How did I get a cavity in my tooth?

How did I get a Cavity?
The outer part of your tooth is made of enamel.  From a very young age there are bacteria in your mouth. The most common on your teeth is Streptococcus Mutans.  These bacteria love to eat sugars and make your teeth their home.
The bacteria S. Mutans  digests sugars and carbohydrates and then secrete Lactic Acid.  Acid dissolves enamel.  This slowly forms a hole by eating away at your enamel. Note that the two places people get cavities are in the grooves of teeth and where two teeth touch each other. That is because this is a great place for bacteria to grow and avoid a toothbrush.
The reason brushing and flossing decrease cavities is that by removing the bacteria there is less acid secreted when you consume.
Fluoride in toothpaste or mouth rinses soak into the enamel. This forms a less acid soluble shell that protects your teeth from acid.
Once a small hole forms in your tooth it becomes a great place for the bacteria to hide from brushing and flossing. After a hole reaches a certain size it will only get bigger and can't remineralize. At this point you can have the hole filled by a dentist  so that there is no bacteria home and the hole can stop growing.

Laser Whitening in 45 minutes in Flagstaff

Laser bleaching is the biggest advancement in teeth whitening that I have seen in over 25 years of providing cosmetic dentistry to Flagstaff!
How: Our state of the art ezLase 940nm diode laser emits a very focused beam of laser light on a bleaching gel(Laserwhite20) we place on your teeth. The light is applied for only 5 minutes. We divide applications into 4 quadrants so bleaching time totals only 20 minutes.  A second application may be applied (Free of charge) at this time if desired.
What: Typical results are a lightening of 5-10 shades lighter!
Why: A pretty smile opens doors and makes us happy. Treat yourself!
When: In under an hour you can give yourself a bright shiny smile.  We open as early as 6:30 AM so you don't miss work!  We can be reached at (928)774-1168 M-F. Further info at Flagstaff Downtown Dental

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Everyone Clenches Their Teeth

In over 25 years of practicing dentistry in Flagstaff, I have noticed a huge rise in the incidence of TMJ (temporal mandibular joint) pain. I suppose this is due to the fact that life is overall more stressful and people are clenching their teeth in response (this it is just my casual observation). People may have pain in their jaw for many reasons.  It usually stems either from the joint itself or from the muscles associated with it. So how can we combat this inevitable jaw-clenching pain? What can the world of dentistry offer in terms or relief?

One of the best ways to avoid TMJ pain is by wearing a night guard (a.k.a. an occlusal guard) at night. A guard works by keeping your muscles of mastication (chewing jaw muscles) from tensing up and activating during sleep. A hard acrylic night guard reduces the amount of force these muscles exert and diminishes the tension in one's jaw muscles. There is often some immediate relief from TMJ pain by simply wearing this custom made dental appliance to bed at night.

It is important to know that the rubbery guard for sale at your local Flagstaff Wal-Mart often does more harm than good. The $12 price is low but it is actually worse than doing nothing at all to treat TMJ symptoms. The reason for this is that the "squishy" or soft mouth guard (although good for protection while playing sports) is a huge muscle worker during the night and can lead to a very sore jaw muscle in the morning. The pliable material actually encourages the jaw muscles to work and clench even harder. This disallows the jaw to relax and rest when it needs it the most.

For acute jaw pain we have recently been helping patients with laser therapy, which sends a deep relaxing heat into the muscle. The laser can give relief to sore muscles in a matter of minutes. Sometimes we may refer you to see a TMJ specialist.  There are none in Flagstaff but if need be there are a few down south.
Night guards also prevent wear on teeth and protect them over the long term from grinding at night. If teeth wear through the enamel, they can become extremely sensitive and become costly to restore.

When considering a night guard, how much should a TMJ splint (night guard) really cost in Flagstaff, AZ?

The cost at our office as of this publishing is $600. Our guards are custom made, of the highest quality, and guaranteed. We make sure each guard is perfectly adjusted to the bite of each patient. 

To read more about this, visit us at our website flagstaffdentist.comflagstaffdentist.com.  

Teeth Whitening in Flagstaff AZ - FBN Edit

How it works:
Carbamide Peroxide is the main ingredient in almost all teeth whitening systems. When mixed with water, the compound Hydrogen Peroxide is released. Hydrogen Peroxide is the active ingredient that causes teeth whitening. This method has been found by the FDA and the ADA to do no damage to or weaken the tooth structure.

There are six major methods of which to choose from when considering teeth whitening:

1. Get your teeth polished.  Always have the coffee/tea stain professionally cleaned off your teeth before deciding on whether or not you need to bleach your teeth!
2. Zoom Whitening -  A very strong concentration of bleach is placed on the teeth. A strong light is then shone on the teeth with the bleach solution.  This is reapplied 3 times over the course of an hour.  Dr. Bacon had this unit for a short time in his Flagstaff dental office.  It caused so much post bleach pain that patients needed medication to get through the next 24 hours.  Needless to say we stopped using this technique. Interestingly, research has since shown the light had no effect on the bleaching. Some patients still prefer this method as it often requires a single visit to the office to achieve the desired results.

3. Laser Whitening - For immediate results a strong bleaching gel activated by a laser light may be used.  Flagstaff Downtown Dental uses the Laserwhite20 gel in conjunction with a 940nm wavelength laser light. The entire process takes less than an hour.  We have found significantly less sensitivity with the laser whitening as opposed to the zoom. For those wanting the immediate results in a single visit, we would highly recommend this method over the Zoom Whitening process.

