Why should I consider a Zirconia Crown? Zirconia crowns have a very smooth surface, helping reduce plaque build-up. Zirconia is metal-free, which will prevent darkening around the gum-line. Zirconia crowns are computer-aided, this provides a precise fit.
What are the advantages of a Crown? Supports a tooth that was damaged by decay, Anchors a dental bridge, restores a tooth after a root canal was done.
How do I care for my new Crown? Brush and Floss daily, making sure you hit the gum line when you brush. Sometimes your dentist will recommended a prescription toothpaste or mouth wash.
The most important step you can take to ensure the longevity of your crown is to practice good oral hygiene.
Did you know some foods can naturally whiten teeth? Here are a few……………..
Yogurt and Milk- Diary products contain Lactic acid and enamel-fortifying mineral calcium, this helps whiten and strengthen teeth.
Water- Swishing water between wine or dark colored foods will help pigmented foods not stain your teeth.
Apples- Crunch, crunch- the crunch you hear when you bite into an apple actually helps make your gums stronger & the high water content in an apple will boost saliva flow. The extra saliva washes away bacteria that can cause discoloration.
Vegetables that give a CRUNCH when eating, can act as a natural stain remover. Veggies such as carrots, broccoli, and celery contain calcium & fiber!
Ashley dressed up as a molar for our Children’s Dental Health Month presentation.
February is Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month, and we are loving the celebration!
Dr. Alrez & Ashley traveled to a local elementary school to give a presentation about dental health. Ashley even dressed up in a molar costume!
Since it is Children’s Dental Health Month, the time is right for celebration. It’s also a good time to check in with your family and make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep your children’s teeth healthy as they grow. And it doesn’t need to be a chore! With the right mindset and technique, teaching your kids about oral hygiene can be a lot of fun.
Not sure where to begin? Try starting with our list of five ways to get your kids excited about dental hygiene!
Five Ways to Get Your Kids Excited About Dental Hygiene
Lead by Example: Before you encourage your children to have good oral hygiene, check your own habits! Make sure your kids see you brush every morning and night and floss daily. Don’t forget to talk about how much fun it is and how much you love to take care of your teeth!
Fun Supplies: Allow children to choose a toothbrush with their favorite cartoon character and fun cup for rinsing. Toothpaste flavors like watermelon or strawberry are also fun to have on hand.
Teeth Activities: Create fun, hands-on crafts with your kids to help them learn about oral health. Check out these activities.
Offer a Reward: Create a chart for keeping track of your child’s brushing habits, marking each day with a cute sticker. After 7 days of brushing, your child gets a reward! Since you are pushing oral health, try to refrain from giving sweet treats as rewards. Some other ideas include choosing a movie to watch as a family, a playdate with friends, a trip to the park, or a certificate.
Scaling and root planning is often referred as a ‘Deep Cleaning’. Scaling and root planning is treatment of choice in patients with an infectious disease of the gum tissue and underlying bone termed periodontal disease. This process is also standard treatment for a patient who has healthy bone level, though has not had a regular dental cleaning over a period of time and simply has presence of moderate amounts of calculus (tartar) present below the gum line.
Periodontal disease typically starts with plaque left on the teeth and around gum line. When plaque mixes with saliva is creates calculus over time. Eventually, calculus containing bacteria will irritate gum tissues by attaching to teeth and root surfaces and releasing toxins resulting in inflammation and infection of gums. If untreated, this can ultimately lead to distraction of the bone (bone loss) that surrounds teeth further possible mobility or loss of teeth.
Scaling and root planning is the only non surgical treatment to help treat periodontal disease by mechanically removing all calculus and paired bacteria from teeth and root surfaces. To properly diagnose the presence of periodontal disease in a patient, it is important to get necessary radiographs (X-rays) and detailed measurements of all gum tissues that surround teeth. When bacteria resides in the mouth, it compromises the ligaments that attach gum tissue to root surfaces, therefore creating deeper pockets. Areas that measure greater than 3mm in depth are indicative of periodontal disease. Overall these measurement are imperative to understand severity of this bacterial infection throughout mouth.
In office treatment for deep cleaning can be done in one or two visits. These cleanings are completed by the dentist or dental hygienist by mode of ultra sonic scaler and/or hand instruments. In addition to the deep cleaning, antibacterial agents such as Arestin placement under gum tissue to help further reduce pocketing or Chlorhexidine rinse to reduce bacteria can be used. It is common to administer local anesthetic or other anesthetics for optimal patient comfort during and following procedures.
Maintenance program. It is standard protocol to keep periodontally involved patients on 3 or 4 month recall intervals. This means more frequent cleanings in a year’s time to properly combat periodontal disease and ensure stability of gum tissues and underlying bone. Every case varies, though periodic scaling and root planning may be needed after initial deep cleaning due to more compromised bone level. It is essential that all patients practice proper daily dental hygiene at home for best overall outcome and health of teeth and surrounding structures.
My Dentist told me I have Gum Disease! Gum disease is more common than you think. Gum disease, also known as (gingivitis) periodontal disease is an inflammation of the gums. Inflammation can vary from moderate to severe. Severe inflammation can lead to the loss of the tissues holding your teeth in place. Making sure you brush your teeth everyday will help prevent plaque to stick on your teeth. If the plaque isn’t removed it can cause your gums to retract (recede) from your teeth and form a pocket. Pockets then collect bacteria.
What do I do now?? (Gingivitis) Periodontal disease can often be treated in early stages with scaling & root planning. Scaling & root planning removes the plaque & tartar beneath the gumline. Usually local anesthetic is given.
