Wheaton Dental

[wheatondentist]

Pilocarpine

Pilocarpine and Cevimeline for dry mouth Pilocarpine is a parasympathomimetic sialogogue that we use to increase salivary flow. Before anyone should use these medications they should exhaust all other options for dry mouth treatment. Pilocarpine (Salagen) and Cevimeline (Evoxac) These two medications can be given to those suffering with dry mouth. These drugs are cholinergics and shouldn’t be…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Canalis sinuosus

What is the canalis sinuosus and do we need to worry about it? Canalis sinuosus is a branch of the infraorbital canal with a very high degree of variation. It is a neurovascular canal through which the anterior superior alveolar nerve passes through. It typically reaches the the premaxilla in the canine and incisor region, most often between the central and lateral incisor. The lateral incisor is…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Implant abutment connection types

What are the different implant abutment connection types? Implant abutment connection types are primarily 3 categories. What are the different types of implant abutment connections available? External hex, internal hex, and tissue level are the three main groups that you can place connection types into. There is also unique connection types that are not as common and tend to be unique to…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

3D printed dental crowns

Where are we with 3D printed dental crowns? 3D printing of dental crowns has a good chance of being the future of dental care. Are we there yet though? What materials can we 3D print a crown in? Several companies have FDA approval for 3D printing dental crowns. The ADA has made some minor changes to the dental codes so that the material we use in printing is consistent with the vocabulary of the…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Dental implant tight space

Dental Implant in Tight Space: How to Make it Work Dental implants are a popular solution for people who have lost one or more teeth. They are a permanent replacement that can look and function like natural teeth. However, when it comes to dental implants in tight spaces, it can be a challenge to find a solution that works. A tight space is any area that the bone or space is just barely bigger…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Hollow jaw

Dental implant dropped into a hollow jaw space! Hollow jaw space is a term we use to describe an area of very low bone dentistry or no bone that is most often in the lower jawbone. What is a hollow jaw bone? Basically a hollow jaw is an area that is deficient in bone dentistry. While a very observant dentist might find it on a CBCT, most are probably found when a dental implant drops into the…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Hypoplasia

What is hypoplasia of the teeth? Hypoplasia is a fairly common condition dentists see. However, there are different kinds and different causes. Turner’s tooth hypoplasia Turner’s tooth is a specific type of hypoplasia that is the result of an infection in a primary tooth. Enamel hypomineralization vs hypoplasia. Enamel hypomineralization describes the quality of the enamel. The enamel in these…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Barodontalgia

What is barodontalgia? Barodontalgia is pain that occurs as pressure changes. Other difficult conditions in dentistry that may be similar to barodontalgia. This is the 10th in a series of multiple post series about orofacial pain with difficult to diagnosis or unusual origin. Cracked tooth syndrome Trigeminal neuralgia Atypical odontalgia Neuralgia-inducing cavitational osteonecrosis or…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Operculum removal

Looking for the operculum removal ADA dental code? Operculum removal dental code is D7971. What is an operculum? Operculum is the name we give to tissue covering a partially erupted tooth. We often see this on lower back molars of younger adults and kids. What is the cost to remove the operculum? You will need to know the operculum removal dental code to find this! The website fair consumer…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Sheffield screw test

Want to know more about the Sheffield screw test for dental implant prosthesis? Sheffield screw test is a one screw test that dentists use to check the passivity fit of a dental prosthesis. Typically this is an all on 4 or all on x prosthesis. When do you need to do a Sheffield screw test? The Sheffield screw test is useful whenever you are delivering a multiple implant prosthesis. Whether it is…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Implant drilling

What is the ideal dental implant drilling technique? Dental implant drilling techniques vary from system to system. So what is the ideal form one implant may not be ideal for another. Furthermore bone density plays a role in dermingin ideal implant drilling technique too. However, there are some general guidelines that are useful. Forward drilling vs reverse drill rotation vs expansion Forward is…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Occlusal analysis device

What is an occlusal analysis device? Occlusal analysis devices measure the sequence of occlusal contact and the force of the occlusal contacts. What systems for occlusal analysis are available? This technology is not widely in use in dentistry. Part of the reason is cost and part of the reason is the lack of need for the type of precision that it can provide. Dentists mostly use some variation of…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Scaling Root Planing

What is SRP, scaling and root planing, or more commonly known as a deep cleaning? Scaling and root planing is a procedure we do for individuals with some level of periodontal disease. So first off we will describe what periodontal disease is. What is periodontal disease? Periodontal disease is an infection, and the number one reason adults lose teeth. Without treatment this infection destroys the…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

First bite syndrome

What is first bite syndrome? First bite syndrome is an orofacial pain condition that does exactly what is says. The patient feels pain when they first bite something or first taste something. It usually comes after surgery to the parapharyngeal space. Other difficult conditions in dentistry that may be similar to first bite syndrome. This is the 9th in a series of 9 posts about orofacial pain…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Implant seating jig

How do you make an implant seating jig? Implant seating jigs are very useful for dentists to help them more quickly seat an implant case. What is an implant seating jig? An implant seating jig is an acrylic (typically) sleeve that wraps around the custom implant abutment and the teeth in the area. It allows the custom abutment to go in at the correct rotation much easier than trying to do by…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Angioedema after dental treatment

Angioedema after dental treatment

What to do about angioedema from dental care? Angioedema can be the result of dental care. Whether it is from the physical trauma or emotional stress of the event is unclear but it is a known risk. Why is it important for a dentist to know about angioedema? There are instances of patient death following routine dental care from angioedema so early recognition and treatment is critical. Although…

View On WordPress

[wheatondentist]

Venous lake healing time

Venous lake healing time

How long is the venous lake healing time? Venous lake healing time varies due to many factors. Some of those are known and some are unknown. To learn more about our venous lake treatments check out our link! What is the typical healing time for a venous lake? We tell al our patient that the healing period after your treatment is 2-3 weeks for the scab to fall off and another week or so for the…

View On WordPress