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5 Reasons to Schedule Dentistry Visits in Eastpointe, MI

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 09:25:04 GMT

Maintaining oral health is a cornerstone of overall well-being, yet many individuals overlook the importance of scheduling routine dental visits. Neglecting professional care can lead to severe consequences, including cavities, gum disease, and even tooth loss. The solution lies in prioritizing regular checkups with a trusted provider of dentistry in Eastpointe, MI. By addressing potential issues early, patients can enjoy long-term benefits that extend beyond their smiles.

5 Reasons to Schedule Dentistry Visits:

1. Prevention of Cavities

One of the primary reasons to schedule regular dental visits is cavity prevention. Professional cleanings remove plaque and tartar buildup that brushing and flossing alone cannot eliminate. Dentists also provide fluoride treatments and sealants to protect teeth from decay. Early detection of cavities allows for minimally invasive treatments, saving patients from more extensive and costly procedures in the future.

To maximize cavity prevention, consider the following tips:

Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.
Floss daily to remove debris between teeth.
Limit sugary snacks and beverages that contribute to enamel erosion.
Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and exams.

2. Maintenance of Gum Health

Gum disease is a common yet preventable condition that can have serious implications if left untreated. Routine dental exams allow dentists to monitor the health of your gums and identify early signs of gingivitis or periodontitis. Through professional cleanings and personalized advice, dentistry in Eastpointe, MI, helps patients maintain optimal gum health, reducing the risk of tooth loss and other complications.

Healthy gums are essential not only for oral health but also for overall well-being. Studies have linked gum disease to systemic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections. Regular dental visits ensure that your gums remain healthy, safeguarding both your smile and your body.

3. Early Diagnosis of Oral Health Issues

Early diagnosis is critical in addressing oral health concerns before they escalate. During routine visits, dentists conduct thorough examinations to detect issues such as oral cancer, enamel erosion, and misaligned teeth.

Detecting these problems early ensures timely intervention, improving outcomes and minimizing discomfort. This proactive approach underscores the value of consistent dental care. For instance, oral cancer screenings performed during dental exams can save lives by identifying precancerous lesions or early-stage tumors.

4. Enhancement of Smile Aesthetics

A confident smile can significantly impact personal and professional interactions. Regular dental visits contribute to maintaining the appearance of your teeth by addressing stains, discoloration, and alignment issues. Professional cleanings keep your teeth looking their best, while cosmetic treatments offered by skilled practitioners enhance your smile's aesthetics.

5. Long-Term Cost Savings

While some may view dental visits as an unnecessary expense, they ultimately save money in the long run.

Preventive care reduces the likelihood of costly treatments for advanced dental issues. By addressing minor problems early, patients avoid complex procedures and preserve their oral health. This financial prudence makes regular visits a wise investment. Consider the cost of treating a cavity versus the cost of a simple filling. Early intervention prevents the need for root canals, crowns, or even extractions, which can be significantly more expensive.

Don’t Wait and Take Care of Your Smile Today

Prioritizing your oral health through regular dental visits is essential for maintaining overall well-being. For expert care in dentistry in Eastpointe, MI, call Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center at (313) 521-2070 to schedule a cleaning and checkup today!

Prepare for the Unexpected: Dentists in Eastpointe, MI, Emergency Tips

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 18:51:10 GMT

When it comes to dentistry in Eastpointe, MI, knowing how to handle dental emergencies is essential for families and individuals alike. From sudden toothaches to knocked-out teeth, dental emergencies can strike at any moment. Understanding what to do in these situations can save you pain and help you avoid further complications. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to manage common dental emergencies and why seeking immediate care from trusted dentists in Eastpointe, MI is crucial.

What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?

A dental emergency can arise from various situations. Common scenarios include:

Knocked-out teeth: This is a common occurrence, especially among children who are active in sports.
Severe toothaches: Intense pain can indicate an underlying issue that needs urgent attention.
Broken crowns or fillings: These can leave your tooth vulnerable to infection.

Recognizing these emergencies can help you act swiftly and effectively.

What to Do in Common Dental Emergencies

1. Knocked-Out Tooth

If a tooth has been knocked out, time is of the essence. Here’s what you should do:

Find the tooth: Handle it by the crown, not the root.
Rinse gently: If dirty, rinse it with milk or saline solution; avoid scrubbing or using soap.
Reinsert if possible: If you can, gently place the tooth back in its socket.
Keep it moist: If reinsertion isn’t possible, store the tooth in milk or saline.

Contact a local dentist immediately for professional assistance. The sooner you seek care, the better the chances of saving the tooth.

2. Severe Toothache

Toothaches can be debilitating. Here’s how to manage the pain before seeing a dentist:

Rinse your mouth: Use warm saltwater to cleanse your mouth and reduce inflammation.
Over-the-counter pain relief: Use ibuprofen or acetaminophen as directed to alleviate discomfort.
Cold compress: Apply a cold pack to the outside of your cheek to reduce swelling.

A severe toothache often indicates a more serious problem, so don’t delay in contacting dentists in Eastpointe, MI.

3. Broken Crowns or Fillings

A broken crown or filling can be inconvenient and painful. Here’s how to handle it:

Keep the area clean: Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater to prevent infection.
Avoid certain foods: Steer clear of hard or sticky foods that can aggravate the area.
Temporary fix: If you have dental cement at home, you can use it as a temporary solution until you see your dentist.

Immediate care is crucial, as exposed teeth can lead to infection or further damage.

The Importance of Immediate Care

It’s vital to seek immediate care during any dental emergency. Delaying treatment can lead to complications, including infections, tooth loss, and increased treatment costs. The team at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center, understands the urgency of these situations and is ready to provide the necessary care.

Dental emergencies can be stressful, but being prepared can make all the difference. By following these expert tips, Eastpointe residents can confidently handle unexpected situations. Remember, when in doubt, reach out to a trusted professional.

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Contact Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center immediately for emergency dental care services at (313) 521-2070 . Your smile deserves the best care possible!

Root Canal Therapy: A Surprisingly Pain-Free Solution

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 21:56:52 GMT

When it comes to oral health, prevention is always better than cure. Brushing twice a day, flossing, and regular visits to the dentist can help you maintain healthy teeth and gums. However, sometimes even the best practices are not enough to prevent tooth decay, infection, or damage. In such cases, root canal therapy is often recommended by dental professionals. Despite its popularity, this procedure is often misunderstood and feared by many patients. In this blog post, we'll discuss the benefits of root canal therapy and why it's not something to be afraid of.

What Is Root Canal Therapy?

A root canal is a dental procedure that involves removing damaged or infected tissue from the tooth and its root system. The tooth's pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels, is removed, and the canals are flushed out and filled with a biocompatible material. The tooth is then restored with a filling or a crown, depending on the extent of the damage. Root canal therapy is usually recommended when the tooth's interior is affected by decay, infection, or trauma, and the damage is too extensive to be repaired with a filling or a simple extraction.

Benefits of Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy offers several benefits. Here are some of them.

Pain Relief

Contrary to popular belief, root canal therapy is not painful. In fact, it is designed to relieve pain caused by tooth decay or infection. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, which numbs the area around the tooth. Most patients experience little to no pain during the procedure and can resume their normal activities soon after.

Saves the Tooth

Root canal therapy is a conservative approach to saving an infected or damaged tooth. By removing the affected tissue and filling the canals, the dentist can preserve the tooth's structure and prevent further damage. Unlike extraction, which removes the tooth entirely, root canal therapy allows you to keep your natural tooth and maintain a healthy smile.

Prevents Further Complications

An infected or damaged tooth can lead to several complications, including bone loss, abscesses, and tooth loss. Root canal therapy can prevent these complications by removing the source of the infection and preventing it from spreading.

Improves Oral Health

A healthy tooth is an essential part of good oral health. By saving the affected tooth, root canal therapy can prevent the spread of infection and promote healthy teeth and gums. This, in turn, can improve your overall oral health and prevent other dental problems.

