Case Studies

What Is a Cavity? A cavity is what you get from tooth decay -- damage to a tooth. Decay can affect the outer coating of a tooth (called enamel) and the inner layer (called dentin). Cavity Signs and Symptoms The symptoms of a cavity will depend on how large it is and where it is in your mouth. You may not have any symptoms at first. They’ll get worse as the cavity gets larger, including: Pain or a toothache that happens without warning Sensitive teeth Pain when you eat or drink sweet, hot, or cold things Holes or pits in your teeth Black, white, or brown tooth stains Pain when you bite down Cavity Causes and Risk Factors When foods with carbohydrates like bread, cereal, milk, soda, fruit, cake, or candy stay on your teeth, they cause decay. The bacteria in your mouth turn them into acids. The bacteria, acid, food debris, and your saliva combine to form plaque, which clings to your teeth. The acids in plaque dissolve the enamel, creating holes called cavities. Many people think that only children get cavities, but changes in your mouth as you age make them an adult problem, too. As you get older, your gums pull away from your teeth. They can also pull away because of gum disease. This exposes the roots of your teeth to plaque. And if you eat a lot of sugary or high-carb foods, you’re more likely to get cavities.  

Laser therapy in dentistry provides patients with a more comfortable dental treatment experience. Using laser dentistry, your dentist is able to deliver a precise treatment that is more comfortable, quicker, and provides more stunning results. BENEFITS OF LASER THERAPY There are several benefits to receiving a laser therapy dental treatment. Many laser treatments do not require anaesthesia, and the recovery time is much quicker than with traditional treatment methods. Treatments are more comfortable. There is a less potential chance of bacterial infection because laser treatments are so precise. TWO TYPES OF LASER DENTISTRY There are two different types of laser dentistry: hard tissue and soft tissue. Hard tissue includes treatments such as cavity detection, dental fillings, and tooth sensitivity improvements. Soft tissue treatments include gum reshaping, gum surgery, and muscle attachment improvements. Procedures such as removing benign oral tumours, regenerating nerves, overcoming sleep apnea, whitening teeth, and treating TMD are also considered laser dentistry treatments. To learn more about laser dentistry and how you may benefit from a laser treatment, please contact our practice and schedule an appointment.

In 2010, NYU researchers performed a study examining the link between gum disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers concluded by stating that there was a strong association between gum disease and poor cognitive functionality. The study involved 152 subjects enrolled in the Glostrop Aging Study, which collected 20 years of data on the various subjects. The study ended way back in 1984, when the subjects were all over the age of 70. By comparing cognitive functionality at ages 50 and 70, the NYU team was able to determine that having gum disease at the age of 70 was strongly associated with poor performance cognitive tests. In fact, subject participants were 9 times more likely to score poorly on the cognitive test when they also reported gum inflammation. Even when researchers correcting for confounding factors like obesity, tooth loss unrelated to gum inflammation, and cigarette smoking, there was still a strong association. Before you argue that this study involved just 152 subjects, consider this: a 2013 study from the UK replicated the results with living patients. Then, in 2014, that same team followed up with a study that tried to explain why this correlation exists. They concluded by stating that gum disease-causing bacteria were mobile (i.e. “motile”) and were observed traveling to brain tissue: “These motile bacteria can leave the mouth and enter the brain via two main routes. They can use their movement capability to directly enter the brain. One of the paths taken is to crawl up the nerves that connect the brain and the roots of teeth. The other path is indirect entry into the brain via the blood circulation system.” In other words, the bacteria that irritate your gums literally crawl through your body until they latch onto other organs they can damage – like the brain. That’s why gum disease is linked with cognitive degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.