Having a less-than-perfect smile may not be such a big deal. But having gum disease is.
Gum disease, also called periodontitis, leads to tooth loss and can even predispose you to other health complications.
Crooked teeth are far more than just a cosmetic issue. Having tipped or crowded teeth could actually put you at higher risk of gum disease. Here’s how.
The Dangers of Crooked Teeth
Your teeth are healthier when spaced out in even alignment than when they’re crammed together. Overlapping teeth trap plaque bacteria and food debris which lead to decay and gum irritation. Properly spaced teeth are easy to clean with a toothbrush or floss and are thus more likely to be healthy.
Crooked teeth also put uneven tension on your gums. This leads to gum recession which worsens the effects of gum disease.
Braces Can Lower Your Risk of Periodontitis
Orthodontic treatment frees up space between your teeth and reduces tension on the gums. Even a short treatment period can make a difference in your oral health. Wearing braces or an orthodontic retainer may seem uncomfortable or inconvenient at times. But it’ll all be worth it in the end when you have healthy teeth and gums that are easy to keep clean.
Can Braces Make Your Gums Healthier?
Your teeth and gums may stand to benefit from braces if in addition to crooked teeth you have:
See a dentist in your area for a gum health and orthodontic evaluation to see if braces are right for you.
Posted on behalf of:
Dental Care Acworth
5552 Robin Road Suite A
Acworth, GA 30102
(678) 888-1554
Gum disease is serious but treatable. By following these seven steps under professional guidance, you can rebuild your smile and restore your oral health.
The very first thing you need to do if you suspect gum disease is to see a dentist or periodontist. A gum health professional will assess your gums for signs of disease and let you know exactly which steps to take next.
Most treatment for gum disease involves a deep cleaning to remove tartar and bacteria from below the gum line. This step is crucial to controlling the infection.
Some patients benefit from antibiotic therapy to reduce the bacteria causing the inflammation. Your doctor may recommend local application around specific teeth, a therapeutic antimicrobial mouthwash, or a course of prescription pills.
Smoking delays healing and makes gum tissue tough and inflexible. Cut back on the habit while your gums recover from treatment.
Now that your gums are responding well to treatment, you must maintain the progress you’ve made. Brush and floss every day to prevent more germs from infecting your gums.
An orange a day could boost your gums’ immune health. Check with your doctor before taking any supplements.
Have your teeth lost support due to gum disease? You may need bone grafting, gum tissue grafting, or replacement teeth. Replacing these lost structures will keep your mouth healthy and prevent you from developing gum disease again.
Ready for healthier gums? Call your dentist to get started.
Posted on behalf of:
Smile Design Studios
6130 Highway 6
Missouri City, TX 77459
(281) 969-7388
Dentures tend to be faster, cheaper, and less-invasive than implants. So why should you consider getting implants instead of a denture? Here are six reasons.
Implants are secured to your jaw with “screws” that your bone tissue heals around. This creates a stronger and more secure bite than traditional dentures which merely rest on top of the gums.
Once implants fuse with your jawbone, they never have to come out. Getting implants is a one-time process. Dentures, however, need to be relined, repaired, and replaced over time.
Dentures carry the potential for embarrassing slips and garbled speech. But implants are so much more natural that no one ever has to know they aren’t real teeth.
The strong hold implants have on your jaw allows you to eat things like corn-on-the-cob, whole apples, and steaks—things most dentures can’t handle.
There are no denture brushes or soaking solutions with full-mouth dental implants. If you have implants permanently fixed to your jaw, you only need to brush and floss them like normal teeth.
Dental implants promote the growth of new bone tissue in your jaw. This maintains the shape of your face and keeps it looking youthful. Dentures, on the other hand, press on your jawbone through the gums and cause it to shrink over time.
Are you a candidate for full-mouth dental implants? Contact your local implant dentist to set up a consultation.
Posted on behalf of:
Laguna West Dental Care
9098 Laguna Main St Ste 8
Elk Grove, CA 95758
(916) 683-7300
Anxiety disorder typically involves feelings of worry or nervousness that are disproportionate to a trigger or that happen for no apparent reason. Anxiety stimulates the body’s fight-or-flight response.
Chronic anxiety takes a toll on your body. Here are some of the ways anxiety can affect your oral health.
In a tense situation, you may find yourself gritting your teeth. Chronic stress can even make you do this in your sleep. Teeth grinding loosens dental restorations, wears away tooth enamel, and puts teeth at risk of fracture.
Mental health imbalances such as anxiety can make you neglect basic brushing and flossing which are necessary for preventing disease.
Untreated anxiety-sufferers are prone to abusing drugs and alcohol in an effort to calm themselves. Such substances can have serious negative effects on the mouth.
