We've all heard of root canals and root canal therapy... and even if you don't really recognize what it is, we know it generally doesn't sound too good. So what is a root canal? It's a procedure that is done to save and repair a tooth that is decayed or that is infected. What is basically being done when you have a root canal procedure done is the nerve and pulp that are inside of the tooth are taken out and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and the sealed back up. Root canal therapy is made up of an X-Ray should be taken, your tooth and the area should be numbed and then the tooth is drilled, cleaned and sealed back up. With that being said, you have to think all of this cost a fortune. It doesn't cost a fortune, but the price can differ depending on other factors that should be taken into consideration. You can have root canal therapy done by a general dentist burtonsville or by an endodontist, which is root canal specialist. Generally speaking if you go to an endodontist you will typically be charged 30-50% more then you would at a general dentist. It should be said that in most cases an endodontist would be used in the cases of the more difficult cases of root canal therapy. So you would have to pay 30-50% more to go to a specialist that would do the same thing a general dentist would be doing. Another influence of the cost of root canal therapy is the placement of the tooth that needs to have the procedure done on. Typically a tooth that is in the front of the mouth is going to have a lesser charge that a tooth that is in the rear of the mouth. A tooth that's in the front of the mouth only has one canal while a tooth in the rear of the mouth can have three or more, which can make the price go higher if it's in the rear of the mouth. Something else that could cause the price of root canal therapy is when you get the procedure done. There are times when you can find out that you will need to have root canal therapy well in advance that you can schedule an appointment to get it taken care of. But then there are times where it is an emergency and you don't have the time to set an appointment. In these cases if it is done on the same day, the next day or especially if it is done on the weekend, you are going to pay a lot more money to have the same procedure done. In some cases you can pay $50-$100 or more than you generally would pay in an instance that it's not an emergency. Another part of root canal therapy that could have a major influence on the cost of root canal therapy is what is used when the dental crown is being put on. Usually for the front teeth a all porcelain crown is used and for the back teeth a metal or a metal and porcelain fused crown is used. There is definitely a price difference for what crown is used that could bee anywhere between $300-$1,000 difference.
Everyone loves to eat chocolate, candy, and sugary things. But these foods cause cavities, and eventually those who continue to eat these kinds of foods will have to get a filling. A popular choice for dentists to use is a white colored filling to fix your cavity. White colored fillings are mostly made of plastic and glass particles. What we call a white filling is known by dentists as Composite Resin. Although a fancy sounding name, it is simply plastic and glass layered into your tooth. The dentist will place small amounts of the mix into your tooth, and then use a special light to harden the layer. The dentist will repeat this process a few times in order to fully harden the composite and fill your tooth. Finally, the dentist will shape the filling to fit your specific tooth, and polish it to give it its white color. The fact that white colored fillings are mostly made of plastic and glass particles give it a large advantage over regular fillings. Aesthetically, the plastic and glass is easier to blend together to create a similar color to your natural tooth. Furthermore, there are health benefits to the composites as well. Composites help attach to the tooth in areas that have decayed from a cavity. In doing so, the composite helps bond your tooth together and prevent further breakage. White colored fillings help keep your teeth looking sparkling white, and don't give off the same look as silver fillings, which give off the vibe of an unhealthy tooth. However, there are some disadvantages to the white colored fillings as well. Depending on the size of the cavity, white colored fillings don't seem to last as long as silver fillings might. The one saving grace is that in small cavities, white colored fillings hold up fine. In terms of tooth health, this is definitely a negative. Additionally, certain foods can stain your white fillings easily. The dentist can apply a protective clear coating on the filling, but these are far from perfect. More negatives revolve around the price of a white cavity. Because white colored fillings are mostly made of plastic and glass particles, the materials cost more than a typical metal filling. For this reason, a white colored filling can cost twice as much as a typical silver filling. Those with dental insurance will often have the price of a silver filling covered, but for those who want a white colored filling, they will have to pay out of their own pocket. There is small hope, however, that composites will get cheaper as they are improved, which could lower the price further. Still, the price is variable depending on where you go to get the procedure done. White colored fillings are great for people who are trying to maintain the aesthetics of their smile. Beyond this, they are also very important for dental health in preventing further decay of a tooth via a cavity, and for reshaping disfigured teeth. A white filling is a great choice for its many advantages despite some drawbacks.
