Author: CdA-AdmiN

You’ve heard of cosmetic treatments around the world of plastic surgery, where specialists restore, reconstruct, or alter sections of a patient’s body to provide them with an enhanced look. Cosmetic treatments are available in dentistry, too. Cosmetic dentistry specifically deals with restorations and reconstructions of a patient’s teeth. Unlike general cosmetic treatments, cosmetic dentistry’s goal is to enhance a person’s smile, rather than other regions of the body. Treatments that fall under this category include teeth whitening, veneers, gum contouring, and orthodontics, and more.

Teeth Whitening

No matter how well you may take care of your dental hygiene at home (brushing regularly, flossing daily, etc.), sometimes your teeth may not stay whitened as easily as you may want. Other factors, like age and normal wear, can cause your teeth to naturally stain or yellow regardless of practicing good dental care. This is why dentists often offer teeth whitening treatments to their patients. Some dentists may offer an in-office treatment, where the dentist may apply a bleaching solution to your teeth during your visit, while others can offer a home teeth whitening kit for you to use in the comforts of your own home.

Porcelain Veneers

Veneers are thin, tooth-colored shells that are meant to be fitted over your natural teeth. The goal of veneers is to mask the imperfections your teeth may have, from stubborn stains that can’t be easily removed with a whitening treatment, to small chips.

Gum Contouring

Although it is less commonly known, gum contouring has been sought after by many patients. Cosmetic gum contouring involves minor surgery that is meant to reshape your gums in order to give them a more level appearance.

Orthodontic Treatments

Orthodontic treatments are one of the most popular treatments in dentistry next to teeth whitening. Orthodontics are classified as any method used to help properly re-align the teeth and jaw. Popular methods used in orthodontic treatments include clean braces/aligners, expanders, retainers, bumpers, headgears, and more.

The holidays are approaching, and while we just can’t wait to chow down on delicious cakes and cookies galore, our teeth may not feel the same way. Here are 5 tips to keep your teeth happy and healthy during this holiday season:

• 1. Maintain good teeth cleaning habits: Just because the holiday season gets busier, doesn’t mean that you should compromise on your usual dental cleaning habits. Continue to brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste.
• 2. Keep the sweets to a minimum: As much as we might love mom’s famous peach cobbler, we have to be careful with how much we eat. The bacteria in our mouth thrive on sugar, and end up producing more acid with its intake—acid that can break down our teeth and cause cavities. If you must indulge, remember to brush your teeth afterwards. If your toothbrush isn’t immediately available, rinsing your mouth with water helps in the meantime.
• 3. Avoid chewing hard candy or ice cubes: While we’re on the subject of sweets, try to avoid chewing hard candies. While your teeth are capable of breaking down crunchy foods like chips, it’s not good to put extra stress on them by chewing harder things like candy or ice cubes. Doing so can lead to cracked or chipped teeth, and can cause discomfort to sensitive teeth.
• 4. Drink lots of water: Water not only helps clear our mouth of lingering sugars that can lead to tooth decay, it can also provide our teeth with fluoride, which promotes good dental health.
• 5. Don’t forget about us: While dental offices are closed on major holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, they always stay open throughout the rest of the holiday season. Don’t let a holiday closure be an excuse to not schedule an appointment for a cleaning or checkup for another day!

While many may dread going to the dentist for a surgical tooth extraction, there are many valid reasons as to why it may be necessary. Here are the top three reasons as to why your dentist may decide a tooth extraction is the best option for you:

• Overcrowding: This could mean a number of things. One reason why dentists might decide it’s best to extract a tooth is to prepare your mouth for an alignment. It is harder to straighten your teeth with braces or ClearCorrect if your teeth don’t have the room to adjust accordingly. In addition, your dentist may recommend extracting a tooth if there is not enough room for another tooth to grow.
• Damage: If you have broken or cracked teeth that cannot be salvageable, your dentist may suggest extracting them. Any tooth decay that is beyond repair may also be a candidate for a tooth extraction.
• Infection: If you have tooth decay that is extensive or has affected the center of your tooth, where the pulp is, bacteria can easily infect it. The pulp is made up of blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue, so if any of these important living components are significantly impacted, the infection can spread to your other teeth. Your dentist may first recommend a root canal to resolve the issue, but if the infection has become critical to the point that antibiotics or the root canal does not prove effective, then the next step would be to extract the affected tooth to prevent its infection from spreading further.

If you feel like you may be experiencing any of these issues with your teeth, it is important to visit your dentist to learn more about tooth extraction houston to see if it’s the right option for you.

Mothers-to-be understand very well how important it is for them take good care of themselves throughout their pregnancy. But many women don’t realize that proper oral care is just as important and that visiting a dentist when pregnant is necessary for both mother and baby’s good health.

Let your dentist know you are pregnant

First and foremost, let your dentist know you are a pregnant woman. This is very important if dental problems occur during gestation. It also allows your dentist to provide information before your next visit.

Understand how pregnancy can affect dental health

Practicing good oral hygiene habits every day is so important for pregnant women. To prevent common dental conditions such as pregnancy gingivitis, always brush your teeth at least two times each day and floss at least once a day. You should be doing this anyway, but it is necessary to be particularly diligent during pregnancy to avoid serious dental problems. A pregnant woman should never have to consider undergoing sedation to address a problem that could have been avoided.

Provide your dentist with a list of current medications

Prepare a list of medications with your current dosages along with any instructions your doctor may have included. This is something your dentist needs to have on record. Certain prescription drugs, such as tetracycline, may negatively affect your developing unborn baby.

