McAdams Dental and Scottsdale Prosthodontists: Family, Cosmetic and Emergency Dental
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Scottdale, AZ 85254
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How to Find a Good Dentist

9/16/2013

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This blog update is a special one indeed for all of us at McAdams Dental!  We were more than excited to see that one of our current patients had written about her dental experiences on a blog of her own, and we wanted to share it with everyone to give an unbiased insight into how one family found their new dental home with us by using the internet…and we are happy to report she was in no way prompted to leave all of this awesome information online about our office:

SEARCH FOR A GOOD DENTIST IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA

2014/02/05 · 投稿者: Kiyomi Reinhart · in America, Arizona, アリゾナ生活. ·

How to find the best dentist to maintain healthy teeth?
Search for a dentist on the internet.

“Hey, this dentist office, McAdams Dental sounds good! He has many good reviews, and patients sound very happy with this dentist. We can go to this dentist for our regular check!”

My husband and I have been searching for a good dentist since we became disappointed with our previous dentist.

My previous dentist was okay, but …My previous dentist was okay, but he told us we need to replace all silver fillings and deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) for me.

I have to admit that I did not brush my teeth enough during the last two years because I was too busy with my school work, yet I was wondering, “Do I really need to replace all silver fillings and have deep cleaning?” I asked the dentist about the “deep cleaning.” He did not give me an explanation. Instead, he said, “Here is a leaflet. You should read it at home, and you can find the  information you need.” I did, but the leaflet did not tell me what I wanted to know. I needed to Google it 

“Your husband has good insurance so that the amount of your personal payment will not be so large,” the dental office clerk smiled and handed me an estimation. It showed my payment would be about $1,100.

If I really needed the total care, I would not hesitate to spend the money, but the question is whether the replacement and deep cleaning is necessary or not.

I came from Japan. Silver alloy filling is standard and covered by National Health Insurance in Japan. The amount of personal payment is about $11-18 for a tooth.

My dentist in Japan didn’t tell me “all fillings should be replaced due to their age,” instead, he said, “You need learn how to brush your teeth.” Then, a dental hygienist instructed me on the right way of brushing for 10 minutes by using a tooth brush.

“You can decide when you come here next week for the second half of your regular cleaning,” she added.

“What? My regular cleaning was not done yet!?”

This was the first time that my husband and I were told to return to a dentist for regular cleaning in a week. I told her, “I am sorry, but I need to check my schedule. I will call you later,” and left.

Wonderful hygienist is the key.

McAdams Dental did not disappoint us. The reviews, which my husband found on the internet, were right, “friendly and caring,” I thought when I had a cleaning from Jaime.

My dental hygienist, Jaime McAdams is a nice and quiet-spoken person. I was a bit nervous because of my bad experience with my last hygienist. My last hygienist was also nice, but she did not care even when my face was terribly wet an water was running from my mouth all the time. Her technique was not polished. Although she was wearing a head light, an overhead light was directed into my eyes and was too bright.

On the other hand,  my new hygienist never splashed water on my face, gently removed tartar from my teeth, and cautiously clean my teeth.  I was very impressed by her skill. I did not feel any pain at all!

“You are the best dental hygienist I’ve ever had since I moved to the U.S.!” I honestly told her.

“Really!? I am very glad to hear that!” Her lovely smile was as pretty as a picture.

“I would love to write about you in my blog, Jaime. Can I take your photo?”


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The comment in the McAdams Dental website, “She is our lead hygienist, and she might be the best hygienist in the universe” is not overstated.

Unique background of the dentist makes McAdams Dental unique.Actually, her husband, Don McAdams, is the dentist and owner of McAdams Dental. His unique educational background,  ”Civil Engineering degree from Montana State University and earned his Professional Engineers license” interested my husband, who is a technician at a big company.

“An engineer’s perspective” surely attracted both my husband and I.