Are you considering dental implants? If so, you might wonder what all is involved with the process. After all, just the word "implant" can be a bit worrisome. Yes, it is capable of completely reinventing your mouth and giving you that perfect smile you have been wanting for some time, but you also want to know what is going to happen with the implant, from the initial diagnosis to what exactly is going to happen throughout the entire procedure. Before the Procedure First off, the dentist is going to look at your teeth and gums in order to make sure you are a candidate for dental implants. To do this, they are not only going to perform a physical inspection of your mouth, but they also are going to perform an X-ray of your mouth as well. By doing this, the dentist is able to look at the structure of the teeth and also find out how strong the roots are for teeth in question. Once the dentist confirms a dental implant is an option for you, you need to schedule your next appointment, which is prep work for the installation of the dental implants. Tooth Extraction If you have current teeth that need to be removed, the dentist is going to apply local anesthetic to the area of the gums in order to numb off the pain, then remove the tooth. You might only have one tooth removed or the dentist might remove several teeth. With the teeth removed, the dentist is going to insert the implant post into your gums. This post is what the implant holds onto and what anchors it into position. Depending on the location in your mouth, the strength of your gums and what your dentist believes is best, the post may go through your jaw bone for extra support, although this is not always necessary. After the post is inserted, the dentist is going to make molds of your gums. By doing this, the dentist can determine the construction and shape of the implant. Now, if you are having the entire row of teeth replaced, which is done often with an all-on-4 procedure (where all of the teeth are implanted onto the gum line through four posts, which is essentially permanent dentures you don't take out), the dentist needs to take a full mold of the gum line, so they know how much space they are working with and how to properly fit in the teeth. It is important for your gums to recover and heal up before the dental implant is inserted, especially when you are using the all-on-4 option. The dentist is going to place a temporary implant into place while the gums heal and while the implant is produced. The dentist is going to have you schedule another visit, anywhere from a few weeks to a month or two down the road. Dental Implant On visiting again, the dentist is going to remove the temporary implant and place the permanent implant onto the post. During this time, the dentist is going to match up the color of the implant with the rest of your teeth (this is a good time for teeth whitening, if you want the implant to match a brighter smile) and secure the dental implant into position.
Chances are, you have heard of fluoride treatment before, but you might not know what it is all about. Yeah, it seems to appear in toothpaste and mouthwash, and everyone seems to make a big deal about it, but why do you actually need fluoride treatment, and what is it at all, anyways? It actually is extremely important for you to look into, as the more you know about fluoride the better an understand you are going to have regarding it. What is Fluoride Anyways Fluoride is a mineral that you can find naturally throughout through nature. It appears in food and water and you probably consume a good amount of fluoride throughout the day anyways. During the day, minerals are both lost and added from the enamel in your teeth, known as a process of demineralization and remineralization. When minerals are lost from your tooth's enable when acid, plaque and sugar enter your mouth, it is going to break down the enamel slightly, which causes the demineralization. On the flip side though, minerals that enter your mouth, such as phosphate, calcium and fluoride, it helps strengthen the enamel in your teeth and add the minerals back to the enamel, which is known as remineralization. Over time, if the minerals you lose outweigh the minerals you gain, you are going to develop tooth decay. This is why individuals who consume a large amount of sugar foods eventually develop cavities and tooth problems. Even if they brush their teeth on a regular basis, the sheer level of sugars outweighs the amount of good minerals coming into their mouth. As fluoride is a protectie mineral for your teeth, it helps improve the resistance of your teeth against acid and sugar attacks, which develop plaque inside of your mouth. This is also why your dentist is going to tell you to use toothpaste with fluoride in it. Why a Fluoride Treatment In general, the most important time in your life to receive fluoride and to ensure strong teeth id when you are between the ages of six months and 16 years. This is when your primary teeth start to develop and come in. Of course, fluoride is important at any stage of your life, but the developmental stage is essential in building strong teeth for the long haul. If you are not bringing in enough fluoride into your diet throughout the day, even if you do not eat sugary foods, your teeth can start to deteriorate. Your teeth may naturally deteriorate due to age anyways, so the better your protect your teeth, the better off you are going to be. In order to do this, you need to go through the fluoride treatment, as this drastically increases the level of fluoride you receive. Fluoride treatment is done in different ways, depending on your condition. Your dentist is likely going to prescribe you a special toothpaste and mouth wash that contains fluoride. They are also going to perform a fluoride treatment in the office as well, although you need to continue this while at home. They might also actually tell you to use tap water instead of bottled water, as bottled water does not contain fluoride, while fluoride is almost always added to the water supply in your neighborhood in order to help out.
