Dental Tips and News

How to Pick the Right Orthodontist for You:

1. Ask if they will accept your insurance, if your insurance covers orthodontic work.
2. Find an office that offers a wide variety of braces, including the new invisible braces. If a doctor offers a variety of braces he or she will probably be using the latest equipment and techniques also.
3. Check to see if they offer a free consultation. That way you can meet the doctor and staff in the office and determine if they are a fit for you.
4. Ask about their payment policies, see if they offer payment plans and if so, if they charge interest. Most doctors do not, but some do.
5. Ask your doctor to explain your case to you so you can get a feel for how long he or she expects your treatment to take.
6. Check with the office how long they have been practicing orthodontics and how many cases that they have done. You will want an experienced doctor so you can be assured of getting the best results from your orthodontic treatment.
7. Ask how they deal with orthodontic emergencies. You will want a dental practice that is flexible on this and you want to be prepared just in case.

The best orthodontists will answer all your questions with care and patience.

What Are the Benefits of Financing Your Cosmetic Dentistry?

The most popular benefit of financing your cosmetic procedure is that it allows you to get the work done now rather than having to wait months or years to get the money.

There is also 0% interest financing options especially for dental work that you can use!

The benefits to getting cosmetic dentistry done are numerous, such as:

• It is like a dental facelift that can quickly reverse the natural signs of aging on the teeth.
• Save someone from a lifetime of self consciousness caused by ugly teeth or stains.
• Allows someone to smile again, showing the warmer side of their personality.
• Restores confidence that can help in meeting people or in a career in sales.
• There are so many different techniques available now for a dentist to offer that you can do a consultation with a cosmetic dentist and find the right procedure for you that you will be most satisfied and comfortable with.

Do You Know If You Have Gum Disease?

Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is a very serious condition that can result in tooth loss and a higher risk of stroke and heart disease. However, even although it is serious it is generally painless.

Gum disease is silently affecting over 50 million Americans; most of them do not know that they have this condition and are not getting help.

If you answer yes to two or more of the questions below you need to see your dentist or hygienist for a complete periodontal diagnosis.

Self Evaluation Survey:

• Are you under a great deal of stress?
• Do you have bad breath?
• Are your gums red and swollen?
• Do your gums bleed when brushing or flossing?
• Are your gums receding (pulling back from your teeth)?
• Do you have teeth that appear to be loosening?
• Have you noticed a change in the way your teeth fit together?
• Have you recently lost a tooth?

Contact us today at (877) SMILE TODAY to find a friendly, caring dentist or hygienist on your area that can do an exam for you to see if you are one of the many who suffer from gum disease.

Five Facts About Why The Right Dental Care Could Save Your Life:

1. If you have infected gums and teeth you are much more likely to develop heart disease.

There are a lot of studies that suggest a possible link between oral health the health of your teeth and gums in particular to heart attacks, strokes and other heart conditions.

These numerous recent studies indicate that you may already have a powerful weapon against heart disease and it is sitting right in your bathroom, your toothbrush. Brushing and flossing along with regular cleanings and check-ups from your dentist could save your life.

2. There are indicators that a dentist looks for in your gums that could indicate you have Diabetes.

 Diabetes can cause your breath to smell fruity or sweet, known as “acetone breath” your dentist or hygienist will notice this also other telltale signs like a lot of gum inflammation, despite regular flossing and brushing. If these symptoms are noticed the dentist can refer the patient to a doctor to check for diabetes.

This is because uncontrolled diabetes impairs the body’s ability to fight off bacterial, which can lead to a bad case of gum disease.

3. Gum disease during pregnancy can cause premature birth.

 Some studies have found that gum disease can be a risk factor in preterm deliveries and low birth weights. This gives pregnant women an even bigger reason to not smoke while pregnant as smoking is big risk factor in developing gum disease.

4. Good hygiene reduces the amount of bacteria in your blood stream.

 Every time you brush your teeth you release some bacteria into your mouth. That is not usually a problem but if your gums are inflamed due to gingivitis or other problems, you release a much higher load of bacteria, and that can contribute to health problems. The best remedy for this is to brush and floss your teeth regularly and to see your dentist every six months for your cleanings.

5. Women with osteoporosis have weak bones, including the jaw bone.

 Older women can lose their teeth to osteoporosis as this condition causes bone loss, usually after menopause, and the jaw bone is not spared this ordeal. So the jaws tooth sockets may become too weak to hold the teeth.