What to Expect During and After Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy is a straightforward procedure that can be completed in one or two visits, depending on the extent of the damage. During the procedure, the provider will anesthetize the area surrounding the tooth and use specialized tools to remove the affected tissue and fill the canals with a rubber-like material. After the procedure, you may experience some mild sensitivity or discomfort, which can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers and a soft diet for a few days. You will also be advised to follow good oral hygiene practices and schedule regular checkups to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

Root canal therapy is a safe, pain-free, and effective way to save a damaged or infected tooth. By removing the affected tissue and filling the canals, this procedure can provide pain relief, prevent complications, and promote good oral health. If you are experiencing tooth pain or other dental problems, don't hesitate to contact Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care and ask about root canal therapy. It's a surprisingly pain-free solution that can help you maintain a healthy, beautiful smile for years to come.

The Importance of Regular Dental Checkups

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 23:09:08 GMT

Maintaining good oral health extends beyond having a bright, confident smile. It is a cornerstone of overall well-being, impacting your mouth and body's health. While the diligent daily practice of brushing and flossing is unquestionably pivotal in keeping oral problems at bay, these habits alone cannot provide a comprehensive safeguard against the multifaceted challenges that your mouth can encounter. This is where the significance of regular dental checkups comes into play.

Dentists worldwide recommend scheduling dental checkups at least once every six months, and there's a compelling reason behind this advice. These appointments serve as an essential pillar in preserving and enhancing your oral health. They are more than just routine visits; they are proactive measures to ensure your mouth's well-being. This blog post will explore the five reasons regular dental checkups are essential.

Diagnose Oral Health Issues

One of the primary reasons for regular dental checkups is to diagnose oral health issues early on. Many dental problems, such as cavities, gum disease, and oral infections, can progress silently without causing noticeable symptoms in their initial stages. The condition may have already advanced when symptoms become apparent, leading to more extensive and costly treatments.

Regular dental checkups enable dentists to detect these issues in their early stages through comprehensive examinations and diagnostic tools like X-rays. Early detection allows for prompt intervention, preventing the problem from worsening and saving you from potential discomfort and expenses.

Clean Your Teeth Professionally

While daily brushing and flossing help keep your teeth clean, they may not eliminate all the plaque and tartar buildup. Over time, these substances can harden and become difficult to remove with regular brushing. Dental checkups include professional cleanings, where a dental hygienist will use specialized instruments to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth.

This thorough cleaning helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease, leaving your teeth refreshed and looking their best. It can also help you maintain fresh breath, as removing bacteria-laden plaque can eliminate sources of bad breath.

Consultation on Cosmetic Procedures

While oral health is the primary focus of dental checkups, many individuals also seek dental care for cosmetic reasons. Cosmetic dentistry procedures, such as teeth whitening, veneers, and braces, can enhance your smile and confidence. Regular dental checkups allow you to discuss your cosmetic goals with your dentist.

Your dentist can assess your oral health and advise which cosmetic procedures might suit you. They can also provide information about these procedures' benefits, risks, and costs, helping you make informed decisions to achieve your desired smile.

Oral Cancer Detection

Oral cancer is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition, but it can be treated successfully when detected early. Regular dental checkups include an oral cancer screening. Dentists are trained to recognize the early signs of oral cancer, such as unusual growths, sores, or discolorations in the mouth.

These screenings are crucial because oral cancer often develops without obvious symptoms in its early stages. Detecting oral cancer early significantly improves the chances of successful treatment and recovery.

Education on Proper Dental Hygiene

Education is a fundamental aspect of regular dental checkups. Your dentist and dental hygienist can provide valuable guidance on proper dental hygiene practices. They can offer personalized advice on brushing and flossing techniques, the use of dental products, and dietary habits that promote good oral health.

Additionally, your dental team can address any questions or concerns about oral health. This educational component empowers you to take better care of your teeth and gums between appointments, ultimately contributing to better oral health.

Now that you understand the importance of regular dental checkups take the next step toward maintaining oral health. Schedule your next dental checkup with Professional Dental Center today and experience the benefits firsthand. Take your time with dental problems. Contact us today to book your appointment and begin your journey towards a healthier, brighter smile. Your oral health matters, and we're here to help you every step of the way.

Chipped Tooth? 3 Dental Treatment Options To Repair Your Smile

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 04:21:36 GMT

A chipped tooth is no fun to deal with and can completely change the way you use your mouth. Chipped teeth occur for a wide range of reasons including hard food, high-impact sports, or car accidents. No matter how a chipped tooth occurs, you want to know your options when you go to visit a dentist.

In some cases, you may seek emergency services, and in other cases, your dental treatment may depend on the visual of the tooth and where the chip is located. Check out some of the dental treatment options to consider as you seek to repair your smile.

1. Emergency Dental Treatment

If a crack goes deep enough into a tooth, then you could impact the nerves and blood vessels that travel through the tooth and gums. In those cases, exposure to the tooth could put you at risk for an infection. If the chipped tooth causes you pain or sensitivity, then you should seek out emergency dental treatment.

A dentist may be able to see you on the same day or by the next day. You will want to have the pain treated and a dentist will likely form a root canal before doing any additional work on the teeth. A root canal can help prevent the spread of infection inside the tooth and through the rest of the gums.

In many cases, a dentist will seek out a crown treatment to cover up the tooth and offer maximum protection. A crown will prevent full exposure to the tooth and can prevent any more cracks and chips with the strength of the crown material.

2. Dental Implant

If you have a chipped tooth that is visible, then you may not like the changed appearance of the tooth. The tooth could have sharp angles or be chipped in a way that makes it hard for a dentist to repair. One way to help is with a dental implant. With a professional impact, a dentist will remove the rest of the chipped tooth and then install a new tooth in its place.

With an implant, you do not need to worry about the the tooth getting worse or the appearance. A dentist can design an implant that matches the same shape and color of your original tooth so it blends inside the mouth. Some dentists may offer same day implants while others will offer an extended option to properly anchor and place the tooth in your mouth.

The end result will give you a semi-permanent tooth replacement that has the proper strength and durability to last for years to come.

3. Veneers

In some cases, you may have small chips in your teeth. Your teeth may have a slight chip at the bottom or side that is hard to notice. While small chips may not require an emergency appointment, you do have some cosmetic options to consider. A dentist may determine a chip doesn't need a whole crown or implant, but you can cover up the chip with a veneer.

A veneer includes a small shell that goes over the front of a tooth. You can restore your smile with a veneer and even seek out extra veneers to match the other teeth within your smile. A dentist can match a veneer to the shape of your tooth so everything matches and the teeth do not look oversized compared with your natural smile.

A dentist can typically complete veneers in a single office visit and they will adhere to your teeth permanently.

For more information on chipped tooth repair, contact us at Professional Dental Center . We can take you in for emergency appointments and answer any questions you have about chipped teeth and various procedures to help.

These Questions Will Help You Understand Dental Sealants

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 21:29:01 GMT

One of the best ways to maintain good oral health is to embrace preventative dentistry. For example, treatment with dental sealant is one of the best ways to prevent dental cavities. The following questions will help you understand dental sealants better.

What Are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are artificial materials that dentists use to cover teeth surfaces to prevent damage. Sealants are mostly plastic materials that bond with but don't react with teeth or other oral tissues. The sealants are clear enough to allow your natural teeth's color to show through.

Dentists typically apply sealants on the teeth's chewing surfaces, pits, and grooves. The sealants, normally in coatings or fillers, can protect any other part of the teeth.

Why Are Dental Sealants Necessary?

The enamel, the outermost teeth layer, strengthens and protects the teeth from damage. Intact enamel makes it difficult for bacteria to penetrate a tooth and reach its internal tissues. Strong enamel also prevents acidic tooth erosion.

Unfortunately, some people have weaker enamel than others. Some teeth also have sections of damaged enamel that can admit acids or bacteria. Such damages erode teeth and cause cavities, which enlarge over time and can eventually lead to tooth loss. In such cases, you can use dental sealants to build up and strengthen the enamel to reduce the damage risk.

How Do The Sealants Work?

Dental sealants work in two main ways.

1. Physical Barrier

The dental sealant forms a physical barrier between threats and the teeth. For example, acids in the mouth can easily erode and penetrate areas with thin enamel. Applying sealants over such areas thickens them and reduces erosion risk.

2. Fluoride Release

Physical protection is the main way sealants protect the teeth. However, some sealants have built-in fluoride treatments that release the mineral to rebuild and strengthen the teeth. Remineralization is possible since fluoride is one of the major minerals of the teeth.