The purposes of dental implants For thousands of years, the work of the “dentist” consisted of basically nothing more than removing and replacing aching teeth. Now, with three other methods of treatment -- filling cavities, performing root canal therapy and crowning teeth -- at their disposal, dentists resort to extraction only if the decay is so severe as to render all of these alternative methods impossible. Still, dental prosthetics are commonly made today, and they frequently need to be supported by something underlying them -- and that is where the benefits of dental implants come into play. A strong substance, such as titanium or some kind of ceramic, is used as the primary construction material for the implant. It is to this that the jawbone tightly fuses; the process by which such fusion occurs is known as osteointegration, from the Greek word ?st???, meaning bone. A well-made implant can maintain its hold for many years without weakening. Some of the benefits of dental implants will be described below. Compared with other methods of treatment Of all dental prosthetics, implants come closest to creating the appearance of natural, healthy teeth -- and can even feel and function that way too! Nor do they cause the bones to deteriorate, distort the shape of your face or make it difficult to eat, smile or talk. (Incidentally, George Washington's dentures, which were heavy and fit badly, made it extremely difficult for him to smile. You can see them today in the Smithsonian Museum.) This means that you will not have to be afraid to go out in public and not be able to present a pleasing appearance. Unlike bridges, which typically last for only five to seven years, implants can endure for a decade or more -- provided, of course, that you take proper care of them. The fact that implants are supported by the jawbone also keeps that part healthy. Dentures are not thus supported, and the jawbone can become weaker and less firm because it is not being used, just as muscles waste away from long periods of disuse. Implants are the only dental prosthetics that give this benefit. Another advantage of implants with regard to dental health is that preparing the mouth to receive them does not involve grinding healthy teeth, which may also shift out of place if they are attached to bridges. An implant simply fits over where the missing tooth used to be. The presence of false teeth in the mouth can affect the tastes of many kinds of food, making it harder to enjoy them the way you did when you had your natural teeth. With implants, on the other hand, you can continue to experience in full the tastes of all of your favorite foods. Then, too, dentures are meant to be taken out of the mouth and stored in a cup at night. Many people lose theirs as a result (right now my own mother cannot find her bite plate, and it is tedious for me to have to help look for it. Maybe the cats got hold of it!) Here is yet another of the many benefits of dental implants -- they are designed to be kept permanently in the mouth. Besides, putting your dentures in and taking them back out again can be no less tiresome.
There are some rather frightening oral health facts that you should not ignore. Over half of the population suffer from periodontal disease- and many people may not even realize that they have it! It would be a grave error to think that gum disease is a benign condition that has no impact on other body systems. In fact, gum disease can negatively impact holistic health, leading to fatal blockages to major organs of the body. This is in addition to the typical side effects of periodontal disease, which can include swollen, sore gums, bleeding, bad breath, oral pain, and tooth loss. Ten ways to prevent and treat this condition include: Brush, brush, and brush. The timeless way to prevent issues such as periodontal disease is to brush. Brush several times a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a fluoride enhanced toothpaste. Floss every day. Flossing is the best way to get at the tartar between teeth and along the gums, which later turns to plaque. It is this plaque that causes gum disease, leading to tooth loss. See your dentist twice a year. The old standard was once a year, but depending on your risk factors, it is pragmatic to see your dentist two to three times per year. Start kids early. Children should be taken to a dentist early, before their teeth come in, around six months of age, no later than one year old. Rinse with water. Get the whole family in the habit of rinsing their mouth after eating or drinking anything at all. A good mouthwash or rinse is best, but even water is effective. Teeth descaling is key. When you have plaque around the gum-line, a dentist can scrape this away using a method known as descaling. This may be part of your routine visit. Surgical options for severe cases. There are some surgical procedures, including laser treatments, that can be effective at treating periodontal disease. Since the disease can progress to tooth loss and issues with the bones of the mouth and jaw, bone grafting and plaque removal techniques are offered by oral surgeons. Xylitol has advantages. There is some evidence that xylitol can be an effective product in the fight against gum disease. Xylitol is often seen as a sugar substitute and is found in plums, berries, and birch trees. Consuming xylitol can help reduce unhealthy bacteria in the mouth, and reduce risk of gum disease. Control your risk factors. Some risk factors for periodontal disease include age, genetics, and diet. If family members are prone to oral health issues such as gum disease, than you may be, also. Watch what you eat and maintain a healthy lifestyle to give you a fighting chance against periodontal disease. Quit smoking today. There is a correlation between smoking and gum disease. The best prevention for those who smoke is, simply, to quit. Talk to providers about alternative smoking options or cessation products. Periodontal disease and oral health facts are no laughing matter, but it is reassuring to know that some very basic oral health practices can reduce and eliminate the chance of contracting this condition. If you experience any symptoms of gum disease, talk with your dental provider about ways to treat the condition and improve your oral health.
