Dental Scaling and Root Planing for Healthy Gums

If you have been putting off a visit to the dentist because you just haven’t had time to get your teeth cleaned, you could be asking for problems. Neglecting twice-yearly dental appointments could be much more serious than a couple of fillings could.

Your teeth and gums are the gateway to the rest of your body. Recent studies have indicated that gum disease could increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Web MD explains that the best way to keep your mouth healthy is to brush twice and floss once each day. If you are unsure about your brushing and flossing techniques, call and schedule an appointment with your dentist who can show you the right way to clean your teeth. Other habits to include in your oral hygiene protocol include eating a healthy diet, plenty of fluoride and regular checkups with your dentist.

If your gums are swollen, red, bleeding after you eat, brush, or floss, you may be suffering from gingivitis or periodontal disease. The more advanced periodontal disease can cause serious problems, and if left untreated, could cause tooth and even bone loss.

Periodontal disease can be treated if caught early enough, and if your dentist has diagnosed you with gum disease, he or she may recommend dental scaling and root planing to help your gums heal.

Dental scaling and root planing is the conventional treatment for periodontal disease. This non-surgical periodontal procedure also referred to as a deep cleaning removes and eliminates the tartar and dental plaque that causes gingivitis and periodontal disease.

If your dentist has recommended dental scaling and root planing, you have a very good chance of nipping your gum disease in the bud as dental scaling and root planing help your gums heal.

For more information regarding gum disease or dental scaling and root planing, call and schedule an appointment with your dentist today. You may think your gums are healthy, but only your dentist knows for sure. Call and schedule a dental checkup with your dentist today.

Little Known Tongue Facts

According to your dentist, your tongue, if it is average, is about four inches long. Your tongue is divided up into two parts, the posterior, and the anterior. The posterior is located near the back of your throat measuring a third while the anterior is the visible part of your tongue and is two thirds of the total length.

Your tongue helps clean your mouth and assists with digestion by transferring the food when you chew before swallowing. Your tongue is attached to the bottom of your mouth and is called the frenulum. The tip of your tongue, or the apex, is not directly attached to the floor of your mouth so that your tongue can reach the upper part of your mouth for talking and cleaning.

3,000 to 10,000 individual taste buds playing an essential role in how you taste food and drink help your sense of taste along. Your taste buds are full of taste receptors that actually tell you the different flavors in the food that you eat.

According to your dentist, there are five different taste categories. Savory, salty, bitter, sour, and sweet. Saliva is used to wet your food before the receptors recognize the flavor.

If you do not brush your tongue regularly, you will have bad breath, as that taste will not always go away, especially when you are sleeping. The American Dental Association explains that over 60 million people in the U.S. suffer from halitosis, or chronic bad breath. Bad breath can develop from food and bacteria that collects on your tongue. To avoid the accumulation, your dentist recommends that you brush your tongue with a tongue cleaner or a soft bristled toothbrush.

Tongues have eight muscles with four that are not attached to any of your bones. This allows your tongue to change shape. The muscles that are attached to your bones allow your tongue to change its position. When your tongue muscles work together they allow it to facilitate speech and move in different directions.

Your tongue is extremely agile giving you the flexibility to speak, and when it works in conjunction with your teeth and lips, can produce over 90 words in 60 seconds.

Brushing your tongue and teeth, flossing, a good healthy diet and regular checkups with your dentist can help prevent chronic bad breath. Call and schedule an appointment with your dentist today.

Types of Dental Fillings

If you have a cavity and need a filling, you should probably be armed with as much information as possible, especially considering there are several types of filling materials that your dentist may recommend.

Your teeth can be filled with ceramic porcelain, gold, silver amalgam, tooth colored plastic, composite resin or glass ionomer. The location of the cavity, how much decay there is the cost of the materials and your insurance will determine what type of filling material is best for your needs.

Gold Cast Fillings can last up to 15 years, are quite strong, and will not corrode. Gold fillings can withstand chewing and are more aesthetically pleasing than silver amalgam. However, gold cast fillings can cost about ten times more than a silver amalgam filling and require two or more dental visits. You may also experience a galvanic shock, which is rare, but does happen. A galvanic shock occurs when two metals, such as silver and gold are placed next to each other.

Silver Amalgam Fillings are as durable as gold cast and will usually outlast tooth colored composite fillings. Silver feelings can hold up well under chewing forces and are less expensive than composite fillings. Silver fillings do not match the rest of your tooth and require more removal of the natural tooth structure. Amalgam fillings can also create a gray color surrounding the rest of the tooth. Cracks and fissures may also occur because there is wider degree of contraction and expansion.

