Aug 25, 2017
Something we hear a lot in our dental office is that a patient’s teeth hurt at certain moments – like when you’re eating a long-awaited ice cream on a summer day or when you’re sipping coffee at an early morning meeting. Noticing these moments is important, but why do those frequent twinges happen? We’d like to help you get to the bottom of this particular dental discomfort by sharing some common causes behind tooth sensitivity as well as some tips on how to reduce sensitivity.
What are some causes of tooth sensitivity?
Put simply, tooth enamel protects the crowns of your teeth and the cementum protects the roots of teeth below the gum line. When either of these barriers are depleted, dentin is exposed. If dentin is exposed, hot, cold, acidic, and/or sticky substances are allowed access to nerves and cells inside the tooth via dentin’s microscopic tubules. Whereas before these nerves and cells were protected by enamel and cementum, the dentin tubules are now exposed and this contact will cause nerves to react to certain substances.
Here is a rundown of some of the most common causes behind tooth sensitivity:
- Overly aggressive tooth-brushing practices, which may or may not be connected to hard-bristled toothbrush usage
- Highly acidic food and beverage consumption, which leads to erosion of tooth enamel
- Tooth decay in the form of broken teeth or cavities, and/or worn fillings that no longer fit properly
- Tooth-grinding (also known as bruxism)
- Over-bleaching or overuse of whitening products
How to Reduce Sensitivity
Many of the common causes of tooth sensitivity result in the same thing: wearing down the tooth enamel or gum line.
We’ve compiled some recommendations here on how to combat some of these causes and lessen your chances of encountering tooth sensitivity:
- Switch from a hard-bristled to a soft-bristled toothbrush, and check with us for a quick refresher to make sure that you’re brushing your teeth with good form.
- Don’t consume as many acidic foods or beverages. What’s acidic, you ask? High-sugar carbs, soda, sticky candy, and other things. We know it’s hard to stop eating some of these foods, but we suggest you try less acidic alternatives like cheese, fruit, and veggies instead. They’re also healthier for you, which is a bonus!
- If you have broken teeth, cavities, or fillings, please have us take a look at them so that we can find a way to minimize your dentin exposure.
- Talk to us (and your MD) about tooth-grinding and how it could be affecting your teeth.
- Take a break from using whitening or bleaching products.
Another thing to consider is that sensitivity can also be a sign of more serious conditions, like gum disease or gums that shrink as you age, a natural phenomenon. In either of these cases, we encourage you to tell us when you encounter a sensitive tooth, so that we can get you on the path to better dental health.
If you’re worried about tooth sensitivity, make sure to let us know at your next appointment, that way we can make a treatment plan to help you get back on the path of eating ice cream or drinking a cup of morning joe again!
Aug 24, 2017
Dentists and hygienists use many different tools during a typical dental exam. You’ve probably never asked what each tool was for, but we are sure you have wondered! Our tool boxes are full of different tools, each with a specific purpose.We wanted to give you a closer look of what these tools are, so here is a brief overview to improve your understanding of the tools we use most often during exams. Here’s a look at four we use daily!
- Dental Explorer: Described often as a “mini shepherd’s hook,” the dental explorer is a probe that serves numerous purposes. We use this tool by gently touching each of your teeth individually. We are probing for the presence of cavities and testing the hardness of your teeth. It also helps us determine the amount of enamel, plaque, and tartar on each tooth before going through the cleaning process.
- Saliva Ejector: In the course of a cleaning, we use a straw-like tool that sounds like a small vacuum. This suction tool is used to remove spit, water, blood, and debris during the cleaning process. It helps keeps the area clean and dry, making the process easier. After each patient, the plastic end of the ejector is disposed of and a new one is added.
- Periodontal Probe: Without looking closely, this tool can easily be confused with a dental explorer. They look very similar, however, this probe has a blunt end. The design of the end allows us to measure the space between gum tissue and each tooth, which is important as the space can be an indicator of gum disease.
- Scaler: The manual scaler also looks like a dental explorer, but has a sharper pointed end. This tool is used to remove plaque to help keep teeth clean and free of stains. In our office, most hygienists use an ultrasonic scaler to remove plaque. The ultrasonic version has a similar end but, alternatively, vibrates at a rate of 20-45kHz, reducing the time it takes to remove the plaque from each tooth. This ultrasonic tool is accompanied by a jet of cool water for your comfort.
Want to learn more about the dental tools we use? Just ask your hygienist at your next visit! We’d love to show you the differences in person and explain how we use each one!
Aug 21, 2017
This month we would like to take some time to feature the most recent addition to our team here at Falmouth Dental Arts: Dr. Antonios Karagiorgos (pronounced “kara-george-us“) or simply “Dr. K.” Dr. Karagiorgos also goes by Adonis, so please feel free to call him by that name as well. We think he’s a really interesting fellow and we can’t wait for everyone to get to know him as he settles in with us.
