General & Family Dentistry
General and family dentistry comprise the bulk of the practices of many dentists. Every family should have a local dentist for their bi-annual visits to ensure that everyone's teeth and gums are as healthy and clean as they should be. Without these regular visits small issues can develop into serious problems, requiring expensive procedures to correct.
Keeping regular appointments is only part of general and family dentistry. Regular teeth cleanings are important for people of every age, but even the best oral hygiene habits will not prevent some tooth and gum problems. Many dentists concentrate their efforts toward remedying some of the more common problems people suffer such as cavities, root canals, bridges, and gum disease. Catching these problems early gives your dentist more options for exploring different treatments and possible corrections.
The following topics are the standard areas most dentists treat on a daily basis. This information can help to answer most of your questions about various procedures that you or your family members might need at some point. If you have any more questions, never hesitate to ask your dentist for guidance.
Preventative Care/ Prophylaxis
Prophylaxis is a type of preventative dental care where the purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure, an oral-based malady. Prophylactic conditions are divided between primary prophylaxis (to prevent the development of a malady) and secondary prophylaxis (where the malady has already developed and the patient is protected against worsening of this process).
Professional cleanings, also known as dental prophylaxis, are performed by a certified dental hygienist to prevent gum disease and tooth decay and to preserve the health of the teeth in general. During a cleaning, the hygienist will remove plaque from the teeth, get rid of the tarter buildup above the gum line, and polish and remove stains from teeth.
Preventative care is an essential part of any plan for long-term dental health. By taking adequate care of the teeth and gums today, you can help to ensure a healthy smile tomorrow. Make sure to contact a qualified, knowledgeable dentist near you as soon as possible. You deserve to have a great smile!
Teeth Cleanings
Teeth cleanings are one of the simplest and least invasive ways to maintain a beautiful smile and healthy teeth. Regular brushing and flossing help keep teeth and gums healthy, but only a professional cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist can prevent or delay the onset of certain periodontal diseases. Some deposits such as plaque, tartar, and stains are difficult to remove through brushing alone, so regular professional cleanings help reduce these decay-causing agents.
Keeping your smile healthy and bright is one of the most important ways people can care for their health and appearance. The suggested frequency of professional teeth cleanings depends on a number of factors. Children and adults with healthy teeth and gums should have their teeth cleaned twice a year, while smokers, older people, and people who have hormone imbalances caused by medications or other conditions should have their teeth checked more frequently. Early detection of oral problems gives your dentist more options to treat potential complications with less pain and financial hardship.
Clean teeth look healthy and protect your smile for years to come. Regular teeth cleanings go a long way to provide the bright white smile everyone wants without resorting to elaborate chemicals and bleaches. Contact a dentist in your area, and start yourself on the road to a healthier smile today.
Brushing
Brushing your teeth twice a day is imperative for good dental health, but with our hectic and fast paced lives, dental hygiene often suffers. Brushing your teeth is a simple way to ensure oral health while eliminating bad breath and the unsightly tooth stains that can detract from your smile.
Choosing the correct toothpaste is just as important as the correct brushing technique. Brushing with fluoride-enriched toothpaste twice a day not only helps clean your teeth, but also reduces the potential for developing serious gum diseases such as gingivitis or tooth decay.
Brushing your teeth is a simple yet essential daily task. Brushing two or three times a day can eliminate the risk of the painful and unattractive consequences of improper oral hygiene. Make sure that you give your teeth the time and energy that they deserve.
Fluoride Treatment
For years, scientists have known about the benefits of fluoride for protecting teeth. Adding fluoride to water helps reduce tooth decay, and as such many American cities and town fluoridate their water supplies in an effort to improve the oral health of their citizens. Dental fluoride treatment is a supplemental way to reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum diseases, and is as simple as a trip to the dentist's office.
