Animated-Teeth.com

12/07/2017

You're right Julie, it's vital that a dentist uses a rubber dam when performing root canal treatment. There simply isn't a valid excuse not to.

In response to your feedback, we've created an entire page just dedicated to the topic of the use of rubber dams during endodontic therapy.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/root_canal/root-canal-rubber-dam.htm .importance

And as you'll see, we have a section that cites scientific studies that confirm that placing a dental dam tends to increase case success.

Thanks for leaving your feedback:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Rubber dams - Why one is needed for root canal treatment. | How a dam is placed. | What it's like to have one. | Managing allergies, breathing difficulties.

03/07/2017

Donny,

Here's our comments about the "cleaning and shaping" work that was performed during your root canal treatment procedure.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/root_canal/t5_root_canal_treatment.htm .shaping

Traditionally all of this work was done via the use of "finger" files (meaning your dentist manipulated them up and down by hand).

In more recent decades nickel-titanium alloy has been introduced as a metal for making root canal files. And one superior aspect of this alloy is its strength and flexibility.

Due to these characteristics, these files are suitable for use in a dental handpiece (the files no longer must only be used by hand).

That's what you experienced, and why your treatment was different than we described.

Due to your feedback we've revised our pages. So thank you for asking your question.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

An illustrated overview of the root canal process. | What does each step do? | What is having each step like?

30/06/2017

Marietta,

Thanks for pointing out that we hadn't included a real-life picture of a dry socket on our website. We've added one, you can find it on this page:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/dry-sockets/a1-dry-sockets.htm

Dry sockets are most frequently diagnosed via their symptoms (especially when they started to occur), and less so their appearance.

They're frequently very difficult to visualize because the tooth location involved. It's more common for extractions involving back teeth, and especially wisdom teeth, to experience a dry socket as a complication.

Thanks again for pointing out what we had overlooked and helping to make our pages more complete.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Details about dry sockets. | Why they form. | Diagnosis - Signs & symptoms. | Duration - How much do they delay extraction site healing? | Statistics - How likely are you to get one?

26/06/2017

Katie,

We appreciate your feedback and absolutely understand your concern. It can be tough enough to have a tooth extraction performed, much less later on find that complications are involved.

Here's our page about experiencing nerve damage as a side effect of having an extraction:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/wisdom_teeth/t7-wisdom-tooth-paresthesia.htm

Since a high percentage of these cases ultimately resolve (things return to normal) on their own without any treatment, we hope you the best in your recovery.

Thanks for your feedback. Hope the information on our page helps.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Dental paresthesia as a complication of wisdom tooth extraction or dental injection. - Illustrations explaining why it occurs. | How long does it last? | Treatment. | Risk factors. | Statistics: What are your chances of experiencing it?

03/06/2017

Suz

We've really updated and expanded our Oral-B Replacement Brush Heads page:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/oral-b-brush-heads-modes.htm

We'd agree that the Deep Sweep brush head can make a reasonable choice, but what Oral-B excels at is rotary-style brush head design.

If we wanted an electric brush that you use more like a normal toothbrush, we'd probably start off by considering a Sonicare.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/b-best-sonicare-toothbrush.htm

Thanks for your feedback, hope our opinion helps.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Oral-B replacement brush heads: CrossAction, FlossAction, Precision Clean, Deep Sweep, Dual Clean, 3D White, Ortho Care, Sensitive Care, Power Tip. - Which one makes the best choice? | How to choose.

30/05/2017

No PK you're basically right, however you've overlooked our page about Self-testing for Bad Breath:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/bad_breath/t1_halitosis.htm

As this page explains, it's the tan, or even brown, gunk that you're able to scrape off the top surface of your tongue that probably lies at the root of most of your breath odor problems.

Removing it daily should go a long way in in improving your breath. This page explains how to scrape or brush it off:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/bad_breath/t4z_tongue_cleaning.htm

Thanks for your feedback. Hope this clarifies things for you.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

A simple test you can use to evaluate your own breath. How dentists and researchers test for halitosis.

26/05/2017

CS

You're right, there's nothing you can do that's more important in preventing post-extraction complications than making sure the blood clot that forms in your tooth's socket remains there undisturbed.

Here's instruction about how to do that, as well as other things you need to do too during the first 24 hours following a tooth extraction so to prevent problems.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/tooth_extractions/t6_extraction_instructions.htm

And then per your feedback request, here's what ultimately becomes of the blood clot over time.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/tooth_extractions/t6_extraction_instructions.htm .replacement

Extraction aftercare instructions for the first 24 hours after having your tooth pulled. | How to stop the bleeding. | Rules about: smoking, eating, numbness, blood clot protection. | Controlling pain with OTC and prescription products. | Post-extraction Do's and Don'ts.

