2015 on Listen to Your Dentist When They Recommend Wisdom Teeth Extraction

3 Tips For Recovering From A Gingival Sculpting Procedure For Gum Disease

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 08:46:30 +0000

Gingival sculpting is often performed for cosmetic reasons, but it can also be used in order to treat gum disease. The sculpting procedure allows a dentist to remove bacteria and other debris from the pockets in your gums. Removal of these contaminants will help to eliminate and prevent further gum disease. The procedure involves using a laser to shape and remove gum tissue. Once the procedure is done, what you do afterwards is important to how well your gums recover. Fortunately, there are a few tips that you can use in order to recover from a gingival sculpting procedure.

Use an Antibacterial Rinse After Each Meal

After your gingival sculpting procedure, it is important to keep your gums from being infected by bacteria. Since the procedure was performed in order to remove your gum disease, then it is important to make sure that the area remains clean. You can do this by washing your mouth with an antibacterial rinse after each meal. This will help to eliminate any bacteria from your gum area before it has a chance to turn plaque into tartar. You can purchase a commercial rinse or you can make your own at home using peppermint oil and warm water. Allow the rinse to sit in your mouth for a few minutes before removing it.

Eat Soft Foods After the Procedure

Since gingival sculpting uses lasers to remove gum tissue and clean the gum line, this means that there are no stitches involved. This reduces your chances of reopening your wound. However, it is still important to treat your gum tissue with care immediately after the laser procedure. The area has not had a chance to fully heal. Your gums may feel weaker and more fragile than other areas throughout your mouth. Therefore, stick to eating softer foods, like soups and noodles, that are easier to chew and swallow. Hard foods could damage the gum tissue before it has a chance to recover.

Apply Ice Packs to the Area to Reduce Swelling

After your gingival sculpting procedure, you will experience swelling and pain. You can reduce the amount of swelling by placing ice packs near the surgical area within the first few hours after the surgery. The swelling should subside on its own after a few days. However, if it does not go away on its own, then you should contact your dentist.

Gingival sculpting and laser dentistry is extremely beneficial for removing bacteria from the deep pockets in your mouth. Use these tips to make sure you recover from the surgery without a problem.

What You Should Know If Your Child's Dentist Mentions Overcrowding

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 08:36:05 +0000

Although you may not consider it a serious concern, if your teenager's dentist suggests treatment for overcrowded teeth, you shouldn't dismiss it. Two common signs of overcrowding include crooked teeth and teeth that stick out beyond where most of the teeth sit. Here's a look at what you should know about tooth overcrowding, the reason it is a concern, and your options to address it.

What Causes Dental Overcrowding?

Overcrowding usually doesn't happen until your child's adult teeth start coming in. When those teeth start to work their way in, sometimes they are too large for his or her existing jaw line. If it doesn't adapt quickly enough, or at all, it often leads to tight, uneven teeth. In some cases, the adult teeth come in correctly, but wisdom tooth eruption shift those teeth slightly, causing crowding. Since teeth will naturally adapt and shift into whichever direction will best allow them to grow, your child may experience overcrowding at any time from the point when adult teeth start growing in to the time that wisdom teeth either erupt or are extracted.

Why Would the Dentist Be Concerned?

You may find yourself wondering why your child's dentist is concerned about a tooth or two being crowded. The truth is, it's about more than just appearances. Any time teeth are crowded, it creates small spaces where food particles can hide, which contributes to tooth decay because you can't easily brush those spaces. Uneven teeth also increase the risks of uneven tooth wear and an altered bite. If the tooth crowding changes your child's bite, that can even lead to trouble chewing comfortably.

How Can You Treat Dental Overcrowding?

Overcrowded teeth are usually treated with the application of braces. Those braces will push the teeth back into their proper alignment through a gradual process. The slow correction is essential because it helps the jaw line adapt for a long-term fix. If your child is struggling with a tooth that's pushing all of the others out, your dentist may need to extract the problem tooth in order to make room for the rest to settle in. Extractions are most commonly required when the problem is caused by wisdom teeth. If your child has a wisdom tooth that's impacted, that may be extracted as well to avoid a future problem.

While overcrowding in your child's mouth is a cosmetic concern, it's also something you should take seriously. If your child has overcrowding teeth, talk with a dentist, such as Carolina Forest Family Dentistry, to find out what your options are.

