Most people would agree that what is inside a person is more important than outward appearance. But increasingly, we're learning that how you look is also very important because it can have a direct effect on how you feel about yourself. When there is something you don't like about your smile, it can make you feel self-conscious, under confident and unhappy. That's why cosmetic dentistry can have such an important impact on your well-being.
Cosmetic dentistry includes a variety of dental treatments aimed at improving the appearance of the teeth. A little change through cosmetic dentistry can lead to a big change in your life as well as giving your self-esteem a big boost. Different cosmetic procedures that can visually enhance the smile are:
Bonding, Bridges, Crowns, Enamel reshaping, Veneers.
Bonding is the term used when a dentist places a tooth colored filling onto the tooth to repair a fractured tooth, cover up a discoloration on a tooth, or close up a small space or gap between two teeth. Bonding is a simple process that is usually completed in one visit, with bonding, an enamel-like material is applied to the surface of a tooth, and then sculpted, hardened, and polished to create a perfect smile.
Bonding can be a great choice in creating the smile you've always wanted. Dr. Sielicki is an experienced dentist, who has helped enhance many beautiful smiles, using the latest cosmetic dentistry techniques including bonding.
Bridges are used to replace one or more teeth. They are permanently fixed to the teeth on either side of the missing tooth.
Bridges are natural in appearance, and if maintained with good oral hygiene, they will last as long as ten years or more. Bridges can reduce your risk of gum disease; help correct some bite issues, even improve your speech and will give you more confidence when you smile.
This lovely lady was not pleased with the esthetics of her old bridge.
Her smile was rejuvenated with a new bridge! Look what a difference it made! Just amazing....
Fully Restored Lower Arch with Implant Supported Bridge
Lumineers give you a long-lasting white smile, no matter what you eat or drink! Whether the damages have been caused by time, stain-including substances such as coffee, tea and red wine, or by tetracycline staining, natural looking Lumineers correct discoloration without appearing artificial. Lumineers are a permanent whitening solution for those who've hidden their smile for too long.
Crowns cover the entire visible surface of your tooth and add strength, durability and tooth stability. Crowns are made with materials that are indistinguishable from your other teeth, giving you a natural feel and look.
Today's modern technology allows us to have the option to choose between many different crowns. There are numerous types of all porcelain crowns made of different types of materials. Some offer more strength then others. These type would be best for the back teeth that take most of the biting forces. Other types of all porcelain crowns can be more translucent and esthetic for the front teeth. We also have the technology to be able to fabricate a crown in the office in one visit. This eliminates the need for a second appointment and a temporary crown. Together with Dr. Sielicki, you will determine which type is best for you.
Is there a defect in your smile that always draws your eye in the mirror? A chip in a front tooth, some worn edges, or shallow pits or grooves in the tooth enamel are all minor issues, but they do stand in the way of having a perfect smile. If you suffer from one or more of these problems, they can all be fixed using a procedure called enamel reshaping.
Enamel reshaping involves removing a small amount of enamel to improve the appearance of a tooth or to adjust a person's bite. Enamel reshaping adjustments are minor but important procedures that do not cause any long-term damage to teeth. It is performed quickly with no anesthesia necessary.
Teeth enamel discoloration can be caused by staining, aging or chemical damage to teeth. Porcelain veneers can cover up discoloration and are also the strongest way to repair a broken portion of your tooth. Porcelain veneers are placed over the front of the tooth to change the color or shape of the tooth. They are ideal for teeth that are too small, too big, or have uneven surfaces. Porcelain veneers solve such irregularities and create a durable and pleasing smile.
Porcelain veneers are as strong as your own teeth and resist future discoloration and chipping. They make a dramatic, immediate difference to your smile and your self-esteem. A smile can be the most eye-catching feature of the face and with porcelain veneers you can smile with complete confidence.
Before After
Before After
Implants are made of titanium and placed directly into the jaw. Implants can be used in a variety of ways, from a single crown replacing one tooth or a bridge replacing at 3 teeth or a fixed denture retained by implant. The result is a natural looking fixed restoration no matter what option that may be required.
Implant under gum Impression post Porcelain abutment Final crown
Implant placement on X-ray Implant with a custom
milled titanium abutment Implant fully restored
with the crown on top
of the abutment X-ray's confirms the implant.
