Sedation Dentistry 101

07/03/16

It is not unusual for people to feel fear when they need to visit a dentist. However, there are some people who experience panic attacks and intense anxiety during these visits. These are the situations where sedation dentistry can help. This specific type of dentistry relies on the use of anesthesia or special pharmaceutical drugs while the dental treatment lasts in order to calm and relax the patients. Sedation dentistry, often called sleep dentistry is a perfectly safe and efficient type of dentistry.

Fear of dentists or dental phobia keeps many individuals away from the dentist’s office. They avoid checkups and even accept pain in their teeth and gums, just to avoid these visits. In this way they are seriously affecting their dental and overall health. Sedation industry is usually used during lengthy dental procedures when patients have to spend hours at the dentist’s office. It is especially recommended for patients that simply can’t manage their movements while the procedure lasts.

There are basically four types of sedation dentistry. The first one is inhalation sedation. This procedure is ideal for those who have mild or moderate fear and anxiety and dentists use it regardless of the length of the treatment. This type of sedation won’t interrupt your everyday activities, so once you are finished you should be able continue with your ordinary activities without any problems.

Next, there is a sedation that relies on oral sedatives. Patients are advised to take these sedatives 30 minutes, one hour or even 12 hours before the procedure begins. They won’t provide any pain relief, so the dentist will have to use the regular anesthetics. If you select this option, you won’t be able to drive in the next 24 hours.

The IV moderate sedation is received through the veins and it acts right away. The dentist can regulate the sedation level at any time. Finally, there is general anesthesia which leaves the patient completely or partially unconscious. Dentist use special medications for this purpose.

Regardless of the type of sedation you get, you will still need the help of numbing medications. Sedation dentistry is useful for those who have very sensitive teeth; those who have serious dental problems; have fear from dental equipment; can’t control their movements completely or had unpleasant experience in the past related to teeth.

Sedentary dentistry may be unavailable for some patients due to their medical condition.  

The Advantages of Visiting a Cosmetic Dentist

07/10/16

According to many surveys, the smile is one of the first things that people notice whenever they meet another person. Having healthy teeth is the most important element of a beautiful and memorable smile. On the other hand, crooked, damaged, broken, discolored and missing teeth can definitely ruin your physical appearance. When we talk about gum health and teeth health you can always count on general dentistry. However, if you want to enhance the visual appearance of your teeth, then you must use cosmetic dentistry. It is good to point out that most of the dentists involved in general dentistry provide cosmetic dentistry procedures too.

So, scheduling an appointment and using the services of a cosmetic dentist is the simplest and most efficient way to enhance the appearance of your smile. An experienced dentist will be able to bring back the functionality of the teeth and improve their appearance. Now let’s see how these cosmetic dentists help patients.

To start with, they can help them replace all their missing teeth. Even one missing tooth can make huge difference in your appearance. In some cases, people have all their teeth, but they have wide gaps between some of their teeth or between all teeth. This is where cosmetic dentists come into play. Namely, they can bring back the natural and attractive look of your teeth. In order to achieve this, they use different reconstruction techniques like dental bridges, dental implants, dental crowns and dentures.

Next, there are cases when people need straightening of their crooked teeth. The good news is that a reputable cosmetic dentist can finish this procedure smoothly and they have several treatments at their disposal to finish this task. For instance, they can recommend wearing invisalign braces. Some dentists may recommend porcelain veneers.

Furthermore, in the recent period more and more individuals are interested in teeth whitening. The fact is that drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes can lead to teeth darkening. With the help of this procedure, an experienced cosmetic dentist can bring back your smile. Most experts advise the use of laser teeth whitening.

Finally, cosmetic dentists can help people who have chipped, cracked, discolored and damaged teeth too. Once again, porcelain veneers can be helpful, but some dentist use binding techniques too. If the teeth are decayed or seriously broken and damaged, dentists usually use dental crowns to help patients.

As you can see, a good cosmetic dentist can seriously help you enhance your looks. 

Why Use Dental Veneers?

07/17/16

Any individual with teeth in bad condition should know that they put their overall health at risk. On the other hand, people with good teeth can experience many different benefits. So, the maintenance of proper dental health should be one of our priorities. In case your teeth are not very strong, they will interrupt your everyday activities and cause you troubles. Obviously, the most frequent problems will be the ones related to chewing, biting and swallowing different kinds of food and drinks. Having healthy and white teeth makes your smile more interesting and noticeable and increases your self-esteem and confidence

People who have missing, chipped, damaged, discolored, stained or broken teeth will definitely ruin your smile. However, if you are in a situation like this you don’t have to be depressed because modern dentistry is sophisticated and provides solutions for any kind of problem that is going on in our mouth. General dentistry and cosmetic dentistry can make your smile perfect again and you won’t have to wait for months to witness this change. So, if you have damaged teeth, you can choose between several dental procedures including dental veneers. A dental veneer represents very thin shells of tooth. These shells are fixed or bonded directly on the teeth in order to bring back the natural sparkles and whiteness of teeth.