Learn about how good nutrition impacts dental health during pregnancy

Just like eating a well-balanced, healthy diet is necessary for your developing infant, it also affects yours and your baby’s dental health. By eating foods rich in calcium, antioxidants like Vitamins D, C, and A, protein, and phosphorus you will give your body the nutrition it needs and avoid dental issues while pregnant.

It is bad practice to get into the habit of snacking excessively with the excuse that you are eating for two. The more you snack, the more plaque will form on your teeth, possibly leading to decay.  If you find yourself craving something sweet, try to satisfy that urge with a high protein, low sugar snack.

Also remember, if you are a pregnant woman or are planning to become pregnant and you currently smoke, now is the best time to quit. In addition, alcohol consumption should be avoided. These stimulants are harmful to your baby and damaging to your teeth.

Some other factors pregnant women should keep in mind:

• Dental x rays while pregnant can be done, if necessary, due to advances in safety procedures, but should be avoided.
• Elective dental work while pregnant should be avoided and deferred until after the birth of your baby.
• If you experiences wollen gums during pregnancy, toothache, dental infection, or bleeding gums, contact your dentist immediately to treat the problem before it worsens.

Are you burdened with an overwhelming, myriad of dental issues? Maybe you are missing a couple of teeth, are long overdue for professional teeth cleaning, and need to replace a filling or two. Do you need more help then general dentistry has to offer but are afraid you can’t afford to fix all of your dental issues? Some people require many procedures, others only need one or two to restore their eye-catching smile. One thing for sure, all can benefit from a smile makeover.

Stronger Teeth, Improved Health, Stunning Smile

A smile makeover can improve your overall health, enhance your aesthetic appearance, and transform your life.  A mixture of restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and general dentistry, smile makeovers address dental issues from all angles.

Troublesome conditions such as difficulty speaking or painful chewing can be corrected with restorative dentistry to improve mouth function and enhance your smile.  Structural issues, like missing or loose teeth, can be corrected with dental appliances such as crowns, dental bridges or implants.

Improvement Beyond your Smile

In addition, there are many other benefits that come with a smile makeover, besides stronger teeth and a beautiful smile. Better oral health contributes to your overall well-being and quality of life. Here are the six top reasons to consider a smile makeover:

• Oral health: Good dental health directly affects physical health. By practicing proper oral hygiene habits, you can help prevent diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

A smile makeover fixes dental issues to improve your oral health and eliminate many health risks.

• Beauty: A healthy, more youthful smile with straight, white teeth will brighten your look.
• Happiness:An improved smile and better overall health can lift your mood.
• Fewer dentist visits:By taking care of all dental problems at once, you will eliminate the need for multiple dentist visits.
• Confidence booster:A smile makeover can make you look better and feel better about yourself.
• Cost savings:It is more cost-effective to treat multiple dental issues with a smile makeover, rather than drag them out separately. You will also prevent further complications in the future.

Cosmetic Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry, General Dentistry

There are many dental procedures to choose from ranging from teeth whitening to gum reshaping and dental implants. Book an appointment with your dentist to put together the combination you need to achieve the health and function you need, and the improved look you desire.

A complete oral reconstruction goes beyond a typical smile makeover. It is a complex process comprised of a series of restorative dental procedures designed to dramatically enhance your appearance. Total smile restoration with a full mouth reconstruction will not only make you look and feel better, it will improve your oral health. The ultimate goal is to restore teeth function, structure, and aesthetic appeal. Smile restoration will also help alleviate pain associated with chronic jaw and teeth problems.

Reasons to consider a complete smile makeover
Common reasons why people suffer from poor oral health and problem teeth are usually due to injury, neglect or old dental work that needs to be replaced. A full dental makeover may be the solution to correct the following issues:

 

• Multiple chipped, worn down or broken teeth
• Extreme tooth sensitivity
• Tooth decay throughout the mouth
• Missing teeth
• Persistent pain, popping or clicking of the jaw
• Frequent headaches, neck pain, backache and muscle tenderness

Am I a candidate for a full mouth reconstruction?

First schedule a consultation with your Houston dentist to determine if you are a good candidate for full mouth reconstruction. Your dentist will conduct a thorough oral examination to assess the condition of the following areas before discussing treatment options:

 

• Teeth: The condition of your teeth will determine whether or not you need veneers, crowns, implants or bridges, inlays or onlays, or any combination. Your Houston dentist will make note of any tooth decay and cavities, worn down teeth, chips or cracks, misshapen teeth, root canal issues or tooth shifting.
• Periodontal tissues: If your gums are in poor condition, you may need root planning or scaling. Other intensive gum disease treatments may be suggested to ensure that your newly restored teeth have the strongest possible foundation, this may include bone grafts.
• TMJ and occlusion: Jaw and bite problems will affect your dental health, so your dentist will look for jaw issues. It may be necessary for you to undergo orthodontic or some other type of treatment to correct occlusion before full smile restoration can be completed.
• Teeth aesthetics: Other factors to consider are the shape, size, proportion, and color of your teeth, in relations to your mouth, gums, lips and facial structure. All of these factors are addressed when planning a full mouth reconstruction.

Which dental procedures are included in a total smile restoration?

There are a number of restorative dental procedures included in a typical total smile restoration with a full mouth reconstruction. Depending on your situation, your Houston dentist may suggest one or more treatment options. Common dentistry methods include cosmetic, restorative and implants, TMJ and teeth grinding treatment which may include orthodontics, gum disease treatment, and oral surgery.