Fluoride is nature's cavity fighter. It makes teeth inherently stronger, and even small amounts of fluoride have been found to increase the relative strength of teeth in clinical tests. Also, since tooth enamel does not regenerate, fluoride is beneficial because it actually repairs and re-mineralizes damage to the surface of teeth caused by acids and bacteria. Armed with this knowledge, dentists prepare special mouthpieces filled with fluoride gel to repair and protect their patient's delicate teeth.
A fluoride treatment is a simple and relatively effective way to defend against the horrors of tooth decay. A twice yearly application of fluoride gel, combined with regular brushing and teeth cleaning, can make your teeth white, bright, and healthy. Check with your dentist today to find out how you can best prevent dental problems from surfacing tomorrow.
Crowns are usually implanted under local anesthesia, which minimizes a great deal of pain and keeps the patient alert enough to respond to the dentist's commands. Many patients experience enhanced sensitivity to temperatures for a few days after the procedure, but any pain or discomfort lasting longer than a few days might be a sign that the crown needs adjustment to fit properly. Crowns are notorious traps for particulate food matter, so brushing and flossing regularly is incredibly important. With proper care, a crown can last anywhere between 5 and 15 years, and sometimes longer. If you are in need of a crown or other dental solution, make sure to contact a qualified dentist in your area today.
Dental Sealant
Even with the best oral hygiene habits, the inevitable wear and tear on teeth can produce painful and unsightly cavities. Dental sealant is a plastic material usually applied to the back teeth to prevent pits and cavities from forming in the many nooks and crannies of the molars. This strong resin material is resistant to acids and bacteria and acts as a barrier against tiny yet destructive food particles. In a sense, food and plaques are "sealed out"from the depressions and grooves of the back teeth.
Sealants are easy to apply and simple to care for. Before application, each tooth is cleaned and dried, and a small amount of acid is placed on the surface of the tooth to "roughen it up."This is done to give the plastic more places to grip during application. The liquid plastic is painted on to the tooth where it bonds and hardens, and special kinds of light sometimes accelerate the bonding process. The entire procedure takes only a few minutes, but this simple process prevents years of damaging wear and tear.
People of every age can benefit from the protective shields of plastic sealants, and they are more advantageous and cost-effective alternatives for preventative measures when compared to the price of fillings and root canals. These simple procedures can spare you hundreds of dollars while protecting your smile for years to come. Contact a cosmetic dentist in your area today to see if dental sealants are right for you.
Amalgams
Used for nearly 200 years, dental amalgams are an affordable, durable material used to restore the teeth of tens of thousands of Americans each year. They contain a mixture of metals such as silver, copper, tin, and mercury, which chemically binds these components into a hard, stable, and safe substance.
There have been reports that the mercury found in dental amalgams can cause various types of physical ailments. However, the American Dental Association reports that people are exposed to more total mercury from food, water, and air than from the minuscule amounts of mercury vapor generated from amalgam fillings.
In addition, the current formulations of amalgams require far less mercury to be incorporated in the mix than those employed in the past. As a result, amalgams have withstood the test of time and are still a valued option for patients looking for quality, preventive dental care at an affordable price. If you have questions on dental amalgams, make sure to contact a qualified dentist today!
Tooth Colored Fillings
Since the beginning of modern dentistry, patients have complained about the unsightly discoloration caused by metal fillings. These dark blemishes used to cover the pits of cavities are telltale signs of dental work, and greatly detract from what otherwise could be a bright, white smile.
These metal fillings also proved to be just as dangerous to the tooth as a cavity, for they can weaken the structure of an already damaged tooth which can result in cracks or fractures. Dentists frequently used a mixture of metals such as mercury, gold, silver, tin, and copper to protect teeth, but some of these metals are toxic or conduct heat and cold, potentially increasing discomfort or pain.
Fortunately scientific advances have produced a number of more aesthetically pleasing and safer fillings. Materials such as porcelain, composite resin, and "enameled"fillings have grown in popularity both because of their durability and their natural colorings. These fillings are also safer than metallic fillings, with fewer chances of damage to the surrounding healthy tooth.
