What Does It Take to Treat Bruxism?

The good news about treating bruxism is that, for many patients, it’s relatively simple. The condition, which describes the constant grinding of your teeth (often, at night), may be alleviated by wearing a custom-designed bruxism appliance when you sleep at night. However, the problem with treating bruxism is that many people who suffer from it don’t realize it yet. By the time they do, treating bruxism might also require repairing one or more damaged teeth in order to restore their smiles. (more…)

How Can You Identify TMJ Pain?

Many of the most common dental health problems you can experience are relatively simple to identify. For instance, if your tooth begins to feel sensitive or develops a toothache, then the problem is often the beginning stages of a cavity. If your gums bleed slightly when you brush and floss your teeth, then they may be in the early stages of gingivitis. The problem with TMJ disorder, however, is that the potential symptoms it can lead to aren’t always as easily identifiable as the signs of other conditions. Identifying TMJ pain and the disorder behind it might not be simple on your own, but fortunately, your dentist can help you determine if you might benefit from customized TMJ treatment. (more…)

Why Choose Porcelain Veneers to Improve Your Smile?

There are a lot of different ways in which your dentist can help you improve your smile and oral health, depending on the specifics of your oral health. This can make choosing the right option for your smile more difficult in some cases, especially when your smile’s concerns aren’t simple or straightforward. For instance, if you have multiple teeth with different issues to deal with, then porcelain veneers might be able to improve your smile’s entire appearance in a more convenient manner than you expect. (more…)

Potentially Serious Consequences of Crooked Teeth

The alignment of your natural teeth plays a bigger role in your oral health than just dictating your smile’s appearance. When teeth are crooked, they’re often unable to function to their full capabilities, and the imbalances in your bite pressure can lead to a wide range of other potentially serious problems. Today, we examine a few of these problems, and why it’s important to correct your crooked teeth with the right orthodontic treatment as soon as possible to avoid them. (more…)

What Sleep Apnea Treatment Could Improve for You

When you address any concern with your oral or overall health, the greatest benefit is removing any threat that the condition may pose to your systemic wellbeing. In the case of sleep apnea, the potential threats are a lot more significant than many people realize, and treating your sleep disorder effectively can help improve several other aspects of your quality of life. Today, we examine a few ways in which sleep apnea can impact these aspects, and how treating your sleep apnea with a custom-designed sleep appliance can help you. (more…)

What It Might Take to Deal with Your Gum Disease

Preserving the health and integrity of your smile generally means protecting it from common issues that could threaten your teeth and/or other oral tissues. In most cases, this means actively preventing them by preventing the excessive buildup or oral bacteria that lead to their development. However, if a problem does develop within your natural tooth structure or oral tissues, then protecting your smile will mean addressing the concern as soon as possible with appropriate, personalized treatment. In the case of gum disease, this can mean different things depending on the extent of your condition. (more…)

What Makes Tooth Loss Such a Problem?

If you experience tooth loss, it may not be difficult to realize that it’s a problem. Your smile’s appearance won’t look the same, your bite can have trouble functioning, and over time, the loss can have a detrimental impact on almost every aspect of your oral health. However, people who’ve never lost one or more teeth may easily underestimate how serious of a problem it could be, or the importance of preventing it for the good of their long-term oral health. (more…)

Take Care To Cut Bad Habits Out Of Your Brushing Routine

toothbrushes in containerMany people who are committed to preventing tooth decay make mistakes in their oral care routine that end up hurting them. Someone who is confident that they maintain healthy teeth can learn that they have one cavity, or even several, during a dental exam! This can be a consequence of more than just infrequent brushing. Aggressive brushing, a rushed routine, and other issues can affect the quality of your oral hygiene efforts. At our Gary, IN dentist’s office, we can talk with you about maintaining a successful approach to cavity prevention during exams. By making positive changes, you can reduce your risk for problems that will require restorative dental work. (more…)

Keeping Your Smile Healthy With Preventive Care

It’s always worth taking basic precautions that can prevent you from becoming sick. The same is true of your oral health. By taking basic steps on a daily or regular basis, you can prevent gum disease and tooth decay. Preventing these problems will not only spare you discomfort, but it will also spare you the cost of restorative dentistry. Preventive care is the best way to keep your smith healthy. If you’re not already taking advantage of these simple preventive care methods, then now is the time to start. (more…)

How Does a Cavity Lead to Root Canal Treatment?

When a cavity first develops, it often causes your tooth to become more sensitive as the decay behind it erodes your tooth structure. This is one reason why cavities are often treated before they become more serious, and before the discomfort they cause can become more intense. However, when a cavity isn’t addressed promptly, the tooth decay that caused it can continue to grow worse, affecting even more of your tooth’s structure. In severe cases, it can also infect the tissues and nerves inside the pulp of the tooth, which also travel through the tooth’s inner root canal. (more…)