During the first 24 hours after we are born, microbial communities called biofilms begin to form in our mouths. Our body recognizes these bacterial communities and does not consider them a threat to the body, as the biofilms protect our mouths from harmful bacteria. For smokers however, the helpful biofilms are not present in the mouth, allowing bad bacteria to run rampant and increase risk of disease.

The study, led by assistant professor of Periodontology at Ohio State University Purnima Kumar and her colleagues, had investigated the role and regrowth of microbial communities in the mouths of both smoker and non-smokers. Researchers tested the mouths of 15 smokers and 15 non-smokers by taking samples of their oral biofilms for one, two, four, and seven days after they had experienced a professional oral cleaning.

After researchers determined which types of bacteria were present in the mouths of the subjects and whether the bodies of the subjects were treating present bacteria as a threat, it was found that healthy microbial biofilms were completely absent in the mouths of smokers. Smokers’ mouths were shown to become colonized by harmful bacteria known as pathogens within 24 hours of a professional mouth cleaning, and have higher levels of cytokines mounting defenses against possible infections. This immune response often presents itself as gingivitis, leading to periodontal disease.

The study ultimately found that the cytokines in the mouths of smokers were not only attacking harmful bacteria, but also the healthy biofilms that help us resist diseases such as periodontal disease. It is still unclear why the body cannot distinguish between the biofilms and bad bacteria in smokers.

It is important for your mouth and body to quit smoking as soon as possible. The negative impacts of the carcinogens pulled into your mouth during every cigarette can cause terrible health problems that could be irreversible.

If you are in need of a teeth cleaning whether you are a smoker or a non-smoker, call Dr. Hall at his dental office today to schedule an appointment.

This is the case for Mike Tindall, a famous rugby player in Gloucester who recently wore his Invisalign braces to his very own wedding to Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne and grand-daughter of the Queen of England. As a child Tindall refused to receive conventional braces, but with time he began to wish that he had bitten the bullet and gotten wire braces when he was young. Now that Invisalign is available to almost everyone, Tindall chose to straighten his teeth as an adult in a way that would not be noticeable to most and would work around his career as a rugby captain. And no one at the wedding even noticed his sly teeth straightening technique.

Mike wore his Invisalign braces throughout his entire wedding in front of his new wife, the Princess Royal, and the Queen herself. Tindall reported that he enjoys his Invisalign braces, saying that he can straighten his teeth and they won’t show up in his wedding photos.

Invisalign: Fix Your Teeth Without the Metal Mouth

Invisalign is the perfect solution for adults who are self conscious about their smiles and prefer to keep their smiles low key without the use of standard metal braces. Teeth with gaps, crooked teeth, and other problems can be solved using Invisalign. Those who choose Invisalign over other teeth straightening treatments notice that their clear braces can work around what they do during the day and are not noticeable in the least.

If you have crooked or gapped teeth, are self conscious about your smile, and don’t want to attract more unwanted attention by using standard braces, call Dr. Andrew Hall at his Colorado Springs dental office today to find out more about Invisalign.

Dental implants are an option for patients who are missing teeth and prefer the feel of a new tooth rather than dentures. Implants usually consist of titanium posts that are surgically implanted into the jaw bone much like the root of a tooth. Your Colorado Springs dentist then adds a ceramic crown to the post creating the closest resemblance to your adult teeth as possible.

Unfortunately some patients have found that their bodies reject the titanium posts keeping them from retaining their implants. This is the problem that Bison Microventure is trying to solve. These brilliant NDSU students have been developing a porous ceramic dental implant to assist those who cannot use the titanium implants due to rejection. This new and inexpensive ceramic post possesses bone-like qualities, making them more cost-effective and can help patients heal much faster than with traditional titanium posts. Because of this new technology, these 15 students of NDSU received $5000 as a gift to help fund further research and development.

Having a new ceramic implant for patients would certainly be helpful in every cosmetic dental office once Bison Microventure is able to finish their research. More than ever patients will have the look and feel of new and beautiful teeth with much less possibility of infection and rejection in the jaw.

