at 7:21 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
Often, when I tell people I am a dentist, I get a number of tooth-related questions. Today I was talking to someone at the store and they asked how long a filling is supposed to last. Even in the absence of decay or tooth fracture, a filling usually will not last your whole lifetime. This is due to many factors, such as a persons diet, the amount of force they put on the tooth, and the age of the fillings. Leakage around an old filling can occur with time, even when the filling is well taken care of.
After a filling fails, it may be able to be refilled again or a crown may be indicated. A crown covers the entire tooth and holds it together. Crowns are done when their is not enough tooth to hold a filling together. How do we know when it is time to crown a tooth? It depends on the depth and width of the existing filling, the size of the decay, the presence of a crack in the tooth and many other things. Essentially, there are a lot of factors that go into diagnosing a crown. If you are curious, ask your dentist why they are recommending one.
at 7:11 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
If you or someone you know dreads going to the dentist, oral sedation could be a great option. Oral sedation involves taking a pill before you come into the office to make you relaxed about your appointment. Oral sedation is safe and effective and can aid in performing large amounts of dental work with complete relaxation. Many patients do not remember much of the appointment after they are done.
Who is a candidate for oral sedation? People who are extremely anxious, do not get numb very well, cannot open wide for long periods of time, or people who just want to get a large amount of dental work done in one or two appointments. Dr. Dan Bruce is currently accepting patients for oral sedation. If you are looking for a sedation dentist in Boise and would like to know more, please contact us for a consultation (336-0003).
at 8:18 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
Sleep apnea is a topic of much discussion in medicine and dentistry recently. Sleep apnea occurs when a person stops breathing while sleeping, causing oxygen to not get into the blood. The gold standard for sleep apnea treatment is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device. CPAP stops sleep apnea in almost all cases, but tolerance for the appliance is not as good. Therefore many people do not wear their CPAP machine and do not receive the benefit.
For this reason, oral mandibular advancement devices are recommended for mild to moderate apnea as a first line therapy. Oral devices, such as the TAP-3 device or the SomnoMed, advance the mandible forward and stop the soft tissue from collapsing over the airway. Tolerance to these devices is much better. Oral appliance therapy has high success when used in the right situation. These are custom-fitted appliances that can be moved forward and backward to find the ideal position.
Sleep apnea has been linked to excess daytime tiredness, headaches, esophageal reflux, hypertension, weight gain, diabetes, heart attack and stroke. Talk to your physician to see if you may have sleep apnea and what needs to be done to manage this dangerous and deadly condition.
at 11:03 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
I had an interesting conversation with someone in the plumbing industry the other day. He mentioned that as the economy has slowed, people put off preventative maintenance on their water heaters, pipes, etc. Then a few years later, they end up calling with big problems requiring big fixes. I never before equated plumbing with dentistry, but the same is true for your mouth. We see some people skip their regular cleanings and examinations when the economy slows down, only to see them come back a few years later needing root canals, crowns or extractions. But regular, cleanings, x-rays and exams can prevent decay and save you time and discomfort in the future. Staying on top of your oral health is more important ecomically now than ever before. Not to mention the connection between good oral health and general health!
at 1:36 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
In the effort to continually improve our practice, we have recently been asking patients to complete short surveys after their appointments. One question we ask is, “Taking into account quality and service, do you feel our dental office provides a good value?”
So what is value? We believe it is not the lowest price, but instead providing a combination of information, service and quality. We really strive to listen to our patients to find out what they want. Then we give them options and our clinical expertise to help us come to a decision that is right for them. We think that is valuable. We have developed relationships with the labs we use and our dental suppliers to bring you the latest in proven materials. We find that very valuable also. Finally, value is about trust. You have to know that your dentist is doing what is best for you. We have many long-time patients that make practicing dentistry enjoyable.
at 2:10 am | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
The Boise Downtown Dental grand opening/ribbon cutting this past Thursday was a wonderful success. Many members from the chamber stopped by to celebrate the occasion, as well as friends and even people walking through the Bodo area. The event was highlighted by raffle items, gift bags with oral hygiene information and products and wonderful food and drinks.
For those that missed out on this event, we are still offering free whitening with completed exam, x-rays and cleaning. Contact us as some restrictions may apply.
at 4:53 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
Boise Downtown Dental will be having our grand opening Thursday, May 1st from 4-7 p.m. We will be having a ribbon cutting followed by tours and prizes. Raffle items include a Zoom! whitening and a Sonicare toothbrush, plus other items. We will also be having light food and drinks for the occasion.
Boise Downtown Dental is located at 398 S. 9th Street, Suite 230; in the Sycamore building of the Bodo complex downtown. Come down to check out our massaging dental chairs and our newest technological advances.
at 4:35 am | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
After reading about possible mercury exposure due to environmental factors I thought it would be wise for me to test the mercury level in my body. I purchased a kit from the Sierra Club website and sent in (a fairly sizable) hair sample a couple of weeks ago. I just received my test results today. My mercury levels where 0.74 ug/g, which is below the recommended upper level of 1 ug/g set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Academy of Sciences.
I have a moderate intake of ocean fish, which can be a source of mercuy. Dentally, I do not have any amalgam fillings in my mouth and replace, on average, 3-4 metal amalgam fillings a week. This is almost exclusively done using a rubber dam to minimize exposure to our patients. Using hair as a sample apparently shows the average mercury exposure of an individual over the last 3-4 months.
So, what does this mean? I am not sure. I feel pretty good knowing that as a dentist who removes amalgams, I do not have high levels of exposure. I also know that there are environmental exposures to mercury, including coal fire power plants and fish. How much is environmental and am I exposed to mercury vapors in the office? It is tough to tell, but it appears to be minimal at most.
Disclaimer- I cannot verify the methods or laboratory used to test my hair sample. The ADA currently has the position that dental amalgam is safe to use as a restorative material. I choose not to use it for other reasons such as esthetics and the bonding ability of composite and resin cements.
at 1:26 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
Dr. Dan Bruce has now decided to be a Delta Dental PPO network provider. Organizations that offer the Delta PPO plan include the Boise School System and some state organizations. We think that this will be a valuable service for our patients and hopefully will provide greater access to dental care. Dr. Dan Bruce is also currently accepting new patients, please contact us for an appointment.
at 5:06 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
In the world of dentistry (kind of), I came across an interesting story about a man who had lost his sight due to an explosion at an aluminum plant in Ireland 2 years ago. His cornea was scarred so bad that repair or transplant was impossible. The next logical thing to try is to put a tooth in his eye to help him see, right? Well, yes. Part of his son’s canine and the associated alveolar bone was harvested. An optical cylinder was then placed in the canine and bone and the whole apparatus was placed in the man’s cheek for 2 months to allow a blood supply to form. After 2 months, the tooth, bone and cylinder was placed in his right eye. He now can see well enough to watch T.V., see his family and have a much more normal life. This is an interesting story and it is amazing how the body can adapt to such a surgical procedure. For more information, check out the story at Yahoo! News.
