DENTAL CARE

Q: “My Tooth Broke, and These Are Brown.”

A: Both of these statements on the surface appear to be unrelated. An avid reader and now patient pointed out his broken eyetooth. Technically we call that tooth the canine or cuspid. Its position is at the corner of the mouth, which is right about where we see the smile end on many people. When presented with these two problems, I focused on the broken tooth. First of all, that was the prime reason that he came to see me. Secondly, a broken tooth can be infected and cause serious pain and possible infection.

Fortunately, the break was severe but not to the point of infection. This broken tooth turned out to be an easy fix. A simple crown and my patient would be on his way. Okay, now I moved on to the brown teeth. The brown or dark staining was present on his front teeth. The tops of the teeth were stained darkly and did not look very good. When I analyzed how his teeth came together, the source of his problem was a bite issue. His upper front teeth did not overlap his lower front teeth. Overlapped teeth are correct. Teeth that meet right on top of each other is bad. When our teeth form and come into our mouths, they are composed of two layers. The inner layer is called dentin, and the outer layer is called enamel. The hardest structure in the body is enamel. Yes, the enamel is even harder than our bones. We grind and chew with our teeth, and the enamel takes the brunt of the wear and tear. Enamel can last a lifetime, but often we abuse it, and we lose enamel. Under the enamel is a layer of den tin. This layer is also very hard but not as hard as enamel. When we che won den tin, our teeth wear down much faster. Dentin also stains easier than enamel due to being not as hard as enamel.

My patient was chewing on his front teeth. His top teeth were grinding his lower front teeth. All the enamel was gone, and now the underlying dentin was staining and turning brown. The stain goes deep into the surface of the dentin, and I can not just clean the surface. I need to alter his teeth and bite so that he no longer chews on these teeth

Then he asked me a question. He wanted to know what I could do to replace his missing teeth. He had a number of them. The missing teeth were the underlying cause of all of his problems. Due to their absence, he altered his biting and chewing, which put excess force on his remaining teeth. These strong forces caused his tooth to break and his front teeth to wear down an excessive amount and develop a dark stain.

I addressed his missing teeth problem, and after brainstorming for a little bit, he and I found the appropriate solution for his mouth. This solution had to fix the problems, recreate cosmetics, and be suitable for his finances. He was very happy with the direction that we decided to go. Sometimes teeth problems are quite simple and limited to one area. Other times, they are indicative of a larger issue. In either event, don’t let the problem sit unattended. If this sounds like you, then please call Megan at 440.951.7856. She will set up an appointment for you to talk to me. I look forward to meeting and helping you.

Jeffrey Gross, DDS, F AG Di san Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine.

The Healthy Smile 34586 Lakeshore Boulevard (¼ mile west of Route 91 on Lakeshore Blvd) Eastlake, Ohio 44095 440-951-7856 Severance Medical Arts, Suite 603 5 Severance Center Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 216-371-2333 www.jeffreygrossdds.com