America's Dental Expert Sectioning Teeth During Extractions Extracting a tooth is never a simple procedure. The most unpredictable teeth to extract have multiple roots. Molars usually have three roots. Depending on the anatomy of each molar root, how the roots develop, your dentist may elect to section the tooth to make the entire tooth easier to e…

America's Dental Expert Bone Loss and Sinus Drops / Sinus Pneumatization One of the serious consequences or side effects of losing a tooth is the jaw bone erodes over time. In the lower jaw, bone melts away and develops into a curved area where the tooth once was. In the upper jaw, bone loss occurs from both sides of where the tooth was, the top ar…

America's Dental Expert Consequences of Losing a Tooth Sometimes, a patient comes into my office in so much pain that the only thing they want is for me to extract their tooth. It's hard to evaluate your options clearly if you're in severe pain. There are lots of consequences of having a tooth extracted, leaving you with a space. In this episode of…

America's Dental Expert 3D Printing in the Dental Office A lot has changed in dentistry, in just the past couple years even. One area that is quickly evolving is laboratory work. Traditionally, impressions are poured up in stone, making for a messy, contaminated, dusty lab area. One area that is changing the fastest is the incorporation of 3D print…

America's Dental Expert Snoring and Tooth Grinding in Kids Snoring is not good, and it's especially bad when it occurs in kids. Snoring in patients under 14 years old should never happen. Snoring is a sign of a sometimes severe condition; sleep apnea. In this episode America's Dental Expert explains what sleep apnea is and what it means when it occ…

America's Dental Expert Bite Splints and Night Guards Some dentists think half of Americans should be wearing a night guard when they sleep, and America's Dental Expert is no different. Night guards, also known as bite splints, are acrylic appliances that protect your teeth from wearing down while you sleep. But why would patients get a bite guard …

America's Dental Expert Root Canals and Crowns You know it as the worst procedure to get done at the dental office. Even worse than pulling teeth! It's the dreaded root canal. I don't think I've come across a single patient who has had a GOOD root canal experience. And after every root canal, you need to protect the fragile tooth underneath with a …

America's Dental Expert Deep Cleanings for Life The term "deep cleaning" is an unfortunate description for what dentists and dental hygienists call periodontal maintenance. Periodontal maintenance is a dental cleaning AFTER treatment. A "regular" dental cleaning implies there has never been periodontal treatment performed. When do patients receive …

America's Dental Expert All Zirconia Implants With dental implants becoming more popular and prevalent, and implant education readily available on the internet, patients can do their own research and hear from friends and family how their implant treatment went. One area of contention is all-zirconia implants. Dental implants are typically made of …

Why You Should Clean Your Tongue Some of my patients complain of bad breath even when they brush their teeth two, sometimes three, times a day. So what's the cause of their bad breath? One possibility is they have dirty tongues. There are hundreds of tiny hairs on the top of our tongues that harbor germs, bacteria, and food debris. Those bacteria s…

Let's Be Brutally Honest Look, let's be honest with one another. You're not flossing every day, are you? If you're skipping the flossing portion of your morning routine you're missing out. I mean, you're missing out on actually cleaning your teeth. The crowns of your teeth have 5 surfaces: front / back, in / out, and the top biting surface. If you'…

Why Would I Need a Bone Graft Before Getting Dentures for My Sinuses? This question was recently asked by one of my patients, and is a somewhat common occurrence with denture wearers. There are a couple reasons why you would need a bone graft before getting dentures because of your sinuses, and I’ll go through what the reasons are and give you a ge…

America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver of Great Lakes Dentistry, discusses the options for teeth whitening to give you the beautiful smile you deserve. Please send any questions you have directly to Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver at Great Lakes Dentistry at DrVan@GLDentistry.com Request an appointment online at www.GLDentistry.com Call our office …

Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver describes what a dental implant is and how it can improve your smile.