Have you ever wondered what happens to your tooth after it is extracted by your dentist?  Surprisingly, it’s not so cut-and-dry.

When a tooth is removed, there’s not really one specific place it goes.  Some methods of disposal cost the dentist money, others result in a small profit for the dentist, and others are just a little weird.

Read on to find out what happens to extracted teeth.

Eight Journeys Your Extracted Tooth May Take

After a tooth is extracted, the dentist will usually place it on the tray next to the dental chair.  While a lot of people may think that an extracted tooth has hit the end of the road; its journey has just begun.

Here’s eight different journeys that your tooth may take after it leaves your mouth.

1 – Incinerated with Biomedical Waste

According to the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, extracted teeth should be placed in a hazardous waste container.  After that, the teeth are normally picked up by a medical waste management company that takes them and then incinerates them with other biomedical waste.

Normally, teeth that do not have any metal from prior dental work go to an oven to be incinerated.  If the tooth has metal, it will likely follow one of the next two routes of disposal.

2 – Go to a Metal Recycling Center

If the extracted tooth has amalgam filling material in it, then incineration causes mercury to be released into the atmosphere.  Because of this, regulations normally do not permit the incineration of extracted teeth containing amalgam, and they must be sent to a specialized recycling center that can remove the amalgam before disposing of the teeth.

Find out what’s in an amalgam filling.

3 – Go to a Dental Scrap Metal Dealer

The dental scrap metal industry is not well-known.  If your tooth had a lab-made restoration on it, your dentist may very well save it and ship it off to a scrap metal dealer who will melt down the metal, assay it, and cut your dentist a check.

A simple Google search for “dental scrap metal refiner” or a quick browse through professional dental journals will reveal many advertisements for companies that make their money from buying metal that used to be in someone’s mouth.

This Sun-Sentinel article tells the story of Michael Kutschmende, a man with cerebral palsy who had four gold teeth extracted at the dental office.  His dentist refused to give them back.  This article exposes the world of dental scrap metal recycling and how dentists can profit from extracted teeth.

Below is an interesting video from the company Crown Men that details the process of getting valuable metal from restorations on extracted teeth.  If you head over to their website, you can read testimonials from dentists who have received a free iPod Touch along with a check after their first time using the service.

 4 – Kept by the Patient

Although some dentists believe otherwise, there are no regulations prohibiting a dentist from giving patients back their teeth following extractions.  The American Dental Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) all give this practice a green light.  However, many dentists do not return extracted teeth to patients and it remains a controversial subject.

To learn more about this controversy and to find out what some patients do with their extracted teeth, read the post Can You Keep Your Extracted Teeth?

5 – Used for Educational Purposes

Some teeth end up being donated to universities. Many dentists save extracted teeth so that they can be donated to a university and used by dental students for their learning.

In the summer between earning my business degree and going to dental school, I dropped off several empty jars at local oral surgeons’ offices.  They kindly filled them with extracted teeth that I used in learning how to work on human teeth.

While in dental school I wrote a post about how a chipped tooth can be fixed with a filling. I used an extracted tooth for that project!

Extracted teeth aren’t just used by dental students to further their learning. Dentists use them as well for continuing education; some continuing education courses require that a dentist bring extracted teeth to the course so they can practice on them. I went to a thrilling course on how to do better root canals and took a few extracted teeth in order to practice the new techniques that were taught.

6 – Used for Research Purposes

Dental companies are always performing research to determine the best way to bond fillings and crowns to teeth, how to make teeth more resistant to cavities, how teeth react to different forces, and many other things.  When figuring out how to improve their tooth-related product, real teeth work best.

7 – Get Sold to the Highest Bidder

This is probably the least likely path that an extracted tooth takes.  It requires that the patient be famous.

Dr. Bill Dorfman, the dentist that was on the TV show Extreme Makeover, has bragged to TMZ that he saves his famous patients’ teeth when he pulls them.

He states, “There have been a few really famous people and I thought one day maybe I could sell this on eBay.”  In a later interview with TMZ, Dr. Dorfman backtracked this claim…

He may be able to get a pretty good price on eBay for a celebrity’s tooth, but it seems likely a lawsuit would follow in order to determine who is rightfully entitled to the cash.

Back in 2011, an interesting piece of Beatles memorabilia went on the auction block.  John Lennon’s tooth was acquired by Canadian dentist Dr. Michael Zuk, who said he was obsessed with it.  He ended up paying over $30,000 for it; a sum that makes the tooth fairy want to bury her head in shame.

In one article, Dr. Michael Zuk said that he plans on taking the tooth on tour, to be shown off at dental schools worldwide.  He also alluded to the fact that we may be able to someday clone John Lennon, since the nerve on the inside of the tooth contains John Lennon’s DNA.

Who knows, maybe Taylor Swift’s wisdom teeth are hidden away in somebody’s attic awaiting the auction house at some future date!

8 – Become Trophies for the Dentist

Painless Parker was a dentist who practiced around 100 years ago.  He once pulled 357 teeth in one day and then had them strung as a necklace that he wore around his neck.  He also had a bucket of teeth he’d extracted that he brought with him when he lectured on dental hygiene.  That bucket of teeth can be seen today at Temple University’s dental history museum.

Although this likely wouldn’t happen today in the United States, there are dentists in other countries who still show off the teeth that they have removed.  Below is a street dentist in Morocco, showing off the teeth he’s pulled, and the dentures that he’s ready to put in his next patient’s mouth.

Conclusion

As you can see, there most assuredly is life after death for your pearly whites.  There are many paths a tooth can take out of the dental office.

Do you have any questions or comments regarding the wild world of extracted teeth?  Did I miss anything? I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

When I was in dental school, it was “against the rules” to give patients back their extracted teeth.  I never really questioned this rule because I figured that not many people would really want their teeth back.  When a patient would ask for their freshly extracted tooth, I would make up some excuse about how it was against regulations for me to give them their extracted tooth.

I remember a female oral surgeon let me bend the rules once with a teenager who begged for his extracted teeth, but she told me to keep it on the down-low.

So that’s what I learned in dental school and thought was gospel: Patients are not allowed to get their extracted teeth back.

There are many dentists that refuse to give patients their teeth after removal. I know of one that even gives kids a “Tooth Fairy I.O.U.” coupon in lieu of their extracted tooth and tells them to simply put that under their pillow and that the Tooth Fairy will understand.

But is it really necessary to go that far and be a Tooth Fairy Scrooge when it comes to giving patients their extracted teeth?

Let’s find out.

Can You Keep Your Extracted Teeth?

Yes, you can keep your extracted tooth. There are no federal laws or regulations that prohibit, let alone discourage, dentists from giving patients their extracted teeth.

Let’s take a look at some of the excuses dentists use to justify keeping extracted teeth that a patient requests to keep:

• “It’s infectious waste and could infect other people if I let you take it.  I can’t be held liable for that.”
• “OSHA prohibits me from giving you back your extracted tooth.”
• “It’s against the CDC regulations for me to give it back.”

Below, I’ll discuss what the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say about giving extracted teeth to patients.

What the Experts Say About Giving Extracted Teeth to Patients

According to OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, extracted teeth are considered potentially infectious materials and must be handled accordingly.  When a dental office disposes of extracted teeth, they must be placed in medical waste containers.  However, since OSHA only regulates employee interactions, not patient interactions, OSHA has no say in whether a patient can keep their extracted tooth as stated by the textbook, Cottone’s Practical Infection Control in Dentistry:

Extracted teeth can be returned to patients on request, at which time provisions of the federal OSHA standard no longer apply.  Again, some state and local regulations may be more stringent, so it is best to be knowledgeable about applicable regulations in your local area.

In her book, Recommended Infection-Control Practices for Dentistry, (yep – it’s one of those books that you just can’t put down!) Barbara Gooch states the following:

The handling of extracted teeth used in dental educational settings differs from giving patients their own extracted teeth.  Several states allow patients to keep such teeth, because these teeth are not considered to be regulated (pathologic waste) or because the removed body part (tooth) becomes the property of the patient and does not enter the waste system.

The CDC has stated that “Extracted teeth may be returned to the patients upon request and are not subject to the provisions of the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.”

So now that we’ve addressed what the CDC and OSHA have to say about extracted teeth, let’s address the other excuse that dentists sometimes use: that the tooth is infectious waste and could pose an infection risk if they carry it out of the office.

Now obviously a tooth that has just been extracted does have some blood and saliva on it.  However, it doesn’t require much time to quickly disinfect a tooth and rinse it off.  Dentists already have protocols in place for disinfecting extracted teeth that need to be sent to dental labs. The CDC, when discussing sending extracted teeth to dental labs, states that:

[Extracted teeth] should be thoroughly cleaned (i.e., blood and bioburden removed), disinfected with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant with a tuberculocidal claim, and thoroughly rinsed before being handled in the in-office laboratory or sent to an off-site laboratory.

Clearly this is a different scenario since we are talking about teeth being sent home with patients rather than being sent to dental labs.  But I believe that if an office is disinfecting teeth before giving them back to patients, then it is highly unlikely that the teeth pose a greater infection risk than the person that the tooth came from, should they have a disease.

Now that we’ve established that there are no nationwide bans on dentists giving patients their extracted teeth, and that disinfected teeth are highly unlikely to cause infection, let’s explore state regulations.

Do State Dental Boards Allow Dentists to Give Patients Their Extracted Teeth?

I called the dental boards of the four most populous states in the United States as well as the dental board of Virginia, since that’s where I practice.  These five states comprise over 35% of the population of the United States so it’s somewhat representative.

