Tuesday, March 17, 2015

A Cosmetic Dentist Can Improve Your Health and Smile

Cosmetic Dentist
As a cosmetic dentist, we practice in a field of dentistry that has been around from the very inception of the science. When you consider why man first started looking for ways to care for his teeth, you realize that it was a desire to have better teeth, whiter teeth, or to simply keep natural teeth that lead to the creation of modern dentistry. While much has changed since those first days, cosmetic dentistry is still seen as dental work that works to improve the appearance of teeth, gums, and the bite. This definition is accurate, but we believe that it only tells part of the story. As science is developing a deeper understanding of our teeth, so too is it becoming clearer that the gap between cosmetic and functional dentistry is not quite as wide as once believed. Today’s cosmetic dentist performs a number of vital procedures including crowns, gingivectomies, and bridge that are paramount to the health, hygiene, and functionality in the human mouth. 

For example, cosmetic dentistry encompasses the fitting of a dental crown. Who can imagine a world, today, where we do not have the benefit of a dental crown? A crown is a synthetic tooth that is used to cap a broken or damaged tooth in such a way that no one can tell the difference between the real tooth and the replacement. Crowns are used in cases of an accidental breaking, chipping, or cracking of a tooth and also in cases where the tooth has been damaged by an infection. In either case, we have the option of removing some of the enamel, in a process known as shaving, and replacing it with a full or partial dental crown that takes the place of the natural tooth. We know that this helps with appearance, but it is equally important to note that teeth play a vital role in chewing, biting, and speaking. When cosmetic dentistry replaces a damaged tooth with a crown, we are giving you back the full range of functionality with that tooth, and that is more than just cosmetic in nature.

Think about the fact that somewhere between 30% and 40% of the population suffers from a malocclusion. A malocclusion is the misalignment of your teeth to form an overbite, underbite, open bite, crowded teeth, or even those unsightly gaps some people have between their teeth. Since malocclusion does not pose a direct threat to dental health, the correction of this condition has been deemed to be cosmetic in nature. The challenge with this is that uncorrected malocclusion can lead to serious dental challenges that will impact your mouths functionality.

People who suffer from malocclusion often have a very hard time cleaning every part of their teeth. This is because typically, the teeth are misplaced and have uneven gaps between them. The unevenness creates challenges for the brush to reach every nook and cranny, and often makes it impossible for a person to floss. The plaque that is left behind builds up and eventually leads to dental problems like cavities, bacterial infections, and gingivitis; all of which can be avoided by having  us, as a cosmetic dentist, resolve the malocclusion in your mouth. This is only one of the ways that improving the appearance of your teeth, can also improve your oral health. 

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Pinhole Surgical Rejuvenation Is Idea for Diabetic Patients

Pinhole Surgical Rejuvenation
We offer Pinhole Surgical Rejuvenation for patients suffering from gum disease.  This is a common condition that millions of adults experience at some point in their lifetime.  When bacteria and plaque build up under the gums, it can cause irritation and make the gums swell, bleed, or even start to recede.  This is a serious condition that if left untreated can often cause bone and tooth loss.  For this reason, we recommend that you have the condition treated right away.
For many people, the idea of having gum disease treated is far from pleasant.  This is because the standard treatment involves using dental tools to pull the gums away from the tooth and scrape out the plaque and tartar.  This, understandably, causes irritation and discomfort.  In our dental office, we use lasers as a viable and more comfortable alternative to traditional therapy.  This ensures that our patients can receive the care that they need, without the sensitivity.

If, however, the gums have started to recede, Pinhole Surgical Rejuvenation is a way to restore the gums.  Gum recession occurs when the gums pull away from the tooth structure, and pockets are created in the gum tissue.  Bacteria tends to gather there and will eventually start to attack the tooth, causing bone loss.  Restoring the gum tissue and securing it back around the tooth is necessary for protecting the tooth.  The standard method of doing so is with a gum graft.  In this scenario, tissue is taken from the roof of the mouth or a tissue donor and sutured to the gums prior to them being secured back around the tooth.  The procedure is effective but invasive, leading to a longer recovery time.

In order to find a faster and more comfortable way to accomplish the same thing, we now offer PinholeSurgical Rejuvenation.  In this procedure, there is no cutting, no sutures, and no discomfort. Instead of cutting open the gum tissue, a small needle size hole is created so that we can get inside of the gum tissue.  By moving the collagen around, the body makes more collagen, further stimulating the growth of additional gum tissue. The needle size hole will close up on its own, so no sutures are necessary. In fact, most patients have healthy looking gums (no sign of a procedure) the very next day.  This is in comparison with gums that have undergone surgery and look like it.

The reason that this procedure is so much better for diabetics is due to how difficult it can be for a diabetic to recover from any type of procedure.  When blood sugar is uncontrolled, it inhibits the ability of the white blood cells to fight infection and heal the body. This creates complications when a diabetic has dental work done, or any type of physical procedure because it can create a much longer recovery time.  A traditional gum graft takes two to three weeks to recover from for healthy patients.  For a diabetic, this could be a month or longer.  Using Pinhole Surgical Rejuvenation instead, means that a diabetic can have healthy gums without the risk of further complications or a delayed recovery.


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