Dental Services

Read more about the article Taking Care of Temporary Dental Crown

Taking Care of Temporary Dental Crown

Temporary dental crowns are a temporary fix until a permanent crown is ready. The primary reasons for wearing a temporary crown are to keep the tooth protected from external stimulus, keep the tooth from shifting and serve as a dress rehearsal for function and aesthetics for the permanent crown.  Here is what you need to know about taking care of the temporary crown for the couple of weeks that you have it cemented:

  • Avoid sticky, chewy foods (for example, chewing gum, caramel), which have the potential of grabbing and pulling off the crown.
  • Minimize use of the side of your mouth with the temporary crown. Shift the bulk of your chewing to the other side of your mouth.
  • Avoid chewing hard foods (such as raw vegetables), which could dislodge or break the crown.
  • Slide flossing material out-rather than lifting out when cleaning your teeth. Lifting the floss out, as you normally would, might pull off the temporary crown.
  • Let your dentist know if the provisional crown should fracture or fall out, even if the tooth is not sensitive. The teeth are prone to shifting when not covered by the temporary crown.  Going without your temporary crown even for couple of days may cause the final crown not to fit properly.
  • Be sure to call your dentist’s office if the temporary crown feels too prominent to your bite. It is more likely to break or come uncemented.
  • If you experience prolonged sensitivity or pain, please call your dentist’s office.

If your temporary dental crown comes off at any time during the waiting period for the permanent restoration, please contact our office immediately. It is very important for us to get the temporary back in place as quickly as possible, to ensure that the permanent restoration fits properly.

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Read more about the article Some Facts About Wisdom Teeth

Some Facts About Wisdom Teeth

What are wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the upper and lower third molars, located at the very back of the mouth. They are called wisdom teeth because usually they come in between ages 17 and 21. Wisdom teeth that are healthy and in the right position usually don’t cause problems. You may have a problem if any of the following occur:

  • Your wisdom teeth break through your gums only partway because of a lack of space. This can cause a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. The flap can trap food and lead to a gum infection.
  • They come in crooked or facing the wrong direction.
  • Your jaw isn’t large enough to give them room. Your wisdom teeth may get stuck (impacted) in your jaw and not be able to break through your gums.
  • They are so far back in your mouth or crowded that you have trouble cleaning around them.

Symptoms:

If your wisdom teeth are causing problems, you may have pain or jaw stiffness near an impacted tooth. Wisdom teeth may also crowd the other teeth. Sometimes, there could be tooth decay or gum disease if there isn’t enough room to properly clean your wisdom tooth and nearby teeth.

Your dentist will check for signs of a wisdom tooth coming through your gum or crowding other teeth. You will have X-rays to find out if your wisdom teeth are causing problems now or are likely to cause problems in the future.

Treatment:

The dentist or oral surgeon will open the gum tissue over the tooth if needed and remove the tooth. If you have an infection, you may need to wait until it is gone before you have your wisdom teeth removed. The dentist or surgeon may prescribe antibiotics to help clear up the infection.

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Read more about the article Facts About Dental Sealants

Facts About Dental Sealants

Dental Sealants

Sealants are a thin, plastic coating that is painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth, usually the back teeth (molars), that a Dental Office uses to prevent tooth decay. The painted on liquid sealant quickly bonds into the depressions and groves of the teeth, forming a protective shield over the enamel of the tooth.

Dental sealants are intended for young children as soon as their first teeth come in. Decay is most common in the molars, so taking your child to dentist’s office for sealants right when you see the molars grow in gives your child the best chance to fight tooth decay. A child’s first set of permanent molars grow in between ages five and seven, while the second permanent molars come in between 11 and 14 years of age. A sealant creates a smoother tooth surface, one that’s easier to clean and therefore more resistant to the formation of decay.

How long do sealants last?

It’s difficult to say how long a sealant will last. Diet, oral habits and oral hygiene are huge factor determining factors. Expect to have a dentist check the sealant at every visit to the office. They will look at the sealant and determine if it needs to be replaced. Sealants need to be checked for chipping or wear.

Procedure

By bonding dental sealant into the grooves of a tooth, a dentist can make a tooth’s surface smoother. As a result, there are no longer any locations where the bristles of a toothbrush can’t reach and clean. The tooth is now at less risk for developing a cavity.