Here’s what the state dental boards had to say:

California

Unfortunately, California did not return my phone call. I left them a voicemail asking if they had any state regulations that would prevent a dentist from giving their patient a recently-extracted tooth.

Fortunately, I was able to spend some time digging through the laws, rules, and regulations governing the practice of dentistry in California and I am confident that they do not have any laws that would forbid a patient from taking their extracted tooth home.

Texas

The dental board in Texas had to research my question and then get back to me.  When they did, they told me that as long as the tooth was sterile, it could be given back to the patient.  I then clarified whether the tooth had to be sterile or just cleaned off, since sterilization would be time-consuming. They then told me that as long as I cleaned it off well, it would be fine to give it back to the patient.

New York

When I called the state dental board of New York, the man I spoke with told me that I could only give baby teeth back to patients but that it’s not allowed to give adult teeth back to patients.  I then threw him a curveball and asked about an adult tooth that had a gold crown on it that the patient really wanted back.  He relented and said it would be fine as long as it was clean.  When I asked him if New York had any written rules regarding this sort of situation, he said there were none.

Florida

Florida wins the gold medal for clarity, as they were the only state that actually covers this scenario in their state’s rules and regulations.  The following is from their regulations, 64B5-25.007 Disposition of Biohazardous Waste.

(2) Extracted teeth may be rendered non-biohazardous by disinfection so that they may be returned to the patient or the patient’s legal guardian.

Virginia

The kind lady that answered the phone at the Virginia Dental Board told me that my home state of Virginia does not have any rule or regulation that would keep a dentist from giving their patient an extracted tooth.

There Likely Are No Laws Preventing Patients from Keeping Their Extracted Teeth

It would be nearly impossible for me to search out every state and local regulation regarding extracted teeth, but I find it highly unlikely that a state or municipality would actually have a rule preventing dentists from giving people their extracted teeth.

I’ve pulled out lots of wiggly teeth for kids at no charge and I can’t imagine telling them that if I pull it out, their tooth is infectious waste, but if they pull it out at home, they can put it under their pillow.

Next let’s take a look at what on earth would compel someone to keep their extracted tooth…this is where things get interesting!

Why Would Someone Want to Keep Their Extracted Tooth?

I’ve extracted hundreds of teeth, but here’s one that stands out:  We had just finished taking out a woman’s remaining teeth; about a dozen or so.  She glared with hateful eyes at the dental tray and growled, “Where’s that brown one?!  I’m taking that little $#@%&! with me.  It’s given me a lot of trouble in my life.”

I smiled underneath my mask and told her she could have it.  I pictured her taking the tooth to her backyard, hanging it from a tree and firing a round at it, blowing it to pieces.

Throughout my dental career, I’ve also heard several other reasons from people who want to keep their teeth:

• One patient was making a necklace of all her extracted teeth.
• An elderly lady wanted to show her grandchildren her tooth so that they wouldn’t repeat her oral hygiene mistakes.  I admire her motivation, but hate to imagine the horrific look on that little grandchild’s face when he sees Granny’s rotten tooth!
• There are quite a few 20-something guys that simply want to show their teeth off to their friends.
• A gentleman from a foreign country wanted to take his tooth back to his native land and have it buried there.
• Many people believe that all parts of their body should be buried for religious purposes.  There is quite a debate on Mi Yodela, a question and answer site about Judaism regarding the burial of body parts before and after death.  I also came across a site on Islam burial practices which recommends that “teeth cut off or extracted during lifetime are also buried.”  As I’m not a member of either of those faiths, I cannot vouch for these sites, but it does add an interesting dynamic to this debate.
• Many people keep a collection of their teeth. While this may be cute for baby teeth (I think my mom still has a 35mm film canister of my baby teeth somewhere), it’s not so cute for ugly, decayed adult teeth that needed to be pulled!

For whatever reason, many people hang on to their extracted teeth.  According to users on this Ask forum, some people have kept their extracted teeth until they die, when the teeth have been sold at estate sales.  One woman recounted the story of her dad keeping his extracted molars: “My dad has all of his extracted molars in with the tooth washers in his nuts and bolts organizer.”

What to Do When Your Dentist Won’t Give You Your Extracted Tooth

Some dentists may know that they are permitted to give patients their extracted tooth but still have the attitude of, “If you really wanted to keep this tooth, you should’ve taken better care of it, then you could’ve kept it — in your mouth.”

There are many cases reported by the media where patients have been upset that their dentist wouldn’t give them back their teeth.  Here are a couple of those cases for your reading pleasure.

My favorite story has to be of a man who was so upset that his dentist wouldn’t give him back his extracted tooth, that he wrote to his elected representative, North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad.  Senator Conrad wrote to OSHA on behalf of his constituent and OSHA replied that there is nothing in the bloodborne pathogen standard that would prevent a dentist from giving a patient back their teeth.

An Arizona woman, Becky Coty, had a tooth extracted with a gold crown and the dentist would not return it to her.  After she contacted the local news channel, which published her story, the dentist reached out and compensated her for the tooth.

Unfortunately, there’s probably not much you can do (aside from trying to get some publicity) if your dentist doesn’t want to give you back your extracted tooth after it’s been taken out.

How to Keep Your Extracted Teeth

If you know that you want to keep your extracted teeth, it’s best to discuss this with your dentist in advance.  Although there aren’t any laws prohibiting dentists from giving back teeth, I’m not aware of any laws that require dentists to give patients their extracted teeth upon request.  It’s more of a gray area.

I recommend letting your dentist know ahead of time that you want to keep your tooth.  That way the issue can be resolved beforehand.  If your dentist resists the idea, you can always check around and you’ll likely be able find a dentist who will let you keep your extracted tooth.

My guess is that most dentists simply default to what they learned in dental school, which seems to vary.  Unlike my school, New York’s Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine states in their Policies & Procedures Manual, “Return of extracted teeth to the patient is allowed, if the patient requests.”

Do you have any questions about extracted teeth and who they belong to?  Any crazy stories about what people have done with their extracted teeth? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading!

While watching baseball’s American League Championship Series last week, I saw a commercial for Verizon that shows a family out trick-or-treating.

Upon looking at his cell phone, the son says, “Wait guys, we’ve gotta stay away from 32 Elm Street. he’s a dentist… He’s givin’ out floss!”

The dad responds with one word that sums up this crazy behavior: “Weirdo!”

You can view the commercial below, then scroll down to find out why I will continue to give out Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters who knock on my door.

Three Reasons Why Dentists Shouldn’t Give Out Floss for Halloween

Here’s three reasons why dentists shouldn’t be giving out toothbrushes, floss, and other oral hygiene paraphernalia to unsuspecting trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

1 – An Occasional Treat Is Good

Halloween is just once per year.  It’s not like kids are out collecting mass quantities of candy every day!  While it’s true that regularly eating candy and other sugary foods will take its toll on your teeth, the occasional splurge won’t ruin your teeth.  If you are a parent, just remind your kids to brush, floss, and rinse when they are done enjoying their loot.

One of the four things cavities need to grow is time.  If you only occasionally splurge on candy, your chances of getting a cavity from consuming it are slim.

2 – Teeth Are for Chewing

You have teeth to enjoy them.  Having teeth and not enjoying the occasional treat is like having a nice car that never leaves the garage.

Hopefully you are making a consistent effort to take care of your teeth so that they can last you for years to come — so reward yourself now and then!

Read Can Kids Eat Halloween Candy and Have Healthy Teeth? to learn how to have healthy teeth while enjoying Halloween treats.

3 – The Purpose of Halloween Isn’t to Change Behavior

There’s a time and place for everything. Is a child really going to start flossing after they receive floss in their bag of Halloween candy?  They probably won’t change their habits overnight from that simple gesture.  Finding floss among their treats might even lessen their enjoyment of the rest of their candy because it will make them feel guilty for eating so much sugar.

People have their reasons for doing what they do, and there are more appropriate ways — and times — to teach people the importance of oral hygiene.

Enjoy Your Halloween Candy

I’m sure there are plenty of dentists that will be busy handing out floss this Halloween.   Maybe they have noble intentions, but unless they’re careful they could be labeled Halloween’s version of Scrooge.

Me?  I’ll be busy giving out miles of Fruit by the Foot.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a post discussing sinus infections, prompted by my wife’s experience.  She had severe tooth pain caused by a sinus infection.  While that post discusses how a sinus infection can cause tooth pain, it never addressed the opposite question: Can a tooth cause a sinus infection?

Sinuses are simply chambers in your head that allow air to circulate to get warm and moist before it travels down to  your lungs.  Normally, the body is able to keep the sinuses clean and healthy, despite the dark, moist environment that bacteria love.

However, when conditions are right, bacteria can grow out of control in the sinuses, causing a sinus infection.  One cause of sinus infections is the common cold.  Interestingly enough, teeth can also cause sinus infections.

Before we get into a discussion on how teeth can cause sinus infections, we’ll talk about where the sinuses are located.

Where Are Sinuses Located?

There are a few different sinuses located in the facial area — around the cheeks, nose, and above the eyes.   The diagram below gives you a little better idea of where the sinuses are, and how they look when they are healthy, versus how they look when they are infected.

If you look at the diagram above and imagine a row of upper teeth, you can see how the roots of the upper teeth come into close contact with those sinuses on each side of the nose.   These sinuses are known as the maxillary sinuses.  While there are several sets of sinuses, the maxillary sinuses are the only sinuses that can also be infected by a tooth-related problem.

How Often Do Teeth Cause Sinus Infections?

