Root Canal

This month marks 100 years since the opening of the Panama Canal. While the Panama Canal is integral to worldwide shipping, a root canal can be integral to your everyday comfort.

Sometimes a cavity is just too deep to be fixed and may require a root canal. Root canals are necessary when the pulp becomes inflamed or diseased. The pulp contains the blood vessels and the nerves of the tooth, which run like a thread down into the root. The pulp tissue can die when it’s infected or injured. If you don't remove it, your tooth gets infected and you could lose it. During a root canal treatment, the dentist removes the pulp, and the root canal is cleaned and sealed off to protect it. Your dentist may then place a crown over the tooth to help make it stronger and protect it.

Causes of an infected pulp could include:

• a deep cavity
• repeated dental procedures
• a cracked or broken tooth
• injury to the tooth (even if there’s not a visible crack or chip)

If you continue to care for your teeth and gums with daily brushing and flossing your restored tooth could last a lifetime. However, regular checkups are necessary; a tooth without its nerve can still develop cavities or gum disease. Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple procedure with little or no discomfort involving one to three visits. Best of all, it can save your tooth and your smile!

Info from www.mouthhealthy.org

March Madness...Brackets or Braces?

During March Madness people often talk about their brackets and how they're doing. But rarely outside of our office are they talking about the brackets found on teeth! Brackets are a component of braces which aid in straightening teeth.

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If you have a bad bite or your teeth are crooked or out of alignment, you may benefit from braces. Braces can help improve your smile and make your teeth straighter. They can also improve your dental health and overall health because untreated orthodontic problems can make it hard to bite and chew and can interfere with eating. If you have a bad bite, you may also be prone to cavities or gum disease because it may be hard to clean your teeth. Braces come in many different styles, including tooth-colored plastic braces or traditional metal braces that come in a variety of colors. Removable clear retainers can sometimes be used.

If you've ever wondered if braces would improve your smile, give us a call and we can help you decide the best option for making your smile everything you'd like it to be!

Information from www.mouthhealthy.org

Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are a great way to help stop cavities before they they start!  Brushing and flossing help remove food and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth, but toothbrush bristles can't reach all the way into the depressions and grooves. Sealants protect these areas by "sealing out" plaque and food, and as long as the sealant remains intact, the tooth surface will be protected from decay. Sealants are painless and easy for your dentist to apply. The sealant is painted onto the teeth and hardens, acting as a barrier to protect the enamel from plaque and acids.  Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing  and may last several years before they need to be reapplied.

While sealants help prevent cavities, you should still brush twice a day, floss daily, and continue to see your dentist regularly. At your regular dental visits, your dentist will check your teeth to see if you need another sealant application.

Ask your dentist if sealants would be a benefit to you. In the meantime, happy brushing!

Info from www.mouthhealthy.org

Burgers and Crowns

Crowns abound at Burger King, but this is not a promotional post. Crowns also abound in our dental office, which connection you've likely already made. But burgers? How does that fit into the dental realm?

Consider for a moment that you are in the mood for a hamburger. You have several options available to you. If you went to Burger King and asked for a cheeseburger you would get this:

This would set you back about $1 here in Lakewood, Washington.

If you went to Red Robin and asked for a cheeseburger, you would get this:

This would cost $8.99 (and comes with unlimited fries). Would you complain that it costs more, or would you accept the fact that the higher price is for an item of better quality and would satisfy you longer? Of course this is an extreme comparison to make a point. The fact is, you get what you pay for when it comes to burgers...and teeth.

Recently a patient mentioned that he could get a crown elsewhere for less money than at our office. Just as not all hamburgers are created equally, not all crowns are created equally. At Dental Health Associates, we have high standards of quality in the care we provide and the materials we use. We never compromise in the materials, lab, or workmanship of the crown just so we can offer a lower price (though we do try to keep our prices low)! This enables us to provide excellent fit, comfort, and longevity of crowns for our patients.

Unfortunately that means that we can't charge Burger King prices for the work we perform. We understand that with the current state of the economy many of our patients are on tight budgets or a fixed income. We provide different treatment options that fall within any budget, and offer financing when needed. To schedule an appointment, give us a call or schedule an appointment online so we can keep your smile looking its best!

Sense and Sensitivity

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No, this is not a poor spin off of a Jane Austen novel. Tooth sensitivity is a common dental problem, and if hot or cold foods make you wince you don’t have to read a novel - just this article!  There are several causes for sensitive teeth including tooth decay (cavities), fractured teeth, worn fillings, gum disease, worn tooth enamel, and exposed tooth root.

Sensitive teeth can be treated. It is important to consult your dentist about your tooth pain because treatment is based on the cause of your sensitivity. Treatment options may be as simple as using a desensitizing toothpaste or more complex depending on the cause of your sensitivity. Some treatment options include the following:

• Desensitizing toothpaste. This contains compounds that help block transmission of sensation from the tooth surface to the nerve, and usually requires several applications before the sensitivity is reduced.
• Fluoride gel. An in-office technique which strengthens tooth enamel and reduces the transmission of sensations.
• A crown, inlay or bonding. These may be used to correct a flaw or decay that results in sensitivity.
• Surgical gum graft. If gum tissue has been lost from the root, this will protect the root and reduce sensitivity.
• Root canal. If sensitivity is severe and persistent and cannot be treated by other means, your dentist may recommend this treatment to eliminate the problem.

Proper oral hygiene is the key to preventing sensitive-tooth pain. Brushing and flossing daily, using fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash, and visiting your dentist regularly are important steps in preventing sensitive teeth.  Ask your dentist if you have any questions about your daily oral hygiene routine or if you have concerns about tooth sensitivity.

Info from mouthhealthy.org

A Smile fit for Royalty

If you want a smile fit for royalty, a crown may be a good option for you. Perhaps not one with jewels, but one made of porcelain.

Crowns are a cosmetic restoration used to improve your tooth's shape or to strengthen a tooth.
Crowns are "caps" cemented onto an existing tooth which fully cover the portion of your tooth above the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes your tooth's new outer surface.

Crowns are most often used for teeth that are broken, worn, or have portions destroyed by tooth decay. To learn more about crowns, visit our webpage or make an appointment to see if a crown is a good option to help improve your smile!

Bridges

On this day (January 3) in 1870 construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge. We also work on bridges in our office...of a different variety!

A dental bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth and literally “bridges” the gap where one or more teeth used to be. Check out the bridges available in our office!

The success of any bridge depends on its foundation — the other teeth, gums, or bone to which it is attached. Therefore, it's very important to keep your existing teeth, gums, and jaw healthy and strong. So don't forget to brush twice and floss daily!

Brighter Whiter Smiles

Everybody loves a bright white smile! If you find that brushing your teeth twice daily isn't giving you as white a smile as you prefer, there are a variety of products and procedures available to help improve your smile at home or in the dental office.

Whiteners do not correct all types of discoloration, so you should always consult your dentist before beginning a teeth whitening program. In fact, teeth whitening may make imperfections in your teeth more obvious if you have had tooth-colored fillings or crowns. The whitener will not affect the color of these materials and they will stand out in your newly whitened smile. In these cases, you do have other options, such as porcelain veneers.

There are several types of products available for use at home which can either be dispensed by your doctor or purchased over the counter. They are generally teeth whitening trays (mouthguards), strips, or paint-on products. We can also whiten your teeth in our office if you would prefer immediate whitening results. For more information on teeth whitening products and procedures offered in our office, please visit our webpage!