Tag Archives: decay

cavity of the day

April 24, 2016cavities-before/afterarlington, caries, cavities, cavity, composite restorations, decay, dentist, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, virginiaDoctorGentry

This patient hadn’t been to the dentist in 5 years. This upper molar tooth was not sensitive and he had no idea he had any cavities. Here’s the before and after cleaning out the decay and placing a ceramic composite restoration. The procedure took about 30 minutes.

Cavity of the day

April 20, 2016cavities-before/afterarlington, caries, cavities, cavity, composite restorations, decay, dentist, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, tooth bonding, virginiaDoctorGentry

This patient takes a medicine called atenolol, which is a beta blocker, used to treat high blood pressure. It’s great at lowering blood pressure, but also causes dry mouth. She also loves to eat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The decreased saliva and frequent consumption of sugar caused these teeth to decay and the cavities to form. I was able to remove the decay and restore the teeth with ceramic cosmetic fillings. These before and after pictures were taken 15 minutes apart. Looks great!!!

Cavity of the day

March 26, 2016cavities-before/afterarlington, caries, cavities, cavity, composite restorations, decay, dentist, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

This patient is a 26 year old woman who uses an Advair asthma inhaler. The inhaler causes dry mouth which allowed these cavities to form. If you use an inhaler always rinse out with water after and brush your teeth as soon as you can following inhaler use. Make sure to see your dentist regularly to check for tooth decay. The cavity in the last molar was to the nerve. I was able to avoid a root canal by placing a vitrebond pulp cap over the exposed nerve and a ceramic composite restoration to restore the tooth. Looks great!!!

Cavity of the day

February 29, 2016cavities-before/afterarlington, caries, cavities, cavity, composite restorations, decay, dentist, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, tooth bonding, virginiaDoctorGentry

This patient had deep decay on her teeth. I extracted her back molars and was able to save this premolar tooth with a pulp cap and a bonded ceramic restoration.

cb2eb6a1-331a-48a1-9126-b6d192712571 — before

3b72f06d-6717-48f8-9ef7-71fe98212439 — after

filling of the day

February 18, 2016cavities-before/afterarlington, cavities, cavity, composite restorations, decay, dental, dentist, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, tooth bonding, virginiaDoctorGentry

These photos are of a 30 year old lady with a large cavity in her last upper molar. I was able to save the tooth and restore it with a bonded composite restoration without a root canal in 30 minutes. The procedure was totally painless and she was very pleased and had no discomfort after. The tooth will require a porcelain crown in the future.

14663b0e-17ea-4e6a-abc0-8e9a1cc842ea — before

6e905443-c85b-4661-aac9-47b5639d2207 — after

Dr. Gentry’s interview in Northern Virginia Magazine

February 13, 2016articles/publicationsarlington, cavity, decay, dental, dentist, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

Cavity of the day

January 16, 2016cavities-before/afterarlington, cavities, cavity, composite restorations, decay, dentist, Dr Gentry, Dr. Philip Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, virginiaDoctorGentry

This patient liked to eat candy, and as a result developed many cavities. I removed the decay and restored the teeth with composite restorations.

7f21674c-071e-4bbe-8ebd-da2de4a13836 — before

178f134c-0121-4522-b205-38d54c836990 — after

Chipped tooth of the day

October 27, 2015chipped teeth-before/after, dental bonding-before/afterarlington, cavities, cavity, composite restorations, cracked tooth, decay, dentist, Dr Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, smile, tooth bonding, virginiaDoctorGentry

This patient today chipped her front tooth biting a coffee stirrer straw. I was able to restore the tooth with a bonded composite restoration in 30 minutes. Looks great!!!

Dr. Gentry’s article in The Elm, The University of Maryland

October 19, 2015articles/publications, cavities-before/after, halloween candy tipsarlington, caries, cavities, cavity, decay, dentist, Dr Gentry, northern virginia, Philip Gentry, smile, virginiaDoctorGentry

The University of Maryland

Tips for Your Teeth: Halloween Edition

Tips for Healthy Teeth

Eat Halloween candy right after meals. The saliva produced during meals will help dilute the acids produced by the mouth bacteria in response to the sugar and the saliva will help rinse away food particles.
Avoid candy that lasts a long time. It’s the length of time the sugar is in your mouth that is the critical factor. The longer the candy is in the mouth the more damage to the teeth.
Stay away from sticky candy. The longer the sugary candy is stuck to the teeth the more decay will occur. Stay away from gummy bears, sticky fudge and taffy. Stay away from sour candy. Sour candy is highly acidic leading to erosion of enamel.
Drink more water. Tap water with fluoride is best. This will help wash away the candy.
Eat good healthy foods and don’t fill up on sugary candy. You need good nutrition for healthy teeth and gums.
Stay away from sodas and sports drinks. The frequent contact with the sugary liquid will increase damage to teeth.
Chewing sugarless gum after eating candy will cause increased saliva production, which will neutralize the acid in the mouth and wash away food.
Brush as soon as possible after eating. If you ate sour or acidic foods rinse with water a few times first to neutralize the acid so not to push the acid into the enamel. Brush for two minutes.
Floss! Flossing removes plaque and food stuck between the teeth where the toothbrush can’t reach.
Visit your dentist regularly to catch dental problems early, and “treat” them before they get really scary. … Remember good oral health is a major contributor to good overall health.

by Philip A. Gentry, DDS, FAGD
Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry
Dean’s Faculty, Clinical Asst. Professor, Department of General Dentistry, Advanced Education in General Dentistry,
University of Maryland School of Dentistry