Get Your Baby Off To A Good Start With Their Teeth

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 16:05:33 +0000

As a parent of an infant, you want to make sure you do your best to give them a great start when it comes to healthy teeth. The oral care they receive during those early years sets a precedence for how their first teeth will come in, how their second teeth will come in and the overall health, appearance and strength of their teeth. This is why it's so important for you to learn all about infant dental care and make sure you follow good habits from the start.

Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle

The very first thing you want to avoid is putting your baby in the crib with their bottle. While this may seem like a good way to get them to settle down and go to sleep comfortably, it actually has a lot of risks. Along with posing a choking hazard and increasing their chances of developing an ear infection, it can also lead to early tooth decay.

Start caring for teeth early

As soon as you notice your baby's teeth starting to break through their gums, you want to begin cleaning them. After your baby eats and before you put them to bed, you want to take a moist piece of gauze and gently wipe their gums.

As soon as their teeth come in, you can switch to an infant sized toothbrush and a pea sized amount of infant tooth paste.

Take your baby in to the dentist

You should take your baby in for their first dental exam within 6 months of their first tooth coming in, or by the time they turn a year old. During this appointment, the pediatric dentist will examine your baby's teeth to make sure they are coming in healthy and in the correct position.

They will also look at your baby's gums, jaw and the rest of their mouth. This is the perfect opportunity for you to make sure all of your questions get answered. Many times new parents will leave the doctors or dentists only to get home and realize they forgot to ask some of their questions. Therefore, you should start making a list early of anything that comes to mind and bring it with you.

By following the advice detailed above, you will be better prepared to help your baby get off to a good start when it comes to the health of their teeth.

What To Expect When The Braces Come Off

Wed, 04 Nov 2015 11:43:40 +0000

You have endured pain, annoying orthodontists appointments, and shelled out a large amount of money for your braces. Now that your braces are off you can breathe a breath of fresh air and enjoy your beautiful smile. You might be wondering what you can expect after the braces come off.

Getting Your Braces Off May Take Awhile

You have probably learned the value of patience during your orthodontist appointments, but the appointment where you get your braces off will be agonizingly long. The problem is that the excitement of getting them off will make the appointment seem longer than it actually is. While you sit there having them removed, just think about how great your teeth will look and that this too will pass.

What Will it Feel Like?

The removal of the braces will not hurt, but it may feel a bit uncomfortable. Some people agree the most uncomfortable part of the process is having the glue scraped from your teeth after the braces are removed. Once they are removed, your teeth may feel slimy or slippery compared to what it felt like with the braces on.

Retainer

You will have to be fitted for a retainer. The type of retainer depends on what you and orthodontist agrees on. The length of time you have to wear the retainer is also up to your orthodontist. Make sure you follow the instructions exactly or your teeth can shift back to their old position. If this happens, you will be going right back into those braces.

What Happens After?

Your teeth may be sensitive following the removal of your braces. Be careful with what you eat and try using toothpastes for sensitive teeth. It is a good idea to set up an appointment with your regular dentist to have your teeth cleaned after your braces off. Chances are no matter how good you were at cleaning them, there are some areas that need to be cleaned professionally since braces can hinder a thorough cleaning. Just like you had to get used to having the braces on you will have to get used to them being off. Your speech may be affected once again giving you a bit of a lisp, but it should go back to normal quickly as you get used to it.

Now that you know what happens when you get your braces off, you can look forward to a wonderful smile that you will enjoy the rest of your life! Just make sure you follow your orthodontist's instructions and wear your retainer. Consider visiting a local dentist office, such as Landy Michael G DDS, after removing your braces to maintain your teeth in the best health possible.

Questions And Answers About Porcelain Veneers

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 09:44:42 +0000

Stained or uneven teeth can make you uneasy about your smile. In these cases, porcelain veneers may be just the thing to get you grinning again. Before opting for this cosmetic treatment, make sure you understand exactly what veneers are so you can be sure they are the right choice for you. Read the following answers to some very important questions to learn more.

Question #1: Are Veneers a Permanent Solution?

Answer: Yes. Once you have veneers you will be wearing them for the rest of your life. Your dentist removes a small amount of your surface enamel in order to place the veneer properly onto the tooth. This results in an area of weakened, and sometimes discolored, enamel. If you were to remove the veneers, the tooth would be more prone to damage and the nerve could be exposed. Fortunately, veneers are made to last so you should never need to get them removed.

Question #2: Is the procedure painful?

