Dental
Care and Management
All-on-4® Restoration
This is a treatment for people who have many damaged or missing teeth. With All-on-4, the teeth in your upper or lower jaw are replaced with a prosthesis. It’s held in place with four permanent implants. All-on-4 gives you a new smile in one day.
Brushing the Right Way
We all know it’s important to brush our teeth every day. Good brushing habits are a key part of good oral hygiene. To make sure you’re getting your teeth as clean as they can be, follow these steps.
Dental Bridge (Fixed Partial Denture)
If you’ve lost a tooth, or even a few teeth next to each other, a dental bridge can fill in the gap. A bridge is a device that is permanently implanted in your mouth. It replaces the teeth you’ve lost. And it keeps your other teeth from moving out of position.
Dental Crown
This is a cap that is permanently placed over your tooth. It’s designed to cover and protect it. A crown can strengthen a tooth that’s weak or damaged. It restores a decayed tooth’s appearance. It can be used to attach a bridge, or to cover a dental implant or a tooth that has been treated with a root canal.
Dental Fillings
A filling is a simple repair for a cavity in a tooth. It fills the hole. It keeps bacteria from entering your tooth and causing more decay. Let’s look at a few types of dental fillings.
Dental Implant
This is a type of artificial tooth. It’s held in place by a metal post that’s surgically embedded in your jawbone. A dental implant can look and perform just like a real tooth.
Dental Impression
If your dentist needs to adjust your teeth, create a dental implant or fit you for dentures, you may need to have a dental impression made. That’s a mold of your teeth and gums. Your dentist may take an impression of just a few of your teeth, or all of them.
Dental Prostheses (Understanding the Common Types)
If you’ve lost one or more teeth, or if you need to have a tooth pulled, you should learn about the options for restoring your smile. Here are a few common ways to replace missing teeth.
Dental X-rays
This is a way of getting images of the inside of your teeth and jaws. It relies on X-rays, which are a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-ray imaging lets your dentist see problems that aren’t easy to see during a regular exam.
Dentures
Losing your teeth makes it hard to eat and talk. Your face may sag, which makes you look older than you are. Dentures can help. They replace your natural teeth. You’ll be able to chew foods again. And, they give you back your smile.
Diet and Oral Health
We all know proper brushing and flossing promotes good oral health. But did you know what you eat and drink can be as important to your teeth as your oral care routine? Unhealthy foods and drinks raise your risk for tooth decay. So let’s learn about good dietary choices, and some things you should avoid.
Flossing the Right Way
Flossing is an essential part of good oral hygiene. But not everyone knows how to floss the right way. Follow these steps to make sure you’re flossing properly.
Fluoride
This chemical compound, also called “sodium fluoride,” helps strengthen your bones and teeth. It’s found in your teeth’s hard outer layer (called the “enamel”). Throughout your life, your body uses fluoride to repair your teeth’s enamel. Fluoride helps prevent cavities.
Implant-Supported Denture
This is a full denture that attaches to implants in your jaw. It’s most commonly used for the lower jaw, but it’s used for the upper jaw, too.
Invisible Braces
If you want a more beautiful smile but you don’t like the look of traditional braces, invisible braces may be right for you. They straighten your teeth without being so noticeable. Here are a few options.
Living With Sleep Apnea
If you have sleep apnea, it’s important to follow your treatment plan. That’s because sleep apnea is a serious disorder. If you don’t manage it properly, you can have serious complications. It can be fatal. Here are a few things you should think about.
Post and Core Restoration (Prefabricated Post System)
This procedure prepares your tooth for a dental crown. It’s helpful for a tooth that has lost so much of its natural crown that it can’t support a dental crown. Most often, it’s done on a tooth that has already had a root canal.
Removable Partial Denture
If you’ve lost a tooth, or even a few teeth next to each other, a removable partial denture can fill in the gap. It’s a prosthetic device that’s made to fit comfortably in your mouth. And you can take it out at night and for cleaning.
Root Canal (Endodontic Treatment)
This procedure treats an infection deep inside your tooth, in the soft tissue called “pulp.” A root canal can save even a badly damaged tooth. Your root canal may be done by your general dentist, but more complicated cases are often done by a specialist. And you may need to schedule more than one visit.
Scaling and Root Planing (Deep Cleaning)
This treatment for gum disease removes plaque above and below the gum line. It cleans out pockets of plaque that you can’t reach with brushing and flossing. It helps your gums heal, and may prevent tooth loss.
Sealants
Dental sealant is a protective coating that keeps harmful plaque from touching your teeth. When sealant is put on several of your teeth, we say you have “sealants.” Sealants help slow down or prevent tooth decay.
Teeth Whitening (At Home)
If you aren’t happy with with the color of your teeth, you may want to try teeth whitening. We also call it “bleaching.” You can have your teeth whitened by a dentist. You can also do it at home. Professional whitening is the safest method, and will often give you the best results. But home kits can give good results, too.
Teeth Whitening (In Office)
If you aren’t happy with with the color of your teeth, you may want to have your dentist whiten them. Teeth whitening (we also call it “bleaching”) is safe and effective. It can give you a much more brilliant smile.
Tooth Extraction
If you have a tooth that’s badly damaged, decayed or that is crowding your other teeth, your dentist may recommend removing it. We call this “extraction.” It’s a common dental procedure.