Advances made in the dental field have now made it possible to get things done within one day. A dentist in Portugal, Dr. Paulo Malo, is the one that devised this technique that is now being used by many dentists across the country today. Dr. Malo found that this procedure works out great for patients who lost their teeth but do not have sufficient bone available to use the normal dental implants. It certainly beats getting a bone graft which would take a lot of time and would be more costly to the patient. How is it possible to having it done only on one day? A set of implants can support the dentures all in the same day but with only four implants being used, you won't be finished all in the same day but you will have teeth! If you have a mouthful of missing teeth or are wearing dentures this may be your new solution! Losing one's teeth can certainly alter your life too. It also can be cost effective and the procedure has been proven that it is better than others. Then again, it is up to you and your dentist to come to a conclusion if this procedure would be a good fit and match for you. The benefits of this will give you an immediate result and also a long lasting one too. They will certainly function like real teeth and you will treat them just like "natural" teeth. All-on-4 will get rid of the need to do any bone grafts, it will be quicker to get done and you will heal much faster at fort worth dentist. As with dentures, you do not have to remove these, you won't need any adhesives to make them adhere to your gums, will even restore your facial features. This type of implant are placed at an angle which will use the natural support of your jaw bone. The All-on-4 procedure should only take about 2 and 1/2 hours from start to finish. The success rate is also quite high, almost at 100% but averaging in at 98%. Ideal patients will be the ones that already have dentures or those who may need them in the future. No one will know that you are wearing them as they look like real teeth. You won't necessarily leave with your actual teeth thou, but you will not leave the office without a temporary set. AFTER you heal, taking approximately up to eight months, then the permanent teeth will then be given to you. If you only need top or bottom teeth this can be done also. You are not required to have a full set if you don't need too. Just as having natural teeth brushing and flossing will still be necessary to do daily. Always ask what is included in the cost from start to finish this way you will have no "payment" surprises along the way. The average cost will vary depending on your location and what you really are needing. I have noticed that the cost can be upwards of $57,000, but I am guessing that extensive work and a full mouth of teeth may have been for this price point. Again make sure you get second opinions along with pricing in advance before making any major decisions.
When you visit a dentist to obtain dentures, the dentist typically follows a few basic procedures. The Impression And Assessment Stage - The Actual Dentures Are Often Created Off Site In A Lab During this stage, the dentist will discuss the reasons why you need dentures. Then, the dental specialist will inspect your month and every area that has tissue. The condition of your teeth will also be examined. Finally, an impression of your mouth will be taken before you leave the clinic. The process of making the impression requires the use of unique material. The material has the consistency of a soft dough. The dough-like material will be placed in a stock tray, which is a plastic container. The stock tray fits in your mouth over your jaw. Each impression will be made individually; once made, the dentist lets the mold set to a solid consistency that is somewhat rubbery. After the dentist removes the impression from your mouth, it will be examined carefully because all relevant information must be present. Then, the impression is sent to a dental lab with specific details for the lab employees. The next stage involves making a custom-made tray. This is an important step because the trays that are used to make the first impression are standard sized trays. Custom trays always have to be measured. Once the impression is made, it is sent back to the lab so that dental specialists can produce a model. The Bite Stage - The Actual Dentures Are Often Created Off Site In A Lab Shortly before your next visit to the clinic, a technician will mold the model so that it resembles a wax denture. A technician uses the wax to register the lower and upper jaw area together. The dentist then measures the mold to determine the proper positions for each specific tooth. During this stage, the Orlando dentist will choose the tooth color and size. Test Stage - The Actual Dentures Are Often Created Off Site In A Lab After the dental laboratory has gathered enough information from the bite stage, technicians use the data to construct the denture. They build the denture by using teeth and special wax. Technicians also use an articulator so that they can construct the denture in the proper position for the patient’s mouth. While the mold is housed in the articulator, the correct teeth are chosen based on the information that the patient and dentist provided. Technicians use a hot knife to soften the wax. Once heated, each tooth is placed on the wax. Then, the wax is shaped so that it will blend with the patient’s existing tissues. Finally, the denture is sent to the dentist for an inspection. The dentist will examine the teeth’s positions, the biting positions, and the overall appearance. The Fit Stage - The Actual Dentures Are Often Created Off Site In A Lab Once the wax dentures return to the lab, technicians convert the wax portion to plastic. To construct the mold, dental specialists place the wax into boiling water. In its softened condition, technicians can separate the mold after the remaining wax boils away. After boiling is completed, the mold will have a space where the wax are previous located. Technicians fill the space with plastic, which has a consistency of dough. Then, the dental specialists place the two halves together after all excess material is squeezed under a press. Pressure is used to hold the mold together; then, the mold is placed in a curing bath so that the plastic can harden. The hardening process usually takes several hours. Hardening is the final step of the construction process. At this point, the finished denture is sent to the dentist so that it can be fitted.
