An In-Depth Look At Dental Implants

Many individuals still experience tooth loss no matter the numerous dental developments we've had so far. People lose their teeth for many reasons, incorporated within this tooth decay, gingivitis or even due to injuries or accidents. In the past, people who lost their teeth didn’t think of replacing them or people who were able to afford it got bridges and veneers to cover the problem. Throughout these modern times in dental development and advancement, however, people who lose their teeth choose tooth implants.


The Consultation

Before any methods can start, an individual must talk to their dental professional. Throughout the first consultation, the dental professional, and frequently occasions a periodontist, will examine the region that requires the implant. While analyzing the mouth, they'll make sure that there's enough bone to aid the process. If there's insufficient bone, there's always a choice of getting a bone graft. Other causes because of not as being a candidate include severe health conditions, however this varies drastically between patients.

Dental Implant Benefits

Unlike veneers or bridges, Denver implant dentist say tooth implants, for most people, last a lifetime. While bridges will also be permanent, they depend around the surrounding teeth to remain in place. However, implants are the very best kind of prosthetic teeth. Being that they are place into the main from the missing tooth they replace, they're an infinitely more natural alternative for that real tooth.

Visually speaking, tooth implants feel and look the same as real teeth without telling someone else, there's without any way for an individual to find out the implant isn't real. Bridges affect the surrounding teeth that they're moored to. This could cause other teeth to begin becoming broken as a result. Since tooth implants only replace just one tooth at any given time and therefore are put into the tooth's root, they don't have any negative effects around the natural teeth or nicotine gums.

Aftercare

The tooth implants will behave as real teeth. Which means that they will have to be blown frequently and also have all the proper dental hygiene connected with natural teeth? Plaque can take shape on the brand new teeth and should be completely removed or it may decrease the durability from the prosthetic tooth.

Financing and price

With respect to the section of alternative, dental professional prices and insurance, just one tooth alternative may cost from $900 - $3,000. If insurance won't cover the process, you will find frequently financing possibilities. Some dental practitioners need obligations and have a listing of third-party companies who'll finance the process and wish monthly obligations.

Which factors can assist you to manage dental implant are more expensive effectively?

If you're searching forward to get the best measures that might help controlling the price of tooth alternative and implantation better, then consider thinking about the next steps:

Detailed discussion having a professional dental professional: Taking a chance over the very best treatment procedure without suggestion of the professional is greatly like beating a rose bush. When you go ahead and take opinion of the qualified dental professional, not just the pre-determined time-frame for that treatment would limit but additionally you'll become familiar with the very best, cost-effective options.

How to Prevent Gum Disease

As strange as it seems , some people think that chewing gum causes gum disease. However, gum

disease comes from plaque and calculus. Plaque is a soft material that is made up of bacteria and food debris that is scraped off by your dental hygienist and daily brushing. When the plaque is not removed though, minerals carried in saliva interact with it and the plaque hardens and turns into calculus. Plaque and calculs can cause decay in teeth and irritate your gum tissue resulting in gum disease.

Dentists call  gum disease periodontal disease: periodontal disease: perio means gums and dontal refers to teeth. This disease affects the gum tissue and is characterized by irritation and redness. When gum disease advances unchecked it affects the bone and ligaments that hold a tooth in place. Gingivitis is the early stage of periodontal disease, and its signs include redness, slight swelling, and bleeding after brushing or flossing. When gingivitis is left untreated it causes the gum to begin receding, or pulling away from the tooth, as which point the gum disease is classified as periodontitis When the bone and ligaments become infected and inflamed, the gum disease is referred to as advanced periodontitis. Bleeding and swelling of the gum tissue, pain pus, halitosis, and loose teeth are the signs of this advanced stage of gum disease.

The Benefits of Porcelain Veneers

Do you have unsightly dental issues that you don’t want to correct with braces or invasive dental

work?