Until this innovative implant hits the market, implant dentist Dr. Hall continues to offer the most up-to-date dental implant technology that is available in cosmetic dentistry. We use 3d imaging data generated by Galileos to create a surgical guide for your dental implants to ensure that the implants are properly placed and after the healing process has completed will use CEREC to restore your teeth with dental crowns. This will give you the beauty and comfort of a new set of teeth without the difficulties of dentures.

If you are looking for dental implants to replace the gaps of missing teeth, contact your local Colorado Springs dental office today and schedule an appointment.

The process of have a smile makeover can become more complex if you are missing a
front tooth. However with dental implants we can easily replace the missing tooth and
use a custom zirconium (tooth colored) post to place the implant crown on which will
allow us to blend it with either your natural teeth or porcelain veneers. If you are
missing a tooth or considering veneers contact us today and book a complimentary consult with Colorado Springs Implant Dentist Dr Andrew Hall.

Well, looks can be deceiving and what you do not know is that the people who administer the whitening agents are not dental professionals and most likely do not have any dental training at all. The way they legally get around this is by having their customers place the actual product in their own mouths. Therefore it is considered self-administered and it keeps the owners of these kiosks from any liability should anything go wrong. So when something does go wrong, and it very well could, you have no rights as a customer.

Speaking of what could go wrong, unlike the over-the-counter American Dental Association approved teeth whitening kits that contain a safe, but not very effective ten percent carbamide peroxide solution, the kiosks at the mall use a solution that contains between 15 and 30 percent carbamide peroxide. This is the very same strength that your dentist uses. However, only your dentist can tell you if undergoing that strong of a teeth whitening procedure could permanently damage your teeth’s enamel because carbamide peroxide is extremely acidic and high levels of it need to be properly administered by a professional to prevent enamel erosion.

Administering teeth whitening agents at high levels could also create painful burning complications in people who have cracks in their teeth, cavities on the surface, or gum disease. Therefore, only a professional dentist can access your individual situation and determine if high levels of carbamide peroxide are safe for your teeth.

Unfortunately, Colorado does not currently have any legislature regulating or banning teeth whitening kiosks in malls; however, other states including Oklahoma have started regulating these mall kiosks by making sure that the salespeople are not dressed in medical garments. Alabama and Tennessee have banned the kiosks all together. Regardless, in the state of Colorado it is still a “buyer beware” and “know before you go” situation, but when you really think about it, you only get one set of permanent teeth in this lifetime. So, chancing permanent damage or painful complications hardly seems worth the risk.

Your teeth are not like a bad haircut – they won’t grow back. Unlike Hot Pants, they won’t go out of style and buying a new set will cost you more than $29.99. Therefore, if you are looking for a whiter and brighter simile, bypass the kiosks at the mall and consider making a complimentary appointment with Colorado Springs Dentist, Dr. Andrew Hall. He and his highly trained staff will help you obtain the smile you desire in a completely safe and professional environment.

Meanwhile, one thing is for certain; two of the players on the Norfolk State Spartans team will surely be seeing a dentist for dental implants after the season is over. Unfortunately, due to separate sports injuries, Spartan seniors Chris McEachin and Brandon Wheeless both share the exact same missing front tooth. Wheeless lost his tooth after he was elbowed in the face during a game last March, and McEachin lost his this season when he took a hit to the mouth in a game against Toledo. In order to prevent any more damage to their teeth that might result in more dental implant replacements, the two players admit that they now wear mouthguards while out on the court.

Missing teeth due to sports injuries are not an uncommon issue. Most people think of hockey players when they think of athletes with holes in their smile; however, any sport can possibly create a situation when you might lose a tooth. If you live in the Colorado Springs area and have suffered a sports injury that resulted in a missing tooth, contact Colorado Springs implant dentist Andrew Hall for a free consultation. He and his trained staff can help restore you smile back to the way it once was.