Dentist eugene has said he wants to give you a porcelain crown. You've heard of crowns, but not porcelain. Is that even possible? Looking it up online only makes things worse: veneers, metal and porcelain hybrids, machine milling versus hand shaping, it goes on and on. What does all this mean, and how do you make the best decisions? A dental crown is a cap that sits on top of a damaged tooth. It generally looks like the tooth it's replacing, and is made of metal, porcelain (also called ceramic), resin, or a combination of metal and porcelain. There are lots of reasons why a crown is a good choice. The most common is to protect a tooth that is already broken and needs to be held together, or is in danger of breaking or other damage without the protection of a crown. Crowns can also be used to anchor a larger dental appliance, like a bridge. They can also be used for cosmetic reasons, to mask deformed teeth, to hide a dental implant, or just to make a prettier smile. When your dentist talks about a porcelain crown, he can be referring to one of several types. A porcelain fused to metal crown is just what it says: porcelain is permanently fused to a metal shell. The porcelain can cover the entire shell, called a PFM crown. Alternately, the porcelain may only cover part of the shell, usually the part that is visible; this is called a porcelain veneer. Then there is the crown that is made entirely of ceramic / porcelain. There are also variants called "onlay" or 3/4 crowns; normal crowns completely cover the tooth, where the onlays and 3/4 crowns only cover part of the tooth. Each of these types have their own advantages and disadvantages. Both the veneer and the porcelain-and-metal crowns are much stronger than most of the alternatives, thanks to the metal shell. However, they don't look entirely natural. Both the veneer and the full porcelain and metal crown can have metal showing, usually at the gum line. For that reason, they're not well suited to front teeth replacement. Moreover, metal crowns can cause wear on adjacent teeth. If you're sensitive or allergic to certain metals, such as nickel, then crowns with metal content are out of the question. Full porcelain teeth look entirely natural, which makes them perfect to replace front incisors or any tooth that is visible to others. They can be color-matched to your natural teeth and can even be molded to match shape and even apparent alignment. The downside is that porcelain is not as strong as the metal alternatives, and can be prone to chipping or breaking. Sometimes chipping can be patched. But if it's chipped too badly, it would have to be replaced. To apply a crown, first the tooth has to be prepared. Your dentist will make molds of the target tooth, and find the color that best matches your natural teeth. Sometimes, if the tooth is in very bad shape, or is in danger of further damage, he might want to perform a root canal first to strengthen things. Then he will form the tooth into a shape that will fit the crown and hold it safely in place. The next step is to apply the crown and cement it into place. Normally, this requires a second office visit (usually about two weeks later; you'll be fitted with a temporary crown to protect the tooth during that waiting period). Placing the crown requires only dental cement, but your dentist may want to numb the area first, to minimize any discomfort. Some dentists offer same day crowns. This means that he has the shaping equipment in his office to make the crowns on site. Either way, the end results are the same. A crown requires no special care. But a crown, whether full porcelain or metal and porcelain, does not protect the tooth beneath from decay, nor does it protect against gum disease; bacteria can get underneath the crown. You will still have to brush and floss the same as before. If you have bad habits, like grinding your teeth, biting your fingernails, or crunching ice, you should break them, because they can damage your crowns (they're not good for your real teeth either!) Assuming that you take good care of the crown, and there is no unusual wear and tear, a porcelain crown can last anywhere from five to fifteen years. Porcelain crowns, either a full porcelain piece or a metal and porcelain fusion, require no special procedures to install, are as strong or stronger than the alternatives, and they don't need any special care once they're in your mouth. They look natural, making them perfect for visible teeth. Your dentist can help you decide whether porcelain crowns are the best choice for you.