The best cosmetic dentists Denver has to offer say that Porcelain veneers, sometimes called as dental veneers or porcelain laminates, are considered to be a quicker and more suitable solution to cure these defects. These are extraordinarily thin shells that are specially designed to cover up your front teeth so that you would achieve naturally looking teeth. They are permanently attached with special adhesives and are usually fitted and adjusted to cater your dental problems.

More and more people nowadays suffer from various tooth problems such as bent and out-of-proportion teeth, gaps and spaces between them, discolorations and worn-out enamel. While bigger treatments are available to remedy these big problems, some minor teeth defects can be dealt with a more appropriate treatment.

Since porcelain perfectly resembles natural tooth enamel, it's accustomed to make these tooth veneers to ensure that it provides the individual an all natural-searching group of teeth. On the normal tooth, light reflects and travels with the semi-transparent enamel, reflecting the dentin, the following tooth layer, which in turn gives our teeth a naturally pearly gleam. Porcelain works by doing this, thus, it's getting used like a major composition in tooth veneers as well as is really a broadly used material within the cosmetic dentistry industry. Aside from that, porcelain veneers also are not easily blemished as they are actually stain-resistant. Those who are fond of drinking coffee, tea, red wine, or even those who smoke need not worry now about teeth discoloration  If ever these veneers get stained, they can be easily polished and cleaned in a regular dental cleaning procedure such as brushing and flossing.

Because veneers are made out of from extremely durable material, porcelain veneers can last from 5 to 10 years. They could restore strength and functionality to your teeth; for instance, it helps in your strong bite building. Other than that, dental veneers also require minimal invasive procedures and can actually be customized for your convenience and to fit your dental needs. But along all the benefits one can get from placing porcelain veneers, there are also risks that wait, although they are only very minimal. Patients may experience some minor tooth sensitivity right after the procedure. The monetary allotment for this procedure should also be given much thought as the cost usually varies, depending on the number of teeth being treated. In general, porcelain veneers range from $ 700 to $ 2,000 per tooth.

How Porcelain Veneers Are Placed

Veneers are thin laminates that cover the front surfaces of teeth. Even though they are only about half a millimeter thick, they are made of strong porcelain and are therefore extremely durable. To place them, your cosmetic dentist will remove a very small amount of enamel from the fronts of the teeth with a gentle buffing tool. This process creates a space for your porcelain veneers so that your new teeth will look natural and not too thick. Next, we’ll make an impression of your teeth and send it to our dental laboratory so that your porcelain laminates can be constructed. At your second office visit, we will place the veneers on your teeth and bond them with a strong dental cement.

The Tooth Extraction Process

In today's best dental practices, dentists try to save their patients natural teeth.  Although the technology in the dental industry has improved immensely, there are still some instances where a Denver dentist cannot save a tooth.  A simple extraction is usually done by a dentist and more complicated extractions are usually performed by a more experience oral surgeon.

During a tooth extraction, a dentist will use anesthesia so you do not feel any pain during the procedure.  They may also put their patients 'under' with IV sedation. 

Tips for Good Oral Hygiene

Bacteria can live in your mouth in the form of plaque, causing cavities and gingivitis, which can lead to periodontal (gum) disease. In order to keep your mouth clean, you must practice good  oral hygiene every day.

 

What is plaque?

Plaque is a sticky layer of material containing bacteria that accumulates on teeth, including where toothbrushes can't reach. Many of the foods you eat cause the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids. Sugary foods are obvious sources of plaque, but there are others that you might not realize can cause harm. Starches—such as bread, crackers, and cereal—also cause acids to form. Plaque also produces substances that irritate the gums, making them red, sensitive, and susceptible to bleeding. This can lead to gum disease, in which gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets that fill with bacteria and pus. If the gums are not treated, the bone around the teeth can be destroyed and teeth may become loose or have to be removed.

 

How do I brush and floss my teeth?

The American Dental Association recommends the following techniques for brushing and flossing your teeth:

Brushing

• Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums.

• Move the brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes.

• Brush the outer tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.

• Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, using a gentle up-and-down stroke.

• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.