There’s a close link between emotional health and digestive health. Anxiety can cause digestive distress that may lead to GERD, indigestion, or even vomiting. Stomach acids that make their way to your mouth can erode tooth enamel.
Does chronic stress make you clench your jaw tightly? This can put a strain on your TMJ and cause soreness and stiffness when you chew or yawn.
Anxiety can make your mouth dry out by stopping your saliva flow. The situation may worsen if you start taking an anti-anxiety medication. Certain drugs such as antidepressants have dry mouth as a side-effect. Dry mouth is uncomfortable and increases your risk for oral disease.
How can you protect your smile if you are an anxiety-sufferer? Talk with a dentist near you to find out.
Posted on behalf of:
Riverwood Dental
3350 Riverwood Pkwy #2120
Atlanta GA 30339
(770) 955-2505
You’d love to have a whiter smile, but your teeth won’t brighten if you keep on making these common bleaching mistakes…
Baking soda is gritty enough that it scrubs away stains on the surface of your tooth enamel. It can’t reach pigments that are embedded deep inside your teeth. You could brush with baking soda for years and never see your teeth get any whiter than they are right now.
Have you ever tried one of those teeth whitening gels that you wear in a little rubber tray? They can be quite effective . . . if you use them correctly.
In the spirit of “more is better” you might be overloading your trays with the whitening gel. The problem is that this can lead to sensitive teeth and irritated gum tissue. Your poor mouth will then be so sore that you’ll give up on bleaching your teeth.
Do you have that one odd tooth that refuses to whiten no matter what you try? You’re wasting time and money by trying. Some teeth won’t bleach because they’re discolored from the inside. Teeth that have experienced advanced decay or severe trauma may be permanently stained. Alternatively, that tooth may have a dental cap and dental restorations don’t change color.
Whitening strips can be effective, but they usually can’t deliver the bleaching agent in between teeth. Your teeth may get nice white fronts, but they could still have dark stains around the edges.
Contact a cosmetic dentist in your area to find out the best way to whiten your unique smile.
Posted on behalf of:
ConfiDenT
11550 Webb Bridge Way, Suite 1
Alpharetta, GA 30005
(770) 772-0994
One lost tooth is one less to worry about, right? Actually, just one missing tooth can be enough to cause you a surprising amount of trouble.
Missing Teeth Affect Tooth Alignment
A gap in your smile provides the opportunity for neighboring teeth to shift and tilt out of their proper position. As a result, your remaining teeth can end up uncomfortably tipped over. This makes it difficult to clean them, so they’ll be more prone to decay and gum disease.
Missing Teeth Makes Your Mouth “Shrink”
You might not appreciate just how important your teeth are until they’re gone. Your teeth provide support for the framework of your face. Without them, your mouth loses its height. That’s why completely toothless individuals have chins that roll right up into their mouth.
The bone tissue around missing teeth will also eventually shrink away and leave you with a huge indentation in your gums. It’s very hard to fill in the space after your mouth has shrunken. You’ll need special restorative treatment such as a bone graft if you want to fill in the gap with a bridge or dental implants.
Missing Teeth Can Cause Wrinkles
Without the support of teeth, muscles around your mouth can soften and atrophy, making your face look “sunken in.” The tissue in your cheeks and lips becomes soft and collapses in on itself. This process can make you develop wrinkles that make you look older than you are.
It’s clear that your teeth are important. Do everything in your power to hold onto your natural teeth as long as possible! Your dentist can help you do just that. Call your local dental office to schedule an oral health consultation.
Posted on behalf of:
Manhattan Dental Design
315 W 57th St Suite 206
New York, NY 10019
(646) 504-4377
Fruit juice contains vitamins like vitamin A or C depending on the variety. Additionally, it’s caffeine-free and doesn’t have all the chemicals found in soda.
As a parent, you want your child to enjoy drinks that are both healthy and appealing, so juice is a natural choice.
But once you know what fruit juice could do to your kid’s smile, then you may not be so quick to offer it.
The Dangers of Fruit Juice
You probably know that juices from concentrate are usually loaded with sweeteners. But you might be surprised to learn that even juice that’s squeezed fresh from organic fruit has too much sugar for your kid’s teeth.
Fruit is a natural source of sugar. A little bit in small amounts is perfectly fine. Your child needs the vitamins and minerals found in certain fruits. But when you kid enjoys their fruit in liquid form, they’re getting a high concentration of sugar minus most of the healthful fiber.
That sugar fuels cavity-causing bacteria, which make tooth structure start to develop cavities. The acids that are also found in fruit juice make matters worse by dissolving tooth enamel.
Is Your Child Drinking Too Much Juice?