How Do Dentists Apply Sealants?

The application of dental sealants is a relatively straightforward and painless process. During the treatment, your dentist will clean your teeth surfaces so the sealants can properly bond with the teeth. After cleaning, the dentist will dry the teeth and apply filler for the grooves and pits. The filler also provides a tough surface for sealant adhesion.

Once the gel dries, the dentist will rinse the application sites and apply the sealant. After that, you only wait for the sealant to dry, and the process is over.

Who Needs Dental Sealants?

Anyone can benefit from dental sealants, but the following two groups need the treatment most.

1. Children

Children without cavities are good candidates for dental sealants. Early intervention is best because many people develop dental cavities as they age. Dental sealing works best before the cavities develop. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), using dental sealants is one of the most effective ways of preventing dental cavities in children.

2. Adults with High Cavity Risks

You can also get dental sealants as an adult; you should get the treatment if you have a high risk of developing dental cavities. For example, you should consider sealants if:

You have problems with oral hygiene
You have grooves and pits on your teeth
You have early signs of dental cavities
You are on medication that increases your dental cavity risk
You have chronic dry mouth

Your dentist can analyze your dental history and advise whether you should get the treatment.

Contact Professional Dental Center for all your dental needs, including preventive dental treatments. We have been providing dental services for a long time and promise you client-focused professional services. We pride ourselves in personalized and friendly care.

3 Ways To Minimize Aggressive Dental Treatments

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:48:06 GMT

Aggressive dental treatment involves intensive and extensive procedures that affect more tissues than minimally or non-aggressive treatment. For example, surgical tooth extraction is usually more aggressive than tooth splinting for a loose tooth. Aggressive treatments may take a long time and cost a lot of money. Below are ways to reduce your need for aggressive dental treatments.

1. Embrace Preventive Dentistry

The best way to avoid invasive dental treatments is to prevent dental problems that necessitate the treatment. Below are some tips to help you.

Practice Good Oral Health

Maintaining good oral hygiene is an easy and affordable way to prevent numerous dental problems. Brushing twice daily and flossing once daily reduces the bacteria in your mouth, which would otherwise cause tartar and plaque that trigger gingivitis. Untreated gingivitis might lead to periodontitis, which usually requires invasive treatment.

Minimize Risk Factors

Also, recognize and limit risk factors for dental problems. For example:

Wear protective gear, such as mouth guards, when playing to avoid teeth injuries
Avoid smoking since it increases the risks of dental problems, including gum disease
Eat healthy to avoid nutritional deficiencies that might weaken your teeth
Avoid sugary snacks that allow bacteria to thrive in your mouth

Your dentist may give you specific tips to observe during dental examinations, so follow the tips fully.

Get Regular Dental Examination

Regular dental examinations help in two main ways. First, the examinations allow the dentist to spot and diagnose emerging issues before they become serious. For example, the dentist may probe your gums and detect signs of early gingivitis. That way, you can get professional cleaning and antibacterial treatment to prevent the disease from progressing to periodontitis.

Get Preventive Treatment

Dentists offer preventive treatments to those with heightened risks of dental problems. Get all the preventive treatments your dentist considers necessary for you. For example, you may get dental sealants to strengthen your enamel and protect your teeth if you have a high risk of dental caries.

2. Get Early Treatment

Preventive dental treatment may help you avoid numerous issues, but it doesn't prevent everything. Your lifestyle, genetics, age, and overall health all affect whether you develop dental problems. Get a professional diagnosis and help immediately if you suspect a problem. The following examples illustrate the need for early dental care:

Gum disease starts as gingivitis but progresses to the deadly periodontitis with delayed treatment.
Dental cavities usually start as smooth decay that only affects the enamel's surface but can progress to root decay, which requires extensive treatment.
A cracked tooth can allow bacteria to reach the deeper tooth tissues, such as the root canals, and necessitate intensive treatments.

These examples underscore the need for early treatment to avoid invasive ones. Therefore, don't hesitate to visit the dentist, even with minor issues.

3. Ask For Non-Invasive Treatments

You do not always need invasive treatments for complex or serious dental problems. Dentists and scientists have developed non-invasive treatments that also work with such problems.

An example is air abrasion, where the dentist uses a stream of compressed gas, such as air, to remove diseased tooth structures. Air abrasion is easy to target, so a dentist using it easily avoids damaging nearby healthy tissues.

Another example is laser dentistry instead of physical dental instruments. Laser dentistry uses focused light energy to detect dental problems, trim oral tissues, and cut oral tissues. For example, your dentist may use laser instruments to shape your gums instead of traditional ones.

Hopefully, you will take good care of your teeth and not need aggressive treatments. However, sometimes things happen outside your control and necessitate aggressive treatments. Contact Professional Dental Center for help whether you need preventive or corrective dental care.

5 Denture Maintenance Tips

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 22:25:27 GMT

Dentures are a standard dental procedure for missing teeth. The treatment restores oral health and improves the smile. The benefits of dentures make them a popular choice, especially among adults.

However, dentures' effectiveness depends on compliance with the recommended maintenance guidelines. Failure to observe essential care guidelines increases the risk of damage and oral health degradation. This post highlights maintenance tips to keep dentures in good condition and improve oral health.

1. Soak Dentures Overnight

Dentures are removable, which allows for easy and regular cleaning. In particular, dentures must stay hydrated to prevent cracks or warps and preserve their shape and fit. Therefore, place dentures in clean water overnight to retain flexibility.

However, place the devices in a denture cleanser before transferring them into the water for an overnight soak. A cleansing solution kills bacteria and loosens possible stains. Remember to rinse dentures in the morning before re-inserting them in your mouth to avoid any side effects. Additionally, follow the dentures manufacturer's guidelines on the correct soaking procedure to prevent damage since some solutions react with plastic.

2. Store Dentures in Water

Patients can remove dentures during the day to give the gums a break. However, some people leave their dentures in the open, exposing the devices to bacteria and damage by kids and pets. Thus, you risk catching an oral infection or injury by wearing exposed or ruined dentures.

Put dentures in water whenever your mouth needs a rest. The water prevents the plastic from drying and hardening, which preserves comfort. Additionally, store dentures in a designated place to avoid damage by kids and pets. Furthermore, handle wet dentures carefully when taking them out of storage to prevent slips and falls.

3. Rinse Dentures After Meals

Patients can eat their favorite meals with dentures, which promotes a balanced diet. Consequently, some people brush their teeth after eating with their dentures still on. However, while brushing removes food remnants from the mouth, some particles remain lodged on the underside of dentures. Consequently, you can develop foul breath when different food particles mix.

Remove and rinse dentures after every meal to wash off food particles trapped behind the denture base. The process promotes fresh breath and clean, healthy gums. Use cold tap water since it is readily available and the temperature does not deform the devices. Place a towel on a sink to prevent damage if dentures slip and fall.

4. Scrub Dentures With a Soft-Bristled Brush

Stains and food particles might settle in the tight corners of dentures. However, a simple rinse might not remove all food fragments. Patients can use a brush to clean dentures, but the type matters. For instance, a regular toothbrush is not recommended since it can scratch the plastic and create hiding spots for bacteria.

A soft-bristled brush designed specifically for dentures is safe and effective. Scrub every part of the dentures lightly in a circular motion. Place a towel on a table to catch the device if it slips. Dry the brush when done, and store it in a case to prevent bacteria buildup on the bristles.

5. Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

Dentures are popular among patients with missing teeth since they restore oral health. However, the mouth structure changes over time, which affects denture fit. Additionally, tiny cracks might appear and affect effectiveness and comfort.

Delayed identification of denture defects might reverse the gains and adversely affect a patient's experience. Therefore, visit a dentist for regular checkups or whenever you notice abnormal denture changes to ensure timely identification of defects, professional cleaning, and gum health assessment.

Adequate dentures maintenance is essential for durability, effective treatment, and good oral health. Contact us for expert advice regarding various dental procedures, including dentures.