Dental Implants INFOGRAPHIC

Here is a great INFOGRAPHIC on dental implants.  There is a ton of great information about the different types of dental implants, the procedures and their benefits. Getting an implant is a great solution for permanent tooth replacement.  Unlike dentures that can move as you talk - implants look and act like a natural tooth.

For other helpful information; check out Veneers, Dental Bridges and Crowns.

Dental Care for your Dog

I know, I know - a pet dental care blog posts but I figured it was kind of fitting...  Here's a good article about dental care for your dog I found on Hubpages written by eastcoastone.

Dog Dental Care And Dental Maintenance

Looking for a sure fire way to make your dog sick simply ignore it’s dental care. As in people, neglect in dental care may cause illness in other parts of the body.

Studies that began on the late 1990’s in people have shown that the same bacteria that causes, gingivitis, gum disease, and or simple tarter or calcium buildups. Can lead to heart disease and diabetes. In dogs oral bacteria enters the blood stream and ends up in the heart as a calcium buildup or hardening of the arteries.

While nothing beats a complete cleaning at the veterinarian, the $400.00 to $600.00 bill you will receive at the end of the procedure, will probably cause hardening off your arteries. As well and understandably many people are not comfortable having their pet go under anesthesia for a simple cleaning. I do recommend having your dogs teeth cleaned if it is already going under anesthesia for a different problem. This will highly reduce the cost of the cleaning, due to the fact that a majority of the cleaning cost is in the anesthesia. It only cost my dog an extra $190.00 to have her teeth cleaned on top of a procedure she was already having.

What Happens When A Tooth Dies?

It does not matter what actually causes a tooth to die, a patient usually feels little to no pain and will show no signs of an infection.  As the nerve of the tooth dies, toxins are released from the necrotic tissue.  Slow bone destruction is processed in the chronic state and an actual holding area or void will start to fill with material.  Toxins will then be picked up and carried throughout the body through the blood stream resulting in a slow death. 

Most patients won't know right away that damage done to a tooth will result in it's death.  Slowly the tooth will appear darker and a dental x-ray will show a void  or a dead pulp center chamber in the tooth.  Once this happens, the tooth is considered 'Abscessed'. Once a tooth with an abscess is removed you will usually find a cyst as the body created to try and contain the infection.

The picture on the right shows a tooth abscess and infected bulp.  The tooth decay began in the enamel of the tooth and spread to the pulp.

In an acute situation, no void or holding area exists large enough to accommodate the large quantity of purulent matter.

How To Pay for your Dental Work

Post written by: chmkadmin

Paying for dental care is a actually much easier than you might think. Since dental insurance is not nearly as ubiquitous as health insurance (many employers provide limited plans, if anything at all), many dental offices must operate under the assumption that a large percentage of their patients are not covered. Believe it or not, this helps keep the prices much lower than they would be otherwise.

Let's get one thing out of the way early on - outside of regular cleanings and checkups, dental care still is not cheap. Tooth extractions, root canals, fillings, etc... can run several hundred dollars or more per procedure. That said, you will end up paying less in the long run if you follow preventative guidelines, paying for the inexpensive bi-annual cleanings.
 
The biggest factor that works to your advantage is that a local dentist's office wants and cares about your business! That's right, as dentists are not typically governed by some large consortium or group (there are some exceptions) and operate as small businesses, they are much more open to keeping you happy as a customer. Additionally, most dentists are very upfront on the cost of procedures before you get them done. Although you may have a good personal relationship with your doctor as well, your doctor likely does not handle all billing internally (there are exceptions of course), and may not be aware of your ability to pay or not to pay. Additionally, because of the heavy influence of insurance, doctors will not typically post a fee schedule for rendered services beyond the cost of an office visit. This can lead to big problems if you wind up with a bill that's unexpected - whether you have insurance or not. Worse, billing can be so bad from doctors offices - that the first bill you might receive will be from a collection agency. Bad news.

