3 Reasons To Get Rid Of Those Old Silver Fillings

Posted on February 18, 2009 | Filed Under Dentistry 

First, they’re ugly. Even if you have a great smile, as soon as you open your mouth to laugh and expose those visible mounds of silver, you’ve compromised the view of your dental landscape. Tooth colored fillings blend in with your natural teeth and don’t detract from your smile.

Second, they mask the condition of your teeth underneath. So, if you’ve had mercury fillings in your molars for 30 years, you have no idea what condition that tooth is in underneath. Mercury expands and contracts with heat and cold and decades of that in your teeth exposes cracking underneath. In replacing these on patients, I’ve often removed the old fillings in time to restore the cracked tooth underneath. When it can’t be
restored, it’s more costly.

Third, old fillings can leak which simply means that over time it can start to let bacteria into the tooth. When this occurs, we say it is “leaking.” That’s when it is no longer protecting your tooth.

Look Ma’ No Cavities!

Posted on August 25, 2008 | Filed Under Dentistry, General, Health, St. Louis, Teeth Tips 

For Boomers who grew up with this famous toothpaste commercial, I have a news flash: At your age, it’s no longer just about cavities!

If you’ve passed the age of forty, you really should have a mid-life diagnosis to evaluate the overall state of your oral health AND to plan a proper course of treatment that will enable you to keep your teeth for the remainder of your lifetime.

Patients over forty have often shortchanged their dental health or just barely maintained their teeth and gums. With the expense of family taking precedence through the previous two decades, Boomer-aged patients coming to me for the first time are often prepared to play catch-up with their own dental health.

Today you can plan a course of treatment that will ensure you’ve got your own teeth to chew with well into your senior years. In addition, nothing is more youthful than a natural-looking white smile. Unlike your parents, if you take care now you can have both.

In an Era of Speed, Quality is Still Valued…

Posted on July 18, 2008 | Filed Under Dentistry 

Will all of you under 40 indulge me for just a moment while I reminisce about “When I was Growing Up?” Once in a while, I’m reminded of the higher quality with which things used to be made. Cars, furniture, clothing, appliances and yes, even dentistry were MADE TO LAST.

My dad, Dr. Sam Pagano, practiced dentistry in St Louis for over 50 years. Many of his techniques are lost today. Yet, his techniques resulted in quality dental work that lasts.

Case in point: My dad and I were having breakfast at Sunrise Café on 141 and Olive Blvd. A 91 year old woman by the name of Josephine came up to our table. She looked at my dad, waiting for him to recognize her. Turns out, he filled her teeth 40 years ago. She proudly announced that she still had those same fillings and that her current dentist wanted to know (and I quote): “Who did all of this beautiful work in your mouth?”

In another outing, my dad and I ran into a former patient of his who proudly displayed the dentures my dad had made for him – IN 1953! Over 50 years later, these dentures were still working for this patient.

In earlier times artisans and craftsmen spent years as apprentices in order to Master their skills. I was fortunate enough to get an apprenticeship fresh out of dental school, working with my dad for nearly ten years. I learned as much from him as I did in school, if not more. By mastering the fundamentals of dentistry and focusing on quality, I had a strong foundation on which to embrace the technological advancements that have been made in dentistry.

Despite my excitement at learning new procedures and acquiring the latest technology, I know that these aren’t substitutes for a firm grounding in the skills of providing quality dentistry that will last.