Hupp’s Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery textbook states, “Periapical or periodontal infections of maxillary posterior teeth may erode superiorly through the floor of the maxillary sinus.  Approximately 20% of cases of maxillary sinusitis are odontogenic.”

Basically, that’s a fancy way of saying that tooth and gum abscesses of the upper back teeth can eat through the bone and invade the maxillary sinus.  It further says that about 20% of all maxillary sinus infections are caused by tooth infections, rather than another cause.

Below, you’ll find a couple of examples of how tooth infections or abscesses can cause sinus infections.

A Case of an Abscess Close to the Sinuses

Here is an x-ray of a tooth that had a root canal and crown done previously, but the infection at the roots had never quite healed.  I have outlined some of the important structures below for those of you who are not accustomed to reading x-rays.

I colored the sinus blue and the tooth infection red in the x-ray below:

As you can imagine, the infection and the sinuses do overlap, as you can see in the x-ray below.

Although it looks like the sinus and the infection are overlapped on the x-ray, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the infection has broken into the sinus and causing a sinus infection.  It could be that the abscess is either in front of or behind the sinus in this x-ray, because the x-ray is simply a snapshot of the whole area and doesn’t tell us if things are closer to the front or the back.

If you take a look at the x-ray above, you can see how close the maxillary sinus is to the upper teeth.  Sometimes there is only a thin membrane separating the roots of the upper teeth and the sinus, making it very easy for an infection to travel into the sinuses.

Although this person wasn’t exhibiting any symptoms of a sinus infection, but the x-rays do a good job of showing just how close the abscess is to the sinus.

A Case of Sinusitis Caused by a Tooth

This person had chronic sinusitis for the last few years, that started shortly after she had a metal post put into one of her upper back teeth.  Upon looking at her x-rays I noticed that the metal post that was put in one of her upper teeth looked like it had pierced through edge of the tooth and gone slightly into the bone.  This caused an abscess that was leaking into her sinus.

Here’s the x-ray of her upper right teeth:

To make the x-ray below easier to see, the tooth is green, the infection is red, and the sinuses are blue:

Sadly, due to the fracture in the tooth caused by the large metal post, the tooth had to be extracted.

The oral surgeon who extracted the tooth told me that the tip of the tooth broke off just above the metal post, causing the root fragment to get pushed into the sinuses during extraction.  He had to open up the sinus to retrieve the root and he was able to suction out a lot of the infection — he said it was a pretty bad infection.

Teeth Can Cause Sinus Infections

While sinus infections can cause teeth to to hurt, hopefully this post has helped you see that infections from the upper back teeth can easily make their way into the sinuses and cause sinus infections.

It is important to remember that unhealthy teeth are just one cause of sinus infections, and that there are several other causes.  If you suspect your sinus infection is caused by a tooth, you should see your dentist to confirm this.

Do you have any questions, concerns, or comments?   Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading!

Back when I was in dental school, the instructors told us to always pull back on the anesthetic syringe before injecting. By doing this, we would make sure that we weren’t injecting the anesthetic into a blood vessel, which would cause the epinephrine in the anesthetic to make the patient’s heart feel like it was beating out of their chest.

They called this the epinephrine reaction, and I blindly believed it. I even wrote a post about why dental anesthetic makes your heart beat faster. Until one day, this belief was questioned by a comment on that article (which actually caused Gavin to post a rather entertaining comment).  I realized that I’d blindly believed what I’d been taught without doing any research of my own.

In this follow-up article, I’ll answer the question: Can dental anesthetic really make your heart beat faster?

People Report That Dental Anesthetic Makes Your Heart Beat Faster

A few weeks ago, a woman told me that she hates getting injections because it makes her heart beat really fast.  I asked her if a dentist had ever offered her the anesthetic brand Carbocaine (a type of dental anesthetic without any added epinephrine).  She told me that she’d never heard of it.  I tried it on her and she told me that it was the first injection she could remember where she didn’t feel like her heart was beating out of her chest.

Naturally, this (along with other similar experiences) made me a believer that regular dental anesthetic with epinephrine can indeed make your heart beat faster.  As a dentist I realize that stories, while fun and exciting, may not be a very good source of evidence, so I decided to do some more in-depth research.

Can Dental Anesthetic Really Make Your Heart Beat Faster?

The main question here is whether or not the small amount of epinephrine inside the dental anesthetic makes your heart beat faster or if it’s simply caused by the epinephrine your body releases in response to being afraid of the crazy dentist that’s about to poke you.

Many years ago, it was thought that the tiny amount of epinephrine in the dental anesthetic made no difference in your heart rate, and any change in your heart rate was simply caused by the “fight or flight” response.

Many studies have since confirmed that the epinephrine in dental anesthetic can cause an increase in your heart rate.

One study states that “intravenous administration of 0.015 mg of epinephrine with lidocaine results in increase in the heart rate ranging from 25 to 70 beats per minute, with elevations in the systolic blood from 20 to 70 mm Hg.”  For your information, one cartridge of dental anesthetic contains 0.018 mg of epinephrine — that’s even more than the amount pharmacy-no-rx.net that has been shown to increase the heart rate by 25 to 70 beats per minute.  Here’s a link to one of those studies that discusses this.

Malamed’s dental textbook on anesthetic even confirms what I’d discovered.  It says, “Contrary to a previously held position that the intraoral administration of “usual” volumes of epinephrine produced no cardiovascular response and that patients were more at risk from endogenously released epinephrine than they were from exogenously administered epinephrine, recent evidence demonstrates that epinephrine plasma levels equivalent to those achieved during moderate to heavy exercise may occur after intraoral injection.”

That simply says that the epinephrine in dental anesthetic can make your heart beat very fast, even tricking it into beating as fast as it would if you were exercising.

The author goes on to state that even if your dentist does inject slowly and “pull back” to ensure that they don’t inject into a blood vessel, your heart can still beat faster: “However, even following usual precautions (e.g. aspiration, slow injection), sufficient epinephrine can be absorbed to cause sympathomimetic reactions such as aprehension, tachycardia, sweating, and pounding in the chest (palpitation): the so-called “epinephrine reaction.”

More Evidence That Dental Anesthetic Can Make Your Heart Beat Faster

Even more evidence that dental anesthetic can make your heart beat faster comes from the American Heart Association.  They recommend that any patients with heart disease receive a maximum of 0.04 mg of epinephrine from dental anesthetic.  That’s usually the equivalent of just two cartridges of dental anesthetic.  For comparison’s sake, a normal person without heart disease can receive up to eleven cartridges of anesthetic.

This shows that the AHA believes that the epinephrine in dental anesthetic can have an effect on the heart, and that’s why they recommend limiting it so strictly.

The textbook Dental Management of the Medically Compromised Patient confirms this by stating “If [a vasoconstrictor] is considered essential, use cautiously (maximum 0.036 mg epinephrine or 0.20 mg levonordefrin).”  Levonordefrin is similar to epinephrine, but it is mostly used in European countries, not in the U.S.

Lastly, the American Acamedy of Pediatric Dentists even has guidelines for dentists telling us what to do when a patient has a reaction to the epinephrine in dental anesthetic.  They say to reassure the patient, ensure they’re breathing well, and to check their vital signs if necessary.

Dental Anesthetic Can Make Your Heart Beat Faster

In summary, the most recent studies and evidence all point to the fact that the epinephrine (or levonordefrin for my European friends) can definitely make your heart feel like its beating out of your chest!

Do you have any questions about dental anesthetic and how it affects your heart?  Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading!

It’s been estimated that half of all Americans don’t go to the dentist regularly.  If you find yourself in that half, how about making a New Year’s resolution to make it to the dentist this year?

Here are five good reasons why you should.

Five Reasons to Go to the Dentist

1 – Catch Problems While They’re Small

If you regularly visit the dentist, your dentist will be able to tell you about smaller problems that you can easily and inexpensively get fixed.  The quicker you get a cavity filled, for example, the longer the filling will last.  If you put off getting a cavity filled while it’s small, it could cost significantly more to get it fixed when it needs a root canal and crown a few years down the road.

You won’t feel any symptoms with most dental problems until they are advanced.  If you have gum disease, it’s important that you get it treated.  However, unless you develop a gum abscess or have gum disease that is at a very advanced stage, you likely won’t experience any pain.

2 – Dental Care Is Better Than It Was In the Past

If you had a bad experience in the past, let me assure you that dentistry has come a long way.  There have been many recent advancements in the kinds of materials that we can use to fix your teeth.  Many modern restorations such as crowns and veneers look completely natural and can give you the kind of smile you’ve always wanted.

3 – There Are Ways to Alleviate Dental Fear

There are many drugs that you can take before you go to the dentist to make you drowsy so that you will be less anxious during your procedure.

Also, if needles frighten you, many dentists can fill small cavities using a laser without any anesthetic.  If you do require an anesthetic, there are very strong topical gels that can be placed on your gums before the injection to make the injection nearly painless.

We’ve come a long way since the dark ages when dentists were a little crazy — check out these pictures of old school dentistry if you don’t believe me.

4 – There Are Better Deals Due to the Economy

Many dentists are running new patient specials due to the fragile state of the economy.  They figure it’s better to get a new patient in even if they charge a really low price than to have empty slots.

If you perform an internet search with the terms “dentist the name of your city“, you will likely find some good deals that will allow you to have a free or low-cost exam and x-rays to get an overall idea of your general dental health.

5 – There are Financing Options Available

Also due to the economy, some dental offices are willing to accept payments for dental work performed rather than requiring the full amount at the time of service.

