How Good Dental Hygiene Can Save Your Teeth

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When you think about having good oral hygiene, there's much more to it than a pretty smile and the ability to savor a hearty meal. Research has shown that bad oral health can lead to some fairly serious health issues you may not think are related, such as heart disease. 

Despite this, we often fail to give oral hygiene the proper attention it deserves, even with our extensive health care plans. We forgo brushing as often as we should, we don't floss, and find up another reason why this month isn't a good time to see the dentist.

But not caring for your mouth is dangerous. Even deadly. And that's not an exaggeration. What you don't realize is what happens at the gum line that sets off a chain of events that can cause some very serious issues, like stroke, miscarriage, memory loss, and even a heart attack. When it comes to keeping yourself safe and healthy, proper oral health is one we can control, but the one area we neglect the most.

It Begins With The Gums

Right after you finish brushing your teeth, the process begins of plaque buildup begins. It coats the surface of the teeth and is easily removed again the next time you brush. The problem is after only about a day's time, the plaque buildup begins to harden thanks to the minerals in your saliva. It builds on and in between teeth and in the gum pockets. In a few short weeks, that soft substance becomes like cement and can only be removed by a dentist.

Your mouth is also teeming with bacteria. Even a healthy one, no matter how hard we try. The issue is bacteria loves plaque because it provides them a perfect environment to colonize and grow in numbers. They love to feast on various starches and sugars in food, fermenting them in a way that forms an acid that damages teeth and causes erosion, decay, and eventually cavities.

If you're not constantly taking care of your teeth and the plaque and tartar buildup isn't removed, the bacteria begins to grow in the area known as the periodontal which is at the gum line and between teeth. As the bacteria grows, it begins to cause a mild case of gingivitis, which makes the gums swell up and bleed. And the longer the bacteria has to grow, the worse the situation becomes, giving way to full periodontitis. The gums become full of pus as the tissues pull away from the teeth and exposing the bone. That leads to more rot and disease until the tooth no longer can stay anchored in the mouth.

Your body has a wonderful way of attacking and removing infections. It whips out all its weaponry to fight off anything that invades your body to make you sick. In the case of having poor dental hygiene, your body is constantly under attack and works overtime to try and heal the disease. Working in a constant defensive state, you don't get a chance to properly recover. That ensures that there is a leakage of bacteria into the bloodstream and ultimately makes you sick.

This is why it's important to visit one of many amazing family dentists for regular check ups and to remove the hardened plaque from our teeth. Be sure to brush and floss regularly. If you're someone who has already suffered loss of teeth due to periodontitis, there are many cosmetic dentists available to fix your mouth upright and correct damage already done. There's no excuse for bad oral health. These issues are all completely treatable and reversible to help save your teeth and your smile.           

If you are seeking professional dental advice, it's time to call Shumway Dental Care. Their Chandler dentists will ask you questions, examine you, and determine exactly what needs to be done to get you back to normal. Call today for an appointment. Visit http://shumwaydental.com/.

Using Fixed Bridges to Restore Your Smile and Replace Your Missing Teeth

Are you missing a tooth? Are your teeth damaged? Do you feel embarrassed about your smile? With these dental appliances, you don’t have to shy away and hide any longer. Replace your missing teeth and restore your smile. Ask your family dentist about fixed dental bridges.

These dental appliances are often used to fix damaged or broken pearly whites. At most, they are the options used to replace a lost or missing tooth. Made of tooth-colored porcelain, they are designed to look like your natural teeth. If you have given it some thought, go ahead and try them.

In addition replacing lost teeth, here are some of the wonderful, smile-enhancing dental health benefits of having fixed bridges:

• They can be used to cover a dental implant.
• Got noticeable gaps or spaces in between teeth? They are perfect at filling those in.
• Do you have cracks or chips on your teeth? Dental bridges can do the trick.
• They are perfect at covering a tooth that has undergone root canal treatment.
• Do you have discolored teeth? Bridges will take care of that.
• You can fix a poorly shaped tooth using these dental appliances.

Have you ever wondered why they are called “bridges”? Just like the one that we use to cross over water in order to move from one body of land to another, these dental appliances have the same function; they fill in the gap or space created.

