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Showing posts from November, 2018

What is the Purpose of a Crown?

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What is a Dental Crown?  Crowns restore severely damaged teeth to original form A crown , also known as cap , is a dental prosthesis that is used to restore severely damaged teeth back to their original format. Crowns protect the portion of your tooth which is sitting above the gums to seal off bacteria and protect against further damage. Crowns are very useful in dentistry and have many implications. Here are some instance where crowns are useful in dentistry: Restoring Severely Damaged Teeth Teeth with large cracks or deep fractures need a crown to prevent the damage from getting worse. Similarly, teeth with large cavities need a crown since fillings stress and break the tooth, so placing a crown is preferred over a filling. Crowns restore your teeth back to their original format and protect against further damage, infection and heavy bite forces. Patients who have worn down their teeth due to aggressive grinding may have to place crowns on multiple teeth, sometimes even

Why Are All-on-Four Teeth So Popular?

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What are all-on-four teeth? All-on-four teeth give you permanent teeth on top of 4 implants. All-on-four teeth is a set of permanent teeth which sit on top of four dental implants. The name itself originates from the concept that an entire set of teeth, typically 12 to 14 total teeth, is loaded onto just four individual dental implants. All-on-four teeth are not to be confused with dentures. They are made from Porcelain or Zirconia and the teeth are fixed, meaning that you can not remove the teeth from your mouth. Why are All-on-four Teeth so Popular? All-on-four teeth are made from either porcelain or zirconia. If you are missing all of your teeth, you have several different treatment options: Complete dentures; Dentures anchored onto dental implants (overdenture); All-on-four teeth; or Full dental implants with crowns & bridges attached. All-on-four teeth are a great compromise of cost and value. Here are some of the reasons why so many patients choose all-on

What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

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What is Cosmetic Dentistry? Cosmetic dentistry can enhance your smile and beauty Cosmetic dentistry is dentistry with focus on improving the appearance of your teeth and gums to enhance your smile and beauty. Cosmetic dentists concentrate on straightening and whitening your teeth to correct imperfections in your smile. Why Seek Cosmetic Dentistry? Different people have different reasons for seeking cosmetic dentistry. Some do it because they were born with a less than perfect smile and want to fix their concerns. Others want to reverse the damage done to their teeth over the years due to wear-and-tear or possibly an accident. Still o thers choose to seek cosmetic dentistry to improve their overall appearance and get that perfect white, straight set of teeth they've been dreaming of. Whatever your reason may be, cosmetic dentistry has a viable solution for you to enhance your smile. How Does a Dentist Become a Cosmetic Dentist? There’s no special certificate or bo

Causes of Bad Breath

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Causes of Bad Breath Permanent Bad Breath Could Be Caused By an Underlying Medical or Dental Issue It's difficult to admit that you may have bad breath, also known as halitosis . However, bad breath is more common than you may think, affecting a quarter of the population at some point in their life. So what causes bad breath and how can you fix it? Sources of bad breath could be long-lasting or temporary. Permanent bad breath is typically due to an underlying medical or dental issue. Temporary bad breath is typically the result of your diet, dehydration or smelly foods like onion or garlic. It is important to identify the source of your halitosis in order to resolve the problem. Here is a list of most common causes of bad breath: Dental Causes of Bad Breath Majority of bad breath cases originate from plaque and tartar accumulation on your teeth and gums which leads to gum disease . As such, it’s not a bad idea to start off your bad breath treatment with a trip to the

