Your gums might seem to be the least important part of your smile. You probably never even pay attention to them until you get a popcorn kernel stuck between your teeth and need to floss, and then your gums bleed a little.
Why should you be concerned about your gum health?
Here are four important reasons.
Gum Health Is Connected to Heart Health
Gum disease is an inflammatory condition. The bacteria and inflammatory response associated with gum disease are also linked to problems such as stroke and heart health. Keeping your gums healthy can lower your risk for cardiovascular problems.
Healthy Gums Equal Healthy Lungs
Studies show that people with gum disease tend to be at higher risk for pneumonia. Healthy gums can even improve conditions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Gum Health Affects Self-Image
You don’t always appreciate a good thing until it’s gone, they say, and that’s very true when it comes to your gums.
Receded gumlines can leave you with long yellow teeth that you may be ashamed to show off in a smile. Unhealthy gums can also lead to embarrassing tooth loss.
Healthy Gums Mean Good Nutrition
Having healthy gums is one sign that you’re getting plenty of vitamins in your diet. But healthy gums also do you a big favor by holding your teeth in place. As long as you have strong teeth to chew with, you can enjoy a varied and nutritious diet.
If you lose teeth to gum disease on the other hand, you may find it difficult to eat the fresh fruits and vegetables and chewy whole grains your body needs.
How are your gums doing? Find out by scheduling a checkup at your local dental office.
Posted on behalf of:
Riverwood Dental
3350 Riverwood Pkwy #2120
Atlanta GA 30339
(770) 955-2505
Why is getting a dental crown after a root canal so important? Can the tooth just go without?
Root Canals Restore…but Also Weaken Teeth
A root canal involves removing an infected or damaged tooth, to eliminate all traces of the compromised nerves.
Unfortunately, the process can knock out a lot of material from inside the tooth. You’ll be left with a hollow structure that’s more fragile.
Live teeth strengthen themselves with the nutrients brought in by the blood vessels flowing from the roots to the pulp. When a tooth has a root canal, it dies and can no longer be reinforced from the inside.
If you need a root canal, it’s because your tooth is already dead or in the process of dying. The treatment is just a way to save what’s left, so that you don’t have to extract the tooth entirely.
Capping your tooth with a dental crown keeps it strong and protected even after being weakened by a necessary treatment.
Is It Possible to Get a Root Canal without a Crown?
Some teeth do fine without a crown after having a root canal. These can include:
In such cases, a dental filling may be sufficient to seal off the tooth and keep it in good shape for years to come.
Only your dentist can tell after a root canal whether your tooth is strong enough to go without a crown so, check in with him or her to learn more.
Posted on behalf of:
ConfiDenT
11550 Webb Bridge Way, Suite 1
Alpharetta, GA 30005
(770) 772-0994
Bone grafting in dentistry is when an oral surgeon builds up weak areas in a person’s jaw with bone tissue or a similar substitute. The bone may be taken from your own body (autograft) or from a donor (allograft).
Grafting isn’t just for the jaw; it can also repair defects on the upper half of the mouth, too.
Why do some people end up needing a bone graft at all?
After an Injury
Cancer or an accident can lead to someone losing a large portion of bone in their jaw. A bone graft is thus necessary to restore normal function or anatomy.
To Protect Teeth
Severe gum recession or disease can lead to teeth losing vital support and protection. The exposed tooth roots are at risk for decay and extreme sensitivity, or they can fall out altogether.
Someone with compromised teeth may need to have some bone tissue replaced if they want to save their natural smile.
Prepare for a Dental Implant
Perhaps one of the most common reasons for bone grafting is to prepare a site in the mouth to receive dental implants.
Some spots in the dental arch can become too low or thin to support an implant. Natural existing bone can wear down with time if teeth are missing or if it’s actively attacked by gum disease.
Whatever the reason for getting a jaw bone graft, it takes time to heal after the procedure. It can be several months before a site is ready to support a denture or withstand an implant procedure.
Wondering whether a bone graft is right for you? Talk to a local dentist or oral surgeon.
Posted on behalf of:
Manhattan Dental Design
315 W 57th St Suite 206
New York, NY 10019
(646) 504-4377
There’s nothing like a bad taste in your mouth to ruin your appetite. But worse than that, an odd taste can indicate a serious oral health issue.
Is that bad taste due to one of the following causes?
Tooth Decay
A simple cavity can cause a strange taste in your mouth. Cavities are spots in your teeth where the enamel is actively dying, so the decaying tissue does have a foul taste.
Abscesses
When a cavity grows too large, it can infect the nerve of a tooth and create a sack of foul-tasting fluid on the gums. If it ruptures, your mouth will suddenly be filled with a salty taste.