Nutrition & Dental Health: Vital Nutrients for Healthy Teeth

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 19:25:52 GMT

Dental health involves a combination of hygiene and nutrition to ensure that your teeth remain healthy, strong, and resistant to periodontal diseases. As a part of nutrition, you should understand how vital vitamins and minerals affect your dental and oral health. Here is a breakdown of these essential nutrients, the ways they preserve dental health, and their food sources.

Calcium

Your dental structure features a significant portion of calcium phosphate, which places calcium as an essential mineral in teeth formation and strengthening. Calcium helps to harden tooth enamel, which makes teeth more resistant to decay. Calcium also helps to keep gums healthy, as it strengthens the jawbone and replaces dental compounds lost via demineralization.

Food sources of calcium include dairy products (such as milk, cheese, and yogurt), fortified cereals, unfortified almond milk, and kale.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is an essential mineral found in your bones and teeth, as it is a fundamental building block for these body tissues. Phosphorus works in conjunction with calcium to generate hydroxyapatite, which is the main structural component of enamel.

Phosphorus is found in many foods, including dairy products, red meat, lentils, seafood (such as cod and shrimp), nuts, and pumpkin seeds.

Potassium

Potassium increases the body's defenses against conditions that might weaken your jawbone. It also increases the efficacy of blood clotting. This is necessary for people with bleeding gums. If floss and toothbrushes make your gums bleed, potassium can help clot blood faster and heal the inflicted wounds much quicker.

Potassium is found in many foods, including bananas, tomatoes, legumes, mushrooms, dark leafy vegetables, and dairy products.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A maintains the mucous membrane that covers and protects the teeth and gums. The mucous membrane prevents oral diseases that can affect your dental health. Additionally, Vitamin A helps in the production of saliva in your mouth. Saliva is a natural cleansing compound that can remove food particles stuck between your teeth and gums.

Food sources for Vitamin A include orange-colored foods like carrots, oranges, apricots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. Other foods rich in Vitamin A include leafy green vegetables, egg yolks, fish, and liver.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C promotes collagen production. Collagen is a vital biological compound that holds tissue together. Collagen can help build gum strength and keep your gums healthy. Vitamin C also boosts your immune system, which can prevent gum diseases like scurvy and gingivitis.

Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, leafy greens, and potatoes.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D boosts mineral density in your body, which helps maintain essential minerals needed for teeth development. It also helps the body carry and absorb calcium from the diet to the teeth. Vitamin D also helps to prevent gum disease as it keeps the gums healthy and prevents inflammation.

Food sources of vitamin D include fortified orange juice, fatty fish, fortified milk, mushrooms, and fortified cereals.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E helps to protect the gums from inflammation and acts as an antioxidant, which prevents periodontal conditions that are caused by the oxidation of dental and gum tissues.

Vitamin E can be found in food sources such as nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K helps produce osteocalcin, a vital protein that helps build strong bones and teeth. It helps prevent cavity development in teeth. Additionally, Vitamin K increases your body's healing process, which can prevent bleeding.

Food sources with Vitamin K include leafy green vegetables, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

Another essential part of dental health is regular visits to a dentist that can assess your teeth's condition and identify oral diseases afflicting you. Visit us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care for dental services.

Should You Extract a Tooth or Save It?

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 17:45:09 GMT

When you have an infected tooth causing you immense pain or the tooth seems like it is too far gone, you may believe the only option is to extract it. However, pulling the tooth may not be the only option. Saving a tooth has many benefits as opposed to extracting it. Before you make a decision, be sure to think about the following questions.

Why Should You Consider Saving a Tooth?

Saving a natural tooth has so many benefits. First off, a natural tooth is often stronger than an artificial tooth. A natural tooth also functions better than an artificial tooth. Even though the technology in dentistry is highly advanced and artificial teeth are better than they have ever been, a natural tooth is almost always better when the tooth is healthy.

Another benefit to keeping a natural tooth is to prevent shifting. When you pull a natural tooth and don’t replace the tooth with an artificial tooth, the surrounding teeth will begin to shift. As teeth shift, they can impact your bite and cause issues with the ability to chew. You could even lose more of your permanent teeth.

Natural teeth also often look better when they are healthy. As a dentist pulls natural teeth, the appearance of the jaw will change. The surrounding jawbone will start to collapse as the roots that support the bone begin to deteriorate. Your facial appearance can change and may even cause you to appear older than you are.

Maintaining your natural teeth also lends to confidence. When a removed tooth is in the front area of your mouth, it can cause you to avoid smiling and lose confidence. If you can save a tooth, especially in the front, you can often remain confident rather than self-conscious about your smile.

When a dentist pulls your tooth, you may also experience more pain than you would if the tooth is saved. You could also experience an infection in the area. When you save the tooth, you can better manage all potential signs of infection.

When Should You Extract a Tooth?

You always have reasons why you should do all you can to save your natural teeth for as long as possible. However, some instances happen where you have no choice but to extract the tooth. In some cases, a root canal cannot save a tooth, even when the dentist cleans out the interior as much as possible.

When a tooth has a crack or is broken down to the gumline, the dentist may not be able to save the tooth. In these cases, extraction is likely the best option. These teeth are often too weak to build up with composite or cannot adhere to a crown. You can always request the dentist try a root canal, but in some cases, the procedure will not help.

How Do You Replace an Extracted Tooth?

If you need to have an extraction, you have some options to replace the tooth. You can opt for a dental implant. This is a surgical procedure that adheres a permanent crown to the implant. This option offers the strongest tooth replacement and is the closest option you have to a natural tooth.

You can also opt for a bridge, which is a set of teeth that go onto the natural teeth with a full replacement tooth that takes up the space of the missing tooth. No matter which option you choose, be sure to consider the pros and cons of each.

If you have any questions about tooth extraction, please contact us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care today.

Is Deep Dental Cleaning Worth It?

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 14:54:11 GMT

Nearly everyone is aware of the basics of proper oral care. However, many people overlook the importance of routine dental checkups and deep cleanings. Instead, many assume that as long as they take care of their teeth at home, they will be fine. But that's far from reality. Discover how deep dental cleaning can boost your dental and overall health.

Deep Cleaning Reduces Risk of Gum Disease

You may brush your teeth after every meal, floss daily, and use the best quality toothpaste with fluoride. But still, some areas of your mouth are hard to reach, which puts those spots at risk of plaque and tartar buildup.

With time, plaque may irritate your gums, which results in gingivitis. Failure to remove the plaque sooner causes the sticky film to harden and turn into tartar. Tartar combines with harmful bacteria to cause periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease. In addition, the gums may begin to pull away from your teeth and create gaps, known as pockets.

As the pockets get bigger, they may fill with plaque and pus. The pockets deepen and may cause your gums to swell, turn red and become tender.

Besides painful gums, periodontitis may cause tooth loss. The reason is that the gums and the bones sustain damage, so your teeth will have inadequate support. As a result, the teeth become loose and may fall out.

Deep cleaning is the secret to preventing plaque buildup. The dental specialist has the necessary tools and skills to access even the furthest corners of your mouth.

Deep Cleaning Reduces Chances of Bad Breath

Bad breath will embarrass you, take a toll on your self-esteem, and kill your social life. A range of factors may cause bad breath, the primary cause being plaque buildup on your teeth. Plaque combines with harmful bacteria to form a foul smell that worsens when plaque sticks between your teeth. Other potential causes of bad breath include the following.

Dry Mouth

Inadequate saliva production causes dry mouth, which creates a suitable environment for bacteria to grow and multiply, which in turn causes bad breath. Also, since saliva helps to rinse food particles in your mouth, if your mouth is dry, you will have food particles stuck in your mouth longer than they should, which increases the chances of bad breath.

Mouth, Nose, and Stomach Conditions

Some medical issues like GERD, sinusitis, and postnasal drip may contribute to bad breath.

You can eliminate all these issues by scheduling routine dental checkups and cleaning. During the cleaning session, your dentist will not only remove plaque and tartar from your teeth but also screen you to establish if you have other issues that may cause bad breath.

Boosts Your Overall Health

When you have gum disease, the bacteria can enter your bloodstream and travel to other parts of your body. The bacteria can cause various problems, including endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Moreover, pregnant women with gum disease may be at a higher risk of premature delivery or delivering babies with low birth weight.

A deep dental cleaning will help remove tartar and plaque from your teeth, which reduces your risk of developing these conditions.