For starters, the teeth are cleaned carefully, and then dried with an absorbent material. A mild acid solution is applied to them to roughen them slightly. This is done so the sealant can bond properly to the teeth. Then the teeth are rinsed and dried, and the sealant material is painted on and dried with a special light.

Molars are susceptible to decay early on, which is why sealants are an important treatment to get for your children’s first set of teeth.

If you have questions about dental sealants and planning to have them for your children, talk to our general dentists at Expressions Dental.

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Read more about the article Do Dental Crowns Need Special Care?

Do Dental Crowns Need Special Care?

Crowns are “caps” or coverings for the entire tooth.

When you go home, after your crown has been placed, you can treat your crown as though it were your natural tooth. Continue to follow good oral hygiene practices. Simply flossing and brushing with toothpaste will help to keep crowns clean and the gums around the crowns healthy, thus preventing gum disease. Your dentist will show you how to correctly floss around your new crown.  Antibacterial mouth rinse can also help. Also, you don’t need to worry about adhering to special diet restrictions, but you should be careful about chewing extremely sticky foods, such as caramels, which can accidentally dislodge your crown. Like your natural teeth, remember not to bite down on hard objects or use your teeth to open or cut things.

Get in touch with Expressions Dental to find out how we can restore your teeth with a dental crown.

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Read more about the article Types of Dental Crowns

Types of Dental Crowns

There is a wide variety of materials from which dental crowns are made. Each of the type of dental crown has its own pros and cons.

Here’s the list of materials used for dental crowns:

  • Porcelain or ceramic – These crowns can give a great cosmetic result, by best reproducing the natural look of a tooth. There are many types of crown that fit into this category. In the back of the mouth where substantial chewing forces are routinely generated, placing an all-ceramic might not make the best choice due to strength. They are commonly used in for front teeth.
  • Porcelain fused to metal – Such crowns, also known as porcelain-bonded crowns, are very common. They combine the strength of a metal base with a cosmetic covering of tooth-colored porcelain. They have a proven track record of success. They can make a good choice for either front or back teeth. However, over time, the metal may show through at the gum-line (as a visible dark line). These crowns may therefore not be the ideal choice where aesthetics are of prime importance.
  • Metal – Usually made from gold or “white” (silver-colored) dental alloy. They’re known for their strength and durability. The precious alloys that are used to make gold dental crowns have a wear rate that’s similar to tooth enamel. That means the crown won’t create excessive wear on the teeth that oppose it (the teeth that it bites against).

If you are considering dental crowns for restorative or cosmetic dental purposes, it is best to discuss your options. We, at Expressions Dental will help you choose the dental crown material that best fits your needs.

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Read more about the article How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?

How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?

The material crowns are made of can affect how long the crown lasts. Some dental crowns will be more durable than others, and whether you clench or grind your teeth can play a role in the life of your crown.

Taking care of a dental crown:

How long dental crowns will last depends on many other factors in addition to the material they are made of. Practicing good dental hygiene by brushing and flossing twice a day will increase the life of your crowns. You can also increase crown life by limiting consumption of hard or crunchy foods. If you tend to clench or grind your teeth, your crowns may not last longer. Habitual teeth-grinding is called bruxism, and many people do it while they’re sleeping and don’t even realize it. A dentist can determine if you are a nighttime grinder, and explain how that may affect your crowns.

Dental crown needs to be replaced, if it cracked or broken or in case of excessive wear.
If you have additional questions about dental crowns, or if you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Expressions Dental.

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Read more about the article Fractured Tooth

Fractured Tooth

Even though our teeth are extraordinarily strong, they might chip, or break. Biting something very hard, being hit or punched on the mouth or face or falling are some of the causes of fractured teeth.

When your teeth chip or break, it doesn’t hurt. You might not even perceive the damage caused. Minor fractures of the tooth might not cause any pain, but if a larger piece of tooth chips off, it can be very painful. This is because the underlying nerve is damaged and if this is exposed to cold or hot drinks or foods, air and saliva, it can cause extreme discomfort. Pain caused by a cracked or a broken tooth can either be constant or it might be periodic. Some people feel this pain while chewing something as it exerts pressure on the teeth.

What Can You Do?

  • Fractured or cracked tooth – A fractured or a cracked tooth cannot be treated at home. You’ll have to seek your dentist’s help. A tooth might only hurt while you eat or there’s a change in the temperature of your mouth (after drinking something cold or hot). If you are experiencing a continuous pain, it can be a case of damaged blood vessels or nerves.
  • Broken tooth – In case of broken teeth, visit your dentist immediately. Your dentist will be able to understand the cause of the breakage, whether it is caused due to cavities and if the nerve is injured.

