Some may say that it was my destiny to become a dentist. Not only did my father work in the field as a dental equipment technician, but because of reasons unknown, my teeth did not develop as they should. My mother can recall my teeth being misshaped and pointy when they erupted at the age of one. But It wasnt until age three when I had my first dental X-Ray that it was revealed an unusual sight. The Panoramic X-Ray revealed that several of my adult teeth, which normally develop under baby teeth, were not there.

As my primary teeth began to fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth, some never grew in. Thirteen of them, to be exact. Nearly half of my mouth was missing teeth. Even more, some of my baby teeth did not fall out. Talk about some stubborn teeth! Those were eventually extracted to make room for alternative teeth replacements.

This is a digital panoramic X-Ray of a child whose teeth are developing normally in the jaw. You can see that there are teeth stacked on top of more teeth. Those are adult (permanent) teeth that will push through as the child ages and begins to lose baby (primary) teeth. Thirteen of Dr. Hales teeth that should have been under his baby teeth were not there.

As the fall of sixth grade began, so did life with braces. I didnt mind having braces, though; many other kids had them, too. While there were some adjustments I had to make I was given a mouth guard for football and hockey practice, which was tough to get used to at first, but braces didnt affect me too much. It wasnt until my friends began getting their braces off and I still had mine on that I started to become more aware of any differences. In fact, I had my braces on for over 6 years, which is 3-to-6 times the amount of time for minor teeth realignment. I began to realize that my teeth were a little bit different.

Despite everything that was done, I spent a lot of time waiting. Waiting on my jawbone, gums, and face to develop. In the end, we elected to do bridges to replace most of my missing teeth, which make up what my smile is today. At 17, I finally was able to smile confidently. Age seventeen is a very young age to have these sorts of treatments done, but the goal was to have my treatment completed before the end of high school and beginning of college.

My smile was bigger, and I showed it more often. Throughout the entire process, I couldnt help but think about the team of dental specialists that helped me. They made it so much easier to smile, and I loved showing off my new pearly whites. Thinking of the impact that made on my smile and confidence, it was an obvious choice that being in the dental profession would be in my future. I felt like I had a unique perspective on the profession, and more importantly, I felt that I could impact other peoples lives just like my dentist had for me. I wanted to help people smile if theyd never been able to do so before. I guess you could say that I was born to do this job.

People that have missing teeth are able to gain a beautiful smile with modern day dental solutions. At Hale Family Dentistry, we offer many options for tooth replacement. Each situation is different, and everyones smile is unique. If you are interested in learning about how Dr. Hale can improve your smile, give us a call today.

Indeed, its true. In the first stage of decay, whether youre a child or an adult, the application of fluoride via fluoride treatments, your toothpaste and even the local water supply can stop a cavity from penetrating through the enamel and reaching its second stage. Even the saliva in your mouth and the foods you eat help to re-mineralize a tooth in jeopardy. But thats just the first stage! What about the rest? Understanding how a cavity progresses can assist you in preventing each successive stage from occurring in your children. Theres always a lot going on in that little mouth!

In stage one, the tooth begins to show signs of strain from the attack of sugars and acids, and white spots will begin to materialize just below the surface of the enamel. These white spots are representative of the demineralization of the tooth and can be easy to miss because theyre likely to occur on your childs molars. A dental exam, of course, is designed to catch such cavities! Can you see why regular visits to the dentist are recommended? As mentioned previously, at this stage, the cavity can be repaired without the need to excavate the tooth.

Stage two marks the beginning of the end for the surface enamel that is being attacked. Initially, the tooth erodes from the underside outward, so the outer enamel will still be intact for the first half of this second stage. Once the cavity breaks through the surface of the enamel, there is no turning back, and your child will need to have the cavity corrected with a filling.

If a cavity were to progress beyond stage two without you knowing, youd tend become aware of it when it started to hit stage three because it would probably start to cause some pain. At this level, the cavity begins to eat away at the second level of tooth material that lies beneath the enamel: the dentin. A filling can still be used to stop the onslaught of bacteria assaulting the tooth in order to prevent the cavity from reaching the tooths most critical component: the pulp.

Once the cavity reaches the pulp, its going to hurt. A lot. So if youve unfortunately missed all the signs to this point, a screaming child or moaning teenager will certainly let you know there is a big problem. Stage four is serious, and a root canal is the only option of treatment at this stage, save for a complete extraction.

In the fifth and final stage of a cavity, the infection has reached the tip of the root and exited the tip of the tooths structure. This in turn infects the surrounding tissues and possibly the bone structure. There can be swelling and sometimes the pain goes away, while other times, the pain is even more severe. In both children and adults an abscess can be fatal if it isnt treated. Root canal or extraction would be the order of the day should decay reach this stage. Need to see us? Give a call at (260) 482-3759. As you can see, cavities dont happen overnight. In the early stages, regular visits can stall and reverse the progression of these dastardly little devils, so it really does pay to visit us regularly.

Are you looking for a new dentist or perhaps youve just moved to Fort Wayne? Hale Family Dentistrys 5-star google reviews and awards for Top Dentist Office in Fort Wayne is what sets us apart. We are committed to making your dental experience enjoyable, comfortable, and convenient. Our office upholds the highest standards in patient care, technology, and materials to provide unmatched dental care for you and your entire family.

Our dentist office provides routine dental cleanings, cavities fillings, full mouth restorations, and more to families in Fort Wayne every day. Whether you are seeking a new dentist for a regular check-up or seeking immediate treatment for to relieve pain, we can help.

We understand that not everyone likes to visit the dentist, but keeping up on your oral care routine is important. We are here to help you feel the most comfortable. If insurance stresses you out, we take care of it. If talking on the phone is hard, send us a text. We like to make it easy and comfortable.

Dr. Hale has done multiple procedures, even extractions, on children as young as four years old. Parents are often relieved to find a dentist like Dr. Hale because of how exceptionally caring, compassionate, and dedicated he is. Not to mention, the kids love our Cavity-Free Club, prizes, and drawings.