Among the many changes that women experience in their bodies when they become pregnant, changes to their oral health may be among the most surprising and perplexing. Pregnancy can put women at higher risk of certain oral conditions, such as gingivitis and cavities, so it’s good to know what signs to look out for and how to prevent problems. There’s an old saying that “You’ll lose a tooth for every baby.” It was once believed that pregnancy caused tooth decay so severe that a woman should expect at least one of her teeth to decay beyond repair or fall out each time she got pregnant. Thankfully ..read more

As dental professionals, our ultimate goal is for every one of our patients to live their whole lives without losing their teeth. However, in the unfortunate situation that a patient is missing their teeth, dentures are a great solution to return a smile to beauty and function. Dentures have a long and legendary history, and modern technology has made today’s dentures even more natural-looking and customized than ever before. The earliest examples of dentures appeared in the 7th Century B.C. The ancient Etruscans used a combination of gold wire and human and animal teeth to create these e ..read more

As dental professionals, most of what we do is about relieving and preventing pain. However, sometimes post-procedure pain is an unfortunate but unavoidable step on the road to a healthy and functional smile. If you end up needing a dental procedure, we will give you specific recommendations for how to relieve any pain as part of your post-treatment instructions. In the meantime, here is an overview of pain relievers in relation to your dental health care. Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers are medications that don’t require a prescription from a doctor to bu ..read more

Most patients, especially those in suburban areas near cities, have two choices for the types of dental practices they can go to. There are classic privately-owned practices, which are small businesses where the supervising dentist is also the owner. There are also corporate dental offices (also called DSOs) which are owned and run by corporations, and the dentists that practice within them are employees of the corporation. Clinically speaking, the quality of care at a corporate dental center versus  privately-owned dental practices will be roughly the same. Both types of dental practices ..read more

There are many ways to replace missing teeth & restore your smile, & bridges are a good permanent solution. They can replace one or more missing teeth, including molars, & cannot be removed, unlike dentures. Bridges are called bridges because they create a “bridge” between teeth. The false tooth, called a pontic, is connected to the surrounding existing teeth or implants. The teeth or implant where the bridge is attached is called an abutment. There are four major types of bridges: 1. Traditional Bridges Traditional bridges are held in place by dental crowns placed over the two exi ..read more

The professional teeth whitening process starts with a consultation with your dentist. Not everyone is a good candidate for teeth whitening, which is why you want to talk to a dentist before you have it done. If you have large fillings or crowns (caps) on your front teeth, teeth bleaching is not a good idea. The chemicals will bleach your natural teeth but not your dental restorations (which are made from ceramic, porcelain or composite material), resulting in your teeth being different colors. Teeth whitening is most effective on yellow discoloration, and can be less effective on brown or gra ..read more

Most people get their dental insurance through their employer, who will choose it depending on what they expect the dental needs of their employees are. However, if you are self-employed, not working, or your employer doesn’t offer dental insurance, you can sign up for dental insurance as an individual. Whether you’re buying dental insurance for yourself or you’re the person at a company who’s in charge of this task, it’s important to understand some basics about how dental insurance works so you can choose the best plan. Some may be surprised to hear this, but dental insurance doesn’t really ..read more

Have you ever looked at a celebrity smile & wished your smile could be equally perfect. Well, it’s no big secret among dentists that most Hollywood stars were not born with perfect teeth. For many celebrities, their Hollywood smiles are achieved with the help of cosmetic dentistry, particularly porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are a great option if you want to improve the appearance of your smile efficiently & affordably. Compared to other cosmetic dentistry procedures, such as dental implants, crowns or even orthodontic braces, veneers are less invasive & often less expen ..read more

If you’re looking to find the right dentist & establish a “dental home” for your family, you may wonder what the difference is between a pediatric dentist (a.k.a. a kids’ dentist) & a general dentist. The first thing to know is that all dentists are qualified to treat children. There is no difference between the DDS, DMD or BDS degrees that both types of dentists hold. All dental school training includes understanding the developmental stages of mouth development, from the first tooth in infancy all the way through the arrival of wisdom teeth in late adolescence or early adulthood. Chi ..read more

Dental implants are the latest & greatest in dental technology that allows dentist to replace missing teeth permanently. You may know that implants can replace teeth & are used in complete smile reconstructions & makeovers. But you may also not be sure exactly what dental implants are, & how they work. That’s why we’ve written this simple & quick intro to dental implants. If you want more detail about the implant procedure or want to find out if you’re a good candidate for dental implants, please call us to schedule an implant consultation visit. First, we want to familiari ..read more