Answer: Not usually. Your dentist probably won't even need to use a local anesthetic or numbing agent, unless you have very sensitive teeth or gums. Preparation and installation is done to the enamel only, which has no nerves. At most, you should only feel some slight pressure as your dentist works on the tooth.

Question #3: Do you get your veneers the same day?

Answer: Probably not. After removing the enamel, your dentist will take a cast of the teeth. This cast is then used to create veneers that will custom fit to your teeth without any gaps or unevenness. Your teeth will be more sensitive to hot and cold during this period, since the enamel is now thinner. This should go away after the veneers are fitted. You may also be fitted with a temporary veneer while you wait.

Question #4: How are veneers attached?

Answer: A photo-sensitive resin is used to permanently bond the veneer to your tooth. Your tooth and the veneer are coated with the resin. It is then subjected to white light, which causes it to harden into a permanent bond.

Question #5: Do veneers need special care?

Answer: Porcelain is a very strong glass, and it is further supported by your tooth inside. Although not prone to breakage, veneers are not immune to it. Avoid using your teeth as tools, whether it's to pry open a package or to open a nut. You may also want to avoid any foods that are known to crack teeth, such as popcorn kernels, ice cubes, and hard candy. Other than that, continue to brush and floss your veneers as you would your natural teeth, and keep up with your regular dental visits.

For more information about veneers, contact your dentist.

Getting Your Family On Board With Good Dental Care Habits

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 13:56:10 +0000

If your family as a whole has begun to slide when it comes to oral health care habits, this needs to get back on track. It is time to sit down with your family and work out a game plan getting everyone in the habit of brushing, flossing, and going to the dentist. Here are four ways to get your entire family on board when it comes to dental care

1. Make it a Competition

It is important to keep everyone up-to-speed with their dental care routine and to make sure that dental appointments are kept. If you can set up short and long term goals for family members, everyone can get involved. Institute small gifts for little ones that tally brushing and flossing throughout the week to keep them involved. If everyone makes their dental appointments for the year, schedule something fun for the family as a whole in celebration.

2. Insurance and Payment Plans

Dental insurance can be a tricky thing, and sometimes only kids are covered or only one spouse. Try to work with your family dentist on payment options or credit. Check your local dentistry schools and see if they might have discounted rates for checkups. Dental care shouldn't be something that is only available to certain family members. Make sure everyone in your family has access to oral health care since undiagnosed dental issues can compound quickly.

3. Good Influences

If you have little ones that are scared of going to the dentist, enlist your older children to ease their fears. Getting dental care to be a priority for your kids will be a lot harder if there is one spouse that is delaying dental visits. Everyone in the family needs to be encouraging and influence younger family members that might be apprehensive of dental appointments.

4. Fun Products

Let your kids pick out their dental products so that they are excited about them. There are flavors of toothpaste that might not seem appealing to you, but might make brushing more exciting for kids. For older kids and your spouse, source travel products such as travel toothbrushes and flossing sticks so that everyone can keep up on their dental routine on the go.

Long term dental health can be easier if this is a team effort. If this is made a priority by everyone in your family, you will all be more likely to be on board for general tooth and gum care. If good oral hygiene is the norm in your family, you will have started good habits that your kids can continue into adulthood.

Cosmetic Dentistry For Children: How To Decide What Is Necessary And What Is Truly Cosmetic

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 08:19:55 +0000

If you are looking at your child's teeth and wondering if you should have them capped, crowned or extracted, you may be looking at the situation in a purely cosmetic sense. Far too many cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures are performed annually on minors, before their bodies and their bones have fully grown. This can lead to serious health conditions and consequences. Before you schedule an appointment with a cosmetic dentist, here are a couple of questions you can ask yourself to help you decide if the procedures you want for your child are truly necessary or if they are truly cosmetic.

Will the Desired Procedures Help Your Child Speak, Chew and/or Eat Better?

Even though crowns, extractions and other cosmetic procedures are generally used to make one's smile better, they can also affect how a patient speaks, chews and eats. If the procedures you want your child to have will improve any problems he or she has with speaking, eating and/or chewing, it is not really a cosmetic procedure, but a necessary one. The fact that it will improve your child's smile and thus improve his or her overall appearance is just a side benefit to correcting other oral problems.

Do You Just Want to Give Your Child a Better Appearance?

