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Something to Smile About
Caring for your oral health includes regular teeth care and gum care. Neglecting your gums can eventually lead to periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, which is a culprit for the deterioration of your overall oral health. Periodontal disease affects 75% of adults over 35 years of age and is responsible for approximately 70% of all adult tooth loss. Since symptoms of periodontal disease oftentimes are unnoticeable, people never realize their mouth is under bacterial attack.
Highly recognized as a greatly progressive disorder, periodontal disease is triggered by preventable factors like plaque build-up, tobacco use, certain medications and stress, as well as unpreventable measures like systemic disease and fluctuating hormone levels during puberty, pregnancy or menopause. Research proves up to 30% of the population may be genetically susceptible to gum disease.
Periodontal disease begins when the bacteria in the sticky film which forms on the tooth surface, or plaque, causes gum inflammation. If the irritation is ignored, plaque will release toxins breaking down the natural fibers which hold your gums to your teeth, permitting even more bacteria and toxins to invade. Plaque deposits quickly harden into calculus or tartar, which is a rough, porous substance not removable with brushing. Over time, this progression can lead to severe inflammation, bone loss, gum recession and tooth loss.
 Symptoms and signs include:
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Red, swollen, tender or bleeding gums
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Gum recession, or gums pulling away from teeth
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Loose or separating teeth
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Pus between the gum and tooth
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Persistent bad breath
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Bite changes
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Change in the fit of partial dentures
If you have noticed any of the above signs or symptoms, please make an appointment promptly! Together, we can win the battle against periodontal disease and maintain your wonderful, dazzling smile: gums and all. Now that’s something to smile about.
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From Dull to Dazzling: Enhancing Your Smile With Cosmetic Dentistry
Oftentimes the dental profession is considered strictly for more intense cleaning and hygiene purposes. However, a dentist is actually an artist who can make your smile sensational. Most dentists now practice and perform cosmetic techniques, not just the run-of-the-mill routine cleanings. Cosmetic dentistry seeks to create a more aesthetically pleasing and healthy smile.
Although you may be meticulous about your dental care routine, your teeth still might not look their very best. Drinking coffee, tea or wine will take a toll on your teeth, causing them to look dull and stained. Aging or the use of some medications can also result in a discolored smile. One easy, safe way to revive your smile from these factors is through whitening.
Plenty of adults are looking towards dentistry to heighten the appearance and function of their teeth. Cracked, chipped or unevenly spaced teeth are easily resolved by procedures like bonding or veneers. Severely damaged teeth can be repaired with crowns, while bridges and dental implants are natural-looking options used to revitalize your smile. These methods will not only give you a more beautiful smile, but will also rejuvenate your mouth’s functionality.
If you are not satisfied with your smile and want to take it a level up from dull to dazzling, speak with us about the many smile enhancing options available to you.
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“Bridging” the Gaps and Wearing a “Crown”: Total Oral Health Renovation
 Face it, we are rough on our teeth. Sometimes we neglect them, take them for granted or simply just abuse them. Between physical activities like sports or chewing hard substances like ice, our teeth can get knocked out, broken, cracked and worn down. Forgetting routine dental appointments and ignoring proper cleaning tactics can result in periodontal disease, tooth decay and ultimately tooth loss.
When teeth are missing, your mouth must compensate for the lack of chewing power in that area in order to function normally. So, the chewing force may shift to another part of the mouth, which can cause unwanted spaces and changes in your smile.
So, how do we mend our mouth’s broken ties? By simple dental procedures. Smiles can be renovated to look pristine using a combination of crowns and bridges to support or replace lost teeth. A crown snugly covers the complete visible surface of your affected tooth to add strength, durability and tooth stability, while restoring your tooth to its natural shape and size. Crowns can be made of precious metal, porcelain pressed to metal and all-porcelain. A bridge, also known as a pontic, is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill the gaps left by the original missing tooth. The new tooth is then anchored to the two porcelain crowns, renewing your once damaged smile.
The moral of the story is to be nice to your teeth: be diligent with your oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly. Your teeth are hard workers and they deserve to be pampered. But, if the damage is already done, see us immediately. We can decide on the best treatment to restore your smile. Your teeth will thank you for it.
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Neuromuscular Dentistry: TENS and K-7 for Pain Relief
Neuromuscular dentistry sounds complicated, and to be honest, it is quite involved. However, our training and tools allow us to provide neuromuscular therapies that can alleviate a long list of nagging, chronic symptoms, including:
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Migraines or headaches
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Crowded or loose teeth
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Clenching and grinding
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Wear or notches at the gum line
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Pain in shoulders, neck, back, behind the eyes, and in teeth
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Numbness or tingling in extremities
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Receding gums
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Earaches
If you suffer from one or more of these symptoms, call us today to schedule your neuromuscular exam and consultation.
How We Assess Neuromuscular Dysfunction
Traditional dentistry addresses concerns with teeth, not muscles. However, scientific developments have revealed that some problems and pain associated with the teeth, face, and surrounding structures may be caused by improper function of muscles and nerves. The jaw position may not be affected by teeth’s position, but the reverse is not true. Teeth can be affected by improper jaw position.
Our initial step in assessing a patient for neuromuscular problems involves use of a low-frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation, or TENS, unit. By delivering small electrical impulses to the muscles responsible for jaw movement, the TENS unit relaxes jaw muscles. This results in increased blood flow to flush toxins from the area. After just less than an hour, the relaxed jaw muscles find ideal positioning.
Next, we diagnose the problem with our K-7 computerized mandibular scanning unit, which records proper alignment of the jaw and creates digital models of the teeth. With a magnet and sensor, the K-7 can develop 3D images of the patient’s jaw and mouth. The K-7 also has an elctro-myograph to measure electrical activity in the muscles. This allows us to determine whether the jaw’s ideal position decreases muscle activity. Another tool within the K-7 is a sonograph, which measures sounds in the jaw joint. This information tells us if the patient’s jaw joint is damaged and to what extent.
Therapy Options
If the information we gather shows that a patient has improper jaw alignment, we will begin conservative therapy by creating a custom orthotic appliance to hold the patient’s jaw in proper alignment. The patient will wear the orthotic for three months to stabilize the bite. We can then determine whether the orthotic alleviated symptoms and if further therapy is necessary. A patient may need no more therapy, or he may wear the orthotic as maintenance for the rest of his life. Orthodontics, restoration of tooth arches, or bite adjustment may also be advised.
If you want to learn more about neuromuscular dentistry, or to make an appointment for your assessment and consultation, call our office today. Don’t you deserve relief?
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