drasinmaz, Author at Mihran Asinmaz, DMD

August 22, 2016

Oops…

You’ve just enjoyed a delicious meal with friends. As you head back home remembering all the tasty things you ate, you suddenly panic. Your Invisalign retainer is not in your mouth!

You return to the restaurant to look for it, but it’s gone. The staff doesn’t have it. It’s not in your bag or its case. You search your home, your car and all the tiny hiding spaces that it may have fallen into until you finally surrender. Maybe you tossed it by mistake. Maybe the dog ate it. Either way, it’s lost. (more…)

June 8, 2016

What is an Amalgam Filling?

There has been great debate in the public about the materials we use to fill teeth that have decay (cavities). There has been a movement away from amalgam fillings (metal) due to the concern for its mercury content and the health hazards a leaking filling might cause. Not to mention the appearance of the silver fillings are not the most esthetic and today patients want a solution that is both esthetic and durable. While there isn’t any concrete data to verify the toxicity of this material, many providers such as myself have chosen to not use this material due to an alternative material that is more natural-looking and just as strong. (more…)

January 4, 2016

Should I have a root canal or a dental implant?

So you have a very deep cavity (decay) that needs more than just a filling to fix. The cavity is so deep it has reached the nerve and blood supply center of the tooth (pulp) and also has reached the root surfaces. Your dentist tells you there is good news and bad news. The good news is you can save the tooth. The bad news is it is going to require a root canal, crown lengthening surgery, a core buildup and a crown to fix it. Not only are you confused by what these treatment options mean or attempt to accomplish, but they come with a considerable amount of investment of your time and money to correct. It can get rather expensive to save a tooth when the decay has advanced to such a severe state.

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October 16, 2015

A root canal procedure is one that removes the infected and/or irritated nerve tissues from inside your tooth and seals off bacteria from re-entering the tooth. It is usually necessary to perform a root canal when tooth decay has reached the nerve of the tooth or an infection has started at the root of the tooth. (more…)

July 24, 2015

If you are unhappy with the way your teeth look, you are not alone. Many people have the desire to improve the shape, size and color of their teeth. And why wouldn’t they? Smiling has been linked to healthier living, success in the workplace and increased self-esteem, to name just a few. (more…)

April 28, 2015

So your watching your favorite TV show and snacking on some popcorn and…BOOM…you feel something larger than a popcorn kernel in your mouth! Much to your disappointment, it is your tooth that has fractured. This can happen to teeth when they are weakened by decay. You may or may not be in pain. What if it is a front tooth? This is a very common emergency. (more…)

February 22, 2015

Tetracycline stained teeth used to be be impossible to treat with traditional whitening systems. These darkened teeth were usually treated cosmetically with porcelain veneers to mask the underlying blue and grey deep stains. (more…)

January 7, 2015

“I have a loose tooth!”

It’s oddly exciting when children begin to show the first signs of a loose tooth. Parents and kids look forward to the first baby teeth falling out, because each lost tooth is a sign of healthy growth.

But sometimes, parents may notice that their child’s newly emerging adult teeth appear to have a yellow tint. It’s natural to be concerned when the color of a child’s permanent teeth aren’t the bright white you expect. Parents may be concerned that their kids aren’t brushing well enough, causing plaque build up or worse… cavities! (more…)

December 2, 2014

I routinely get asked “what are these black lines around my teeth and gums? I hate it!” What most patients are referring to is the unsightly color of the metal underneath their dental crown. There are many different materials that can be used in fabricating dental crowns and this particular crown, the porcelain fused to metal (or PFM), has a dark band around the margin of the crown where it meets your tooth. Over time, your gums may recede from this junction and make this black line become more evident. Today’s dentistry has advanced to the point where we can use all ceramic, tooth-colored crowns that contain no metal at all. There will never be a black line around your tooth and gums, even if the gums should show slight recession over time. They blend in beautifully with the teeth around them and they are just as strong and in some cases stronger than the traditional PFM crown. (more…)

October 31, 2014

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could have your bad teeth removed and replaced with dental implants and teeth the same day? With today’s advances in dental materials and technology, it is entirely possible to have unrestorable teeth removed and have an implant-retained temporary prosthesis placed all in the same appointment. This treatment option is typically referred to as “teeth in a day”. (more…)