dental health

Dental Amalgam Mercury Poisoning: Why Is It Still an Issue?

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This is a guest post written by Harmon Pearson who is currently pursing a post graduate degree in dental science. He  spends time blogging about his pursuits and writing on dental care. When he is not studying, he enjoys restoring antique pendulum timepieces. How is it that in the 21st century we continue to put a known toxic element—mercury—into our mouths?  The question may seem straightforward, but the answer, curiously, is not.  Mercury remains a primary ingredient in dental amalgam, also known as silver fillings.  Other ingredients include copper, silver, tin, and zinc.  These elements when bound with mercury form what’s typically referred to as a stable compound.  It’s hard and resilient to degradation in the mouth environment making it a seemingly ideal compound for replacing small amounts of decayed or removed tooth material.  Because of this, it’s remained a … Read more

Herbs in Dentistry

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In a previous blog post I talked about Using Adaptogens to Help Reduce Stress and discussed 8 different herbs that were reviewed in a 2010 journal article to help reduce stress. The use of herbs is also beneficial for migraine, for example, see this post Daily Preventative Therapies Can Reduce Migraine. Recently I came across the article “Herbs in Dentistry: Evidence-based herbal medicine” appearing in Dental Abstracts, vol. 57, issue 6, pp. 305-307, 2012. The article mentions the use of echinacea mouthwash which when combined with peppermint oil, sage, menthol, and chamomile is effective in gingivitis and periodontal disease. Further, this combination has shown to be effective against colds and flu. The article mentions the possible use of aloe vera  “Aloe vera gel is as effective as prednisolone and indomethacin, without these agents’ long-term toxicity… Uses of aloe vera include … Read more

Alveolar Expansion Technique for Extraction of Third Molars (Wisdom Teeth)

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An interesting study titled “Comparison of an alveolar expansion technique and buccal guttering technique in the extraction of mandibular third molar. A pilot study,” appeared in the Open Journal of Stomatology (vol 1, pages 103-108, 2011) written by Babatunde O. Akinbami and Lukcy I. Ofomala from Nigeria. As stated in the abstract the background for this study was “The over-ambitious use of surgical drills for almost every case of third molar impaction is on the increase in most established oral surgery centers. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the severity of post operative symptoms of swelling and pain that accompany the use of surgical drill in the buccal guttering technique and the non application of drill in an alveolar expansion technique.” The authors open in the introduction by discussion how bone around impacted third molar teeth … Read more

American Dental Association Toothflix Demo Series

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Recently the American Dental Association (ADA)  has released a Patient Education DVD series called Toothflix. It contains 23 different video segments which explore different topics designed to educate patients on their oral health and prevention and treatment strategies. The complete series including all 23 segments currently is available for $699. Each segment is around 3 to 6 minutes long. It is intended to be played on a TV and DVD player in the reception or waiting area of a dental office. It could also be used in actual treatment rooms perhaps to help explain more clearly certain topics to patients. In addition another use would be for when a dentist goes out into the community to give a presentation or some other event. The ADA has 7 of the segments partially available on their website for demonstration purposes. I reviewed … Read more