How do you feel when you look in the mirror? Are your eyes automatically drawn to your teeth? Do you find yourself comparing their color to that of your yellow wood dressing table? More importantly, does your concern over the appearance of your teeth have you hiding your smile behind your lips and feeling terribly self-conscious in company? Smiling is a fundamental tool for human communication, so if your teeth are preventing you from doing it with confidence, it’s time to learn about what can be done to improve your situation. You don’t necessarily need to get new teeth! Here’s what a Rutherford dental implants surgeon has to say about getting back a confident smile! When Last Did You Get Your Teeth Professionally Cleaned? “The very best way to keep your teeth looking beautiful is to keep them healthy,” explains the surgeon. “Nothing can really rival the strength and appearance of healthy teeth, not even dental implants, which are often regarded as the best solution to missing teeth. So, if you are unhappy with the quality of your smile – if your teeth are looking a little yellow and unattractive, the best thing you can do is book an appointment with your dentist and oral hygienist.” “A thorough teeth cleaning can lift years off your smile by removing deposits of plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) that have accumulated on them. Since plaque - which is essentially legions of oral bacteria, dead cells and other debris - irritates the gums, the removal of it allows them to heal and become nice and pink again. Improving your own efforts at home prevents bacteria from destroying your teeth, thereby keeping them beautiful and pearly white. It’s the easiest way to avoid ever needing to get new teeth!” Teeth Whitening Treatments “If your teeth are essentially healthy, but still appear an unattractive yellow it’s most likely that they have become stained or discolored through repeated exposure to the tannins and dyes in the foods and beverages you consume. Coffee, tea, dark berries, sodas or anything with dark pigmentation can cause your teeth to become permanently stained,” explains the Rutherford dental implants surgeon. “If this is the case, then a teeth whitening treatment is the quickest, simplest and cheapest way to get your teeth dazzlingly white again. Most dentists sell professional teeth whitening kits, which you can take home with you and do yourself. These kits typically require that you wear a mouth tray containing a special bleaching gel for an hour or two per day, every day for one or two weeks (or as prescribed by your dentist).” The Important Thing To Remember Is An unattractive smile doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to get new teeth. Sometimes, a little cosmetic improvement can make the world of difference! Your first and most beneficial step is to book an appointment with your dentist and find out what they recommend. Stay Tuned for Part 2 Dental veneers and crowns can also be used to drastically improve the appearance of one’s smile, so stay tuned for the next installment of this two-part article series to find out how!
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This two-part article series explains why tooth extractions are sometimes necessary and what patients can expect from this straightforward surgical procedure. “It’s like having a tooth pulled” is a common idiom that is used to illustrate how painful and uncomfortable certain situations or experiences have been. For example: “Having tea with my stepmother was like having a tooth pulled.” What this idiom fails to elucidate is the fact that the modern procedures and techniques used to extract teeth nowadays are really no longer painful. In fact, dental extractions are in most cases one of the quickest, simplest and least painful of all the surgical procedures. And so, we spoke to a panel of NJ dental implants surgeons about teeth extractions. We wanted to find out why it’s sometimes necessary, what the procedure entails and just how bad (or not) we can expect to feel afterwards. Here’s what they had to say! First of all, what would a bunch of dental implants surgeons know about teeth extraction? “A whole lot! Many of the patients we treat come to us with teeth that are so deteriorated and decayed that it’s only a matter of time before they fall out on their own,” explains a New Jersey dental implant dentist. “We save patients a lot of time, pain and further exposure to infection by removing these teeth. Once we’ve done our best to eliminate any diseased tissue, we can then replace the extracted tooth or teeth with dental implants.” Oh, okay! Now tell us... under what circumstances would you recommend that a tooth be removed? How badly does it need to be damaged or decayed? “No quality dentist would remove a patient’s natural tooth without first being certain that there is nothing else that can be done to save it. You see, while dental implants (and the restorations they support) offer New Jersey residents a very sophisticated, functional and aesthetic solution to missing teeth, nothing on the market can rival your own biological technology. “Your natural teeth, if cared for properly, have the potential to last you a lifetime and nothing can really match their functionality, aesthetics and durability,” explain the NJ dental implants surgeons. This is why we do everything we can to rescue a damaged or decayed tooth before considering extraction and replacement with new implant-supported teeth. “Having said this, there are of course circumstances under which tooth extraction becomes unavoidable and this is typically when the insides of a tooth – the pulp chamber and root canals - become exposed via a crack, fissure, cavity or chip in the enamel… or as a