Salt Lake City Dentists are Awarded Fellowships

On July 10th, in New Orleans, Galen Campbell and Jonathan Campbell, along with 334 dentists from around the world, were awarded fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD). This award recognizes dentists that have completed over 500 hours of continuing education in varied disciplines of dentistry and passed a rigorous dental examination. Only 7% of dentists in North America have earned this prestigious award. The Academy of General Dentistry promotes the interests of general dentists and their patients through education, advocacy, and achievement. They look forward to continuing to learn about the latest techniques and procedures for the benefit of their patients and colleagues. They are both dentists in Salt Lake City, Utah.

What Does the Dentist Do When He Gets a Toothache?

What Does a Dentist Do When He Gets a Toothache? I feel embarrassed to admit that this past week I had a toothache. Having a toothache made me feel like I could have been doing a better job taking care of my teeth. However, I’m not sure what more I could do. I floss and brush regularly, I get a check-up and cleaning twice a year. I have x-rays taken once a year. The only thing I don’t do that I know I should is wear my night-guard every single night. So how did I get a toothache? Well it wasn’t a cavity gone wild. When I was in dental school, I had a tooth that needed a root canal. Now 13 years later, that same tooth got re-infected. We see many patients that have had a root canal and it gets re-infected. Most are disappointed to learn that the tooth needs another root canal or surgery to correct the infection. Let me explain why root canals don’t always last forever. Teeth are hollow in the center. That hollow space is usually filled with nerves and blood vessels. When a cavity gets big enough that it reaches the nerve, you get a toothache. You treat that toothache by removing the infected nerve and blood vessels and sealing the hollow space and fixing the cavity. Cleaning and sealing that space it what is called a root canal. The hollow space is sealed, kind of like caulking around a window or sink. But sometimes that seal breaks down, just like around a window or sink, allowing bacteria to re-infect the area around the tooth causing another toothache. So what did I learn from this experience? Toothaches are very uncomfortable. We always do our best to take care of the toothaches of our patients and their friends and family A.S.A.P. That sometimes means staying late or coming early. But we don’t want anyone of our patients to suffer. That’s important to us. I also was reminded of how important my teeth are to me. Day to day I eat, smile, and speak without giving my teeth and the role they play a second thought, but my 72 hours of tooth pain really interfered with my life and my ability to enjoy it. Teeth and taking care of them are important to being healthy and happy. Finally, I was reminded that we should always take care of things as soon as possible in the way that lasts as long as possible. That goes for teeth and everything else in life. We hope none of you ever get a toothache, but if you do we’ll be here.

New Celebrity Trend: Using a Cashmere Toothbrush. Should You?

Jessica Simpson, the dimwitted sometime pop, sometime country singer who gained fame as America's favorite simpleton on her reality show, The Newlywed's is at it again. I forgave Jessica for not knowing that Chicken of the Sea was really tuna fish, but I don't think I can forgive her horrible oral hygiene.

In March, Simpson admitted her oral indiscretions, "I don't brush my teeth," she told a radio station "No, really! I just use Listerine -- and sometimes I'll use my sweater," she claimed, bursting into laughter. Motioning that she uses her sweater stretched over her finger as a make shift toothbrush.

Ewww!!!! disgusting. Why would a lovely, famous, single young women admit to such a thing? That is a question this dental hygienist can not answer. Outside of running the risk of losing friends to halitosis, what is the problem with Simpson's hygiene habits? The very short and simple answer, bacterial plaque (food debris) left on your teeth can lead to cavities and gingivitis. A wipe of your sweater may be able to remove some of the "fur" that you feel on your teeth but adequate removal of plaque is achieved when two minutes are spent brushing and with daily flossing. Listerine is helpful in removing plaque when rinsed vigorously and does have properties that decrease the bacteria that cause gingivitis but it does not take the place of regular brushing and flossing. Simpson is lucky enough to have good genetic dental genes on her side. Her dentist admitted being surprised by her lack of care. How can that be? She likely responds differently to cavity causing and periodontal causing bacteria. I doubt that luck with last forever. So make it part of your daily routine to be smarter than Jessica Simpson. See your dentist twice a year, floss daily and brush with a toothbrush, not cashmere.

Article by Cori Skiby, RDH. Cori is a dental hygienist at Legacy Dental in Salt Lake City. She is well known for her vast knowledge of pop culture and more importantly for being an excellent dental hygienist.  

What This Salt Lake Dentist Learned at the Utah Dental Assoc. Meeting

The next topic was going to be selecting teeth whitening concentrations. I still plan on getting to that. But first I wanted to share the events of the past few days at the Utah Dental Association. It is always fun to see all the dentists from Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas and my friends from dental school, see what new products and services are being promoted, and finally to spend a few days away from the office in class learning about something new.

The first day I attended a lecture on cosmetic dentistry. It was well done and I was happy to have reinforced that the way I approach cosmetic dentistry  is the same way this well-respected dentist approaches cosmetic dentistry. I learned a couple little tweaks to what I'm currently doing that I might consider on my next case. The one thing that was reinforced over and over was the importance of planning and provisionals. Most patients are anxious to get it done and over with. But he shared multiple examples where the planning was abbreviated or attention to detail on the the provisionals/temporaries were skipped and the results were less than what the patient wanted. I've been working on an informational page for patients on things to consider when considering cosmetic dentistry. 

The second day I attended a lecture about dental implants. It was good, but it seemed the person teaching really just wanted to sell us a specific brand of implant and dental laser. We spent some time in the afternoon looking at some new products. One that I am particularly interested in using is called Canker Complete.  It is an ointment that is applied to mouth sores, like cankers, that will decrease pain and speed healing. I have many patients that get these types of sores and I look forward to having one more thing to offer them. We also spent some time upgrading some of our dental hygiene equipment to make cleaning visits even more predictable and comfortable.

 It was a good meeting. Lots of great dentists in Utah. I look forward to getting back to work on Monday to implement some of what we learned.

Dentist in Salt Lake City at Legacy Dental makes First Blog Post

Wecome to our blog. Here you will find the latest news and infomation about Legacy Dental. It will also serve as a forum for education regarding the most current subjects in dentistry today. We hope to use this blog as a means to review the most common dental literature and put it into layman's terms so that our patients and others might understand what it means for them. We look forward to sharing what we learn and hearing what you'd like to know.