Cosmetic Dentistry for a New You

If you have been considering a makeover for your teeth and gums, contact your dentist who can help determine what cosmetic or restorative dental treatments would be best for your smile.

Cosmetic and restorative dental procedures are not entirely cosmetic as treatments such as dental implants can actually improve your bite.

These days you don’t have to spend a fortune or several months to get the smile that you have always wanted. Modern dental technology has made it possible to fix chips, cracks and fill in gaps in just one appointment with an affordable solution known as CEREC®. With CEREC®, you can have the smile of your dreams in just one single visit. CEREC® is used for veneers, dental crowns and to replace your old silver amalgam fillings. Some dentists are even using CEREC® for dental implants.

If your stained or discolored teeth cannot be helped with over the counter or professional tooth whitening, you may want to consider Dental Veneers. Dental Veneers have come a long way and can cover up those interior stains or old restorations that have been keeping you from smiling.

Of course, if you are unsure about Dental Veneers, but would still like to close that gap between your teeth, talk to your dentist about dental bonding. Dental bonding is a procedure that is used for inlays, onlays and chipped teeth. Your dentist may also recommend dental bonding to lengthen your short teeth or to replace your old fillings.

If you have always disliked your smile because your gum line nearly covers your teeth, call and schedule an appointment with your dentist for crown lengthening. Crown lengthening is a procedure that can be used to get rid of your gummy smile.

Tooth recontouring is another procedure that your dentist may consider if you do not like the shape of your teeth. Reshaping or recontouring, also known as slenderizing, stripping, enameloplasty or odontoplasty is a dental procedure that your dentist may use to remove small amounts of enamel on your teeth. This will change the surface, shape, or length of your tooth or teeth. Recontouring is used to balance your smile.

If you would like more information regarding cosmetic or restorative dental procedures call and schedule and appointment with your dentist today. 

When a Dental Emergency Needs Treatment

There is nothing worse than a dental emergency, especially if it is one of your kids on Little League opening day.

Dental emergencies happen every second of every day, and even more so once spring sports start, but thankfully, your dental emergency can usually be taken care of on the spot.

According to a recent study conducted by the American Dental Association, dental emergencies happen in both individual and contact sports. Even people who play tennis, surf, or participate in a friendly game of racquetball could be finding themselves headed to the E.R. or their dentist’s office.

Your dentist explains that most facial injuries could have been prevented had the participant worn a custom-made mouthguard. Any type of mouthguard is fine, but a custom-made mouth guard offers much better protection. With that being said, accidents do happen, and according to your dentist, some of the most common ones could have be prevented.

Almost 50 percent of girls and boys will suffer from a tooth or mouth related injury during childhood. Mouth injuries are quite common with mouth and tooth injuries happening after a fall, a fight, or a sports injury.

In the majority of cases, mouth and tooth injuries are not serious or life threatening. Your dentist explains that although in some rare cases serious complications may arise, injuries to the mouth and teeth could have lasting effects on your sons or your daughter’s appearance ultimately affecting his or her self-esteem and confidence.

After a mouth or tooth injury, most parents scratch their heads when it comes to seeking medical attention. 

Your dentist explains that any of the symptoms below could indicate an emergency dental visit. 

• Pain or tenderness in or on a tooth
• Broken, loose, or missing teeth
• Bleeding does not stop after pressure has been applied
• Jaw pain
• Breathing problems or problems with swallowing
• Something stuck on the tongue, cheek, and mouth or in the throat (Never remove)
• Gaping cut on his or her face
• A puncture at the back or your child’s throat
• A lip cut that has crossed over the lip line border into surrounding skin
• Blurred Vision
• Slurred Speech
• Weakness
• Numbness
• High temperature above 100.4 degrees 

Other signs of infection from a tooth or mouth injury could be increasing pain, stiffness or pain in the neck, chest pain or drooling. If your child cannot open his or her mouth, it’s time to see the doctor or your dentist.

If you have a dental emergency on your hands and notice one or more of the signs above, call or click and schedule an emergency dental visit with your dentist as quickly as possible.

Too Big a Bite can Cause TMJ Problems

If you are literally biting off more than you can chew, you could be causing damage to your TMJ.