Porcelain Veneers & Alternative Treatments

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What are Porcelain Veneers? Why are They so Popular? Porcelain Veneers on front 8 teeth What are Porcelain Veneers? Porcelains Veneers are thin, cosmetic restorations which sit on top of front teeth to correct imperfections in your smile. They have several major functions: Giving you perfectly shaped teeth Straightening out slightly crooked teeth A permanent white smile! In fact, Porcelain Veneers are the benchmark of smile makeover and cosmetic dentistry . If your goal is to have a perfectly white and straight smile, chances are Porcelain Veneers are the right solution for you. Why are Porcelain Veneers so Popular with Cosmetic Dentists? There are lots that Porcelain Veneers can do. By placing Porcelain Veneers on your front teeth, you can change the shape and color of your front teeth. They can correct stains, cracks and damaged front teeth which are visible when you smile. Sometimes you can even straighten slightly crooked teeth by placing multiple Porcelai

Best Teeth Whitening Options

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Best Teeth Whitening Options Teeth whitening can whiten your teeth by several shades. If you’ve been considering whitening your teeth , then you probably are aware of the countless options which are available out there. However, if you want the absolute best results, then your options are narrowed down to:  Professional in-office teeth whitening  Take-home whitening trays Whitening strips These whitening techniques all apply a high concentration of Carbamide Peroxide or Hydrogen Peroxide  onto your teeth surfaces. The peroxide breaks down the stains and helps whiten your teeth.  Professional In-office Teeth Whitening This is teeth whitening which you can only receive from your dentist. Naturally, this is the quickest and most effective whitening treatment which exists. The whitening gel brand that your dentist uses is very important. Popular, effective brands include Zoom, Kor, Ivori and Boost to name a few.  Before you qualify for an in-office tooth whitening,

How Often Do You Need a Dental Cleaning

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How Often Do You Need a Dental Cleaning?  Tartar, aka calculus, is evident as triangular ridges in between teeth Why Do We Need Dental Cleanings?  We need professional dental cleanings because brushing and flossing alone does not remove all the plaque and tartar from our teeth. Of course, there is that small percentage of population that clean their teeth so well they don’t every need regular dental cleanings. These are the rare few who haven’t seen a dentist in 10+ years but still have perfectly straight and healthy teeth. For the rest of us, getting our regular dental cleanings is very important to the long-term health of our teeth and gums. Your dentist, or dental hygienist, is much better equipped to clean your teeth, especially the areas underneath your gums. Keep in mind that once food particles harden on your teeth surfaces, known as tartar or calculus , these particles can no longer be removed with regular brushing and flossing. Only a professional dental cleaning can

Immediate Dental Implant Placement in the Anterior Aesthetic Zone

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Immediate Dental Implant Placement in the Anterior Aesthetic Zone Severe bone loss on lower anterior four teeth (23, 24, 25 and 26) Today we are going to inspect how to place dental implants if you need to remove several of your front teeth. Losing your front teeth can be more difficult than losing back teeth since they are more visible. As a result, most patients desire to have their treatment completed in as little time as possible. Immediate Dental Implant Placement Immediate implant placement means placing the implants at the same time as removing the bad teeth. When planned accordingly, immediate dental implant placement provides the opportunity to cut treatment times in half. Plus, it spares the patient an additional surgery, since everything is done in one visit. Case Analysis 60-some year old white male patient with a healthy medical history. Problem Severe bone loss affecting the lower front four teeth (teeth #23, 24, 25 and 26). There is significant mobility a

Do I Need to Remove My Wisdom Teeth?

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Do I Need to Remove My Wisdom Teeth?  Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are located all the way in the back behind your 2nd molar teeth What are wisdom teeth?  Wisdom tooth , or third molar, is the tooth which is located furthest back in each corner of your mouth. Some people have one wisdom tooth in each corner of their mouth for a total of four. Others are lucky and have no wisdom teeth at all. If you have wisdom teeth, you need to decide whether to keep or remove these teeth. The sooner you decide on what to do with your third molars, the less discomfort you will experience. When is the best age to remove wisdom teeth?  It’s best to decide if you can keep or remove your wisdom teeth before they have a chance to cause pain.  Typically, wisdom teeth start to force their way out during late teens and early twenties.  This means that it is ideal to remove your third molars when you are about 15 to 17 years old. Here are the benefits of removing wisdom teeth at a younger age: