Patient Education

With time, if even one tooth is missing, the space may cause: — teeth in front of space to drift back creating spaces in between front teeth. — teeth behind space to tilt forward. — tooth above space to erupt down. Because these teeth drift out of position, several conditions may occur: — severe occusal (bite) problems that could lead to clicking of the jaw, headaches and jaw pain. — hard to clean areas are

If you have this type of periodontal disease, you are at the stage where the infection has broken through the first line of defense, the gums, and has begun to attack the ligaments and bone supporting the teeth.  This is the stage where bone loss occurs, causing the pocket, the space between the gum and the tooth, to deepen. Periodontitis, like gingivitis, occurs in different forms and can involve parts of, or all of, one

• Immediately following a tooth extraction, keep pressure on gauze until bleeding stops, 30-45 minutes. Repeat if necessary. If heavy bleeding continues, call your dentist. • Do not smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously, or drink through a straw for 24 hours. These activities will disturb the healing blood clot. • Do not suck on extraction site. • Immediately after a tooth is extracted, you may experience some discomfort and notice some swelling. • To reduce swelling, place

If you want to restore your mouth to health and function, missing teeth must be replaced. (There are some exceptions, like wisdom teeth.)  If you don’t have them replaced you will be creating many problems. These range from a loss of chewing function, a bad bite, and possibly temporomandibular joint ( TMJ) problems, to the increased probability of decay and periodontal disease.  Your dentist will provide you with all the options regarding the best and

If you never had gum disease; if you have perfect dental restorations, no bad contacts, a healthy diet; if you understand all the hows, whys, and whens of oral hygiene and are faithful to your hygiene program — you may never need to floss. Only a few percent of the population fall into this category. Flossing removes food, breaks up plaque formations, cleans the teeth, and massages the gum.  All other parts of the teeth

A partial denture, commonly just referred to as a “partial”, is a removable appliance used to replace missing teeth. Along with implants, it’s the only choice left if you’ve lost all the back teeth on either or both sides of your jaw, upper or lower. Also, a partial can be used to replace missing teeth if you can’t afford a bridge. The main differences between a fixed bridge and a removable partial are:

Any time is a good time to brush, but some times are better times than others. The most crucial times are after eating and in the morning. Brushing immediately after eating, especially if the meal or snack contained processed food and refined sugar. By “immediately,” I mean as soon as possible, but absolutely within four to six hours after any meal. The damage caused by food left in your mouth is directly proportional to how long

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Burns of the mouth are very common, and some can be serious enough to require immediate treatment. Generally, after the cause of the burn is removed or the affected area flushed with water(if the burn is caused by a chemical such as aspirin or Clorox), the wound will heal by itself, although it may be tender for a while. Hot food, hot liquids, or chemicals — Often you’ll be more aware of burns from heat

At or around the age of six, two things happen to a child’s mouth:

Cosmetic dentistry is pretty much what the name implies, dentistry that makes you look better. More accurately, cosmetic dentistry makes your teeth look better. Recently there have been tremendous advances in materials and techniques, and cosmetic dentistry has now become one of the most innovative and exciting fields of modern dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry can correct a variety of problems — some of which could have been prevented, and others that could not. For example: Many

Wisdom teeth aren’t really so smart. If they were, they wouldn’t be the number two cause of dental emergencies. Most wisdom teeth end up being extracted. The reason for this is they rarely come in properly. There are two main reasons for that. One: because we no longer eat the type of diet our ancestors ate, over time our jaws have become smaller, but we still have the same number of teeth trying to fit

Periodontal disease is an infected condition involving the gums and bone surrounding the teeth. The word “perio” means “support”. Hence indicating the condition affecting the hard and soft tissues “supporting the teeth”. Gingivitis versus periodontal disease: We all develop a layer of sticky white and yellow substance called “plaque” within minutes of tooth brushing. Throughout the day, this layer tends to get thicker. Routine tooth rushing and flossing keeps this layer to a minimum. When

What are veneers? The word veneer means a “layer” or a “thin cover”. While the word may have various meanings, within the realm of dentistry, it indicates a thin covering of porcelain or a tooth colored filling material bonded on a tooth. Veneers are categorized as a cosmetic procedure to enhance the shape, size or color of teeth. Hence, veneers are a huge component of any cosmetic makeover a person maybe looking for, in order

Whether it takes two visits or six, you will eventually get to the point where your hygienist will establish your personal recall program, a schedule of hygiene appointments. This is another moment when your good work habits pay off for you in time and money. Your hygienist will decide how much time you can go between hygiene recalls based on a number of factors: — Amount of gum recession and bone loss.  If you have

If your gum disease is more advanced than you and your hygienist can handle, you will need to have periodontal surgery. This means you will require the services of your dentist, or periodontist ( a dentist who specializes in the treatment of advanced periodontal disease). If you are a candidate for minor selective periodontal surgery, your hygiene efforts, along with treatment by your hygienist, could very well eliminate the need.  However, if you eventually end

There are a surprising number of people, whether they are aware of it or not, who have at least some problems resulting from malocclusion, or a bad bite. Bite problems can range from minor ones involving only an improperly placed filling ( easily corrected), to those caused by lost teethm, to generic ones ( overcrowding and jaw misalignment) involving most or all your teeth. If you have difficulty opening your jaw fully this could be

The periodontist is the dentist who treats periodontal disease after it has gone beyond what you and the hygienist can treat with in-office hygiene therapy and home care. He may be the only one who can help you save your teeth if you have reached that stage. The periodontist can perform the various types of periodontal surgery that may be necessary to remove infected gum tissue, to remove infection from the bone, and to recontour

After the plaque is formed, the portion of the plaque that lies next to the tooth begins to mineralize.  You now have the beginning of calculus. The mineralized layer of calculus bounds to the tooth even more powerfully than plaque. More plaque becomes calcified and starts to spread in all directions, pushing outward against the gum tissue, while simultaneously making its way into the extremely vulnerable gum pocket. New plaque is constantly being formed on

As soon as the germ-laden plaque starts to form at the gum line, your body musters its defensive forces to battle the bacteria. The germs that come in contact with the gum tissue release toxins that irritate and inflame the tissue. Soon the inflammation stimulates the release of germ-fighting cells in the immediate area of the plaque formation, causing in increase of blood flow to the surface of the gum tissue, which causes the gums