Your temporomandibular joint is a joint that rotates, slides, and is located in the front of the ear. This consists of the mandible, which is the lower jaw, and the temporal bone on the side of your skull.

Your chewing muscles connect your lower jaw to your skull to allow you to open and close your mouth and move your jaw sideways and forward. However, if you have had an injury, grind your teeth, or experienced some other trauma to your jaw joints, you may be dealing with TMD or temporomandibular joint disorder.  Your dentist explains that much of the discomfort is caused by an overuse of the TMJ muscles, including taking bigger bites than you should.

These days most people are in a hurry, and if you are taking big bites when you eat so that you can finish quickly, you could be asking for trouble. Those fast food restaurants that advertise giant sandwiches and burgers to sell more food are often larger than your mouth, which could contribute to problems with your temporomandibular joint.

According to the AGD, or the Academy of General Dentistry, people who suffer from TMD are really at risk. TMD restricts the range of what is acceptable when it comes to bite size. People who have temporomandibular joint disorders should avoid taking too big a bite or opening too wide. Taking big bites can actually aggravate the condition.

If you have TMD, you could be suffering from some or more of these signs and symptoms: 

• Jaw soreness or pain in the late afternoon or morning
• Pain in your jaw when you yawn, bite, or chew
• Clicking or popping sounds when you open and close your mouth
• A stiff or locked jaw when you close and open your mouth, eat, or yawn
• Sensitive teeth when you do not have dental problems
• An earache when no infection is present 

Temporomandibular joint disorders can be helped but must be diagnosed first. Your doctor or dentist will be able to determine if you are having problems with your temporomandibular joint.

If you would like more information regarding temporomandibular joints and temporomandibular joint disorders, call or click and schedule an appointment with your dentist today. 

Invisalign for a New Smile

If you thought you were too old for braces because you just do not want to deal with those unattractive brackets and wires, think again. Thanks to Invisalign®, you can have straighter teeth in as little as six months depending on your particular situation. The average length of treatment is between 9 and 13 months.

Invisalign® really is a revolutionary system that can give you the smile that you have always wanted, and best of all, the only people who will know that you are wearing Invisalign® are you and your dentist.

Invisalign® utilizes a series of clear plastic aligners that you wear between 20 and 22 hours each day. You take your Invisalign® clear plastic aligners when you eat, drink, floss, and brush. Depending on your case, you may require between 18 and 30 sets of aligners that you will replace every two weeks.

Invisalign® is the comfortable way to a beautiful smile, as you will not have to deal with abrasive and annoying standard metal wires and brackets. Because you are not wearing old school braces, you will only have to visit your dentist every 6 weeks to make sure that everything is going to plan.

Unlike metal brackets and wires, Invisalign® makes it easier to prevent gum disease and tooth decay. Because standard braces are attached to your teeth, it is impossible to brush and floss everywhere. This makes you more susceptible to dental caries and gingivitis or periodontal disease.

Straighter teeth have never been easier thanks to Invisalign®. Invisalign® really is the best way to improve your smile. Invisalign® can fix overly crowded or widely spaced teeth. You may also be a good candidate for Invisalign® if you have a crossbite, an overbite, or an underbite.

An Invisalign® dentist will help design a custom Invisalign® program that will address your specific orthodontic or dental issues.

If you would like more information regarding Invisalign® and what it can do for you, call or click and schedule an appointment with your dentist who can determine if you are a good candidate for Invisalign®.

A New Year and a New Smile

It’s a New Year, and if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to fix your smile, call and schedule an appointment with your dentist for a no obligation cosmetic dentistry consultation.

Your dentist explains that one of the first things people notice about you is your pearly whites, and if yours is less than impressionable, you may want to consider cosmetic dentistry.

In a recent Colgate survey, nearly 88 percent of people surveyed said that a beautiful smile was the first thing that they remembered about a person with a staggering 94 percent saying the first thing they noticed was not the body or the eyes, but the smile. More than a third surveyed also said they would probably not go on a blind date with someone who had crooked teeth.

A beautiful smile helps you get noticed, and more importantly helps you get that dream job or promotion that you have been vying for. A nice smile also helps boost your self-esteem and gives you more confidence.

