Attractive Porcelain Veneers

Veneers (ve-neers) are custom-made shells specially prepared to make your teeth look natural. They are affixed directly to the tooth, usually without the need for an anesthetic. The materials used to make veneers include acrylic, composite resins (ra-sins), and porcelain. The ultimate goal in selecting these materials is durability, stain resistance, and a natural look. Since new materials are being developed continuously, your dentist will help you choose a material that's best for you. Even the most subtle change in your smile can make a dramatic difference in the way you look, and feel. And when you feel and look good, you project a confident self-image. So, make the most of your smile. Ask your dentist what veneers can do for you.

Stained Teeth

Although teeth yellow slightly as we age, several other factors can contribute to discoloration of the teeth. Smoking for example can produce brown stains on the surface of the teeth and certain fruits and drinks such as coffee, can also cause stains. If the pulp or heart of the tooth dies, the tooth may turn gray. Certain drugs such as tetracycline (tetra-sy-clean) antibiotics, if administered at critical stages of pregnancy or childhood, can cause teeth to discolor. Severe attacks of certain childhood infections including whooping cough and measles can also produce discolored patches on the teeth. However, this does not occur in areas where a controlled amount of fluoride (floor-ide) is added to the drinking water. Bleaching at the dentist's office can brighten and whiten your teeth as well.

Nutrition and Dental Health

In order to prevent tooth decay, one important step you have to take is to limit your intake of sticky foods, especially between meals. If you eat such foods, they leave a medium on the teeth that bacteria feed on. Within twenty minutes, the bacteria has manufactured enough acid as a by-product of their feeding to begin wearing away tooth enamel. Although fresh fruits and vegetables are generally good snack choices, dried fruits stick to teeth and should be avoided as between meal snacks. There are some fruits that actually provide protection against tooth decay. For example, cheddar cheese helps neutralize acids in the mouth if you eat it at the end of a meal. Milk, too, is a good snack and mealtime drink because it washes sugar from the mouth. On the other hand, never let a baby take a bottle of milk to bed because that practice can lead to serious tooth decay. Some other foods which do not promote tooth decay include unsweetened juices, meats, unsalted nuts, and coffee and tea without sugar.

What Are Crowns and Why Are They Used

A crown is a restoration that covers, or caps, a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size. Its purpose is to strengthen or improve the appearance of a tooth. A crown is placed for a number of reasons: To support a large filling when there isn't enough tooth remaining, to attach a bridge, to protect weak teeth from fracturing, to restore fractured teeth, and to cover badly shaped or discolored teeth.

Beautifully Finished Crowns

One of your dentist's main goals is to create crowns that look like natural teeth. To achieve this, a number of factors are considered such as the color, occlusion (o'clue-sion) or "bite," shape, and length of both your natural teeth and of the artificial crown. Any one of these factors alone can significantly affect your appearance. If you have a certain look in mind for your own crown, discuss it with your dentist at your initial visit. When the procedure is complete, your teeth may not only be stronger, but they may be one of the most attractive features on your face - your crowning glory.

Root Canal

Inside the tooth, the pulsating tissue that contains the blood vessels and nerves which nourish the tooth, make it sensitive to cold, heat, pressure, and pain. However, like any living tissue this pulp can die. It can occur after dental decay has penetrated the tooth after an injury or sometimes for no apparent reason at all. When the pulp is damaged or diseased, this may be accompanied by pain and swelling. But when the pulp dies, there is no pain and you may not be aware of it until you visit the dentist. Once the dead pulp has been detected, it must be treated or you may lose the tooth. Left untreated, there is also the possibility that an abscess (ab-sess) will form which can spread infection throughout the body. Unless the tooth is severely decayed and needs to be extracted, your dentist will perform a root canal. This is a procedure in which the dentist cleans the dead pulp out of the tooth, disinfects the area to destroy any bacteria, and fills the pulp area and root canal with an inner material. A crown is then placed over the tooth to restore its appearance.

Abscesses

Abscess (ab-sess) is a painful condition that could leave you with more than a toothache if professional attention isn't sought. Abscesses can lead to blood poisoning and/or jaw bone deterioration. Symptoms, like a swollen spot on the gum that's near as throbbing toothache are signs of abscess. You can be even more certain that this condition is present if it hurts the affected area to bite or chew. The infection around an abscess tooth can spread throughout your body. If that swollen spot on your gum bursts, rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm salt water to sooth the discomfort and wash away the puss. Then phone or visit the dentist. They'll try to save the tooth if possible by doing a root canal. If it can't be saved, the tooth may have to be extracted. If you still have an infection after the dentist has done what they can, you may be referred to an oral surgeon who will remove through surgery, any infected tissue that's left. Later, your dentist will apply a permanent filling.

Laser Dentistry

I have heard a lot about dentistry and the 3M patient comfort system. What are the advantages of these two procedures? The most significant break-through we have seen in patient comfort, and greatly decreased post operative pain and swelling. The laser usually requires little or no anesthesia for most procedures. Because laser helps conserve healthy tissue, there is less surgical trauma, and less bleeding and swelling. The laser significantly reduces bacteria at the surgical site which also means better healing. We have found that with the use of 3M patient comfort system, there is a 50 percent decrease in post operative swelling and 90 percent decrease in the need for narcotics, and also one third less time off work.

Implants

It used to be that if a person lost their own teeth, their only option was getting dentures or removable bridges, but that's changed now that dental implants are widely available. Implants have a real advantage -- the patient ends up with false teeth that look and feel nearly natural. However, they do cost more and the process of implanting them takes time. Here's how it's done. First, the patient undergoes oral surgery to have a set of platinum metal cylinders that the implants will be embedded into, put into the jaw bone. Then the gum is sutured up and the healing process begins. Over time the implants and the jaw bone actually mesh together so that four to six months later, permanent, or sometimes removable bridges can be fitted in the patients mouth. Usually an oral surgeon will perform that original procedure and then the patient will return to their own dentist for the rest of the care. If the thought of oral surgery makes you nervous, you may be interested to know that most patients report it's no worse than having a tooth pulled, and most are satisfied with the end results.

Dentures

Constructed of hard plastic or a combination of metal and plastic, dentures can be designed to replace some or all of your natural teeth. Full dentures stay in place by resting on the gum ridges. The upper dentures stay in place by suction. Partial dentures often have clasps that fit around the remaining natural teeth to help keep them in place. Getting a set of dentures usually takes several visits to the dentist, although dentures look natural and fit well, they will not be as comfortable as your natural teeth. They use the gums to absorb the stress of biting and chewing and the resulting pressure can cause inflammation, ulcers, or even deterioration of the jaw bone. To keep dentures from warping, always remove them at night and soak them in water. You can use a cleansing agent all night on full dentures, but partials that have visible metal on them should only be soaked for 15 minutes. Follow a regular daily regimen of cleaning both your dentures and natural teeth as well as cleaning and massaging your gums and see your dentist regularly.