Another excellent option that we offer at my practice is called Care Credit.  This allows patients to have the dental work performed and then make 12 equal, monthly payments over the course of the year without paying any interest.  If you do go this route, just make sure that you make all of your payments on time.  If you don’t pay on time, then they will charge interest, which is how they make a lot of their money.

There’s No Time Like The Present

If you’ve made it this far, go ahead and make that appointment!  If you’re hesitant to make a dental appointment, feel free to leave a comment below and let me know why.  I’ll try to get back to you and resolve any concerns you might have.

Have a great year!

Catherine recently left a comment asking about the discolored lines that she has running vertically in her front teeth.  She was curious about what kinds of solutions there are to deal with this cosmetic problem.

Before I talk about the solutions to these lines that can occur in our teeth, I’ll give an overview of what they are, why they happen, and how to get rid of them.

Craze Lines: Vertical Lines in Our Teeth

These vertical lines in her front teeth are actually known as craze lines.  Over years of use, our teeth tend to develop tiny cracks in the hard outer layer known as enamel.  These cracks normally don’t cause any pain, but can easily stain, causing embarrassing discolored lines on your front teeth.

What Causes Craze Lines?

Craze lines can be caused by stress placed on a tooth.  This can happen over the course of a lifetime of chewing or by any other process that causes a lot of stress on our teeth.

Some common causes of craze lines are  biting your nails, grinding your teeth (many people do it in their sleep without realizing it), using your teeth as tools, trauma to your teeth, or simply routine use of your teeth.

In Dr. Cohen’s textbook about root canals, he states, “Craze lines are merely cracks in the enamel that do not extend into the dentin and either occur naturally or develop after trauma.”

This case report describes a situation where craze lines were caused by biting on hard objects such as the top ring of an aluminum soda pop can. Speaking of metal rings, wearing tongue rings can cause craze lines in your teeth.

Interestingly, some research points to temperature changes as a possible cause of craze lines.  That’s a great incentive  to not chew ice cubes (especially after drinking hot coffee!)

One other cause of craze lines that should be discussed is going to the dentist.  This research article states that he process of drilling away a cavity and filling a tooth can cause craze lines.  That’s certainly not a reason to avoid the dentist, though, since craze lines are harmless whereas untreated cavities can lead to significant complications.

Do Craze Lines Mean Your Teeth are Cracked?

Although craze lines are very tiny cracks in the outermost layer of your tooth, you don’t need to worry about your tooth cracking in half.

One good way to think about craze lines is to take a look at the above photo of this porcelain doll.  The cracks in the porcelain occurred after years of use.  Although they are cosmetically displeasing, the cracks don’t mean that the doll’s head is about to crack www.health-canada-pharmacy.com/products.html open!

If you suffer from craze lines, you’ll be pleased to know that the way that our teeth forms makes the enamel highly resistant to cracking.

A recent study looked at the crack resistance of the enamel in our teeth compared to a synthetic enamel.  The study concluded, “While enamel is the most highly mineralized tissue of the human body, the microstructural arrangement of the prisms promotes exceptional resistance to crack growth.”

If that isn’t enough, this study says that “The microstructure of enamel is functionally optimized to guide cracks from the more brittle outer enamel inwards where they experience higher growth resistance and are prevented from causing fracture and chipping.”

This study found that enamel is about three times as tough as the naturally-occurring crystals of hydroxyapatite (the crystal that our tooth is made from.)

How to Get Rid of Craze Lines

So, what should you do if you have craze lines and you hate how they look?  There are a few alternatives.

The least invasive option is to try teeth whitening.  Many craze lines show up because tiny amounts of debri get into the crack and stain the crack, making it visible.  Teeth whitening can bleach away the stain and make the craze lines very hard to detect.

There are other options that involve actual dental work.  Before trying these options, it’s good to keep in mind that craze lines can be caused by dental work, and that no dental work is better than your natural teeth.

These options include having an aesthetic tooth-colored filling material placed over the crack or having a veneer.  To do the filling, your dentist will simply smooth down the tooth in the affected area and add some filling material that is the same color as your natural tooth.  To do a veneer, your dentist will smooth down the whole face of the tooth and place a thin piece of porcelain over the tooth (kind of like a fake fingernail.)

Conclusion

With these alternatives in mind, it’s worth noting that most dentists agree that there’s no need to treat craze lines since they rarely lead to further breakdown of the tooth.  Some studies (like this one) do argue that the small lines may serve as a future site of a cavity, but if you’re going in for your regular check-ups, your dentist can usually detect potential problems.

Do you have any questions about craze lines or cracks in your teeth?  Leave a comment in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading!

1 – There are two main types of dental drills: the high-speed and the slow-speed.  The high-speed drill rotates around 250,000 RPM.  That means it spins around more than 4,000 times each second!

Even the relatively slow dental drill rotates at about 8,000 RPM.  By comparison, this DeWalt Drill is three times slower with a top speed of 2,500 RPM.

2 – After using the dental drill on your tooth for 30 seconds, your dentist is subjected to as much bacteria as they would be had you sneezed right in their face (Source).  That’s one of the reasons most dentists wear face masks.

3  – The high-speed dental drill shoots out water as it spins, as you can see in the photo above.  If it didn’t, the friction would cause your tooth to get so hot during a filling that it could possibly damage the nerve inside your tooth.

4 – Many dentists now refer to the dental drill as a handpiece to make it seem more friendly and enticing.

5 – The dental drill has to withstand the rigors of sterilization after every use, which means it gets heated to 250° Fahrenheit with pressurized steam for at least 15 minutes.

6 – The very first dental drill appears to have been a bow drill used by an ancient civilization about 9,000 years ago.

7 – The drill bits that dentists use are made of tungsten-carbide.  Some have blades to cut teeth, like in the photo below, and others are coated with diamonds to give a sandpaper-like smoothing effect (see photo below).

8 – As recently as the early 20th century, many dentists used drills that were powered by a pedal that the dentist would pump with his foot.

9 – The distinct shrill sound that the high-speed dental drill makes can be a major factor in people’s fear of the dentist.  Even for those who don’t have dental fear, the dental drill’s noise can be very unpleasant.

10 – Dental drills can be expensive, with many costing over $1,000.  That’s a lot more expensive than your average home-improvement drill.

Questions?

Do you have any questions about the dental drill?  Want to share an experience you’ve had with the dentist’s drill?  Leave a comment below.  Thanks for reading!

Update 4/2/2012: Happy April Fools Day 2012 — Unfortunately, in-flight dentistry hasn’t quite taken off yet!

Don’t be surprised if during your next visit to the friendly skies you hear the faint whine of the dental drill. Two major airlines are poised to announce the addition of the DentAir program to their flight services. The program has been in its trial stage since January 1, 2012 and has met with such success that it is now being expanded throughout both airlines. After years of cost-cutting, many airlines are trying to woo back disgruntled fliers by offering extra in-flight services that cater to their frequent travelers.

I hate to be a naysayer, but I did have my doubts when I first heard about this program. I mean, dentistry in the air? But after discussing the idea with both patients and other dentists, I have to admit that being an aerodentist is actually something I could see myself doing after I graduate from dental school.

The program is currently offered on about 5% of domestic flights, as well as several international destinations. Patients can requests services while checking in online up to 24 hours in advance or they can request an appointment once they get to their gate. A full range of services are offered, including routine cleaning and exams, custom whitening trays, and restorations.

What Patients Are Saying About the DentAir Program

We all know how difficult it is to fit dental check-ups into our busy schedules nowadays. But with the addition of the DentAir program, people can fly where they need to — and get an exam on the way.

Kerri Zrisk, creator of the DentAir concept, explains, “Whether you are a business traveler or a retired couple vacationing around the world, you probably struggle to find the time to get to your dentist. With this program, the dentist comes to you. We realized that passengers already had time slots open in their schedules — the only problem was that they were flying on airplanes during these lulls in their day. So we started thinking, ‘How can we get the dentists to these people?’ The DentAir program naturally followed.”

Many patients expressed relief that they had access to dental professionals while traveling. After all, dental emergencies rarely occur at convenient times. Phil Mitewth, director of sales for Mardott International, said, “As a busy executive, I simply don’t have time to go to the dentist. With my busy schedule of flights, it’s easy to get my dental work done – and I have to say that there’s nothing quite as exhilarating as having a root canal over the Panama Canal.”

Passenger Joseph Miller was equally excited. “I couldn’t wait to get caps on my badly-stained two front teeth. Getting it done in the air was awesome and I would even say it was the crowning moment of my whole vacation!”

What Dentists Are Saying About the Dental Air Program

New York Dentist Dr. Mo Lerr, DDS stated, “Many patients are flying down to Mexico to get their dental work done at a fraction of the cost. By being an airplane dentist, I have some time to persuade them to get their dental work done in-country. I can even offer cheaper prices since there are no taxes in the friendly skies!”

Dr. Daryl B. Payne says, “A lot of my colleagues were skeptical at first, but I will always remember doing my first ‘mile-high’ filling. I just revved up the drill and waited. As an aerodentist, I’ve learned to just hold the drill in the mouth and let the turbulence guide me to the decay. It works every time, and I’ve never had a patient leave.”

Most dentists that were interviewed said they feel like an integral part of the flight team, despite their unique role. Dr. Timothy DeKay chimed in, “Everything has gone fairly smoothly so far. One time the pilot did tell me to lay off the suction since it was decreasing cabin pressure, but other than that we’ve had a pretty good working relationship.”