result of decay and disease. Should endodontic therapy fail to restore and protect the tooth from further decay, we may recommend an extraction.” “Other reasons to remove teeth may be for orthodontic concerns: perhaps a patient has an overcrowded dental arch, or their wisdom teeth are emerging and there’s no space for them. Teeth extractions are done for preventative reasons… your dentist is trying to avoid problems that will be far more painful, expensive and complicated to fix further down the line,” explain the dental implants surgeons. “It may even prevent New Jersey residents from needing new teeth.” Stay Tuned for Part 2 Stay tuned for the second installment of this three-part article series on tooth extractions, why they’re sometimes necessary and what patients can expect from the experience. This three-part article series explains what gum disease is and the various signs and symptoms it comes hand-in-hand with. We also explore patients’ various treatment options. Periodontal disease – peri meaning “around” and dontal “the tooth” – is a pervasive oral disease that affects a staggering percentage of the American population. As much as 80% of New Jersey residents have some form or stage of this disease and it explains, in the majority of cases, just why the rate of tooth loss is so high in this country. Avoiding tooth loss and the need for dental implants, therefore, comes down to three important things: 1. Good oral hygiene and preventative care, 2. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of gum disease, 3. Seeking prompt treatment. In this three-part article series, the New Jersey dental implants professionals will be helping us with point # 2 by explaining how periodontal disease frequently presents and what can be done to halt the progression of this very destructive condition. What is Periodontal Disease? Periodontal or gum disease is an advanced bacterial infection of the gums and the supporting structures of the teeth. It is caused by a lack of proper at-home and professional oral hygiene and comes hand-in-hand with risk factors such as: 1. Tobacco-use 2. Certain diseases (diabetes), 3. Periods of hormonal fluctuations (menopause and pregnancy), 4. Excessive alcohol intake, 5. A diet high in sugar, 6. Certain chronic medications. Even your genetic heritage and gender can leave you at a greater risk of developing periodontal disease, especially without adequate preventative dental healthcare. While there are dental implant procedures designed to give patients who have lost most or all of their teeth (or who have been diagnosed with a “terminal” or “failing dentition”) new teeth in one day, prevention is always better and cheaper than cure. How Does Periodontal Disease Progress? Gum disease begins as a well-known condition called “gingivitis,” which is characterized by an inflammation of the gums. “Plaque, a sticky white substance consisting of bacteria, forms in the oral cavity throughout the day and this is essentially unavoidable,” say dental implant surgeons in New Jersey. “Without frequent and thorough brushing and flossing and without regular visits to the oral hygienist for a professional clean, plaque hardens to form tartar. Your gums don’t like this and they respond by becoming inflamed and swollen. At this stage, the disease is typically diagnosed as gingivitis.” “Over time, without professional intervention and good home oral hygiene efforts, gingivitis is allowed to progress. Oral bacteria produce acidic by-products that erode away at the dental enamel forming cavities, which allow for further decay. This acid also destroys the ligaments attaching the gums to the teeth, which enables bacteria to migrate into the natural pockets surrounding the teeth, essentially deepening them. Eventually, deep pockets of bacteria collect around the tooth roots and it is at this stage that a person will likely be diagnosed with gum disease. “It is also at this stage that the disease is unlikely to be halted without professional help. Tooth loss is a typical consequence of untreated gum disease and while we can give those who have been determined candidates new teeth in one day, we won’t proceed with dental implant treatment until health has been restored to the oral cavity,” explain dental implant professionals in New Jersey. Stay Tuned for Part 2 To find out more about the signs and symptoms of gum disease and the treatments for this condition, stay tuned for the second installment of this three-part article series. New Teeth Professionals in Rutherford NJ: Understanding Diabetes and Your Oral Health, PART 112/10/2013 This two-part article series provides an in-depth look at the relationship between diabetes and oral health and how Rutherford residents living with this condition can better protect their teeth and gums. There is a clear link between diabetes and the health of your teeth and gums. More specifically, people living with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing gum disease and vice versa. Fortunately, there are things Rutherford residents living with this condition can do to protect their smiles against the ravages of this disease and we shall be speaking to a dental implants professional in New Jersey about these measures in this two-part article series. First, however, let’s take a look at the oral health risks that come hand-in-hand with being a diabetic... Diabetes and Oral Health Risks If you are currently living with diabetes, you may find yourself at a greater risk of the following oral health issues: Dry mouth: A condition characterized by the slowed production of saliva. This is problematic because your saliva plays an integral role in protecting your teeth and gums from bacteria. Fungal infections: For example, thrush, which