Healthy Smiles Make the New Year Happy!

 
At Steppler Dental, we wish you a happy new year! We all know that an important part of enjoying your life is being healthy and pain-free. And there is great freedom in being able to smile uninhibitedly, proud of the appearance of your teeth and the image you portray to others.

You can count on Dr. Steppler and his team to keep up with the latest and greatest dental technology and provide you with dental care in a kind and caring environment so that you can reach your dental health goals.

In the upcoming year we will be adding informative and interesting blogging to our list of new year resolutions in our practice!  So check back for news worthy dental news and research about a range of dental issues, from the benefits of porcelain veneers for smile makeovers and cosmetic dentistry, replacing missing teeth with bridges or implants, to the benefits of clear braces with Invisalign.

Achieving the smile of your dreams starts one day at a time and we can help you reach those goals. If you have any questions about smile changes, cosmetic dentistry or Invisalign, don't hesitate to call us at 314-965-3500.

Make 2012 the first year in a lifetime of healthy smiles.

Velscope - Oral Cancer Screening

Dr. Steppler added the VELscope oral cancer screening system to our practice's standard of care! This is cutting edge technology.  Every hour of every day, one person dies of Oral Cancer in North America. Its five-year mortality rate of approximately 50% is higher than that of breast cancer, cervical cancer and skin melanoma, and its incidence and mortality are rising. An increasing number of victims of this deadly and disfiguring disease are younger females and males who do not use tobacco or alcohol.

One potential reason for this trend, is that oral cancer has been associated with a strain of the sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV). This means that anyone who is sexually active is at risk for mouth cancer. Until recently, the primary method for detecting mouth cancer has been a visual screening that relies on the naked eye view of the oral cavity under white, or incandescent, light as well as palpation. Unfortunately, cancers are often apparent under these conditions only when they are at or near the surface of the mouth or tongue, which in many cases happens only in late stages. Often times, too late.

Now, however, there is new hope in the form of a breakthrough technology with the VELscope. Dr. Steppler uses the VELscope technology, called tissue fluorescence visualization, to shine a safe blue light into the oral cavity that excites the mucosal tissue. When viewed through the patented handpiece filters, abnormal tissue typically appears as an irregular, dark area that stands out against the otherwise green fluorescence pattern of surrounding healthy tissue. If abnormal tissue is detected and determined to be a potential cause for concern, our practice will refer the patient for biopsy and diagnosis.

Early detection is the key to saving lives from deadly oral cancer, and the VELscope technology is helping us do that.

Digital X-ray Technology

Digital radiography:

The computer era has brought us to an exciting new technology called digital radiography.  With this technology, we use computertized equipment and software to capture x-ray images of your mouth and teeth.  We do this by exposing a small sensor or plate that feeds the image into a computer.

The advantages of digital radiography:

Digital radiography has many advantages over traditional dental x-rays:

• they are faster
• they are safer, with no chemical development and less radiation
• we can view images instantly
• we can enhance images to improve viewing
• images can be stored electronically and emailed to specialists and insurance companies

There's no waiting for chemical development, as with film packets.  It's also faster because the x-rays are avilable within moments on the computer monitor, with no development step in between.

The lack of chemicals also makes digital x-rays safer for the environment.  Digital radiography is safe for you, too.  Because the unit is so sensitive, the amount of x-ray radiation is up to 80% less than with conventional x-rays.

With digital radiography, Dr. Steppler offers you faster and safer diagnosis and dental treatment.

Rooth Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy:

When the pulp of a tooth becomes infected or dies, root canal therapy is necessary to save the tooth.  It is generally a comfortable treatment that can save your tooth and keep your mouth healthy.

Symptoms of infection:

• tooth is sensitive to hot or cold
• tooth hurts with biting or pressure
• tooth is throbbing, severe tooth pain
• area is swollen
• you have a bad taste in your mouth

Causes of infection:

The pulp of the tooth becomes infected when bacteria invades the inner layers of the tooth.  The tooth pulp is a soft tissue made up of nerves and blood vessels.  It is contained in the pulp chamber that extends from the middle of the tooth down through the tooth roots.

Infection occurs most commonly through a deep cavity that allows the bacteria through the enamel and dentin layers and into the pulp.  Sometimes the pulp simply dies due to a fracture or a blow to the tooth.

Diagnosis and treatment:

To determine if your tooth has an infected pulp, Dr. Steppler will do a thorough examination.  The exam often includes x-rays and sometimes includes checking the health of the pulp with a pulp tester.  We may also apply heat or cold, tap lightly on the tooth to see if it is sensitive, look for changes in the tooth's color, or press gently on the gums next to the tooth to check for pain.

If Dr. Steppler determines that you have an infected tooth, we talk with you about root canal therapy to remove the infection and save the tooth.  It is important to treat an infected tooth in order to prevent the infection from spreading through the root tips and causing a painful abscess in the jawbone.