The Stewardentess: A Fulfilling Career Choice

Aerodentistry, like traditional dentistry, requires specially-trained support staff. After a recent flight, I was able to meet up with long-time Delta stewardess Meredith Russell. She returned to school last year to get her dental assisting degree and has recently been certified the first stewardentess in the nation.

In our interview she mused, “Sometimes it gets really boring during the downtime after I’ve collected the empty drink cups and pretzel bags. I felt like there was something I was missing out on as a stewardess and I wanted more out of my career. In-flight dental assisting was just a natural extension of my duty to make everyone’s flight perfect.”

The Future of Dentistry

Whether aerodentistry will really take off remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: dentists are branching out and considering unconventional treatment venues. It could be the recent economic recession or just a shift away from traditional care models, but whatever the reason, dentistry is expanding to reach more people.

“It’s hard to say what the next 5 or 10 years will bring,” says Dave Capitt, dean of Michigan State School of Dentistry, “but if you ask me, the future of dentistry is up in the air.”

It’s easy to take things that we use everyday for granted.  When was the last time you thought about what your teeth do for you?  Whether you think about it or not, your teeth do some pretty amazing things for you that you probably don’t even notice.

5 Reasons to be Thankful for Your Teeth

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I thought I would mention a few reasons to be thankful for your teeth.

1 – Your Teeth Help You Chew Turkey

Not just turkey either!  Your teeth tear and grind all the different foods you eat every day.  I vividly remember an experience I had working at a dental clinic before going to dental school.  An older man came in for his final appointment to get his dentures.  He excitedly told me that the first thing he was going to do was to go down to the local grocery store and buy a vegetable tray.  Before that incident, I’d never really taken the time to think about how I would eat without teeth.

2 – Your Teeth Make You Attractive

A smile can go a long way toward improving your appearance.  Without teeth, you wouldn’t be very likely to smile.  Every year, people spend millions of dollars trying to make their teeth look whiter, brighter, and more beautiful.

3 – Your Teeth Help You Speak

Try saying the phrase I’m thankful for turkey.  Notice how your tongue touches your teeth during the th and t sounds and your upper teeth touch your lower lip to say the word fo.

Speaking without your teeth is harder than you might think.

4 – Your Teeth Affect the Shape of Your Face

Here’s a thought exercise: picture a 101 year old man with no teeth in your mind.

You probably saw a man who’s mouth appeared “sucked in” and his face kind of seemed scrunched up and not very tall.  Your teeth support your lips and cheeks and make your face appear longer.  To learn more, read How Your Teeth Affect the Length and Shape of Your Face.

5 – They Keep Your Jaw Bones Strong

Your jaw bones stay as thick and strong as they are because they work hard by holding onto your teeth.  Without teeth, the jaw bones begin to atrophy and shrink from lack of use.  This can make it easy for your jaw to fracture — it’s also a reason why people who have been missing their teeth for a very long time can’t get a lower denture made that fits very well: they simply don’t have enough bone to support it.

Why Are You Thankful for Your Teeth?

Did I miss any reasons why you’re thankful for your teeth?  Speak your mind in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading, and to all of my fellow Americans: Happy Thanksgiving!

Many parents worry when they find that their young child or baby has a bluish purple bump on their gums.  This is a fairly common development and is known as an eruption cyst or eruption hematoma.  For uniformity throughout the article, I will simply refer to them as eruption cysts.

What Are Eruption Cysts?

The easiest way to describe eruption cysts is by talking about how teeth develop.  Your child’s teeth form inside of a protective enclosure in their jaw bone.   When the teeth are done forming, they start to move through the bone, and then through the gums until they make it into the mouth.  An eruption cyst occurs during the tooth’s final entry into the mouth – after it has already made its way through the bone and is just under the surface of the gums.

The protective enclosure which the tooth developed in can leak and allow fluid to accumulate between the tooth and the gums.  If an opposing tooth touches the gums, it may cause fluid and possibly blood to accumulate between the tooth and the gum.  This causes a bruise to form in the gum tissue between the tooth and the outside surface of your child’s gums.  Depending on the amount of blood that accumulates in the eruption cyst, it can be a translucent color, bluish purple, or even dark red and brown.

Although they are unattractive and often cause parents to worry, most eruption cysts are actually painless.

What Causes Eruption Cysts?

The most widely-accepted theory is that eruption cysts are caused by trauma to the gums a few weeks before a new tooth comes in.  The trauma doesn’t have to be severe — McDonald & Avery’s Pediatric Dentistry states that the trauma occurs as a result of normal chewing.

Another reason eruption cysts occur is due to thickened gum tissues.  This can result from taking certain medications.  Neville’s Oral Pathology textbook hypothesized that one reason eruption cysts occurred in a young child taking cyclosporin was due to “collagen deposition in the gingival connective tissue that resulted in a thicker, less penetrable, pericoronal roof.”  With thicker gums, it may have been more difficult for the tooth to erupt into the mouth, causing an eruption cyst.

Who Can Get Eruption Cysts?

Any child can get an eruption cyst before their tooth erupts into the mouth.  As far as race goes, they are reported to be most common in Caucasian children and they are just as common in boys as in girls.

How Common Are Eruption Cysts?

Nobody knows.  A scholarly article has state, “Prevalence of eruption cyst has not been thoroughly studied.  Extensive review of literature revealed low prevalence of these cysts.”

Many parents may not notice that their child has an eruption cyst or may simply do nothing about it and then note that it goes away.  Due to the fact that many eruption cysts are not documented very well, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact percentage when it comes to how common eruption cysts are.

In an exam of 1,211 children from a Brazilian hospital, it was found that 2 of them had eruption cysts.  That’s only 0.17% that had eruption cysts at the time that they were examined.  However, many more of these children may have had eruption cysts before they were examined.  This would lead me to believe that eruption cysts are much more common than 0.17%.

Where Do Eruption Cysts Occur?

Although it has been debated, most articles (like this one) state that eruption cysts occur most commonly in the upper jaw.  They most commonly occur with the baby incisors, the baby molars, and the permanent first molars.

How Are Eruption Cysts Treated?

Normally eruption cysts don’t need treatment.  The tooth will usually break through the cyst within a few days come into the mouth on its own.  If the eruption cyst persists in the mouth for more than a few weeks, many dentists will make a small incision in the cyst which will allow the tooth to come through.  Depending on the anxiety level of your child, this procedure can usually be done under local anesthesia.

What Else Could It Be?

When we see a swelling over a tooth that is about to erupt, we usually think of eruption cysts.  It is possible that it could be something else though, such as a calcifying odontogenic cyst.  This case report states, “Other lesions that can cause gingival swellings include peripheral giant cell granuloma, peripheral ossifying fibroma, pyogenic granuloma, and other less common peripheral odontogenic tumors.”

Questions?

Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns about eruption cysts?  Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below.

I want to especially thank Leigh for sharing the above photo of her 8 month old daughter’s eruption cyst.  If anyone else wants to share their photo, you can email them to OralAnswers at Gmail.com or use this contact form.  Thanks for reading!

Update 1/7/2012: I just wrote a follow-up post to this one that has two high-quality pictures of eruption cysts above permanent teeth that haven’t yet come in.  Click here to check it out.

First and foremost, I would like to thank all of those who have left comments on this blog.  I read each and every comment and am so grateful for your input and support.  I have learned from your experiences and opinions.  Also, your comments often help me develop ideas for new posts or explanations.  So thank you!

In February 2010 — Oral Answers’ first full month — it had 149 page views.  Last month, September 2011, it had 76,559 page views.  All of those page views each month bring with them hundreds of comments.

When I first started Oral Answers nearly two years ago, it was easy to respond to every comment and email.  Over the past several months, it has become increasingly difficult for me to respond to each and every comment.  I’m several weeks behind, but I do intend to catch up over the next week!

I plan to finish responding to the comments that have been left so far.  However, due to personal time restraints I have decided that I will no longer be able to respond to every comment. My intention with this blog is to help as many people learn about oral health as possible.  I feel that I can most effectively do that by writing new posts about various topics rather than responding to every single comment.  While responding to a comment can directly help the person who commented and a few others who read it, each post has the potential to help many more people.

Just to be clear — I’m not giving up on answering comments completely.  I will still read them all and plan on responding to many of them.

Top 10’s

I thought it would be fun to make a few lists of the top 10 posts over the past couple of years in a few different categories.

10 Most Popular Posts on Oral Answers

1 – What You Should Do When a Crown Falls Off of Your Tooth

2 – What a Baby’s Gums Look Like While Teething

3 – Adult Permanent Teeth Coming In Behind Baby Teeth: Shark Teeth

4 – Colored Braces: What Colors of Braces Can You Get?

5 – Power Chains: Why Some Colored Braces are Connected

6 – What a Frenectomy is and Why Your Child Might Need One

7 – Why You Get Swollen Cheeks After Wisdom Teeth Removal

8 – Pulpitis: What’s the Difference Between Reversible Pulpitis and Irreversible Pulpitis?

9 – What’s the Best Temporary Crown Cement and Method to Re-Cement Crowns?

10 – What to Do When Your Child’s Baby Tooth Gets Knocked Out

The 10 Most Interesting Search Terms That Brought Someone to Oral Answers

I guess this is a bit subjective, but people do enter some interesting stuff in the search box that somehow brings them to Oral Answers.  Here are ten of my favorite search terms that have brought people to Oral Answers.

I can only say that I hope they found what they were looking for!  And I promise, I didn’t make any of them up.

1 – disappear completely on lying down on dental chair …… – I get more confused each time I read it. I guess it’s a good reason not to go to your dentist if he is also a magician.