Abutment and crown are all
fitted together.
Odyssey soft tissue laser
The Odyssey laser provides comfortable, preventive, and minimally invasive treatment options. The light from the Odyssey diode laser wavelength has been precisely made for soft tissue applications. The light can be focused into a tiny point to do very fine, exact work. It is gentle on soft gum and the heat from the laser also has a sterilization effect.
There are many benefits from the use of soft tissue laser. For instance, it can remove diseased gum tissue to help treat and prevent further gum disease. The laser can be used to desensitize cold sores and small ulcers in the mouth. It is also used to removed frenums (the thick tissue that attaches your lip to your gums that sometimes can leave a large gap between the front teeth), fibroma’s or to improve a “gummy smile” like this example shows.
A custom nightguard provides the best retention and will be the most comfortable because they are custom molded to the exact form and shape of your teeth. Nightguards protect crowns & restorations from Bruxism.
The little product that could
Whether you have been a natural “grinder” or “clencher” all your life, (or are just a temporary one due to excess stress), teeth, however strong, are no match for the force of our jaws in grinding mode. Grinding(Bruxism) can literally destroy your teeth.
If you own a valuable car, wouldn't you rather bring it inside a garage overnight, during a hail storm? That is exactly a night guard's function: to provide protection from your natural elements!
A little night guard is such a surprisingly simple solution to a huge problem. And so cost effective! Talk to us about it and see which night guard suits you.
It's normal to clench your jaws when you sleep, but too much of it can cause severe conditions like migraines, chronic headaches, and TMJ pain.
This is why we offer the NTI-tss device to help reduce this type of pain. It is the only FDA-approved dental appliance for preventing headache pain. The NTI-tss device is small, nearly invisible, and removable device that you can wear during sleep. As an option, it may even be fitted to wear all day long. The NTI-tss device is custom-fitted and will help to prevent the tooth surfaces from ever coming into intense contact. This will help to eliminate high intensity clenching and muscular irritation, factors that cause migraine pain, TMJ, and chronic headaches.
Our doctors at Sonoran Dental Design can help you determine what is best for your condition.
Periodontal (gum) disease develops when bacteria attacks the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Luckily, this type of infection can be treated in the early stages with a treatment call scaling and root planning. This involves cleaning the tooth below the gum and smoothing the tooth root, although treatment depends on how far the condition has progressed. Gingivitis is the earliest stage of the disease, where the gums become red, swollen, and bleed easily, whereas Periodontitis – the more advanced stage – entails damage to the gums, bone, and other structures. Should periodontal disease not be treated, you may put yourself at risk for tooth loss.
What causes it? Even for people who brush between their teeth everyday, plaque can sprout up and cling to the teeth and gums. When it is not completely removed, especially around the gumline, the bacteria in plaque will release toxins that cause injury to the gums and underlying bone.
Prevention is key. A good oral hygiene routine at home, such as brushing twice a day and cleaning between teeth once a day with floss or an interdental cleaner, as well as regular dental checkups, can help to detect developing periodontal disease.
Schedule an appointment with one of our dentists if you notice any of the following warning signs (per the American Dental Association):
Gums that bleed easily
Red, swollen or tender gums
Gums that have pulled away from the teeth
Pus between the teeth and gums when the gums are pressed
Persistent teeth that are loose or separating
Any change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
Any changes in the fit of partial dentures
Adopting good oral hygiene patterns every day will help to reduce the risk of recurring periodontal disease.
Not just for Kids
Sometimes teeth present with really deep stains in the grooves and valley's. It is really important to clean these out and make sure that there is not decay lurking underneath. Sometimes decay can get into these small areas and flourish in the dentin. Fluoride is great to make the enamel really strong, however if there is small hole or defect, bacteria can get in there and cause decay. This is a great way to prevent needing to have a filling in the future! Sealants are not just for kids!
Sealants are a safe and painless way of protecting your children's teeth from dental decay. A sealant is a protective plastic coating, which is applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth. The sealants form a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth and causing decay.
