Whether you have dental implants, or are looking into getting them, infection is an important topic to know about.
Mod Squad Dental Blog
Preventing and Tackling Dental Implant Infection
May 31, 2019
An Oral Cancer Screening: Another Reason to Visit the Dentist Regularly
April 29, 2019
As most of the country finally enters spring, April is a time to celebrate new beginnings, enjoy warmer weather, and prepare for summer adventures ahead. However, April is also an important month for your health—it’s Oral Cancer Awareness Month. As serious as this disease is, would you believe that one little oral cancer screening can mean the difference between life and death? If it’s been a while since your last dental appointment, take the opportunity this month to go in for this short but crucial service that your dentist can do for you.
(more…)Answering Botox FAQs in San Diego
March 25, 2019
With time and exposure to stress and other environmental factors, your face can begin to show signs of aging. Wrinkles can replace the youthful appearance your skin once had and can impact your self-confidence. Well, Botox is one solution that can restore your face’s glow. But did you know that your dentist may be able to administer Botox for you? As an expert in orofacial structures, they are the perfect person to help you get rid of your facial wrinkles. What else don’t you know about Botox? Here are some common Botox FAQs in San Diego and helpful answers.
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The Truth about Baking Soda & Teeth Whitening…
February 12, 2019
| Patients ask us about various topics all the time. As their doctor, and an expert, we really want to feel comfortable answering those questions with accurate information. I’ve received several questions from dentists about the use of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) as an alternative to commercial toothpaste, and especially regarding its claimed ability to whiten teeth. Obviously, these dentists have been asked these same questions by their patients, who’ve seen wild claims all across the internet. As a consequence, I took a look at the claims on the Internet about baking soda. To say I was blown away with the inaccuracy (including some articles written by dentists) is an understatement. So I thought the following information may be of help to you. Search the Internet regarding brushing your teeth or whitening your teeth with baking soda, and among other ridiculous things, you’ll routinely see the claim that baking soda is VERY abrasive to use on your teeth – so if you use it, don’t use it every day. Absolutely wrong! These statements are not only wrong, but they’re pretty much as wrong as you can get. Baking soda (the stuff in the box in the super market) is, by far, the lowest abrasiveness of anything you would ever brush your teeth with. Here’s the problem – non-scientists writing articles based on assumption, and not proven fact. And once ONE person writes something, others quote him or her. Then when you have several people saying that same [false] thing, people state it and believe it as fact. After all, if enough people say the same thing, it must be fact, right? Wrong! And the most disconcerting thing for me is that some of these articles have been written by dentists, who also simply read what others said on the internet, so they too assumed that baking soda is excessively abrasive. Why do so many people “assume” baking soda is extremely abrasive? It’s because the particles are large and have sharp edges, so it “feels” gritty when you touch it. Below on the left you see a microscopic photo of baking soda particles. Notice how they have edges and corners. Below on the right you see silica particles, which would be the most common abrasive in toothpastes. Notice how rounded and smooth the silica particles are. But also realize that the baking soda particles are much, much larger than the silica particles. Baking soda particles can be as much as 15 times larger than silica particles in toothpaste. |
| So what’s the difference? Silica particles are much, much harder than baking soda particles. When you forcefully rub two hard objects against each other, the harder object will have almost zero damage, and the softer object will be greatly scratched and damaged. For example, a diamond is a hardness of 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, and glass is rated at 5. So diamond is two times harder than glass. Well, that’s not exactly true because the Mohs Hardness Scale is an ordinal scale, so there is no data on how much difference there is between the numbers. But you already know if a diamond is firmly rubbed against glass, it will scratch the glass, but the diamond will not be damaged. Mohs Hardness of materials (remember this is an ordinal scale, so there is no mathematical formula of consistent distance between each number):Tooth enamel = 5Tooth dentin/root = 3Baking soda = 2.5Hydrated silica in toothpaste = 5-7Baking soda “feels” much more gritty than regular toothpaste (which usually has hydrated silica as the abrasive) because the particles are larger, and the edges are rough. Whereas silica particles are more round, smooth, and many times smaller. So baking soda “feels” more abrasive – but it’s not. The fact is that Baking Soda, being much softer than tooth enamel, and very slightly softer than even tooth dentin, will not create much damage (abrasion) to the tooth. The American Dental Association has published their RDA (Relative Dentin Abrasivity) to measure the abrasiveness of various toothpastes. The RDA abrasiveness categories are:Low 4-70 (plain water is 4. Baking soda is 7.)Medium 70-100High 100-150Harmful 150-250 The FDA limits abrasiveness to a maximum of RDA 200. Get this…the RDA of Arm & Hammer baking soda is only 7. Whereas the most typical tooth paste will be in the 70-100 range with