What is Laser Dentistry, How Does it Work, and How Can it Help Me?

 Laser dentistry is the way of the future.  Based in modern medical science, a laser is a device that emits a narrow and very intense beam of light that neither diffuses nor spreads out. When focused at close range, these beams act on tissue. Laser dentistry employs this beam to shape or even remove soft or hard tissue. While this may sound bizarre or even painful, in certain procedures, lasers have several distinct advantages over more conventional forms of dentistry.

1) Lasers are Precise: Because lasers are precision instruments, a laser dentist can, with great accuracy, remove unhealthy tissue, without doing any damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Some procedures may not even require sutures.

2) Minimize Bleeding: The high-energy light helps to coagulate blood, thus reducing bleeding.

3) Lasers Speed Up Healing Time: because the high-energy beam sterilizes the area, the risk of bacterial infection is reduced which speeds up the healing.  This is one of the main benefits of laser dentistry since it allows you to feel normal, faster.

4) Lasers Reduce The Need For Anesthesia: A laser dentist has much less need to use anesthesia because lasers can often be used in place of painful drilling and incisions.

5) Lasers are Quiet: While this may not sound like a technologically important point, the sound of a conventional  drill often makes patients very uncomfortable and anxious.  When using lasers, our patients are more relaxed and comfortable in general.

Lasers and Gum Disease

Lasers were approved by the FDA in the early 90's and are fast becoming the instrument of choice in a number of dental procedures. Laser dentistry is especially effective in treating gum disease, most notably Gingivitis and Periodontitis.  Since we specialize in using lasers to treat gum disease, many people visit our office that are under the care of a general dentist, but are interested in a faster and more comfortable treatment.

What you should know about gum disease.

Gingivitis happens when there is an inflammation of the gums, caused by bacteria and plaque buildup. Typically the gums are red,  inflamed and bleed during tooth brushing. While,  characterized by redness and swelling, chronic and untreated gingivitis leads to Periodontitis, which is a far more serious condition.

Periodontitis is when the gum recedes from the teeth, forming pockets that collect debris. Plaque spreads below the gum line, and as the pockets become infected, the bacteria begin to destroy the connective tissue that holds the teeth in place. The teeth get loose and eventually fall out. Periodontitis is the primary cause of tooth loss in adults.

Gum disease is primarily caused by poor oral hygiene that leads to the buildup of plaque. However, are a number of other factors, including hormonal changes that can occur during pregnancy and puberty, etc. can cause gum disease. Also included are certain medications, illnesses that affect the immune system, and a family history of gum disease.

Prior to laser technology, treating periodontal or gum disease was a matter of deep cleaning the pockets of all plaque and tartar, which harbor the bacteria, along with a course of strong antibiotics. In more advanced cases, the procedure could be classified as surgery. However, all too often the periodontal disease came back, which caused many to wonder if the disease could ever be fully and finally cured. However, lasers have considerably simplified and improved the treatment by vaporizing diseased tissue, and killing the bacteria that caused the disease. Since there are no strains of bacteria that can resist the laser, you can be certain that your gums will start to heal.  By using laser dentistry, we can even help healthy gum tissue to surround your teeth like it once did.  This is a revolutionary way to treat this age-old problem so call our office to learn more.

The Link Between Gum Recession and Smoking

Smoking is a common habit, but many people do not realize it is a direct link to gum recession. There are many alarming stories about smoking and the negative effects it may have on your general health, but many people do not know that it can also greatly affect your oral health by creating an increased risk for gum disease and even oral cancer. Gum recession is a common issue in adults, and the cause is often not realized. If you have a history of smoking, you may fall victim to gum recession, or you could possibly already be experiencing it. The risk of gum disease and one of its major accomplices, gum recession, increases substantially when you smoke cigarettes or use tobacco in any form.

One of the first signs of periodontal disease, a detrimental condition that develops in your gums and causes deep infection and tooth loss, is gum recession. When you have not kept up with dental visits or made oral hygiene a priority, you may fall prey to periodontal disease. A few other factors, like smoking, can also contribute to the potential development of the condition. Since smoking involves direct contact with nicotine, smoke, and other toxins to your teeth, gums, tongue, and the roof of your mouth, all of those tissues become weakened over time, increasing your chances of gum recession. Every time that you smoke you become more susceptible to developing problems with your gums. If gum recession is caught in the beginning stages, it can be slowed and nearly reversed, but if smoking continues and gum recession persists, you can have irreversible and unappealing damage that causes great discomfort. Even if your gum recession can be helped, smokers have a slower healing process because their oral tissue is generally weaker than the average non-smoker.

