3/29/2017 0 Comments Could I Have Gum Disease?The risk of developing gum disease increases with age. In fact, gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in older adults, and about eighty percent of adults will have some form of periodontal disease at some point during their lifetime. Could you have gum disease and not know it?
Signs of gum disease include: • Swollen or puffy gums • Red or purplish gums • Gums that bleed when you brush, floss, or eat certain foods • Tender or sensitive gums • Receding gums or gums that seem to be pulling away from teeth • Spaces developing between teeth • Chronic bad breath • A bad taste in your mouth • Loose teeth • Pus between your teeth and gums • A change in your bite or the way your teeth fit together Healthy gums should be firm and pink. If your gums have changed color, appear to be swollen, or bleed easily, you need to schedule a complete periodontal evaluation. Our team will examine your teeth and gums for signs of periodontal disease and determine the extent of the infection and the best course of treatment for your needs. The sooner you receive care, the more likely you are to halt the infection and reverse the damage of gum disease. Call our LA periodontist today to find out more or to schedule your appointment.
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3/28/2017 0 Comments Cost for Common Dental EmergenciesDisputes between dentists and Medicaid in recent years have created many holes in the dental safety net. This has forced many low-income dental patients to go to the emergency room for toothache and cracked or fractured teeth. This is remarkably inefficient, as most emergency rooms are not staffed by dentists. Also, emergency room costs are several times higher than preventive care at your dentist.
If you don’t have dental insurance, you could be leaving yourself open to a lot of needless debt. If you have a tooth knocked out in a bicycle accident, for instance, your emergency dental care could be handled separately and more affordably than the care for any other injuries you receive. Of course, most people do not foresee dental emergencies, or account for it in their emergency health care budget. It’s easy to keep dental insurance low on your priority list, especially if you have a history of oral hygiene and no drama. However, the cost for emergency root canal cost in LA can be in the thousands of dollars. Caught unaware, this could be a life-altering expense. Root canals are one of the most common dental emergencies, and by definition can come about without warning. Contact our dental group for all your emergency dental work in Los Angeles. 3/24/2017 0 Comments What are Dental Bridges Made Of?A missing tooth is a dangerous issue. A tooth may become knocked-out due to a physical accident, or need to be extracted by a professional due to a sizeable cavity or similar health issue. In either case, it will need to be replaced by a restorative dentist. One way is with a dental bridge.
A dental bridge has two main components. The first is a pontic, or artificial tooth. Several pontics can be constructed together in order to replace more than one missing tooth in a row. These can be made of gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of the three. If there is a healthy tooth still in place separating the gap of missing teeth, metal may be used to connect separated pontics. The artificial teeth are connected to the adjacent teeth on either side with dental crowns. A crown covers the whole visible area of the tooth, and is most commonly made of porcelain or composite resin. Patients and dentists both tend to prefer porcelain, as it resists stains and looks similar to natural dental enamel. Other types of tooth replacements include dental implants and dentures. Talk to our Torrance dentist to discover which would be right for you. Our teeth are very strong – one of the hardest parts of our body, actually. But unfortunately, we don’t always take the best care of them, and accidents do happen. When our teeth become damaged, they can be restored. Here are some common treatments done in restorative dentistry.
If a tooth develops a cavity, our West Hollywood cosmetic dentist will work to remove the decayed tissue. That now empty space can be replaced with dental filling, or the entire tooth can be capped with a dental crown. Fillings or crowns can be used in several situations. For example, a tooth that has been treated with a root canal must be covered with a crown in order to restore its functionality. Dental bonding is used for both cosmetic and restorative purposes. It can be used to create the appearance that crooked teeth are straight, and to smoothen out uneven surface areas. Bonding is also used to cover exposed tooth roots, and fill in chips and cracks. The placement of dental implants is also considered a restorative procedure. This is the best way to replace missing teeth, as a dental implant works to reverse the effects of tooth loss. To learn more about various restorative treatments, talk to our West Hollywood dentist today. Invisalign and braces accomplish the same mission through different channels. As a much newer product, Invisalign has a certain gleam of attraction. But braces have been a reliable orthodontic for decades, and are still preferred by many parents for their adolescent patients, as well as by the budget-conscious. (Invisalign costs more than braces.)
Responsible orthodontists will not recommend Invisalign for patients who need serious dental work. This includes younger adults who passed adolescence but still have problems with malocclusion, or bad bite. The effect of Invisalign, while flawless, is still a synthetic one. Braces do more to address structural issues, and are better for patients with worse teeth. Even for adults, braces are better if you simply can’t commit to the 22 hours of daily wear Invisalign requires. Being irremovable has its advantages. But if your concerns are strictly visual, Invisalign is superior. Even recent upgrades to braces—like customizable colors and bracketless braces—interfere more than the stylized discretion of Invisalign. The plastic aligners straighten your teeth while effectively hiding in plain sight. Ultimately, questions about Invisalign vs. braces can only be put to an expert. Contact your Los Angeles Invisalign doctor for more information. 3/17/2017 0 Comments Types of Dental RestorationsOur teeth are some of the strongest parts of our bodies, but even they can become damaged. This is often the case when physical damage occurs, or the teeth are not well taken care of. Damage can include cracks, breaks, cavities, and knocked-out teeth. Our Torrance cosmetic dentist offers several types of restorations to restore damaged teeth to full health. The following are a few common types of dental restorations.