2 – for sale chipped tooth composite filling – Sounds like a classic do-it-yourselfer!

3 – does sparkling water erode tooth enamel 2010 – No, but it might in 2011, so watch out!

4 – sexy bitten nails – Well, I had to find out, and just so you know, I am the 193rd result that comes up when someone searches for sexy bitten nails. The embarrassing thing is that toponlinelexapro.com someone just walked by the computer and saw me searching for sexy bitten nails.

5 – can i sue dentist for telling me about my bad odor – They sound pretty offended, but wouldn’t you want your dentist to let you know? I guess it depends on how they tell you…

6 – legal alternative to bad dentistry – I would say that the best legal alternative to bad dentistry is…good dentistry.

7 – why do dentists love wisdom – The simple answer is: It makes us smarter!

8 – if crap falls off tooth and has post in it can you put cap back on – I hope they meant cap both times!

9 – help i’m a horrible tooth fairy – Maybe a post about how to be a better tooth fairy to your children is in order.

10 – 10 ways that meth damages affects relationships – Hopefully they learned something about how meth damages teeth. If only I were a psychologist.

And here’s a bonus:

11 – help! ferret eaten bubble gum – I’m still wondering how on earth this search landed them at Oral Answers.  I’d Google it right now but I’m a little worried that the same guy who saw me search for sexy bitten nails will walk by again.

Top 10 Least Welcoming Posts on Oral Answers

Sadly, around 9 out of every 10 people who looked at the following posts ended up leaving Oral Answers without reading any other posts.  I’d like to think that maybe they found the answer to their question and then just moved on, but perhaps it was something I said?

1 – A Popping Click When You Open Your Jaw Is Pretty Common

2 – Does Teething Cause a Fever in Teething Babies?

3 – Why Teeth Whitening Toothpaste Isn’t Making Your Teeth Any Whiter

4 – Should You Replace Your Toothbrush After You’re Sick?

5 – What Is The Difference Between Dentists with DMD and DDS Degrees?

6 – Natal Teeth: When Your Baby Is Born With Teeth

7 – At What Age Should Your Child Go to the Dentist for the First Time?

8 – Six Reasons Why You Should Wear a Protective Mouthguard

9 – Teeth Whitening: Two Side Effects of Whitening Your Teeth

10 – Don’t Let Your Teeth Get Hurt This Cold & Flu Season

Top 10 Most Engaging Posts on Oral Answers

Here’s a list of the 10 posts that people spend the most time reading, and how long the average reader spends on it.

1 – How to Really Win a Dental Malpractice Lawsuit – 5 minutes, 22 seconds.

2 – What to Do When Your Child’s Baby Tooth Gets Knocked Out – 4 minutes, 25 seconds.

3 – Why People Hate the Dentist, My Theory Part II – 4 minutes, 24 seconds.

4 – Pain Caused by a High Filling: Why It Happens & How to Fix It – 4 minutes, 22 seconds.

5 – Why You Might Need to Premedicate With Antibiotics Before You See Your Dentist – 4 minutes, 19 seconds.

6 – Top 10 Reasons to Oppose Water Fluoridation – 4 minutes, 17 seconds.

7 – Yes the $3 Teeth Whitening Trial is a Scam – 4 minutes, 10 seconds.

8 – Pulpitis: What’s the Difference Between Reversible & Irreversible Pulpitis – 3 minutes, 57 seconds.

9 – An Alternative to Suing Your Dentist: Peer Review – 3 minutes, 55 seconds.

10 – Tooth Traditions Around the World: It’s Not Just the Tooth Fairy – 3 minutes, 53 seconds.

How Can I Improve Oral Answers?

Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to make Oral Answers better?  Please let me know below in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Three weeks ago, I wrote about why people hate the dentist.  I promised a second installment that includes my other theory as to why people hate the dentist.  In order to get the point across, I want to share a story about shopping for a new pillow.  Bear with me, I hope it will make sense!

Let’s say your pillow is worn out and you want to buy a new one.  You head on over to your local store and ask for a pillow.  The salesman comes up to you and says:

“Well, son.  I’ve got this pillow over here.  It won’t be as comfortable as your old pillow.  In fact, there’s a good chance it will hurt you when you buy it and it might hurt you while you sleep for the first few nights.

“And I’ve got to be honest with you, it won’t last nearly as long as your old pillow, but your old pillow is history – you can’t use it anymore so just forget about it.

“Oh yeah, and that pillow insurance you paid a lot of money for a few years ago that was supposed to pay for your pillows for the rest of your life?  It’s only going to pay for half of this pillow, so you’ve got to come up with some cash.”

You probably wouldn’t want to buy the pillow.  Think about it though: A similar thing happens when you go to the dentist to get a filling.  If you’d like, go ahead and re-read the above story replacing the “pillow” with a dental filling.

Why People Hate the Dentist: Another Theory

My first theory on why people hate the dentist boiled down to the fact that the only sensation that teeth feel is pain.  The second part of my theory can be boiled down to the following:

Dentists can’t create teeth that are better than your natural teeth.

Let’s say you go to the dentist to have some decay removed and to get a new synthetic piece of tooth to replace your old damaged piece of tooth.  The dentist may or may not tell you the following information:

1 – It might hurt when you get it.
2 – It might hurt for the first few days.
3 – It won’t last nearly as long as your original tooth would have lasted had it stayed healthy.
4 – Your dental insurance may not cover all of it.

So you end up hating your dentist. Not only do your teeth only feel pain, but on top of that, the dentist can’t even repair your teeth to be as good as they once were and you have to pay for something that’s not as good as what you originally had.

The best teeth are the ones that your body makes, not the ones that your dentist makes.

Please remember that as dentists, it’s not our fault that your tooth decayed.  We’ll do our best to fix it, but please be aware that a dental restoration is never as good as the natural tooth that it replaced.

What do you think? Is this one of the reasons that people hate the dentist? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

Being the youngest child of seven, I’m not sure I really had a chance to believe in the tooth fairy. By the time I started losing my teeth, I think my parents had gone through this process so many times before that they simply gave me money for my lost tooth and then put my tooth in an old 35 mm film canister. I’m not sure what became of that little container of my baby teeth…

Dr. Rosemary Wells, the curator of the Tooth Fairy Museum (yes, it really exists!) in Deerfield, Illinois has stated that the tooth fairy is only known to exist in the United States and in countries with a similar ethnic background.  This made me wonder what exactly happens all over the world when little boys and girls lose their teeth.

After reading some books, I was able to find out that there are several twists on the tooth fairy that include feeding your teeth to dogs, throwing your tooth to the sun or on the roof, and summoning the help of a variety of animals to ensure that your permanent tooth will grow in properly.

Here are some other interesting tooth traditions from around the world arranged in alphabetical order for your reading pleasure.

Afghanistan

Kids in Afghanistan throw their teeth in a mouse or rat hole.  They want the rodent to give them a nice, strong tooth like the ones they have.

American Indian Tribes

The parents of children in the Chippewa tribe use charcoal to make the lost tooth turn black and then throw it to the west while asking the child’s grandma to help the permanent tooth to grow in strong.

The Cherokee Indian children would run around the house with the lost tooth and then throw it on the roof while reciting this phrase four times: “Beaver, put a new tooth in my jaw!”

Navajo Indian children take their tooth to the southeast, away from their house. They bury the tooth on the east side (the east is associated with childhood) of a sagebrush, rabbitbrush, or pinyon tree.

Teton Indian children bury their tooth in the dirt at the entrance to the lodge. Anyone who walks over the spot where the tooth is buried is said to grow a new tooth.

Shuswap and Yupik Indian kids mix their lost tooth in with some meat and then feed the mixture to a dog while saying, “Make my teeth strong.”

The Dene Yellowknives have their mother or grandmother take their lost tooth, put it in a tree, and then have their family dance around the tree. This makes it so that their new tooth comes in straight as a tree.

Ancient Abyssinia

Children used to throw their lost tooth to a howling hyena, asking the hyena for strong teeth.

Argentina

Children in Argentina put their tooth in a glass of water.  During the night El Ratoncito, a little mouse, will drink the water, take the tooth, and then leave some coins or candy in the empty glass.

Australia

Children in Australia put their tooth under their pillow and wait for the tooth fairy to come give them money in exchange for their tooth.

Botswana

Children in Botswana throw their tooth on the roof and then ask the moon to bring them a new tooth.

Brazil

Some children in Brazil throw their tooth outside and ask the birds to take it and bring them another one.  The birds will only take the tooth if it doesn’t have any cavities!  Other children throw their tooth out of their window and onto the roof while asking Saint John to take it and bring them a healthy new tooth.

China

Chinese kids put their upper teeth at the foot of their beds and put their lower teeth on the roof.  It is hoped that this will make their permanent teeth grow in faster.

Colombia

Colombian children put their tooth under their pillow.  A mouse named El Ratón Miguelito takes their tooth and gives them money.

Denmark

Danish children put their tooth under their pillow and wait for the tooth fairy to come give them some money.

Egypt

Egyptian children wrap their teeth in a tissue and take it outside.  They throw their tooth at the sun, asking the son to take their buffalo tooth and give them a bride’s tooth.  This is similar to most children in middle-eastern countries, who throw their tooth at the sun, hoping that it will give them back a tooth to make their smile brighter!

El Salvador

Children in El Salvador put their teeth under their pillow.  At night, a rabbit comes and takes their tooth, leaving behind money.

England

In England, kids put their tooth under their pillow and wait for the tooth fairy to come and leave money.