Sealants are only applied to the back teeth — the molars and premolars — as these are the teeth that have the pits and fissures on their biting surfaces. Some teeth naturally form with deep grooves, and will need to be sealed, others with shallow ones, will not need sealing. The process is usually quick and straight forward, taking only a few minutes per tooth. Sealants are totally pain free, and the teeth do not feel any different afterwards. Good oral hygiene is still an absolute necessity but the sealants reduce tooth decay and therefore reduce the number of fillings your child might need.
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| Chewing surface of a molar before sealant is applied. | The tooth surface is etched with a mild solution to help the sealant adhere. | Chewing surface of a molar protected by a shaded sealant. |
Ultradent’s customer feedback system has been so helpful for keeping abreast of issues our customers face. Through this online system, we’ve received quite a few inquiries about Bisphenol-A content in our pit and fissure sealant, UltraSeal XT plus. It’s interesting that we even receive these questions from patients/consumers directly. This Bisphenol-A topic seems to come in and out of fashion for consumer media, who tend to report that BPA content is the rule, not the exception. In reality, only one competitive manufacturer’s sealant material contains Bisphenol-A.
There are different types of whitening products. Together, with Dr. Sielicki, the best whitening product for you will be determined based on the specific needs of your teeth.
There are many causes for tooth discoloration. The most common include aging and consumption of staining substances such as coffee, tea, colas, tobacco, and red wine. During tooth formation consumption of tetracycline, certain antibiotics or excessive fluoride may also cause tooth discoloration.
Whitening is a beaching process that lightens discoloration of teeth enamel. It is safe effective and fast. In just over an hour, your teeth will be dramatically whiter. Whitening is ideal for anyone looking for immediate results. Teeth typically become at least five to eight shades whiter. The convenience of Whitening in comparison to days of wearing trays and gradual whitening makes it the perfect choice for the busy individual.
You should come and see Dr. Sielicki about Whitening and take your first step to feeling good, looking great and
making memorable impression every time you smile.
The KöR Whitening Deep Bleaching™ System by Dr. Rod Kurthy is a proven, permanent whitening system from Evolve® Dental Technologies, Inc. Developed by Dr. Kurthy himself, it yields reliable, consistent results every single time!
GLO Science Professional revolutionizes in-office teeth whitening. The patented Guided Light Optics (G.L.O.) innovation combines heat-plus-light in a closed system mouthpiece, activating the professional strength GLO Whitening Gel and preventing whitening oxygens from escaping the mouth for faster, more efficient, long lasting whitening results.
Professional Technology
The GLO Brilliant™ Professional Teeth Whitening Device reinvents the experience of teeth whitening using patent pending G.L.O. (Guided light optic) technology, combining professional elements of heat and light built into a one of a kind - closed system mouthpiece to accelerate the whitening process.
The mouthpiece prevents the whitening oxygens from escaping the tooth surface, making the process more effective and more efficient.
Innovation
Convenience
Results
Innovation
Edison Award winning technology
The GLO Brilliant® Personal Teeth Whitening Device reinvents the experience of teeth whitening with patented Guided Light Optic (G.L.O.) technology.
Your smile, 5x whiter in 5 days - no sensitivity.
Clinically proven, professional results – right at home.
Hands-free device offers convenient, at-home results.
Convenient, safe and easy to use.
Invisalign takes a modern approach to straightening teeth, using a custom-made series of aligners created for you and only you. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you simply wear over your teeth. Wearing the aligners will gradually and gently shift your teeth into place, based on the exact movements your dentist or orthodontist plans out for you. There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You simply pop in a new set if aligners approximately every two weeks, until your treatment is complete and you achieve the confident smile that you've always wanted. The best part about the whole process is that most people won't even know you're straightening your teeth.
Cerec crowns used CAD/CAM technology to fabricate dental restorations. CAD/CAM is an acronym for computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing. Used for decades in the manufacturing industry to produce precision tools, parts and automobiles, CAD/CAM technology has been increasingly incorporated into dentistry over the past 20 plus years.
One of the benefits of the CAD/CAM technology is that it uses metal-free materials to provide patients with ceramic crowns, veneers, onlays, inlays and bridges that are created via this precision technology. Dental CAD/CAM also is used to fabricate abutments for dental implants used to replace missing teeth.
