Monday, December 22, 2008

Braces for Straight Teeth, San Diego


Doesn't your Child deserve the best smile they can have, first Impressions do Count, so make your Child's, or your own Smile the best it can be

Visit website San Diego Dentist or Read More about Braces San Diego

San Deigo Dentist

San Diego Dentist, Chula Vista, Eastlake, Bonita and the whole South Bay area

San Diego Dentist Aldo M. Espinosa D.D.S, has the best prices in San Diego, has payment plans to help for the really big jobs.

Aldo trained in Dentistry in San Diego, and while specializing in Cosmetic Dentistry does all general dentistry as well.

Dr. Espinosa has many Dental patients he see's from the Chula Vista, Eastlake, Bonita and the whole South Bay area

Visit his website San Diego Dentist

Dentist, Chula Vista

San Diego Dentist Aldo M. Espinosa D.D.S, has the best prices in San Diego, has payment plans to help for the really big jobs.

Aldo trained in Dentistry in San Diego, and while specializing in Cosmetic Dentistry does all general dentistry as well.

Dr. Espinosa has many Dental patients he see's from the Chula Vista, Eastlake, Bonita and the whole South Bay area

Visit his website San Diego Dentist

Monday, December 15, 2008

Dentures and Partials Options for Missing Teeth

If you have lost some or all of your teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, dentures (false teeth) can replace your missing teeth and give you your smile back. Replacing missing teeth with dentures will benefit both your appearance and your health. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag and make a person look older.
With dentures, you will be able to enjoy food again and speak much more clearly, two things often taken for granted until natural teeth are lost. When you have missing teeth, it is important to replace them to maintain a healthy smile and not prevent remaining teeth from drifting into the empty spaces.
Advances in cosmetic dentistry have made many improvements in dentures. Dentures are now more natural-looking and much more comfortable than they used to be.
Dentures can be complete or partial; complete dentures cover your entire upper and lower jaw and partials replace one or a few teeth.
Complete Dentures
There are various types of complete dentures. A conventional full denture is made and placed in the patient's mouth after all the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed; this process may take several months. An immediate complete denture is put in the mouth as soon as the remaining teeth are removed. Your cosmetic dentist will take measurements and make models of your jaws during the preliminary visit. With immediate dentures, the patient does not have to be without teeth during the healing period.
With full dentures, as with your natural teeth, you must practice excellent oral hygiene. Brushing your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled toothbrush before you insert your dentures is necessary.
Partial Dentures
If you are missing only a few teeth scattered over either arch (upper or lower teeth) or if you have a minimum of two teeth on both sides of the arch, then you can replace the missing teeth with a removable partial denture (RPD).
A partial denture is a removable dental appliance that replaces multiple missing teeth. A partial can be attached to the teeth with clasps or it can be attached with crowns and hidden clasps. Both types have a metal framework and plastic teeth and gum areas.
Dentures substantially accelerate the aging process of the face because the distance between your nose and your chin begins to decrease as natural teeth are extracted. The bone that formerly held your top natural teeth begins to retreat up toward your nose, and the bone that held your lower teeth goes down, allowing both the top and bottom false teeth to follow in the same directions.
Dentures do not last forever, and patients must return every two years for what is called a "reline." The longer you wear dentures, the more your gums change underneath the denture and the looser the dentures become. In order to restore the denture and to prevent flabby gum tissue under it, you should have the denture professionally relined every two years. Dentures typically need to be replaced every five to seven years.
If you would like to learn more about your options to replace missing teeth, please visit the website of the Nu Smile Center for Aesthetic & Restorative Dentistry. Dr. Arthur Kwan and Dr. Sally Hsu serve patients in Rocklin, Sacramento, Roseville and Lincoln, California.

Aging Teeth Need A Lot of Attention

Why Do Aging Teeth Need A Lot of Attention

People are living longer and healthier lives, and so are our teeth when they are well taken care of. However, studies indicate that older people have the highest rates of periodontal disease and need to do more to maintain good oral health so their pearly whites last as long as they do.
Regardless of your age, it's important to keep your mouth clean, healthy and feeling good, and it's important to know the state of your periodontal health.
· At least half of people over age 55 have gum disease.

· Almost one in four people age 65 and older have lost all of their teeth.

· Receding gum tissue affects the majority of older people.

