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Posts for: September, 2019

Along with thumb sucking, childhood teeth grinding is one of the top concerns anxious parents bring to their dentists. It’s so prevalent, though, many providers consider it normal behavior—the sleep-disturbing sound it can generate is often the worst consequence for the habit.
But that doesn’t mean you should brush aside all concern, especially if the habit continues into late childhood. Long-term teeth grinding could eventually damage the teeth and gums.
Teeth grinding (or clenching) is the involuntary movement of the jaws when not engaged in normal functions like chewing, speaking or swallowing. The action often produces higher than normal chewing forces, which over time can accelerate tooth wear, cause fractures, or contribute to loose teeth, all of which could increase the risk of dental disease. While it can occur at any time it’s most common among children during nighttime sleep.
While stress is the usual trigger for teeth grinding in adults, with young children the causes for the habit are more complex and less understood. Most doctors hold to the theory that most pediatric teeth grinding arises during shifts from lighter to heavier, rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. The child’s immature neuromuscular chewing control may engage involuntarily during this shift. Teeth grinding is also prevalent among children who snore or mouth-breathe, or who take anti-depressant medication.
But as mentioned before, there’s usually no cause for concern unless the habit persists beyond about age 11. If the habit isn’t fading, you should speak to your dentist about ways to reduce it or its effects. One way is with a custom-made night guard worn during sleep. The smooth, plastic surface of the appliance prevents teeth from making solid contact with each other during a grinding episode.
You might also seek treatment from an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist if your child is having issues with airway obstruction, which could also relieve teeth grinding. And children experiencing stressful situations or events may find relief both emotionally and physically from psychological therapy.
At younger ages, you can safely regard your child’s grinding habit as normal. But if it persists, it’s worth looking for ways to reduce it.
If you would like more information on your child’s teeth grinding habit, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “When Children Grind Their Teeth: Is the Habit of ‘Bruxism’ Harmful?”

Whether she’s singing, dancing or acting, Jennifer Lopez is a performer who is known for giving it all she’s got. But during one show, Lopez recently admitted, she gave a bit more then she had planned.
“I chipped my tooth on stage,” she told interviewers from Entertainment Tonight, “and had to finish the show….I went back thinking ‘Can I finish the show like this?’”
With that unlucky break, J-Lo joins a growing list of superstar singers—including Taylor Swift and Michael Buble—who have something in common: All have chipped their teeth on microphones while giving a performance.
But it’s not just celebs who have accidental dental trouble. Chips are among the most common dental injuries—and the front teeth, due to their position, are particularly susceptible. Unfortunately, they are also the most visible. But there are also a number of good ways to repair chipped, cracked or broken teeth short of replacing them.
For minor to moderate chips, cosmetic bonding might be recommended. In this method, special high-tech resins, in shades that match your natural teeth, are applied to the tooth’s surface. Layers of resin, cured with a special light, will often restore the tooth to good appearance. Best of all, the whole process can often be done in just one visit to the dental office, and the results can last for several years.
For a more permanent repair—or if the damage is more extensive—dental veneers may be another option. Veneers are wafer-thin shells that cover the entire front surface of one or more teeth. Strong, durable and natural-looking, they can be used to repair moderate chips, cracks or irregularities. They can also help you get a “red-carpet” smile: brilliant white teeth with perfectly even spacing. That’s why veneers are so popular among Hollywood celebs—even those who haven’t chipped their teeth!
Fortunately, even if the tooth is extensively damaged, it’s usually possible to restore it with a crown (cap), a bridge—or a dental implant, today’s gold standard for whole-tooth replacement. But in many cases, a less complex type of restoration will do the trick.
Which tooth restoration method did J-Lo choose? She didn’t say—but luckily for her adoring fans, after the microphone mishap she went right back up on stage and finished the show.
If you have a chipped tooth but you need to make the show go on, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Artistic Repair of Chipped Teeth With Composite Resin” and “Porcelain Veneers.”

Since as many as 26 percent of older U.S. adults have lost all their teeth, there are a large number Americans who wear full removable dentures, also known as false teeth. You may be one of them.
How much do you know about dentures? See if you can answer the following questions connected with lost teeth and dentures.
- Which word refers to the loss of all permanent teeth?
- Atrophy
- Prosthetic
- Edentulism
- Periodontal
- What is the name given to the bone that surrounds, supports, and connects to your teeth?
- Periodontal
- Metacarpal
- Tibia
- Alveolar
- What tissue attaches the teeth to the bone that supports your teeth?
- Periodontal Ligament
- Periodontal Muscle
- Parietal Ligament
- Achilles Tendon
- When a person loses teeth, the stimulus that keeps the underlying bone healthy is also lost, and the bone resorbs or melts away. Pressure transmitted by dentures through the gums to the bone can accentuate this process, which is called
- Dystrophy
- Atrophy
- Hypertrophy
- None of the above
- A device that replaces a missing body part such as an arm or leg, eye, tooth or teeth is referred to as
- Robotic
- Imaginary
- Exotic
- Prosthetic
- When teeth have to be extracted, bone loss can be minimized by bone grafting. Bone grafting materials are usually a sterile powdered form of
- Allograft (human tissue)
- Xenograft (animal tissue)
- Both
- Neither
- Wearers of full dentures must re-learn to manipulate the jaw joints, ligaments, nerves, and muscles to work differently in order to speak, bite, and chew. The name for this system of interconnected body mechanisms, originating with the root words for “mouth” and “jaw,” is
- Boca biting
- Stomatognathic
- Periodontal
- None of the above
- A type of plastic that is artistically formed and colored to make prosthetic teeth and gums look natural is called
- methyl methacrylate
- beta barbital
- rayon
- polystyrene
- Success in denture wearing depends on
- The skill of the dentist
- The talent of the laboratory technician
- The willing collaboration of the patient
- All of the above
Answers: 1c, 2d, 3a, 4b, 5d, 6c, 7b, 8a, 9d. How well did you do? If you have additional questions about full removable dentures, don’t hesitate to ask us.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to discuss your questions about dentures. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor article, “Removable Full Dentures.”