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Friday, August 27, 2010

How to Get a Smile Makeover

Many people want that perfect smile that they see on television and in magazines. Today it has become easier than ever to get that brilliant smile with a smile makeover in Maryknoll.

Although there are various options to pick from to begin your smile makeover, porcelain veneers are the most common procedure chosen. The procedure begins by shaving away a small amount of tooth structure. Next thin coverings of porcelain are placed over the tooth. This beautiful porcelain shell is bonded with your tooth so that it holds tightly and firmly to forge the alignment, shape, and color you’ve always wanted.

Another option for the smile makeover process in Maryknoll is lumineers. Lumineers use thinner porcelain coverings than the veneers. This enables the dentist to use a no-preparation technique, which means that the lumineer porcelain is so thin that none of the patient’s teeth have to be shaven away before the lumineers are placed on. Although some patient’s require no tooth reduction, this process does occasionally need tooth reduction to prepare for the lumineers.

Some patients do not need their teeth shaped or positioned differently so lumineers and veneers are unnecessary. If this is the case, but you are still unhappy with your smile it may be the discoloration in your teeth. Tooth whitening would be the solution for you. There are many different options for teeth whitening from laser whitening to take-home whitening kits that can lighten your smile.

If you are not happy with the placement of your teeth, Invisalign might be the smile makeover solution for you. Invisalign acts like braces to shape and position your teeth into a straight and beautiful smile. Many people choose Invisalign over braces though because they are clear and barely visible when they are placed on your teeth. They can also be combined with a tooth whitening treatment to create a perfectly brilliant smile.

The Costs of Various Teeth Whitening Options

When it comes to cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening has become extremely popular among both men and women. Teeth whitening has been improved upon over the years and today there are multiple options that can fit any budget, time frame, and tendency.

There are three major teeth whitening processes that are available: in-office whitening, professionally dispensed take-home whitening kits, and over-the counter whitening.

The first option of teeth whitening is in-office whitening. This process usually works best for patients who have had substantial color changes in their teeth over a short period of time. During this procedure peroxide gel is placed on a patient’s teeth by the dentist or an experienced technician. To protect the gums from this rather high-concentration of peroxide gel a paint-on rubber dam will be applied to the upper and lower gums. This process usually takes about an hour and cost about $650 on average.

The next teeth whitening option is a professionally dispensed kit you can take home and apply yourself. Like the in-office whitening, this kit uses peroxide gel but in lower concentrations so it is safe to use at home. The gel is positioned on the teeth using a custom-made bleaching tray for about an hour or sometimes longer. Your dentist will help make this individualized tray to fit your mouth. This take-home kit can cost anywhere from $100 to $400 and is really beneficial for long-term teeth whitening.

The last option is teeth whitening care is over the counter whitening, which can cost $20 to $100. This can sometimes be the easiest option since you just go to the store to buy it. It usually contains a lower concentration of bleaching gel than the professionally distributed take-home kits for teeth whitening. The gel can either be applied by whitening strips, paint-on applicators, or one-size-fits-all trays.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Dental Care Necessities for Babies

A child’s baby teeth deserve as much care as their permanent teeth. Although these primary teeth do eventually fall out your child should still be seeing a dentist in Irvington every six months. Sometimes a child or baby’s teeth are hard to clean so the debris tends to accumulate and remain on their teeth. If this accumulation is left unchecked bacteria can start to grow, which will lead to tooth decay. Making sure your child’s baby teeth are clean is important since they are fundamental to child’s overall development and health.

Baby’s teeth usually begin to come in between six months of age and 24 months. Sometimes a tooth can even erupt in the first month. It is important to remember that the tooth should be cleaned as soon as it comes in. To clean your baby’s tooth gently a soft washcloth or gauze can be used. Just like with older children and adults this should be done after ever meal or bottle. Once multiple teeth arrive a small-bristled toothbrush can be used to clean their teeth. Pediatric dentists recommend that this toothbrush be ran under warm water before use.

