March 2016 - Eggert Family Dentistry Blog

Keeping an Eye on the Tooth Fairy Price Index

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

On average, the price of teeth has gone up since 2000. Over the years, the tooth fairy and her international cohorts have been compelled to leave behind more and more money in exchange for baby teeth.

It turns out the tooth fairy adjusts her gifts according to the strength of the US economy. When the US is doing well, her gifts get more valuable. In 2016, the official Tooth Fairy Index predicts tooth prices will stagnate around $4. In 2014, the price for a tooth was just under $4.50.

Tooth economists track tooth price inflation by polling caregivers. To contribute to their research, visit the Original Tooth Fairy Poll.

About the Tooth Fairy

The impish international phenomenon kids in the United States know as the Tooth Fairy manages a team of tooth traders around the world. These traders visit the homes of children who have recently lost baby teeth. In exchange for teeth, they leave behind cash or small gifts. A visit from the Tooth Fairy helps celebrate your child’s transition to adolescence.

Different countries around the world have different customs. In the United States, children leave their teeth under their pillows for the Tooth Fairy. Kids in Europe do the same thing, but they are visited by the Tooth Elf.

In Argentina and Sweden, the Magical Mouse sniffs out baby teeth in glasses of water. He drinks the water, takes the tooth, and leaves a little money behind. The Magical Mouse also visits children in South Africa. But instead of looking in a drinking glass, he sniffs out teeth under pillows and in slippers.

Magical Mouse’s cousin, Tooth Rat, visits kids in the Philippines. He’s a busy fellow and asks children to leave their teeth on windowsills so he can grab them easily. In return, he leaves a little cash.

The Tooth Fairy isn’t just for kids. She also gives parents and caregivers advice on how to keep their kids’ teeth healthy. You can visit the Tooth Fairy Pinterest page for tips.

Eggert Family Dentistry is proud to support the Tooth Fairy in her quest for beautiful baby teeth. We help kids keep their smiles healthy and gleaming so the teeth they lose will become some of the Tooth Fairy’s most prized possessions. To schedule your child’s appointment, contact Eggert Family Dentistry today.

Got Cavities? Your Genetics May Be (Partially) to Blame.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

First things first: regular, preventative oral hygiene is essential for avoiding cavities, and gum disease.

But have you ever noticed that some people get away with not flossing or brushing regularly with nary a cavity, while you might brush and floss daily and still can’t avoid a trip to the dentist’s chair? That’s because genetics do play an important role in your oral health.

According to Dr. S. Michele Robichaux at Nicholls State University in Louisiana, “almost all disease and disorder that affects the…mouth has a genetic component.” We couldn’t agree more. The severity of your tooth decay and gum disease could be blamed on your genes.

Genetics and Mouth Bacteria

Your mouth is home to several different communities of bacteria—the microbes on your tongue are different from those on your teeth and those under your gums. Your genes determine how susceptible you are to these microbes. That’s how genetics directly affects your chances of getting a cavity or acquiring periodontal disease. In fact, a study out of the University of Pittsburgh found genetics may be responsible for up to 60 percent of your tooth decay risk.

Genetics can also indirectly affect your oral health. Some genetic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer, can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease. Diabetes, for example, can increase the chances of thrush (a fungal infection of the mouth), decrease the amount of saliva you produce, and cause wounds to heal more slowly. All of these conditions make it easy for bacteria to wreak havoc in your mouth.

The biochemistry of your saliva also plays an important role in your susceptibility for dental disease. Some saliva is inherently more acidic, putting the teeth at higher risk for decay. Some saliva is more ropey or stringy and it is thought that this type of saliva doesn’t do as an effective job in washing the oral microbes away.

Preventative Care Still Matters

If you think you can put full blame for your cavities and gum disease on your genes, think again. If genetics are responsible for about 60 percent of your risk, your oral hygiene habits account for the other 40 percent. Even people who won the genetic lottery can get cavities and gum disease if they don’t brush, floss, and visit us regularly.

The best approach to a healthy mouth is to combine knowledge of your family oral health history with excellent preventative care. Let us know if your mom or dad struggled with cavities and gum disease. For our part, we will always help you determine a solid preventative approach in regards to brushing, flossing, and regular visits. For expert dental care, contact us at Eggert Family Dentistry today.