Improving Gum Health With Scaling and Proper Care

Scaling means scraping away. You can scale old food, tartar, or even particles caught under the gum. You usually scale teeth to remove tartar and prevent gum disease. Tartar occurs when a coating of germs hardens on the teeth. Gums press against the tartar build up, and they become sore and infected. Clean teeth help to ensure that your gums stay healthy. Scaling teeth clan help make infected gums healthy again. However, gums can only remain healthy when the teeth are cleaned regularly. If teeth are not cleaned thoroughly and regularly, the tartar will quickly return and infect the gums again.

If you have bleeding of the gums increase the number of times a day you brush and add a rinse of warm salt water to your oral hygiene routine. This will help your gums heal quickly. Have your teeth cleaned as soon as you can to avoid more serious gum health problems. Scaling the teeth will be much easier and more effective after improving your gum health. Have your dentist use their mirror to show you the gum infection in your mouth. After care and proper hygiene, you'll be able to see how much you can improve your gum health with proper dental care.

What is used to Scale Teeth?
Lone Tree dentists say, scaling is done with special instruments called scalers. There are many different types of scalers for different jobs. The most popular scalers are the Ivory C-1 scaler and the G-11 and 12 curette. These two scalers can be used on most of the teeth of your mouth. The Ivory C-1 has two pointed tips to remove tartar from the part of the tooth near the gum. The curette has blunt rounded ends to remove tartar from the part of the tooth under the gum. The ends of the scaler are the most important part to complete the job. One end is bent to the left and the other end is bent to the right, so you can more easily reach all sides of the tooth. The blades at each end of the scalers id sharp so it can easily break apart the tough tartar on the tooth. Other important dental tools used to properly scale the teeth is a mirror, explorer and dental tweezers.

How is A Root Canal Done?

The traditional Lone Tree Dentist goes to great extremes to save a tooth.  A small hole is drilled into the center of the tooth through the top of the chewing surface to allow limited access tot he inner chamber of the tooth that contains the nerve and blood vessels. The middle of the pathway that runs to the tip of the root is called the 'canal'.  Typically the first front six teeth (anteriors) have a single canal and the back teeth (posteriors) have 2 to 4 canals. 

Usually a dentist will use a small file to clean the main canal if they are trying to remove the necrotic or gangrenous tissue of the patient.  A tooth contains miles of tiny tubules and they cannot be cleaned.  The diameter of the tubules is large enough for 12-14 bacteria to fit inside but too small for even one blood cell.  Antibiotics are of no use because the blood supply in the tooth was removed.  Some dentist today will ignore this and seal the tooth which creates a tomb which can be very troublesome as the tomb area is a breeding ground for bacteria.  

For a long time the most common materials used to seal a canal was gutta percha.  Gutta percha is a rubber like substance that is easily packed into the tooth when the material is somewhat warmed.  However, the it cools and sets for 24 hours, shrinking occurs and allows bacteria to esape the the apex of the tooth.  This means a chronic low grade infection or toxic material can be picked up by blood cells and carried throughout the body causing more infection in your kidneys, joints, nervous system, brain or eyes.  

Dental Hypoplasia

With the development, the pursuit of people's quality of life also increased for the diet is also a growing demand. Changes such as diet, coarse texture of baby food from the past, gradually transformed into the texture of soft now. Cakes from the market, the current and mixed with milk to butter cake, chocolate cakes of all kinds are more Western-style soft. These foods look beautiful, sweet large, fragrant, children and young people like to eat. In addition, fruits, many children prefer to eat the soft sweet bananas, and not hard like to eat apples, pears. Plus the one-child families, parents for their children's favorite, for fear of nutrition in children's diet is not high, three meals a day diet are meat, fish, eggs and rice flour, and try to do a soft rot, or the children again red some instant food paste with thick porridge. In addition, many children have picky eaters partial eclipse of the problems, do not like to eat vegetables, fruits, parents turn a blind eye or did not mind, or does not do anything knowingly.

This tendency of children's food is too soft, is in a period of growth for children jaw and tooth development area will have adverse effects. Research shows that child a higher incidence of dental abnormalities, including prevalence Deciduous caries rate of 35.48% of deciduous teeth, permanent teeth prevalence rate of 29.33% ~ 48.87%. Although many causes of dental deformities occur, but the food tends to soft, is one important reason.