When it comes to using toothpaste only a pea-sized amount should be used. It can be dangerous for your child if they swallow too much toothpaste. Once they get older and have the coordination to use a toothbrush on their own they should be prompted to brush their own teeth so they can establish a habit of it. Also, toothbrushes should be replaced every two to three months. By the time your baby is one-year-old they should see a family dentist or pediatric dentist in Irvington. By seeing a dentist you can acquire a professional cleaning plan and institute long-term dental hygiene.

The Importance of Child Dental Care

Many people think that their child’s dental care is not of high importance because they do not yet have their permanent adult teeth. The problem is that even though children and infants only have their baby teeth still, they are not unaffected by oral health problems.

Many babies develop teeth in their first month of life called neonatal teeth. Even if it is just one tooth it does require regular dental hygiene. By the time a baby is six months old they will at least have one baby tooth that has appeared, which requires cleaning. During the next six months, from 6 months to 24 months, a child will begin their teething stage. When this happens a child is usually irritable, biting on objects, drooling, and ear pulling. To ease their pain techniques such as massaging the gums can help, as well as giving them a chilled teething ring, or even getting a teething ointment recommendation from your general dentist.

As your child grows older different foods can affect the health of their teeth. Too many sugars from foods such as candy, juice, cookies, or cakes can result in tooth decay. Also starches found in potato chips and pretzels can lead to tooth decay. These types of foods plus the added difficultly of cleaning a child’s teeth add to the debris that remains in their mouth. This debris causes bacteria to grow resulting in tooth decay. Even though baby teeth eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth, healthy teeth are extremely important to a child’s complete health. Also, if the decay of a child’s baby teeth goes unchecked by their pediatric dentist is may start to infect the permanent as well.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Crown Lengthening Procedure

The procedure of crown lengthening is used to make a tooth appear longer by removing either gum tissue, bone, or both. Before the procedure even takes place you will need to have a consultation with your general dentist. This will allow your dentist to review medical history and x-rays, as well as set a date for surgery.

Do not let the word surgery scare you from this procedure either. Crown lengthening is a fairly common procedure that can be done with local anesthesia. Once a patient is numbed, a small incision will be made around the teeth that need crown lengthening. Next the extra gum tissue will be carefully pulled back from the tooth so that the supporting bone is exposed. This will allow access to the root of the teeth.

The gums position is then molded to form a better position on the tooth and perfectly shaped to make sure both sides are even and look the same. Once the gum has been peeled back and the dentist is sure enough of the tooth structure is revealed the area will be rinsed with sterile salt water and the flaps will be stitched back together.

After the crown lengthening procedure is performed teeth will look longer because the gums are now sitting at a lower level. Usually this procedure can be done in one visit, but will vary in time depending how many teeth need the surgery. To keep the swelling down after surgery ice can be applied to your face and in 7 to 10 day the sutures can be removed.

Benefits of Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening is a procedure that involves the removal of gum tissue, bone, or both to make a tooth appear longer. This procedure can be used for aesthetic needs but is also used for tooth restoration.

When a tooth needs to be restored, usually a filling or a crown is used. Sometimes there is not enough tooth structure above the gum line to create a solid foundation for a filling or a crown. This can happen when a tooth is fractured at the gum line. There is also a lack of support from the tooth if there is extensive decay, which reduces the remaining healthy tooth area. To be able to continue with the tooth restoration by using a filling or a crown a dentist must first expose more of the tooth by removing tissue or bone. A patient will benefit by this crown lengthening procedure because now more of the tooth is unveiled allowing to help as an anchor for the future restorative work.

Crown lengthening can also be used to make a smile more aesthetically pleasing. This procedure can be used to correct “gummy smile”. A smile can be referred to as a “gummy smile” when an unusually large amount of gum tissue shows around the upper part of the teeth making teeth look shorter. This type of smile can make some people embarrassed and be afraid to smile. By getting the crown lengthening procedure patients with a “gummy smile” can get their gum line repositioned which will not only improve their smile but also improves the contours of their face.

Whether you need crown lengthening in preparation for restorative work, or for esthetics reason the great advantage of this procedure is that it can be performed in one visit. After a simple anesthetic the excess gum tissue will be removed to expose more of the tooth.