Tooth Sensitivity - Maple Grove Dentist

Hi, this is Dr. Ryan Francis, DDS from Grove Health Dental.

Today, I’ll discuss one of the most common questions that I get from clients: “Why are my teeth so sensitive?”

Tooth Sensitivity: Possible Causes

There are several possible causes of tooth sensitivity. You could have cavities, hairline cracks or fractures, gum recession, gum disease, exposed root or dentin, or you could be over-brushing, clenching, and grinding.

Out of all these, the number one cause of tooth sensitivity (hot or cold sensitivity) is an exposed dentin or root. We’ll focus on this type of tooth sensitivity.

Two Main Ingredients against Tooth Sensitivity

Pain associated with tooth sensitivity can vary from person to person, and there is, certainly, ways to alleviate tooth sensitivity. Unfortunately, there are hundreds or probably thousands of products out there that claim to relieve tooth sensitivity. In my experience, there are two main ingredients that helped work best, at home or over the counter, for this type of sensitivity.

1.    Potassium nitrate is found in pretty much all Sensodyne products. Sensodyne is the pioneer in introducing that ingredient for relieving tooth sensitivity.

2.    Stannous fluoride is a different type of fluoride that you see in several toothpastes. Its major disadvantage over other forms of fluoride is that stannous flouride has antimicrobial effect, which means it helps fight off gum bacteria. The minor disadvantage of stannous fluoride is that, for a small percentage of people, we see some staining that occurs in the teeth. The good thing is, staining is reversible, so we can remove it if you want. The best way to add Stannous Flouride to your teeth is by using Crest Pro Health which is the most popular toothpaste on the market with this active ingredient.

Products That Can Help

Colgate has introduced a product called Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief toothpaste with Pro-Argin technology. This toothpaste combines 8% arginine (an amino acid) and calcium carbonate. This product helps block the nerve entrance of the teeth, thereby helping desensitize your teeth and remove discomfort associated with tooth sensitivity.

Secret Weapon for Tooth Sensitivity

For all those people who have used many products and none has helped, you would be delighted to know that I have a secret weapon that can help you.

We've applied this product to several clients and we are amazed at how this product has helped them with their tooth sensitivity, something we often apply during their 6-month checkups (the product’s effect tends to last for about four to five months, on average). This product does an excellent job at blocking tooth sensitivity within that time frame.

Today, I have provided some fun facts about tooth sensitivity and products you can find out there in the market. If you have any questions, feel free to call us or drop by our clinic.

Grove Health Dental

763.416.0011

9907 Maple Grove Parkway

Maple Grove, MN 55369

www.GroveHealthDental.com

My 2015 Self Reflection As A Dentist

Hi, this is Dr. Ryan Francis, DDS from Grove Health Dental.

Today is Self-Reflection Day! I encourage you to look at your job as an occupation or even as a parent, and just focus on things that you truly enjoy the most about what you do.

Personally, as a dentist, I enjoy three key things about what we do here at Grove Dental Clinic – alleviating the fear of the dentist, restoring smiles, and meeting new people.

Alleviating the Fear of the Dentist

There is nothing much better than meeting people who despise coming to us. They sit down and realize that we are capable of helping them. We have a lot of tools at our disposal that help make their experience much better than they realize. More importantly, we help them realize that we are normal people who truly want to help them.

Restoring Smiles

Apart from the other two things mentioned here, restoring smiles is the most rewarding for me.

Whether we are restoring people’s smiles through Invisalign, veneers, implants with or without dentures, there isn’t much better than seeing their smiles for the first time. And we are not even looking at their teeth, we can see them smile through their eyes -- that’s all you need to see! A lot of people told us that these restored smiles have changed their outlook and sometimes even their entire personality. People, who have not shown their teeth before, come in and eventually show ear-to-ear grins! Seeing these smiles is truly rewarding.

Meeting New People

I love meeting new people every day. I love the opportunity to get to know our patients and as a dental provider, create a positive impact on them in one way or another.

Whatever you do, I challenge you to take a look at your occupation. Reflect and find a few things that you love. Focus on those things, try to hone them and make it a bigger aspect of what you do.

I would like to note that it’s Dental Patient Appreciation Day. I would like to thank all of our Grove Health Dental patients for continuing to see us. As a thank you for our clients, we will be tripling our referral gift and the details will be posted in our blog.

Again, thank you for allowing us to help others out and doing what we love! Have a good day!

Grove Health Dental

763.416.0011

9907 Maple Grove Parkway
Maple Grove, MN 55369

www.GroveHealthDental.com

Invisalign (Clear Braces) - Maple Grove Dentist

Hi, this is Dr. Ryan Francis, DDS from Grove Health Dental.

Today, I will discuss Invisalign and address the most pressing questions related to Invisalign that I receive from my patients.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a thermoplastic material made of medical-grade polyurethane resin. More simply put, it is a clear, plastic brace.

Are you an Invisalign candidate?

As we approach the year 2015, I would say most people are Invisalign candidates. This was not the case almost seven years ago when I started, but Invisalign technology has made continued advances in terms of the material, plastic, and type of attachments that assist in the movements, as well as (decreased) treatment time.

Does Invisalign work?

I would be willing to bet that most Invisalign-treating dentists would agree with me that it works…that is, if you wear them. Wearing Invisalign for at least 20 hours a day is what you should aim for. You need to decrease those pockets of time when you forget to put it in, like before you go to school or the office. The worst thing is when you forget to wear it for a whole day. If you do any of these, there would be delays in treatment time.

Oddly enough, I have had most success with teenagers who used Invisalign. The idea of decreased treatment time is very appealing to them.

In general, the ones that are most challenging are those patients who do not wear Invisalign extensively or those who regularly forget to wear it. Other challenging situations would involve treatment that was started before the latest Invisalign technologies have been available, but we can update those now and achieve the necessary treatment goals.

How long does treatment time take?

There is a significant time range. My average treatment time is a year or a year and a half. In certain cases, like deep bites which is what I am currently fixing, it may take two years or more. Others would take only six months. Treatment time with Invisalign’s latest technology is shorter compared to a few years ago.

Does it hurt?

Invisalign does not hurt as metal conventional braces would. The reason for this is, with Invisalign, you will not be torquing the teeth to the same force as you would with metal braces. From time to time, depending on certain tooth movements, it would be sore to chew on, but not to the extent of regular metal braces.

If you have further questions about Invisalign, I would be more than happy to discuss it with you. We do offer free consultations. Invisalign treatment is a great service that we provide in our clinic that has yielded increasing success.

Grove Health Dental

763-416-0011

9907 Maple Grove Parkway
Maple Grove, MN 55369

www.GroveHealthDental.com