Dental CAD/CAM technology is available for dental practices and dental laboratories, enabling dentists and their team (or a laboratory technician) to design restorations on a computer screen. The CAD/CAM computer displays a 3-D custom image of your prepared tooth or teeth obtained by digitally capturing the preparations with an optical scanner.
The 3-D images and the CAD software are used to draw and design the final restoration. Once the final restoration is designed, the crown, inlay, on lay, veneer or bridge is milled from a single block of ceramic material in a milling chamber. The restoration then can be customized with stains and glazes to create a more natural look, before being fired in an oven (similar to ceramics and pottery), and then finished and polished.
One of the advantages of CAD/CAM technology is that in many cases, treatment that used to take multiple visits and numerous injections of anesthetic, can be completed in ONE day with a single appointment, while you wait. This technology not only saves our patients time, it saves them the inconvenience of getting multiple injections and the mental anguish of knowing you have additional appointments with the dentist. This process also eliminates the traditional impressions, the uncomfortable feeling of having large trays in your mouth and the need for a second or even third appointment. Just think, come to the office one time and you can leave with your work completed!
It is important to note that most teeth can be treated with a CAD/CAM restorations. Rarely there are times that based on the patient's particular needs that the use of conventional lab prepared restorations is required, your dentist will determine if a CAD/CAM restoration is among the appropriate treatment options for your particular needs. Come see if your treatment needs can be met with the CAD/CAM Cerec technology.
VELscope: Our Standard of Excellence
What is a “VELscope“? :VELscope is a very simple and important part of our patient’s examination. It is an adjunct to the oral cancer screening that is typically conducted at recall exams. It is a non-invasive exam that does not require any special rinses, and it is quick, about two minutes. VELscope uses fluorescence light that illuminates the oral tissues and mucosa to the basement membrane and beyond.
Why have a VELscope exam?: To have the peace of mind that all is fine with the soft tissues in the oral cavity, or to be able to have an abnormality detected, including oral cancer and pre-cancer, much sooner then an examination would reveal with the ambient light alone, allowing earlier diagnosis and more successful treatment outcomes. The difference between early and late detection of oral cancer can be the difference between life and death. Oral cancer is most often discovered in the late states when the five year survival rate is only around 30%. When it is discovered early, however, the survival rate leaps to about 82%.
How does the light work?: VELscope’s blue excitation light is shone into the oral cavity, which excites natural fluorophores from the surface of the epithelium through to the basement membrane (where premalignant changes typically begin) and into the stroma beneath, causing it to fluoresce. Abnormal tissue typically appears as an irregular, dark area that stands out against the green fluorescence pattern of surrounding healthy tissue. The visualization of the technology allows to directly view the oral mucosa much more effectively than can be achieved with the naked eye.
History of the VELscope: This FDA approved technology, which is backed by over $50 million in research funded by the NIH and other respected organizations, has been in place in the medical field for years. The VELscope represents the first oral application of this technology and has had numerous papers and case studies published supporting its ability to help discover oral mucosal abnormalities, including oral cancer and pre-cancer.
Is the VELscope a Diagnostic Tool?
Like other visualization technologies, such as panoramic radiography, CT, MRI, PET and ultrasound, the VELscope is NOT a stand-alone diagnostic test. However, used in conjunction with the standard oral soft tissue exam, VELscope provides visual information that cannot be acquired in any other way.
Does the VELscope Generate "False Positives" for Oral Cancer?
False positives occur when a diagnostic test mistakenly signals the presence of disease. The VELscope system is NOT a diagnostic test, and does not, consequently, generate false positives. As an adjunctive visualization tool, the VELscope helps dental professionals discover a wide range of unhealthy tissue in the mouth, including oral pre-cancer and cancer.
Overall Oral Health
There's a growing trend within general dentistry that stresses the importance of overall oral health – not only health of teeth and gums, but of all the soft tissues in the oral cavity and oropharynx. Growing numbers of clinical practitioners now incorporate routine intra- and extra-oral head and neck exams into their hygiene appointments to screen for dysplasia, oral cancer and a host of other oral diseases.
Oral Cancer
Approximately 36,540 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx in 2010. During the same time period 7,880 Americans will die of oral cancer.*
Found early, while still Localized (confined to the primary site), oral cancer's five-year survival rate is good: about 83%. Only 33% of all oral cancer discoveries fall into this category.