If your child is sipping on fruit juice throughout the day, then he or she is bathing their teeth in sugar. Limit your child’s juice intake to mealtimes and try to offer whole fruits instead of juice to supplement their diet. Encourage your little one to drink water when they’re thirsty.
Talk with your pediatric dentist if you’re worried that your child may be drinking too much juice. You’ll get tips on how to reduce your child’s cavity risk and promote healthy drink choices.
Posted on behalf of:
West Hill Family Dental
132 New Britain Avenue
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
(860) 563-3303
Are you too nervous to get a dental implant because you’re afraid it might fail? Here’s what you need to know about the real risks of dental implant failure and if they’re likely to affect your smile.
Dental Implant Failure: How Common is It?
The first thing you should know about dental implants is that they are highly successful. Failure is quite uncommon and only happens in around 2 – 5% of cases. Modern dental implant technology continues to minimize the risk of failure. Careful planning and detailed imaging make implants the successful restorations they are.
Why Implants Fail
There are, however, certain conditions that can lead to or predispose you to dental implant failure. These include:
Your dentist or implant specialist can help you understand your risk of implant failure and take steps to minimize it.
Even after you take every precaution possible, there is still that slim chance your dental implant could fail.
Signs to Look for If You Suspect Dental Implant Failure
Your dental implant needs immediate attention if you notice that it’s loose or suddenly painful. Swollen and/or receded gums around your implant are also a bad sign. Your implant is supposed to be able to handle a lot of weight when you chew, so difficulty eating is also a bad sign. Additionally, a fever could mean that your implant is infected.
Careful consultation with your implant dentist can help you make a success of upcoming dental implant therapy!
Posted on behalf of:
Wayne G. Suway, DDS, MAGD
1820 The Exchange SE #600
Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 953-1752
For some people, getting traditional braces isn’t as simple as they’d like it to be. You too may be one of the unlucky few who needs oral surgery before straightening your teeth.
Why might surgery be necessary?
To Expose “Canine” Teeth
Your canines (eye teeth) are very important. They are cornerstones for shaping your smile and the alignment of your other teeth. If you have a canine or two that isn’t in proper position, then it may be impossible to place braces. Oral surgery exposes unerupted teeth that are still trapped under the gums so that the orthodontist can attach braces to them.
Remove Extra Teeth
Did you know that it’s possible to be born with a mouth that’s too small for your teeth? Or to have extra teeth you don’t need? If that’s the case for you, then you might need to have one set (usually premolars/bicuspids) extracted. Oral surgery can also help you get rid of stubborn baby teeth. Surgical tooth extractions helps free up more space in your mouth.
Prevent Complications During Treatment
Do you have disease-prone wisdom teeth or a severely fractured tooth? They may need to come out before you can get braces. It can be very difficult, if not impossible, to treat such teeth after you have appliances put in place.
Oral surgery may be necessary to restore your mouth to health before embarking on orthodontic treatment.
Rejuvenate Bone or Gum Levels
Your orthodontist may refer you to an oral surgeon or gum specialist to shore up weak areas in your mouth before the rigors of wearing braces.
Ask you orthodontist for more tips on how you can prepare for a successful course of orthodontic treatment.
Posted on behalf of:
Springfield Lorton Dental Group
5419-C Backlick Rd
Springfield, VA 22151
(703) 256-8554
Braces aren’t just for kids and teens! Sometimes, older results can also benefit from orthodontic treatment just as much as adolescents!
But as a mature and established member of society, you’re duly concerned about your image. So the idea of wearing traditional braces might worry you, just a bit.
The good news is that you have plenty of options to choose from if you’re interested in virtually-invisible braces.
Ceramic Braces
No one says braces have to be silver! You can opt for traditional orthodontia in a neutral and low-visibility color scheme. The brackets can be made from ceramic and the wires are clear or tooth-colored so that they blend in, too. People will have to look very closely to see that you’re wearing braces.
Brush carefully to prevent ceramic braces from picking up stain.
Lingual Braces
In defiance of conventionality, some orthodontists place the braces on the inside of teeth instead of on the front. Choose lingual braces and your teeth will gradually straighten out as if by magic. It’s very difficult for someone to notice wires attached to the inside of your teeth!
Invisalign
Invisalign is a popular orthodontic treatment for a reason. It’s probably the most comfortable and least-visible braces option out there.
Invisalign is a series of clear trays that you switch out every time your teeth adjust to the current one. You remove your trays for meals and so eating is just as normal as ever. You can even pop them out quickly for photos so that you can grin with only your natural teeth showing.
Is one of these invisible braces options right for you? Find out by contacting an orthodontist or cosmetic dentist in your area.
Posted on behalf of:
Soft Touch Dentistry
1214 Paragon Dr
O’Fallon, IL 62269
(618) 622-5050
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