Corrective Techniques

The most popular method of correcting tooth gaps is dental veneers. Porcelain veneers can be applied to the existing tooth and create a smile that is very natural looking. With this technique the tooth is prepared and a thin porcelain shell is placed on the tooth and bonded to it. Porcelain has the appearance that is closest to natural teeth and often, people will not even know that you have had a corrective dental procedure. Porcelain veneers usually take three dental visits to complete.

Another method of correcting dental problems with teeth is bonding. Dental bonding can be completed in one visit. With this approach, the tooth is prepared and a plastic material is placed on the tooth and sculpted into the desired shape. Then it is bonded and hardened with an intensive light. While this approach takes less time than porcelain veneers, the resin material used is more subject to stains.

Painful Conditions

It is not uncommon for problems with your teeth to be uncomfortable and even painful. Teeth that are chipped or misaligned can cause problems with jaw alignment and make it painful to chew and sometimes even to talk.

Cosmetic dental restoration can help you gain a beautiful smile and it can also go a long way to relieving pain you may experience from problem teeth. Once your teeth are correctly aligned, you will find it easier to eat, chew and talk.

Boost Your Self Confidence

Restorative dentistry can also be a great boost to your self confidence. With a beautiful smile, you will no longer need to be embarrassed to show when you are happy or excited. You will find that your self esteem improved and you will find it easier to smile naturally. You may even discover that you become more outgoing and you develop new friendships unexpectedly.

If you are interested in improving your smile and correcting problem teeth, call or visit us today. We are always happy to answer questions and get you the best dental service for your needs.

A root canal removes any diseased pulp on the inside of the tooth and then a dentist fills the roots with nickel titanium after hollowing it out. To prevent the tooth from needing to get pulled due to damage to the sensitive dental pulp, which consists of lymph tissue and blood vessels along with nerve tissue, a root canal may be in order. A root canal requires all of this debris on the inside of the tooth to be completely removed, including the infection and bacteria, so it can be cleaned and shaped.

Look for signs and symptoms that may indicate you’re a candidate for a root canal such as pain ranging in severity from minimal to severe, discoloration of the tooth and swelling or irritation of the gum tissue surrounding that specific tooth. The pain can be incredibly painful due to failed attempts at restoration such as fillings, which actually allow additional bacteria to get into the sensitive area. Other problems, such as a chip or crack in a tooth due to injury, may also require you to get a root canal performed.

If a root canal is unable to be successfully performed to save the tooth from extraction and you don’t want to be left with a gap in your mouth, you may be able to get a dental bridge or dental implant so no one else is able to notice the change in your smile. If you suspect that you may have a dental issue that currently requires a root canal or may need one in the close future, it’s best to get it evaluated as soon as possible to minimize the damage and make your best effort to save the tooth.

Signs and Symptoms

The following signs and symptoms are commonly associated with periodontal disease:

• Gums that are tender, swollen, red and receding (pulling away from teeth)
• Spaces between teeth
• Bad breath or a foul taste
• Teeth that are loosened
• Changes to positioning of teeth
• Signs of pus on gums and teeth

Prevention of Periodontal Disease

The best way to prevent periodontal disease is to practice good oral hygiene. This includes brushing teeth and gums on a daily to remove plaque buildup. Daily flossing is another way to remove plaque and bacteria from teeth and gums.

In addition to at-home care, people should have regular visits to the dentist. Typical visits should occur every six months to receive cleanings. These cleanings by a dental hygienist or dentist can remove additional plaque and bacteria that brushing at home does not.

Nonsurgical Periodontal Treatments

Scaling is a procedure that removes bacteria from the surface beneath the gums.

Root planing smoothes the surfaces to discourage further tartar buildup.

Some dental professionals may use topical or oral antibiotics to control bacteria that cause an infection. These antibiotics come in many forms, including rinses and gels.

Surgical Periodontal Treatments

Flap or pocket reduction surgery is an advanced scaling and planing procedure. Through tiny gum incisions, tissue is pulled back to expose roots for a more thorough cleaning.

Tissue grafts is a procedure to replace damaged tissue from receding gum lines. The surgeon removes tissue from the roof of the patient’s mouth and attaches it to the damaged area.