My husband said, “We will have all our fillings replaced if it is necessary, but we are not sure if we really needed. We don’t want to have over treatment just because our insurance pays. We also do not care about cosmetic dental care, but we want to know the best materials for our teeth that are comfortable and long-lasting . My old dentist recommended Porcelain fillings, but I am not sure if that is the best material. What do you think?”

Dr. McAdams said, “I don’t think it is necessary to replace all silver fillings. You may want two and your wife may want to replace three. From a cosmetic view point, Porcelain looks nice, but it does not last as long as other materials.” Don replied after careful examination of both our teeth and X-ray results.

When I asked about filling materials, Jaime suggested  gold for my crown, She said Gold last longer and matches the tooth hardness better than other materials when you chew food .”

“Ah, but it must be expensive, isn’t it?” I said.

She estimated and reported the cost immediately. Surprisingly, it was not more expensive compared to other materials. I decided to use gold for my teeth.

Overall, my husband and I were very happy with McAdams Dental. It was worth it to drive 40 minutes!

On the way home, my husband told me that Don checked for signs of oral cancer with an x-ray and actually he found it in one of his patients. ”I think we finally found our dentist!” he smiled.

If you want to visit McAdams Dental, here is the information for you 

McAdams Dental
10214 North Tatum Boulevard
Suite A-600
Phoenix, AZ 85028

Tel: 480-991-4727
URL: https://www.mcadamsdental.com/


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McAdams Dental is a nice family dental office!

Oops, I almost forgot to report about deep cleaning. Jaime said, “You don’t need to have deep cleaning. Your gum is very healthy now. You really did a good job!”

Yes,  I have worked very hard to clean my teeth by using an electric toothbrush and floss since I was told I would need deep cleaning by my previous dentist! 




The original blog by Kiyomi can be seen here:

https://phoenixazkiki.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/search-for-a-good-dentist-in-phoenix-arizona/

The blog can be seen in japanese as well:

http://phoenixazkiki.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/アメリカはアリゾナで歯医者を探す/



​
The online reviews mentioned in the blog article are available here:

YELP  
www.yelp.com/biz/mcadams-dental-inc-scottsdale​

Doctorbase  http://doctorbase.com/blog/mcadams/reviews-ratings/​

Google  https://www.google.com/#q=mcadams+dental&lrd=lrd




If you are interested in finding a friendly, family oriented dental office you are in luck!   Many of our patients believe that we offer a dental home where your smile is our top priority, maybe we are the office for you…we would love to meet you!


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Pearly Whites

9/16/2013

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I just saw a commercial about the color of teeth from a major toothpaste company claiming, “if you’re not whitening, you’re yellowing.”  It took me a second to process that because this is one clever marketing statement that is actually true!

Patients are constantly asking me why their teeth are getting yellower over time and my response is always the same, the color of your teeth depends largely on your habits.

Teeth may be darker in color for many reasons but it’s usually because of the following things:

1.     Inadequate home brushing techniques.

2.     Infrequent dental cleanings.

3.     History of tobacco product usage.

4.     Consumption of dark liquids such as coffee, tea and wine.

5.     Childhood history of exposure to specific antibiotics and/or minerals.

If you are looking in the mirror and wishing for a brighter smile, just remember that you have options.

For minor improvements, you’ll need to focus on removing external discoloration from your teeth.  Your best bet here is to work on a top notch brushing technique and incorporate whitening formula toothpaste into your daily routine.  This approach will help by limiting the day to day staining that happens to your teeth from exposure to darkening items and buildup of plaque, tartar and stain.

Your next line of defense is to get a good dental hygienist on your team.  Your efforts at home are important, but there is no substitute for a professional dental cleaning and polish to keep your chompers bright and shiny.  Next time you head in for a cleaning, take note of the color of your teeth before and after…I’ll bet you’ll be impressed with the results.

Finally, if you have nice clean healthy teeth that aren’t quite as bright as you like, then its time to enlist the services of your dentist.  Only a dentist has access to the high-powered options for tooth bleaching that can brighten your smile to its whitest potential.  At McAdams Dental, we use three types of whitening treatments to bring your teeth to their sparkly white potential.  Our current favorite systems are ZOOM! 1-hour whitening, Venus in office whitening and the classic custom made home whitening trays.  Some options are faster than others, while some are intended to limit your post-whitening sensitivity.  Next time you are in, ask us for more info and we would be happy to share our thoughts.