- Welcome to the Falmouth Dental Arts team. How has it been so far?
It has been a lovely experience; I have really enjoyed meeting the patients and getting to know the staff. Since Glen retired officially, I am now coming in full-time four days a week from Monday to Thursday. I thank both the patients and the staff for making this a smooth transition – it has been a great experience.
- How did you decide you wanted to study dentistry?
It’s kind of a long story. I have a cousin from Greece who lived with my family in Massachusetts when I was 18 years old. She was doing an international program to become a pediatric dentist. At one point I remember her telling me: this would be a perfect career for you, since you’re artistic, kind, outgoing, and you love talking to people. At the time I told her that I couldn’t imagine myself working in peoples mouths for a living, so I just dismissed the idea completely.
After graduating with a degree in civil/structural engineering, I worked in the field but I disliked my job. At that point, I was counting the hours to when I would be able to leave work for the day. I was 27 and I knew I didn’t want to do that as a lifelong career. I did many different things; I worked as a project manager for the Olympic games in Athens, Greece, and after that I started the process of joining the Air Force as a pilot but disqualified myself by getting laser eye surgery to correct my vision. Around that time, I went through a health scare that made me decide to pursue a career that would be meaningful and satisfying to me. I thought more about what my cousin had suggested: dentistry. So I went back to school to take all the prerequisites to go to dental school, and meanwhile I worked for the Tufts’ Oral Surgery department as a Dental Assistant, where I assisted in surgical procedures such as extraction, implant placement, and even cosmetic surgery. This experience solidified my desire to pursue dentistry. I really enjoyed the surgical aspect of dentistry and considered specializing but the great thing about general dentistry is that you’re able to do a little bit of everything.
- What do you want to bring to Falmouth Dental Arts?
Right now I bring extractions and surgical extractions, but in the future I hope to also bring implant placement and IV sedation to Falmouth Dental Arts.
With my past experience assisting in surgery, I hope to make a bigger contribution to the surgical aspect as far as extractions, and hopefully doing implants in the future. I am trained in intravenous or IV sedation, which is a treatment option that would help patients who are nervous or anxious at dental appointments. Right now we offer oral sedation, where patients take a pill and wait for it to take effect, but hopefully within the next year we can begin to offer IV sedation as an option. IV sedation is more predictable with the added benefit of a faster onset. The goal is to provide moderate conscious sedation, where patients are conscious, still breathing on their own, still able to follow instructions, but relieved of any anxiety to keep patients completely at ease with their dental care.
- Where did you practice before coming to Falmouth Dental Arts?
Well, while I was training for IV sedation, my wife and I lived up in Bar Harbor for ten months, basically on the doorstep of Acadia National Park. During my training, I also worked full-time in public health dentistry in Ellsworth, where we provided clinical access to those who don’t have the financial means to obtain dental care. After completion of my training we moved to Portland, where I continued to work for public health dentistry in Augusta while working part-time at Falmouth Dental Arts. Although I am now full-time at FDA, I continue to work a few days a month working for public health dentistry as a way to give back.
- What do you love about working at Falmouth Dental Arts?
It’s the people. The patients and staff here make my job feel like it’s not even work. It’s a great feeling to be a part of a team like this. And we meet patients from all walks of life, so it’s great to talk to everyone and get to know them.
- What do you think the future of dentistry looks like?
This is a very interesting time in dentistry because technology is changing at such a rapid pace and the amount of research going on is unprecedented. We’re on the precipice where we can’t even imagine the changes that will be coming to the field. Dentistry is going to be unrecognizable in 20 years. I look forward to a time when we can help the body repair itself, including the dentin beneath the enamel of patients’ teeth. Whereas now, if a tooth is decaying or breaking down, we intervene with a filling to stop the process of decay, so if we can induce the body to heal itself that would be a great advancement in the field. I’m not sure when it will happen, but regenerative dentistry would be a huge leap forward in dentistry.
Is there any particular piece of technology that you’re really interested in?
I am very interested in 3D imaging. This technology gives us an accurate three-dimensional image of the oral and facial structure, which then functions as a guide in simulated surgery and precision implant placement, which makes surgery less invasive. This will lead to shorter surgery time and faster recovery for the patient. 3D imaging can also make taking impressions for dental work a lot easier and less messy for the patients.
- What is an interesting dental fact that most people may not know?
Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body– even harder than bone.
- When you’re not taking care of patients’ teeth, what do you like to do? What are some of your hobbies?