They look a bit like crowns that are placed on spaces in between two or more teeth. After the placement procedure is done, many patients have reported that they have regained their ability to speak, chew, or open their mouth properly. It has also helped maintain the shape and structure of their faces. These dental fixtures have also stopped the remaining teeth from drifting apart and out of position.

There are at least three types of bridges. You can ask your family dentist about these:

• Traditional: It is the most common of the three types and is often made of porcelain or ceramics.
• Cantilever: This, however, is not highly recommended to be placed at the back of the mouth where it is prone to damaging the other teeth due to the overwhelming force it exerts.
• Maryland Bonded: These are usually made of porcelain or are supported by a metal or porcelain framework.

The cost of getting these dental fittings will depend largely on the type or procedure performed. In many cases, they are covered by medical or health insurance.

If you are faced with the aforementioned oral health issues, these dental fixtures can greatly alleviate the functional and aesthetic problems. What’s more, bridges can last from 5 to 15 years, on the average. But that is not to say that this period cannot be extended. With strict adherence to check up schedules and observance of good dental hygiene, it is not unusual to prolong their useful life.

Are you planning to have bridges fitted? It might just be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make for your oral health. If you are seeking professional dental advice, it's time to call Shumway Dental Care. Their Chandler dentists will ask you questions, examine you, and determine exactly what needs to be done to get you back to normal. Call today for an appointment. Visit http://shumwaydental.com/.

Electric Toothbrush VS Manual Toothbrush

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How do you think an electric toothbrush stands up to its conventional counterpart? We've gathered the thoughts from experts to find out which one is better: the good, old-fashioned or the state-of-the-art.

The electric type is becoming widely used and popular these days. Family dentist and manufacturers say this advanced variety offers superior and exceptional dental cleaning. But how does it really compare to manual toothbrushing?

The goal in using a toothbrush is to get rid of the plaque as well as stimulate the gums, this was explained by John Ictech-Cassis, DDS, DMD. He is a clinical associate professor at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. When asked about his thoughts between the better of the two, he said, "Most toothbrushes will keep the teeth clean if you know how to use them."

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What Is Involved in Having My Teeth Professionally Cleaned?

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Everyone knows that brushing and flossing at least twice daily is vital for good dental health. Unfortunately, even the most diligent brushing and flossing is incapable of keeping your teeth clean and healthy over time. This is why family dentists and cosmetic dentists alike recommend a professional teeth cleaning at least once every six months in addition to regular self-care through brushing and flossing.

Even when you brush your teeth every morning and every night, a regular toothbrush is not able to remove all the plaque that forms on your teeth during the day and at night while you sleep. The plaque you are unable to remove builds up, and over time it mineralizes, meaning it hardens. When plaque mineralizes and hardens, it turns into a substance called tartar. In addition to being very unsightly, tartar is downright impossible to remove with regular brushing and like plaque, it builds up over time without professional cleanings.

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What are the Symptoms of Periodontal Disease?

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Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease, affects a number of adults to varying degrees. Depending on the progression of the disease, one may notice inflamed gums that make teeth sensitive to temperatures and pressure, ultimately weakening the support of teeth and may lead to their loss. 

Family dentists go to great lengths to educate patients of all ages on the importance of oral hygiene to prevent such ravages to oral health, neglect of which may require the attention of cosmetic dentists to repair the damage.

Who Gets Gum Disease and How?

For many, the first time they feel symptoms of gum disease is usually once it had progressed significantly. This usually comes after ignoring milder states of periodontal infections such as gingivitis. This is almost always the direct effect or improper hygiene practices that allows plaque to build up along the gumline. This accumulation of bacteria applies itself as a film that traps in food and foreign agents that harden to become tartar. At this point, only a professional cleaning can address what brushing could have avoided.

Who is Most at Risk?

Obviously the unhygienic are most susceptible for contracting gum disease and oral infections. There are developmental changes, such as puberty and menopause that can increase the probability of developing gum disease. There are some with medical conditions that make them more prone to all kinds of infections and disease. But there are also lifestyle choices and habits that increase the likelihood of contraction.

Smokers of cigarettes are exposed to carcinogens that can contribute to tartar build, and regular smokers are at higher risk for treatment due to lower immunities to combat infection. Those with Type-2 or Adult Onset Diabetes regularly develop infections that can lead up to gum disease, if this coupled with a high sugar and/or carbohydrate diet, contributing additives to plaque are introduced.

What are Signs of Gum Disease?

