Everyone remembers losing their baby teeth. Whether or not you believed in the tooth fairy, you still went through the process of losing your first set of teeth so that your adult teeth could grow in. This second set of teeth is the one that you keep for life, making it important to clean and care for it. Does that mean it’s less important to care for baby teeth? Your baby teeth, adult teeth, and jawbone are all connected, and a health risk for one can create a health risk for the others. Although your child’s baby teeth will eventually fall out, it’s still important to treat issues like cavities. (more…)
Will Brushing and Flossing Prevent All Dental Problems?
Preventive dentistry is the best approach for extending the life of your teeth and preserving your smile. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day eliminates bacterial buildup and keeps your teeth clean. Sticking to your daily care routine at home can go a long way toward preventing cavities and gum disease, but will brushing and flossing prevent all dental problems? Every individual’s mouth is different, and genetics play a role in your oral health. Most individuals need the aid of preventive treatment in addition to brushing and flossing. (more…)
How to React to a Dental Emergency
Dental emergencies are possibly the most stressful cases to address because they’re unforeseeable — that’s what makes them an emergency. If you’re experiencing chronic tooth pain, it’s probably the result of an infection. You’ll need to treat that infection with root canal therapy and a dental crown. A dental emergency doesn’t have warning signs. If your tooth cracks, breaks, or falls out suddenly, it’s not something you plan for. While you can’t plan to prevent a dental emergency, you can understand how to react. Knowing what to do next can give you the best possible outlook. (more…)
Dentures Rebuild Broken Smiles
Tooth loss is a destructive force that can disrupt your ability to eat and cause a loss of confidence. Gaps in your smile make you feel self conscious, and until you address your tooth loss, your problems may only compound. Dentures are typically used to address significant cases of tooth loss, but you don’t have to be missing all of your teeth to benefit from dentures. Denture options include full dentures, partial dentures, and implant-supported dentures. Each prosthetic has its own application. If your smile has been broken by tooth loss, dentures can rebuild it. (more…)
If You’re Feeling Sleepy in the Morning It May be Apnea
How rested do you feel when you wake up? If you feel groggy and sluggish throughout the day, it may be a sign that you’re not getting enough sleep, or it may be the sign of a medical condition. Every individual’s sleep needs are different, but if you’re getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every evening, and you still feel tired in the morning, you may be suffering from apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage in your airways as you sleep. Because of this blockage, you’re not able to get the air you need to breathe, and eventually you will wake up. This can cause you to miss out on the restful sleep that you need. (more…)
You Can Recover After Tooth Loss
Tooth loss is a devastating condition for the people it affects. Tooth loss typically comes with pain — both emotional and physical — that can scar you for years to come. That’s because missing teeth can disrupt your smile and hamper your ability to eat. By compromising certain aspects of your lifestyle, tooth loss creates a ripple effect that is difficult to handle. Recovering from tooth loss is possible. While you only have one set of natural teeth, a lifelike dental prosthetic can rebuild your smile and the function of your bite. It’s time to learn more about dental bridges. (more…)
Getting a Dental Crown in Just One Day
Finding an oral health issue can cause many patients to become anxious. If you’re someone who already experiences anxiety related to dental visits, worrying that you may need a filling or more serious treatment can cause you to delay scheduling your appointment. This, in turn, will only make your problems worse when you do ultimately address them. A dental restoration that you can receive in just one day can make things easier. Traditional dental crowns take a number of visits and discomfort. A single-day dental crown relieves this burden. (more…)
Saving Your Tooth with Root Canal Therapy
Don’t postpone dental treatment when you need to repair an issue with your teeth. In almost every case, the longer you wait, the worse your condition will get. This is especially true with cavities. If you delay the treatment of a cavity, that cavity will get larger and more destructive to the structure of your tooth. Untreated cavities can spread deep inside the tooth and reach the root canals. Once your root canals become infected, your entire tooth is in jeopardy. If you continue to delay treatment, you may eventually lose the tooth altogether. Root canal therapy can save your tooth. (more…)
Dental Fillings Save Damaged Teeth
Your teeth are tough and durable, but that doesn’t mean that they’re invincible. Without proper care, your teeth can become infected by bacteria. Bacteria are naturally present in your mouth, and when they build up in small colonies, they can start to do serious damage. As bacteria grow, they produce harmful acid that wears down the enamel of your teeth. Eventually, this wear will form a hole, a cavity. That cavity not only looks unappealing, but it also represents significant structural damage to your tooth. You can save your tooth from further harm with a dental filling. (more…)
Aligners Let You Straighten Your Teeth Subtly
Straighter teeth create a more appealing smile, and they’re also easier to clean. If your teeth could be straighter, you may consider an orthodontic treatment to help align your smile. That doesn’t have to mean a long, uncomfortable treatment timetable like you might expect with braces. Invisible aligners allow you to straighten your teeth subtly and will less discomfort. Not only are invisible aligners discreet, but they offer a number of benefits that braces don’t. If you’ve got a minor case of misalignment, you may be a good candidate for invisible aligners. (more…)