I definitely love cooking – that’s a hobby of mine. I also like fly-fishing, snowboarding, and biking, and those are some of the great things that brought us to Maine. My wife and I enjoy being near the water to take advantage of water-related activities.
In high school, I started flying small planes as well; someday I hope to pick that back up again.
- What is your favorite part of dental practice?
The patients. I have the opportunity to meet all different kinds of people – which I was missing when I was in front of a computer screen all day as an engineer and didn’t get to interact with others. On top of that, each individual presents different challenges that constantly keep me on my toes. Every day is about finding the best dental solution for each individual while keeping each patient’s special circumstances and aesthetic vision in mind, as well as the financial aspects involved to create the best possible treatment plan for every individual.
There’s also an aspect of artistic expression to what we do: it’s making a filling look like a tooth. In a way, dentistry is a very satisfying form of artistic expression on a small scale.
- Your biography on the website reads that you’re licensed to practice dentistry in Maine and Alaska. How did that come to be?
The original plan was to move to Alaska with my wife after training in Bar Harbor but family and our love of the area kept us here. I would like to renew my Alaska license – it recently expired – because in the future I would like to do mission trips, either to underserved communities within the United States, South America, or the Philippines, where my wife is from, and donate my services to people in need.
- Do you have any pets?
We have our dog, who has been with us seven months now. He is an Aussie doodle, which is an Australian shepherd-poodle mix. His name is Roux. He is a beloved member of our family.
- Favorite dental tip?
Floss, floss, floss!!! Flossing can remove plaque and food debris particles in places where toothbrush bristles cannot easily reach, like under the gum line and especially between your teeth. Plaque buildup can lead to tooth decay and gum disease, which daily flossing can help prevent!
For more about Dr. Karagiorgos, make sure to check out his biography and schedule your next appointment with him today!
Jul 25, 2017
It’s written in the history books at this point: the best way to maintain your dental health is by brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. But in recent years, and with technology playing an increased part in our lives, the lines begin to blur as we continue to define best practices and medicine and treatment options continue to evolve.
The Waterpik and string floss are a timely example of how best practice lines blur in the dental field. Both have good and bad points, but at the end of the day, which best protects your dental health? We’ll run through a quick summary of the good and the bad of both to help you decide what method of flossing works best for you.
Flossing
Pros
- Efficient method of removing excess food/plaque from between teeth and below gum line
- Quick and easy
- Can be done anywhere
- Affordable
- Easily accessible at any pharmacy/grocery
Cons
- Difficult to reach some areas of the mouth
- Can cause bleeding if not done routinely
- Can potentially worsen or cause gum sensitivity
- Can be difficult to use or handle
All things considered, however, many dentists consider flossing to be a key part of the oral care regimen. If you find flossing painful or difficult, you should talk to us to explore alternatives and make sure there isn’t a more serious problem.
Water Flossing (aka Waterpikking)
Water flossing requires a device with a tool at the end of a hose connected to a docking station full of water – much like you may have seen before at our office. How does it work? The tool delivers a pressurized fine stream of water into the crevices between teeth and toward gums as guided by the user.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Can reach areas of the mouth that are difficult to reach with traditional floss
- Keeps your hands comparably clean throughout the process
- Certain devices also feature a massage function that can help improve gum health
Cons
- More costly than floss
- Requires countertop or storage space
- Requires electricity and water sources for operation
- Difficult to transport if you’re on-the-go
Some patients who might find the Waterpik to be a great alternative to traditional floss are those with braces or permanent and/or temporary bridges. Patients who damage their gums as a result of using traditional floss should also consider water flossing.
So which flossing method is better?
For now, the question of whether one method is better than the other remains unanswered. Both methods of flossing can lead to better oral health, but the results just have not been researched thoroughly enough compared to each other to make a generalization.
A good thing to keep in mind is that every person’s oral health situation is different, so what works for one person may not work for another. Whichever method you choose, make sure to clean between teeth and along the gum line as thoroughly as possible every day.
Are you curious about water flossing? Want to brush up on how to floss properly? Schedule your next appointment or call us today to stay on top of your dental A-game!
Jun 27, 2017
As we announced in March of this year, Dr. Glen Knock will be retiring at the close of this month after years of providing dedicated, professional care to patients throughout his impressive dental career. His work has impacted many, and we know a lot of people will miss Dr. Knock, so we asked patients to submit words and phrases that capture Dr. Knock’s numerous great qualities to share with everyone. Please enjoy the visual result below!
Though he will be missed, we wish Dr. Knock the very best and want him to enjoy a happy and well-deserved retirement!
A special thank you to all of our patients who submitted words to help us create this graphic! Please remember to come out to Falmouth Dental Arts on Thursday, June 29th from 2-4 PM to celebrate Dr. Knock’s retirement. As always, we look forward to seeing you!