A good example of the results of a typical in office whitening treatment can be seen in the before and after photo below:
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If you would like to learn more about keeping your teeth bright and white, perhaps we can help.  Are you interested in a brighter smile?  If you are in the Phoenix area and looking for a dental home where your smile is our top priority, maybe we are the office for you!
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Missing In Action

8/24/2013

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Lately we have been in the business of replacing missing teeth and completing the smile of some of our fabulous patients.  We thought it was time to share some information with everyone about the benefits of dental implants!  Many of our patients have struggled with dentures or worked hard to keep their bridges clean for years without ever considering that there might be a better way to replace their missing teeth.  Some have even been surprised to know that their bridges can cause gum problems and are prone to cavities between the teeth that can require a replacement bridge.  When this situation presents itself, Dr. McAdams is happy to discuss options and inform a patient about the benefits of dental implants. 

A dental implant can be used in many ways to improve the function and appearance of your smile.  An implant can replace a single missing tooth, or several implants can support a new bridge where there are no teeth.  Additionally, and maybe most impressively, implants can be used to stabilize a denture and improve your chewing abilities by leaps and bounds! 

Since the 1970’s dentists have been working with dental implants.  The early researchers did experiments with “osseointegration” or the functional connection between the jaw bone and a dental implant.  This research gave way for the Swiss company Nobel Biocare to create what we believe are the highest quality dental implants.  We have been placing Nobel Biocare implants at McAdams Dental since our inception and we have a network of highly skilled specialists such as Oral Surgeons and Periodontists who can assist with more complicated cases.

More information about Dental Implants is available at: 

The ADA website:


https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/implants/​

or from Nobel Biocare directly:

http://www.nobelsmile.com

Are you interested in learning more about dental implants?  If you are in the Phoenix area and looking for a dental home where your smile is our top priority, maybe we are the office for you…we would love to meet you!


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I.C.E. -  I.C.E. - Baby

7/22/2013

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In Case you are wondering, I.C.E. is an important abbreviation for In Case of Emergency! 

Over the weekend, our team took a CPR renewal class together.  We like to be prepared for anything that may come up and your safety and health are our top priority at McAdams Dental.  It was interesting to learn that the American Heart Association (AHA) has made a few changes to the recommended emergency response protocol and we thought we could share these with you to help spread the word!

Once you have identified a crisis situation because a person or patient is non-responsive and is not breathing, the AHA recommends that you first activate the emergency response system.  This means either do it your self or make someone else call 911 and alert the authorities that help is needed.  After you are sure help is on the way you should check for a pulse to determine if the person’s heart is working.  If not proceed with CPR as follows:

The new acronym for CPR treatment is C-A-B meaning Compressions-Airway Maintenance-Breathing (which is a big difference from the previous recommendation you may be familiar with).  In this situation you would begin chest compressions alternating 30 chest compressions with two breaths delivered mouth-to-mouth.  If the situation is not conducive to mouth-to-mouth contact don’t worry, it is totally acceptable to now deliver “hands-only” CPR in which you would provide constant compressions only stopping to take a rest if/when another person is available to take over compressions. 

High quality compressions are required to depress the chest approximately 2” to be effective so you will most likely have to press as hard as you can to achieve a good result.  Many injuries are possible during CPR, but like our instructor said…if the patient tells you that you hurt them, you saved their life!

For more information on "Hands-Only CPR" visit the AHA website at:

https://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/hard-hats-oregon-cpr-resources​

If you are in the Phoenix area and looking for a dental home where your providers are ready for any situation, maybe we are the office for you…we would love to meet you!


