Lead in Crowns from China? Not in our office!

It’s been reported by the media recently that some dental crowns, made in China, have been found to have excessively high lead content.  Generally, these crowns come from very low-priced laboratories, but the full extent of the problem is not yet known.

However, I want ALL of my patients (and potential patients) to know that we do not use any labs in China, and in fact, we rarely use crowns that have metal in them.  That’s not to say that we are a “metal-free” dental office; by no means!  There are a number of very good reasons to use gold, silver, and mixed metals for different situations, but none of those require that we use cheap crowns from cheap labs that might put you at risk.

In fact, my patients can be reassured that they aren’t getting any metal the huge majority of the time because of our CEREC 3D CAD/CAM system that allows us to make incredibly strong, very natural-looking, beautiful crowns in just 1 appointment.  You can literally watch your crown being made!

In those instances that we do have to use a dental laboratory, we can still avoid metal most of the time, but even then……all the labs that we use are proud to say, “Our dental lab work is made in the USA!”

Just so you know it’s perfectly safe to make an appointment for a crown with us, knowing there’s no chance of lead in your crowns or bridges.

Advertisement

Gum (periodontal) disease, gum recession, gingivitis, and all that jazz

Given how important gum health is to overall mouth health, it is kind of bad that I haven’t addressed it yet on my blog, so it’s time to get to this very important subject!  The first thing to note: as much as I love to use photos to illustrate different situations, I’m not going to use any pictures of gum disease, and please trust me on this….you don’t want me to do so!  LOL  Gum disease can look pretty nasty (and it is!), and if you’re reading this around lunch or dinner, I don’t want you to lose your appetite.  🙂

First question then: What is the difference between Gum (Periodontal) Disease and Gingivitis?

In simplest terms: Gingivitis is inflammation of your gums, but Gum Disease is infection of your gums. Both are caused by bacteria, but gum disease is a lot more severe and has worse implications for your overall health, not just your gums and teeth.

If you listen to the TV commercials by certain mouthrinse manufacturers, you’d get the idea that gingivitis is pretty darn bad stuff.  True, you should not ignore it, but no, it does not mean your teeth are on the verge of falling out.

Whether or not gingivitis ever progresses to gum (periodontal) disease is affected by a number of factors, including

1. The kinds and amounts of bacteria that you have in your mouth
2. Your immune system
3. Your oral hygiene habits (brushing, flossing, mouthrinses, etc)

We actually categorize gum disease into 4 stages, called Type I, II, III, and IV  (there are some oddbal scenarios, but as they’re rare I”m not going to bother you with them). Type I is the mildest form and is when gingivitis crosses the line into gum disease, with Types II and III getting progressively worse with the gum separating from the teeth, bone being lost around the teeth, the gums getting redder and bleeding more easily, more and more tartar and plaque building up around the teeth, and EVENTUALLY (if it’s not treated and controlled) it reaches Type IV, and if your gum disease has progressed that far, it is quite possible that you will be losing your teeth pretty darn soon.

Did you know that gum disease is the cause of more extractions that cavities even?

So what can you do about it?  Stay tuned…….more information coming soon!  It’s important, too, BECAUSE GUM DISEASE HAS BEEN LINKED TO A NUMBER OF OTHER VERY SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS YOU DON’T WANT!