22/05/2017

Anonymous,

Thanks for the feedback about how Australian Oral-b electric toothbrushes can vary from those sold here in the USA.

As we discuss ...
https://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/oral-b-best-electric-toothbrushes.htm
.. we think it's important to buy an Oral-b model that has 40,000 pulsation / 8,800 oscillation capabilities.

The fact that you report that the Australian Pro 1000 meets these standards means that it would meet the requirements we set on our page for a "Best" Oral-b model. But since the USA version evidently doesn't, the Pro 3000 still seems the least expensive/best choice here.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/oral-b-electric-toothbrush-models.htm .3000

Thanks again for your feedback.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Which Oral-B models make the best buy? | Which features do you really need? | How to figure out which model makes the best choice for you.

17/05/2017

TkBn,

Yes we have some information about Zirconia dental crowns. Here's a good place to start:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/dental_crowns/t6_dental_crowns_types.htm .ceramics

As you'll read, zirconia (BruxZir) crowns have both advantages and disadvantages associated with them.

For an all-ceramic type of crown, they offer greater strength (with some fabrication methods offering more strength than others).

A common tradeoff is that other types of all-ceramics may give a more lifelike/natural appearance (once again, the construction method will influence this).

As another disadvantage, zirconia crowns don't have the long, well established track record of providing predictable service like all-metal and porcelain-metal crowns do (there's information about them on the same page linked to above).

Zirconia crowns absolutely may be the type of crown that dominates the future of dentistry. But until that has been well established, they probably make the best choice for routine as opposed to extreme applications.

Hope our information helps in your decision.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Types of dental crowns (info / pictures) - Porcelain-fused-to-metal (and pressed-to-metal), All-Ceramic, All-Metal (gold). | Advantages, Disadvantages | How to choose the right kind of crown for your tooth.

13/05/2017

Betty,

We're not fans of the Sonicare PowerUp line of brushes.

We discuss them here on this page and explain why:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/a-sonicare-toothbrush-reviews.htm

And as you'll see on our Best Sonicares page:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/b-best-sonicare-toothbrush.htm

we pare them from consideration pretty early in the selection process.

The first link above probably explains our position the best. We don't hate this brush. It's simply that we don't think much of it.

We don't think people should buy it in the sense that they think that they are buying a full-featured Sonicare. Just as its price suggests, this is a low (very low) end model. [For less than just twice the cost ($25), you could buy an actual "real" Sonicare (the Essence).]

Thanks for the inquiry about information. Glad we had it and could point it out.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Overview of current Sonicare models. | Features listings and comparisons. | DiamondClean, FlexCare Platinum, FlexCare+, HealthyWhite+, 2 & 3 Series, For Kids, Essence, Essence+ | What's unique about each model?

08/05/2017

HT,

We've added a section to our Dentures Cost page so it now includes estimates for the cost of "replacement" dentures.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/false-teeth/a-dentures-cost.htm

And for others looking for similar information about partial dentures, we've expanded our text on our page about their cost too:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/false-teeth/a-partial-dentures-cost.htm

From the dentist's standpoint for the vast majority of cases there really aren't any special considerations for making "replacement" vs. "new" appliances.

Yes, the specific way the work is performed (the protocol used) might be different (either due to the patient's situation or wishes, or both). But there's really nothing universal that would apply in all cases. There is no special industry-wide billing code for "replacement" dentures.

Since there is no significant underlying difference, the cost of replacement or new dentures (full or partial) is usually the same.

There can be important and substantial differences in how dental insurance considers this issue in regard to coverage that are important to be aware of. We include a discussion about those points on the pages linked to above.

Thanks for your feedback and helping us to understand how to make our pages better.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Cost ranges for full (complete) conventional dentures, full "immediate" dentures and prices for chairside and laboratory denture relines.

06/05/2017

Mary K,

Here's the list of Oral-b electrics we do cover on our Oral-b models/features page:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/oral-b-electric-toothbrush-models.htm .models

You don't see information about the model 2000 on our pages about Oral-b electric toothbrushes because it is not listed on the official Oral-b website (USA) as one of the models they currently sell (we just checked).

Evidently it's common for some retailers (Costco in your case) to cut a special deal with Oral-b and sell a brush that's not otherwise listed on their site.