France

French children put their teeth under their pillows.  At night le petite souris, a mouse, will take away their tooth and leave a gift.

Greece

Children in Greece throw their teeth on the roof for good luck.  Then they make a wish that their adult teeth will be healthy and strong.

Guatemala

Children in Guatemala put their tooth under their pillow and wait for a mouse to take their tooth away and leave them some money.

Haiti

Children in Haiti throw their tooth on the roof and ask a rat to give them a good tooth in return for their old baby tooth.

India

Some kids in India throw their tooth on the roof and ask a sparrow to bring them a new tooth.  Other children in India throw their tooth at the sun, hoping for a bright adult tooth in return.

Indonesia

Indonesian children throw their tooth backwards over their shoulder and over the roof of their house.  If they throw the tooth straight, their permanent tooth will grow in straight.  If they throw it crooked, they will have crooked teeth.

Jamaica

Jamaican children believe that when their tooth comes out, a Calf will come to take them and their tooth away.  To keep the calf at bay, the children will put their tooth in a tin can and shake it so that it scares the calf.

Japan

Children in Japan throw their upper teeth in the dirt and their lower teeth on the roof.  The thought behind this is that their new teeth will grow in straight as they grow toward their old teeth.

Korea

Children in Korea throw their tooth on the roof of their house and sing, “Blackbird, blackbird, my old tooth I give to you.  Bring me a new tooth.”

Lithuania

Lithuanian children keep their teeth as a souvenir.

Malaysia

Malaysian kids bury their lost baby tooth in the ground.  They believe that since the tooth was part of their body, it should be returned to the earth.

Nepal

Children in Nepal are very protective of their lost tooth.  They believe that if a bird sees or eats their tooth, then a new one won’t grow in.  Their goal is to bury their tooth so that it won’t ever be seen or found and eaten by a bird.

Nigeria

Children in Nigeria have an interesting tradition.  If you’re a boy, you hold your tooth and eight stones in your fist.  Girls hold six stones and their tooth in their fist.  The child then closes their eyes, states their name, and counts to the number in the fist.  They then say, “Oh, I want my tooth back!” Next, they throw everything in their fist up in the air and run away as fast as they can.

Pakistan

Kids in Pakistan wrap their lost tooth in cotton then throw their tooth in a nearby river at sunset for good luck.

Philippines

Children in the Philippines hide their lost tooth and make a wish.  If they are able to find their teeth after one year, then they can make another wish.

Russia

Children in Russia put their lost teeth in mouse holes in the hope that the mouse will give them a strong tooth as a replacement.

Spain

Spanish children put their teeth under the pillow.  A little mouse named Ratoncito Perez will take away their tooth in exchange for money or candy.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan kids stand outside of their house, close their eyes and say, “Squirrel, Squirrel, take this tooth and give me a new one.”  Then they throw their tooth on the roof and go back into their house.  Then they open their eyes.

Sweden

Swedish children put their tooth in a glass of water.  In the morning a coin mysteriously takes the place of the tooth in the glass of water.

Taiwan

Children in Taiwan throw their teeth on the roof.

Tajikistan

Children in Tajikistan plant their teeth in the ground, hoping that the tooth will grow into a warrior.

Turkey

The parents of children in Turkey believe that their child’s lost tooth holds within it their future.   If they want their child to become a great soccer player, they will bury the tooth in a soccer field.  If they wanted their child to go to dental school (what kind of parent would?!) then they would bury the child’s tooth around a dental school.

United States

Children in the United States put their lost teeth under their pillow at night.  The tooth fairy comes and takes their tooth away and usually leaves a small amount of money under the child’s pillow in exchange for the tooth.

Sources

I obtained information for this article from a variety of sources, including:

• Selby B. Beeler’s great book, Throw Your Tooth on the Roof.  I highly recommend this book as it has even more countries than I included here.  If you want about the most comprehensive list of tooth traditions around the world, this is your book!
• The Excruciating History of Dentistry, a good book by James Wynbrandt.
• Wikipedia’s article on Tooth Traditions Around the World

Any Other Lost Tooth Traditions?

What about you?  Do you do something different than what was mentioned above?  If so, please leave a comment in the comments section below — I’d love to hear about your lost tooth traditions.

Is it possible that spending a lot of time in the swimming pool can stain your teeth or even slowly dissolve your teeth?

In this article, I will take a look into two different questions that many swimmers have regarding their teeth:

1 – Can swimming pools stain my teeth?

2 – Can swimming pools dissolve my teeth?

Let’s get started with the first question.

Can Swimming Pools Stain Your Teeth?

An interesting discussion on this topic came up in a thread on the U.S. Masters Swimming Forum.  The user ensignada led off with the following question:

I took my 8 year old to the dentist today for a check-up. One of our concerns was the brown discoloration on her two front teeth. The first question the dentist asked was “Is she a tea drinker?” (No). The second question stunned me, “Is she a swimmer?”

Apparently a few of his swim team patients over the years have experienced discoloration. It’s not permanent (he was able to scrap her’s off). He didn’t explain the chemical reaction taking place.

According to eHow, the optimum pH level in a pool is 7.2 to 7.6.  This pH is considered to be basic.  In general, solids dissolve in acid and then precipitate (or become solids again) in bases.  This means that in a basic swimming pool, the calcium and minerals present in your mouth will harden onto your teeth rather than dissolve (as they would if the pH were acidic – this is why your teeth dissolve slowly when you eat or drink anything acidic.)  The higher pH of the swimming pool, in combination with the antimicrobial compounds that the pool water contains, causes proteins in your mouth to break down and get together with minerals in your mouth to form a hard, yellowish-brown mineral deposit on your teeth.

This article from the Academy of General Dentistry states the following regarding this phenomenon: “Athlete swimmers, who often swim laps more than six hours a week, expose their teeth to large amounts of chemically treated water. Pool water contains chemical additives like antimicrobials, which give the water a higher pH than saliva, causing salivary proteins to break down quickly and form organic deposits on swimmer’s teeth.  The result is swimmer’s calculus, hard, brown tartar deposits that appear predominantly on the front teeth.”

To answer the question, swimming a lot can cause you to get yellow to dark brown stains on your teeth that your dentist or dental hygienist should be able to remove for you at a routine cleaning appointment.

Can Swimming Pools Dissolve Your Teeth?

As I mentioned above, the optimal pH level in a pool is 7.2 to 7.6.  If you read my article about drinks that can dissolve your teeth, you might remember that teeth start dissolving at a pH below 5.5.

So… could a swimming pool really dissolve your teeth if it is kept at the optimal pH of around 7.4?  The answer is no.  However, if the pH of the swimming pool finds a way to become acidic, then swimming pools can start dissolving your teeth.

This usually occurs in gas-chlorinated pool systems.  When swimming pools are gas-chlorinated, hypochlorous acid is formed.  Normally swimming pools counteract this acid with a strong base, such as ash.  If the swimming pool doesn’t get enough base to counter the acid from the chlorine, it can become acidic and start to dissolve the teeth of those who swim.

This case report tells the story of a competitive swimmer who swam in a gas-chlorinated swimming pool and experienced notable dental erosion within 27 days!  It says,  “Several reports indicate an increased prevalence of dental erosion among intensive swimmers due to low pH gas-chlorinated pool water…[A] case report is presented which describes the very rapid occurrence of excessive general dental erosion of a competitive swimmer due to gas-chlorinated pool water within 27 days. The observation of several authors as well as this case underscore the significance of a regular pH monitoring of chlorinated swimming pool water. The high incidence indicates that dental erosion due to frequent swimming is of considerable diagnostic and therapeutic significance. Furthermore, it is recommended to fluoridate the teeth of intensive swimmers regularly to prevent dental erosion.”

This scholarly article even directly mentions that swimming pools can be a cause of tooth erosion, right along with diet and other factors.  It says that “Swimming pools with a low pH due to inadequate maintenance have…been implicated [in dental erosion].”

For further reading on dental erosion and swimming pools, you can take a look at the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from July 22, 1983.  One interesting statistic that they mention is that only 15% of frequent swimmers displayed enamel erosion while only 3% of infrequent or non-swimmers experienced enamel erosion.

I assume that within the past 30 years, swimming pools are much more careful about testing the pH of their water to ensure that it is not too acidic, but it can still happen due to “inadequate maintenance” as the article above states.

Conclusion

If you notice that you are getting stained teeth due to swimming, you may want to ask your dentist about coming in for more frequent cleanings.

If you notice that you are losing some enamel on your teeth due to swimming, you may want to check with your swimming pool to make sure that their pH is within the normal range. Also, it may be a good idea to get frequent fluoride treatments from your dentist.

Learn about the three ways fluoride protects your teeth.

Are you a swimmer?  Do you have any experiences to share or any questions/comments about this article?  I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

Dental fluorosis is caused by ingesting too much fluoride while the teeth are developing.  Dental fluorosis discolors the teeth.  The staining can range from white flecks to deep brown stains.

In this post, I will talk about the various treatments for dental fluorosis.  If you’re interested in how dental fluorosis occurs and want to see a couple different pictures to see what dental fluorosis looks like, check out my previous article, Dental Fluorosis: Too Much Fluoride Stains Teeth.

Dental Fluorosis Treatment: Four Ways Dental Fluorosis Is Treated

There are a few different ways that dental fluorosis can be treated.

