When it comes to replacing a missing tooth, several factors determine what treatment option will be best for each individual. Sometimes a patient is missing just a single tooth (or very few teeth) and aren't ready for dental implants or dentures. Sometimes the gums and underlying bone are too weak to support an implant or [...]
Tooth-Colored Fillings for a Natural Appearance Do you have a cavity, but have always hated the thought of dark, metallic-looking fillings? Or maybe you already have one of these "amalgams" and it's time for a replacement? Well, consider the beautiful results that can be achieved with composite resin, tooth-colored fillings. Your teeth will look as [...]
Improving the smiles and self-esteem of our patients is one of the best parts of our job. And often this requires the use of dental bonding, a painless and easy way to restore damaged teeth, or just to improve appearance. A thin layer of liquid resin is simply brushed onto the tooth and cured with [...]
Shortened teeth are a sure sign; lengthening them makes people look younger. We have methods to build up shortened or chipped teeth. Do You Have Periodontal Disease? Periodontal, or gum, disease are rarely noticed in early stages. Only by dental exam do you know for sure. However, there are some telltale symptoms: bleeding gums, bad [...]
Temporomandibular Joint disorder—TMJ—often disguises the source of the pain it inflicts. Although it originates in the jaw joint, sometimes the pain appears to emerge from an entirely different part of the head. Many people living with TMJ don't know what's behind their suffering. Their teeth themselves feel fine. So they suspect the flu, an allergy, [...]
When Bad Breath is Something to Worry About Morning breath...dragon mouth...onion breath...there are about as many descriptions of halitosis as there are reasons for it occurring. Chronic bad breath is usually not just too much garlic for lunch. Here's a list of common bad breath causes, and what you might consider doing about each: Garlic [...]
Skill, Technology, and a little "Magic" With the wonderful age of dental bonding, teeth can be made healthy and beautiful in most cases without multiple appointments, anesthesia, temporaries and at less expense than crowns. Magic? Not really. Bonding techniques have been around for years, and improvements in dental materials have made it one of the [...]
Special Concerns for Older Adults Along with those gray hairs and inevitable smile lines, your mouth undergoes natural changes over the years, as well. Among them: Cutting edge of teeth are worn flat by chewing or grinding. Remember to keep regularly scheduled hygiene appointments to check for cavities. Consider dental sealants to prevent decay, or [...]
Maintaining the integrity of your mouth Teeth are tough. Formed from the hardest substances in the body, they're harder even than bone. But they're not indestructible. Throughout life teeth are subject to injury—maybe it will be a blow from a hockey puck in your twenties. Or a luckless chomp on an unseen popcorn kernel in [...]
There's only one good thing about a visibly damaged tooth: here, clearly, is where the pain's coming from and where our response will be focused. But complaints of "tooth pain" without a clear source or origin—now, that's something else entirely. Say you've been good with your hygiene, faithful in your checkups, and you wake up [...]
