A Dental Implant Secures Your Replacement Tooth

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El Paso, TX, Dental Implant

If you have recently lost one of your teeth or need to have one extracted, you understand the difficulty of adjusting to life with an incomplete bite. While the esthetic effect of tooth loss is quite obvious, your quality of life can dive into actions you once took for granted become more difficult. Certain favorite foods you once loved now threaten to harm the open gap in your smile. Because we use our teeth to form speech, your voice may sound strange afterward. As your remaining teeth compensate for the loss, certain ones take a disproportionate amount of your bite’s force. This can quickly wear them down, accelerating problems with the alignment of your smile. Left untreated, this condition can increase your risk for tooth decay and gum disease, therefore increasing your chances of losing even more teeth! Fortunately, a dental implant can mimic a tooth’s root to secure a permanent replacement tooth above your gumline. These versatile prosthetics hold dental crowns, bridges, and dentures, depending on the severity of your tooth loss.

At Sunny Smiles Family Dentistry, we help patients restore incomplete smiles after experiencing tooth loss. We offer multiple prosthetic options including dental implants to return a full set of teeth. By taking an X-ray of your jawbone, we can determine if you are healthy enough for implantation. When your implant is in place, you can enjoy a more stable bite that returns stimulation to your jaw.

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filed under: Dental Implants

Embrace The Day With Better Sleep

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Embrace the day El Paso TXIf you struggle to make it to lunchtime without feeling exhausted, it may be a sign that you have a common sleep disorder related to your oral health. Two of the five most common of these conditions center around the function of your mouth and your throat, and they can make it difficult to enjoy the things that you love to do. If you are waking up with a sore jaw, or if your loved ones have mentioned their concern over your problem snoring, take the time to meet with your dentist about treatment so that you can embrace the day.

At our helpful dental office in El Paso, TX, you can take steps to improve the quality of your sleep with dedicated treatment for your common sleep disorder. This approach can be beneficial for both overnight teeth grinding and obstructive sleep apnea, so speak with your dentist about whether an oral appliance is right for your specific needs. If your problem snoring has you up all night, an oral appliance works by gently repositioning your jaw forward, helping you to breathe deeply all night long. Our team is here to help, so stop waiting and give us a call! (more…)

filed under: Bruxism/Teeth-Grinding, Snoring/Sleep Apea

Taking Steps To Improve Your Gum Health

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Gum Health El Paso TXHave you started to see a shift in your gumline? When this happens, take the time to meet with your dentist to see what is going on. This may be a result of an infection within your periodontal tissue, and it is important to take steps to keep your gums safe. Gum disease is a highly prevalent condition, but patients can sometimes wait to seek treatment, and this can become a serious concern. Your gum health helps to protect your teeth, so make the effort in caring for your entire mouth.

With our team of helpful preventive dental experts in El Paso, TX, you can take action after you notice a change in your gums. Through a dedicated cleaning at and below your gumline, you have the opportunity to relieve your gum inflammation, which can help you to get back on track. If your gums are not as healthy as you would like them to be, stop waiting to speak with a provider. Talk to our team today about your options in slowing and even stopping the progression of your gum disease! (more…)

filed under: Gum Disease

Fighting Tooth Decay With Positive Prevention

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Root Canal Treatment El Paso TXIf it has been a while since the last time that you saw a dentist, take some time to schedule an appointment for a checkup. Most people require these visits at least twice each year, and these serve to help you maintain your smile as you age. Over time, a buildup of plaque and tartar can cause tooth decay and even loss, so be sure that you are keeping to the timeline of checkups that your dentist gives you.

At Sunny Smiles in El Paso, TX, you can find your way back to that schedule of prevention with a semiannual checkup for your smile. Make the effort in sticking to your appointments, as they serve to keep your mouth happy and healthy. Your visit starts with a dedicated cleaning of the surface of your teeth, helping you to be free of your plaque and tartar buildup. Alongside your cleaning, you will also have the opportunity to talk with your dentist about any changes within your smile. Take your oral health seriously and schedule your next appointment with our team! (more…)

filed under: Cavities/Tooth Decay

Call Us When You Have A Toothache!

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El Paso, TX, Root Canal

If you have a toothache that lasts for more than a day, please do not ignore your symptoms! Call your dentist right away to receive an inspection of your problem tooth. We could identify if you are experiencing a dangerous infection. Without treatment, a tooth infection risks spreading to other parts of your body through the bloodstream. But by accessing the inner portion of your tooth, we can clear all foreign material through a root canal procedure and help resolve your pain. Your aching feeling results from the body’s inflammatory response to bacteria in its inner chamber, and when we remove the bacteria, your inflammation subsides. Because this service permanently alters the outer structure of the tooth, we will place a dental crown that returns the function and form of the injured material.

At Sunny Smiles Family Dentistry, we are standing by to help you in your time of need. While you may not be able to predict a tooth infection, knowing you can receive immediate help can be of comfort when emergencies strike. That’s why we make ourselves available outside of your standard cleaning schedule to provide the care you deserve. Although a root canal treatment may seem intimidating, in the hands of a professional, it should be no more uncomfortable than a standard filling procedure. We can discuss sedation methods if you feel uneasy about receiving this treatment.