Why soft food easy to dental deformity in children do? This is because food valuables in less effort when chewing, chewing muscles are not fully exercise, causing masticatory muscle dysplasia. In addition, the chewing is not hard, and has reduced the stimulation of the jaw, jaw that can not be fully developed. However, with increasing age, the teeth continued growth. Slow maxillary teeth relative growth faster, so that there will be dislocation of teeth, crowded, malalignment, and other types of dental and facial deformity deformity.

Can a Root Canal Fail?

The answer is yes - it is common for a small percentage of root canals to fail or re-abscess.  Usually when this happens it is due to bacteria finding a vent and escaping and this causes toxins to deteriorate bone.  The hard part about this situation is the dental patient won't even know it is happening as the nerve endings  were removed.  This is why it is important to have your root canal inspected several times as sever bone destruction to the maxilla or mandible and cause the tooth to become loose.

If a tooth is re-infected, a procedure called 'apicoectomy' is performed and a bone augmentation may need to be done. This surgical procedure involves making an incision in the gum near the tip of the root and deriding the infected area.  Typically, the tip of the patients root will be removed and the tooth is retro-filled. This means a filling is placed into the tip of the root, essentially filling it from the bottom up.  The material used to fill this area by dentists is called Silver Amalgam.  This needs to be done as quickly as possible to seal the bacteria inside the tooth.
 
It seems that an extraction is suitable option instead of the root canal being performed in the first place.  One must consider the patient's philosophy on health.  Do they want to outlive their teeth of have their teeth outlive them.

Why Are Baby Teeth Important

Baby teeth are just as important to children as permanent teeth are to adults. They help a child to eat, talk and look great. However, many people believe the myth that it is not worth the effort to look after baby teeth. Nor is it worth fixing them. After all, some parents think, the permanent teeth will rake their place. This kin of thinking is understandable. The problem is that we are forgetting one other useful purpose of baby teeth. Baby teeth keep space in the mouth for the permanent teeth to grow in. If there is not enough space, the new teeth will grow in crooked, and cavities grow faster around crooked teeth.

Lone Tree dentists say, under each baby tooth a new permanent tooth is growing. At the same time, extra permanent molars are forming at the back of the mouth, inside the bone. Front baby teeth become loose and fall out in about 5-7 years ahead of back baby teeth. This is because the front permanent teeth are formed and ready to grow in before them.

The permanent molar is often the first of the permanent, or adult, teeth to grow into the mouth. This typically happens around age 6. The first permanent molar grows into the mouth by sliding against the back of the second baby molar. Slowly the upper and lower permanent molars grow in meeting and fitting tightly together.

Tips on Choosing the Best Toothbrush

There is endless information on toothbrushes .What kind to purchase, shouldn't we think about electric toothbrushes, and how regularly if they be displaced, are around the top inquiries we listen.

So here is a diagram of the top 8 tips for picking the right toothbrush for your requirements:

1. Manual Brushes

Manual toothbrushes are discovered in almost each lavatory over the nation. Other than being the most moderate, they are additionally accessible in some diverse shades and outlines. Pick your top choice and use two minutes utilizing it to totally clean your teeth.

2. Electric cell Powered Toothbrushes

An electric cell fueled toothbrush is an improved elective than a manual toothbrush, yet not as viable as a sonic brush. The electric cell fueled brushes work by either turning or moving swarms back and hence. For large groups, a fueled toothbrush is an exceptional elective to a manual toothbrush. Particularly for the individuals who have challenge brushing or who have restricted manual finesse.

3. Sonic Toothbrushes

Sonic engineering is utilized within the rechargeable force brushes accessible at generally retailers. Sonic brushes use a wave-like example to uproot plaque, access challenging territories and knead gum tissues. Research demonstrates that these toothbrushes are the best choice for getting the cleanest mouth conceivable.

4. Youngsters' Toothbrushes

You'll know a youngsters' toothbrush when you see it. They are the ones with shining shades and toon characters on the handle. These brushes are more than only a burden of fun characteristics; they are likewise more diminutive and composed particularly for a tyke's littler mouth.

