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Dental bonding is a type of material that can be used to repair small cracks in teeth, fill any odd spaces between teeth, or even hide discoloration. There are a number of reasons why dental bonding is a good choice for these small cosmetic issues.

It’s much more affordable than other options, it has virtually no recovery time, and you can have one tooth fixed with dental bonding in about an hour. While there’s nothing particular you have to do to care for your dental bonding, there are some things you need to avoid doing so you don’t damage it.

Be Careful What You Chew On

Dental bonding is strong, but it’s not as strong as your natural teeth or as the material used to make replacement teeth. Because of that, you shouldn’t chew on ice or on things such as pencils. You also need to avoid biting your nails or using your teeth to open things (something you shouldn’t do, anyway).

Put Away the Cigarettes
Smoking will not only stain more of your natural teeth, but it can also stain your dental bonding. Give up your cigarettes – it’s a healthy choice for many reasons.

Cut Back on Coffee and Other Drinks that Stain Teeth

There are a number of drinks that can stain your dental bonding, including coffee, dark teas, and soda. Red wine is another beverage that may cause your teeth to lose their pearly white sheen.

Brush and Floss Regularly

Of course, just as you should do for your natural teeth, you will want to brush and floss naturally. Don’t be afraid to brush your dental bonding, although don’t brush too hard.

Have questions about dental bonding or want to know if it’s right for your needs? Call us today to schedule a consultation.

When you wear dentures, you are going to have to use an adhesive now and again, if not daily. It all depends on the type of dentures you have, and how well they stay suctioned into your mouth.

If you have only ever used suction to keep your dentures in your mouth, then you may never have used denture adhesives before. There are times where one type may be a bit more appropriate than another. Here are the most common types of denture adhesive, and when you should use them.

Denture Creams

Creams are the most popular type of denture adhesive. They are easy to dispense and clean off at the end of the day. Their seal keeps out most food particles, and they are strong enough to hold for 12 hours per day. Creams tend to seal very well and leave you feeling confident that your dentures are not going to slip around when you use it.

Denture Powders

Denture powders are very similar to creams, but they are a different texture. Some people find the powders to be a little gritty. They are also slightly more difficult to figure out the right amount without oozing than creams, but they also hold for approximately 12 hours each day.

Denture Strips

For those with sore gums, or who need a quick way to hold their dentures for a regular day, adhesive strips may be the best option. They offer cushioning and help protect your gums from rubbing. However, food often gets caught around them, which can make them uncomfortable and harder to clean at the end of the day.

If you are not sure which is best for you, then come in and see us. We can look at your dentures and their fit, and suggest what we think would be your best option.

Are you new to having dentures? Caring for them is a different process than caring for your original teeth. You need to make sure you are careful when you clean them, and they need to soak each night.

If you do not care for them the right way, you will be needing a new set of dentures before they actually wear out. Here are a few tips to make caring for them the right way, just a little bit easier.

How to Best Care for Your Dentures

One similarity between your dentures and your original teeth is that they need to be brushed to get them clean. However, you do not brush them while they are in your mouth. You need to hold them when brushing, which is a bit easier than brushing your regular teeth. Make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies to get them super clean. This should be done twice daily.

Another thing to do to care for your dentures is to make sure you always handle them with a towel under them. Dentures are fragile, especially if dropped. They can easily break, so putting a cushion below them can save you from a lot of problems. Whenever you must handle your dentures, use a towel under them, or at the very least, a sink full of water.

Finally, make sure you do not forget to soak them each night. Not only does your mouth need the break, but the dentures do, too. They need to soak to get rid of the bacteria and to keep them clean. Plus, your gums need a break so that they can heal. Don’t forget this simple step and fall asleep with them in.

It won’t do you, or your dentures, any good. If you want more tips, call our office. We know dentures and how to ensure they give you the best results possible for a long time.

Dental bonding is a great way to improve the aesthetics of your smile. Generally done in a single visit to our office, it can repair small chips, cracks, stains and even the shape or size of your teeth.

Many patients ask us if this procedure makes their teeth look fake, or stand out from their other teeth, and the answer is ‘Well, that depends.’ Let us take a look and see what the differences are between veneers and dental bonding and when each are recommended.

Dental Bonding Vs. Veneers

Veneers are different, yet similar to dental bonding. With veneers, they can be used to improve the appearance of an entire smile, all of the teeth are prepared and a ‘shell’ is bonded to the front surface of the tooth. With dental bonding, we like to use it for smaller aesthetic adjustments or repairs. We use a tooth colored resin that we bond to the surface of your tooth. Custom made to exactly match your natural teeth in color and size, the resin actually becomes part of your tooth and looks completely natural.