Missing a Tooth or Teeth? About Dental Implants.

Do you have missing teeth?

 

This can cause self consciousness but also what you may not know is that when you loose a tooth the bone in the jaw begins to deteriorate also. This makes implants an ideal solution if you qualify for the procedure. 

 

 

 A dental implant is nothing more than a metal screw that is placed into the jaw bone and is very stable as the screw fuses to your bone. It acts as an anchor for a crown or a set of false teeth. When a dental implant is perfectly executed, no-one should have any idea that an implant is there. All people will see is the tooth or teeth.

 

This procedure is for anyone in reasonable health who wants to replace missing teeth. You must have enough bone in the area of the missing teeth to provide for the anchorage of the implants. Some people are missing all their teeth and most of those are excellent candidates for dental implants, but today, we use implants to replace small bridges, removable partial dentures and even missing single teeth. If a patient does not have enough bone to support a dental implant, bone grafts can be placed.

 

Your other options are bridges or dentures, but both have their draw backs and are no longer your only option to replace missing teeth. Dental implants offer a smile that looks and feels very natural and most people find the secure fit more comfortable than the other options.

 

Candidates for dental implants need to have adequate bone to support the implant and an evaluation by your dentist will determine whether you are a good candidate.

 

Call today so that you can Smile Today!

 

How Can I Keep Plaque and Tartar from Building Up In My Mouth?

Do you know the difference between plaque and tartar? Most people don’t or how they relate to each other. Understanding these two will help you to be able to fight their buildup.

Plaque begins forming on the teeth 4 to 12 hours after brushing and is a sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that forms on the tooth’s surface. Saliva, food and fluids combine to produce these deposits that collect on teeth and at the gum line.

This plaque layer is also the primary cause of gum (periodontal) disease.

Fighting plaque requires brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day since it begins to form again so soon after brushing.

Your susceptibility to plaque and tartar build varies greatly from individual to individual and you are at great risk the older you get.

Tart which is also known as calculus is a crusty deposit that forms on your teeth with a strong enough bond that it can only be removed by a dental professional.

Calcium and phosphate bind to form crystals on the teeth. These calcium phosphate crystals eventually harden within plaque, forming calculus. Certain types of chemicals called pyrophosphates help to decrease calculus buildup by preventing these crystals from forming. The pyrophosphate binds with the calcium crystals to prevent calculus from forming.

Always make sure that you get your teeth cleaned professionally at least once every six months by your dentist or hygienist.

How Can I Keep My Children’s Teeth and Gums Healthy?

Most children don’t love visiting the dentist, but you can help yours by teaching them great oral hygiene habits from the time that their first tooth shows up. Your child’s teeth begin to form before they even born and the first baby (primary) tooth cuts through the gums anytime from 4 months old.

There are a total of 20 baby teeth that will all be present in most cases by age 3. Permanent teeth start appearing at about age 6 and all of their 32 permanent teeth will be in by about age 21.

To help ensure that a lifetime of great oral hygiene habits do the following for your kids:

• Teach your children how to brush and floss correctly from the very beginning.
• Supervise brushing sessions and help with the flossing as this can be a challenge for small hands.
• Make sure that your children get enough fluoride, your dentists office can do this as a preventative treatment.
• Limit your children’s sugar consumption.
• For babies; to prevent “Baby bottle tooth decay” wipe their gums with gauze or a clean washcloth and water after feeding. When the teeth first appear, brush daily with a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste.
• Once the baby goes to bed only put water in the bottle, never milk or juice.
• Schedule a dentist appointment for your child soon after their first few teeth are in so that they get used to visiting the dentist and so don’t fear going.
• With toddlers you can teach them a good oral care routine by involving the whole family and all brushing together at the same time each day.
• Speak to your pediatrician before and medication is prescribed to make sure that they won’t get stains from taking it.
• Give your children lots of healthy snacks like apples, carrots, raisins and yogurt.
• For your teenager it is never too late to learn the best habits. Schedule a time for your teenager to see the hygienist at your dentist’s office who will be only too happy to teach them the best techniques and habits.
• Encourage your active child to wear a sports guard while playing sports to protect their teeth.
• Make sure that your teen with braces brushes around the braces and uses a floss threader to remove all food particles.
• You can ask your dentist about dental sealants, which are painted onto the teeth by a dentist, for your child which is a further layer of protection against cavities.
• Buy your child a fun toothbrush and a toothpaste flavor that they enjoy to help make this healthy habit of brushing a fun one also.