Those kinds of one-offs put us in a bind. The retailer frequently doesn't provide enough information that we can know for certain whether they're selling an old brush, or if this is a newer version of what's often an older brush model number.

We'll admit that we could probably figure things out, and actually you could too using the train of though used on our Best Oral-b's page:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/oral-b-best-electric-toothbrushes.htm

But there's always the possibility that we'd be wrong. And after all, why should we sacrifice the accuracy of our pages just to help Costco make a sale? That's their job.

So sorry, we don't have the information you inquired about in your feedback comment. But we don't have it for a reason.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

A list of all current Oral-B rechargeable electric toothbrushes. | Brush features, by model | How each model is different (or similar) to others. | MSRP's

04/05/2017

GG,

Animated-Teeth.com already has the information your feedback comment inquired about, although possibly in a different form than you were looking for.

This page contains 3 tables that can give you an idea of the failure rate of root canal treatment for different types of teeth (including molars, they type of tooth you asked for information about).

https://www.animated-teeth.com/root_canal/t10_root_canal_problems.htm .incidence

To a dentist it would come as no surprise that these tables show that molars (especially upper ones) are the type of teeth that experience failure most often.

But by no means does this mean that your regular dentist can't do a superb job in providing treatment for these kinds of teeth. However you could make the case that having a root canal specialist (an endodontist) might make the safest (most predictable) choice as a treatment provider.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/root_canal/endodontist-vs-dentist.htm .rates

The reason molars more difficult to treat simply has to do with the fact that their root canal system is more complex (more tooth roots, more canals per root, smaller and more difficult canals to treat). This page provide more information about these kinds of issues.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/root_canal/t1_root_canal.htm

Thanks for your feedback.

https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

Common causes of root canal treatment failure. | Signs and symptoms. | Treatment solutions.

01/05/2017

TKL,

Per your request for information, we've created a new page about UV denture cleaning units:
https://www.animated-teeth.com/false-teeth/a-ultraviolet-light-denture-cleaners.htm

And on this page specific to your feedback comment, we've included a section that discusses the possibility of using a handheld wand-style UV sanitizer to clean false teeth.
https://www.animated-teeth.com/false-teeth/a-ultraviolet-light-denture-cleaners.htm .sanitizer

Our general thoughts would be that a wand sanitizer could be used but it's not the ideal machine for the job, only because it's not specifically designed for that purpose (like denture cleaning units are).

For example, would the wand's ultraviolet light output uniformly blanket the denture during the cleaning process, or would some areas be treated fully while others (that receive less of the light) less effectively?

Also, using a wand would require that you hold it for the 20 minutes of treatment time it would take to sanitize both sides of a denture.

Beyond those issues there are also health-risk considerations. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light can cause skin cancer. So, for example, that means you must not be in the habit of holding your denture as you clean it.

Thanks for pointing out that we needed to cover this issue.
https://www.animated-teeth.com/feedback.htm

A look at denture disinfection using ultraviolet light denture cleaners. | Effectiveness, as compared to other cleaning methods. | Combo UV-ultra sonic denture cleaning units.

17/05/2016

We've just finished a new page and hope we've made a confusing issue easier for people to figure out.

How to pick out the best toothpastes.

http://www.animated-teeth.com/tooth_decay/t-find-best-toothpaste.htm

How to choose the best toothpaste. What are the proven benefits of toothpaste and which ingredients are needed for them? | Brand suggestions.

15/04/2016

Here's our latest digital smile makeover.
http://www.animated-teeth.com/cosmetic_dentistry/x93-cosmetic-dentistry.htm

This person has an extra upper tooth (a mesiodens).
Our makeover explains how a dentist would resolve the issue.

23/11/2015

Here's another digital smile makeover we failed to announce when we first posted it.

It simulates how orthodontic treatment could be used to rescue this smile. Here's the link:
http://www.animated-teeth.com/cosmetic_dentistry/x87-cosmetic-dentistry.htm

If you'd like to submit your own picture for a makeover, you can do it here:
http://www.animated-teeth.com/cosmetic_dentistry/t_cosmetic_dentistry_makeovers.htm .picture

15/11/2015

We haven't been faithful in updating this page with our newest digital smile makeover cases.
Over the next few weeks we will, starting with this one:
http://www.animated-teeth.com/cosmetic_dentistry/x85-cosmetic-dentistry.htm

It illustrates the type of results and discusses the benefits this person could receive if they commit to having orthodontic treatment.