5. Swarm Texture

Despite the fact that there are a few mixtures of toothbrushes accessible, generally dental experts concur that a delicate abounded brush is best for generally teeth. They make a phenomenal showing of uprooting plaque and flotsam and jetsam from your teeth and they aren't too merciless. Medium and hard swarms are best for cleaning dentures and different machines.

6. Sort of Bristles

The most widely recognized sort of  available, and presumably the kind in your toothbrush at this time, are manufactured swarms. Denver dentist professionals say, synthetics are more often than not either nylon or polyester. Regular abounds are an additional sort, however far less normal. Characteristic swarms are generally made of hog's hair. These brushes are not substantially utilized as they are not as impervious to microbes and the abounds have a tendency to drop out of the brush.

7. Size of the Brush

In the matter of the span of the brush, an exceptional dependable guideline is to pick the size that is generally agreeable for you. Modest headed brushes are for the most part the best decision. They can better achieve all regions of the mouth, incorporating the hard-to arrive at back teeth.

8. Toothbrush Designs

Lone tree dentists say, in many cases, the parts of the brush are a major attention for having the capacity to make a successful showing of brushing your teeth. The sort of handle is a critical focus to acknowledge – perhaps you are more agreeable with a non-slip grasp or adaptable neck. What's more shouldn't we think about the state of the head – do you incline toward decreased or rectangular? What's more even the style of abounds – there are undulated, level or an arch shape.

Most importantly, pick whatever is generally agreeable for you. The best toothbrush is one that fits your mouth and permits you to reach all corners of your mouth with ease.

Dental Implants are a Cost Effective Way to Replace a Tooth

Article written by Guided Surgery Solutions

The International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants (JOMI) recently published a review of 14 studies related to dental implants published from 2000 to 2010 found, compared with tooth replacement using traditional fixed dental prostheses, dental implants: for single-tooth replacement, were either cost-saving or cost-effective, for multiple teeth replacement, were a cost-effective treatment option over the long term and improved oral health, had high patient acceptance, satisfaction, and willingness to pay

The JOMI published a new report concluding dental implants offer a more cost-effective and improved oral health-related quality of life solution compared to traditional tooth replacement treatments.

The report can be found on PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine at the National Institute of Health (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23527335). A systematic review of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted of all studies published in English between 2000 and 2010. In the review, a total of 14 studies on the long-term costs or cost-effectiveness of dental implants were included and resulted in the following findings:

For single-tooth replacement, dental implants were either cost-saving or cost-effective when compared to traditional tooth replacement options.

Food and Drinks for Strong Teeth

Eat cheese and vegetables and drinking water and milk will help keep your teeth healthy.  A drink of water helps wash away any sugar left in your mouth. Have a drink of water after you have eaten or drunk something sweet.  Eating healthy foods that contain vitamin C like veggies and fruits will also help you keep your gums healthy.  Some foods such as cheese and yogurt, contain a mineral called calcium and your teeth need calcium to grow strong.

If you are trying to strengthen your teeth, try eating these foods:

• Milk Cheese
• Yogurt
• Tofu
• Sardines
• Almonds
• White bread
• watercress

Other good food and drink to help your teeth:

• Carrots
• Milk
• Nuts

Food that can Harm Your Teeth
Sweets contain a lot of sugar and when you eat them, some of the sugar will stay in your mouth.  The sugar can start to eat away at your teeth and cause tooth decay. If you do eat sweets, it is important not to eat a lot throughout the day and drink water after your done to rinse your mouth.  

Tips for Finding A Good Dentist for your Kids

Making sure your children make healthy choices and stay current with all medical needs is part of being a good responsible parent.  It helps when you have good doctors to lean of for help.  Like a good pediatric doctor, a good dentist is just as important.  One that is good with children that gets along with your kids so going to the dental office isn't scary.

