America's Dental Expert

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 extract.

America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, explains why sectioning teeth, even during uneventful extractions, makes the procedure easier, faster, and reduces post operative discomfort.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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 area called the crest, and the bottom area which is the floor of the sinus.

When the sinus area expands into the jaw bone, enough to communicate with the oral cavity, it's called pneumatization.

Bone loss and sinus dropping are two big consequences of missing teeth without replacing the spaces with dental implants.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver reviews the myriad side effects of getting a tooth extracted, leaving you with a space. They're more than simply a gap in your smile.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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 printers into the dental laboratory.

In this episode America's Dental Expert explains how 3D printers are making dental offices more efficient. Shawn Van de Vyver, D.D.S. also discusses how 3D printing can improve the patient experience and lower the cost of dental care to the average patient.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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 occurs in pediatric patients. Shawn Van de Vyver, D.D.S. also discusses teeth grinding during sleep in kids.

Sleep apnea quite literally means no oxygen during sleep.

Teeth grinding in kids is another sign of sleep apnea, but it can also be benign. Some kids grow out of their teeth grinding when their adult teeth erupt into their mouth.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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 custom made from their dentist when they can pickup a generic one from the local drug store?

In this episode America's Dental Expert explains the process how bite guards are traditionally made and the newest procedures for taking digital impressions and printing bite guards right in the dental office.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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 crown. Many times I get asked when I prescribe a crown as the recommended treatment to restore a broken tooth "Do I need a root canal?"

The answer is - usually not.

This is another one-way street in dentistry. Every time you get a root canal you need a crown on the tooth, but NOT every time you get a crown do you need a root canal.

A crown can be done on a healthy tooth and it isn't necessary to do a root canal on it. That isn't ALWAYS the case, but it usually is.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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 periodontal maintenance instead of prophylaxis (a "regular cleaning")? Periodontal maintenance is performed after scaling and root planing, which is therapy to treat moderate to severe gum disease, or periodontitis.

Once you go through periodontal therapy, the healthy environment needs to be maintained. So, once you go through treatment and have subsequent maintenance appointments (deep cleanings) you will ALWAYS have maintenance appointments.

This is like a one-way street past the point of no return. Once you have a deep cleaning, every cleaning appointment after that, for the rest of your life, should be considered a deep cleaning periodontal maintenance.

There's no turning back, unfortunately. And this isn't just me saying this. That is what the American Dental Association requires, as described in the Code of Dental Procedures and Nomenclature.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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 titanium alloy. But some dentists place implants made of zirconia.

Why would they do this? you ask? Zirconia implants are white, while titanium implants are dark gray and look like a traditional metal. There can be major problems with zirconia implants, though, that might not make them suitable for implant treatment.

Do you have a dental question for America's Dental Expert?

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert, Dr. Shawn Van de Vyver, at [email protected]

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 survive on your tongue and produce foul smelling odor.

You need to scrape your tongue and clean it regularly to remove all those germs and debris.

One option is to brush your tongue after brushing your teeth or use the back side of the toothbrush head. Some manual toothbrushes have contours and dimples on the back of the brush head to scrape your tongue with and disturb the bacteria.

Another option is to buy a tongue scraper specifically from a drug store. Using the tongue scraper will remove the plaque from your tongue and get rid of the bad breath.

You could also just use your dental floss. After you're done flossing all your teeth, use the floss to scrape your tongue 5 or 10 times to remove the germs from in between the cilia. (don't forget to spit it out!)

Send your dental and other oral health related questions to America's Dental Expert [email protected]