Henry Buhl

Orthodontist

4355 TN-58 Chattanooga Tennessee, 37416 Show map

About
Contacts & Locations

About

Craniofacial group children's hospital, great Lakes society orthodontists, Southern society orthodontists, American society general dentists, tn. Dept health appointment to hospital affiliation

Education and Training

Furman university BS 1970

university of Kentucky DMD 1974

university of Kentucky MS 1978

Provider Details

MaleEnglish

Henry Buhl

A Primer to Dentistry on General Topics
I've been deliberate about waiting to define the way I want to set this blog up in order to sample some questions over the past few months and see what topics are of interest. I find that many patients through their questions make me realize that a vast majority doesn't get regular Dental Care. That...

Can a gum infection pass to other parts of the body?
There are many pathogens that propagate and flourish in the warm moist environment of the mouth and due to salvation swallowing sneezing and migrated to other parts of the body. The most common infection is bacteria that can accumulate around wisdom teeth and migrated down the neck spaces to the pericardium of the heart. These bacteria can cause a condition known as SBE or Subacute bacterial endocarditis. Whole text books have been written and courses are available in oral pathology that discuss a myriad of bacterial infections and conditions that are localized in the mouth and oropharynx. READ MORE
Do I have to be numb?
In days gone by local anesthetics or sometimes not necessary because the drills operated without air turbines and I were belt-driven much slower. This generated much less air particles and Heat from cutting to structure and hand instrumentation was often used once access was obtained to the base decay in the softer area in the tooth itself. Making the patient comfortable during tedious procedures like cutting preparations in tooth structure are very tedious required steps to ensure the patient gets the best restoration possible. This requires sufficient anesthesia to accomplish and gives the patient a more relaxed demeanor with with a psychologically less tense environment for both the patient and the doctor. READ MORE
What is gingivitis and its risk factors?
Gingivitis maybe typified as a local condition that all humans have to one degree or another in their quest to achieve perfect oral hygiene. That is to say proper brushing fastidious ability to floss effectively and routine trips to your dentist will yield the highest results for oral health. Disclosing Solutions are available to quantify gingivitis as they highlight areas of plaque which are the precursors leading up to the condition known as gingivitis. Control the black and you have complete control of the gingivitis. This should lead to excellent checkups at your dentist. READ MORE
Having an abscessed tooth? What could this mean?
Think of your tooth as a sealed unit that when it becomes exposed to decay usually by way of poor hygiene or excessive sugar improper brushing poor alignment of the teeth for one reason or another interrupt the Integrity of the tooth structure itself. These bacteria attack the enamel first then the Dentin underneath the enamel finally getting into the nerve and blood supply of the root itself which communicates with the blood vessels and ultimately the heart. Obviously this infection can spread to the heart but locally can cause an abscess at the tooth itself as it is encased in a ligament and a bone surrounding the root structure of the tooth. This local infection is your warning that more extensive damage is about to occur perhaps even life-threatening. This condition should not go unchecked by your dentist to ensure excellent oral health as it is such an important part of overall help to our body. READ MORE
What does bone loss in the teeth mean?
Bone lost is most likely the result of neglect usually flossing and especially in older patients who have not had the lifelong habit of using floss and routine Dental check-ups. This condition can be stopped but cannot be turned around any more than we can get younger. What's done is done and your best course at this age is 2 seek the services of a periodontist. Periodontist is a specialist who deals in bone loss and diseases of the gum and who will put you on an oral hygiene program that is much more individualized to your specific problem. I happen to be of the opinion like so many specialists that everyone over 40 needs a periodontist remember it is perfectly normal for the teeth migrate slightly as we get older but over the course of time and loss of teeth some patients experience more migration than others. This can lead to a condition known as periodontal disease and we want to keep these results to a minimum as we get older. READ MORE
Is a root canal during pregnancy safe?
The most thorough answer for your question is by an endodontist a specialist who deals with root canals only and specifically is trained to advise you at your particular time and trimester. READ MORE
Can an infected tooth spread the infection to the other teeth as well?