One thing that you must understand is that dental hospitals are very scary places for kids. They associate the sounds, and even the place itself with immeasurable pain. This makes it crucial that you get your kids used to a good dentist as early on as possible. This is where pediatric dentists come in. Your regular dentist might be great with adults, but treating kids is completely different matter. Children's dentists are specially trained and certified to handle kids; they are trained to know how to talk to kids and alleviate their fears. Not only are they better at establishing a trust-based relationship with your child, they are also better trained to administer anesthetics and sedation, as well as treating children with special needs. However, finding the right pediatric dentist isn't an easy task so here are some tips to help you out.

Relevant Experience, Certification, And License
Your most important consideration should be to check for the dentist's certification and verify it as well. The better the institution they got their certification from, the better they will be. Secondly, make sure they have an active license for practicing pediatric dentistry. These documents are usually displayed at the reception area of dental clinics. Another thing you should keep an eye out for is relevant experience, and how knowledgeable the dentist is about new treatments and procedures. This can help you out tremendously as up-to-date dentists can employ the procedures and treatments that are best suited and most comfortable for your child.

What is Periodontal Disease?

What do you mean my gums have a disease?
Periodontal disease is the last thing you want to hear about when you visit a dentist, but believe it or not he hears those words almost every day. Luckily, unlike the Ebola virus, gum disease is entirely preventable, and in the long run treatable.

What Causes Periodontal Disease?
Gum disease isn't a disease as you immediately think of it. You aren't walking around, flossing your teeth at the mall, when someone coughs periodontal disease into your face. It's more of a case of lack of maintenance, like when you go 10,000 miles without changing the oil in your car on a regular basis. You see, our mouths are filled with millions of microscopic bacteria swimming around. These bacteria are mostly beneficial, but when combined with mucus and other gunk in our mouths they harden to form plaque. We brush and floss our teeth to remove that plaque, and start the process all over again. Of course, sometimes we miss a spot, and some people fail to brush at all. When the plaque hardens, it causes gingivitis, which is a fancy word for "my gums are red, swollen and bleed a lot." Gingivitis, you might say, isn't a big deal. With regular flossing and brushing as well as attention from a dentist, it will be a thing of the past. If left alone, on the other hand, it will become extremely hard and thick. The gums, knowing that gingivitis is gross, will begin to pull away from the teeth. Retreating, if you will.

Who needs those cowards anyway, right? Well, unfortunately your gums are protecting the air pockets around the roots of your teeth. Those formerly helpful bacteria now invade the air pockets, causing infection and pain. Eventually, the process will rot away at the root of the tooth, causing them to fall out. If your mouth were a car, I'd say it's time to take it in to the dealership.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Hygiene

Here are some commonly asked questions many dentist get asked everyday about dental hygiene.  If you do not see a dental question you have, please feel free to add a comment with your question and we'll do our best to answer it for your.

1.) What causes Tooth Decay?
Sugar in foods and drinks turns into an acid in your mouth.  The acid can burn a hole in your tooth which is the start of tooth decay.  Plaque is a sticky paste found on teeth.  Plaque is made by tiny living things called bacteria.  The bacteria in plaque feed on sugar that clings to teeth.  Plaque contains an acid that can make holes in teeth.

2.) What happens with a tooth decays?
If tooth decays reaches the center of a tooth, it causes a terrible pain.  The tricky thing about tooth decay is it does not hurt until it reaches the center of the tooth which is too late.  Nerves are located at the center of the tooth and they are responsible for letting you know you have a cavity.  When the decay reaches the nerves, the tooth throbs with pain and you need to see a Lone Tree dentist to treat the pain.

If tooth decay is not treated, the tooth will die and turn brown.  If a tooth is badly damaged by tooth decay, it may have to be pulled out.  If someone loses a permanent tooth, it will need to be replaced with a false tooth.

Metal Dental Implants

The metal that is commonly used in dental implants is Titanium.  Chemical-toxic reaction can occur as tissure is damaged due to metal ions and metal hydroxides.  These reactions will progress to general reactions since the white blood cells will increase and the phagocytosis border value will exceeded on a local basis.  This is the main reason some people's body's reject their implanted metal and ultimately causes it to fail.

