Pediatric Tooth Extraction

At the dental practice of Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, pediatric tooth extraction may be suggested if your child has teeth that are potentially problematic, cannot be restored, or are not necessary to restore. Additionally, tiny teeth may need to be extracted for orthodontic treatment. Your child may be frightened about the procedure itself, but it is our promise to make him or her as comfortable as possible.

Prior to the surgery, Dr. Meyer will take an X-ray of the patient’s mouth. The X-ray allows him to determine the severity of the tooth’s damage. If it’s been determined that a tooth cannot be repaired, you will need to schedule an appointment for extraction. Once sedation options are discussed, Dr. Meyer will use the appropriate tools to extract the tooth. When the procedure is complete, it is critical that your child obey post-op instructions such as changing the gauze when necessary and feasting on only soft foods for the first 24 hours.

If you have questions about pediatric tooth extraction, please give us a call. To learn more about the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Peri-Implantitis

For years, patients at Fullerton Dental have received dental implants from our highly trained doctors. Dental implants are among the safest surgeries, and are successful in nearly all cases. But because implants require life-long maintenance, it is occasionally possible for them to fail as the patient’s situation changes. The most common cause of implant failure is peri-implantitis.

Peri-implantitis is when the gum tissue surrounding an implant becomes inflamed. This sometimes occurs immediately after an implant is placed if dental cement leaks onto the gum, but this problem will usually be caught right away, and the cement can be easily cleaned away. More commonly, the gum tissue decays due to normal gingivitis, trapping acids at the base of the implant. Though implants are usually made of a titanium-nickel alloy, they are not immune to acidic corrosion, and their structure can be compromised. The zone at which they fuse with the surrounding bone tissue can also disintegrate, requiring the implant’s removal.

Proper oral hygiene is usually enough to prevent peri-implantitis, but this can be difficult if the patient has a disability or is on a medication which causes dry mouth or otherwise creates a risk of gingivitis. Anybody who notices the area around an implant becoming inflamed should schedule an appointment immediately.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Electric toothbrush apps

Manufacturers of dental products are making their wares smarter, so we thought we’d held guide our customers through their ever-expanding options for maintaining oral hygiene at home. Particularly interesting are efforts by electric toothbrush makers to integrate smart phone and tablet apps into their products. This kind of software is mostly marketed towards parents and people with disabilities.

Electric toothbrushes don’t require as much dexterity as manual toothbrushes and don’t require the brusher to use them for as long during each session (actually, it’s best not to). But some people still don’t reach every surface of every tooth. Some of the new apps provide feedback on which parts of the mouth the user has missed, whether they have brushed for long enough, and whether they need to adjust the toothbrush’s settings. Apps geared toward kids contain reward systems for brushing properly, and likewise provide feedback to adjust their technique. Progression through simple video games is the most common kind of reward, with success meant to instill good habits.

The new apps don’t do much to make electric toothbrushes more affordable, so whether they are worthwhile will depend a lot on each patient’s situation. But for people who haven’t gotten good results with manual toothbrushes, they might provide an extra incentive to give hi-tech home products a try.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Wisdom Tooth Decay

As we age, we acquire wisdom, and the same goes for wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth appear between the ages of 17-21 and are known as the third set of molars. When they erupt correctly, healthy wisdom teeth can help you chomp your food a little faster.  However, if they start to cause you pain and discomfort, you may need to schedule a consultation with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS to discuss extraction.

If you bite on a piece of food that is too hard or you experience a mouth injury, wisdom teeth may become troublesome. They can also become cracked, broken, and decayed. Decay can form on any tooth surface, but when the decay begins to attack the wisdom teeth, depending on the position of the tooth it becomes difficult to clean. Depending on the individual case, Dr. Eric M Meyer may be able to fill the tooth, but even in cases where a filling could be successfully placed, if the wisdom tooth cannot be adequately maintained, recurrent decay can occur. Though many patients tend to procrastinate through the process, extraction is always best to avoid infection. 

If your wisdom teeth are still intact and you have questions about removal, please give us a call. To learn more about the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Toothbrush Care

Brushing your teeth plays an important everyday role for personal oral hygiene and effective plaque removal. You may not give much thought to cleaning your toothbrush; however appropriate toothbrush care and maintenance are important considerations for oral hygiene. At the dental practice of Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, we want you to know how and when to replace, clean, and store your toothbrush.

The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush approximately every three to four months or sooner if bristles are frayed. However, toothbrushes will wear out more rapidly depending on factors unique to each patient. It is also important to never share a toothbrush because this practice could be a concern for people with compromised immune systems or existing infectious diseases. If your toothbrush comes in contact with another, thoroughly rinse the brush with warm tap water to remove any remaining toothbrush and debris. When you are done using the toothbrush, store it in an upright position and allow the toothbrush to air-dry until used again.

If you have further questions regarding toothbrush care, give us a call. To learn more about the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Veneers and Lumineers

The office of Eric M. Meyer in Fullerton is a high-tech clinic for general and cosmetic dentistry. Among our most highly-sought after cosmetic procedures are veneers. These thin porcelain shells fit over the front and edges of teeth, masking discoloration, chips, small gaps, and minor degrees of crookedness. While traditional veneers have a very high rate of approval among patients, Dr. Meyer’s office also offers the brand product Lumineers, which is less strenuous on patients during the application process.

The main difference between Lumineers and other veneers is their thickness. Older veneers were heavy enough to make a big difference on bones as small as the front teeth. To make them fit, dentists had to reshape their patients’ teeth by grinding and sanding them, which could cause a painful recovery. Lumineers are much thinner, which means they can usually be applied without making more than superficial changes to the teeth they are being placed over. Besides being less obtrusive and painful, they can also be removed.

Other than sanding, the application of traditional veneers and Lumineers is much the same. A doctor will make an impression of the patient’s mouth, and order custom-made porcelain shells from a manufacturer (Lumineers are made by DenMat Labs). Following a deep cleaning, they will be attached with dental cement. Neither kind of veneer relieves patients of their obligation to brush and floss regularly, but they can provide a huge boost in confidence and appearance.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Oral Cancer and HPV

At Dr. Eric Meyer’s Fullerton Dental practice, we’ve paid close attention to the latest research into oral cancers. The good news is that scientists have recently made progress identifying how cancers spread between different organs, which is relevant to a group of cancers which affect everything from the hard palate to the tonsils. The bad news is that, while overall cancer rates have declined, new diagnoses of oral cancer have skyrocketed in the United States and United Kingdom. Researchers believe this is due to the human papillomavirus (HPV).

In the past, most oral cancers were caused by nicotine use, so anti-cancer efforts focused on smoking. While these efforts successfully caused tobacco use to decline, they may have unintentionally created a false sense of security among young people which led them to forego oral cancer screenings. In fact, risky sexual practices have led to widespread oral HPV, particularly among young men, and while most strains of the virus have no known effect, there are at least nine which cause some kind of cancer.

HPV-related oral and oropharyngeal cancers usually develop further back in the throat than nicotine-related related cancers and are less likely to be noticed by patients before becoming extremely dangerous. Therefore, it is of crucial importance for sexually-active people of all ages to get oral cancer screenings regardless of their smoking or drinking habits.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.