is terribly uncomfortable, both physically and in social situations. Cavities: Soft holes in the dental enamel of your teeth caused by the acidic wastes produced oral bacteria. If left unfilled, these holes can become enlarged by further erosion, eventually forming a pathway into the “nerve” of the tooth at which stage infection can set in. “Untreated cavities can necessitate new teeth,” says a Rutherford dental professional. Slowed healing: “People with diabetes sometimes tend to take a longer time to heal, which can lead to a problem after dental surgery,” explains a dental implants professional in New Jersey. “This can cause complications and a greater risk of post-operative infection. Dental implant patients with diabetes need to be watched a little more closely in the months following the placement of their new teeth.” In spite of these oral health problems, there are steps that Rutherford residents living with diabetes can take to minimize the risk of permanent damage to their smiles. The Link Between Diabetes and Gum Disease “One of the greatest problems with diabetes is that it renders patients more vulnerable to gum disease and less able to fight off the kind of bacterial infections that lead to it,” explains a new teeth Professionals in Rutherford NJ. “These patients might initially experience gingivitis, which is the beginning stage of gum disease with symptoms that might include swollen, inflamed and spongy gums that easily tear and bleed when brushed or flossed. If allowed to progress, however, the infection can migrate deep down into the soft tissue surrounding the tooth roots, allowing deep pockets of bacteria and bacterial wastes to accumulate.” “This infection doesn’t only cause tooth decay, it also destroys the ligaments and bone tissue that support the teeth, eventually leading to tooth loss. Many of the patients we treat suffer from gum disease and a significant number of these patients are also diabetic,” says the dental implants professional in New Jersey. So, how can gum disease be treated and what can Rutherford residents living with diabetes do to mitigate the impact of this terrible disease on the health of their teeth and gums? Stay Tuned for Part 2 to Find Out!New Teeth Specialists in Rutherford Challenge Six Common Myths about Dental Implants, PART 26/13/2013 This four-part series scrutinizes and dispels six of the common misconceptions people have about dental implants and dental implant procedures. In spite of the well-known fact that dental implants offer the most sophisticated and long-lasting replacement solution to missing teeth, countless Americans still opt for older, inferior technologies, such as removable dentures and conventional bridges. In our previous article post, New Teeth specialists in Rutherford dispelled the first of the myths and misconceptions that compel people to make the wrong teeth replacement choices: that dental implants are prohibitively expensive. In this article, the second installment of a four-part series we shall address another key misconception. Busting Myth # 2: It Hurts to Get Dental Implants With the availability of anesthesia, sedative medications and narcotic painkillers, pain simply isn’t a factor anymore - during the procedure or after it. If you suffer from anxiety, you can take a mild oral sedative on the morning of your surgery, which will calm your nerves and make you feel more relaxed. You will receive a local or general anesthesia (depending on the nature of your procedure) immediately prior to your surgery, which will prevent you from feeling any pain or discomfort. Afterwards, you will be sent home with prescription analgesic medication to help manage any post-operative discomfort, although this in itself is typically minimal. The use of computer imaging programs and sophisticated diagnostic medical equipment (such as 3-D Cone Beam CT scans) in the planning and execution of dental implant surgery has rendered such procedures far less invasive in nature. Instead using less accurate 2 dimensional x-rays to plan the correct sites and positioning of new teeth implants, Rutherford patients already have their surgery planned in great detail before they even walk through the door! This not only makes surgery safer and more predictable, it eliminates many risks and complications, as well as the need for incisions and sutures: the source of most post-operative discomfort. So, quite simply, dental implant surgery is not something you need to fear. New teeth specialists in Rutherford do everything in their power to help keep patients as comfortable and as anxiety and pain-free as possible throughout the course of their experience. Busting Myth # 3: Dental Implants will Eventually Need Replacing Not always! Dental implants have a typical lifespan of 20 to 30 years. If you really look after your teeth and avoid detrimental habits and lifestyle choices - such as smoking, an unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption and poor oral hygiene - there’s seldom any reason why you can’t keep your dental implants for life! Many of the patients who received dental implants 40 years ago still have their replacement teeth and they don’t exhibit any sign of slowing down! The bottom line is that dental implants don’t always eventually require replacement, although even if they do they still last decades longer than traditional teeth replacement technologies. If you look after your teeth and are in good health, you should be able to keep your implants for life! Stay Tuned for Part 3 To read up on more of the common myths and misconceptions surrounding dental implants and the procedures used to get new teeth implants in Rutherford, stay tuned for the third installment of this four-part article series. |