Chronically inflamed gums also give off a rancid taste as they break down. Strong breath odor coupled with a bad taste could signal periodontitis.
Plaque Buildup (Poor Oral Hygiene)
Don’t brush your tongue regularly? Bacterial plaque buildup can alter your taste sensation.
Tonsil Stones
Bacteria and food debris that collects in the pits on and near your tonsils can create a rotten-tasting, pebble-like formation.
Medications
Medications you take on a regular basis can cause a metallic taste in your mouth.
Acid Reflux
If you have stomach acid regularly washing back up into your throat, this can leave you with a particularly nasty taste in your mouth, especially first thing in the morning.
Thrush
You may have a treatable yeast condition called oral candidiasis if you notice white patches or sore red spots in your mouth along with an icky metallic taste.
Schedule a dental exam and talk with your local dentist to discover what’s causing bad breath issues for a fast solution to your halitosis woes.
Posted on behalf of:
Wayne G. Suway, DDS, MAGD
1820 The Exchange SE #600
Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 953-1752
Teens are popular orthodontic patients. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from braces if your teen years are well behind you.
Why Teens Get Braces
The jaw bone in teens’ mouths is dynamic and heals quickly. This is important to the orthodontic process. Traditional braces put pressure on teeth to move them through bone tissue into new positions. The bone breaks down and reforms fast enough in young people’s mouths to allow teeth to successfully relocate within months.
Complicated orthodontic cases are also easier to correct in the developmental stages. Braces in the early years can prevent the need for surgery and lengthy treatment in adulthood.
Braces Work for Adults, Too!
While braces tend to have faster success in young mouths, that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit older patients just as much.
Braces work the same way in adults as they do for kids and teens. If you’ve got several decades of life behind you, then you might expect your treatment to take a bit longer than it does for your own kid.
The good news is that it’s almost never too late to get braces and experience the benefits!
Orthodontic Options for Adults
Older orthodontic patients usually want problem-focused treatment to cosmetically enhance their smiles.
Like other adult orthodontic patients, you may want a method that’s low-visibility, low-maintenance, and as fast as possible. Some suitable options include clear aligner trays, tooth-colored braces, and accelerated ortho.
If you have only slightly crooked teeth, then you might be able to make them look straighter without getting braces, at all. Dental veneers, for example, are a good orthodontic hack for adults.
Talk with a cosmetic dentist or orthodontist in your area to find out more.
Posted on behalf of:
Springfield Lorton Dental Group
5419-C Backlick Rd
Springfield, VA 22151
(703) 256-8554
The time has come for you to part with most of your remaining natural teeth. Fortunately, you can achieve a natural-looking smile by choosing a denture that looks realistic.
Find a Good Denture Dentist
Search for a dentist or prosthodontist who specializes in dentures. Almost any dentist can make you a denture, but the ones who focus on dentures have the time and experience to craft a realistic-looking set of teeth.
Denture providers take into consideration your facial features, skin tone, and bite physics to design a prosthesis that suits your unique needs.
Invest in a Quality Appliance
When it comes to dentures, you get what you pay for. Cheap dentures will have a rather generic appearance. It costs more to get one that’s tailored to your looks and preferences. If you choose the cheapest option, you may end up with unnaturally large, white, or square teeth on your denture.
It’s worth it to get a set of teeth that look like your natural ones.
Consider an Implant Bridge or Implant-Supported Denture
Have you given any thought to dental implants? Now is a good time to do so before you start planning the extraction of your remaining teeth.
It isn’t practical to replace every single tooth with its own dental implant. But you can get two or four implants in an arch to support a denture appliance.
These implants will help preserve the shape and height of your smile since they add structure to your jaw bone. This is the best way to keep your smile looking natural, while wearing a denture.
Ask a dentist near you about which option is best for replacing your natural teeth.
Posted on behalf of:
Soft Touch Dentistry
1214 Paragon Dr
O’Fallon, IL 62269
(618) 622-5050
Dental veneers can fix almost any problem to get you a smile you’ll love.
What Are Dental Veneers?
A veneer is a single, thin, cosmetic dental restoration which is usually made from porcelain. It covers the entire front of a tooth, changing how it looks from the outside.
How Dental Veneers Can Improve Your Smile
Dental veneers can cover up stubborn stains. You may also get a veneer to widen the size of one or two teeth to close up a gap between them. If one of your front teeth has a chip in the edge or enamel with a rough texture, then a veneer can smooth out its appearance.
If you choose to get a veneer or two, you’ll need to schedule a few dental appointments. The first visit assesses your smile’s cosmetic needs. The next one involves trimming down the enamel so that the restorations aren’t too bulky. Your dentist will also take a mold of the prepared teeth, which is used to design the veneers.
By the last appointment, you dentist will check the fit of the veneers and bond them into place.