Just like veneers, and your natural teeth, dental bonded teeth can become discolored over time if special care is not taken. Avoiding staining them by reducing (or eliminating) such things as coffee, tea, tobacco products, alcohol and soft drinks. Consuming these can stain your bonded teeth at a different rate from your natural teeth, and this can cause your teeth to appear unnaturally colored.

Both solutions are common for treating cosmetic imperfections that you may have with your teeth, and depending on the level of imperfection and the degree of repair that you’re requesting dental bonding is a great choice.

Call us today and schedule your consultation where our staff can evaluate your needs and discuss your options with you. We look forward to hearing from you!

It will take some time and patience for you to adapt to the new dentures. However, there are millions of people around the world who have successfully done so, and you can too. Knowing what to expect will help you along the way though.

The First Day
You’ll want to eat foods that are soft on your gums (e.g. mashed potatoes, pudding, ice cream). People who are wearing dentures for the first time will tell you this makes it easier to make the adjustment to wearing dentures.

The First two Weeks
As your mouth continues to adjust to the new dentures, you’ll find yourself salivating more. You may also feel some sore spots – something rinsing with warm salt water will help with. Give yourself some time to adjust to your new dentures, especially if you just had some teeth extracted. You may also need your dentist to make some adjustments.

The Second two Weeks
You must learn how to talk and eat all over again. However, you should be salivating less and have fewer sore spots. Now is a good time to try using a denture adhesive to make your dentures feel better and help you feel more self-confident while wearing your new dentures.

After the First Month
Once you’ve worn your dentures for about a month you should feel confident resuming your normal activities. Of course, you should visit with us on a regular basis for routine checkups. You’ll also need new dentures every 5 – 10 years.

Additional Tips
Any time you feel any discomfort you should talk to us. We will check the fit of your dentures. Most people feel much better once they are fitted with new dentures that work properly for them. So, if you’re interested in discussing how you think dentures could benefit you, reach out to our office today. We’d love to schedule an appointment, so we can have this discussion soon.

Replacing missing teeth with dentures is a great way to not only brighten your smile, but improve your oral health! Our dentists will help you prepare your mouth for dentures, but you should be aware that after you receive your dentures, it may take some time to get used to wearing them.

Today we’re going to go over a few tips to help you adjust and get your dentures feeling as normal as possible.

Adjusting Takes Time
Your custom made dentures may take a little time to get used to. They will never feel exactly like your natural teeth, however, with a little time and care, they’ll feel natural soon. When you first begin wearing your dentures, they may feel loose or awkward in your mouth.

This is part of the adjustment process while the muscles of your cheeks and tongue are learning how to keep the dentures in place. You may also develop soreness and experience minor irritation and increased saliva flow. As your mouth begins to become accustomed to your new dentures, these problems should lessen.

You may also notice that learning to eat with your dentures may feel different and take a little practice. Starting with soft foods is recommended, and as you become used to chewing, you can begin to add new, normal foods to your diet.

Another thing that many people are surprised by is that your speech may be affected by your dentures. When you’re at home alone, try singing along to your favorite songs to help train your mouth to form words around your new dentures. Remember that this is a learning experience and with a little help and practice, you’ll be back to feeling normal soon!

If you do notice anything unusual, or are experiencing pain or sores, please call our office right away.

If you have a tooth that has been damaged due to trauma or decay, you may have decided on a crown. Getting a crown will help restore your tooth to its normal function.

However, in the meantime, you may need to have a temporary crown installed. Here are some reasons to get a temporary crown—even if you have already made plans for a permanent one.

A Temporary Crown Will Protect Your Tooth

To fashion a crown, we will take an impression of your teeth to help us get the size and shape of the crown. However, before the crown can actually be installed, we will have to remove a portion of your original tooth. This means some of the hard outer layer (called the “enamel”) will be removed, leaving the softer layer (called the “dentin”) exposed.

Exposed dentin can be sensitive to heat and cold, and is of course much more susceptible to damage from wear and tear. For this reason, we will prepare a temporary crown to fit over your tooth and protect it while we are fabricating the actual permanent crown.

In addition to protecting your tooth from discomfort, the temporary crown serves another very important purpose. It will keep your prepared tooth from shifting around in the gum tissue. If your tooth shifts while your permanent crown is being prepared, it can make it challenging (or even impossible) to put the crown on once it is ready. This can be prevented by putting a temporary crown on your prepared tooth.