4. Whitening Toothpaste - Toothpaste with a whitening ingredient has been shown to have little to no effect on achieving a whiter smile.  This is because the whitening ingredients interact with the teeth for such a short amount of time and are not able to soak in. Some toothpastes will whiten by abrasion.  Although it can remove superficial stains, over time the abrasion may wear down the enamel and damage teeth. It is best and safest to have superficial stains periodically removed by a dental hygienist.

5. Whitening Strips - This is a way to whiten teeth at home.  The major disadvantage to this method is the strips adhere better towards the edge of the teeth than by the gum line. Consequently, sometimes teeth don't bleach as well by the gum line.
6. Custom Trays - An effective way to whiten teeth is to have a custom fit tray made at a dental office.  In comparison to other home methods, a custom tray better retains the bleach by the gum line where whitening strips may lack adhesion. Just 30-45 minutes a day for 4 or 5 days helps acquire the desired look. Custom trays also give patients the ability to use a desensitizing gel after whitening. If sensitivity does occur after bleaching, it can often be quickly relieved with this method. To make the custom trays, impressions of the teeth can be made in a few minutes and turned into a custom tray within a day.  Because you can reuse your tray for years to come, custom trays are less expensive over time than whitening strips!

Fun Facts:  
-Dental materials such as porcelain crowns and fillings do not change color and may not match your bleached teeth after treatment.  This is a serious consideration prior to whitening.
-Whitening through different forms of Hydrogen Peroxide has a history of over 25 years and has not been found to increase tooth decay or to "weaken" teeth. 
-All forms of bleaching may cause some sensitivity. Desensitizing gel may be used after bleaching to helpful after whitening treatment.
-It is not always possible to get the desired whitening effect through the different forms of bleaching.  In such cases an alternative is porcelain veneers.

For more information on whitening, you can read more at our Flagstaff Downtown Dental office's website, .click here or call us at (928) 774-1168.

How much should a TMJ splint  (night guard) cost in Flagstaff, AZ?
First off it is important to know that the rubbery guard you get at your Flagstaff Wal-Mart store often does more harm than good.  The reason is that a "squishy" mouth guard, though good protection while playing sports, is a huge muscle worker during the night and can lead to a very sore jaw muscle or joint in the morning.  The $12 price is low but is actually worse than nothing at all to treat TMJ symptoms.
A "Hard Guard" as made at Flagstaff Downtown Dental decreases stress on chewing muscles.  Because it is made of hard acrylic it does not overwork your muscles. A guard works by keeping your muscles of mastication (chewing jaw muscles) from completely getting full force.  When your teeth can't completely come together your force exerted by your jaw muscles is greatly diminished.
Flagstaff Downtown Dental has made hundreds of Guards and guarantees results! The cost at this publishing is $750. Our guards are custom made and are of the highest quality. Compare this to Phoenix dental office prices of well over $1000! Visit our web site or call (928)774-1168 to visit us just a block north of downtown Flagstaff

TMJ Pain in Flagstaff AZ

In over 25 years of practicing dentistry in Flagstaff, I have noticed a huge rise in the incidence of TMJ(short for temporal mandibular joint) pain.  I suppose this is due to the fact that life is overall more stressful and people are clenching their teeth more. ( I have not done any research on this it is just my observation.)
People may have pain in their jaw for many reasons.  It is usually either pain coming from the joint itself of from the muscles associated with it.
When it is from the muscles, and this is usually a result of night time clenching or grinding, we can often get people some immediate relief by making a night guard.  This is a custom made dental appliance that fits over your teeth and you wear to bed at night. Please note that a sports guard that you heat up and make yourself will usually make it worse. This is because they are soft and work your clenching muscles even harder!
Dr. Bacon of Flagstaff can evaluate your TMJ problem.  Often wearing a custom made night guard will alleviate TMJ pain.  We have recently been helping patients with laser therapy, which sends a deep relaxing heat into the muscle.  Sometimes we may refer you to see a TMJ specialist.  There are none in Flagstaff but if need be there are a few down south.
Call our Flagstaff Downtown Dental at 928-774-1168 to be evaluated. To read more about our office in general click here.

Dentist Reviews

The world of having patients choose your dental office is quite different from the day I graduated dental school over 25 years ago.  As it should be.  Dentistry has gone high tech with many highly beneficial advances for patients.  I am proud to have a high Google rating as many new patients read these before making that phone call.
But there are other sites, such as YELP!, that present a picture that isn't clear or fair.  While I have around 40 yelp reviews, only a handful are contributing to my STAR rating.  There are 50 reviews that YELP only makes accessible if you click a light grey sentence at the bottom of the page.  These have more of a 4+ star rating.

A few examples of published results:
A lady that came in with a very broken down 25 year old porcelain crown on her front tooth.  She claimed our hygienist broke it and registered a complaint with the dental board.  Upon review the board ruled her claim to have no merit.  Yet still YELP readers will just look at the ratings and move on to another dentist.

Another review came on google from a guy that had advanced periodontal disease.  He had bone loss,
tartar build up and infected gums.  He argued he had no problems, stood up out of the chair and physically intimidated our 5' tall hygienist. He made a mess of our bathroom including not flushing.
Yet his review calling us cheats remains on the internet with his 1 star rating.
I could go on and on.  The problem is people don't read the rebuttals and just move on.

Well, the fact of the matter is most people still choose their dentist by word of mouth so thank you Flagstaff! And thanks to those of you that have written nice reviews, even if they don't always get published. To check out our office click here.