Found while Regional (progressed to regional lymph nodes) the five-year survival rate drops significantly, to about 55%. Approximately 46% of all oral cancer discoveries are Regional.
Found late, oral cancer's five-year survival rate is poor: approximately 32%. This accounts for approximately 14% of all oral cancer findings.
Clearly, finding oral cancer in its early stages is key to survival. Routine VELscope examinations can improve the morbidity and mortality of oral-cancer, because the VELscope system assists in early detection, potentially saving lives through less invasive, more effective treatment.
HPV — Changing the Demographics of Oral Cancer
An increasing body of evidence points to a strong link between particular strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV, most notably strain 16) and a certain type of oral cancer that occurs in the oropharynx. HPV 16 is the same strain associated with almost all cervical cancer. Many experts now recommend that all adult patients over the age of 18 receive a thorough intra- and extra-oral head and neck exam annually.
For more information on oral cancer, please visit the Oral Cancer Foundation
• As seen on the nationally syndicated ‘The Dr. Oz Show’ and ‘The Doctors’
Oraverse
OraVerse is indicated for the reversal of soft-tissue anesthesia, i.e., anesthesia of the lip and tongue, and the associated functional deficits resulting from an intraoral submucosal injection of a local anesthetic containing a vasoconstrictor. OraVerse is the first and only local anesthesia reversal agent that allows you to bring patients back to normal sensation twice as fast.
Phentolamine mesylate, the active ingredient in OraVerse, has been used in medical applications since 1952.
Q. What is OraVerse?
A. OraVerse (phentolamine mesylate) is an injection that reverses the effectsof local anesthetic with a vasoconstrictor (numbness after a dental procedure) and accelerates the return of normal sensation and function. It helps you reduce the unwanted and unnecessary lingering numbness in the lips and tongue after routine dental procedures. This loss of sensation can result in difficulty with smiling, drinking, and speaking and can cause uncontrolled drooling. These are unpleasant side effects of the local anesthetic with a vasoconstrictor (that tightens blood vessels). In clinical trials, the median time to recovery of normal sensation in the upper lip was 50 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 133 minutes for the control group, and in the lower lip was 70 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 155 minutes for the control group.
Q. How quickly will the numbess go away with OraVerse?
A. In clinical trials, the median time to recovery of normal sensation in the upper lip was 50 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 133 minutes for the control group, and in the lower lip was 70 minutes for OraVerse patients vs. 155 minutes for the control group.
Q. What are the potential side effects with OraVerse?
A. In the clinical trials, the most common side effects with OraVerse compared to the control group were pain after the procedure (6% vs. 6%), injection site pain (5% vs. 4%), increase in heart rate (5% vs. 6%), headache (3% vs. 4%) and decrease in heart rate (2% vs. 0.3%). The majority of side effects were mild and went away within 48 hours.
Q. Is there anyone who should not receive OraVerse?
A. OraVerse is not recommended for use in children less than 6 years of age or weighing less than 33 lbs. In addition, OraVerse has not been studied in pregnant women, and it is not known if OraVerse is passed to the baby while nursing so caution should be exercised if a pregnant or nursing woman is considering using OraVerse. Please consult with your doctor or dentist.
Q. Does the injection of OraVerse hurt?
A. Since OraVerse is given while you are still numb from the anesthetic, most patients don't experience injection site pain. In clinical studies, the incidence of injection site pain in the OraVerse group was similar to that in the control group (5% vs 4%, respectively).
OraVerse is the first and only local anesthesia reversal agent that allows you to bring patients back to normal sensation twice as fast. Phentolamine mesylate, the active ingredient in OraVerse, has been used in medical applications since 1952. As you'll see below, the clinical trials for OraVerse have yielded positive results.
Median Time to Normal Lip Sensation (Adult and Adolescent Clinical Trials)
These trials showed that on average, OraVerse patients not only return to normal sensation faster, but they can speak, smile and drink sooner and drooling is minimized.
Median Time to Recovery of Normal Function
OraVerse is indicated for reversal of soft-tissue anesthesia, i.e., anesthesia of the lip and tongue, and the associated functional deficits resulting from an intraoral submucosal injection of a local anesthetic containing a vasoconstrictor. OraVerse is not recommended for use in children less than 6 years of age or weighing less than 15 kg (33 lbs).
