Will My Halloween Haul Cause Tooth Decay?
Tonight, kids, teens, and adults across the nation will be celebrating Halloween. While we love candy and costumes as much as anyone, we always want our patients to be aware of how their Halloween haul can cause tooth decay. Understanding this link can help you make better oral health decisions and protect your smile.
Got a Toothache? Find Out How We Can Help!
Most people experience a toothache at least once in their lifetime, and for many of them, it doesn’t go away until they seek treatment. If your toothache is a sign of a serious issue, like a growing cavity or unnoticed damage to your tooth structure, then the condition and toothache will grow worse as time passes. The good news is that toothaches of all types can be effectively treated by visiting your dentist, receiving an accurate diagnosis, and discussing the cause and possible solutions for your discomfort. (more…)
Does Your Jaw Hurt? Find Out If It’s TMJ Disorder
Does your jaw hurt or seem to shift when you bite and chew? Do you occasionally have difficulty opening and closing your jaw fully? Jaw pain and discomfort is a common sign of TMJ disorder, or TMD, which is a dysfunction in one or both of the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) upon which your lower jaw pivots. Some patients may not realize that a condition is to blame for their discomfort, and may go years before receiving a TMD diagnosis. If your jaw hurts, then TMJ disorder may be to blame, especially if the pain is accompanied by other common symptoms. (more…)
How Dental Implants Make for Better Bridges
For people who’ve lost one or a few teeth, dental bridges can be a lifesaver by reestablishing the ability to bite and chew properly, as well as restoring confidence with a full, beautiful smile. Yet conventional bridges aren’t perfect, and their many benefits also come with a few drawbacks that must be taken into consideration. Fortunately, dental implants can often make dental bridges better and resolve many of those concerns by providing innovative, root-like options for supporting your replacement teeth. (more…)
What Kind of Stains Do Your Teeth Have?
Teeth stains are common; in fact, they’re the most common smile complaint given the fact that they can occur even when you take excellent care of you r teeth. In most cases, teeth whitening can make stains a thing of the past and brighten your smile’s visage to restore its youthful glow. However, the effectiveness of teeth whitening depends on the nature of your teeth’s stains. For some patients, tooth discoloration isn’t just a surface issue, and may require more involved cosmetic treatment to correct. (more…)
How Lasers Make Gum Contouring Easier
The soft, pink gingival tissues (i.e., gums) that surround the lower parts of your teeth serve a number of different purposes. For instance, they protect your teeth’s roots from harmful oral bacteria and help keep your teeth still and steady as you bite and chew. From a cosmetic perspective, they also play a significant role in your smile’s overall appearance, and when your gums are uneven, they can make your whole smile seem off-balance. Fortunately, gum contouring can effectively reshape uneven gum lines, and lasers make gum contouring even easier than the traditional, scalpel-based surgery. (more…)
What’s the Difference Between Tooth Decay and Cavities?
The two terms are often used interchangeably: if you have tooth decay/a cavity, then you might need a tooth filling. But the truth is that tooth decay and cavities describe two different things. Decay is a progressive tooth disease caused when enamel is compromised and the tooth is exposed to harmful oral bacteria. A cavity is the hole that forms in your tooth as the decay works its way through your tooth structure. Fortunately, you can prevent tooth decay and cavities from forming with the right routine of good hygiene and regular preventive dental care. (more…)
3 Signs that Grinding Your Teeth Has Become a Problem
You might not even realize that you do it most of the time. In fact, many people that grind their teeth habitually do so at night, while they’re sleeping. However, when grinding your teeth becomes a problem, the consequences can lead to more serious dental issues that can grow even worse the longer it’s left untreated. Your best bet lies in visiting your dentist regularly to keep a close eye on your dental health and detect the signs of bruxism early. (more…)
Why Are Dental Implants Made from Titanium?
The beauty of today’s lifelike dental restorations lies largely in their materials, which are often designed to closely mimic natural, healthy teeth. In the case of dental implants, the realism comes in the form of biocompatible titanium, which the jawbone accepts as genuine. When a titanium dental implant is placed, the jawbone fuses to and heals around the implant, making it a part of your oral anatomy. The benefits of this process, known as osseointegration, are many, and over the decades, implants have enjoyed an over 90% success rate in rebuilding patients’ smiles. (more…)
The Connection Between Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Even though it’s common and rarely thought of as dangerous, snoring may be more of a nuisance than you realize. Besides the fact that the noise can diminish your partner’s quality of sleep, the forces behind snoring can also pose a serious risk to your health, especially if it indicates obstructive sleep apnea. OSA is a sleep disorder marked by periods of extremely loud snoring, and that causes you to repeatedly stop breathing in your sleep. If your snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, then we advise seeking treatment as soon as possible. (more…)