Deep dental cleaning is essential to maintain good oral health. The procedure can help remove tartar and plaque from your teeth, reduce gum inflammation, and prevent gum disease. Moreover, it can help eliminate bad breath and boost your overall health.

If you have not had a deep dental cleaning, make an appointment with Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care today. We are reliable, and you can trust our services to exceed your expectations.

5 Signs You Have a Tooth Cavity

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 08:52:58 GMT

Food and bacteria accumulation in your teeth can lead to plaque formation. Bacteria in plaque release acids that erode the surface of your teeth. If plaque continues to build up, it attacks your teeth and causes cavities. Cavities leave holes in your teeth and can lead to a tooth abscess or a severe infection. When you realize you have a tooth cavity, consult a dentist to address the problem before it becomes worse.

Discover some signs of a tooth cavity.

1. Pain

One apparent sign of a cavity is a toothache. If you have pain in your teeth when biting or chewing food, you probably have a tooth cavity. Also, the nerve in your tooth might be rotting if you have pain even when you don’t bite or chew.

Pain can also manifest as tooth sensitivity. This sensitivity causes sharp pain in one tooth or sensitivity on a receding gumline. Cold and hot sensitivity arises when acidic bacteria overwhelm the dentin of your tooth. As a result, your tooth loses its protective covering and allows some foods or drinks to penetrate the nerves in your tooth. This is the reason you experience hypersensitivity.

Sensitivity to sugary drinks and sweets may also mean you have tooth decay. Like temperature sensitivity, discomfort from sweets could mean your enamel is damaged — this signals the start of a tooth cavity.

2. Hole in Your Tooth

A white spot on your tooth might be an indication of a cavity. Some holes aren't visible, especially in crevices or between your teeth. However, you may experience some sensitivity or pain in the area of the dental cavity.

The bottom of your teeth near the gums and the chewing surfaces of your molars are two places in your mouth to look for a hole. You can spot a hole by using a mirror or running your tongue over your teeth' surface.

3. Cracked Teeth

If your tooth cracks, it becomes vulnerable to acidic bacteria. Because the tooth's root is exposed, a broken tooth can lead to cavities. Brush and floss regularly to protect cracked teeth.

Some remedies for cracked teeth are crowns, dental implants, and a root canal. A crown covers the entire broken or cracked tooth with porcelain or metal. However, an implant addresses teeth that break along the gumline. The dentist removes the damaged tooth and replaces it with an implant.

Lastly, a root canal is a procedure that removes infections from a broken or cracked tooth. A dentist will perform a root canal before placing a crown on the affected area in many cases.

4. Bleeding Gums

When you have large cavities along your gumline, they tend to trap food and cause swelling along parts of the gums. Although the swelling may not be painful, it will be visible. Also, you may notice blood emerging from the tooth with the cavity. Make sure you consult a dentist to determine the cause of the swelling and bleeding tooth.

5. Bad Breath and Taste

Halitosis is a sign of a cavity. The holes that form when you have a cavity can fill with food particles. The rotten food that is stuck in there can result in bad breath.

Some reasons you have bad taste in your mouth include gum disease, an infected tooth, acid reflux, and tongue bacteria. However, you may also experience a bad taste if you have a tooth cavity. When a cavity develops in your tooth, the bacteria there can only access food and not oxygen. The bacteria breathe sulfur, which results in bad-tasting byproducts.

Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care is your dental partner when you need to resolve dental issues. We provide a full-service dental practice that includes cosmetic procedures, implant restoration, and restorative dentistry. Call us today for a comprehensive dental exam to help diagnose any dental conditions.

5 Things to Check When Seeking a Dental Clinic

Mon, 16 May 2022 15:59:52 GMT

Oral issues that go untreated lead to infections and sometimes tooth loss. No matter how keen you are on dental hygiene, you might need to visit a dentist at one point. You will be wise to ensure the dental clinic you consult will provide you with the best services.

Here are five things you should look for before you select a dental clinic.

1. Up-to-Date Equipment

A good dental clinic will strive to provide its patients with the latest technology and equipment available. Without the modern equipment, a dental clinic might not be able to provide patients with the best services possible.

That is why some patients go for dental treatments and return home worse than they came. Dental procedures may go wrong because of a lack of proper equipment. To escape dental corrections that might arise due to procedures gone wrong, seek services from a reputable facility that invests in the latest technology and equipment.

2. Qualified Specialists

A good clinic will have dental specialists who possess the necessary skills and experience. The professionals should be in a position to treat even the most complex tooth-related problems with ease.

Since dentistry as a field of medical science experiences continuous change, the dental staff should seek constant training from the relevant institutions to ensure they are conversant with the latest procedures. The training will also help them handle the latest equipment. Therefore, you need to inquire about the history of the facility with a member of the staff.

3. Friendly Atmosphere

Even with the state of the art technology and members of staff who have academic qualifications, you should also evaluate the quality of service. The best clinics will treat you with compassion the instant you step inside the facility. That will get rid of your anxiety, and you will be more confident with the medical services that the specialists will give you.

4. An Open Line of Communication

A good dental clinic should maintain an open line of communication where you can reach them. Teeth issues can be very sensitive at times, and there is no telling when you might need to contact the dentist. Thus, the facility should provide you with a number to call in case of an emergency.

The dental clinic must also have a simple way to book an appointment. It would help if you didn't have to go there personally to schedule or reschedule your visit.

5. Hygiene

Before you decide to pick a dental clinic, you need to ask yourself, "Is the facility clean?" You need to check how they handle their equipment and dental waste. Check the cleanliness as you pass through the parking lot to the waiting area. The premises itself will tell a lot about what is on the inside. Good hygiene will ensure you won't catch infections while you receive treatment.

Every patient deserves the best dental treatment regardless of their job or where they come from. The characteristics that we have highlighted above should guide you when you need to pick a dental clinic. If you are unsure of a dental facility, you can ask your friends, colleagues, or family about it. They are the best people to point you to the best dental clinic in town.

Whether you require dental surgery or a simple checkup, Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care is the place to go. Here, you will receive the best dental services in Michigan. We have modern equipment and qualified staff to cater to all your dental needs. Contact us whenever you need to get in touch with a dentist or a dental hygienist.

Top Habits That Cause Teeth Discoloration

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 19:16:48 GMT

Your smile is among the most noticeable things about your appearance, and stained teeth can make you feel conscious in social settings. Teeth discoloration results from many issues, including some of your daily habits. Check out some common causes below.

Poor Dental Hygiene

Poor oral hygiene is a chief cause of teeth discoloration. If you often forget to brush and floss your teeth, you encourage food stains and plaque to build up and leave stains. Use a soft-bristled brush and brush at least twice a day in circular motions to remove stain-producing food remnants and plaque. Brush gently as aggressive methods can scrub away enamel and expose the yellow-colored dentin.

If you are a reluctant brusher, get an electronic toothbrush as it requires little effort from you. However, plaque removal relies more on the brushing technique than on the toothbrush type. Also, rinse your mouth at the end of each meal and use an antibacterial mouthwash regularly.

Smoking

Teeth have pores like those in the skin, which absorb the tar and nicotine in tobacco. While nicotine is colorless, it turns yellow when it combines with oxygen. People who chew tobacco find that their teeth get severely stained as the mixture of tobacco and saliva results in a dark brown liquid that stays in the mouth for a long time.

Luckily, professional whitening treatments can remove stains caused by smoking. You will likely not see any difference with over-the-counter whitening treatments like whitening strips and toothpaste. Professional gels are more effective, and they will restore your smile after a few whitening sessions.

Eating Staining Foods

As previously stated, tooth enamel is porous and easy to stain with certain foods. If you love tomato sauces with your pasta, you may also be wearing down this outer layer as the sauces are acidic.

Berries are other staining foods since they have strong pigments that soften and stain the enamel. However, you don't have to eliminate cranberries, blackberries, and raspberries from your diet as they are full of antioxidants. Drink water to repress the staining effect after you eat berries or milk to neutralize their acidity.

While curry makes Indian dishes irresistible, its rich yellow hue stains teeth over time. When you delight in curried food, include stain-preventing foods like cucumber, celery, cauliflower, and carrots.