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The Whole Enchilada

5/9/2013

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I received an email last week that has had me thinking quite a bit.  In this letter, a prospective patient asked the unexpected question, “ARE YOU A HOLISTIC DENTIST?”  I’ve been thinking about how to answer this all week and I’ve decided that the answer to this question in my case is a resounding yes.  My research tells me that holistic dentists consider a patient’s dental health as it relates to their overall health, and this captures the goals of our practice perfectly. 

Our dental team is proud to focus on a person’s overall health and systemic health issues as they relate to the treatment of their oral condition.  Lets examine the top 3 holistic aspects of dental care at McAdams Dental:

1.     Medical History Review – Believe us, it IS important that your dentist know your most current medical information, including what types of prescriptions you may be taking.  Are you aware that some very common bone density medications can lead to a very severe adverse reaction when teeth are extracted?  Or that a dentist can save you years of agony by handling teeth issues before entering chemo and radiation therapy?  Did you know that many common prescriptions cause dry mouth that can devastate your oral health if not addressed with prevention in mind?  We review all of this information to help you develop a personal preventative care plan that is specifically tailored to your needs.

2.     Thorough Oral Evaluations – We are sticklers for good records at McAdams Dental.  These records help us track trends in your teeth and gums that are telling of many common diseases.  During routine evaluations, we have identified signs of many systemic conditions that our patients were not aware of.  We commonly find characteristic erosion of teeth that suggest patients are suffering from severe nocturnal G.E.R.D. (heartburn), among other conditions. Additionally, our low radiation digital imaging allows us to identify abnormally calcified arteries in the head and neck, and we have treated infected teeth that have been misdiagnosed as recurrent sinus/ear infections for years. As discussed previously in our blog, we also screen every mouth for early signs of oral cancer and many of our patients tell us that our dental chairs are the only place they ever have their blood pressure checked.  All of these aspects of your systemic health are evaluated before we ever look for cavities, because we know the importance of a healthy mouth.

3.     Periodontal Assessment and Treatment – Our hygienists carefully check your gum pockets and monitor your trouble areas with prevention in mind.  Many patients in our practice benefit from a thorough cleaning schedule specifically designed for each patient’s gum condition(s).  Perhaps a deep cleaning or a more frequent recall schedule can save you from one of the most prevalent types of persistent bacterial infection and sources of chronic inflammation in the human body.  Did you know that your gums may show signs of a wide array of health conditions; ranging from fungal infections to more serious issues like leukemia or HIV.  More and more recent medical research correlates the presence of gum disease with other systemic health conditions, such as glucose regulation in diabetics or cholesterol and arterial plaque levels in patients with heart disease.  We truly believe that your mouth is the gateway to your overall health and we strive to help you maintain the healthiest body you can by keeping your mouth and gums in top shape.

Are you looking for a dentist who is interested in more than just diagnosing fillings and crowns?  Call to schedule an appointment if you are in the Phoenix area and think we might be the office for you.  We would be happy to meet you and proud to help you take care of your mouth. 

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Keep It In Check!

4/27/2013

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Here are several reasons that your routine dental checkup is important!  In this update, we discuss the things we are screening for during your routine dental examinations that you may be unaware of.   As members of your overall healthcare team, we want you to be aware of the benefits of your regular dental checkups beyond just fresh breath!

Case #1:

Earlier this year Dr. McAdams discovered something in a patient’s mouth during a routine dental examination that concerned him enough to order a biopsy.  Pathology reports indicated that a small white bump in the area where a molar had been extracted recently was an uncommon form of carcinoma.  When caught early (like this was), oral cancers can be removed entirely and without complication.  When allowed to progress unchecked, oral cancers can lead to complete removal of the tongue, lower jaw or in severe cases can be fatal.

Case #2

In early 2013, a patient presented for a routine cleaning with a blood pressure in the range of possible stroke or heart attack.  We gave him time to determine if he was suffering from “white coat syndrome” and decided that he should see a physician for a proper diagnosis of his cardiovascular health.  The patient hadn’t had his blood pressure checked in years and within days was on a blood pressure control regime with his doctor and his BP is within normal limits during his dental visits now. 