many far above that. THAT is how gentle baking soda is, as far as abrasion to your teeth. Of course, keep in mind that commercial toothpastes that claim to be baking soda toothpastes also contain other abrasives. So using baking soda in the commercial toothpaste may be thought of as somewhat of a marketing gimmick to get you to buy the toothpaste. This means you can brush your teeth with more paste and for a longer time if you’re using straight baking soda mixed to a paste with only water. That alone will help physically remove more bacteria and more stain. Why? Stain will typically be softer than baking soda, so, though baking soda will not cause much abrasion of your teeth, it’s still hard enough to scrape off many types of stain from your teeth. The main problem with using straight baking soda/water paste? No fluoride. And of course, baking soda is harder than gingival tissue, so brushing longer may cause gingival abrasion and recession over time. So there’s good and bad here. |
| Baking Soda to Whiten Your Teeth |
| So now let’s talk about the ridiculous claim that brushing with baking soda will whiten your teeth. This is simply wrong…period! There has never been any scientific study that even hints that baking soda may whiten your teeth. Of course, if you’re talking about using baking soda to simply brush with to remove stain from the surface of your teeth, then yes, baking soda will do that, just like any other toothpaste in the world. But does it have any other chemical or other means of any kind that will “whiten” your teeth? Absolutely, positively not! |
| But now….the REALLY DANGEROUS information. |
| Of course, all dentists know how acid ravages tooth structure. When you do an Internet search of whitening your teeth with baking soda, often you’ll find instructions to add lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or some other acidic ingredient along with the baking soda. And you already know what a bad idea THAT is! |
| But wait…it gets even worse… |
| You’re mixing baking soda, which is at least somewhat abrasive, and acid together. Gee, doesn’t that remind you of microabrasion products that we dentists use on teeth to remove the surface of tooth structure – such as removing surface dark or white spots? Possibly the most popular microabrasion product out there is Ultradent’s Opalustre. It’s an excellent product. It has hydrochloric acid mixed with silicon carbide microparticles. The acid SOFTENS the surface tooth structure, which the abrasive particles quickly remove. Mixing baking soda and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar will do exactly the same thing, but on a less aggressive scale. When thinking about patients doing this continually over time, this is the perfect way to wear away their tooth structure. And the thing that really kills me is that most using this technique falsely believe it’s a very safe and “natural” way to whiten teeth. Yeah, sure! “Natural” like a rattlesnake bite! But it’s one of the worst, most ineffective, and especially permanently damaging things you can do to your teeth. |
| Dr. Rod KurthyFounder/CEOEvolve Dental Technologies, Inc. Thanks Dr. Kurthy for a great informative article… ~ Dr. Greg Friedman |
What to Do with a Broken Dental Crown in Scripps Ranch
January 13, 2019
Maybe you were chewing ice again, even though you know you shouldn’t. Maybe you were playing basketball with your friends, and things got a little too aggressive. Maybe you weren’t doing anything at all, yet it still happened. Regardless of the reason, dental crowns can come loose or fall out. What should you do in that situation? What can the dentist do for you? Answer your questions about a broken dental crown in Scripps Ranch here.
(more…)4 Ways to Maintain Oral Health in San Diego This Holiday
December 9, 2018
Are you juggling multiple holiday parties this winter season? With so many reasons to celebrate, it can be easy to let the most important aspects of your health go to the wayside. But just because you plan on attending holiday parties doesn’t mean your oral health has to be sacrificed. By making small and smart decisions here and there, you can prevent excessive plaque development and maintain oral health in San Diego. You can also prevent stains on your smile, which may be especially important to you if you plan on being in a lot of photos.
Here are four ways to get started.
(more…)Having Trouble With Your Denture? Ask a Dentist for Help!
November 7, 2018
Dentures are ideal for individuals trying to replace many teeth at a time at an affordable rate. However, you truly are getting what you pay for when it comes to tooth replacement through this method. Dentures do make it much easier to smile and eat foods compared to not having teeth at all, but they require regular maintenance to make basic tasks possible. If you aren’t sure if it’s time to replace dentures or want to learn more on why replacing them is important, you’ll want to keep reading this post from a dentist.
(more…)How Long Do Porcelain Veneers in San Diego Last
October 15, 2018
Porcelain veneers in San Diego can last up to 10 years with only minimal care. This makes them a great option for people struggling with stained or discolored teeth. Veneers are paper-thin yet strong and exceptionally beautiful.
Dentures, Bridges and Dental Implants in San Diego – What’s the Difference?
August 10, 2018
Trying to decide on the best way to replace a missing tooth can be an overwhelming experience. There’s so much information out there about your options, but it can be nice to simply see a comparison of them all in one place. If that sounds like it would be helpful, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, you’ll learn about the key differences between dentures, bridges and dental implants in San Diego so you can make a more informed decision about which one is right for you!