Tooth Colored Composites can be matched to the color of your teeth and bond directly to the structure of your tooth. Composite fillings are chemically bonded to your tooth providing additional support. Composite fillings can also be used to repair worn, broken, or chipped teeth. Composite fillings also require less tooth structure removal. The ADA explains that Composite fillings will not last as long as gold or silver fillings and require additional time in the dental chair. If composites are being used for bonding, you may require another dental visit. Composites may also chip and are more expensive than silver amalgam fillings.

Ceramics are made from porcelain and resist staining better than composite fillings. Ceramic porcelain fillings are more abrasive and can last about 15 years, but are more expensive than composite, silver, or gold fillings.

Glass ionomer fillings are made from acrylic and glass and are normally used for dental fillings that are below your gum line. They also work for children as they release fluoride that can help protect teeth from additional decay. Glass ionomer fillings are weaker than resin and more prone to cracks and fractures. They will last about five years and cost about the same as composite resin.

For more information regarding dental fillings, schedule an appointment with your dentist today. 

Bad Breath Can Be Prevented

If your breath is sending others running in the opposite direction, it is time to schedule an appointment with your dentist who can get to the root of your chronic halitosis.

According to Web MD, there are several reasons that people are afraid to talk to you face to face. It could have something to do with a medication you are currently taking or it may be your diet, however, your dentist will tell you that the number one reason people have bad breath is poor oral hygiene habits.

Good oral health habits include brushing twice and flossing once each day. A healthy diet loaded with fruits and vegetables and regular checkups with your dentist should be included in your oral health regime.

The majority of bad breath will start in your mouth and occurs because of bacteria. Food is probably the number one cause if you do not have dental problems. When certain types of foods break down, the leftover food particles can increase the bacteria causing halitosis. Garlic and onions are the biggest culprits as once digested they will stay in your system for 72 hours travelling through your bloodstream and into your lungs.

If you smoke, you may want to quit as smoking and other types of tobacco use will cause bad breathe. Smokers are also more susceptible to gum disease, which is another cause of halitosis.

As mentioned above, poor dental hygiene is the leading cause of bad breath. People who do not brush or floss will develop a sticky plaque or film of bacteria on their teeth. If it is not brushed away, that plaque will irritate your gum line eventually causing gingivitis. If left to its own devices gingivitis will form pockets that are filled with puss in-between your teeth and gums causing periodontitis. The more dangerous form of gum disease, periodontal disease, could have been prevented had you practiced good oral hygiene. Make sure that you also brush your tongue as the uneven surface can trap odor-causing bacteria. If you wear dentures, clean them regularly and make sure that you see your dentist regularly as ill-fitting dentures can also cause chronic bad breath.

Chronic dry mouth, mouth infections, and medications can inadvertently cause halitosis as well. If you have recently had oral surgery, you may also experience bad breath.

In most cases bad breath can be prevented, but only if you practice good oral hygiene and see your dentist regularly.

If chronic bad breath is becoming a problem for you or someone you know, schedule an appointment with your dentist today. Call or click now.

A Painless Alternative to Porcelain Veneers

If you have been considering porcelain veneers, but have been a bit reluctant because traditional porcelain veneers require some removal of your tooth’s enamel, talk to your dentist about Lumineers. Traditional porcelain veneers are permanent and cannot be removed. However, Lumineers are completely reversible.

Lumineers are thin pieces of porcelain that your dentist places on top of your teeth for a naturally beautiful smile. Lumineers are as thin as a contact lens and require no shaving or grinding of the natural tooth. In fact, Lumineers are so thin that your dentist can place them over your bridges and crowns without having to replace your old restorations.

When you schedule an appointment with your dentist for Lumineers, a thorough examination will be conducted to find out if you are a good fit. If you are free from gum disease and tooth decay, and your teeth are sound enough for Lumineers, your dentist will take x-rays and pictures before making an impression of both your lower and upper teeth. Once the impression has been made, your dentist will send it off to the Lumineers lab along with your dental records, photos, and x-rays to ensure the best possible fit. Unlike traditional porcelain veneers, there will be no shots, extensive drilling, or unsightly and uncomfortable temporary acrylic veneers.  

When your new Lumineers are ready, your dentist will make sure that each Lumineers fits perfectly before etching and bonding into place. Once placed, your dentist will make sure that your bite is balanced to avoid chipping.

