Example of Fluorosis – Symptoms, Treatments, and Causes

A large percentage of America’s public water supplies are fluoridated. The reason most commonly given is because fluoride helps strengthen teeth. In fact, there is very little evidence suggesting that ingested fluoride has any benefit whatsoever. Instead, there are mounds of evidence proving the negative effects of fluoridated water.

The pictures below (taken in our office) show a 30-year-old male who has been stricken with fluorosis. In the pictures you can clearly see the unsightly white spots and the soft spots caused by fluoride. Ultimately, any attempts to fix the problems caused by fluoride result in very expensive cosmetic dentistry.

Of course, white spots and soft spots are not the only problems linked to fluoride. The most common symptoms of fluorosis are cosmetic:

• Chalky white teeth patches
• Yellow stained teeth
• Brown stained teeth
• Discolored teeth
• Soft Spots (or weak teeth)

For cosmetic problems caused by excessive fluoride intake, the treatment options include teeth bleaching, sand blasting or microderm abrasion, and veneers.

In some cases, drinking fluoridated water can also lead to more serious problems, including Skeletal Fluorosis. According to the Fluoride Action Network “Crippling skeletal fluorosis might occur in people who have ingested 10-20 mg of fluoride per day for 10-20 years.”

So what are the symptoms of Skeletal Fluorosis?

Skeletal fluorosis, a complicated illness caused by the accumulation of too much fluoride in the bones, has a number of stages. The first two stages are preclinical-that is, the patient feels no symptoms but changes have taken place in the body. In the first preclinical stage, biochemical abnormalities occur in the blood and in bone composition; in the second, histological changes can be observed in the bone in biopsies. Some experts call these changes harmful because they are precursors of more serious conditions. Others say they are harmless.

In the early clinical stage of skeletal fluorosis, symptoms include pains in the bones and joints; sensations of burning, pricking, and tingling in the limbs; muscle weakness; chronic fatigue; and gastrointestinal disorders and reduced appetite. During this phase, changes in the pelvis and spinal column can be detected on x-rays. The bone has both a more prominent and more blurred structure.

In the second clinical stage, pains in the bones become constant and some of the ligaments begin to calcify. Osteoporosis may occur in the long bones, and early symptoms of osteosclerosis (a condition in which the bones become more dense and have abnormal crystalline structure) are present. Bony spurs may also appear on the limb bones, especially around the knee, the elbow, and on the surface of tibia and ulna.

In advanced skeletal fluorosis, called crippling skeletal fluorosis, the extremities become weak and moving the joints is difficult. The vertebrae partially fuse together, crippling the patient.

Fluoride Action Network

http://www.fluoridealert.org/s-fluorosis.htm

The fluoridation of public water supplies amounts to forced medication of our citizens. In theory, the practice is bad enough, but when coupled with the cosmetic and physical problems fluoride is known to cause, the practice is irresponsible and negligent.

Got A Gummy Smile?

Do you have a gummy smile?  You know, the smile where you show more gums than teeth… sometimes making your teeth look short or small.

If so, you’re not alone.  Most beauty pagent winners have gummy smiles.

But what about too gummy?

As a dentist I’ve been trained to evaluate smiles aesthetically and the gums are just as important as the teeth.

The following are the things we look at, other than color:

• Your gumline (the line where your tooth ends and the gums begin) is uneven.
• The height and width of your teeth.
• How many teeth are shown (ie. how many back teeth can I see when you smile.
• Are the edges or your upper teeth straight or parallel to your eye line?
• Do you have any “black” spaces between any of your teeth?
• When you’re not smiling, can I see any part of your teeth?
• Symmetry - is the right side a mirror image of your left.
• Is the color of the gums the same on both sides?

But today, let’s look at the gums.  How much gums can you show and still look acceptable?  The answer is a maximum of 2 mm.  Two millimeters of gum is acceptable as they don’t over power the teeth.

The other key element is that the 2mm be 2mm across the whole smile.  In other words, you can have 2 mm of gums shown in the front and 6 mm of gum shown in the back or 0 mm of gums showing in the back of the mouth.

If that happens, then your teeth will not look proportional because some teeth will look bigger and some smaller.  The reason being, your teeth start and end with the gums.

You Self-Diagnose a gummy smile… now what?

As a dentist in San Diego, I’ve seen how patients can be shocked when I mention their gummy smiles.  It’s because no other dentist mentioned it as most dentists look at teeth.  I like to say that I look at smiles and the whole body.  The teeth are a small component.

Anyway… what can you do if you have a gummy smile.  The real answer is….  as one of my mentors told me, “it depends!”

It depends on why you have a gummy smile.  As you know, treatment should be driven by a diagnosis.  All too often treatment is done without figuring out what really went wrong.

Now I know what you are thinking.  If it doesn’t hurt, then don’t fix it.  If that is true, then why do you put makeup on…. why do you put deodorant on… why do you take a bath?

A gummy smile to me is not pretty and if I point it out to you, then you may feel the same way.

So there are 4 main reason why you have a gummy smile and each requires a different treatment.  The treatments can range from full blown jaw surgery to orthodontics to minor gum surgery to restorative dentistry.

If you want to know more… I’ll be sharing more in my newsletters.  Just go to my site drmarvin.com and sign up.

An Interesting Article On How To Save Money

DIY (Do it yourself Dentistry).

One funny article about ways to save money listed dentistry as a disgusting way to save money.

Former Presidential Candidate Gets New Chompers

Even “regular guy” politicians want nicer teeth.

As evidence in this article on former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

This goes to show that even in Arkansas, people want to look their best.

And remember if “good ‘ol boy” Mike Huckabee can do it, so can you.

Cosmetic Dentistry is natural good-looking dentistry… not the bling bling everyone thinks it is.