Keeping up with good hygiene at home and maintaining a strict schedule of visits to your dentist can help you avoid most dental issues, including cavities (which affect a large majority of people). However, prevention isn’t always guaranteed, and even when you take good care of your smile, you may still develop a cavity in one or more teeth. Fortunately, cavities can usually be treated easily with tooth-colored fillings, which restore your tooth by filling the cavity with a discreet, personalized, biocompatible resin. (more…)
Can Teeth-Whitening Work for You?
As one of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments, teeth-whitening is something that most people will choose at least once in their lives. Even with a consistently good schedule of hygiene at home and regular visits to your dentist, your teeth can still develop stains, lose their shine, or become uniformly dull over time. Fortunately, teeth-whitening can help you rejuvenate your smile’s appearance quickly and conveniently by erasing stains and brightening your teeth. To determine if teeth-whitening can work for you, your dentist will first perform a careful examination, and then consult with you about choosing the best treatment. (more…)
Do You Have Questions About Sleep Apnea?
The quality of your sleep can have a significant impact on your overall quality of life. When you don’t get enough of it, your mind and body can begin to suffer the consequences in the form of sleep deprivation, extreme exhaustion, and decreasing mental capacity. However, not just any sleep will do; your body needs to enter deep sleep (or R.E.M. sleep) to rest and rejuvenate properly. When you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you might believe that you’re sleep soundly, yet the condition can make it impossible for you to enter R.E.M. sleep, which can have disastrous consequences on your overall health. (more…)
More Reasons to Worry About Gum Disease
Gum disease is slightly different for everyone, but for those who develop it, the threats are generally the same. As it progresses, gum disease destroys the periodontal tissues, ligaments, and jawbone structure that support your teeth. Because the disease involves rampant inflammation in your gums, it can also have a significant impact on your overall wellbeing. Therefore, treating gum disease, preferably in its earliest stages, can help prevent its most serious consequences, or help you recover from them if necessary. (more…)
Why Tooth Decay Is Such a Problem
Tooth decay, the condition that leads to cavities, is the most common dental problem among children and adults. However, because it can often be easily treated, many patients underestimate the magnitude of the problem and the consequences it can have on their dental health. Because of this misunderstanding, patients often neglect to seek treatment immediately, and the problem often becomes much worse. Today, we explore why tooth decay is such a problem, and how you can mitigate that problem with appropriate treatment from your dentist. (more…)
Answering Questions About Porcelain Veneers
Your teeth may be small, but your smile is one of your most immediately noticeable features. Therefore, improving cosmetic tooth blemishes can benefit your self-confidence as much as your smile’s appearance. In many cases, porcelain veneers are the best option for addressing cosmetic dental concerns, especially if you have more than one concern to deal with at a time. To find out if they’re the right option for you, we answer a few common questions about porcelain veneers and how they can improve your smile. (more…)
In Case You Grind Your Teeth Too Much
Everyone grinds their teeth occasionally, but like all things, doing it too much can prove more harmful than you realize. Bruxism is a condition in which you constantly grind your teeth together, most often at night, and you may not always be able to stop yourself. Over time, the incessant pressure and friction can wear down and weaken your teeth, leading to greater risks of other issues, like tooth decay and TMJ disorder. If bruxism is making you grind your teeth too much, then your dentist may be able to help you stop with a custom-designed oral appliance. (more…)
Can Dental Implants Stop Further Tooth Loss?
Tooth loss can occur for numerous reasons, from the severe advancement of a dental health issue to a sudden, traumatic impact that breaks the tooth or destroys its connective tissues. For instance, gum disease destroys the foundations that support your teeth, namely gum tissue and jawbone structure, until teeth have no legs to stand on, so to speak. If one or more teeth are already missing, then your smile’s foundation may already be eroding, with or without the presence of gum disease. Fortunately, dental implants can help prevent further tooth loss by replacing a vital component of your lost teeth—their roots. (more…)
Treating Different Kinds of Tooth Fractures
A fractured tooth is one that has been structurally damaged, i.e., cracked or fractured. Restoring the tooth, however, depends on the type and severity of the fracture. In some cases, the tooth may need extraction and replacement to prevent damage to the surrounding gums and jawbone. Today, we explain a few of the ways a tooth can fracture, and how to restore or replace your fractured tooth to effectively preserve the rest of your oral health. (more…)
The Growth and Extraction of Wisdom Teeth
A healthy human mouth typically grows 32 permanent teeth by early adulthood. Unfortunately, the average human mouth is only suited to hold 28 teeth comfortably. The last four teeth are known as wisdom teeth, or third molars. Although not everyone grows all or any of these teeth, when they do come in, they are frequently accompanied by great discomfort and a threat to your oral health. So frequently, in fact, that many people choose to have their wisdom teeth removed before they can begin to cause trouble. Today, we explore why extracting third molars is often wiser than waiting to see how they will behave. (more…)