More and more dentists and patients alike are discovering the benefits of natural colored tooth fillings. If you would like more information about how natural fillings can enhance your smile, contact an experienced cosmetic dentist near you today.
Metal Free Dentistry
Metal was the standby for most dental appliances for many years because it was readily available and simple to work with. As dentistry grew more advanced, dentists and patients alike grew dissatisfied with the quality and appearance of metal and sought a better solution.
Sometimes these metals were not merely unpleasant to look at, they were also potentially dangerous. Mercury was widely used for decades in fillings for cavities, and these appliances often leaked their deadly chemical into the bloodstream, causing a wide variety of health problems. Metal also required significant reshaping of teeth to accommodate the new filling which sometimes lead to significant pain and further damage of an already injured tooth.
What is Metal Free Dentistry?
The solution for improvement came when advances in technology provided dentists and patients alike with several strong, long lasting, and most importantly, safe alternatives to metal. Materials like porcelain and composite resin reduced the visible amount of metal in applications such as crowns, caps, and fillings while providing healthier and stronger support for damaged teeth. Dentists and patients now had the ability to correct serious dental problems without further endangering their patient's health or appearance.
If you've always wanted to have a more natural looking smile, metal free dentistry is the solution for you. More and more dentists are exploring aesthetically pleasing yet cost-effective alternatives to metal, and there are more options than ever before. Find a knowledgeable dentist today who can show you the numerous benefits of metal free dentistry.
Bonding
Small imperfections in a smile can cause large embarrassments. Chips or stains can make a smile less attractive, and large gaps between teeth make eating more difficult than it should be. Fortunately, dentists have a procedure called Composite Bonding to remedy these types of situations, although no cosmetic procedure can take the place of proper care and hygiene.
A composite dental bond is applied to the tooth to cover damaged areas or to close unsightly gaps. The material is usually a blend of silica and porcelain, which is color matched and sculpted to fit perfectly along the shape and contours of natural teeth. Bonding is a relatively simple process which usually only requires a single visit to the dentist, reducing the expense and loss of time associated with other, more elaborate dental procedures.
The dentist begins by "roughening"the surface of the tooth to provide more places for the adhesive to bond. The bonding agent is applied to the surface, and then the composite material is sculpted to fit the needs of the patient. Several layers may be needed for the desired effect, and the dentist usually finishes the procedure with a high intensity light or chemical to cure and harden the composite. The procedure is virtually painless, and aside from minor sensitivity for a few weeks, dental bonds have instantly positive effects on appearance and self-esteem.
As with any dental procedure, the duration of the quality of the procedure greatly depends on the patient. Proper dental hygiene, regular office visits, and avoidance of certain foods increase the durability of the composite bonds. The general rule is the better you treat your new teeth, the better they will treat you. For more information on dental bonds and other solutions, make sure to speak with an experienced cosmetic dentist in your area today.
Cavities
Few of us go though life without discovering how unpleasant a cavity can be. A cavity is formed when plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, forms over the edges of teeth and dissolves the enamel coating. These plaques form constantly, and eating foods high in starches causes this film to produce acids which begin to eat away the protective enamel coating of the tooth. Because plaque acids are so sticky, they can bond almost instantly and sink into the natural fissures and nooks on the edges of the tooth, eventually resulting in decay.
Generally, a small pit forms in the tooth after it begins to decay. Dentists typically notice these small pits in X-rays taken during routine office visits. Annual dental visits are important because early discovery can catch cavities in their earliest stages before they destroy enough enamel that the pulp and the root of the tooth become exposed. At this point the tooth requires a painful and expensive root canal to correct. However, if cavities are caught early enough your dentist can simply fix the problem with a filling.
To prepare a tooth for a filling the dentist drills away part of the damaged tooth, and fills the remaining space with a number of different materials. Dentists traditionally used mercury amalgam fillings to protect teeth, but other materials such as gold or silver were also advantageous for halting further decay. Unfortunately, these materials were rather unsightly and greatly contrasted with the remaining white teeth. Metal fillings can also damage teeth, because they do not move easily, and larger fillings can even cause fractures and cracks that can lead to permanently destroyed teeth.
The advent of metal-bonded porcelain, resin, and composite material fillings has enabled dentists to give their patients not only excellent oral protection, but to also fulfill certain aesthetic considerations as well. If you are suffering from a cavity or other dental problem, make sure to speak with an experienced dentist today.
Bridges
The loss of a tooth due to an accident or decay often leaves a rather unattractive space between teeth, presenting many physical as well as aesthetic problems. A bridge is a simple dental appliance that attempts to correct and repair any unsightly gaps between teeth.
On the physical level, gaps between teeth are dangerous because they expose the gum to high levels of bacteria and acids, which can increase the likelihood of gum disease. Another danger is the pressure from chewing and speaking that can "crowd"remaining teeth into the empty space resulting in further tooth loss.
On a cosmetic level, a gap in your mouth can be unattractive and can draw attention to your imperfect smile. Bridges help correct this problem by presenting an unbroken visage of healthy teeth which restores the continuity lost because of missing teeth.
Implanting a bridge is very similar to installing a crown, and in fact these procedures are virtually identical. A bridge is essentially two crowns with a false tooth in the middle. The procedure begins with the dentist filing down the teeth on either side of the gap by a few millimeters in order to provide stability for the crown implants. After the initial measurement, the dentist will send the specifics to a lab where the appliance is created. Precision is incredibly important when measuring for a bridge, for any remaining gaps are potential traps for bacteria and acids which may erode and decay the new bridge. Once the new prosthesis is in place, the dentist cements the crowns on either side of the gap, or secures them firmly if it is a removable appliance.
Like many other modern dental prostheses, bridges are made from a wide variety of materials depending on the location of the replacement teeth. All metal bridges work well for obscured back teeth, while porcelain bridges are favored for front teeth. Porcelain by itself is rather expensive and comparatively weak compared with metal, which is why most dentists and patients elect to have a porcelain-metal bonded bridge. These appliances create a good balance between aesthetics and functionality, providing maximum safety with minimum visibility.
You will be amazed how a simple procedure like a bridge can change your outlook on life. There is an experienced and professional cosmetic dentist in your area ready to improve your smile and enhance your life. Find one today.
Plaque
Plaque is a sticky, yellow, bacteria-filled film that grows over the teeth. While it has beneficial effects, such as aiding in the breakdown of food during mastication, it can wreak havoc on the gums and teeth when left untreated. This danger is greatest after a meal high in starches or sugars because the bacteria release acids that stick to the sugar, which in turn sticks to the teeth, causing them to decay.
Without brushing or flossing after meals, plaque will accumulate into calculus or tartar, both of which interfere with proper oral hygiene. Sufficient quantities of calculus and tartar above the gum line can cause gingivitis, one of the early stages of periodontal disease.
Regular brushing and flossing greatly reduce the appearance of plaque. A well balanced diet, quitting smoking, and avoiding starchy, sugary foods are also excellent ways to ward off the dangers of tooth decay. Make sure that you protect your teeth by consulting a highly qualified dentist in your area today.
Tartar and Tartar Removal
When dental plaque builds up over a period of time it turns into a hard, yellow-colored material called tartar, or calculus. The surface of tartar is extremely rough and porous and provides an excellent framework for bacteria to grow and thrive. This bacteria threatens the enamel of the teeth to which it bonds, but it is particularly dangerous to the gums.
Once the bacteria reach the gums it begins to attack the suculus, or the small V-shaped crevice between the teeth. As the disease escalates it destroys the supportive tissues that keep teeth in place, exposing more enamel to the dangers of tartar build up.
Without proper dental hygiene such as brushing and flossing, tartar deposits can easily overwhelm a healthy mouth. It is also just as important to regularly visit your dentist to remove plague deposits that can calcify into tartar. When dealing with tartar deposits, the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"is particularly true.
Tartar is easy enough to prevent, but once the damage begins it is difficult to remove. If left unchecked tartar build up can lead to cavities, gum disease, and even tooth loss. Contact a dentist in your area today for tartar removal, and protect your mouth from the scourge of tartar and gum disease.
Gingivitis
Bleeding gums are the one of the most recognizable indications of gingivitis, a type of gum disease. Bleeding occurs because the tissues of the gums are aggravated by the buildup of bacteria and toxins because of inadequate cleaning. These irritants can cause the gums to become swollen and infected, which leads to bleeding when they are irritated.
Gingivitis is frequently caused by poor dental hygiene, but can also be brought on by excessively vigorous brushing or flossing. If left unchecked, gingivitis can progress into much more serious gum disease, and eventually cause tooth decay and loss. Although brushing is a good start in fighting gum disease, the important role that flossing plays in preventing gingivitis cannot be underestimated. Cleaning the suculus, or the V-shaped space between teeth, removes many of the food particles and bacteria that can lead to the development of this unpleasant condition. Regular visits to the dentists are also key, because professional teeth cleaning is the best way to eliminate the potential for gum disease.
The longer you put off caring for your teeth, the greater potential for serious damage. It's important to keep healthy hygiene habits now so that you can maintain a beautiful smile in the future. Contact a dentist for treatment today to prevent gum disease tomorrow!
Halitosis (Bad Breath)
Bad breath is an unpleasant condition that affects virtually everyone at one point. Often the problem is stems from transient bad breath, a temporary situation caused by dry mouth, hunger, stress, and certain foods. Brushing, flossing, and antiseptic mouthwash can help control the over 400 different kinds of bacteria that can flourish in the mouth, although sometimes there is a more serious reason behind bad breath.
Halitosis as a condition in and of itself is not extremely well understood. In a healthy mouth, free of gum disease and tooth decay, bad breath is quite a puzzle. Proper brushing and flossing eliminate much of the odor-causing material, but some people find that brushing the tongue eliminates quite a bit of potentially offensive bacteria. Sugarless gum also helps stimulate saliva production, preventing bad breath caused by dry mouth.
Breath odor can be thought of as the barometer of the body. Halitosis, or chronic bad breath, results from a wide variety of conditions and may be a sign of a more serious problem. Respiratory tract infections, diabetes, and chronic bronchitis have been known to adversely affect the breath. Most times however, chronic bad breath is a sign of gingivitis, tooth decay, or many other forms of oral problems. If you experience chronic bad breath, it is wise to inform your dentist of the frequency and level of discomfort.
Regardless of the root cause, chronic bad breath needs to be addressed by a dental professional, because it may be the early warning signs of something much more dangerous. Don't hesitate and risk permanent damage to your mouth, teeth, or gums. Contact a knowledgeable dentist today.
Radiosurgery
Radiosurgery is an innovative new technique that has the potential to revolutionize dentistry in the next few years. By using concentrated high frequency radio waves, dentists have discovered a bloodless, pressure-less, and stress-free way to perform a variety of cosmetic and restorative procedures. Teeth bleaching, gum-contouring, and bridge work are simplified and streamlined without having to resort to old-fashioned scalpels and prolonged healing times.
Unlike older dental techniques, radiosurgery produces immediately noticeable results. For patients who have too much gum tissue, traditional surgery was required to remove excess tissue and required many days of painful healing. Because radiosurgery is both causes no blood loss and avoids the use of pressure, a patient can immediately look in the mirror and see their new smile. Radiosurgery also is extremely helpful in contouring the gums around a bridge implant because a tight seal is necessary to prevent food particles and bacteria from entering the new appliance and causing decay and infection.
Perhaps the greatest application of radiosurgery is found in teeth whitening. Most cosmetic teeth whitening procedures require the use of harsh chemicals that bleach out stains or cover them up with dyes. Radiosurgery uses a milder whitening agent that is activated by the radio waves. Once activated, the agent causing the dye to penetrate the teeth and dissolve tough stains, leaving teeth whiter longer than traditional topical bleaches.
If you want to experience the technological breakthrough that is radiosurgery, contact an experienced, progressive dentist in your area as soon as possible. Don't put off the dental work you need. Radiosurgery takes much of the fear, stress, and pain out of dentistry, so make an appointment to improve your smile today.
Special Patient Information
Special Patient dentistry is an approach to oral health tailored to the individual needs of people with a variety of medical conditions and/or limitations. In most cases, special patients require more than routine delivery of oral care. Special care as a practice encompasses preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services.
There are some patients who need routine oral health care, but have medical conditions or limitations that require a specialized delivery system in or to facilitate their needs. For instance, a paralyzed child a patient with cerebral palsy must be transferred from the wheelchair to the dental chair and sign language must be used to communicate with hearing impaired patients.
Patients with special needs must be accommodated so that their dental experience can be as effective and comfortable as possible. If you have specific needs that must be considered in your dental visit or if you are the caretaker of someone who does, make sure that your dentist or other healthcare provider is equipped to give you the assistance that you deserve.
Wisdom Teeth (Third Molars)
Wisdom teeth can be valuable for chewing when properly positioned in the mouth. Unfortunately, most people develop problems with this third set of molars because many mouths are simply not large enough to accommodate them when they grow in. When this happens the teeth may become impacted, which means that they are unable to erupt through the skin or misaligned in the jaw.
A Wisdom Tooth can grow into other teeth, or into the jawbone, or develop a pus filled cyst that can destroy the roots and nerves in other teeth and the jaw, increasing the potential for dangerous infections. Other people experience extremely painful headaches, as the pain from the jaw travels to the skull where it can aggravate tendons and muscles used for chewing and speaking.
Some lucky people keep their wisdom teeth with no problems while others must have them removed to prevent serious damage to their mouth. Removing wisdom teeth can be as simple as extracting an extra tooth or as complex as a bone graft. The duration and nature of the procedure depends greatly on the extent of the condition. Less complicated procedures can be performed in a dentist's office, while more elaborate corrections are usually referred to an oral surgeon.
In any event great care must be exercised to prevent serious post-operative complications. Removing a wisdom tooth from the back of the mouth is a complicated and time-consuming process, so many dentists go to great lengths to ensure that there are no unnecessary follow-up visits. After removing these unneeded teeth, most patients are relieved of the painful headaches and toothaches that accompany impacted wisdom teeth.
You don't have to live with pain anymore. Consult a knowledgeable, qualified dentist in your area, and learn what it is to live life pain free.
Impacted Tooth
An impacted tooth is a common dental condition occurring when a tooth fails to fully "emerge" from the gums. Most teeth break through the gums in a timely and appropriate fashion, but sometimes misalignment or injury prevents proper growth out of the gums or bones. If these teeth partially emerge they may trap food or bacteria in the soft tissue around them, which causes the gums and surrounding tissue to rot, giving rise to a foul odor called pericoronitis.
The most common teeth to become impacted are the third molars or "wisdom teeth." Because they erupt so late in life and because most people's jaws are not large enough to accommodate them, wisdom teeth can twist, tilt, and disrupt the natural placement of teeth within the mouth. Without correction through removal or realignment, the damage to the mouth can be both painful and permanent.
Treating an impacted tooth promptly is extremely important, for the longer you delay the more dangers you risk. Common complications of untreated impacted teeth include:
- Recurrent infection of the tooth
- Abscess in the tooth or gums
- Malocclusion, or improper positioning of the teeth
- Chronic pain or discomfort in the mouth
- "Plaque traps" which are pits where plaques and bacteria can accumulate
Each of these conditions can quickly escalate into more severe dental problems. If you suffer from an impacted tooth, don't wait until the serious consequences of your neglected teeth cause unnecessary pain. The sooner you act, the less discomfort and inconvenience you will face in the long run. Contact a qualified dentist in your area today.
Dental Occlusion (Teeth Bite)
Malocclusion or dental occlusion is an extremely common dental condition caused when the biting surfaces of the teeth do not properly fit together. The way teeth grow out of the jaw is influenced by a number of factors, as heredity, shape of the jaw, and certain environmental conditions can lead to uneven variations in biting surface. If left untreated these variations in jaw structure can eventually cause problems with biting, gum health, speech development, and the ability to maintain proper oral hygiene.
Most dental occlusion are treated in late childhood after adult teeth begin to grow in, as the bones and teeth are far more pliable than those of adults. In some cases the dentist will have to remove one or more permanent teeth to ensure proper growth and expansion of other teeth. Great care is exercised to prevent future impaction or irritation by other teeth that have yet to erupt, so many people who have malocclusion are required to wear a retaining device or mouthpiece to prevent complications.
Braces are the most common appliances used by dentists to correct malocclusions in children and adults. While braces are the most effective way to adjust and reshape uneven biting surfaces, it is critically important to maintain exemplary oral hygiene to prevent cavities from forming in the areas where food can collect easily. Once in place, these braces slowly but surely arrange the teeth into a healthy biting formation.
If you suffer from teeth that do not fit together properly, contact a cosmetic dentist in your area today. The sooner you act, the easier the dental occlusion corrective procedure is. Don't wait another second, contact a qualified dentist in your area today.
Tooth Ache
Everyone has a toothache from time to time. The unpleasant pain sensation of a toothache is caused when the tooth, jaw, or surrounding tissue becomes irritated in some way. Although not a cause for serious alarm, addressing a toothache early can prevent serious future complications.
Some of the more common reasons for tooth pain include:
- Dental cavity
- A cracked tooth
- An exposed tooth root
- Gum disease
- Disease of the jaw joint
- Spasms of the muscles used for chewing
Although uncommon, a tooth ache may be the sign of a more serious problem. In rare instances toothaches are the signs of angina, a potentially fatal heart condition. Infections in the ears and sinuses also frequently cause pain in the jaw or teeth, so sometimes it is wise to consult not only a dentist but also a doctor if you experience chronic toothaches.
Why live in chronic pain from toothaches? If your teeth cause you constant agony or if you just want to learn how to protect yourself from unnecessary tooth pain, contact a qualified dentist in your area today. Stop a minor problem from becoming a serious one by taking care of that toothache today.
Chip, Crack or Broken Tooth
Breaking, chipping, or cracking a tooth can be an incredibly painful experience. Teeth are very sensitive and frequently used for speaking and chewing, so any severity of damage, no matter how slight or minor can often lead to intense pain and discomfort. A chipped or broken tooth can also often cause emotional suffering when it disrupts the natural appearance of the smile of otherwise normal, undamaged teeth.
A chipped front tooth is easily repaired with a porcelain or resin veneer. These materials easily match the natural look of the remaining teeth, and reinforce the strength of the original tooth. The veneer is perfectly shaped to conform to the smile of the patient, and is virtually unrecognizable when compared to other less advanced tooth replacement options.
Repairing a broken tooth is a bit more complicated, but fortunately most broken teeth can be restored. Should the break occur without damaging the roots or pulp of the tooth, great care must be taken to avoid infection and to keep from damaging the remaining structure. A broken tooth may be "cemented"back together with dental epoxy, but if the root suffers significant damage a root canal and tooth removal may be necessary to ensure proper healing. A dental implant or bridge will restore the look and function of the missing tooth, making it possible to eat and speak properly once again.
Cosmetic and restorative dentistry is much simpler and more affordable than most people imagine. If you have a broken, chipped, or cracked tooth, consult a cosmetic dentist in your area to prevent further damage to your mouth, smile, and health. Don't wait any longer to find an experienced, knowledgeable dentist today.