There are certain conditions in the mouth that can affect groups of teeth the transmittal of decay is usually buy local irritant called Dental plaque. If black is not removed by daily brushing and good hygiene it causes breakdown of the enamel leading to an infection that can affect groups of tea depending on local irritants and individual circumstances. This is why we tend to incur to floss one of the time and not in groups of teeth requiring extraction. The best method to ensure your best dental help is to get routine Dental check-ups every 6 months with your family dentist and keep the pace consistent over you course of your life READ MORE
How can flossing help in maintaining the health of teeth and gums?
I think the best advice is to watch a video of proper flossing technique as it is much easier to visualize this as opposed to explaining it by written word. The idea is to keep your floss close to the surface of the tooth and avoid a sewing motion as it is more a vertical up and down movement with the floss between your fingers and the surface of the tooth. You'll get the idea once you watch the video and go slowly as you'll build up dexterity as you get used to the movement. I would also recommend getting a floss Aid at the drugstore to help increase your leverage with floss. READ MORE
Can a tooth abscess be seen on an X-ray?
Yes the abscess can be viewed as a fistulas track clinically in side the mouth by your dentist it will also show up as radiolucency on the xray around the affected root structure on the particular tooth that is infected. Other local symptoms may include sensitivity to heat and cold and infection can even cause the tooth to become super erupted and interfere with the overall bite occlusion. More technical measures can be administered by your doctor to determine the Vitality of the tooth as indicated with a Dental pulp meter. READ MORE
I wear my retainer, so why are my teeth still shifting?
Your question begs for more information regarding the outcome of your orthodontic treatment. Depending on how difficult your case was whether or not it involved extractions for your braces your age or whether or not surgery was involved in moving your jaw structure depends on the correct reasoning for why your teeth may still be shifting. One of the most likely causes for relapse which is Shifting of the teeth back towards the original malocclusion would be non-compliance in the amount of time you're supposed to be wearing the retainer. Many patients think that once they're out of braces the retainers are just an afterthought and not important. This is not true as retention is the most important portion of orthodontic success. This is also the time when control is in the patient's hand and not in the hands of the orthodontist so there is likely to be some difference in compliance. Make sure that you're doing exactly as you were instructed and with that in mind let's talk about the kind of retainer that you have. There are many different kinds fixed Invisalign and fixed plastic as well as bonded known as permanent retainers. You did not mention which kind you have but I'll address all three. It is possible if you have a clear plastic retainer it warms in the mouth to body temperature and has no rigidity to help hold the teeth an alignment. It is also Limited in the amount of adjustment the orthodontist can make to increase the pressure but it is also the cheapest to make. Many patients like the fact that it's clear but this is secondary to the effectiveness of a correctly made retainer. Bonded retainers are fixed to usually the six Central Front Teeth and are only as strong as the weakest Bond. That is to say if 1 Bond breaks on one tooth this tooth will have lost its attachment and subject to migrate. For this reason I do not like neither of the first two types of retainer. The best retainer is a plastic and wire retainer sometimes called a Hawley retainer and is adjustable can be made in multitude of colors and is the most expensive but most effective means of controlling the teeth. If your orthodontist used either of the former two types of retainer they are less effective than the latter one. Bear in mind that full compliance is necessary and routine adjustments for any teeth that don't conform to Ideal by your orthodontist is most important so keep your regular check-ups for your retainer. Ages of factored in the some patients get their braces removed by the time they are 12 or so and are not through physically growing nor have wisdom teeth been extracted so there is still some margin for shifting that needs to be addressed by routine check-ups even for your retainers. These check-ups will be more spread out than your routine orthodontic visits. It is also possible that in finishing your case total ideal was not achieved in which case less-than-ideal results would be expected. As I indicated from the beginning this is a multifaceted question which the specific answer would depend on your own specific situation. READ MORE
What can I eat or avoid eating to reduce plaque?