Dental stem cells have the ability to be used in both dental and medical applications and have already been used to regenerate bones of the jaw and treat periodontal disease in clinical trials. Will this become the preferred method to replace congenitally missing teeth or teeth lost due to trauma? A common question would be how are these stem cells collected? Dental pulp from any healthy tooth can be used for it’s Stem cells: extracted molars, wisdom teeth, teeth pulled for orthodontia and baby teeth. If you are interested in stem cell research, and would like to either privately bank your teeth or to donate your teeth for scientific research, Dr. Andrew Hall can help. With a visit to our Colorado Springs dental office Dr. Hall can extract a healthy wisdom tooth or deciduous (baby) teeth when your child is ready to lose them from natural exfoliation. Teeth can also be harvested if they are removed for orthodontia purposes. There is not a dental stem cell bank currently in Colorado, but the National Dental Pulp Laboratory provides a sterile method to store and ship the extracted teeth to their facility in Newton Massachusetts. Colorado Springs Implant Dentist Dr. Andrew Hall is very interested to see where this research and development will take the ever evolving field of dentistry.

An important publication created by The National Institute of Health (N.I.H.) states that in order to fight off cancer in the best possible way, a cancer patient should add a dentist to their cancer treatment team.  Here are the top three reasons to see a dentist prior to cancer treatment:

• First is to help you feel better during the treatment.  Cancer treatment can inflict painful mouth problems, and seeing your dentist prior can help cut them off at the pass by preventing any mouth problems before they start.
  
  
• Second is to help prevent any damage to your teeth and bones that might occur while you are undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
  
  
• Third is to help you fight the cancer.  If the cancer treatment creates side effects in your mouth, it might actually delay the treatment or even end it all together.
  

Some of the pre-cancer treatments recommended by dentists include digital X-rays and fluoride trays to help prevent any root decay from the chemotherapy and radiation.  If you have any damaged or rotting teeth that may abscess during cancer treatment, then the extraction of those teeth prior to treatment is recommended.  If you wear dentures, your dentist might suggest the realignment of your old dentures, or replacing them altogether with better fitting dentures.

Having a cancer diagnosis is disheartening, and undergoing chemotherapy and radiation is challenging; however, seeing your dentist prior to treatment can really help in the fight against this disease.  If you have been diagnosed with cancer, Colorado Springs Dentist Dr. Andrew Hall and his highly trained staff can help you get the pre-cancer treatment dental care that you need.  Call or make an appointment online today for a free consultation.

This new material called Lava Ultimate is what I would refer to as a hybrid product. It is touted as nanotechnology in that it has nano ceramic particles embedded in a highly cured resin matrix. My initial experience with this material has left me very impressed. It mills beautifully and polishes to a high luster with little effort. It certainly has some very unique properties that lend it to some nice applications in restorative dentistry. If you would like to learn more about this dental material or have questions about any dental material please feel free to schedule a complimentary consult with us at our Colorado Springs dental office, The Studio for Exceptional Dentistry.

Dr Andrew Hall

Just this past fall, even famous wrestler and reality television star Hulk Hogan made a trip to the cosmetic dentist to undergo a procedure, but unfortunately the news was not about a before and after photo of successful dental implants, but about a complication he had during surgery.

Reportedly, Hogan underwent a sinus graft procedure in which a donor bone was installed inside of his mouth because without it, he did not have enough bone to support the dental implant.  When the surgeon began the implant surgery, his stitches tore and he developed a stubborn infection that did not clear with antibiotics.  Eventually, Hogan had a CAT scan that revealed a metal tack was left in his jaw – the real culprit for the constant infection.  It was not reported if Hogan went forward with the rest of his dental implant surgery, but he did state that he was in a lot of pain and quite upset about the negligence on behalf of his doctor.

Hogan’s story might inflict some fear into people who are thinking of having dental implants; however, what happened to Hogan is not typical.  If you are having reservations about dental implants, do not be swayed by Hogan’s horror story, but be assured that when performed by a credible dentist, dental implants are a perfectly safe and reliable way to restore your smile.

Dr. Andrew Hall is an implant dentist in Colorado Springs with a long list of credentials who has improved the lives of his patients through successful dental implant surgery.  If dental implants are something you desire, call his Colorado Springs dental office today or schedule an appointment online for a free consolation.  Dr. Hall and his highly capable staff will get you the help you need to restore your smile.