Sometimes the unnecessary procedures parents pay for are more about improving how their children look rather than helping them with a physical problem. While that is understandable, it can send the wrong message to your children, placing an emphasis on their appearance rather than on their abilities and talents. (If the problem is more about bullying at school, there are laws that can (and should) protect your child against the verbal assaults, which you can pursue through the school system and then through court, if necessary.) It should also be noted that most elementary school children will lose most of their teeth and once adult teeth grow in, they will need braces to straighten these teeth anyway, thereby correcting most of the visual aesthetics of their mouths.

Correcting, Fixing or Replacing Badly Damaged Permanent Teeth

While most pediatric dentists are leery of replacing or crowning baby teeth, if your child has experienced some damage to one or more permanent teeth, this is an emergency situation. It is no longer a cosmetic issue when an adult tooth is broken, cracked or knocked loose, nor is it a matter of personal appearance. It becomes necessary to correct, fix, crown or replace the damaged teeth with implants so that your child has all the teeth he or she will need until the end of his or her life.

The Main Benefits Of Dental Implant Restoration

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:05:55 +0000

Dental implant restoration is a great option to restore missing teeth. Here are some of the main benefits of getting a dental implant restoration to correct your smile.

They Help Retain the Muscle Structure in Your Face

Without all of your teeth in place, your cheeks can begin to sag as the muscles aren't held in the proper place. Even a single missing tooth can change the canvas that your cheeks lie on, causing your face to appear uneven.

They Integrate With Your Natural Teeth

Dental implants are a great option because they can be made to integrate with your natural jawbone. Titanium materials in the implant will fuse with your jawbone over time, creating a strong base for holding your implants in place permanently.

They Help Keep Your Jawbone Strong

Your jawbone works as a team with your teeth to stay strong and healthy. Missing teeth can lead to problems with the health of your jawbone, such as bone deterioration. Missing teeth also place uneven pressure on your jawbone.

Removable and Permanent Options

Unlike some other dental restoration options, you have a choice in how permanent you want your dental implants to be. There is a removable option which screws into a base plate in your mouth, but many patients also opt for the permanent, non-removable implants.

Easy Care

Dental implants are a great permanent solution for teeth restoration because they are strong and cavity resistant. It will still be necessary to protect your implants from getting chipped or cracked, but you won't have to worry about enamel wear and cavity fillings.

Easy Chewing and Speaking

Compared to dentures, permanent implants can have a much easier learning curve when it comes to chewing and speaking. Although you may notice a difference at first with your implants in place, their stability in your mouth will keep them from coming out as you speak or eat.

A Low Impact Option for Restoring Teeth

Implants also have some benefits compared to bridges; a main benefit is that they place less pressure on the surrounding teeth. A bridge relies on the adjacent teeth to keep it in place, while an implant is supported directly by your jawbone.

There are several types of dental implants available, so talk with your dentist about customizing implants to your needs. Dental implant restoration comes with many benefits, and it can be done in only a few dental visits.

Click for more info.

Creative Ways To Get Your Child Excited About Good Tooth Care

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 06:56:39 +0000

If you have elementary school aged children that are giving you a hard time taking proper care of their teeth, there are some creative ways you can convince them to get more interested in their oral care. The tips in this article will make good oral hygiene more exciting for your child.

Make a star chart

You can hang up a small poster board in the bathroom and keep star stickers in a drawer. Instruct your child to take a star out of the drawer and place it on the poster board every time they take care of their teeth. Let them know once they get a certain number of stars, they will earn a special reward. You can even get creative and draw a tooth on the board, and when they color the tooth completely in with stars, they will get their reward.

Use their favorite song

You can put a battery operated radio in the bathroom with a CD of their favorite song. Have them turn the song on while they care for their teeth. Don't be surprised to see your child dancing around while they have a good time taking care of their teeth. This will also help them know how long they should brush for, since a good tooth brushing session should last about as long as an average length song.

Create a story board

You can put up a large poster board in your child's room. Create the beginning of a story by drawing fun stick figures and sentences. You can design the story in a comic book style if you choose. Each time your child takes the initiative to take proper care of his or her teeth; you can add another part to the story. They will get excited about watching the story unfold and getting to the ending.

Use the tooth fairy

When your children do a good job of taking care of their teeth for a week, you can leave them a tiny note of praise from the tooth fairy. When they neglect their teeth, you can leave them a tiny note from the tooth fairy letting them know she expects them to do better and is disappointed.