Are Veneers Right for You?
Dental veneers usually only go on upper front teeth, where they won’t experience too much bite pressure. They also need to be kept very clean to avoid developing cavities around the edges. Veneers can make radical changes in your smile, but they can’t treat active decay or major damage.
Do you have a tooth or two with some cosmetic flaws? If your teeth are healthy, then you may qualify to upgrade your smile with dental veneers. Ask your dentist for more information.
Posted on behalf of:
Smiles by Seese
610 Jetton St #250
Davidson, NC 28036
(704) 895-5095
Baby bottle tooth decay involves severe cavities in baby teeth (especially the front ones) of a toddler’s mouth. It’s a serious condition that requires urgent care. At the same time, it’s also easily preventable.
What Causes Tooth Decay in Babies?
A specific kind of bacteria that lives on teeth feeds off of the sugar that a person eats. These germs give off an acidic waste product that wears holes (cavities) in teeth.
A diet low in sweets and a daily oral hygiene routine are usually enough to keep cavities at bay. But small children tend to be at high risk for a couple of reasons:
If you as a parent aren’t careful about your child’s oral hygiene and natural sugar exposure, then they could be at high risk for developing baby bottle tooth decay.
Consequences of Cavities in Toddlers
Decay in baby teeth can cause painful abscesses that affect the adult teeth before they come through. Abscesses can lead to life-threatening infections. If your child is suffering from cavities, they can have difficulty eating healthy foods or learning to speak properly. Hospitalization may even be necessary.
Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Never put your child to bed with a bottle of anything besides plain water. Limit sweet snacks and drinks to mealtimes to avoid constant sugar exposure throughout the day. As soon as your child’s first tooth arrives, start a routine of daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste.
Lastly, take your child to a pediatric dentist for a checkup by his or her first birthday!
Posted on behalf of:
West Hill Family Dental
132 New Britain Avenue
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
(860) 563-3303
You may be ready for dental implants if you can relate to any of the following situations…
You’ve Lost Teeth in an Accident
If you’ve lost your teeth to disease, then you’ll have to make sure the infection is treated and gone before you can get implants. Otherwise, the condition can eventually compromise your new dental implants.
Losing teeth to an accident, however, is usually a one-time thing, so implants are the perfect way to restore your smile after an automobile- or sports-related incident.
You Don’t Want to Wear a Partial Denture
Does the idea of having a removable prosthesis bother you? Do you already find it challenging to keep a partial denture clean?
Implants are the perfect option for those who want a tooth replacement solution that keeps their daily routine as normal as possible.
You Don’t Want to Damage Your Natural Teeth
A dental bridge is a good tooth replacement option. But it requires capping two other teeth for support. Crowning those otherwise healthy teeth can shorten their life expectancy. Getting an implant, however, won’t affect the remaining natural teeth at all.
You Love Keeping Your Smile in Tip-Top Shape
If you’re good about brushing and flossing every day, then implants may be an ideal choice for you.
Dental implants don’t require any more special cleaning or maintenance than natural teeth do, but they do require regular brushing and flossing to stay healthy. If you find it easy to keep up with your oral hygiene now, then dental implants may do very well in your mouth.
Talk with an implant dentist in your area to learn whether you qualify for this state-of-the-art procedure.
Posted on behalf of :
Prime Dental Care
417 Wall St
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 651-8618
Are any of these facts news to you?
Amalgam (silver) fillings that contain mercury are not considered dangerous, so there’s no need to panic if you still have metal restorations.
The mercury in metal fillings can’t harm you, since inhaling a mercury vapor is what’s really toxic to humans. Your restorations don’t give off enough vapor to cause any toxicity. But if you’re still worried about them, your dentist can offer a safe removal method.
In 2017, archaeologists at the University of Bologna discovered a human body that had teeth with evidence of dental work dating around 13,000 years old. Two front incisors appeared to have holes in them that were drilled with stone tools and then filled with a tar-like mixture.
Tooth-colored composite dental fillings are made from a material that contains a combination of plastic resin and glass. The result is a strong restoration that bonds with teeth and also moves with them.
Your teeth feel hard, but they actually expand and contract on a microscopic level with temperature changes. Metal fillings expand and contract too rapidly and this extreme activity can damage teeth from the inside. But white fillings move at the same rate natural tooth structure does, making them much a much more gentle and conservative restorative option.
Dental treatment doesn’t have to be inevitable. By cutting down on your sugar consumption, using fluoride toothpaste, and practicing good oral hygiene, you can lower your risk for needing a dental filling.
Talk with your dentist about other preventative dental treatments like sealants and fluoride varnish.
Posted on behalf of:
Pure Smiles Dentistry
2655 Dallas Highway Suite 510
Marietta, GA 30064
770.422.8776
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