Trauma to a Front Tooth – Sarah’s Story

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

How did this start?

Sarah came to us first as a new patient with her parents before Christmas. They were looking for a solution for her front teeth. Sarah experienced trauma at 13 years old and her left front tooth fell out at that time and was re-implanted. Sarah had a root canal done within a couple weeks of the trauma, which was the recommended course. As with many trauma cases, over the years Sarah has noticed that tooth and her other front teeth are starting to turn dark because of the trauma. When Sarah was seen in our office, her tooth was showing signs of significant external root resorption. The long term prognosis of the tooth is poor but at the time of her visit with us she was not experiencing any pain or swelling.

What did Sarah want?

Sarah is currently a senior in high school and wanted to improve the look of her front teeth for graduation and prom. Sarah and her parents weighed different options for restoring her front teeth and ultimately decided to keep her natural teeth for now since they aren’t causing her any pain. They chose a treatment option that will buy Sarah some time and improve her esthetics and also let her finish growing.

What was revealed during the comprehensive records process?

Some questions Sarah and her parents needed to decide were – how to address the uneven gum tissue levels? How to address the uneven tooth edges? How to improve the color on potentially dying teeth? Save the left front tooth for now or not? How long would they allow treatment to take? What was their budget at this time?

What was involved?

To help Sarah and her parents answer some of those questions, Dr. Elizabeth designed different blueprints out of plastic to try directly in Sarah’s mouth to help Sarah and her parents see the results of some of the different treatment options available.

In the end, Sarah decided to split the difference on the length of her teeth. She decided not to change her gum tissue levels at this time. She wanted to keep the left front tooth for now. And, she wanted to do as much as we could to improve the color with composite filling material. We all decided to add composite veneers to three of her front teeth and to bleach her remaining teeth for a cost effective way to improve the esthetics for a few years.

What does Sarah think?

Sarah and her parents were thrilled with the results! It was a low cost way to keep her smiling through her graduation and into the future! Sarah 4

Spring Cleaning for Your Teeth

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

The American Dental Association recommends a dental check-up minimally every six months. Do you know why? Regular dental visits are very important to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

There are two parts of our regular dental check-ups – the examination and the cleaning.

Dental Examination

During the exam, Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff will assess many things:

How your oral health relates to your whole body’s health
The status of your face, neck, bite, teeth, and gums
A check of your lymph nodes, saliva, and throat, as well as an oral cancer screening
The movement of your jaw joints (TMJs) and muscles
A close look at your dental x-rays

In order to closely screen you for any signs or symptoms of gum disease, special attention is paid to the coloring and firmness of your gums, as well as any signs of plaque and tartar. Plaque is a sticky layer of bacteria and if not removed, can harden to become tartar. Unfortunately, tartar can’t be removed with brushing and flossing alone. We also use a special measuring tool to help us measure your gum tissue pocket depths. The measurements clue us into your gum health: shallow pockets mean healthy gums, but deeper pockets often need special attention and treatment for gum disease.

As we thoroughly inspect your teeth, we look for loose and broken teeth, cracked teeth, worn or chipped teeth, damaged fillings, and visual evidence of tooth decay.

Our final examination assessments include close inspection of how your teeth, muscles, and joints all fit together, as well as any tissue inside or outside the mouth that looks out of the ordinary.

Professional Dental Cleaning

Another important aspect of your dental check-up at Eggert Family Dentistry is the care taken by April and Joanna, our wonderful hygienists, during your professional dental cleaning. They will:

Scale your teeth (removing plaque and tartar to reduce inflammation-causing bacteria)
Polish your teeth (removing surface stains)
Floss between your teeth
Review how to properly brush and floss
Introduce any additional tools you can add into your oral hygiene routine at home, like a rubber tip or proxy brush

We want to help you do what’s best for your oral health. By following good oral hygiene practices and a good diet at home, and by seeing us regularly at Eggert Family Dentistry, we can help you fulfill our mission of “Dentistry for a Lifetime of Smiles.” Give us a call today to schedule your teeth for some spring cleaning!