Nicole, our receptionist, handing out toothbrushes in Cuba
During our recent office holiday, Nicole, one of our receptionists, and her husband traveled to Cuba. She took some of our toothbrushes with her to hand out to local children and adults. She also bought an assortment of toys, clothes and other items to hand out to people in need. A big thank you to her and her husband for their generous spirit in thinking of others while away on a tropical vacation.
Dr. Robyn Moreau or Dr. Tom Martin probably recommended a crown to protect one of your teeth from breaking. Or, if you already broke a tooth, to restore it to its proper shape and function. Crowns are used to protect your root canal treated teeth from breaking and from getting reinfected. If a tooth is weak from a large filling or has crack lines running through it, a crown can help protect your tooth from breaking. Crowns are also a great option to change the shape or colour of a tooth that you are not happy with. Small, misshapen or discoloured teeth can be improved with a porcelain crown in the colour of your choosing.
A crown or “cap” covers over the top and sides of your tooth to protect it. On your first appointment, we will shape your tooth to get it ready for the crown. Then we take some impressions of your teeth and make you a temporary plastic crown to cover over your tooth until we see you again. We send your impressions to a dental lab here in Kelowna to make your crown. Each crown is custom made by the talented dental technicians for each tooth, taking into consideration form, function, and esthetics.
Model of prepared tooth
When you come back about 2 weeks later for your second appointment, we will remove your temporary crown. We try your new crown in to make sure it both fits well and looks nice and then permanently cement the crown in place. Your tooth will now be restored and protected.
Porcelain Crown
Crowns can be made from porcelain or gold. Some crowns even have porcelain and metal fused together into a Porcelain Fused to Metal crown. All three types of crowns are good materials, some are just better for some situations then others. Talk to one of our dentists to find out which option would be best for your situation.
Gold Crown
Putting a crown on your tooth helps to protect it from damage, but is not a forever fix. On average, crowns last about 10 years with proper care. You will need to brush and floss your new crown just as you would your natural teeth. As your crown is cemented onto the natural tooth, you can still get decay forming around the edges of the crown if not properly cared for. Regular x-rays will help us monitor the health of your crown so we can help you maintain healthy teeth.
This is a very common and confusing question for patients of our office who have had joint replacement surgery, either for their knee or their hip. The problem is the guidelines keep changing. That is why the dentists at Kelowna Family Dental stay up to date with the recommendations on antibiotics for dental patients with joint replacements.
Our society is plagued with many antibiotic resistant infections which is causing alarm in the medical community. And rightly so. We all want medications to work when we need them to. This has caused a movement to try to limit the unnecessary use of antibiotics. In considering this, the Canadian Dental Association, the Canadian Orthopedic Association and the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada have released new recommendations for antibiotics for dental patients with joint replacements based on the most up-to-date scientific research. These new recommendations are guidelines only and our dentists will defer to your medical doctor or surgeon for their professional opinion.
Simply put though, unless your surgeon or medical doctor has recommended that you take antibiotics for dental procedures following your hip or knee replacement surgery, we do not recommend you taking them. If your surgeon wants you to take them, then our dentists can write you a prescription for the antibiotics so you can take them before arriving for your dental procedure. If he or she has recommended antibiotics, then they are trying to protect your artificial joint from infection and we want to support you and them in doing the same.
If you have had a hip or knee replacement surgery, please talk to one of our dentists or your surgeon to find out if you still need to be taking these antibiotics or not.
Antibiotics Premedication for Joint Replacements
Dentists recommend that patients undergoing total joint replacement or those who have already had their hip or knee replaced maintain optimal oral health. Daily brushing and flossing as well as regular hygiene appointments will help decrease the number of bacteria in your mouth that may affect not just the health of your teeth and gums, but also your whole body. The healthier your mouth is, the healthier your whole body will be. By lowering the number of bacteria in your mouth, you can lower the risk of bacteria infecting your new joint replacement. Ask our dentists or hygienists what you can do to improve your oral health at your next visit.