Kois Trained Dentists

Kois trained dentists are passionate about what they do.

They look forward to Monday. They love the work week and they love to work with their patients. It’s a different kind of dentistry. Everyone here is passionate about what they do or they wouldn’t be here. All we are trying to do is make them better so they are not just a good dentist, they are a great dentist. Their patients are their friends, neighbors, and they see them in the grocery store and they want to be proud of what they’ve done.

The Kois Center is part of an educational network inspired by Dr. John Kois and populated by Kois trained dentists who have made a commitment to a rigorous education program. Many Graduates go on to become Mentors and Clinical Instructors returning to help the next generation of dentists go from good to great. The collaboration of these members has created an ever expanding knowledge base at the Center and is a pathway for extraordinary professional growth.

Caring for Your Denture

Your beautiful new denture has been hand crafted to look as natural as possible. The individual colors in the gums will last the life of the denture if you properly care for them.

Storage

To avoid warping, your denture should always be stored in water when not in your mouth.

Adhesives

Denture adhesives can improve the retention and stability of your denture and reduce the accumulation of food particles beneath your denture.

1. Use three or four pea-sized dollops on each denture; if you begin to require an increasing amount of adhesive to maintain the same level of retention, please make an appointment to evaluate the fit and stability of your denture.
2. Completely remove denture adhesives from your denture and your mouth on a daily basis.

Daily Care

1. Remove the bacterial biofilm and any residual adhesive from your mouth with a washcloth.

2. Remove the bacterial biofilm and any residual adhesive from your denture by soaking* and brushing.

   * The temperature should never be hotter than you would wash your hands with.

   * To protect the colors, do not use bleaching products or any denture cleansers that contain bleach.

   Options:

   1. Soak for 15 minutes in a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar with hydrogen peroxide. This will make hard calculus/tartar deposits soft enough to remove with a toothbrush.

   2. Soak in an effective, non-abrasive denture cleanser, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

      • Denture cleansers should ONLY be used outside of the mouth.
      • Always thoroughly rinse after soaking and brushing with denture cleanser before reinserting your denture into your mouth.

3. For the health of your mouth, do not wear your dentures for more than 24 hours continuously.

4. Leave your denture out of your mouth during showering.

5. Consider NOT wearing your denture when sleeping.

Yearly Recommendations

To minimize biofilm accumulation over time, bring your denture back to our office for an annual ultrasonic cleaning. Additionally, an annual check-up is recommended for maintenance of optimum denture fit and function and for an assessment of your overall oral health status.

Caring for Your New Teeth

Now that you have your new dental restorations, it is important you ensure their lasting strength and beauty. Proper homecare will preserve their original shine as well as maintain the health of your surrounding gum and bone. By avoiding certain foods and habits, you will minimize the threat of breaking or discoloring your new teeth.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I best care for my dental restorations?

   Daily brushing and flossing are necessary to maintain the health of your teeth and dental work. Use a soft toothbrush with an appropriate toothpaste. Many types of toothpaste, including all “whitening” toothpastes, are too abrasive and will take the shine off your restorations. Your dental provider will suggest a toothpaste with a low abrasive index and preferably with fluoride to keep your natural teeth strong.

   The use of an appropriate mouth rinse is an effective way to promote your dental health. Your dental provider will suggest a non-acidic mouth rinse that contains both fluoride and xylitol. Avoid using mouth rinses that contain alcohol as these tend to burn your tissue and break down the cement that keeps your dental restorations in place.

2. What can I eat with my dental restorations?

   Your dental restorations should look and feel like a natural part of your mouth. You will be able to enjoy a wide variety of foods with your new teeth. Having said that, there are certain foods and eating habits that are prudent to enjoy in moderation or avoid altogether.

   To decrease the risk of chipping or debonding a dental restoration, try to avoid:

   • Using your teeth to scrape or pull meat off a bone
   • Biting into raw carrots or other very hard foods
   • Chewing toffee or other dense, sticky foods

   To decrease the risk of staining or dulling your restorations, try to enjoy the following in moderation:

   • Intensely colored foods and beverages such as berries, tea, coffee, red wine and dark soda or fruit juice
   • Acidic foods and beverages such as citrus fruits, iced teas and sodas
   • Smoking and chewing tobacco can cause severe discoloration of your teeth and should be avoided.
   • Alcoholic beverages will hasten the demise of bonded restorations and should be enjoyed in moderation.