The creative ideas detailed in this article will help you to get your child more excited about taking good care of their teeth. This will make it a lot easier for you to help your children keep their teeth healthy. Talk to professional dentists for more ideas about how to keep your child's teeth healthy.

Why You Need A Pediatric Dentist

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:21:46 +0000

If you have children, then it is absolutely critical that you have a pediatric dentist. Not only can a pediatric dentist care for your children's teeth, but they can also educate your children about dental hygiene.

So what is a pediatric dentist?

Within dentistry, there are quite a few specializations, such as orthodontics and prosthodontics. One such specialization is pediatric dentistry, which focuses on treating children from infancy through adolescence. Children must be treated differently than adult patients for several reasons. Children have to deal with a temporary set of teeth, have not developed any habits about dental hygiene (good or bad), and will be subjecting their teeth to environmental factors that adults don't really have to contend with (such as teething).

What procedures do pediatric dentists normally perform?

In general, pediatric dentists should be able to diagnose, if not treat, any condition that is likely to affect a child's teeth. Cavities are extremely common in children, as are crooked teeth. Cavities can be easily dealt with in a single visit, but crooked teeth require substantially more time, effort, and money to correct. In many cases, your pediatric dentist will recommend that you consult an orthodontist if they think that braces are a viable option for your child.

However, the vast majority of visits to a pediatric dentist will consist of a simple checkup and cleaning. A cleaning is just a deeper, more thorough version of what you do at home with a toothbrush and floss. A checkup will ensure that your child has no cavities and that all of their teeth are growing in correctly. Although everyone should go to the dentist for semiannual checkups, it is especially important for children, since they have a mouth full of developing teeth. If the teeth are coming in at an incorrect angle or if there is an underbite or overbite, then it is better to catch such problems early, so that they can be dealt with quickly.

How can they educate children about dental hygiene?

One of the most important functions of a pediatric dentist is to teach children about dental hygiene. Developing good habits is much easier when you're younger, so it's a lot easier to start brushing and flossing as a child rather than to pick it up as an adult. If your child brushes and flosses, then they have a drastically reduced chance of getting cavities. Cavities will cost you money and your child pain, so the less cavities you have to deal with, the better.

To learn more, contact a pediatric dental office like Apollo Dental Center.

Customized Clip-On Teeth Devices Improve Smiles Without Invasive Procedures

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 16:03:07 +0000

You may have heard of veneers and crowns, which are permanent cosmetic dental features that fit over or on front of teeth. The devices make a smile more attractive by covering permanent discoloration, creating more regularly shaped teeth, and filling gaps between teeth.

One device that doesn't get as much attention is a set of removable clip-on teeth that are custom-made in a dental lab for each individual patient. This is a way to get a more appealing smile without any invasive procedures.

About Clip-On Teeth From Dentists

Also known as snap-on teeth, these devices make up a full set of upper or lower teeth that you simply place over your existing teeth. Your back teeth hold the appliance in place without any adhesive. There also are products available with fewer teeth if you want to hide defects in a small area, such as the front of your mouth.

A dentist or dental assistant takes an impression of your teeth so the lab technician who makes the artificial teeth can customize them for your mouth.

These are not the same products as the cosmetic teeth you can buy in stores and order online. It's difficult to achieve a natural look with those products since they are not customized.

Advantages

Unlike crowns and veneers, clip-on teeth can hide a missing tooth or even several missing teeth. Crowns and veneers can be made large enough to subtly fill a small gap between teeth, but they need an existing structure in the jawbone to be attached to.

Clip-on teeth do not involve removal any of the tooth structure, which is required for placing veneers and crowns. They also generally cost less than veneers, crowns, bridges, or dental implants, which replace a limited number of missing teeth. That's important, since dental insurance typically doesn't pay for cosmetic dentistry.

Are There Drawbacks?

As with dentures, people who begin wearing these artificial teeth need some time to adjust. They have to get comfortable with speaking and eating while wearing the teeth.

You may have to avoid eating sticky foods while wearing the appliance, since the teeth can come loose.

You'll also need to clean the appliance at least once every day by removing it and soaking it in a cleansing solution, as you would do with dentures. You'll gently brush away food particles before soaking.

What You Can Do Now

Schedule an appointment with a dentist who offers cosmetic dentistry services, such as Staller & Gandel D.D.S, and find out whether clip-on teeth would be a good option for you. You'll be able to look at a sample of the appliance and view photos of people wearing the false teeth. That way, you can see for yourself how natural the products look.