To the various and diverse clinical symptoms, a patient may experience the following side effects from their metal implant:

• Increased sensitivity to spices and food
• Metallic Taste
• Itching tongue
• Burning Mouth

Localized symptoms include blue-gray pigmented areas in the tissue, pale erythema, hypertrophy of the gingiva, ulcerations, depapillation of the tongue and leukoplakias of the mucosa.

Region symptoms include eczema of the face.  This is due to the skin making an effort to detox the metal.

General symptoms may include headaches and increased nervous irritability.

In some instances (very rare) where there is not enough jawbone to fit dentures, implants may be an option.  Teeth are part of your first step to digesting your food so finding a suitable option in dental implants is very important.  Be sure to have your implants cleaned at a local dental office often.  You will damage an implant by using the conventional metal tools that the hygienist use.  Special plastic tools are used for cleaning implants.

Consult with a local dentist or oral surgeon as to what dental implant options are out there and suitable for your mouth. 

Content found in the book "Let the Tooth be Known" written by Dawn Ewing RHD.

5 Tips for Senior Dental Care

Oral health is a lifelong process. While we all know that brushing daily is important, for seniors, there are specific concerns and issues that arise with increased age. Here are five tips to help you maintain a healthy smile throughout your golden years.

1.    Chew Smart
Dry mouth is a common side effect of many medications and cancer treatments. Unfortunately, this means that dry mouth often affects seniors, who tend to be on more medication as they age.
Dry mouth is caused by a reduction in saliva flow; to combat this occurrence, most people will chew gum or candies. However, sugar can actually harm your oral health by feeding bacteria in your mouth. Bacteria growth can lead to much more serious dental problems including gum disease, so dentists recommend patients chew sugarless gum and candy.
2.    Go Electric
Arthritis and poor eyesight can make your daily oral health routine a hassle and a challenge. One simple way to make your life easier is to invest in an electric toothbrush. Where gripping and brushing movements can exacerbate your arthritic pain, having an automated toothbrush can make a big difference in improving your routine while still effectively brushing your teeth.
3.    Eat Right
Your diet affects more than just your waistline. To promote a healthy mouth and teeth, continue to focus on eating right. Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar, because these contribute to oral disease and tooth decay. Instead, focus on eating foods like sugar-free yogurt, fruits and vegetables like apples and celery, and of course, your daily servings of calcium in milk and cheese. These all serve to combat natural enemies to your oral health, like bacteria and inflammation, and promote strong and healthy teeth.

Finding An Affordable Dental Plan

Good oral health is very important for our overall well being. Any dental problem must never be ignored but most of us do so because the cost of dental services is very high. The rising cost of dental services has made affordable dental plans very important to buy. Here are some tips for finding out some of the best plans:
• The first and the most important tip is not to look for the cheapest option. Instead of finding the cheapest option, look for a plan that offers value for the money it costs. Affordable does not mean cheap and an affordable plan should be able to offer at least the minimum services required for dental care.
• Ideally the plan should allow you to choose your own dentist. If not any particular dentist, then at least you should have few good options to choose from the dentists in the network of the service provider. This will assure that you get quality services.

Top Dental Tips for Children

Sometimes it becomes quite difficult for the parents to teach correct dental care to their children. However, it is very important to make them realize the importance of dental care so as to avoid various dental problems which may crop up in later years of a child's life. Apart from providing good dental care, it is also important for parents to impart good dental habits in initial stages of a child's life. Following are some great dental tips for your kids.

- Impart good dental care habits
It is important to impart proper dental care habits to the kids as soon as possible. If you are successful in impart good dental care habits, your child wont face any dental problems in later stages of life. Also, you should take your child to a dentist once every six months.

- Opt for fluoride toothpaste
Fluoride toothpaste must be used for the kid as it helps to control as well as prevent decay in tooth. For children who are under the age of three years, fluoride toothpaste should ideally contain 1350 to 1500 ppm of fluoride. However, you must tell them not to lick or consume the toothpaste.