As with all infections, the body communicates that something is wrong as fast as possible. Most people don't recognize these warning signs, increasing the chance of irreparable damage, discomfort, and pain.

For many, the symptoms are the same. One will experience foul breath, swollen and inflamed gums, tenderness, bleeding, discomfort when eating and drinking, increased sensitivity, and discoloration of teeth. While any one of these symptoms may not be indicative of gum disease, several of them warrant immediate attention from a dentist.

How is Gum Disease Treated?

As with other visits to the dentist, there will be a recounting of medical history to assess the past health of the patient. This will be followed up by an examination to determine the extent of the infection and the state of the gums and teeth. There are many treatment options that are readily available to dentists, and the method chosen depends on the patient and their condition. Irrespective of the method of treatment, the patient will be expected to reevaluate their method of oral hygiene to prevent a second infection.

In addition to this change in lifestyle and daily routine, most dentists will encourage regular visits and deep cleanings to remove tartar that may have been missed in the months prior.

If you are seeking professional dental advice, it's time to call Shumway Dental Care. Their Chandler dentists will ask you questions, examine you, and determine exactly what needs to be done to get you back to normal. Call today for an appointment. Visit http://shumwaydental.com/.

Restorative Dentistry – A Guide to Dental Inlays and Onlays

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Dental inlays and onlays are dental restorations that many patients find preferable to traditional fillings and crowns. Those who favor them feel that they provide a more secure, precise, and longer-lasting solution to cavities, tooth decay, and chipped teeth.

The difference between an inlay and an onlay versus a traditional filling is how it is shaped and fitted into the tooth. Whereas a filling is molded directly into the tooth cavity where it subsequently solidifies, inlays and onlays are molded into shape in a dental lab and then fitted to the damaged tooth by family dentists or cosmetic dentists.

When the restoration is made to the middle of the tooth, it is classified as an "inlay," as opposed to an "onlay" which is used to repair tooth damage that involves a "cusp," or protruding point.

Therefore, inlays are most often used in place of dental fillings for cavities, and onlays are an alternative to dental crowns.

Why choose dental inlays and onlays over their more traditional and common alternatives? There are several reasons:

Preserving Your Teeth: Because all the work on an inlay or onlay is done in a lab and the result is inserted into the tooth only after it is completed, as much as possible of your natural tooth material is preserved. When you have a filling or get a crown made, the dentist has to sand down and chip away at even more of your tooth before he even gets to work on the restorative process.

More Durable Material: Resin-based tooth fillings and traditional crowns are known for wearing away, breaking down, chipping, and cracking over time. How many times have you known someone who had to go in for an unexpected dental procedure because his crown popped off or broke? It happens constantly. Inlays and onlays often fit better and require less material, and the material that is used is stronger and more durable.

A Better Fit: Traditional fillings that harden after the procedure have a reputation for shrinking over time. This can open up new cavities which will necessitate additional filling material. Likewise, full crowns can be bulky and uncomfortable when fitted onto your tooth. Inlays and onlays use the minimum amount of material necessary, and that material is immutable in shape and size, meaning it won't wear away or erode and leave you open for new decay.

Less Discoloration: It should be noted that fillings have come a long way from the ostentatious, shiny gold material that was used for decades. The resin used in modern fillings is formulated to be the same color as your tooth, so after the filling is inserted and it solidifies, no one will notice it is there unless they look extremely closely. However, over time, this material is much more susceptible to discoloration than is your natural tooth enamel. Inlays and onlays, on the other hand, possess the same protective qualities against discoloration that your teeth do. That means as long as you take the proper measures to keep your teeth white and free from stains, your inlays or onlays will uphold their white coloring as well.

If you are seeking professional dental advice, it's time to call Shumway Dental Care. Their Chandler dentists will ask you questions, examine you, and determine exactly what needs to be done to get you back to normal. Call today for an appointment. Visit http://shumwaydental.com/.

Dental X-Rays Are Safer Than They Used to Be

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One of the most important tools family dentists use is the dental x-ray. X-rays allow dentists to determine conditions that may not be evident during visual examination. Hidden conditions, such as root disease, impacted teeth and problems of the jaw can be found. Problems that may affect successful rejuvenation of teeth can be detected by cosmetic dentists. Today, both x-ray equipment and techniques have been refined to a high level of precision that makes them safer than ever.

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