Potential Treatments For Dental Symptoms Of Scleroderma

Wed, 10 Jun 2015 10:21:01 +0000

Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause problems throughout the body. Symptoms include skin ulcers, joint pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. The disease can also present with a range of dental symptoms, including an overly small mouth, jaw pain, and severe dry mouth. If you are a scleroderma patient, inform your dentist of your diagnosis and any oral health problems you are experiencing.

Here are a few of the potential treatments for dental symptoms of scleroderma.

Small Mouth

Small mouth, formally called microstomia, can create a host of problems in the mouth. The teeth might not come together correctly in front leaving a gap called an open bite. A small mouth also means crowded teeth, which makes it hard for the dentist to conduct thorough cleanings and can make the mouth more prone to infections.

Treatments for small mouth depend on the severity of the condition. Severe cases might require jaw surgery to place bone grafts that would essentially lengthen the jaws to make the mouth wider. Braces can be used to help correct any tooth misalignment still present after the jaw is shifted.

Proper oral health care is vital if you have a small mouth. Your dentist might prescribe strong fluoride mouthwash to better clean the hard to reach areas behind your teeth.

TMJ Pain

Temporomandibular joint pain, also known as TMJ, is tightness or a locked feeling in the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull. Symptoms of TMJ include lingering pain, difficulty chewing, and even a locked jaw that won't allow you to open your mouth properly or fully.

Treatments for TMJ depend on the severity. Mild cases might be treated with physical therapy, teaching stretching exercises and a mouth guard that will keep your jaw from locking, especially at night while you're asleep. Your dentist might also prescribe a muscle relaxant or pain reliever.

Severe cases of TMJ might require surgery on the joint to remove a segment to allow the joint to move more flexibly.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is more serious than a slight feeling of thirst. Your mouth has actually reduced or quit producing saliva, which is important for lubricating your mouth and supplying important enzymes for dental health. Untreated dry mouth can cause cracks in your soft tissue and eventually lead to dental erosion and damage.

Treatments for mild dry mouth focus around lifestyle changes such as avoiding spicy foods and sucking on a mint or hard candy that promotes saliva production. Severe cases of dry mouth might require a prescription saliva replacement. To learn more, speak with someone like Dr. Jon Douglas Lesan, DDS, RpH, PA.

Apprehensive About Visiting The Dentist? Here's What To Do

Thu, 21 May 2015 10:43:23 +0000

Whether you had a not-so-pleasant experience with a dentist when you were a kid or you've just let too many years slip past since your last appointment, it's easy to develop a dental phobia. In fact, up to 20 percent of Americans suffer from some form of anxiety around visiting the dentist, according to WebMD. But simply pushing your oral health to the back of your mind isn't a solution to the issue. Instead, here are some better ways to deal with this common situation.

Keep On Brushin'

Even if you aren't yet able to bring yourself to book an appointment, continue to make your oral health a priority through a number of simple, everyday approaches. Try to brush your teeth at least twice a day, use mouthwash regularly and floss at least once per day. Avoid consuming foods that can potentially cause harm to your smile. For example, limit your intake of coffee and red wine, which can cause staining, and skip hard and gummy candies, which can coat your teeth.

Share Your Concern With a Dentist

There's absolutely no harm in booking a consultation with a new dentist -- or visiting the dentist you haven't seen in a while -- and sharing your apprehension about dental care. If possible, explain why you have anxiety and ask the dentist how he or she can address these issues. Often, a lack of understanding of dental procedures can lead to trepidation; learning how a procedure is done, what type of pain to expect and how long it will take until you're back to normal can go a long way toward alleviating your fears. If the thought of lying in the dentist's chair or hearing the dentist's tools makes you anxious, ask about sedation dentistry or suggest that you'd like to listen to your MP3 player during your appointment.

Support and Rewards

Getting through a situation in which you feel anxiety is often easier if you rely on others for support or have a reward system in place. For a dental appointment, arrange to have a spouse, family member or close friend visit the dentist's office with you. The person doesn't need to sit next to you during the appointment, but simply knowing that someone is in the waiting room can reduce your fear. Likewise, think of something pleasurable to do after your appointment. It could be a shopping trip or seeing a movie with the person who accompanied you to the appointment, for example. For more information or advice, contact a dentist, such as those found at Mission Dental Center.