This means that dentists usually opt for dental veneers when they want to cover the issues of your teeth and make them appear better than they really are. These veneers are placed on the areas where the teeth are discolored or damaged and practically hide the existing problems. Dental veneers can also be used to cover the gaps between teeth, but only if these gaps are relatively small. Whenever they want to help patients get rid of some small teeth problem and boost their confidence without a costly and extensive procedure, cosmetic dentists recommend dental veneers.

The veneers are usually made from porcelain or some sort of composite filling elements. The porcelain is used in this procedure because of its durability and strength. If we compare them to other dental solutions we will notice that they are less expensive and they can work without any problems for at least ten years.

Finally, as we said before dental veneers don’t require lengthy visits to the dentist’s office. The entire procedure is finished after three or even two visits.

Causes of sensitive teeth

07/24/16

In case you are staying away from cold and frozen foods and hot drinks because your teeth are too sensitive, maybe it is the right time to find out what causes this unpleasant issue. According to some statistics, more than 40 million adult Americans are suffering from tooth sensitivity. Yet, only a small number of people know what causes this problem. Before we list these causes, let’s analyze the problem itself.

The vast majority of the tooth’s content consists of dentin a material that includes tiny tubules packed with very small nerve endings. The dentin is kept safe with the help of a strong outer layer made of enamel. It is also good to know that the dentin goes down all the way to the root and in this area, it is protected with a cementum coating. Once the dentin loses the protection of these coatings, it tends to react with sticky, acidic, cold and hot foods and beverages.

Now let’s highlight the direct causes of teeth sensitivity:

- Tooth erosion caused by beverages and foods loaded with acids

- Worn enamel as a result of improper intense brushing of teeth

- Recession of gums

- Tooth decay, broken and damaged teeth and compromised fillings

- Reaction after dental treatment

- Teeth grinding (bruxism)

If you are looking for a solution for this problem that can lead to even more serious issues, it is the best idea to talk to your dentist. By learning more about the symptoms, the dentist should be able to determine the exact cause of sensitive teeth. After that, they can provide proper treatment. In many cases, the treatment consists of cavity repair or simple filling replacement in case it's worn. But, in cases when the direct cause is gum recession, it might be necessary to use gum graft because the protection of the root surface is very important.

There are cases when determining the cause of teeth sensitivity is unclear, but even in cases like this, patients can get an efficient treatment. For instance, some dentists use fluoride gel for relief. There are also some desensitizing commercial toothpaste that have proven to be helpful.

In any case, whenever you notice tooth sensitivity, take this situation seriously and talk to your dentist.  

Full Mouth Restoration Process Explained

07/31/16

Full mouth restoration, also known as full mouth reconstructive dentistry, is a unique process where serious mouth issues are solved and corrected. This means that the procedure covers a wide range of dental issue like missing teeth, broken teeth, mismatched bite, tooth decay etc. In addition, there are few other oral health issues that can be solved with the help of full mouth restoration like damaged oral tissues, damaged gum, various diseases and correction of different dental repairs that were conducted a long time ago (wear and tear). Of course, patients can choose to solve each of these issues independently.  But, in case they are conducted together as a complete treatment, this process is known as full mouth restoration. The main benefit of this process is that in the end, the patient can rest assured that their oral health is at the highest possible level.

Even though we have listed some of the procedures that are part of this treatment, there are many people who require more precise explanation. In other words, they want to know what exactly is done if they opt for full mouth restoration.

First of all, in most cases, they include correction of damaged tooth or teeth. Crowns, inlays, fillings, bridges and onlays are some of the dental solutions that are part of the restorative activities. In the recent period, more and more people are choosing dental implants and include them in this restoration process. According to many experts, this is the most convenient way to replace a missing tooth or several missing teeth. Thanks to the implants, you will get a complete and permanent solution for this problem.

Furthermore, full mouth restoration also includes cosmetic activities in the form of teeth whitening, reshaping the gums, veneer installation, teeth bonding etc. We should not forget that our jaws play a significant role in this part of the body. This is the reason why the process of restoration takes care of them too. Dentists use neuromuscular procedures to repair damage caused by an impact or disease. Some dentists can treat fractures too.

Full mouth restoration also takes care of the damage done by bruxism or teeth grinding. In addition, experienced dentists will introduce a solution that will help the patient prevent such accidents in the future. Different orthodontic procedures can be part of this process too like installation of spacers, braces, retainers and expanders.

There is no doubt that full mouth restoration is an excellent solution for patients that have a few different oral issues.