Is Vivian using correct technique to floss? This is a common mistake we see too often! Correct technique on the right.

What happened to this patient’s teeth? He did not just brush his teeth, he brushed away (!) his teeth with his hard-bristle toothbrush and years of high-pressure back-and-forth scrubbing technique. Instead, use a gentle circular motion with a soft-bristle brush directed 45 degree angle toward the gums. Ask any of our staff to show you how.

This patient had beautiful teeth. However, she abused methamphetamine for a period of time. Illicit substances can damage your teeth permanently like this! This patient was kind enough to share her experience with us so that we may learn from it.

Front view of resorbed root Side view of extracted tooth Pre-treatment X-ray 2 years later

The extracted tooth shows evidence of root resorption. Detecting problems like this is one reason why routine X-rays are important. (1) Routine X-ray shows resorption of the tooth root here. (2) Root resorption continued without treatment and has later caused surrounding tissue damage and bone loss. (3) There is also periodontitis (gum disease) with bone loss caused by tartar build up. (4) This other diseased area has also not been treated and has lost all tooth support due to severe bone loss.

Another example shows why it is important to have routine dental care and not neglect simple things like cleaning! These teeth do not have any cavities at all. The root of these teeth accumulated so much tartar and pus that has eaten away the bone supporting the tooth. A diseased tooth like this will fall out by itself over time. This could have been prevented by routine cleaning and check ups.

Dentures must also be properly maintained. This patient came in with old dentures that were chipped (including missing teeth). More importantly, there was significant mold overgrowth. Check with us to ask how dentures should be cared for correctly!

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Constructed with Adobe GoLive on a Mac by Matt Morgan, MD. Photography by Christie Lee, DDS.