Don't Like Your Smile? A Cosmetic Dentist Can Fix It With Porcelain Veneers

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 15:44:21 +0000

If you are self-conscious about your smile, a cosmetic dentist will help make your teeth look just the way you want. As long as you have no cavities, serious decay or infections, and your teeth are not severely out of alignment, porcelain veneers could be your best option. Here is some information about veneers that is useful to know before having them put on.

Problems Veneers Can Correct Your Smile

Veneers can be used to make your smile whiter. They can also hide cracks or chips in your teeth. While they cannot correct seriously crooked or overlapping teeth, they can be applied in a manner that will make slightly out-of-alignment teeth look better. In addition, if you have a gap between two teeth, but not a missing tooth, they can be placed to hide the gap.

How They Are Applied

The cosmetic dentist will file away some of the natural enamel of your teeth. This will roughen your teeth so the bonding material holds more securely. This will also keep your teeth the same thickness you are used to so you will not have to make adjustments to the way you talk.

Once your teeth are prepared, the dentist will apply the bonding agent and the veneers. He or she will work on each veneer to make sure it is the proper shape and they all fit together well. Once they are all in place, a special light will be used to set the bonding agent.

Eating with Veneers

Porcelain veneers are as strong as glass. Once applied to a tooth it is as strong as the original. However, they will crack or chip if you try to take off a bottle cap, crack nuts or chew hard candy the same as your natural tooth would.

Taking Care of Veneers

Although they are stain resistant, veneers can stain if you do not take care of them properly. Make sure you brush your teeth after eating or drinking things that would stain your normal teeth. If you have the habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, ask the dentist for a mouth guard to protect the veneers from pressure cracks.

It is important to note that you must continue to brush and floss your teeth as normal after having the veneers put on. You still have natural teeth behind them, and some of the enamel has been removed. If you do not take care of your teeth and gums, you will end up with tooth decay, infections and gum disease. Considering the veneers are permanent, having decay under them is hard to fix and can be painful.

4 Reasons Why You Need Extra Dental Fluoride Treatments

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 07:09:26 +0000

Your tooth's enamel is one of its most powerful weapons against tooth decay. It helps your teeth stay resistant to bacteria, sugar, and other destructive elements. However, it's common for people to lose tooth enamel, especially as they get older. When this happens, it's important that the enamel is quickly replaced to keep your teeth strong. One of the most effective minerals for rebuilding enamel is fluoride, which can be found in tap water and in many foods. Many people can sufficiently replace their enamel naturally. However, others need special treatments from the dentist to get more fluoride exposure. Here are four reasons why you may need dental fluoride treatments:

You have gum disease. Gum disease often leads to your roots being exposed. Roots don't have the same level of enamel as the rest of your tooth, so if they're exposed, they're vulnerable to decay. While treatment for gum disease is important, it's also crucial that your roots build up their enamel levels so they stay resistant to bacteria. Supplemental fluoride treatments from your dentist can help you build enamel faster.

You have a dry mouth condition. Acids and bacteria are usually the primary causes for enamel loss. Your saliva plays an important role in your tooth health because it helps to wash away bacteria and acid before they can attack your teeth. However, if you have low saliva levels due to a dry mouth condition, you may have trouble washing those bacteria and acids away. Your teeth enamel may have to withstand higher levels of those destructive elements. In this case, you may want to get regular dental fluoride treatments to strengthen your enamel and help keep your teeth bacteria resistant.

You get frequent cavities. Some people are just more vulnerable to cavities than others. Your enamel may break down fast or it may take a long time regenerate with normal levels of fluoride. You may have a high-sugar diet that you are unwilling to change. Whatever the reason, if you have a history of cavities, that's a pretty good sign that you need a boost in fluoride to keep your enamel strong.

You don't use tap water. Most cities put fluoride into their tap water to help fight tooth decay. However, many people choose to drink bottled or filtered water. Or they have a well on their property that doesn't have a fluoride supplement. If you never use tap water for any purpose, then you may want to get dental fluoride treatments. Of course, you may get enough fluoride from food sources to make up for the loss of fluoride in your water. Consider your own dental history as a good indication of whether treatments are necessary.

Talk to your dentist too. He or she will likely give you fluoride at your regular cleanings. However, they can also consult with you about whether more treatments are necessary. Contact a clinic such a Ellsworth & Day DDS for more information.