Drinking Tea, Coffee, and Wine

A wide variety of beverages that you may enjoy discolor teeth. For example, red wine softens and weakens the enamel and allows the staining elements in other foods to adhere to your teeth. The dark red particles of red wine also stain teeth over time.

Tea and coffee may be morning favorites for many people, but they contain tannins that allow color compounds to etch into a tooth's surface. Also, reduce your use of dark-pigmented sauces such as balsamic vinegar and soy sauce as their high acidity levels weaken and stain teeth. Energy drinks, dark cola, and fruit juices are other teeth-staining beverages.

Avoiding the Dentist

While you may dread teeth cleanings, they are painless procedures that protect your smile. Failing to keep up with regular dentist appointments contributes to staining, discoloration, gum disease, and tooth decay.

Your dentist scrapes away the plaque and tartar between your teeth and around your gumline during a professional cleaning. Then, a deep clean and expert flossing session removes any leftover plaque. A fluoride treatment to fight against cavities is the last step.

Dentists schedule professional teeth cleanings twice a year, and you should avail yourself of them to prevent discoloration. The dentist also offers lifestyle recommendations, such as foods to avoid or limit.

While tooth discoloration is common, you don't have to live with teeth that aren't as white as you desire. At Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care, we offer professional whitening and take-home whitening systems that restore your natural smile. Call us today to enjoy a brighter smile!

Debunking Common Myths about Dentures

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 13:33:22 GMT

After tooth loss, your dentist may recommend dentures to restore your smile and chewing ability. Unfortunately, false notions have become a part of this dental solution over time.

Here are common misconceptions about dentures and the real truth behind them.

You Don't Have to Clean Your Dentures

You need to maintain your dentures just like you would with regular teeth. Thankfully, dentures are pretty easy to clean and maintain. But since food particles could find their way underneath your dentures, you need to clean them regularly.

You can brush dentures with toothpaste or a special denture cleaning paste from your dentist. If your dentures have metal clasps, use water and a denture cleaner to ensure you don't miss a spot.

Keep in mind that dentures need to remain moist to retain their shape. You could soak them in a denture cleaning solution to remove stains and ensure flexibility. You could also place your dentures in a glass of water overnight to maintain their original shape.

If you fail to clean your dentures properly, bacteria could thrive on the surface and cause an infection when you place the dentures in your mouth. Worse still, the bacteria could trigger dental issues like denture stomatitis (inflammation and sores inside your mouth).

Your Dentures Can Fall Out

Your dentures shouldn't fall out if they fit correctly in your mouth. Your dentist can custom-fit your dentures to ensure they stay in place. They also make sure that your new dentures don't irritate the gums or cause sores.

However, dentures can come loose over time due to changes in your mouth. For instance, your roots may no longer stimulate bone development in your jaw after tooth loss. Your jawbone might start to shrink and recede. Worse still, your jaw could lose density and change its shape. These changes in the jaw gradually affect the stability and position of your dentures.

To fix this problem, your dentist may recommend denture adhesives to hold your dentures in place and ensure a more natural fit. If that doesn't work, you might need to replace your dentures with properly sized ones.

Your Dentures Can Make Eating Difficult

Dentures use a comfortable design that allows you to chew properly with them in your mouth. In fact, your dentist will likely recommend a specific design based on your needs, preferences, and lifestyle.

For instance, if you want a dental device that stays in place for a long time, you could opt for fixed dentures. If you choose removable dentures, remember that they can pop out if you chew very hard foods. But your dentist can use adhesives to custom-fit removable dentures to make them more secure and comfortable to wear.

Your Dentures Easily Stand Out

Actually, good dentures should blend in naturally with your other teeth. This way, these dental devices ensure a more natural dentition and outward appearance.

Advanced denture materials like silicone or zirconia allow dentists to replicate your teeth' color, shape, and shade. You can even get dentures that mimic the translucency of your teeth. As a result, your new dentures will appear more natural and attractive.

For acrylic dentures, your dentist can choose a suitable color that matches the shade of the gums and your skin tone. They can also use tooth-like shading or textures to make dentures look more realistic and natural.

Your dentist can employ other denture enhancement procedures to improve your outward appearance. They can bleach and polish your new dentures to make them blend in with the rest of your teeth. Your dentist can also add tooth-like shading, stains, and markings to mimic the appearance of actual teeth.

Dentures can serve you for a long time with proper care practices. If you have any questions about dentures, feel free to contact Professional Dental Center today!

Everything You Need to Know About Dental Bridges

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 17:18:52 GMT

Many people have missing teeth, but that doesn't mean everyone wants missing teeth. Luckily, dental bridges are a common solution for missing teeth. They are durable and can last a long time. If you would like to know more, keep reading.

They Come in Many Options

Dental bridges come in many options, making it easy to find the right fit for you. First, you and your dentist must decide which type of bridge is right for you: a traditional bridge, a cantilever bridge, or a Maryland bonded bridge. A traditional bridge is the most common, but cantilever bridges may be useful for teeth in the back of the mouth. Maryland bonded bridges are less invasive, but that makes them less durable.

Next, you'll need to choose the type of material you want: metal, porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or composite resin. Composite resin is the least expensive option, and it can be made to look like natural teeth. However, it is not as attractive as porcelain, and it's not as durable as porcelain or metal.

Porcelain and porcelain-fused-to-metal are the most attractive options because they look just like natural tooth tissue. All-porcelain bridges, however, should only be used on front teeth. Back teeth require more strength, so porcelain-fused-to-metal is a better choice. For the most durable option, all-metal bridges get the job done, but they are more irritating to gums than porcelain and composite resin.

They Require Anchor Teeth

Dental bridges rely on anchor teeth for support. Traditional dental bridges need one anchor tooth on each side. If you replace multiple teeth in a row, your dentist may suggest using more than two anchor teeth for better support. These anchor teeth must have their enamel removed so the bridge can fit.

A cantilever bridge is similar, except it only needs an anchor tooth (or teeth) on one side of the missing tooth. These are commonly for back teeth or in locations where only one tooth can be used for support. Just like with a traditional bridge, the anchor tooth must be filed down.

Maryland bonded bridges are less invasive. They use metal wings to connect to anchor teeth. The metal winds bond to the healthy teeth to support the bridge. These may be a great option if you want to replace the tooth with a dental implant one day. If you get a dental implant after having a traditional or cantilever bridge, you'll need crowns to cover and protect the old anchor teeth.

Regardless of the type of bridge you choose, you will need strong anchor teeth, strong gums, and a strong jawbone to support the bridge. If you attach a bridge to loose teeth, the extra wear and tear will often only cause them to become looser.

They Require Special Cleaning

Just like your regular teeth, you need to keep the dental bridge clean, but instead of cleaning between the teeth, you need to clean under the bridge. For this reason, normal dental floss isn't usually enough. You usually need floss threaders to pull the floss under your bridge or a special stiff floss that can push under the bridge. Dental picks and interproximal brushes are also good tools for keeping the bridge clean.

If you neglect to clean under your bridge, two problems can arise: gum irritation and decay. Gum irritation can happen if food particles or plaque stays under the bridge for too long. This can eventually lead to an infection: gum disease.

With decay, the fake tooth can't rot, but if food stays trapped under the bridge, it could sneak under the anchor tooth's crown and attack the unprotected tooth tissue. If your gums are also irritated, they may pull away from the teeth, making it easier for bacteria to attack. For this reason, even with a dental bridge, you must continue good oral hygiene. With good care, your dental bridge could last many years.

You don't have to struggle with missing teeth. You have many tooth-replacement options, including dental bridges. They use existing teeth for support, making them a strong option. They aren't removable and don't slip around like dentures. If you would like to know more, contact us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care today.

Debunking 4 Oral Health Misconceptions

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 18:10:06 GMT

Your oral health is incredibly important, but unless you have a cavity, you might easily ignore your teeth and gums. For this reason, many oral health misconceptions still run rampant. Some of these misconceptions can drastically increase the risk of damage to your teeth. If you would like to know more, check out these four oral health misconceptions.

1. Baby Teeth Don't Matter

As your baby gets older, their primary teeth begin to erupt. However, the time won't be long before permanent adult teeth all replace a baby's first set of teeth. For this reason, you might assume the baby teeth aren't important. However, they play three major roles.

