Tag: Mental Health Connection

Icon Resin Infiltration Restores Uniform Color to Teeth

A fairly common cosmetic concern among our patients is spotting on their tooth enamel.

Sometimes, the enamel of a tooth gets demineralized, resulting in white or brown spots. These spots are called white-spot lesions (WSLs), hypo spots or enamel bruising, and often result from trauma or infection. Sometimes they appear when braces are removed, and sometimes they are a developmental characteristic.

The good news is that the white spots aren’t harmful. However, many people would prefer to have teeth with a more uniform color.

More good news: There’s an easy, painless and fast procedure to erase this discoloration and restore your tooth enamel to a brilliant white.

At Eggert Family Dentistry, Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff recommend the Icon procedure for patients who want to get rid of these white spot discolorations.

Icon is the resin infiltration treatment we prefer at Eggert Family Dentistry. It’s a minimally invasive restorative treatment that penetrates existing enamel and helps restore the minerals, thereby fading the spots.

Advantages of Icon Resin Treatment

Icon resin treatment is fast, simple and non-invasive. It takes place in a single visit and requires no shots, no anesthesia, and no drilling. After a painless rubbing of the surface in question to remove the spots, we apply a drying agent and then the resin infiltrant. After about three minutes, we remove the excess resin and cure the resin with light. We complete the process a second time to ensure a protective coating on the surface, polish the tooth, and you are ready to go home with a brand new-and-improved smile – after only 45 minutes to an hour in the chair!

How Does the Icon Treatment Work?

The white spots result from demineralization and subsequent remineralization on the surface of the tooth. Icon reconstructs the collapsed architecture of the tooth caused by demineralization. When applied to the tooth, the Icon resin has similar optical properties to those of natural enamel, so it replicates the natural shade of the tooth.

Benefits of Icon

It’s far less invasive, less expensive and faster than alternatives like fillings or veneers. It can easily be completed on patients young and old. With other treatments to correct white spots, like veneers, it is important to wait until the patient’s growth is complete. Even better, teeth that have undergone Icon treatment still respond to bleaching.

If you’re curious about this very conservative, non-invasive, same-day procedure, call Dr. Elizabeth or Dr. Jeff at Eggert Family Dentistry to learn more, 651-482-8412. We’d love to talk to you about your options for improving your beautiful smile by transforming spotted teeth to a consistent, uniform color.

The Impact of a Little Time Well Spent – Mary’s Story

How did this start?
Mary had been considering Invisalign for quite some time, and when she noticed her teeth beginning to crowd more, she decided to initiate treatment with Dr. Elizabeth. To begin, Mary came in for a records appointment with Dr. Elizabeth where she took impressions, photos, and x-rays of Mary’s teeth to send to Invisalign in preparation for her case. Using these records, Invisalign then created a 3D simulation of how Mary’s teeth could move with Invisalign treatment. Mary was happy with the results of the 3D simulation and decided to proceed with treatment. Dr. Elizabeth discussed with Mary that because the shape and size of her two upper front teeth didn’t match each other, it would be best to plan for veneers on these two teeth once her Invisalign treatment was complete.

What was involved?
Mary’s Invisalign treatment consisted of 22 total aligners that she wore for 1-2 weeks at a time. As part of Mary’s Invisalign treatment, Dr. Elizabeth slenderized some of Mary’s teeth to create more space for her teeth to better alleviate her crowding. Mary was diligent in wearing her aligners and was able to complete her treatment as anticipated. After completing her Invisalign treatment, Mary indicated she was interested in whiter teeth and asked about bleaching. Mary’s bleaching therefore needed to be done prior to the veneers on her upper front teeth. Dr. Elizabeth recommended the Zoom! Whitening in-office procedure to get Mary the whiter smile she wanted. After her two-hour session, Mary was happy to see that her teeth had lightened by four full shades!

With her teeth at her desired shade, Mary was ready for her final restorations. In preparation for the final restorations, Dr. Elizabeth made minor alterations to the biting surface of some of Mary’s teeth to remove interferences and perfect her bite. This process is called equilibration and helps to prevent Mary’s new smile from further wear. Once this was done, Dr. Elizabeth created a wax model of the veneers so Mary could make sure she was happy with their size and shape before having the final ones placed. With her approval, the final porcelain veneers were fabricated, then placed by Dr. Elizabeth.

What does Mary think of her results?

From the beginning, Mary was excited about her treatment and felt like she was well-prepared for it. She appreciated the opportunity she had to discuss her treatment plan with Dr. Elizabeth ahead of time so she knew what to expect as far as timing and the procedures themselves. Now that her treatment is complete, Mary says she feels more confident and relaxed about her smile. “I feel better about the future of my teeth. I know I have a better chance of keeping them longer.” When asked what she would say to someone considering similar treatment, Mary said “It’s worth it!” Mary was able to finish her treatment just in time for her son’s wedding. Congratulations Mary, what a beautiful result!

If you’ve been thinking about improving your smile, contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!

The Connection Between Mental Health and Oral Health

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

It has long been recognized that mental illness can lead to many inflammatory diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and cancer. Recently, however, an increasing amount of attention is being directed at the correlation between mental health and oral health. Understanding this correlation can empower individuals who struggle with mental illness or people whose loved ones struggle with mental illness to take initiative in order to ward off a host of dental problems.

Common mental illnesses and their effect on oral health

Mental illnesses manifest themselves physically in a variety of ways and oral health is no exception:

Anxiety:

On account of the intense stress a person’s body experiences as the result of an anxiety disorder as well as some anti-anxiety medications that inadvertently decrease the mouth’s ability to produce saliva, these are some common oral health problems that can ensue:

  • Bruxism (teeth grinding)
  • TMD (Read our recent post here)
  • Dry mouth
  • Canker sores
  • Burning mouth syndrome
  • Lichen planus
  • Gingivitis or periodontal disease

Depression:

When a person experiences depression, they oftentimes increase their consumption of tobacco products and alcohol. These substances can cause attrition, or weakening of tooth enamel and tooth erosion due to gastro-esophageal reflux.

Eating Disorders:

According to a study with findings published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, between 35% and 38% of people with eating disorders battle tooth erosion. This is due largely to self-induced vomiting, which causes stomach acid to eat away at tooth enamel. Additionally, people who struggle with anorexia report a much greater percentage of decaying, missing and filled teeth than those who do not.

Bipolar:

Because bipolar can lend itself to manic behavior, this often translates into vigorous brushing and flossing that can cause dental abrasion and mucosal or gingival lacerations.

Dementia and Schizophrenia:

On account of psychotropic medications often prescribed for these illnesses, people with dementia and schizophrenia often experience an increase in bacteria-induced decay and gum disease.

Additionally, because people who struggle with varying levels of mental illness often experience an increase in substance abuse and/or a poor diet laden with carbonated drinks and sugary foods, they can truly suffer on multiple fronts. Left unaddressed, most oral health concerns resulting from mental illness lead to eventual tooth loss. So what can be done?

At Eggert Family Dentistry, we want to partner with you to help you achieve optimal dental wellness. If you are concerned about the effects of mental health on your oral health or that of a loved one, schedule an appointment with Dr. Elizabeth or Dr. Jeff today at 651.482.8412.