A bone graft is usually performed when periodontal disease results in destruction to the bone that surrounds teeth. This often helps to prevent tooth loss and allows bone to grow back in the damaged area.

An extension of the bone graft procedure is tissue regeneration. A specially designed material is placed between the bone and tooth. This material prevents unwanted particles from entering the area as it heals.

People of all ages need a good dentist. An infant whose first teeth comes in needs a dentist to check how they are growing. A child whose adult teeth have come in may need braces to make sure the teeth come in straight and not crooked. Working age adults need dentists to pull their wisdom teeth, check for cavities and perform regular cleanings. When a person reaches retirement age and starts to lose his teeth, he still needs the services of a dentist to make his dentures. A good family dentist can provide all of this. Family dentistry practices work with people of all age groups in order to bring you the best possible care.

Finding a family dentistry practice does not have to be a challenge. We understand that not every doctor will work for every patient. Several doctors work at our practice. Call us and we will help you find which one of our dentists works for you.

While many consider them an expensive nuisance, the truth is that regular dental cleanings are incredibly important to your long-term dental health, financially prudent in terms of the amount of money they could save you in the long term, and quick, painless appointments from which it is easy to quickly move on.

Perhaps most importantly, if you can stick to a regular schedule of dental cleanings, your long-term costs for dental care will be markedly reduced, and you’ll stick to quick, painless cleanings instead of the more involved, potentially uncomfortable procedures that will be required if you develop a serious dental health issue. Your best course for fiscal and oral health is to commit yourself to scheduling regular dental cleanings.

Perhaps the highlight of dental cleanings is the range of treatment a patient receives, as well as the range of resulting long-term benefits. At a cleaning, a patient may receive many types of treatment, depending on the dental professional in question and the patient’s needs, but cleanings often include supra gingival scaling to remove plaque and tartar, tooth polishing, debridement of tartar beneath the gum and periodontal charting. In addition to these treatments, however, a longer-term benefit to patients is often the education they receive from dental professionals while at a cleaning; patients can receive instruction on the proper technique for brushing and flossing, nutritional advice if necessary, and further recommendations regarding personal oral hygiene and home care. This aforementioned information can provide the foundation for patients to maintain their dental health consistently over the years, thereby eliminating the need for additional dental procedures and saving the patient money in the process.

Gum disease can do more than just increase your risk for problems with your teeth. Gum disease may also increase your risk for other health conditions. These include type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Pregnant women with gum disease may also be at an increased risk for giving birth to babies that have low birth weights.

The American Academy of Periodontology found that as many as 75 percent of people in America suffer from some form of gum disease. People of any age can get gum disease, but in general most people don’t begin to show signs of this condition until they reach their 30s or 40s. Teenagers that have gum disease usually have only reached the gingivitis stage. It is rare for them to have the more serious periodontitis. Smoking, medications that reduce your saliva, diabetes and other medical conditions, genetics and the hormonal changes that occur in women all can make you more susceptible to gum disease.

Bacteria can build up to form plaque, and a buildup of plaque causes gum disease. This means you need to take care to keep your gums and teeth healthy by brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing regularly to clean where your toothbrush can’t reach and visiting your dentist twice a year for professional cleanings and to get any dental problems treated.

Tooth loss can occur for a number of reasons, including decay, gum disease, injury and genetics. The loss of a tooth can be very traumatic for an individual; however, dentistry has come a long way in tooth replacement. Dental implants are quickly becoming a popular choice in single or multiple tooth replacement.

A patient receiving a dental implant will require a series of dental appointments. At the first appointment, a hole is drilled into the jaw bone, and the titanium implant screw is placed. Most patients report minor discomfort. The screw is then allowed to heal in the bone, a process called osseointegration. This takes several months.

After the healing period is completed, the patient will return to the dentist for a temporary crown. The gum is able to heal around the temporary crown. Finally, a permanent crown will be placed on the screw. With proper care, a dental implant can last indefinitely.