First, they help your child learn how to speak properly. Missing teeth from decay can lead to a speech impediment, which could also trigger self-esteem issues. In addition, as with adult teeth, primary teeth help grind and mash food for easy digestion.

Most importantly, however, if your child loses their primary teeth too early, this can impact how the permanent teeth grow. When a tooth is missing, the surrounding teeth move to fill in the gap. If this happens with baby teeth, this skews how the permanent teeth grow. Since your child has more permanent teeth than baby teeth, this can easily lead to overcrowding or crookedness.

2. You Have No Right Way to Brush

Many people brush their teeth regularly, but they can do it wrong, leading to complications. Some people forget to fully clean every portion of their teeth, including the back and chewing surface. Others may forget to brush their tongue. Forgetting to floss can also lead to possible complications, especially between teeth.

In many cases, however, you may be too zealous about brushing your teeth. If you scrub your teeth too hard or brush them when the enamel is soft (such as after eating acidic foods), you could scratch off the enamel. Thinning enamel makes cavities easier to happen.

3. Only Sugary Foods and Beverages Cause Problems

Sugar is a huge problem for your teeth. It is the perfect food for bacteria and can lead to decay. However, sugar is not the only culprit. Some people think diet sodas are a great alternative to sugary drinks, but these contain lots of acid. The acid can erode the enamel or soften it. Similarly, coffee and wine are acidic enough to erode enamel.

Some foods are hard enough to scratch enamel or chip teeth. This includes ice and hard candies. Similarly, hard and chewy candies can get stuck between teeth for long periods of time because your saliva can't naturally wash these candies away. Finally, foods high in simple carbohydrates are just as bad as sugary foods because the carbohydrates break down into sugar.

4. Your Oral Health Has Nothing to Do With Overall Health

Your oral health and overall health are heavily connected. In fact, problems in the mouth can affect other parts of the body, and certain health conditions can increase the risk of oral problems, especially gum disease.

If you have bad bacteria in your mouth, it might travel to another part of your body. If it reaches your heart, it can cause endocarditis or cardiovascular disease. Inhaling some of the bacteria could cause pneumonia.

In addition, if you struggle with a condition that affects your body's immune system and ability to health itself, such as diabetes or HIV, your body may have a tough time fighting infection, which naturally increases your risk of gum disease.

Pay attention to your oral health. Even when you don't have pain or concerns, see your dentist regularly. With good at-home care and regular visits, you can keep your smile healthy. For more information, contact us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care.

Decay Under a Dental Crown

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:41:49 GMT

In an ideal world, a root canal and crown treatment should save your teeth from dental decay for the rest of your life. However, that is usually not the case, and a crowned tooth can still develop a cavity. Below is an overview of such cavities and their treatments.

How the Decay Happens

Decay can attack your crowned teeth in various. Below are some of the causes or forms of such decay.

Margin Decay

This type of decay starts at the junction between your natural tooth and dental crown. The decay starts when your gums recede and expose parts of your natural teeth. Bacteria and their acids then attack the exposed enamel. The decay can spread under the crown if you don't intervene in time.

Wear and Tear

Dental crowns are durable, but they do not last forever. Over time, the crown material will erode due to normal wear and tear. Some things, such as teeth grinding and dental accidents, can even accelerate the process. Extreme wear might allow bacteria to penetrate and attack your natural teeth.

Root Canal Failure

Dental decay under crowns typically starts from outside the crown. However, decay can also originate under the crowned teeth. You might experience such a problem if your root canal treatment fails. For example, that might be the case if the tooth has complex roots and the treatment didn't remove all the bacteria from all of the roots.

Dislodged Crown

A dental crown works best if it completely covers your natural tooth. However, extreme dental trauma can knock the crown of its initial placement. That will allow bacteria to reenter the tooth and cause damage.

Poor Oral Hygiene

Bacteria can also reach your crowned tooth due to poor oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene allows bacteria to populate and attack different parts of your mouth. If the damage continues unchecked for a long time, some of them might migrate and attack the tooth tissues under the crown.

How the Diagnosis Occurs

Teeth decay under a crown can completely erode it. Prompt diagnosis and repair are necessary to save the tooth. Below are some of the ways the dentist can diagnose such decay.

Physical Examination

In some cases, your dentist may diagnose such decay merely by examining your tooth. For example, the dentist might diagnose decay if they notice receding gumlines and enamel erosion along the edges of the crown.

Symptom Review

The dentist may also discuss your symptoms with you to diagnose the decay. Dental decay is not always painful, especially in the early stages. However, you might have advanced decay if you can feel discomfort or pain on your crowned tooth.

Dental X-Ray

Dentists use x-rays to view internal tissues that the naked eye cannot see. Thus, the dentist can use x-rays to view changes to your teeth under the soft tissues.

What Treatments Are Available

Treatment for dental decay under crowned teeth usually takes two forms.

Dental Filling

The dentist may clean the affected tooth, apply antibacterial treatments, and fill the cavity. This treatment especially works for cavities along the margins of the crown.

Tooth Retreatment

In many cases, the dentist will need to retreat and re-crown the tooth. The treatment involves removing the existing crown, filling the cavity, and installing a new crown. Retreatment is a good way to ensure all the damaged tissues get out of the tooth.

Hopefully, you won't suffer dental decay throughout your dental crown's life. Remember to follow your dentist's advice to the letter to ensure that is the case. Contact Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care if you suspect that something is wrong with your crowned tooth. We will examine your teeth and provide you with professional dental treatment.

Common Dental Threats at Different Stages of Life

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 20:17:57 GMT

Humans tend to battle different health challenges as they pass from childhood through young adulthood to their older adulthood years. However, you might not realize that these life transitions can also throw different dental and oral health problems your way.

Although most dental problems can occur at any stage of life, you may want to anticipate your own future dental care needs or understand the most common challenges facing a younger or older loved one. Take a look at how, why, and when these issues may develop, along with smart ways to combat or prevent them.

Childhood: Sports Injuries, Bruxism, and Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Even children whose baby teeth have erupted normally and given way to their permanent replacements without a hitch can encounter numerous dental issues as they grow up. Sports injuries represent a concern for kids who participate in football or other high-impact activities, with falls or blows to the face threatening tooth loss.

Bruxism, or nighttime teeth grinding, also occurs with surprising regularity in children, with up to 50 percent of young children (as opposed to just 15 percent of adolescents and even fewer adults) suffering from this condition. Untreated bruxism can lead to worn, cracked, or broken teeth.

Protect your child against both sports injuries and bruxism by asking your dentist to provide the appropriate mouth guard protection. Sports mouth guards and night mouth guards take different forms and perform different tasks, meaning that your young athlete may require both kinds of protective devices.

Finally, the rearmost molars known as wisdom teeth usually erupt late in the teenage years. Unfortunately, limited space in the jaw often causes these teeth to grow in at an angle, placing stress on neighboring teeth and potentially causing both pain and alignment problems. Your family dentist can extract these impacted wisdom teeth.

Young Adulthood: Tooth Decay and Periodontal Disease

As children mature into adults, they may encounter some unwelcome new dental issues. Although parents often worry about their kids getting a mouthful of cavities that require filling, tooth decay troubles up to 90 percent of adults (presumably over a period of several decades) as opposed to only one-quarter of children.

The threat of periodontal disease also raises its ugly head during the adult years. In this condition, inflammation from bacteria on tartar causes the gum and bone tissue around the teeth to erode and recede. The receding gums expose more of the tooth, promoting cavities, while the tissue loss can cause tooth loss.

Greatly reduce your risk for periodontal disease and its complications by adhering to proper brushing and flossing techniques. However, also schedule regular dental exams and cleanings so your dentist can check for periodontal disease and remove stubborn tartar below the gumline.

Middle Age and the Senior Years: Dry Mouth, Tooth Weakness, and Oral Cancer

Despite your best efforts to care for your teeth and gums as a young adult, you might still develop dental and oral problems later in life. Dry mouth, a common problem for seniors, often contributes by depriving the teeth of protective saliva. Your dentist may recommend that you consult your family doctor about this issue.