Because traditional porcelain veneers are much thicker, your dentist must take a more aggressive approach when it comes to application. That aggressive approach means more removal of the natural structure of your tooth, which will require anesthetic and shots to minimize the pain and sensitivity. Because Lumineers are so thin, you will not have to deal with such aggressive steps for a beautiful new smile.

Gentle Touch Family Dentistry is a certified Lumineers provider who can give you the smile you have been dreaming about in as little as two appointments.

Call your Farmington Hills Dentist and schedule a no obligation Lumineers consultation today. A beautiful smile really is just a couple of dental appointments away. Call or click now. 

Raisins May Help your Teeth and Gums

Everyone knows that dried fruit can cause problems for your teeth; in fact, it wasn’t long ago that dentists, along with the rest of the public, believed that raisins promoted tooth decay. However, recent studies have indicated that raisins may actually be good for your pearly whites while helping to fight tooth decay.

The research that was conducted at the University of Illinois in Chicago discovered that there were certain chemicals in raisins that helped suppress oral bacteria growth associated with tooth decay and gum disease. You heard that right, according to researchers, raisins could even help prevent gum disease.

Sticky and sweet foods, such as apricots, figs, mangos, pineapples and other dried fruit are known to lead to dental caries and tooth decay as the bacteria that lives in our mouth thrives on any food that is left on your teeth. Sticky and sweet foods actually produce acid eating away the enamel on your teeth. Over time, that acid will eventually destroy the enamel causing tooth decay.

Raisins are sweet and sticky, but because they mainly contain glucose and fructose types of sugar, not sucrose, which your dentist will tell you are one of the main culprits of oral diseases caused by sugar, they are not as bad.

The studies have dispelled the myth that all sticky and sweet foods are bad for your teeth, in fact, some researchers believe that raisins may actually act like a teeth cleaner just like bananas and apples do. The same study determined that raisins are able to protect your teeth because they reduce acidic exposure.

Although raisins are better for your teeth than other types of dried fruit it is important to remember that any food particles that remain on your teeth will eventually cause tooth decay.

Your dentist recommends that you brush twice a day using fluoridated toothpaste and that you floss once a day as well. Other good oral health habits include a mouthwash recommended by the American Dental Association, and a good healthy diet that is loaded with fruits and vegetables. Regular checkups with your dentist along with twice-yearly professional cleanings should also be part of your oral health routine.   

If you would like more information regarding foods that are good for your teeth and good oral health habits, schedule an appointment with your dentist today.

Root Canals are not as bad as you may think

Dentistry has certainly changed, but those two little words, “Root Canal,” can still send a grown man, or woman, running for the hills, but in reality, a root canal is no more painful than a simple filling.

According to the American Dental Association, a root canal is necessary if you have a diseased tooth. Pulp is what is inside of your tooth and contains blood vessels, nerves, and tissues that can become infected and even die.

Your dentist will recommend a root canal in order to save your tooth. The pulp inside your tooth can become damaged because of large fillings, chips or cracks in the tooth, a trauma to your face, deep decay or multiple dental procedures in the same tooth.  

When the nerve tissue or pulp inside your tooth becomes damaged, it will break down allowing dangerous bacteria to multiply inside of your tooth. Decayed debris along with bacteria will eventually cause a dangerous infection that could lead to an abscess. An abscess is a pocket that is filled with pus that forms at the bottom of your tooth. If you have an abscessed tooth, it is imperative that you call your dentist as quickly as possible as the infection can spread throughout your body and even to your brain. In addition to the infection and a possible abscess, a root canal can also cause swelling in your head, neck, or face and bone loss.

If your dentist determines that a root canal is necessary, x-rays will be taken to see if there is any infection around the bone before numbing the area with a local anesthetic. Although the nerve is dead, and won’t cause you any pain, most dentists will administer it anyway to make you feel more at ease.

To keep the area dry during the root canal, your dentist will place a sheet of rubber, called a rubber dam, around your tooth before drilling a hole into your tooth so that the decayed pulp tissue, including the nerves and debris can be removed.

Once removed your dentist will clean out the area with root canal files working down the entire length of your tooth to scrub and scrape the sides of your root canals. Water will be used from time to time during the root canal procedure to flush out the bacteria and debris.

After the tooth has been cleaned your dentist will seal it if the remaining infected tissue has healed. If a temporary filling is necessary, you may also be given antibiotics to help clear the infection.

Depending on how much decay or damage has been done to your tooth, your dentist may also decide to place a crown to protect your tooth against further damage.

If you believe you have an abscess or have been dealing with a toothache for far too long, schedule an appointment with your dentist today.