Dental crowns Crowns are used on teeth that have been cracked to the point of inability to function on their own, as well as for teeth that have had cavities or a root canal treatment. Crowns are most often made of porcelain or ceramic resin, and cover the whole visible tooth surface. Dental fillings Fillings are a common alternative to dental crowns, and are often used when the damage covers a smaller area. They are the most common dental restoration used, and are typically made of composite resin. Dental Implants A missing tooth is a serious issue, as its effects are numerous and negative. Dental implants are the most common and beneficial option for tooth replacement, as they can take on the role of a tooth in every way. 3/15/2017 0 Comments Success Rate of Dental ImplantsDental implants are considered the most modern response to tooth failure, especially for teeth that fall outside endodontic help. But are dental implants safe? Root canal therapy is preferred by many dentists, but this process does not apply to teeth removed forcibly by accident, or lost due to illness or simple aging.
Implants can reasonably be said to have a lifespan of 20 years, due to a remarkable success rate of 95 to 98 percent for single implants. This means your jaw is highly unlikely to reject the implant after installation and osseointegration. Some patients with low bone density, or an insufficient jaw floor, may need bone grafts to facilitate their implants. Bone grafting means additional cost and time, obviously. But the augmentation could boost the life expectancy of your implant by 2 percentage points, studies show. By definition, single implants have a slightly higher guarantee than multiple implants. More implants simply mean more variables to account for. The chief component in dental implants, titanium, is not only one of the strongest materials on earth but fuses admirably well with human bone. This enables our Beverly Hills dental implant dentist to sink an anchor you can depend on, one that can carry your new tooth through up to 20 years of your life. If your teeth are relatively healthy but you still have doubts about your smile, consider Lumineers. Only a Los Angeles Lumineers expert can confirm your candidacy, but these ultra-thin porcelain laminates can improve teeth simply by camouflage. There are no invasive tactics, like drilling or anesthetic, and you only need to visit the dentist twice in most cases.
Issues that qualify you for Lumineers include: • Gapped or spaced teeth • Crooked or rotated bicuspids or incisors • Stained or discolored teeth If your cases are mild and your teeth are average or below average in size, you may make an ideal candidate. If you have teeth that are larger than average, Lumineers may not make visual sense. One of the attractions of Lumineers is their “no-prep” status, meaning your natural teeth do not have to be altered structurally to accommodate them. However, putting them over naturally large teeth could cause them to look bulky and unnatural. Once you agree to Lumineers treatment, your two sessions will consist of taking a mold and choosing the style of your laminates. The second session is the installation, after your laminates are created in the lab. For more about the process, consult our collected Lumineers reviews. In the past, dentists would treat patients as dental problems arose. Naturally, many problems would develop. Today, we practice preventive dentistry in order to avoid issues all together. This saves patients from the pain of serious oral health problems, as well as high costs and inconvenience. The following are some issues that can be avoided, and how.
Cavities are one of the most common health developments overall. Fortunately, these can be prevented easily, with daily care and regular visits to our West Hollywood dentist. Brushing and flossing attentively will eliminate the bacteria and food debris that cause cavities, and our dentist can get rid of harmful plaque. Enamel is the hard top layer of the teeth that protect them from many harmful things. Unfortunately, this layer can become worn if a patient suffers from bruxism, or uses their teeth to chew on hard, inedible objects. A fluoride treatment can help remineralize the teeth and rebuild the enamel. Your gum health should also be taken care of carefully. Like for preventing cavities, be sure to brush at least twice a day, and floss at least once a day to remove anything stuck between the teeth in order to avoid gum disease. Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin porcelain shells that are used to improve the cosmetic appearance of teeth. Once we establish your treatment goals, we design your new smile and are ready to make your porcelain dental veneers.
Teeth are made of several layers. The outer enamel layer is extremely strong and translucent. When light strikes it, it penetrates the enamel and reflects off the opaque dentin beneath. This effect is what gives teeth their naturally lustrous appearance. Porcelain mimics this characteristic, which is why we use it. Porcelain is fragile, but it becomes extraordinarily strong when bonded to teeth. We create thin layers of porcelain in the desired shape and fire them in a special oven. Each veneer is specially customized according to your desires, trimmed, shaped, and colored for the best possible look. When they are completely finished, they are glazed to achieve a flawless shine and stain-resistant finish. Our veneers dentist uses a dental bonding compound to secure them to your teeth. If you are unhappy with your smile and looking for a long-term, natural-looking solution, porcelain veneers might be the right choice for you. Call our office today to schedule your appointment with our veneer dentist. |
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