It appears to me that you're doing all possible to invoke good dental check-ups. I doubt you've had a cavity in years and you probably have excellent periodontal health. What is a natural result of ingestion of foods and it is impossible to remove all plaque as it adheres to the pedicle that's allow the leaves when we swallow on the surfaces and in the crevices between our teeth. So it is microscopically unlikely that diminishing 100% of the plaque would not lead to some other conditions such as dry mouth or xerostomia as it is technically named. We also have multiple sets of salivary glands in our mouth that regulate the pH and help in preliminary digestion of foods that add more mucus to the bolus of food that we swallow. Fastidious brushing and cleaning of the teeth after meals is just as important as putting on our glasses to see. Even the most diligent hygiene any dentist or hygienist may have will not prevent some evidence of plaque when using disclosing solution and it is important to admonish against over brushing with a stiff brush as this can lead to other problems such as erosion or excessive abrasion of the teeth. So just caution to be thorough but don't overdo in an effort to eliminate what cannot be controlled 100%. The fact that you're making such a good effort and a lifelong habit of good hygiene will most likely guarantee you will have no problems from what little plaque disclosing Solutions might show in your mouth on a regular basis. Keep up the good work READ MORE
What if only one tooth is crooked?
Given all the factors that you describe I would consider possibly just a retainer to correct one minor problem as you indicate you have. Braces are not indicated for such a minor problem of course you need to be examined personally to be sure there are no other factors which would involved more extensive correction for the long term. READ MORE
Is water-flossing as effective as regular flossing?
This is strictly a matter of opinion but either are the most efficient method to achieve close to Ultimate oral hygiene. Myself, I would prefer regular floss and I happen to like dental tape as it is a bit thicker and easier to manipulate. Some patients love floss AIDS as it gives them more leverage and control especially older patients. Keep up the good work READ MORE
What is a dry socket?
Is technical name for a dry socket is localized osteitis. It is a transient sometimes very painful reaction to a tooth being removed and leaving behind membranes that no longer can nourish the remaining socket the tooth once occupied. This condition is complicated by every individual's ability to heal, which is dependent upon one's own healing or immune response to infection or trauma such as the removal of a tooth. Additionally some habits such as chronic smoking and alcohol and poor diet and medications impede the normal response of healing to an extraction which normally takes a few days before new bone cells begin to nourish the socket. This highly sensitive time of healing is most important to creating a new area of bone now occupying the old socket. This sometimes takes years and older people to accomplish as their response to Healing is compromised due to age. Correction of this situation is palliative and involves placement of a medicated gauze with special compounds to promote new cell response and healing. Keep in mind that good oral hygiene promotes good healing and in certain cases a small percentage of the population in general will be affected by dry sockets during extractions no matter what. Also it is probable that this gauze that packs the socket during healing that the dentist placed will have to be replaced as healing occurs and depending on the patient's pain response. READ MORE
Skin is shedding on the inside of my mouth (my cheeks). Is this normal?
This is an unusual question and the answer depends on several factors. You do not mention whether you are male or female. You mention you are not allergic however new toothpaste mouth rinse or even food ingested that is different than usual by taste or component nutrients could have caused this irritation. Not to mention acidic contact with too much lemons food supplements such as salt or even citrus fruit or ketchup. So the solution becomes complicated with possible medication reaction leading to sloughing of the intraoral mucosa. Pathologic manifestations need to be discovered my medications and or immune reactions which need to be studied by microscopic slides and culture. An oral surgeon would do this culture only after you have done an inventory of either ingested Foods or changes in medication or any other extraoral coincidental lesions of the body. This culture would be prepared and sent to a lab where in the histologic examination buy microscope and or stains to determine the cause or etiology. Not to worry most intraoral manifestations as you describe tend to be taken care of by the body's own immunity once the local irritation is removed. My recommendation would be to spend a suitable amount of time preparing a list of possible things you might have ingested that could cause the reaction since it is evidently only recently discovered. Keep in mind that pathology deals with time and duration of the abnormality, how it has grown in size or shape or color and how its texture feels do the tongue or by palpation with your fingers. The rest has to be determined histologically by a pathologist specifically an oral pathologist. An oral surgeon is the gatekeeper to this examination. READ MORE
Adult tooth is loose. What should I do?
A baseball is pretty traumatic for a delicate root and nerve of a tooth. It likely has killed the nerve inside the tooth and the tooth may likely be fractured. Find a dentist and let x-ray determine the treatment method. READ MORE