OralDNA
Traditional diagnostic techniques for periodontal disease involve the identification of clinical signs and symptoms of disease. These usually include bleeding, pocket depth, redness, inflammation, and bone loss. While clinical signs can determine that an infection exists, they cannot determine the causative agents. Additionally, clinical signs are simply a measurement of the damage from a disease process that has ALREADY occurred. These signs do not tell us the types of bacteria present, knowledge of which is essential to determining the severity of the infection and/or the potential for disease progression after therapy. Moreover, clinical signs alone cannot determine if therapy has achieved the goal of elimination or suppression of the disease-causing agent(s).
As you may be aware, the past 10 years have provided much insight into what has come to be called... "The Oral / Systemic Connection". There does appear to be a link to chronic inflammatory periodontal infections and systemic diseases such as:
• Heart disease • Diabetes
• Stroke
• Some forms of cancer and other diseases
The National Institute of Health (NIH) and other research facilities are aggressively pursuing this link as well. For More information regarding the Oral/Systemic Connection, visit the following links online:
OralDNA
• National Institutes of Health: www.nih.gov
• American Dental Association: www.ada.org
• Academy of Periodontology: www.perio.org
• American Dental Hygienists' Association: www.adha.org
As we continue to learn more about the severity of periodontal infections and how closely linked they are to your overall health, having detailed information about your genetic susceptibility (MyPerioID® PST®) and the bacteria that are present in our mouth (MyPerioPath®) will be critical in determining your oral and overall general health.
Introducing MyPerioPath®:
This test indentifies and measures certain bacteria in your mouth that cause gingivitis (early stage gum disease) and periodontal disease (mature gum disease).
Introducing MyPerioID® PST®:
This test determines if you are more likely to develop more serious gum tissue infections, such as inflammatory periodontal disease.
Introducing OraRisk® HPV:
This test determines if you are at increased risk for HPV-related oral and throat cancers.
These new, quick, and non-invasive tests deliver information that will enable your dental professional to better determine the appropriate treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
Traditional periodontal evaluation has served the profession well for decades.With OralDNA Labs salivary diagnostic technology, we now have the most powerful tool to combat periodontal disease. The ability to identify the causative bacteria changes everything by enabling clinicians to provide individualized periodontal treatment for each patient. We finally know exactly what we are fighting.
Traditional periodontal evaluation has served the profession well for decades. Bacterial DNA testing adds a critical dimension previously unavailable, significantly enhancing our ability to get better results for our patients, which is what it is really all about.
DentalVibe
Let's face it, nobody likes dental shots, no matter how old you are.
Which is why most people don't go to the dentist as often as they should. And if you're one of those people who hate dental shots, we've got great news for you.
Now there's DentalVibe®. A patented, award winning device invented by a dentist that uses vibration to block the sensation of pain. So when you get a shot, you don't feel it. DentalVibe is gentle, fast, and safe. There are no pills to take, no gas to inhale, and no drowsy after-effects to worry about.
The Science of DentalVibe
Here's how it works:
Research shows that when vibration is applied as a counter- stimulation to an anesthetic injection, it reaches the brain before the pain sensation does, blocking the patient's brain from feeling the injection.
DentalVibe uses unique, microprocessor-controlled VibraPulse® technology to provide the most effective way to "close" the Pain Gate to the brain and block the discomfort of dental injections.
DentalVibe can be used with any dental anesthetic injection syringe to deliver comfortable injections in all areas of the mouth.
Because the brain can readily adapt to a constant stimulus, negating a closure of the pain gate, our engineering and design team has equipped DentalVibe with the world's first, micro-processor controlled VibraPulse Technology.
The micro-sonic oscillations of DentalVibe's comfort tips are pulsed in a controlled synchronized wave pattern. Along with an enhanced amplitude, VibraPulse Technology sends a soothing percussive, or tapping stimulation deep into the oral mucosa, gently exciting the submucosal sensory nerve endings.
Brilliantly, it is this pulsed re-stimulation that maintains a closure of the gate, blocking the pain of an injection.