Questions About Your Crown?

As always, we want you to know we are here to help you through every step of the process. We take your oral health very seriously, and we want you to be informed about what we are doing and why we are doing it. So please, if you have any questions, call us!

Making the switch from your natural teeth to dentures is not always easy. If you have a need for dentures, that means you have probably had problems with your natural teeth in the past.

You have already changed the way you do things because of those issues. Now that you have dentures, you have to learn a new way to do things. Knowing what to expect can help you manage life with dentures.

They are New
It is important to realize that putting dentures in for the first time is a new experience. They will feel strange. You will rub your tongue over them often as you get used to how they feel. It is also a good idea to realize that the dentures are not always perfect. It is very common to adjust new dentures to get the right fit.

Because the dentures are new, it takes time to get used to how they work. You will adjust the way that you chew food and the way that you talk. You will adjust your daily oral hygiene routine to include the care of the dentures. The dentures are not the same as your natural teeth. It takes time to adjust the way you think and do things to the new dentures.

Issues Surrounding New Dentures

There are several issues that can occur as you get used to the new dentures. Gum soreness is one of those issues. The dentures will rub against the gums and can cause discomfort from the =pressure. It is possible to relieve this by removing the dentures for a period of time throughout the day. Over time, your gums will adjust to the dentures.

You may also have to adjust your diet. There are some foods that you cannot eat at first and there are some foods to always avoid when you have dentures. It is also a good thing to know that dentures do not last forever. You will have to replace them if they do not fit anymore, if they suffer damage or if they do not fit properly.

Contact our office today to learn more about dentures and other oral health issues.

Oral health is about more than just your teeth. It is also about your gums. The gums have a big impact or your oral health and can cause many problems when they are not taken care of.

For people who need dentures, the gums play a big role in how well the dentures fit and work. That is why people need to turn to gum tissue conditioning when they get dentures.

The Basics of Gum Conditioning

Dentures can cause problems for the gums. When a person gets their first set of dentures, they may find them uncomfortable. The dentures can cause abrasions on the gums and can cause swelling and soreness. For people who have had dentures for a longer period of time, the gums can also become damaged when the dentures do not fit properly.

Gum tissue condition is a procedure that helps the gums heal to make the dentures more comfortable and allow them to work better. It produces a softer tissue that helps reduce the amount of pressure the gums feel from the dentures. This allows the gums to rest and more blood to flow to the gums. That promotes faster healing.

How It Is Done
There are two basic options for gum tissue conditioning. If the dentures are in good shape, a soft lining is placed inside the dentures. This cushions the gums from the dentures as they heal. This is not effective when the dentures do not fit properly or are damaged.

If the dentures are a problem, it is possible to make a temporary set of dentures that are softer and more flexible. This helps reduce the pressure on the gums and allows the gums to heal. They are not a permanent solution. They are not as strong as a regular set of dentures and limit what a person can do or eat when in place.

Gum tissue condition is important to the health of your gums. If you want your dentures to work properly, it is something that can help.

Contact our dental office to find out more about this and any other dental issue you want to know about.

Wearing dentures can present a variety of different issues to deal with. People that suffer from Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ) face their own set of challenges. When someone has to deal with both wearing dentures and TMJ, they could find out things they did not expect. They need to know how these two things affect each other.

The Possible Problems

Dentures can cause a variety of problems for the people who wear them. They can cause gum irritation and they can make it painful to chew at times. It is easy to blame the problems on the dentures. The problem is that some of the symptoms that people blame on their dentures are the same that people talk about if they suffer from TMJ. It is possible that people can miss a diagnosis of TMJ because they blame the dentures. This can create more problems if the TMJ gets worse.

TMJ is often a result of a bad bite. People that wear full or partial dentures may alter their bite because of the dentures. They may make changes in their way their dentures and jaw muscles work that can lead to struggles with TMJ. When you combine the problem of thinking the symptoms of TMJ are a result of the dentures and that the dentures can lead to TMJ, it is something people need to know about.

How Dentures Help TMJ

Dentures can cause or mask the symptoms of TMJ, but that does not mean they can’t help with those problems. Correcting the bite of the individual is one way to relieve the symptoms associated with TMJ. If the dentures are causing the TMJ because they create a bad bite, a new set of dentures that fixes the bite can relieve the symptoms.

Pain is a symptom that something is wrong in the body. When it comes to dentures and TMJ, it is never a good idea to ignore the symptoms of a problem. A trip to our offices can help figure out what is wrong and how to fix it.

Contact our office today to schedule an appointment to help with all your oral health issues.