3. Are there things that might harm my new teeth besides eating?

   Many oral habits can damage or dislodge dental restorations. You should not use your teeth for anything other than chewing food. Avoid such habits as:

   • Chewing pencils, toothpicks or ice cubes
   • Biting your nails
   • Opening bags, containers or bottles with your teeth
   • Cutting fishing line or sewing thread with your teeth

4. Will my teeth be sensitive after my new restorations are placed?

   Mild sensitivity is common following the permanent placement of your dental restorations. The gum surrounding your new teeth, as well as your jaw muscles, may be tender for a few days. Your teeth themselves may be sensitive to cold, hot and chewing. Sensitivity to cold takes longest to resolve, but generally your teeth will feel normal again within a month. If sensitivity persists for more than 3 months you should notify your dental office.

Caring for Your Temporary Restoration

1. Normal Expectations You May Experience

   • Some temperature sensitivity by the second day. This will likely resolve.
   • Some tenderness around the gum tissue for a few days.
   • Some biting soreness, but should only last a few days.
   • Anything beyond these mild symptoms, please contact the office.

2. The Tissue Around Your Temporary Must Be Kept Very Clean and Healthy

   Flossing and brushing are the most important things you can do to ensure good tissue health.

3. The Temporary Must Stay in Place

   Your temporary is held in place with weak cement. Occasionally, it may loosen or come off before it should. If this happens, it may cause inflammation in the gums, more tooth sensitivity, or the tooth may move. Any of these conditions may delay timely placement of the final restoration.

4. To Prevent Loosening

   Be careful with biting and chewing foods. Avoid hard, tough, crunchy and/or sticky foods. However, you will need to floss differently. After introducing the floss between the teeth, merely pull the floss through the side. Avoid pulling up on the temporary. Substitute floss with Opalpix.

5. What to Do If It Comes Off

   Call us. We would like to recement it for you in a timely manner. If you cannot come in, replace the temporary with finger pressure or secure it with a small amount of denture adhesive such as Poli-Grip or Fixodent until you can arrange with our office to come in.

6. To Prevent Staining, Avoid the Following

   • Mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine
   • Oral tobacco products (Smoking, chewing tobacco, nicotine pouches, etc.)
   • Turmeric
   • Coffee/tea
   • Berries
   • Red Wine
   • Dark colored soda
   • Fruit juice
   • Beetroot

Please call us if you experience any conditions that in your opinion seem to be out of the ordinary

Complete Denture

A Complete Denture is an appliance that replaces all the teeth in one jaw. It is not cemented in the mouth and can be taken out.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What materials are in a Complete Denture?
   The base of a complete denture is made of pink acrylic. The teeth are made of Tooth Colored acrylic or porcelain which attach into the base.

2. What are the benefits of a Complete Denture?
   A complete denture restores function and appearance to a jaw with no teeth. It is the most cost effective way of replacing all the teeth in one jaw. A complete denture can also provide important support to facial structures such as the lips, helping to maintain a more youthful appearance.

3. What are the risks of a Complete Denture?
   A complete denture, even under the best of circumstances, DOES NOT have the same chewing efficiency as natural teeth. The ability to chew food depends on the stability, support and retention of the denture. Stability, support and retention are affected by many factors, including the amount and type of bone, gums and saliva present in the patient’s mouth as well as the shape of the patient’s jaw and how it fits with the opposing teeth.

4. What are the alternatives to a Complete Denture?
   The alternatives to having a complete denture are:

   1. Implants which attach to:
      1. Crowns or bridges
      2. A complete denture
   2. Leave your mouth as it is

5. How can an existing bite affect a Complete Denture?
   Uneven or excessive bite forces may cause wear or fracture of the denture teeth or denture base. Chewing will make a complete denture rock slightly in the mouth; the more uneven the biting force, the more the complete denture will rock.

6. Are there any post-treatment limitations once I have a Complete Denture?
   To keep the tissue under the appliance healthy, your denture should be left out of your mouth during sleep. The teeth in the denture are not as strong as your natural teeth and you will not be able to chew as heavily on them. The appliance will tend to get food trapped underneath it and you may have to remove and clean it after eating. The fit between a complete denture and the gums is very important for retention, and therefore must be re-established every 2-5 years as gums are constantly undergoing small changes.

Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening is a surgical procedure that purposely lengthens a tooth, by removing some of its bone and gum.

It may be carried out for either functional or esthetic reasons.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why would I need Crown Lengthening?
   

   • Function: Crown lengthening is indicated if there is not enough healthy tooth structure above the gum. By changing the bone level and exposing more of the tooth structure, a tooth can be properly restored with a crown or other restoration.
   • Esthetics: Crown lengthening (also referred to esthetic crown lengthening) may be indicated to improve a gummy smile of the front teeth. By changing the bone level around the teeth in question and subsequently changing the levels of the gums, an esthetic improvement is achieved.

