Does a Toothache Mean You Need a Tooth Filling?

When you develop a toothache, the most important thing to do first is to determine its cause. Trying out numerous home remedies instead of visiting your dentist could cost valuable time, and in the meantime, your toothache (and the cause behind it) will likely get worse. One of the more common causes behind chronic toothaches is the development of decay in the tooth, which leads to a cavity, or hole, forming in the tooth’s structure. If your toothache is an indication of a cavity, then it could mean that the only way to relieve the chronic pain is to have a tooth-colored filling placed in the tooth. (more…)

What Unchecked Bruxism Does to Your Teeth

You use your teeth and jaws more often every day than you do any other part of your body, and the action of biting and chewing involves immense pressure from your bite. If you suffer from bruxism, or subconscious teeth-grinding, then you can be exposing your healthy tooth structure to that same level of pressure, but without any food between to buffer it. Bruxism can develop a variety of different potential factors, which means you may be at risk for it without even knowing. Today, we examine what can happen when bruxism is left unchecked, including the damage that your teeth will do to themselves over time. (more…)

What Problems Can TMJ Disorder Lead To?

The problem with many oral health concerns is that, given enough time, they grow worse and cause several other concerns with your oral health. This is especially true with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, which impacts your jaw joints’ and muscles’ ability to function properly. TMJ disorder and its impact on your jaw function can grow worse over time, but also, it can lead to the development of one or more other concerns that will also increase in severity the longer they’re left untreated. (more…)

Why Veneers Might Be the Right Choice for Your Smile

With most modern cosmetic dental treatments, achieving the smile that you’ve always wanted is often simpler and more efficient than you might expect. For example, if your teeth are significantly impacted by stains and discoloration, you might be surprised at how effective professional teeth-whitening can be at erasing them and brightening your teeth. For more extensive cosmetic concerns with one or more of your teeth, porcelain veneers might also provide a highly convenient solution for improving most or all of them at once. (more…)

3 Reasons Gum Contouring Might Be a Good Idea

Of the different conditions that could potentially impact your oral health, a gummy smile doesn’t always seem like a serious one. Aside from the appearance of an uneven gum line, there may not be any other symptoms to worry about – at least, not at first. Cosmetic gum contouring is a conservative procedure that’s designed to straighten and improve your gum line when your gum tissues have become uneven. The benefits of improving your gum line’s symmetry, however, goes beyond improving your smile’s appearance, and in many cases, it can have several important advantages for your long-term oral health, as well. (more…)

How Tooth Bonding Can Do More than You Realize

Improving your smile with cosmetic dental treatment is often about more than just making your smile more attractive. The different types of blemishes that can affect the appearance of your teeth can sometimes impact their health and integrity, as well. Because of this, the most effective cosmetic dental treatments are those that not only improve your teeth’s appearance, but also help bolster their overall strength and integrity. Cosmetic tooth bonding is often an ideal solution because of its ability to accomplish both goals, all while keeping your treatment as minimally invasive as possible. (more…)

Problems that May Be Associated with Crooked Teeth

Crooked teeth, or tooth misalignment, is a big enough problem on its own to make addressing it important. When your teeth aren’t aligned properly, everything from your smile’s appearance to your bite function, and much more, can feel the effects of it. In addition, ignoring crooked teeth and allowing them to remain out of alignment can also lead to several additional problems with your oral health. Today, we examine just a few of these problems, and why straightening your crooked teeth with orthodontic treatment is important in helping you avoid them. (more…)

Can Chronic Headaches Be a Sign of a Sleep Disorder?

When you have a headache that keeps coming back, and perhaps even becomes a migraine sometimes, finding a solution to stop may not be simple. A headache can mean a lot of different things, and even when it’s related to your oral health, the specific factors behind it can differ greatly. Obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder that affects your sleep and breathing patterns, is one such factor. For people who experience, the recurrence of a headache can be just one of several indications that they aren’t getting enough sleep or oxygen at night, and the warning should be taken seriously. (more…)

Could These Be Warning Signs of Gingivitis?

Knowing what gingivitis is and being able to spot its early warning signs aren’t always the same thing. For many patients who develop it, gingivitis (the first stage of gum disease) may not cause significant symptoms at first. This is one reason why gum disease often becomes severe before it’s treated, and why many patients experience subsequent concerns like tooth loss as a result of it. Today, we examine a few of the potential warning signs that you have gingivitis and may benefit from periodontal cleaning (or scaling and root planing) to address it. (more…)

Treatments Your Dental Emergency Might Call For

Dental emergencies aren’t the same for everyone, which can sometimes make addressing one seem complicated. If you aren’t exactly sure of the nature and extent of your dental emergency, then the symptoms of it can seem even more worrisome, and you may not know exactly how to address them. Therefore, one of the most important steps in dealing with an emergency dental concern is to speak with your dentist as soon as possible. Today, we examine a few of the common treatments that may help you successfully overcome your dental emergency and save your smile. (more…)