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Wisdom Teeth: To Remove or Not to Remove?

Knowing when to get your wisdom teeth can be tricky.  There seems to be an ongoing debate among dentists about the best age and circumstances for getting them taken out.  Deciding to extract the third molars (AKA wisdom teeth) is not as cut and dry as many people believe.  Several factors come into play such as:

• The Health of the Second Molar: Overall, adults have 32 teeth in their mouth.  The second molars are the ones directly in front of the wisdom teeth and the health of those second molars is an important aspect to consider when deciding to keep or remove the wisdom teeth.  Wisdom teeth do not always come in like other teeth do, sometimes they are straight but other times they come in at an angle, encroaching on the second molar's space.  Research suggests that second molars can be negatively effected by the eruption and presence of wisdom teeth depending on the state of the second molar when the wisdom tooth erupted. That research has also suggested that the effect the wisdom teeth will have on the second molars is influenced by the age of the patient.  A teenager with the same circumstances as a 30 year old may be effected differently by the wisdom teeth.

• Presence of Gum Disease: Gum disease around the second molar before the eruption of the wisdom tooth has been correlated with increased bacterial growth and worsening gum disease for the second molar.  Even if the wisdom teeth are impacted, they have negatively effect the gum disease around the second molars. Consequently, studies have shown a decrease in bacterial growth around the second molar after the extraction of the wisdom teeth.

• Age: Research has suggested that age effects complications and recovery after the removal of wisdom teeth as well as the health of the wisdom teeth if chosen to not remove them.  Removing the wisdom teeth seems to be less complicated with a quicker recovery time if the patient is younger due to the wisdom teeth not having a fully formed root.  As previously mentioned, age influences the amount of gum disease around the second molars which is exacerbated by the wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth also have a higher incidence of cavities due to be harder to clean.  The number of cavities in the wisdom teeth tends to increase as a patient gets older. 

• Dental Crowding: Many people blame dental crowding on the presence of wisdom teeth.  While that cannot be confirmed through research (as researchers are not sure which comes first, the crowding or the effects of the wisdom teeth), it is clearer that wisdom teeth may have some effect on dental crowding.

Traditionally, panoramic x-rays were used to evaluate the positioning of the wisdom teeth and help the dentist decide whether or not to remove them.  While panoramic x-rays provide a good full-mouth view, cone beam x-ray technology allows the dentist to see minute details in a 3D image.  The extra details that are present in a cone beam x-ray further allow the dentist to suggest the need to as well as the best time for the patient to have wisdom teeth removed.  

Source:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruben-cohen-dds/wisdom-teeth-removal_b_972697.html?utm_hp_ref=dental-health

R. Eric Emery, DDS

Morgan A. Emery, DDS

Smile Station Dental

2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400

St. Louis, MO 63122

(314)821-7100

smilestationdental.com

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Dental Did You Know

Pierre Fauchard - The Father of Modern Dentistry

Dentistry has come a long way and there have been many notable dentists that have helped the development of the profession but none have contributed as much as Pierre Fauchard.

Pierre Fauchard is widely regarded as the father of modern dentistry.  He was a French surgeon who was appalled at the poor standards of treatment and the secrecy between dentists.  Dentists at the time chose to keep their innovations to themselves instead of sharing the new information and techniques. Fauchard published a book on dental surgery in 1728 entitled The Dental Surgeon that helped spark the sharing of information and propelled the profession forward. 

The medical and dental fields that we have today are largely due to the sharing of information between professionals. Pierre Fauchard helped dentistry get there.


Source: http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v201/n12/full/4814350a.html


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Morgan A. Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental 
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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News You Can Use

Battling Bruxism

Bruxism is the dental term for grinding teeth.  Not only can it be painful, creating headaches and jaw pain, but it can be detrimental to the health of your teeth.  I wrote on the specifics behind how bruxing hurts your smile and how the office can help here.

While understanding the problem is the first step to solving it, I thought I would provide a few easy tips that may help alleviate the pain involved with bruxing:

• Develop and stick to a soothing bedtime routine
• Create a cool, dark, and comfortable bedroom and try to keep work out of the bedroom
• Sleep on your side or your stomach
• Get regular exercise 

Source: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/11/20/health-tip-battling-bruxism



R. Eric Emery, DDS
Morgan A. Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd. Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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News You Can Use

New Mobile Gaming App Helps Teach Kids to Brush Properly

As part of the new Kids' Health Mouths Campaign, The Ad Council and the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives released a new mobile phone application called Toothsavers.

The app is available for free for Android and iOS devices and is geared toward children ages 3-6.  The aim of the game is for children to learn healthier brushing techniques (such as brushing for two minutes, twice a day) and overall oral health by saving rescuing fairy tale characters from an evil sorceress who cast a teeth-rotting spell on the kingdom. 

The app contains three features to aid children in healthy oral care development.  Those features include:

• A two-player version that allows children to "brush" the teeth of parents and other children when held up to the other's mouth
• A timed, finger-swipe brushing game that allows the child to play the hero and save up to 10 characters
• A tooth-brushing companion that helps children and parents keep track of the tooth-brushing progress and sends morning/evening reminders

The app has already received positive reviews, with a statistic saying one in five children under the age of 8 is currently using the product or has tried it.


Source:http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspxsec=sup&sub=pmt&pag=dis&ItemID=314993&wf=37


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Morgan A. Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63017
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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Dental Did You Know

Dental Reminders for a Healthy New Year

I have posted some of the facts below at various times throughout the last year, but this pictograph is a great illustration of interesting and important dental facts. Start your year off right!

Source:http://mediacacheak0.pinimg.com/originals/e4/e9/bb/e4e9bb26c1efbbbc6d48a125315027jpg


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Morgan A. Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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News You Can Use

A Simple Way to Raise Your Holiday Spirits

During this stressful time of the year when everyone is searching for the perfect gift for a loved one, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. What many people do not know, though, is that there is an easy gift that may help raise yours and other's spirits around you. Smiling.

Studies have shown the simple act of smiling can reduce stress and improve one's mood.  When you smile, certain muscles in your face are stimulated.  Those muscles then stimulate the parts in the brain that are responsible for creating warm, pleasant feelings. 

Psychological studies have also shown that smiling is hard to resist in others.  When a person sees you smile, it can have a small effect on their mood and may influence them to smile, passing on those pleasant feelings. Smiling is a simple and easy way to not only improve your day but the day of someone else. Why not add a little more warm feelings to your holiday season and practice smiling? Its an easy gift to give all year.


Source: http://bestdentistnews.com/2013/12/a-gift-you-can-give-all-year-long/


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Morgan A. Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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Notes From the Dentist

The Implementation of Dental Caries Index

Dr. Morgan and I are pleased to announce that we have now started implementing the use of a caries index.  The caries index will be a short assessment done quickly before or after a hygiene visit. 

The way a caries index works is that is looks at the number of teeth with decay, the number of teeth missing due to decay, the number of teeth with fillings, and the patient's overall oral health habits.  This assessment gives us a rating that will aid us in deciding the interval of X-rays we recommend for each patient. 

The overall goal is to individualize the X-ray protocol for each patient based on the caries condition in the mouth.  This new assessment may help save you time and money while continuing to allow us to offer you the best service we can.


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Morgan A. Emery, DDS
Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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