2. What are my risks associated with Crown Lengthening?
   

   • Risks associated with local anesthetic, bleeding, bruising, swelling and infection are all possible complications.
   • Tooth sensitivity, exposure of adjacent tooth structure, exposure of restoration margins may also occur.

3. What are my alternatives to Crown Lengthening?
   

   • You may elect to remove the tooth that cannot be properly restored without crown lengthening. The tooth will then likely need to be replaced.
   • An alternative to crown lengthening might be to orthodontically move the tooth into the mouth

4. What if I elect not to have Crown Lengthening?
   

   • If you elect not to have crown lengthening for functional reasons, the result may be premature loss of the tooth.
   • Crown lengthening may be necessary to achieve your esthetic objectives if the goal is to improve a gummy smile.

Dental Care During Pregnancy

When you’re expecting, there are a lot of things you’re busy taking care of. From eating a balanced diet to getting enough exercise (or at least trying to anyway,) you know how important it is to keep your body healthy for baby’s sake.

But did you know that the health of your mouth can have a huge impact on your pregnancy? Research shows that when a pregnant woman has active gum disease, it can statistically raise her risk of developing preeclampsia, going into labor prematurely, and giving birth to a baby with a low birth weight.

Not only that, but hormonal changes during pregnancy can alter the health of your mouth — specifically your gum tissues.

To keep you and your baby healthy during pregnancy, here are some important tips.

Pay Attention to Your Gums.

You might start to notice your gums showing signs of swelling or redness. Some women even develop temporary “pregnancy tumors” which are hormone-induced growths on their gums that go away after they have their baby. But don’t assume it’s all hormonal. Any gum redness or inflammation should be treated as if its gingivitis, before there’s a chance of chronic gum disease developing.

Don’t Skip Your Dental Checkups.

Keeping your teeth clean is important, especially since we know bacteria can spread from your mouth to the placenta. Book your regular checkups every six months to have tartar buildup cleaned away. At this time your dentist will also screen for potential issues that need to be addressed. Other areas can be watched until after you have your baby.

Get Treatment if You Need It.

Delayed dental care can put you at risk for dental emergencies, including abscessed teeth, which could raise the chances of oral bacteria transferring themselves through your blood vessels to your baby. Or, you might find that a tooth suddenly breaks, posing a painful emergency when it’s not all that comfortable to sit back for dental work.

Most dentists and OBGYNs recommend getting necessary dental treatments completed somewhere during the second trimester. That’s because your baby is past its most crucial developmental stages (first trimester) but your belly isn’t quite so big yet (third trimester) that you’ll have a hard time laying back.

Take Precautions Getting X-rays. Today’s digital dental X-rays use 90% less radiation than their predecessors. That, combined with lead aprons, which block scatter radiation, make getting an essential X-ray completely safe to take, even if you’re pregnant. So if your dentist suspects an abscessed tooth or you need to determine the cause of your toothache, one or two X-rays is completely fine for you and your baby.

Dental CBCT Scan

Dental Cone Beam Tomography [Dental CBCT] is a specialized type of x-ray that provides more
information than conventional dental or facial x-rays. This computerized scan uses advanced
technology to generate three-dimensional[3-D] images.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the benefits of a Dental CBCT scan?

   The benefits of a Dental CBCT scan are that it:

   • Provides 3-D images of dental structures, soft tissues, nerve paths and bone which are considerably more detailed than conventional two-dimensional dental x-rays.
   • Allows for more precise diagnosis and treatment planning.
   • Is simple and comfortable to take and can diagnostically image both bone and soft tissue simultaneously.

2. What are the common uses of a Dental CBCT scan?

   Dental CBCT scans are commonly used to:

   • Evaluate the position of teeth, bone structure, jaw joints and the airway.

   • Aid in:

     • Accurate placement of implants
     • Surgical planning for the removal of impacted wisdom teeth
     • 3-D orthodontic evaluation
     • Complex root canal diagnosis and treatment

3. What are the risks of a Dental CBCT scan?

   Although relatively low, Dental CBCT scans cause some exposure to radiation; the amount of exposure is approximately the same as taking a five-hour international plane flight. Due to radiation exposure, scans are not generally recommended for pregnant women and should be used cautiously in the pre-orthodontic evaluation of children.

4. How does a Dental CBCT scanning procedure work?

   During the scan, a motorized arm rotates 360-degrees around your head while capturing multiple images from different angles that are then reconstructed to create a single 3-D image.

5. Who interprets the results of a Dental CBCT scan?

   The interpretation of a Dental CBCT scan may be done by your dentist, dental specialist or radiologist.