What should I do at home? Make sure you brush your teeth in the morning & at night. Floss, there are many different kinds out there, the best one is the one you will use! Ask your dental professional to show you how to brush and floss PROPERLY, many people do it wrong! Keep up on your cleaning appointments.
Future dental appointments, will they change? As a “Perio Patient” you will stick to a 3 month check up. This will help you maintain your oral health.
“Mom I am so tired,” “But daddy my favorite cartoon is on,” we all heard every excuse on the planet. Whether its 6 o’clock in the morning or 8 o’clock at night, most kids try to get out of brushing and flossing. Here are a few tips to encourage brushing & make it a daily routine.
It takes 21 days or 3 weeks to form a habit. Having a routine will help make this habit form.
Start them young
Its never to early to teach your children good oral health! Cleaning the gums around 6 months can guide you in the right direction. Never put a baby down with a bottle of any liquid other than water!
Apps
There are many apps to help aid your child in brushing. Apps are fun and interacting. Disney Magic Timer, Oral-B & Happy teeth are examples of some. Disney Magic Timer helps track time but also teaches children about oral health!
6 month check ups
It is very important your child stays up to date on his/hers 6 month cleaning appointments. Not only does your healthcare professional clean your child’s teeth but they also teach your child how to maintain a healthy smile. We teach patients how to brush, floss & eat healthy.
Disclosing Solution
Disclosing Solution is in a liquid or tab form and makes the plaque on your child’s teeth stain a bright color. Wherever the teeth are stained is where the child forgot to brush. Children usually have fun trying this out! (TIP: have the child brush first then use the tab/liquid to see exactly where the child missed, then brush again.)
Have you ever heard of nunchucks? Chances are you have. Resembling miniature nunchucks, Gumchucks feature disposable tips that are equipped with a 3/4 inch piece of dental floss. Proper flossing requires making a “C” shape, Gumchucks help this happen. Gumchucks are made for adults & children, they even make special handles for people in braces! Gumchucks with help improve dexterity & extend your reach. They are a one of a kind flossing system.
Benefits include: Easier & faster than traditional floss, Reaches the back teeth without putting fingers in the mouth, Safe & hygienic!
We now sell GUMCHUCKS in our office- ask us for a demo! 🙂
Is your child a hockey player? Maybe a basketball player? Baseball? If you answered YES to any of these sports, you need to read this article. Although any sport involving a hit to the face would benefit from the use of a mouthguard, baseball & basketball are the two main sports involving dental injuries. Athletes can help prevent oral trauma!
What’s the different kinds of Mouth guards?
A stock mouthguard is a “one size fits none” appliance. A stock mouthguard is only held in place by the athlete biting down, so when the athlete collides with another teammate the mouthguard shifts. This is the least protective type of appliance & also the most uncomfortable.
Boil and bite mouthguards have the same similarities as a stock mouthguard as they are sold at almost any drug store. When comparing the Stock and Boil & bite, the boiled mouthguard will adapt to the teeth better however, it does not have much thickness, which leads to variations in the amount of protection/force throughout the mouth.
Custom-made vacuum-formed mouthguards are fabricated using a “suck down/vacuum” machine. This mouthguard will be more protective than a stock or boil & bite. The big down fall is the thickness of the material. The material of a vacuum-formed mouthguard is very thin.
Custom-made pressure-formed mouthguards are vacuum-formed but provide multiple layers of material. The custom-made mouthguards fit snug, and improve adaptation to the teeth and gums, making the athlete comfortable. The more comfortable the appliance, the more likely an athlete is to use it.
Custom-made Mouthguard
FACT
The National Youth Sports Foundation for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries estimates that during a single season of play, athletes have a 10% chance of sustaining an injury to the face or mouth!
Reference: The journal of multidisciplinary care/Decisions in Dentistry
Whiter teeth can give you that extra pep in your step that can only come from an increase in confidence.
For a limited time, Alrez Family Dentistry is offering a discount on our laser whitening services! Our Silver Sparkler package, normally $595, is now available for only $429.00. This price includes 1 in-office laser whitening treatment. Act fast! Offer ends September 30, 2017.
This is an excellent value for those looking for a quick, effective way to whiten their smile. The laser treatment only lasts about 15 minutes, and the results are spectacular! Take a look:
Before
After
Before
After
How the Process Works
During
Alrez Family Dentistry uses only the safest and most effective treatment methods for our customers’ teeth. This includes our whitening services.
We use a BioLas laser, which allows for a shorter exposure time with an average of 18% shade improvement when compared to the arc lamp, the most commonly used whitening tool.
In just one visit, you will have the movie star white smile you’ve always wanted.
If you follow us on Instagram, you know that we recently got a head start on our spring gardening! In addition to being the start of spring, April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month.
Close to 50,000 people in the United States will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer this year, with 132 new cases coming to light every day.
While smoking and drinking are major risk factors, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a growing contributor, especially among young, otherwise healthy patients.
HPV is the same virus that causes the majority of cervical cancers. If you or your child is between the ages of 9-26, it’s a good idea to ask your doctor about getting vaccinated.
While getting your vaccine and avoiding alcohol and tobacco are important, the best way to prevent oral cancer is regular screening. We remind all of our patients to get screened regularly, as early diagnoses is the best way to stop cancer in its tracks before it becomes a problem.
We are reminding people in the office to get their oral cancer exam!
How do you convince your child to brush their teeth?
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