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filed under: Emergency Dentistry

Schedule A Checkup For The Whole Family!

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The Whole Family El Paso TXAs we enter into October, it means that Halloween season is finally into full swing. Before your little ones start to become excited about the prospect of all that candy, take some time to bring the family into the dental office for cleanings and examinations. If the whole family could use an oral health refresh, this can be a great opportunity to find your way to a positive schedule of preventive care. Even with a dedication to your brushing and flossing, you need the help of a professional at least twice each year.

With our team of family and children’s dentistry experts at Sunny Smiles in El Paso, TX, you can take advantage of the Halloween season with a semiannual dental checkup. You know that the upcoming few months will be filled with temptations from sugary treats of all kinds, so help your little ones to understand the value of keeping up with their smile. A combined appointment for both you and your child can also help them to be brave, so show them how it’s done with a cleaning and examination for each member of your family! (more…)

filed under: Children's Dentistry

Do You Open-Mouth Breath?

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sunny smiles mouth breathing

Breathing is the most natural thing we do, so you may not pay much attention to HOW you breathe. While normal breathing occurs through the nose, some individuals habitually engage in open-mouth breathing. This refers to the act of consistently breathing through the mouth instead of the nose. At Sunny Smiles Family Dentistry, we understand what open-mouth breathing could mean for the airway and its potential impact on dental health.

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filed under: Preventive Dentistry

Teeth Whitening In Under An Hour!

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El Paso, TX, Teeth Whitening

Have you been thinking about treatments to enhance your smile’s natural shade? If discoloration or blemishes are beginning to take hold of your once bright enamel, teeth whitening from your dentist can go far beyond the abilities of an over-the-counter solution. That is because we customize professional-grade dental bleach to bring out the specific shade you select. Using a powerful light, we can accelerate the lifting of stains and perform multiple rounds one after the other. This leads to immediate results that are apparent upon leaving our office. Before going forward with treatment, we will examine the nature of your discoloration to ensure that you are an appropriate candidate. If we find that damage to the enamel itself is the reason for the change in your smile’s appearance we may suggest another cosmetic procedure such as placing porcelain veneers. This can save disappointment from receiving the improper cosmetic approach.

At Sunny Smiles Family Dentistry, we believe your smile plays a central role in your appearance. By being the center of attention whenever you speak, even minor imperfections in your smile can become highly noticeable. By addressing stains and yellowing teeth, you can regain confidence in your professional and personal life. For added convenience, we offer the same strength treatment in a take-home kit for personal use. If you prefer this option, you may apply touchups after your initial procedure.

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filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry

Expert Care For Your Tooth Infection

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El Paso, TX, Tooth Infection

What should you do if you wake up with a toothache that will not go away on its own? If it has been more than a day, call your dentist right away! A toothache is a common symptom of a severe infection that without treatment, could spread to other parts of your body. This is because bacterial deposits take hold in your tooth’s inner chamber. If material from your infection breaks off, it can enter the bloodstream and quickly travel. By scheduling an emergency dental visit, we can take X-rays of your problem tooth to determine if foreign material is present. If this is the case, we will suggest an immediate root canal to clear all bacteria and resolve your pain. Because this treatment permanently alters the structure of your tooth, we will design a custom dental crown that returns your tooth’s strength and appearance following your root canal.

At Sunny Smiles Family Dentistry, we are standing by to help you treat any sudden emergencies. When you have a toothache, waiting for it to heal on its own can be a risky proposition. By heading to our office, we can inspect your tooth and provide expert guidance on relieving your pain. While you may be disappointed to hear you need a root canal, you should know that this treatment should be no more uncomfortable than a standard filling or dental crown. We apply local anesthetics that numb the affected area throughout the entire procedure.

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filed under: Emergency Dentistry

A Custom Guard Can Relieve TMD Symptoms

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El Paso, TX, TMJ Disorder

Over the years, protecting your smile can take additional effort due to certain conditions that can develop. By maintaining a healthy relationship with your dentist, you can often identify active threats and receive treatment before they get out of hand. While cleanings and exams help prevent cavities and gum disease from plaque and tartar deposits, sometimes more complex oral disorders can occur. A gum infection can destabilize teeth and lead to significant dental loss for example. But what can you do to identify conditions that take hold while you are asleep? If you wake in the morning with a consistent ache through your jaw, head, and shoulder muscles, you may suffer from a condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder or TMD. Without treatment, TMD can lead to difficulty properly articulating your jaw open and shut. This problem is associated with a bad bite, leading to accelerated wear and tear on your teeth’s surfaces and an increased risk for decay and infection. After helping get your TMD under control, we could help you explore functional and cosmetic treatments to restore your smile’s appearance.

At Sunny Smiles Family Dentistry, we provide a nonsurgical treatment for TMD through the use of oral appliance therapy. By taking custom measurements of your teeth and surrounding oral structures, we create a mouthguard that fits neatly on each row of teeth. By wearing your guard before bed, you gently slide your jaw into a more comfortable position, relieving tension on the joints of your jaw. Because your teeth are covered, this treatment also stops any grinding damage associated with your disorder.

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filed under: TMJ Disorder