Dental Tips from Coleman Family Dentistry
Brush twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Soft- bristled toothbrushes are best. Medium and hard bristles are too stiff and can contribute to receding gums, abrasion of the teeth and sensitivity. Brush all surfaces of the teeth, but focus on the gum-line area because plaque forms first and heaviest there. Don’t brush too hard, gentle pressure is all you need. If your toothbrush bristles are flaring out, you are brushing too hard. This also contributes to receding gums, abrasion, and sensitivity. Small circular motions or short vibratory strokes work best. Massaging the gums gently with your toothbrush bristles helps keep them healthy and plaque free. Floss daily, it plays a major role in preventing and fighting periodontal disease. A flossing tip is to keep the pressure against the tooth, not the gums. This is easier if you make the floss “hug” the tooth in a C-shape. This keeps the floss snug against the tooth, thus not hurting the gums. It also cleans more surface of the tooth.
DEAN CURTIS FOR LIVING WELL Dr. Bradley Coleman looks at the fit of the crown.
Another perk of the CEREC machine is each tooth is custom-stained to match the patient’s other teeth which is particularly important when a front tooth needs a crown. Just the day before Living
Well staff was visiting, a young athlete was in the chair after being hit with a baseball bat and breaking his front teeth. He was able to get a
crown that day instead of waiting weeks, and it was custom-stained to precisely match his other teeth, said Coleman.
If it hadn’t been for the
machine, it would take weeks to get a crown back and no one wants to walk around with broken front teeth for weeks, he said. Once the tooth is milled,
they try it in the patient’s mouth and if it’s a perfect fit, they stain it and then bake it so the stain bakes on. It takes about 20 minutes
in the oven and then it’s sealed onto the patient’s tooth. “A second major advan-
tage is it puts it into our hands how well the crown
fits. Normally a lab tech- nician is trying to guess where the crown is supposed to meet the tooth. The quality assurance is on me in the office. It takes out the mid- dle man. It’s done by me, checked by me. There is less room for error when you have less people handling it,” Coleman said. While the patient is still
numb, Coleman can come out and adjust the crown. Also, if the patient needs work on multiple teeth, Coleman can work on a filling while the crown is being milled and
save the patient yet another potential appointment. While the second crown
milled, he went to work on fixing another tooth for Crow. The response from pa-
tients has been overwhelm- ingly positive. Many are fascinated as they watch the crown being designed on the computer and they love to watch it being milled. While the investment of
the CEREC machine was substantial — Coleman did not elaborate on the cost, but said it was about the price of
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