Not only does gum recession mar your appearance, it can also cause you to experience discomfort when you eat due to the exposed nerve endings near your teeth. These exposed nerve endings make your teeth more susceptible to decay. Even if your teeth are worked on and preventative measures are taken, you may still be subjected to tooth loss because of continued smoking. These problems are a physical and financial burden. Replacing lost teeth can be expensive and time-consuming, and your replacement teeth may never be as high-functioning as your natural teeth were. However, if you have your gums treated at the first sign of gum disease, the damage can be reversed, and your teeth may be saved.

If you smoke and already have some gum recession, we are able to help. If you are a smoker and are not sure if your gums are showing signs of recession, we can tell you. You can also watch for signs that include red and swollen gums, bleeding gums, and teeth that appear longer than normal. If you have neglected your oral health by continued smoking, now is the time to start paying attention. Visit our office at the first sign of a problem to give yourself the best chance of having healthy gums and retaining your natural teeth.

A Cosmetic Dentist Can Improve Your Health and Smile

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. 

Pinhole Surgical Rejuvenation Is Idea for Diabetic Patients

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.

Gum Recession  >  Periodontist

What to Expect and How to Plan for After Oral Surgery

If you need oral surgery, you have come to the right place.  We are experts and can complete your surgery quickly and with efficiency.  This is critical because not every dentist is an expert oral surgeon, so you need to ask what percentage of their practice is surgical and how frequently they perform this particular procedure.  Having this information at hand will enable you to determine who the best provider is for your particular situation.  As with anything, the more frequently a dentist performs surgery, the better they will be.

Regardless of what type of surgery you have, there will be a recovery process.  Surgery, in its very nature, is invasive so you cannot expect to have an operation and head back to normal life the moment you step off of the operating table.  Instead, it is better to have a realistic expectation and make preparations for how you will feel.  We like to start by advising you to have someone with a comfortable car drive you home.  We perform operations under anesthesia so you will probably feel sleepy when we are done.   If you can have someone drive you home and put you to bed, you will probably sleep for several hours, making the recovery go by faster.

The day before your oral surgery, you should prepare by eating a large dinner.  Unless you have diabetes, you will probably not be allowed to eat for twelve hours before the procedure so make sure that your dinner is filling and contains protein for sustained energy.  You should also get your bed ready with extra pillows that are positioned so you can recline, rather than lay flat on your bed.  We also recommend putting water bottles on your nightstand along with a bottle of ibuprofen and some pudding snacks, or other food that is room temperature and soft, since you won't be able to eat anything significant for 24 to 48 hours after the procedure.

You should also purchase some soft ice packs from the drug store.  Buy several so that you don't have to wait for the one you are using to freeze again before placing it back onto your face.  You can use ice for fifteen minutes at a time with fifteen-minute breaks in between.  This will help the swelling to be reduced so that you can feel comfortable and heal faster.  If you have someone to help with this process – excellent.  If not, try to prepare as much as you can ahead of time so that you won't have to get out of bed and can focus on relaxing during your recovery.

We will also give you an antibiotic to take to help reduce the risk of an infection along with gauze to stop and control the bleeding.  If you have any problems during the first 24 to 48 hours after oral surgery, call our office so that we can advise you as to the next steps.  Otherwise, once 48 hours have passed the swelling should be all or mostly gone and you can start to eat the majority of foods again as long as you continue to avoid anything that is sharp like pretzels or chips.

Implant Dentist  >  Dental Implants

An Implant Dentist Compares Dentures, Dental Bridge, and Implants?

