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Thursday, June 4, 2015

How dental implants can give you a better smile

If you have missing teeth, you dont just have to rely on crowns, conventional bridges and dentures.
Many people are now choosing dental implants as the best way to restore their smile and solve dental problems.
Implants are placed below the gums during a series of appointments. They fuse to the jawbone and provide a base for individual replacement teeth, bridges or a denture.
As they are fused to the bone, they offer greater stability. And, because they are integrated into your jaw, your replacement teeth will feel more natural.
This secure fit often also makes them more comfortable than other solutions.
In order to have implants, you need to have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant.
To find out whether you could be a candidate for dental implants, talk to your dentist about what they could do for you.
Andrew T. Chan DDS, Inc.
460 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Escondido, CA 92025
(760) 705-1087
www.drcsmilesolutions.com

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

How a bridge can bring back your smile even with missing teeth

If you’re missing one or more teeth, it probably affects your smile and you may also notice a difference in chewing and speaking.
But there are options available to help you restore your smile and limit other problems.
For example, a bridge – sometimes called a fixed partial denture – replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth.
Bridges help maintain the shape of your face, as well as reducing the stress in your bite by replacing missing teeth.
They literally bridge the gap where one or more teeth may have been previously.
The restoration can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and it is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support.
Bridges can be removable so that you can take them out and clean them or fixed and so can only be removed by a dentist.
An implant bridge attaches artificial teeth directly to the jaw or under the gum tissue.
Your dentist will recommend which approach is best for you.
Whatever type of bridge you choose, its success depends on its foundation. So it’s very important to keep your remaining teeth healthy and strong.
Andrew T. Chan DDS, Inc.
460 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Escondido, CA 92025
(760) 705-1087
www.drcsmilesolutions.com

Monday, April 20, 2015

Dental plaque – what it is and how to avoid it

You’ve probably heard people talking about plaque and maybe you’ve some idea of what it is.
But its useful to know a bit more about it so that you can do whats necessary to minimize the risks.
Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth and gums.
When you’ve eaten a meal or snack, the bacteria in plaque release acids that attack tooth enamel. When this happens regularly, the enamel can weaken. This eventually leads to tooth decay.
The food we eat often causes plaque bacteria to produce acids. So, if you eat a lot of snacks, your teeth may be suffering acid attacks all day.
If you don’t remove the plaque through effective daily brushing and cleaning between the teeth, it can eventually harden into calculus or tartar.
Another effect of plaque is that it also produces substances that irritate the gums, making them red and tender or causing them to bleed easily.
If you want to prevent tooth decay and gum disease, make sure you have a balanced diet and avoid having too many snacks between meals.
When you feel like a snack, go for foods such as raw vegetables, plain yogurt, cheese or a piece of fruit.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Treating facial pain and jaw problems

Chronic facial pain is a problem faced by millions of Americans.
Common symptoms can include pain in or around the ear, tenderness of the jaw, clicking or popping noises when opening the mouth or even head and neck aches.
If you are suffering from this type of pain, your dentist can help identify its source with a thorough exam and appropriate x-rays.
Sometimes, the problem is a sinus or toothache or it could be an early stage of periodontal disease.
But for some pain, the cause is not so easily diagnosed.
There are two joints and several jaw muscles which make it possible to open and close the mouth. They work together when you chew, speak, and swallow.
These structures include muscles and ligaments, as well as the jaw bone, the mandible (lower jaw) with two joints, the TMJs.
Any problem that prevents this complex system of muscles, ligaments, discs and bones from working together properly may result in a painful TMJ disorder.
There are several ways the TMJ disorders may be treated.
Diagnosis is an important step before treatment.
Part of your clinical examination includes checking the joints and muscles for tenderness, clicking, popping or difficulty moving.
Your dentist may take x-rays and may make a cast of your teeth to see how your bite fits together.
To help you deal with this pain, your dentist will recommend what type of treatment you need and may refer you to a specialist.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

What to do if your tooth cracks

While our teeth are normally very strong, they can crack for a number of reasons.
Reasons could include tooth decay, trauma/injury, grinding of the teeth or a stress fracture.
Sometimes, our jaw may be stronger than our teeth and the teeth can fracture when we bite heavily on food.
We can protect our teeth in some circumstances – for example it may be advisable to wear a mouthguard during sports.
Taking proper care of the teeth and regular visits to the dentist will help keep your teeth in good shape.
If a tooth cracks, it may become painful if the nerve is exposed and the area can become tender.
If this happens, rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. Then call your dentist immediately.
Treatment will depend on where the tooth has fractured, how close it is to the nerve and the overall condition of the tooth.
A cracked tooth may be repaired with silver alloy, gold, porcelain or plastic. Or it may require a crown or overlay or bonding, which applies porcelain or enamel to the fractured tooth.
If you contact your dentist quickly, they will be able to take the most approriate action to preserve the tooth as much as possible.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Making your teeth look better with veneers

Everybody wants the best smile possible and there’s no need to have it spoiled by gaps in your teeth or by teeth that are stained or badly shaped.
Whether the problem was caused by nature or by an injury, you may be able to have a veneer placed on top of your teeth to restore or improve your smile.
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted from tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth.
Your dentist will usually make a model of your teeth and the veneers will be made by a specialist dental technician.
A small amount of enamel has to be removed from your teeth to accommodate the shell so having veneers is usually an irreversible process.
In order to make the most of your veneer, your dentist may suggest that you avoid foods and drinks that could discolor them, such as coffee, tea or red wine.
It’s also possible that veneers might chip or fracture.
But, for many people, veneers are well worth it as they give them a completely new smile.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Root canal treatment

Root canal therapy is an important treatment that can save a tooth with a diseased nerve and which in the past would probably have needed to be removed.
Inside each tooth is the ‘pulp’ which runs like a thread down through the root and provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth. It is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue.
If the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies.
The most common cause of pulp death is a cracked tooth or a deep cavity. Both of these problems can let bacteria enter the pulp.
So, if you don’t remove it, your tooth gets infected and you could lose it.
After the dentist – or endodontist (a dentist who specializes in problems of the pulp) – removes the pulp, the root canal is cleaned and sealed off to protect it. Then your dentist places a crown over the tooth to help make it stronger.
Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple procedure involving one to three visits with little or no discomfort.
Your restored tooth could last a lifetime, if you continue to care for your teeth and gums and enjoy regular checkups.