Proposed by Dr's Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall in 1965, there is a neurological "gate" located within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, that can either block pain signals or permit them to travel up the spinothalamic tract to the brain.
The sensation (impulses) of touch or vibration travel very quickly along thick, myelinated, A beta nerve fibers at 75 meters/second. In contrast, the sensation of pain travels slowly along thin, unmyelinated, C nerve fibers at 2 meters/second.
When occurring at the same time, the vibrational sensation reaches the sensory area of the brain first, causing a release of inhibitory interneurons, preventing the activation of projection neurons, resulting in a closure of the gate to the sensation of pain.
Article from Shape magazine:
A New Reason to Smile
Dental anesthesia like novocaine makes a trip to the tooth doc more pleasant—once you get past the shot to your gums. Now there’s an invention to dell that ouch as well: the DentalVibe Injector Comfort system, which distracts your brain from sensing the needles prick by vibrating and buzzing. The dentist simply holds the small device in your month while delivering the jab. “I used to shake patients lips while injecting them with numbing agent, but this works much better,” says inventor Steven Goldberg, D.D.S. To find one of the more than 1,000 dentists now using the gadget, go to dentalvibe.com
Isolite system: For patient comfort.
To best serve our patients, we are always looking for what is the latest and greatest that dentistry has to offer. The isolite system one of those must have, inventive technologies. Our office introduced the isolite system into our practice August of 2011. Our patients and team members have really been excited about having this technology available. The isolite overcomes many obstacles that make procedures more difficult for both the patient and the dentist. The isolite system accomplishes four things at once. It is a soft, flexible plastic mouthpiece that allows the patient to rest their jaw during the procedure, which allows for a more relaxed patient. It also retracts and protects the tongue and cheek, while suctioning saliva, water and debris away. For the patient, that means having a comfortable procedure that will be 20 - 30% quicker. We have been able to use this on a wide range of procedures. Ask us about the isodry at your next visit, come and experience the difference!
Dental Herb Company
Tooth & Gum paste®, Tooth & Gums Tonic®, Under The Gums Irrigant®
These products contain herbs and pure essential oils, which have been used for centuries to maintain healthy tissue. The alcohol free botanical tinctures are made from organically grown or ecologically wild-crafted medicinal plants. The toothpaste’s revolutionary formula contains potent green tea extract — a natural fluoride source. No foaming agent (laurel sulfate), no artificial sweeteners, no chemical preservatives. www.dentalherbcompany.com
Philips Sonicare
DiamondClean® redefines “clean”
The patented dynamic cleaning action of a DiamondClean® brush drives fluid deep between the teeth and along the gum line, for a difference you can see and feel. It's no wonder that our oral care technology is backed by more than 175 clinical and laboratory studies worldwide.
Once you use it, you can't live without it! Think superior thoroughness, and gentler cleaning. DiamondClean® gives you naturally whiter teeth and healthier gums. Great for traditional braces, hard to reach places, and periodontal pockets. With its detoxifying attributes, it is not surprising that it is the power toothbrush most recommended by dental professionals.
CloSYS™ Oral Rinse
Unlike traditional mouthwashes, CloSYS Antiseptic Oral Rinse does not rely on flavor to cover bad breath. Unique, patented stabilized Chlorine Dioxide System eliminates harmful bacteria that irritate gums and cause bad breath, promoting healthy gums and a clean oral environment. There is a noticeable fresher, healthier and cleaner feeling after each use. For an unsurpassed program of oral hygiene, use CloSYS twice a day or as directed by your hygienist.
This toothpaste does not contain the harmful foaming agent sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which has been associated with canker sores.
MI Paste
MI paste is a Doctor or Hygienist prescribed topical paste, which contains bio-available calcium and phosphate. It is recommended to decrease bleaching sensitivity, decalcification or root sensitivity. It can be used with or without custom trays and comes in delicious flavor combinations. (This product is not recommended for patients who are lactose intolerant.)
It is generally accepted that injecting pH-buffered lidocaine with epinephrine is more comfortable than injecting traditional non-buffered lidocaine with epinephrine. Seventeen peer-reviewed published studies that have specifically evaluated buffered lidocaine with epinephrine demonstrated a significant improvement in injection comfort.