· Gum disease and tooth decay are the leading causes of tooth loss in older adults.
What you may not realize is that oral health is not just important for maintaining a nice-looking smile and being able to eat all the foods you love. Good oral health is essential to quality of life. If you live in the Boston area, there are cosmetic dentistry options that can increase the life of your teeth.
While your likelihood of developing periodontal disease increases with age, the good news is that research suggests that these higher rates may be related to risk factors other than age. Periodontal disease is not an inevitable aspect of aging. Risk factors that may make older people more susceptible include general health status, diminished immune status, medications, depression, worsening memory, diminished salivary flow, functional impairments and change in financial status.
Medications
Older adults are likely to take medications that can impact oral health and affect dental treatment. Hundreds of common medications, including antihistamines, diuretics, painkillers, high blood pressure medications, and antidepressants can cause side effects such as dry mouth, soft tissue changes, taste changes, and gingival overgrowth.
Dry mouth leaves the mouth without enough saliva to wash away food and neutralize plaque, leaving you more susceptible to tooth decay and periodontal disease. In addition, dry mouth can cause sore throat, problems with speaking, difficulty swallowing and hoarseness. Your dentist can recommend various methods to restore moisture, including sugarless gum, oral rinses or artificial saliva products.
Be sure to tell your dental professional about any medications that you are taking, including herbal remedies and over-the-counter medications.
Special Concerns for Older Women
Women who are menopausal or post-menopausal may experience changes in their mouths. Recent studies suggest that estrogen deficiency could place post-menopausal women at higher risk for severe periodontal disease and tooth loss.
In addition, hormonal changes in older women may result in discomfort in the mouth, including dry mouth, pain and burning sensations in the gum tissue and altered taste, especially salty, peppery or sour.
Bone loss is associated with both periodontal disease and osteoporosis. Osteoporosis could lead to tooth loss because the density of the bone that supports the teeth may be decreased. More research is being done to determine if and how a relationship between osteoporosis and periodontal disease exists.
Dental Implants
More and more older people are selecting dental implants over dentures as a replacement option for lost teeth. Whether you have lost one or all of your teeth, dental implants allow you to have teeth that look and feel just like your own. Older adults have similar success rate with implants compared with younger people. As long as you are in good health, you are never too old to receive a dental implant.
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge in place. While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth saving than traditional bridgework since implants do not rely on neighboring teeth for support.
Denture Care
Denture wearers need to avoid plaque buildup that can irritate the tissues under the dentures. Thoroughly clean dentures daily and remove dentures at night to avoid bacteria growth. If you wear dentures, you need to continue to see a dental professional regularly. Because mouths continually change, dentures need to be checked for proper fit to avoid irritation, increased bone loss and infections. A change in the fit of partial dentures could indicate periodontal disease.
Preventing Gum Disease
Even if you have managed to avoid periodontal disease until now, it is especially important to practice a meticulous oral care routine as you age. Receding gum tissue affects a large percentage of older people. This condition exposes the roots of teeth and makes them more vulnerable to decay and periodontal infection.
To keep your teeth for a lifetime, you must remove the plaque from your teeth and gums every day with proper brushing and flossing. Regular dental visits are also important. A professional cleaning at least twice a year is necessary to remove plaque from places your toothbrush and floss may have missed.
If you would like to learn more about general and cosmetic dentistry in Massachusetts, especially in the Boston, Braintree, and South Shore areas, please visit the website of Pinnacle Dental Aesthetics today.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Adverse Effects of Dental Implants

Dental implants are a remarkable advancement in dental research. They resemble natural teeth, are extremely sturdy, require the same maintenance as natural teeth and often can last a person’s lifetime. Dental implants are defined as “permanent fixtures of titanium posts anchored to the jawbone and topped with individual replacement teeth or a bridge that screws or cements into the post.” Dental implants got their start in Sweden but the technology and materials that are being used in North America today have been successfully used in European countries for the past thirty years.
The success rate for both upper and lower implants is extremely high. For instance, lower implants have the highest success rate at 98 percent while for upper implants it is 91 percent. However there are some adverse effects that are associated with dental implants although the good news is that there is not that many. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Sometimes dental implant surgery fails because of bacterial contamination that is to be found at the site of the implants. If the area is not adequately cleaned beforehand then this is likely to occur. In order to decrease the chance of infection occurring following the surgery, patients are often prescribed one or a variety of prophylactic systemic antibiotics. The use of antibiotics in some individuals can cause its share of adverse effects ranging from diarrhea and vomiting to more serious allergic reactions that require immediate medical attention. With the use of antibiotics comes a concern about bacteria that is antibiotic-resistant. Tests are ongoing to determine to what extent antibiotics are necessary where dental implant surgery is concerned. This issue is somewhat of a controversial one as some patients seem to benefit from the use of antibiotics after surgery while others find it a hindrance to healing and ushers in a host of other adverse side effects. Some researchers believe that prophylactic antibiotics are very effective in reducing the incidence of dental implant failures while others are still not sure. New research into these health issues is being undertaken all of the time.
Some individuals are more likely to develop infections after surgery than are others because of a comprised immune system or a metabolic disease, such as those with diabetes. Other people prone to infection following surgery include people who are at risk of, or who have a past history of, heart related infections (or endocarditis) and those who have had radiotherapy either in the area of their head or neck. Patients with any of the above conditions are often administered preoperative antibiotics before the dental implant surgery is undertaken.
Other adverse effects of having dental implants placed in one’s mouth include the discomfort, bruising and swelling that often occurs afterwards. No two people have all of the same adverse effect postoperative but most people will experience a small extent of at least one of them. Sometimes the dental implants do not integrate to a patient’s mouth. This is another way of saying that the surgery can be a total flop. The failure of surgery can depend on a number of factors but the most common ones have to do with the type of implants that are used as well as the general health of the patient getting the surgery. As a general rule, the better health a person is in, the more likely that the surgery will be a success.
Stephanie Dilson is a Dental Surgeon and in her spare time runs an informational site on Dental Implants for all those interested in the process to find out valuable information on the cost, benefits, risks and features of this increasingly popular procedure. For more information see http://www.dentalimplantsguide.com