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Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Implants
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are small titanium posts that replace the roots of missing teeth (View Example). They are inserted into your jawbone during a minor surgical procedure that takes place in the dental office. After the implant has been placed in your jawbone, a completely lifelike porcelain tooth crown is attached. In some cases, the implant needs to fuse with the bone for several months before it is permanently crowned; in other cases, you can have new (but temporary) teeth the same day your implants are placed.
How many teeth can be replaced with dental implants?
You...
Kathy Bates
The Academy Award-winning actress talks about safeguarding her smile, surviving cancer and living with lymphedema
When Kathy Bates won her first major screen acting award at age 42 — a best actress Oscar for her leading role in the Stephen King thriller Misery — she was fulfilling a prophecy of sorts.
"I was told early on that because of my physique and my look that I'd probably blossom more in my middle age, which has certainly been true," the veteran performer told Dear Doctor magazine during a recent interview. "I'm what's considered a character actor. In a way that's been...
Pediatric Dentistry
Your child won't keep his or her first teeth forever, but that doesn't mean those tiny pearly whites don't need conscientious care. Maintaining your child's dental health now will provide health benefits well into adulthood, as primary (baby) teeth serve some extremely important functions.
For one thing, primary teeth serve as guides for the eruption of permanent (adult) teeth, holding the space into which these new teeth will erupt. The crowns (tops) of the permanent teeth actually push against the roots of the baby teeth, causing them to resorb, or melt away. In this way, the adult teeth can take...
Covid-19 Dental-Related Complications
The pandemic has had a monumental impact on a variety of aspects of life, and dental health is not an exception. Unfortunately, many people have reported symptoms associated with COVID-19 that have impacted their oral health. There are a variety of reasons why this can happen, but the most common reasons are due to the avoidance of seeking routine dental care during lockdown, as well as side-effects from prolonged mask wearing and pandemic-related stress.
What is Mask Mouth?
When wearing a mask has a negative impact on oral health, this is called mask mouth. Mask mouth develops due to a...
Frequently Asked Questions about Orthodontics
What do orthodontists do?
Orthodontists are dental specialists who diagnose and treat problems with the position, alignment or spacing of the teeth, and related irregularities in the face and the jaw. A number of special treatments, including braces and other oral appliances, are used to correct these problems.
Why should I (or my loved ones) get orthodontic treatment?
There are two good reasons: aesthetics and function. Having an attractive smile not only changes the way people see you — it enhances your own self-image as well. Orthodontic treatment also allows your teeth to function better and makes it easier to...
Brushing and Flossing with Braces
You know how important it is to brush and floss properly when you're wearing braces — but what's the best way to do that? Let's start with the basic brushing tools: Either a soft-bristled brush or a bi-level brush (one that has shorter bristles in the middle and longer bristles at the edges) can be effective. Used carefully, an electric toothbrush can work just as well. But be sure the electric brush is set to a moderate power level, and don't let its vibrations cause the back of the brush to hit the braces!
You should brush with a fluoride...
Bone Grafting for Dental Implants
Replacement teeth supported by dental implants function so well and last so long because, like natural teeth, they are securely anchored in the jawbone for maximum support. In order to benefit from this remarkable technology, however, you need to have enough tooth-supporting bone in your jaw to hold a dental implant in place. Unfortunately, after tooth loss, the surrounding bone almost always deteriorates — decreasing in width, height and density — and this process starts immediately. The longer a tooth has been missing, the more the bone that used to surround it resorbs (melts away). If you want a dental...
Teeth Grinding and Clenching
Teeth grinding and clenching are common habits — but that doesn't mean they are harmless. Stresses from the powerful forces generated by grinding and clenching (also known as “bruxing”) can wear down teeth and even loosen them. When enamel is worn away by this repeated rubbing action, teeth may become sensitive to hot or cold. Dental work such as crowns and fillings may also be damaged. In addition, bruxism can lead to jaw pain and/or headaches.
Even if you have experienced some of these symptoms, you may not realize you are a bruxer — particularly if the behavior occurs at...
Loose Teeth and Bite Problems
When you are a child, your first loose tooth can be cause for celebration; when you are an adult, it definitely is not. Biting and chewing with a tooth that is not securely attached in its socket can be difficult or even painful — and any tooth that becomes loose is at risk of needing to be removed or, at worst, falling out. It's often possible to prevent that from happening, but quick action is required.
Causes
The most common reason for tooth looseness is periodontal disease — a bacterial infection of the gum and/or bone tissues that surround and...
Oral Cancer
Cancer is a scary word, but the more you know about it, the better able you will be to protect yourself and the ones you love. This is particularly true of oral cancer, which is very treatable if caught early. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of oral cancers are not caught until the late stages. You may think that if you are a non-smoker, particularly a young one, this topic is not of concern to you. If so, please think again.
While most oral cancer patients are smokers, the fastest-growing segment of newly diagnosed cases is young, non-smoking adults. The culprit is...
Ultrasonic Scalers
When it comes to cleaning your teeth, few dental instruments can match the power and speed of an ultrasonic scaler. Ultrasonic equipment was first used in dentistry back in the 1950s; today, ultrasonic scaling is a mature and time-tested technology. In experienced hands, these high-tech instruments can disrupt and flush away bacteria along with hard deposits that your toothbrush can't touch — and they can even help moderately stained teeth look brighter.
Chances are you may already be familiar with ultrasonic scalers — or at least, your teeth are. They are the tools of choice for many dentists and dental...
TMJ Disorders
If you experience ongoing pain in the area near your ear, your jaw or the muscles on the side of your face, possibly accompanied by a clicking or popping sound or restricted jaw movement, you may be suffering from TMD — an abbreviation for Temporomandibular disorders. Sometimes people incorrectly use the term TMJ to refer to these problems, when in fact TMJ is the abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint — or jaw joint — itself. So while you definitely have a TMJ (two of them in fact), you may or may not have TMD.
TMD, then, describes a group of...
Headaches and Migraines: The Dental Connection
People don't generally think of a dentist as the healthcare professional to see for recurring headaches or migraines; yet dentists can play a role in diagnosing and even treating your condition. That's because quite often, recurring pain that is felt in the area of the temples on the sides of the head is actually caused by unconscious habits of clenching and/or grinding the teeth. These habits, which often manifest during sleep, put tremendous pressure on the muscles that work your jaw joint, also called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
The fan-shaped temporalis muscles located over your temples on either side of...
Athletic Mouthguards
Today most adults recognize that leading a healthy, active lifestyle is a big plus. Moderate exercise has been shown to help lower blood pressure, keep cholesterol levels under control, and even reduce feelings of anxiety or depression. Kids who take part in athletic activities — whether they're playing on organized sports teams, bicycling, or just kicking a ball around — gain a host of well-documented health benefits. Yet inevitably, along with all the fun, the sense of achievement, and the character-building features of athletics, the possibility of injury exists. Therefore, it makes sense to learn about the risks involved, and...
Antibiotic Premedication for Dental Treatment
Antibiotics are widely prescribed to control bacterial infections. Sometimes they are given before a medical or dental procedure, to prevent a possible infection from occurring; this practice is called “antibiotic prophylaxis.” In the recent past, physicians and dentists advised that people with certain medical conditions — including a number of heart problems and several types of bone or joint replacements — should always take antibiotics before many routine dental procedures. Today, their advice may be different.
A growing body of evidence now indicates that far fewer patients need to take this preventive step than was previously thought. As a result,...
