Simple Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Smile and Preventing Oral Health Problems
You don’t have to wait for toothaches, bad breath, or bleeding gums to remind you to care for your oral health. A healthy mouth has a positive impact on your overall well-being. By following some easy and practical advice, you can prevent dental issues and maintain a beautiful smile.
1. Brush and Floss Regularly
Tooth decay and gum disease can be easily avoided with proper brushing and flossing. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste and brush gently in a circular motion. Aim to brush after every meal, but at the very least, brush twice a day. Don’t forget to floss daily to remove trapped food particles and bacteria from between your teeth.
2. Eat a Balanced Diet
Your diet plays a significant role in your oral health. Eating nutrient-rich foods helps your body fight infections and prevents gum disease. Incorporate low-fat dairy, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your meals. Avoid sugary snacks and drinks that can contribute to tooth decay. Drink plenty of water to help wash away food particles and keep your mouth hydrated.
3. Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Regular dental checkups are essential for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Aim to visit your dentist at least twice a year for cleanings and professional examinations. Early detection of dental problems can save you from more painful, complicated, and expensive treatments later on. Your dentist will help you maintain good oral hygiene and ensure your smile lasts for years.
Don’t wait until problems arise—take control of your oral health today. Schedule your appointment at our Sicklerville dental office!
Do you live in Sicklerville or the surrounding area? Our team is ready to help you achieve your smile goals. Schedule your appointment today.
Sometimes, people lose teeth due to tooth decay, trauma, disease, or other causes. Regardless of the reason, missing teeth can result in poor mouth function and an embarrassing appearance. Fortunately, dental implants offer an effective solution to restore your smile and improve your overall outlook on life.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are replacement roots for missing teeth. When you lose a tooth, you not only lose the tooth itself but also the roots that hold it in place. Implants serve as substitutes for these roots, anchoring an artificial tooth securely. The process involves oral surgery, during which a small titanium post is placed directly into the bone where the tooth’s root once was. Over the course of a few months, as healing takes place, the implanted post integrates into the jawbone, creating a stable, artificial root.
Once the implant is fully fused with the bone, a post is placed on top to support the new tooth. A crown that matches your existing teeth is attached to the post, completing the dental implant. Some of the key benefits of dental implants include:
- Permanent restoration
- Improved appearance
- Normal speech
- Comfort
- Easier eating
- Enhanced self-confidence
- Convenience
Before deciding on a dental implant, consult with a qualified dentist or oral surgeon to determine if you are a good candidate. Adequate bone structure is required to support the implant, and if necessary, bone grafting or other interventions may be recommended. If dental implants are a viable option for you, you can begin the journey to a beautiful, restored smile.
We offer dental implants for missing teeth at our Sicklerville dental office.
Take the first step towards optimal oral hygiene. Reserve your dental appointment at our Sicklerville dental office now and experience personalized care.
Magazine articles often say that a smile reveals a person’s personality. If so, you don’t want to have dull, yellow, stained, dingy teeth! Instead you want a faultless set of pearly whites that communicates the best things about you, such as good hygiene and a confident air.
To transform your smile from dull to brilliant, teeth whitening is a great option. The field of dentistry has developed a whole array of products and procedures for brightening smiles. For example, patients may choose to completely hide their discolored teeth behind dental veneers. Or, tough stains can be covered up with dental bonding. If you’re looking for methods that simply bring your yellowed teeth back to a more appealing shade of white, there are several teeth whitening techniques to choose from:
Over-the-counter products are available from your local drugstore including whitening strips, gels, pens, toothpaste, mouth rinses and more. These require consistent use following the directions, and take longer than most other methods. Most products do provide some level of improvement, but not as dramatic as professional methods.
Home whitening methods are available from your dentist, such as customized trays that you fill with a special bleaching solution to wear at home for a period of time. At-home whitening typically takes several weeks to achieve desired results.
Professional whitening is performed at the dentist’s office using specialized tools. It is the most effective method and results are visible in only about an hour, due to the highly concentrated bleaching solution and enhancement with ultraviolet light or lasers.
Teeth whitening not only brightens your smile but also can shape your entire personality. A common benefit is increased self-confidence because you no longer feel you need to hide your teeth, but instead you tend to smile and laugh and speak more easily. Feelings of embarrassment about your teeth can affect you in many ways, but a smile that you’re proud of can improve the way you interact with others. Ask your dentist about whitening methods that can help you improve both your smile and your personality.