As an implant dentist, we specialize in replacing teeth using a permanent solution – dental implants.  We feel that this is the best option for replacing missing teeth, however, we understand that it can be confusing to understand all of the options since both dentures and dental bridges are also used to replace teeth.  While they all provide a viable option, there are clear pros and cons to each and with that in mind, here is what you need to know –

• Dentures.  This method of replacing teeth has been common for hundreds of years with even our Founding Fathers wore dentures made of animal bone and human teeth.  These dentures were smelly and didn't last very long but, fortunately, technology has improved and today's dentures are made of a synthetic materials that mimic the appearance of your natural gums and teeth.  They can last for a long time and provide you with a way to eat and speak, without major issues.  When wearing dentures, however, it can be difficult to eat certain harder foods and those with a full set may even lose some of the flavor sensations that they used to have.  Simultaneously, if the fit isn't perfect, they can slip out of place or make a clicking sound when eating or speaking.  They must also be removed at night and soaked, so they do require adjusting your daily routine somewhat.
• Dental bridges.  Those wearing a dental bridge, have a more permanent tooth replacement option that can look natural.  As an implant dentist, we even have some patients that combine the concept of a bridge with implants by having a set of teeth prepared and then implanted as a unit, rather than one at a time.  Traditionally, however, when people wear dental bridges, they are placed by securing a dental crown onto the two teeth that are surrounding the missing one, then these crowns hold the bridge and synthetic tooth or teeth in place.  Once secure, it is possible to eat most if not all, foods, and the bridge looks entirely natural and shouldn't slip out of place.  The main challenge with a bridge is that your other teeth must be in place and strong enough to withstand the procedure.  This will, however, make permanent changes to the makeup of those teeth that cannot be reversed. 
• Dental implants.  As an implant dentist, we prefer this solution because an implant doesn't require the strength or existence of any other teeth but can rely on its own strength that is gained through a process called osseointegration.  In this procedure, a titanium post is implanted under the gums and secured to the jawbone.  The bone and metal will fuse together to create a root system that the new tooth is attached to.  With a new root system in place, the new tooth behaves like a natural one and is just as durable.  Medically, the main benefit to this solution over the others is that the implant will actually strengthen the jawbone and prevent future bone loss. 

To learn more about working with an implant dentist, call and schedule a consultation.

Dental Implants  >  Implant Dentistry

The Importance of Implant Dentistry for Your Overall Health

We perform implant dentistry procedures for patients that have lost one or several teeth.  Losing teeth is an unfortunate reality of adulthood.  It is common for adults to lose at least one tooth in their lifetime, in spite of advances in dental care.  This can be due to poor oral hygiene, a lack of dental care, or an accident.  Regardless of why a tooth has fallen out, replacing it is critical for the health of your jaw and your body.  

Many people make the mistake of thinking that replacing a tooth is about vanity or keeping their smile intact.  This is an important part of it, but there are greater health reasons for undergoing the procedure.  When a tooth falls out, the roots do as well, and the roots are important for the ongoing health of the jaw.  They help to strengthen it, and when a person has lost too many teeth, the jaw can actually become weaker.  With implants surgery, a titanium post is inserted under the gums and screwed into the jawbone. While this may sound uncomfortable, we will provide you with sedation to ensure that you feel well during the procedure.  This aspect of the procedure is critical to helping your jaw to remain strong.  Through the process of osseointegration, the metal post and jawbone will fuse together, similar to how a natural root would.  As a result, your jaw will be strengthened, and the shape of your face preserved. 

The importance of jaw preservation cannot be overstated and if you look at pictures of people that have lost teeth you can see why. Once a tooth has fallen out the alveolar bone will start to decrease in height, width and volume.  In the first year alone, twenty-five percent of this bone can be lost.  As the starts to deteriorate the gums around it will also be compromised, and if left untreated, this can greatly influence your ability to eat and speak clearly.  Over time, more of the bone structure will be lost until the face starts to have a sagging appearance unless you undergo an implant dentistry procedure.  

When the back teeth are lost only, some people don’t see the importance of getting dental implants since this area cannot be seen when smiling.  It is, however, incredibly important because when the back molars are lost the front teeth have the burden of supporting the jaw.  They were not designed to do so and have difficulty supporting the weight.  This can cause the space in between your nose and chin to shrink, further impacting your appearance. 

While bone loss does play a major role in your appearance, it can also be dangerous to your health.  As the jaw becomes weakened, it is more susceptible to breaking. Even a slight bump or something like a basic car wreck can then cause a major break and subsequent surgical procedures to be required. This can be avoided by replacing missing teeth with implant dentistry that can in turn strengthen the jawbone and prevent further damage to your health or appearance.