If you would like to feel more confident when you smile, call or click and schedule an appointment with your dentist who can determine what dental cosmetic procedures would be best for your particular needs.

During your appointment, your dentist will thoroughly examine your mouth making sure you are healthy enough for any type of cosmetic dental procedure. If you have gum disease or tooth decay, your dentist will want to take care of that first before continuing. Even tooth whitening requires a healthy mouth as the bleaching agent could cause problems if your gums are red, swollen, bleeding or receding.

If you have been given a clean bill of health, your dentist will discuss your cosmetic treatment options, which may include Dental Veneers, Dental Bonding, CEREC Restorations, Tooth Whitening, Inlays, Onlays, Tooth Colored Fillings, Invisible Braces, Tooth Colored Crowns or a Complete Mouth Restoration.    

If a new smile has been on your mind, call and schedule an appointment with your dentist who can determine what type of cosmetic dental restorations are right for you. Call or click today. 

Have You Seen Your Dentist Lately?

Now that the New Year has officially arrived you may want to start 2016 off the right way by scheduling a dental appointment with your dentist.

According to Colgate, some people may only need to visit the dentist once a year; however, there are patients that should schedule dental appointments twice a year.

Over 50 years ago, people who were having dental examinations to enter the military didn’t have the best teeth and gums; in fact, they were in quite bad shape. Back then, most people did not take oral hygiene or oral health seriously, as there were really no guidelines when it came to how often you should see your dentist. These days’ dentists concentrate on preventive dentistry. Decades ago, most dentists focused on fixing dental problems instead of helping prevent them.

Your dentist explains that even if you practice good oral health habits, including brushing twice and flossing once each day along with a good diet, you still need to schedule annual or bi-annual appointments with your dentist.

During your dental appointment, your dentist will check for any problems that you cannot feel or see. Unfortunately, quite a few of the dental problems that occur are not visible until they are more advanced. These include gum disease, cavities, and oral cancer. When you see your dentist on a regular basis, any problems can be treated before they become serious.

Seeing a dentist twice a year works for most people, while some can go longer between visits. Other patients may require additional dental visits. People who are not at risk when it comes to gum disease and cavities may be able to get away with seeing a dentist every 12 months. However, those that run a higher risk of dental problems may need to schedule appointments with their dentist every three to four months or even more frequently. People in the high-risk group include:

• Pregnant women
• Smokers
• Diabetics
• People who have gum disease
• People who have a weak immune system when it comes to bacterial infections
• People who have plaque buildup
• People who have a tendency to get more cavities than others do

Your dental appointment schedule could change during your lifetime as illness or stress may require more dental appointments than usual.

Start the New Year off the right way and schedule your annual, bi-annual of quarterly appointment with your dentist today.

Give Yourself the Gift of a New Smile

For the best holiday smile, you cannot beat cosmetic dentistry, and if you want to treat yourself to a new toothy grin, call and schedule an appointment with your dentist who can help you come up with a plan that may include tooth whitening, dental veneers, tooth colored fillings or dental bonding. Your cosmetic dentist may also recommend inlays, onlays, dental crowns; tooth colored fillings or dental implants. If you have always thought your gums were too large for your smile, your dentist may also recommend gummy smile repair.

A gummy smile can make you feel self-conscious when you smile. Your smile has everything to do with perception and aesthetics and if you are showing too much gum tissue and your gums are more prominent when you smile than your teeth, you may have a gummy smile. If you have a gummy smile, your teeth will appear smaller than they should.

According to your dentist, gummy smiles happen when your teeth and gums are out of proportion with each other. The position of your upper lip also comes into play and can be a combination of several things. These include the amount of gum tissue that you have on display, the shape, and size of your teeth, the degree, and the length of the movement of your upper lip and the vertical positioning of your teeth and upper jaw in relationship to your head or skull.

You may have a gummy smile for a variety of reasons. However, only your dentist can provide you with the critical diagnosis that is needed to repair your gummy smile. According to your dentist, several factors could be causing your gummy smile, but it is imperative that you have the correct diagnosis and treatment as incorrect gummy smile correction procedures could make the problem worse.

If you are unhappy with your smile, call and schedule an appointment with your dentist who can come up with a plan to give you the grin that you deserve. Call or click today.