Are dental issues holding you back? Take control of your oral health by booking an appointment with our experienced team at our Sicklerville dental office.
If you’ve lost one or more teeth due to decay, disease, or injury, you might be wondering about the best restoration options available. While several treatments can replace missing teeth, dental implants are considered the most advanced and innovative solution in modern dentistry. A dental implant is a custom-made tooth root that is surgically placed in the jawbone to anchor a replacement tooth or bridge. With proper care, dental implants are highly effective and can last a lifetime.
Dental implants closely mimic natural teeth in terms of feel, function, and appearance. Unlike dentures, which require adhesives, dental implants do not need special glues to stay in place. They are cared for just like natural teeth—regular brushing, flossing, and routine dental checkups are all that’s needed.
Another key benefit of dental implants is their ability to preserve your natural facial structure by preventing bone loss that often occurs after tooth loss. Traditional dentures do not offer this advantage.
For those opting for traditional dentures, discomfort or issues with fitting may affect eating or speaking. With dental implants, you can enjoy all your favorite foods without worrying about your appliance shifting or making noise, as implants function just like natural teeth.
Consult with your dentist to learn how dental implants can provide a lifelong solution for replacing missing teeth. Your dentist will evaluate your needs and determine if you’re a good candidate for this life-changing procedure, helping you enjoy a full, healthy smile once again.
Do you live in Sicklerville or the surrounding area? Our team is ready to help you achieve your smile goals. Schedule your appointment today.
If you didn’t have your wisdom teeth removed as a young person, you may be considering extraction as an adult. Your dentist may recommend this procedure to prevent future infections, cysts, or jaw pain caused by impacted wisdom teeth, or even reduce the risk of developing tumors associated with these teeth.
What are impacted teeth?
Impacted teeth occur when a wisdom tooth grows underneath an existing tooth, often pushing against other teeth. In some cases, wisdom teeth grow in straight behind the back molars, while in rare situations, one or more may not emerge at all. X-rays can reveal whether impacted teeth are present, and if they are causing problems with other teeth, they need to be removed.
Challenges for adults
As the roots of wisdom teeth typically develop fully around the age of 24, extraction becomes more complicated for adults. The roots can become entangled with facial nerves, making the removal process riskier. A CT scan is often recommended for adults, as it provides a detailed image of facial nerve positioning, something an x-ray might not show. If the roots of the lower wisdom teeth aren’t touching or wrapped around the alveolar nerve, extraction can still be performed.
Risks for gum disease
Adults with wisdom teeth are at a higher risk for gum disease, which can lead to serious health issues. Gum disease has been linked to complications in pregnancy and other health conditions. This condition, once thought to only affect older adults, is now being observed in younger patients, particularly pregnant women. Additionally, growing evidence shows that chronic infections and inflammation in the body due to gum disease can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Talk to your dentist to determine if wisdom tooth extraction is right for you. Be honest about any symptoms you may have, such as pain or pressure, so the professional can assess your specific needs.
Do not wait any longer. Book your appointment now and achieve the smile you have always wanted. Dr. Drain is accepting new patients from Sicklerville and the surrounding area.
If you suspect you have an infected tooth, you might wonder if root canal treatment might be in your future. Do you have another option? Yes! One such alternative has been in existence for decades, but has only recently come to be more effective due to advancements in materials. This process is called pulp capping.
Pulp capping can help patients whose root infections have not yet reached the tooth’s nerve. Root infections begin when bacteria enters the pulp of the tooth through a crack or a large cavity. In a standard root canal procedure, the pulp and nerve of the tooth is hollowed out, cleaned and sealed, typically with a crown restoration.
With pulp capping, the nerve is preserved and the tooth is often repaired with a filling instead of a crown. Pulp capping allows the dentist to clean and protect the pulp, defending it from infection with medicine. With a successful pulp cap, the dentin of the tooth begins to regrow over the pulp cap. Advancements in the sealants used during these types of procedures has allowed for a greater percentage of success.
If you have a toothache, it’s important to see your dentist immediately. Pulp capping has a narrow window in which it can be performed. If your tooth is too infected, the pulp and nerve of your tooth may already be infected, and it’s too late for pulp capping to be effective.
A pulp cap is a far less invasive procedure than a root canal treatment or a tooth extraction, and there is less recovery time and tooth sensitivity following the treatment.
If you suspect you may have a tooth in trouble, talk to your dentist now. You might be able to save yourself a root canal treatment.
If you need a dentist in Sicklerville contact us today