The ADA reports that there are over 42,000 cases of oral cancer diagnosed each year in this country.  This number is up over 25% from estimates in 2010.  With the incidence of oral cancer on the rise, your dental team is a critical piece of your healthcare team who offer you screening services during each exam. 

Some things we are checking that you might not be aware of: 

1.    Medical History Review:  Some commonly prescribed medications have a possibility for severe dental interaction.  With current information we can keep you informed about your risks of anaphylaxis, dry mouth, osteoradionecrosis (ORN), periodontal hyperplasia, or bisphosphonate related oral necrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) amongst other things.  Also, some conditions require pre-medication with antibiotics to prevent infection following routine dental treatment.

2.    Blood Pressure Screening:  Many of our patients have no idea what their typical blood pressure is, at each checkup we are monitoring your pressures and can compare to our historical records to help you determine if you should see a physician for help with the issue.

3.    Oral Cancer Screening:  When we ask you to say aahhhhh, or grab your tongue to look underneath it, we are looking for signs of oral cancer, which can include white patches, red bumps or non-healing ulcerations.  If we find something, we can help you decide if it warrants further investigation.  In almost all cases in our office, patients are unaware of the early beginnings of oral cancer.  This is when you want it stopped. 

4.    Radiographic Evaluation:  Routine diagnostic xrays help to determine the health of your teeth and supporting bone.  In the standard, low radiation, digital series that we prescribe, your dental team can identify sinus obstruction, potentially metastatic lesions from colon, breast or prostate cancer, and calcification of blood vessels in your neck and jaw that could indicate blockage in blood flow. 

Hopefully this information sheds a little light on the importance of routine dental evaluations.  We aren’t just checking for cavities, we are evaluating the health of your mouth, which is the gateway to your overall health.  We can’t understate the importance of the health connection between your mouth and the rest of your body.

For more information about oral cancers visit the ADA website:

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/oral-cancer.aspx/​

We perform all of these tests during each checkup because we care about the health of our practice and our patients.  If you are looking for a Phoenix dental team where you can trust that we take great care of each patient, consider visiting our office.  We would love to meet you!
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So Fresh And So Clean

4/18/2013

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Dental sterilization is a hot topic lately, so we thought it was a good time to explain how the good guys handle this very important issue. 

Our instruments are prepared for use by a three-step process.  The sterilization process takes each and every tool from dirty to clean and requires careful attention to detail.

  1. Instruments are cleaned manually, using wire brushes and visual inspection to remove all visible debris.  Special safety equipment is used to protect our team during this step.
  2. Second, instruments are placed in an enzymatic cleaning solution in an ultrasonic vibratory cleaning bath.  In this step, debris is removed from the instruments mechanically.
  3. Instruments are then sterilized in an autoclave that is proven to kill all living organisms by reaching a VERY high pressure and temperature.
No secrets here, just CDC approved sterilization methods!  How do we know it works?  Firstly, we purchased state of the art, modern sterilization equipment that has digital controls indicating the temperature and pressure reached during each sterilization cycle.  We know that’s great, but we take it one step farther and use instrument pouches that have indicators further confirming that proper temperature and pressure has been reached by a color change.  Double checked!  But wait there is more, each week we use a test strip with a highly challenging microorganism contained inside.  This strip is tested by an independent laboratory confirming that our sterilizer can take out any common microbial organism and eliminate your risk of cross contamination.  Our autoclave has a 100% lifetime pass rate on these tests!

Furthermore, ALL operatory surfaces are disinfected with chemical wipes between patients and ALL plastic tools and piercing objects are considered strictly “one time use only” in our practice.  These items are disposed of in red biohazard containers promptly after each patient.

We take all of these precautions because we care about the health of our practice and our patients.  If you are looking for a Phoenix dental team where you can trust that we sweat the small stuff as much as you do, consider visiting our office.  We would love to meet you!

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My Tooth Hurts!

3/16/2013

28 Comments

 

My Tooth Hurts!