Treatment:

Different tests are performed in the mouth to determine if a tooth fracture is present. In some instances, dental X-rays can help to diagnose, locate, and measure the extent of tooth fractures.

A serious fracture is one that exposes both the dentin and the pulp tissue and should be treated promptly. Serious injuries may make the tooth displaced and loose, and cause the gums to bleed. To prevent the loose tooth from falling out completely, the dentist can splint the loose tooth by bonding it to the adjacent teeth to help stabilize it while the underlying bone and gums heal. Because of the high risk of pulp infection after the exposure of the pulp to the oral environment, a root canal procedure may need to be performed during the first visit.

Alternatively, the dentist may elect to only apply a sedative dressing on the splinted tooth to help calm the tooth pain. The tooth will then be reevaluated in two to four weeks to determine if a root canal procedure is necessary. If the tooth appears to have recovered and is stable in the mouth, the splint is removed at that time and a filling or crown is placed to restore the fractured tooth.

The most serious injuries involve vertical, diagonal, or horizontal fractures of the tooth roots. In most instances, a fracture of the tooth root leaves the injured tooth very loose and unable to be restored with dental work, thus necessitating tooth extraction.

If you experience injury to your tooth, contact Expressions Dental. Our general dentist can examine your tooth and recommend various treatments depending on the location and extent of the break.

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Read more about the article Alternatives to Dental Veneers

Alternatives to Dental Veneers

If you are thinking of veneers as a possible way to make your teeth look better, it is good to first consider all the available options.

Here are some basic choices for the patients looking for brighter smile:

  • Tooth whitening – This is a conservative way to remove tooth discolorations. The basic structure of your teeth remains unchanged. Not all stains can be whitened with this approach. This approach will only provide a color change for your teeth, so if their alignment or shape isn’t already pleasing, it’s not the right solution.
  • Micro abrasion – It is a process where a thin outer layer of tooth enamel that contains blemishes is abraded and eroded away. It involves the use of a coarse polishing compound mixed with 5 to 10% hydrochloric acid.
  • Reshaping – Some patients choose to have their teeth actually reshaped in order to improve the look of their mouths. This is generally not effective for changing discolored teeth, but it is a similar service that some patients consider as opposed to filling in gaps with porcelain veneers.
  • Porcelain crowns – These are a good solution for teeth that are damaged, misshapen or decayed. Crowns can be used alone or with dental bridges and dental implants. A crown will improve a tooth’s size, shape, strength and appearance.

If any of these procedures sounds like something that could help you improve your smile, talk to our general dentists at Expressions Dental about these dental treatments and the risks and benefits.

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Read more about the article Tips To Take Care of Dental Veneers?

Tips To Take Care of Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers do not require any special care. But you can take good care of them with proper oral hygiene, flossing and routine cleanings.

Home care:

Porcelain is stain resistant, however, the resin composite cement used to bond to the teeth can be susceptible to stain. Alcoholic beverages soften the surface of the resin, increasing the likelihood of staining and wear. Aggressive tooth brushing can wear away the glaze on the veneer. Avoid frequent carbohydrate intake and increase home flossing to maintain your veneers in good condition. Also avoid highly abrasive toothpastes, as you may lose the shiny lustre of the veneer.

During visit to a dentist’s clinic:

Your hygienist will be conservative with power polishing equipment. It can remove the glaze layer put on veneer. Once the glaze layer is removed, it cannot be reapplied. With the glaze intact, porcelain is resistant to stain.

If you have any questions about porcelain veneers, contact Expressions Dental.

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Read more about the article Life Span of Dental Veneers

Life Span of Dental Veneers

It is difficult to put a number of years for a lifespan for porcelain veneers. Everyone’s mouth is different.

If you are using veneers you should avoid certain things such as:

  • Biting pins or other metal objects, which may chip an edge of veneers
  • Power polishing of veneers. By doing this, the surface can become rough and porous and the porcelain veneers will then stain very easily
  • Frequent snacking, which can lead to cavities on the edges
  • Clenching and grinding your teeth

The chances of longer life span depends on your oral habits, your occlusion and how well you maintain oral hygiene.

If you would like to learn more about porcelain veneers, contact Expressions Dental. Our entire team looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you achieve optimal dental health.

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