Dental implants have a very high success rate, with 90% for upper implants and 95% for lower. Implant failure is usually attributed to a problem with the screw being accepted by the jaw bone. While a dental implant will not decay, the gum around the tooth is still susceptible to gum disease, which can lead to implant failure. Those who smoke may have a higher risk of the implant not being successful.

A dental implant looks the most like a natural tooth, making it ideal for a person who is self-conscious about their appearance. It is a strong and durable choice for those needing tooth replacement. They are the most functional and longest lasting form of tooth replacement currently available.

The typical dental cleaning appointment includes instructions on how to properly floss and brush, teeth polishing,supra gingival scaling in order to remove the tartar and plaque that is present on all of the visible areas of the teeth, and if needed, the removal of tartar present beneath the gum line.

What is Hand and Ultrasonic Scaling Procedure?

Plaque consists of the buildup of bacteria which is found in food debris and remains on the teeth and the gums, both in crevices and on the surface. When combined with the minerals that are naturally present in saliva, the plaque forms a hard compound known as calculus or tartar, which serves to attract additional plaque. Dental professionals need to remove this calculus in order to prevent conditions such as periodontal disease.

Calculus removal needs to be undertaken by a dentist or licensed dental hygienist via manual scaling or an ultrasonic device. The ultrasonic scaler is usually used when the stains and tartar are more widespread and particularly heavy. After the device is used, the dentist may use manual scaling as well in order to further smooth the root and tooth surfaces.

Patients are recommended to receive dental cleaning appointments regularly in order to prevent dental disease and/or diagnose these conditions early so treatment can be sought. The dentist or hygienist will recommend a cleaning every 2 to 6 months regardless of the number of visits which the insurance will cover. The frequency of the visits will depend on several factors and is determined on a patient-by-patient basis. Some individuals build more tartar than other patients and some may also be more susceptible to inflammation or tooth decay as well. Patients who do not practice adequate oral hygiene will need more cleanings in order to prevent the onset of periodontitis.

Just as you would not send your child to a doctor that has no experience with children you should also not send your child to a dentist who has no experience with children. Pediatric dentistry is a specialized area that requires an extra 2 to 3 years of training above and beyond learning how to take care of teeth.

It is important that the dentist first establishes trust with his small patient and this can be done in a variety of ways. One way is to make sure that the office is child friendly. This may include having screens on the ceiling for them to look at to having special activities they can do while waiting to see the dentist. It can also include special emphasis on teaching children how to prevent dental problems. If they maintain good oral health they will not have to associate the dentist with any type of pain or discomfort. This is an area called pedodontics and it is specifically geared toward preventing childhood tooth decay.

There is some correlation between poor oral health and decreased social relationships and school performance. A pediatric dentist can help make sure that proper oral health is a top priority for children and not just something that they have to endure. It can actually become a source of pride for a child to maintain good oral health.

Some may be surprised to find out that crooked teeth can result in major health problems. Researchers are finding that crooked teeth can lead to gingivitis which has been associated with heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Health issues aside, most people just want to have a lovely smile.

Crooked teeth can be addressed in several different ways. Cosmetic dentistry can be used to help achieve a sparkling smile. Accelerated orthodontics can achieve a perfect smile in a shorter period of time. A combination of cosmetic dental surgery and orthodontic reinforcement can accomplish the same as traditional braces in less time.

If you only have a few minor imperfections, you may want to consider another type of cosmetic dentistry. The tooth can be shaved down to create a shallow surface to which an overlay of porcelain is applied. This type of procedure is generally referred to as capping teeth.

The most common approach to straighten teeth, however, is to put braces on the teeth. Traditional braces are made of wire and tightened repeatedly over time. This process can be painful and take up to several years before the teeth are guided into place. The metal braces are considered by some to be unsightly and they can be quite uncomfortable.

The latest development in orthodontics is called Invisilign. A series of custom-made aligners are worn over your teeth. The aligners are made of clear plastic that fit directly over your teeth. The big plus to this type of system is that they are virtually undetectable and very comfortable to wear. The cost may be higher than traditional braces, but most would agree that the ease of use, comfort level and attractiveness are worth the additional cost.

If you would like to obtain more information about the latest in orthodontics, contact Manus, a dental world of difference, at www.manusdental.com.