1 – Porcelain Laminate Veneers.  One of the most esthetic ways is by placing porcelain laminate veneers over the affected teeth as shown in the picture to the right.  In this procedure, less than 1 millimeter of the front surface of the tooth is shaved away.  The dentist takes an impression, and then a dental lab makes a veneer that looks great and fits perfectly into the spot that was shaved away by the dentist.

2 – Enamel Microabrasion. This is the least invasive method of treating dental fluorosis.  In this method of fluorosis treatment, the dentist treats the tooth with acid and then sands away a tiny layer of enamel off of the tooth using pumice.  After this is completed, the dentist then applies topical fluoride and a solution to help remineralize the teeth.  It is important to note that the topical fluoride that is applied simply helps to make the enamel stronger.  Topical fluoride will not cause fluorosis — fluorosis is caused by ingesting fluoride systemically.

Not sure what remineralization means?  Read the article Try to Keep Your Teeth Below Freezing to find out.

The book Dental Fluorosis: A Handbook for Health Workers states the following about this technique, “In reality the improvements in appearance are primarily the result of abrading the outer porous enamel with pumice after it has been partly demineralized by the acid.”

This procedure may need to be repeated several times to obtain satisfactory results.

3 – Direct Composite Veneers (Also Known as Composite Bonding).  This procedure is similar to the porcelain laminate veneers mentioned above.  However, after shaving down the front of your teeth, the dentist doesn’t take an impression to send to the lab.  The dentist simply repairs the tooth using white composite filling material.  This covers up the affected tooth with an aesthetic tooth-colored filling.

The drawback of this procedure is that direct composite veneers sometimes only last a few years and then may need to be replaced with a crown or porcelain laminate veneers.

Interested in direct composite veneers?  See a picture of how a front tooth can be repaired with composite filling material in the article, How a Chipped Tooth Can Be Repaired with a White Composite Filling.

4 – A Dental Crown. During a dental crown procedure, the dentist shaves down around the whole tooth and then places an aesthetic crown over the tooth.  This is the most invasive treatment that is normally done for the treatment of dental fluorosis.

To learn more about what  dental crown is and how the teeth are prepared, read the article Dental Crown Procedure: What Is a Crown or Cap?

Although it would be possible to remove teeth affected by fluorosis and then place dental implants, I didn’t include that here because it is not normally a treatment option.  Most teeth affected by fluorosis are healthy and more resistant to cavities.  Their downfall is in their appearance.  I don’t believe that removing healthy teeth for aesthetic reasons is the best option when there are other less invasive options.

Conclusion

In summary, the least invasive way to treat dental fluorosis is through enamel microabrasion.  After that, the dentist can shave down the front of the tooth and either place a composite filling material or a porcelain laminate veneer to cover up the front surface of the tooth.  The most invasive treatment of dental fluorosis involves placing a crown around the whole tooth.

Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns about dental fluorosis and its treatment?  I’d love to hear them in the comments section below.  Thanks for reading!

Have you ever wondered how long your dentist has been licensed or if they’ve ever had any public complaints?

Each state dental board provides certain public record information about dentists.

A lot of information about your dentist is available on the internet. In fact,  as of late 2013 (Thanks Iowa!), all 50 states in the U.S. provide access to license information about all of their dentists online free of charge.

Some of the details that state dental boards allow you to view are:

• How long the dentist has been licensed
• If the dentist has ever had any disciplinary action taken against them
• If the dentist has a permit for sedation or general anesthesia
• What dental school and in what year the dentist graduated
• If they are board certified in one of the nine dental specialties
• Their main address where they engage in the practice of dentistry

All of these links work as of today! Over time, I am sure that some of the state dental boards will change the addresses of their license verification pages. If that happens, please send me an email or leave a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll update the broken link.

Here’s the list:

Dentist License Verification Information for Each State in the United States

Alabama

The Alabama Board of Dental Examiners provides an online directory of all practicing dentists in the state that tells you the address of every dentist in the state, when they first got licensed, when their license expires and from which dental school they graduated.  It’s a Microsoft Excel file, if you have any trouble opening it, let me know and I can convert it.

The Alabama Dental Board states that “The directories posted on this website are not intended for license verification purposes.”

Interestingly, they don’t seem to provide any other way for the public to verify licenses.  Although first in the alphabet, they’re near the bottom when it comes to information disclosure regarding practicing dentists.  If you find a better way to verify dental licenses in Alabama, please leave a comment below!

Alaska

The Alaska Board of Dental Examiners allows you to download a .csv file (you can open it with Microsoft Excel) that contains the address of every dentist in the state, when they first got licensed and when their license expires. You need to go to this page and then click on “Dental” then click “Continue.” On the next page click on “Dentist” and then type in your email address and you will get a copy of the .csv file emailed to you with the information.

Arizona

The Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners makes this form available to allow you to search for your dentist and find out their address, license number, issue date, expiration date, their dental school, and graduation date.

Arkansas

The Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners has a form available that tells you the dentist’s address, phone number, when they first became licensed, and if they have ever had any disciplinary action taken.

California

The Dental Board of California provides this form you can use to search for your dentist.

Colorado

Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies provides this dental license verification tool.   Select “Dental: Dentist (DEN)” from the list and then input the information you know to perform a search.

Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Public Health provides a form to search for your dentist here. Be sure to select “Dentist” from the drop-down list.

Delaware

The Delaware State Board of Dentistry provides this form. Select “Dentistry” from the drop-down menu.

District of Columbia

Here is the link to the District of Columbia Dental License Search page.  You have to choose “Dentistry” then “Dentist” from the top two drop-down boxes.

Florida

The Florida Department of Health provides this form. Select “Dental” from the “Profession” drop-down menu.  Try this link if the top one doesn’t work.

Georgia

The Georgia Board of Dentistry has made this form available. Select “Dentistry” under the profession box.

Hawaii

The Hawaii Department of Professional and Vocational Licensing doesn’t appear to allow you to search online, but they do offer a telephone number for you to call to obtain information on licensed dentists and previous complaints filed against dentists. They provide two numbers: (808) 587-3295 or (808) 587-3222.

Idaho

The Idaho State Board of Dentistry provides this form to search for a licensed dentist.

Illinois

The Illinois Division of Professional Regulation provides this license lookup form.

Indiana

Indiana Online Licensing provides this form to search for dentists.

Iowa

The Iowa Dental Board provides this form for you to perform a dental license search.

Kansas

The Kansas Dental Board provides this license verification form. By using it, you agree to the Kansas Open Records Act.

Kentucky

The Kentucky Board of Dentistry provides this Dentist License Search form.

Louisiana

The Louisiana State Board of Dentistry provides this License verification page.

Maine

Maine provides this slightly confusing form. You need to select “All” under “Department”, “Dental Examiners” under “Agency” and “Regulator” then select “Dentists” under “Profession.” Then you can search!

Maryland

Maryland provides the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners License Verification Site which you can use to verify your dentist’s license.

Massachusetts

Go to the Massachusetts Division of Health Professions Licensure License Verification Site to verify your dentist’s license.

Michigan

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory affairs provides this online dental license verification page.  Simply select “Dentist, Hygienist, Dental Assistant” category from the profession selection box.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Board of Dentistry provides this Licensee Search page.

Mississippi

The Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners provides this search page for licensed dentists.

Missouri

The Missouri Division of Professional Registration provides this licensee search page (scroll down in the drop-down box to the “Dentistry” category. Alternatively, you can download a complete listing of all dental professionals from this page.

Montana

Montana has a state-wide licensee look-up system. It requires a few steps and has a captcha form. I put in the name of a recent graduate of my dental school who went to Montana to practice dentistry, and it didn’t find him… Hopefully it works for you!

Nebraska

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services provides this license look-up page.

Nevada

The Nevada State Dental Board provides this licensee search page.

New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Board of Dental Examiners provides this license verification page.

New Jersey

The State of New Jersey provides this license verification service.

New Mexico

New Mexico provides this licensee search page. Click on “Dental” under profession, and then “Dentist” under license type.

New York

The New York Office of Professions has a license verification page here.

North Carolina

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners provides this license verification database search page.

North Dakota

The North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners provides this license verification page.

Ohio

The Ohio License Center provides this license search page.

Oklahoma

The Oklahoma State Dental Board provides this easy-to-use directory of licensed dentists. The link goes to dentists with last names starting with “A.” You can click on a different letter at the top of the page.

Oregon

The Oregon Board of Dentistry provides this licensee look-up page.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of State provides this license verification site.

Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Department of Health provides this license look-up page.

South Carolina

South Carolina provides this dental license look-up page.

South Dakota

The South Dakota State Board of Dentistry provides this license verification page.

Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Health provides this license verification page. I have to say it is one of the most in-depth license lookup systems out there! It gives you a LOT of information about the dental professional that you look up. For example, it will tell you if a dentist was fined for not renewing his license on time.

Texas

The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners provides this license verification page.

You can select dentists, hygienists, or registered dental assistants and then it will take you to the search page.

Utah

The state of Utah provides this licensee look-up and verification system.

Vermont

Vermont provides this state license look up page.

Virginia

The Virginia Department of Health Professions makes this license look-up page available to the public.

Washington

The Washington State Department of Health has this provider credential search page which will allow you to verify your dentist’s license.

West Virginia

The West Virginia Dental Board provides this page where you can search for a dentist and find their licensing information.

Wisconsin

The State of Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing provides this page for you to search for your dentist’s license details.

Wyoming

The Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners provides this licensee search page.

Questions or Broken Links

Do you have any questions about finding public records information about your dentist? Did you find that one of the links above didn’t work? Please leave a comment below and let me know about it and I’ll fix it right away!

Thanks for visiting Oral Answers!