We saw a lot of emergency toothaches this week and Dr. McAdams thought it would be a good time to shed a little light on the testing we do to determine why your tooth hurts.  You may remember the "cold test" where something cold is applied to your tooth to see how it responds:

Well, this is a very important test that tells us a lot about the health of your tooth.  Dr. McAdams considers the following possibilities when looking at a toothache to determine how to proceed:

FIRST WE RULE OUT THE OBVIOUS SOLUTIONS:

1.  Have you had a cold or allergies recently?  Many tooth aches are caused by sinus pressure because the roots of your top back teeth are very close to your sinuses.  If all else is normal, this type of toothache can be treated with over the counter sinus medication.

2.  Do you have something stuck in your gums?  It can be very difficult to tell if your tooth pain is coming from your tooth or your gums, but we often find things wedged in the gums and removal of it can relieve your toothache.  We find all kinds of things from broken toothpicks to popcorn husks in there.

3.  Do you have gum recession?  Many times an overzealous brusher will cause themselves gum recession and this can cause minor sensitivity to temperature changes.  In this case, the patient can relieve the issue by using a sensitive formula toothpaste to desensitize the exposed root surfaces.  (It might take a couple weeks to kick in).

4.  Is the tooth cracked or decayed?  At times a piece of the tooth can be missing, and it might expose the sensitive inside layer of the tooth.  This can require a simple filling to solve the problem, but the fix may warrant extraction depending on how close to the gums the crack gets.  If this is the case, get it fixed quick!
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ALL ELSE EQUAL, WE USE THE COLD TEST:


The cold test tells us the overall health of the tooth, and how to treat the problem.  Generally a toothache proceeds like so:

1.  A healthy tooth with no cavities, cracks or issues has what we call a "vital pulp."  Cold stimulus on a vital tooth will cause an immediate reaction that will immediately dissipate when the cold is removed.  The reaction shouldn't be terribly painful, but you should know your tooth touched something cold.

2.  Minor pain will develop in response to damage.  In this case the toothache is causing nerve irritation.  If the tooth is highly sensitive but the pain does not linger for a while after it starts this is called "reversible pulpitis" and the tooth can be fixed at this point with a minor procedure.  Think of this as a red flag, its time to see a dentist.

3.  Major pain will then develop if the problem goes untreated and the tooth starts to respond to cold in a very painful way.  At this point, the pain will linger after the cold is gone and this tells us that the nerve in the tooth is damaged beyond the point that it will heal.  This is caused "irreversible pulpits."  Unfortunately, at this point a root canal is needed if the tooth is to be saved.  

4.  Suddenly the toothache goes away.  Now the tooth can't feel cold at all and the test gives us no response.  At this point most people think they dodged the bullet and that they will no longer need dental treatment.  What they don't know is that the nerve has now died and the diagnosis now is "necrotic pulp."  At this point, bacteria have killed the tooth and are now using the nerve of the tooth as a food source brew a large infection.  After a few months of unchecked infection, the symptoms will return because the infection slowly deteriorates the bone around the tip of the tooth until the pain returns along with swelling, draining infection, and a terrible odor/taste in some cases.  Depending on how long the infection goes untreated, patients may find themselves hospitalized by an infection that migrates to the heart, or worse, the brain.  At this point, an antibiotic can relieve symptoms temporarily but treatment is absolutely necessary.

For more information, read about root canals on the ADA website:

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/root-canals.aspx/​

Dr. McAdams recommends seeking treatment for a toothache as soon as you can.  Because the symptoms are difficult to identify on your own, he suggests you find a dentist you can trust and sort out the cause of the pain as a team.  If you are looking for a Phoenix based dentist consider visiting our office.  We would love to meet you!
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Will My Veneers Last Forever?

3/8/2013

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Will My Veneers Last Forever?

You may be surprised to learn that a porcelain veneer is not a permanent solution to improving your smile.  In fact, it is common for a set of veneers to need replacement at some point between 5-10 years after bonding them to your teeth due to normal wear and tear.  

