If you harbor a strong fear of your dentist, you are not alone. millions of Americans fail to receive the dental care they need because of sever dental anxiety. In fact, approximately 30% of all Americans are so afraid of the dentist that even serious oral pain will not get them to seek proper treatment.
Fortunately, you do not need to fear the dentist anymore. A new procedure called conscious sedation dentistry allows you to receive the treatment you need without experienceing the pain and discomfort that has made you afraid of your dentist for so many years. [More]
There are two major components in a good dental hygiene regimen. The parts performed at home every day, and the regularly scheduled preventative visits to a dentist’s office.
Tooth Care at Home
The most obvious portion of home dental care is brushing. Everybody knows to brush their teeth, but many people fail to perform this task properly. Brushing should occur after each meal or at least three times a day. Brushing at night before bed is especially important since germs can fester freely if given a chance. During brushing, the gums, the roof of the mouth, and the tongue should all be included to knock out all the places where bacteria grow. [More]
Poor dental hygiene today leads to greater monetary expense tomorrow. A lifetime of proper brushing and flossing will preserve teeth as long as they are needed, but let those habits slip and tooth decay occurs. Extensive decay leads to restorative dental procedures such as inlays, onlays, or crowns.
Inlays are a restorative treatment used to treat damaged areas of the tooth inside the cusp of the tooth. Stronger than silver fillings, the inlay is bonded directly to the tooth to strengthen it and provide a more aesthetic appearance. Onlays are basically the same as inlays, except some portion of the onlay is fitted over the cusp of the tooth and is more exposed when biting. Inlays and onlays are considered to be more conservative options than their cousin the crown is.
Crowns or caps replace a significant amount of tooth material due to decay or breakage. In order to apply a cap, much of the original tooth is removed. The cap is created to fit the bite of the alternate tooth and is cemented into place. All three restoratives can be made of gold, dental porcelain, or composite resin depending on the patients needs.
In most offices, two visits are required for inlays, onlays, and crowns. The dentist prepares the tooth and makes impressions for the restorative during the first visit. A temporary is placed and the impressions are sent to a dental lab to be custom made. In a few weeks, during the follow up visit, the inlay, onlay, or crown is cemented permanently in place. In some offices, the processing time is reduced because the fabrication is performed during a single visit.
If you have neglected preventative dental care and need same day restorations in the Shawnee area, contact Dr. Castaneda, who specializes in sedation dentistry; go online to schedule an appointment today.
When looking for a qualified cosmetic dentist, a good place to start is with your general dentist whom you visit regularly. Many of the procedures performed by a cosmetic dentist may be outside of the scope of your current dentist’s practice, and he or she may have somebody they recommend. It is important to get all regular dental work taken care of prior to visiting a cosmetic dentist. Most cosmetic treatment should be performed on a relatively healthy mouth.
Another good resource is to check with family members and friends who have undergone cosmetic dentistry treatments. Each practitioner is different and has a different chair side manner. Ask people you trust whom they would refer. When you visit the cosmetic dentist, he or she should be willing to show you some before and after photos of similar cases. If you like the results, that can go a long way in deciding which dentist to choose.
Finally, you should look for a dentist who is an accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Members of this group must maintain a level of training and competency in order to retain their accreditation.
If you are seeking a cosmetic dentist, specializing in sedation dentistry and same day restorations, in the Shawnee area, contact Dr. Castaneda today and schedule an appointment.
Now that the panic created in the ’90s over mercury levels in amalgam fillings has calmed somewhat, a more rational evaluation of the perceived problems can be adopted. It is concluded that the amounts of mercury vapor releases from dental amalgam is in such small quantities as to be harmless, even in a mouth full of dental work. That said many people might still desire to have all such work revised with the latest filling alternatives containing no trace of mercury.
In most cases, removing all existing amalgam fillings and replacing them with a composite alternative is not worth the associated risks. The only medical benefit is in the patient’s own perception of safety. Meanwhile, real risks of infection and problems with local anesthesia outweigh any actual benefits from removing amalgam filling that contain trace amounts of mercury.
However, poorly created fillings, or fillings mixed with too much mercury may justify replacement. It is best to consult with a trusted peridontist, cosmetic dentist, or oral surgeon to find out if current amalgam fillings are defective in any way. If removal and replacement is recommended, or desired by the patient for aesthetic reasons, the procedures can still be effectively completed. The benefits of sedation dentistry make the prospect of replacing all old fillings with new ones, if not exactly a pleasure, at least more palatable than when the original work was performed.
To find out more about amalgam filling replacement using composite fillings in the Shawnee area, contact Dr. Castaneda today.
When a tooth goes missing, it puts the teeth around it in danger. A gap in the tooth structure makes the teeth around it unstable and may alter the bite (occlusion), cause shifting of other teeth, or even induce TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder). In many cases, a dental bridge replaces the missing tooth. A cap or crown is placed on the two teeth surrounding the gap, anchoring a porcelain tooth in between called a pontic. There are three basic types of bridge options. [More]
