What a fantastic weekend of Learning New Ideas! I spent it in Chicago listening to fantastic speakers, from Ed O’Keefe to Brian Tracey. You have no idea how many great things they taught us to make your future with us more exciting, enjoyable, and frankly, a lot more fun!!! There’s a new program we’re starting that you’re going to LOVE! It’s called “Whitening For Life” and that’s just what it means. Join the program (it’s completely optional) and we’ll make you whitening trays and give you the whitening gel FREE FOR LIFE! That means you’ll never have to buy extra whitening gel in the future. You’ll save over $100 the first year, then $50 to $100 every year after that. Whiter Teeth make you look Younger, make a better First Impression, people think you’re Cleaner, and even More Intelligent. New research shows this is what people think when you have whiter teeth. The new program we learned about is a simple way to keep your teeth looking whiter for life. Like I said, “You’re Gonna Love It!”
We learned a lot more in Chicago, but I’ll tell you about that later.

For now, Have A Super Day!
Dr. Chuck

The Jaw Joint is a very fascinating, complex structure.  It’s not a hinge.  It’s not a ball & socket.  And it’s not a gliding joint.  It’s a combination, and either it works properly, or you’ll know it!

Your bite will close in one of two positions:  First, where the jaw joint is designed to close.  That’s called “centric relation.”  Second, it can close where the teeth fit together.  That’s called “centric occlusion.”  Hopefully Centric Relation is the same place as Centric Occlusion.  When it’s not, the jaw has to shift to make the teeth fit together.  That puts a strain on the jaw joint and the muscles that hold everything in place.  That strain, even small, over time, can lead to headaches, popping, clicking, clenching, ringing in the ears, unexplained broken teeth, and many other problems.

The treatment is usually pretty straightforward.  A thorough examination will help determine the cause.  Ninety Five Per Cent of jaw joint problems are caused by your bite being incorrect.  As time goes on, your teeth wear, drift, and shift.  Natural teeth wear at a different rate than your fillings or crowns.  Centric Occlusion no longer is the same place as Centric Relation.  To determine that the bite is definitely causing the problem, a device called a “Bite Splint” is made.  It is a hard piece of plastic that fits over your lower teeth.  The Splint can be adjusted to make your bite ideal again, without ever grinding on your natural teeth.  Usually, within a few days to a few months, the symptoms disappear.  The bite splint is normally worn at night, and during any stressful periods during the day, like while you’re driving on the highway.  Once you’re comfortable, you can then adjust your teeth to the proper bite.

Occasionally you can have a jaw abnormality, which might require more involved therapy.  Surgery is the very last option on the list.  The success of TMJ Therapy is now better than ever!

Schedule a consultation to give you personalized information for your specific situation.

Dentistry has come a long way since “drill & fill.”  The instruments and devices that help your care are tremendous. Here are a few examples.

Diagnodent – It’s a low power laser beam that shines into your tooth.  It can detect cavities under the enamel where you were unable to find them before.  It’s much better to find a small cavity and treat it, rather than letting it grow and become more involved.

Digital X-Rays – You have less than one tenth the radiation than you had with regular x-rays, the picture is processed in about 5 seconds, and you can tweak the image on the computer screen to show you exactly what you’re looking for.  It’s really a win-win advancement for both of us.

Intra and Extra Oral Digital Photographs – A picture is worth a thousand words, and in just a few minutes we can have complete photographs of your smile and each of your teeth.  It really helps in communication, and you get to see things you’ve never seen before!  They’re really great for before and after.  They’re all included in your treatment.

Ultrasonics – Although they have been around for a while, many people have never had an Ultrasonic device used for cleaning their teeth.  We have used them routinely for years.  They make your visit much more comfortable, do a better job, and does it in less time.

Computers – We have them in every room.  I don’t know how you could practice dentistry today without them.  They’re great for showing you your own situation, and examples of others with similar situations and how they were treated.

DVD – We used a program called Casey, which has dozens and dozens of educational examples of conditions, treatment options, and results.  We want you to understand what we’re doing and why.  This is a great tool in helping you get the idea.