Here is a perfect example of what to watch for:  At McAdams Dental, we recently encountered a situation where a set of porcelain veneers had outlived their useful life.  The patient enjoyed 13 years of showing off her beautiful porcelain smile, but you might notice that over time a few problems have developed.  Notice the spacing between the front teeth, fading color, dark stained pitting, and yellowing/darkening along the gums at the edges of the veneers shown in the photo below:
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Our patient was ready for an update to her smile and as a birthday gift to herself, we worked together to provide her a set of veneers that she was happy to show off, in fact….she couldn't stop smiling!  After carefully assessing the patients concerns, we were careful to place the edges of the veneers in a more healthy and beautiful location, all spaces between the teeth were closed, and a more natural transition of color from a translucent tip to the natural shade near the gums was used to improve upon her flat, all white smile.  

In the end, we achieved successful improvement by placing 8 porcelain veneers on her upper front teeth, compare before and after in the photo below:

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTO:  SMILE UPDATING WITH VENEER REPLACEMENT

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The patient was quite happy with her more natural looking smile, and the improved health of her gums, Dr. McAdams felt that a more natural shade than flat white would complement the patients skin tone and facial features.  See for yourself in the smile photos below.

AFTER PHOTOS:  LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE SMILE PHOTOS

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Sports Safety For Your Mouth

1/19/2013

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Its not uncommon in any sport, that an athlete is injured by taking trauma to the mouth.  Have you noticed how all of the NFL, NHL, NBA and other sports pros are always moving their mouthguard in and out of their mouth, sometimes even putting it back in their mouth after it falls on the boxing ring or in the grass?  Gross!   The point is, that it is a very normal, and very important accessory for the safety minded athlete of today.  

It might be even more important for kids to wear mouth guards because their bottom jaw tends to grow last, leaving those big front teeth unprotected and exposed to danger from the time they are about 6 years old until they finish growing!

Dr. McAdams has had a lifelong battle with a dark front tooth resulting from a wrestling injury in high school and this is why we are promoting the use of sports mouthguards for all athletes.  The easiest method to protect your teeth is to pick up a "boil and bite" guard at any sporting goods store.  These are a good alternative for growing kids because they are inexpensive to replace and not the biggest deal if they get lost!  A custom made dental mouth guard is a good idea for those who have a hard time breathing with the store bought guards because we can make them sleeker, however, there is a bit more cost involved.  Regardless of which kind of guard you use…just use it!  Your teeth will thank you later.  

You never know when you might wish you'd been wearing a guard.  You might be surprised at the causes of the top 5 dental sports injuries Dr. McAdams has witnessed in his career:

5.  An unnamed dental school classmate of Dr. McAdams was out for a jog in San Francisco when she stepped off a curb and was hit by a car.  Fortunately for her, she survived, but her front teeth required an extraction, Bone/gum grafting, an implant and a root canal before a lot of porcelain was used to put her back together.  

4.  Recently a patient in our practice caught a frisbee in the mouth during a game of ultimate frisbee.  His tooth took a few weeks to show its injury, but a root canal and an internal whitening session were completed early enough that we bet you couldn't tell which tooth it was!  

3.  Dr. McAdams caught an elbow from a team mate at wrestling practice resulting in a re-positioned front tooth that turned black before he sought treatment.  Multiple endodontic treatments and several internal whitening sessions have gotten it "almost back to normal."  That injury ended his theory of wearing the guard only during competition.

2.  Another unnamed dental school classmate of Dr. McAdams was at the beach and caught a mouth full of surf board on the recoil from his ankle strap.  One broken incisor and several mis-aligned teeth resulted.

1.  Dr. McAdams is a big MMA fan, and he watched as Lyoto Machida actually kicked one of Randy Couture's front teeth out at UFC 129.  The most impressive part of this was that he WAS wearing a mouth guard, can you imagine how many teeth he would have lost otherwise?

Have more questions about sports mouth guards? Get them answered here:  

www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/mouthguards.aspx/

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