Conditions
Anatomy of Teeth
You chomp with them. You brush and floss them. You flash them when you smile. But how much do you really know about teeth? Let’s take a close look at the anatomy of your pearly whites.
Bad Breath (Chronic Halitosis)
Bad breath that doesn’t go away is a problem for many people. It can be embarrassing and frustrating. You may not understand why it happens, or how to control it. But there are ways to deal with bad breath successfully.
Bleeding Gums
If your gums bleed, don’t ignore it. Bleeding gums can be a sign of major problems with your teeth and gums. It can also be a sign of a serious medical issue.
Canker Sore
This is a painful ulcer you get in your mouth. It can form inside your lip, on or under your tongue, on your gum, on your cheek or on the roof of your mouth.
Coping with Dental Anxiety
For many people, the thought of going to the dentist causes worry and stress. Maybe you’ve had a painful experience in the past. Maybe you’re scared of what it will take to fix a cavity or other problem. But it’s not good to avoid the dentist. Delaying or skipping visits lets small problems turn into big ones. So use these tips to control your fear.
Cracked Tooth Syndrome (CTS)
A very small crack in your tooth can be painful. It can be above or below the gum line. The crack can be so small you don’t see it. Sometimes your dentist has trouble seeing it, even with X-rays. This can be frustrating. We call this problem “cracked tooth syndrome.”
Dental Plaque
You know it’s important to brush and floss to remove plaque from your teeth. But what is plaque? Why is it on your teeth, and how does it hurt them?
Dry Mouth
If salivary glands in your mouth don’t produce enough saliva, you have a condition we call “dry mouth.” It can be uncomfortable. It can lead to problems with your mouth and teeth.
Dry Socket
This is a problem that can happen after a permanent tooth is removed. Normally, when you have a tooth removed, a blood clot forms in the empty socket. This blood clot protects the underlying bone and nerves. But if a clot doesn’t form, or if it forms but then dissolves or becomes dislodged, the nerves are exposed. This is a “dry socket.” It can be very painful.
Gingivitis
This is a mild form of gum disease. Without treatment, it can lead to serious dental problems.
Gum Disease (Periodontal Disease)
For a healthy mouth, you need healthy gums. Your gums protect the bones and tissues that support your teeth. But bad oral hygiene opens your gums to an infection we call “gum disease.” And this leads to serious dental problems.
Heart Disease and Oral Health
Many people who have heart disease also have problems with their teeth and gums. Researchers are trying to find out if there is a direct link between the health of your heart and the health of your mouth.
HPV and Oral Health
Good oral hygiene involves more than just keeping plaque away. You need to be aware of other dangers, too. One of the biggest is HPV. That’s human papillomavirus. There are more than a hundred HPV viruses. Many affect the mouth and throat and genitals.
Jaw Pain
If your jaw is often sore or painful and you don’t know why, you need to see your dentist. There are many reasons for this type of pain, and your dentist can help find what’s wrong and correct it.
Mouth Sores
We all know how annoying mouth sores can be. Your lips and gums are sensitive, and the sores make it hard for you to eat and talk. They can also be slow to heal. Let’s learn about common types of mouth sores and what they mean for you.
Sensitive teeth
If you sometimes feel sharp pain in your teeth, you may have sensitive teeth. It’s a problem for many people. You may have pain when you brush or floss. Your pain may be triggered by things like soda, hot drinks, citrus and acidic foods. Tooth sensitivity can keep you from having the foods and drinks you enjoy.
Sleep Apnea
This is a breathing disorder. With it, your breathing becomes irregular when you sleep. Your breaths may become shallow. Your breathing may stop completely for extended periods of time. This severely disrupts your sleep.
Snoring
It’s loud, it’s repetitive, and it can prevent a good night’s sleep. Snoring is problem many of us have to deal with. It can happen occasionally or every night. Let’s take a few minutes to learn more about snoring.
Tartar (Calculus)
This is a form of hardened plaque that builds up on your teeth. You can’t brush it away. It can be embarrassing, and it’s bad for your teeth and gums.
Teeth Grinding/Jaw Clenching (Bruxism)
This is an unconscious grinding or clenching of your teeth. We call it “bruxism.” For many people, it happens during sleep. For others, it happens when they’re awake. It can damage your teeth and cause other problems.
TMJ Disorders
If you have pain in your jaw, or if you have problems opening or closing your mouth, you may have a TMJ disorder. That’s a problem with one or both of your temporomandibular joints. These joints connect your jaw to your skull. They act as hinges. They also allow your jaw to slide forward and back.
Tobacco and Oral Health
When you use tobacco, you put your health – and your mouth’s health – at risk. Tobacco products damage your teeth, gums and the tissues of your mouth and throat. Let’s learn about the dangers of tobacco.
Tooth Abscess
This is an infection near the root of a tooth. It’s a pocket of pus that can be next to a root, or below the tip of the root. An abscess is painful. If it’s not treated, it can lead to serious complications. It can even be life-threatening.
Tooth Decay (Dental Caries)
Your teeth are protected by a hard outer layer we call “enamel.” If you don’t practice good oral hygiene, this enamel can break down. Harmful bacteria gets through the weak enamel and begins to destroy your teeth. This is tooth decay.
