visit can be an ‘easy out’. But in the end, it will take more time and money to get back to a healthy mouth after the damage is done. We now know that there is direct correlation between gum disease and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, just to name a few.

Does your company have a Flexible Savings Account or Health Savings Account? These allow you to put away a preset amount tax-free. Even if you don’t have one, dental expenses fall into the health-care category and are tax deductible if your total health-care related costs exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

Prevention is always the best investment that you can make. Did you know that even if you don’t have dental insurance, all it takes is $1 a day to have 2 cleanings, X-rays, and checkups for the whole year? That’s a great investment that beats the stock market in any economy!

Consider this blog your news resource for information about oral health, dental procedures and technology, and what’s happening at your dentist’s office. We believe communication is key to building great doctor-patient relationships, and this dental blog is intended to keep us in touch with you. The best part is, you can simply bookmark this page in your browser, then visit whenever you like! Stay tuned for regular posts that will keep you informed.

If you need to schedule an appointment or are “interviewing” us as your potential new dental provider, call today! You may also want to review information about us here.