Decades of chewing will inevitably take their toll on your teeth. The enamel grows thinner and thinner, potentially making your teeth more sensitive to heat and cold. As the upper and lower teeth wear down, your bite may become uneven. Your teeth may also grow weaker, raising your risk for cracks and breakage.

Oral cancer poses another, more serious threat to your health and wellness. Although younger individuals can get oral cancer, those over 45 years of age face an elevated risk for it. If you've passed this milestone, request oral cancer screening as part of your regular comprehensive dental exams.

Our skilled, caring team at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center can help any member of your family maintain optimal dental and oral wellness, regardless of age. Contact our office to schedule a dental exam, diagnostic procedure, or treatment.

Impacted Food in Your Gums? Why This Happens and How to Treat It

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 19:10:23 GMT

If you have difficulty removing a particle of food from your gums, you may develop food impaction. When food gets impacted between the gums and teeth, you can experience pain while eating, jaw pain, bad breath, inflammation, and gum recession.

Mild impaction may not be a dental emergency, and you can often safely remove the food. However, if you cannot safely dislodge the particles, visit a dentist since the debris could lead to gum issues or even abscesses. Learn why food impaction happens and how to treat it.

Why Does This Issue Occur?

Some people may naturally have gaps between their permanent teeth, which makes it easier for food debris to collect in the gum tissues. Other people may be prone to food impaction due to implant placement, plunger cusps, gum disease, or tooth decay. Discover more about these common causes.

Implant Shapes

If you've replaced a missing tooth with a dental implant, your dentist will have done his or her best to construct an implant that fits snugly with the neighboring teeth. Adjacent teeth should have a good proximal contact, meaning that you shouldn't have any gaps that allow debris to wedge between teeth.

Despite being amazing restorations, implants don't have the fiber attachments or the periodontal ligaments that create a snug attachment between a tooth and the surrounding gum tissue. In short, food debris can collect around an implant - especially if you don't floss regularly.

Plunger Cusps

Your teeth will naturally wear their cusps due to chewing. However, some people may lose their cusps more quickly due to certain habits, like bruxism. If the chewing surfaces become extremely flattened, then the opposing teeth can actually force food into the spaces between teeth. These flattened cusps are known as plunger cusps. To fix the issue, your dentist might recommend a bite restoration to restore the proper anatomy of your teeth.

Gum Disease

When plaque builds up around the gumline, it can loosen the attached gingiva and cause gum pockets to form. If a periodontist doesn't treat these pockets, then they can get bigger and bigger. When a person has large gum pockets, food debris can more easily collect in the gum tissue and become impacted.

Tooth Decay

While a lot of tooth decay may occur on the occlusal, or chewing surface, of a tooth, a person can develop cavities on any aspect of enamel. If a person develops a cavity that's close to the gumline, food debris can actually collect in the cavity depression. If they don't remove the debris, it can work its way down into the gum tissue.

Also, certain foods, like popcorn kernels, are more likely to cause impaction since saliva can't easily break them down. Therefore, they can slip easily between teeth and gum pockets.

How Can You Treat Food Impaction?

While you may be tempted to use a toothpick, you shouldn't use anything sharp to remove the food debris. Try the following to remove the food:

A proxa-brush, which looks like a toothpick but has softer bristles
Waxed floss, which is gentle on gum tissue and can get into tight areas
Irrigating syringe, which is often used after a wisdom tooth extraction but can also be a good tool for impacted food debris
A waterpik, which can use a strong stream of water to dislodge the debris
Saltwater rinse, which can work if you don't have a waterpik. Plus, the saltwater rinse can ease pain and protect any gum irritation from bacteria.

If you cannot remove the debris with the previous ideas, visit a dentist to help you safely remove the impacted food. Reach out to us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hyperdontia

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 17:07:09 GMT

If you assume that every mouth grows the same number of teeth, you may feel upset or embarrassed about having a few additional ones. However, up to 3.8 percent of the population actually has at least one extra tooth, a condition known as hyperdontia that affects men twice as frequently as women.

The presence of extra teeth doesn't necessarily pose any threat either to your dental health or to your chewing function. Even so, you may find it useful to understand some key points about hyperdontia, including those times when you might want to do something about this condition. Check out these frequently asked questions about hyperdontia.

How Many Teeth Should Someone Normally Have?

The number of teeth a person has changes dramatically between childhood to adulthood. Children normally have a total of 20 baby teeth. Over time, permanent teeth push these baby teeth out and take their place, while other teeth unique to adulthood also appear, for a normal total of 32 teeth .

The 32 teeth of the adult mouth include 12 molars, eight premolars, four canines, and four incisors, as well as four wisdom teeth toward the back of the jaw. However, wisdom teeth often either fail to erupt or never develop in the first place, leaving many adults with fewer than 32 visible teeth.

Where and How Do the Extra Teeth Appear?

Extra teeth can erupt alongside any of the teeth normally present in the mouth. For instance, you can have an extra incisor, or mesiodens, growing just behind the expected one. You can also develop a paramolar that sits next to a normal molar or a distomolar that erupts in line with your other molars.

These additional teeth can mimic your normal teeth closely, but they can also assume some unusual shapes. You may have peg-shaped teeth, conical teeth that reach a sharp-looking point, cylindrical or tube-shaped teeth, or jumbled clusters of vaguely tooth-like structures.

What Conditions Can Influence the Development of Hyperdontia?

Dentists have noted a connection between hyperdontia and several other health conditions. Some of these conditions, such as a cleft palate and cleidocranial dysplasia, involve abnormal bone development. Inherited conditions linked to hyperdontia include Fabry disease, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and Gardner's syndrome.

What Problems Can Hyperdontia Cause?

You may experience no problems from your hyperdontia at all. When problems do occur, they often involve overcrowding. When too many teeth compete for available space along the jaw, they can push each other out of position or cause damage to tooth roots. They can also promote gum cysts.

Hyperdontia can comprise both comfort and function by making chewing difficult or painful. Even if you don't suffer from such problems, you may feel self-conscious about crowded or odd-looking teeth.

How Do Dentists Deal With Hyperdontia?

If your hyperdontia doesn't particularly bother you, your dentist may simply opt to keep an eye on the condition from one exam to the next. However, dentists often recommend extracting extra teeth if they threaten to dislocate or damage surrounding teeth, complicate dental hygiene, or interfere with braces and other dental work.

Your dentist can extract an extra tooth that has fully erupted simply by pulling it. However, if your extra tooth has only partially erupted or sits beneath the gumline, you may need oral surgery. In such a case, the dentist will make an incision in the gum, remove the offending tooth, and then stitch the gum back up.

If your child has hyperdontia, don't feel too surprised if your dentist decides not to remove the extra teeth until the permanent tooth roots in the normal teeth have fully developed. Mature roots stand less chance of experiencing damage during the extraction of extra teeth.

Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center can answer all your questions about hyperdontia, help you choose the right course of action regarding those extra teeth, and perform any necessary procedures. Contact our clinic today.

4 Reasons Why You Have Sensitive Teeth

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 11:02:35 GMT

Sensitive teeth can give you a sharp, painful feeling every time you chew or bite down on food. Sensitivity gets worse whenever you eat or drink anything too cold or too hot.

A sensitive tooth can be a sign of a much more serious problem. Consult with your dentist if your sensitivity becomes too unbearable. In case you are wondering, your sensitive teeth may be due to one of the following causes.

1. Receding Gums

Your gums may retreat from your teeth and expose your tooth roots. The dentin tubules in the root are highly sensitive and can cause great discomfort if left unprotected. Your teeth become hypersensitive to cold or hot drinks, cold air, and certain types of food.

Gradual gum recession can destroy tooth support tissue and bone, and you will be vulnerable to more dental problems. A receding gumline can develop as a result of the following:

Old age
Chewing tobacco
Vigorous tooth brushing
Periodontal disease

Proper dental care starts with your gums, so use gum care products regularly. If you suspect signs of gum recession, visit your dentist to get a more accurate diagnosis.

2. Acidic Foods

Acidic drinks and foods eat away at the tooth enamel, eventually wearing down the hard outer surface. The enamel houses the pulp, where nerve endings are. Acidic action on the enamel exposes the pulp to external sensitivity triggers such as temperature. As a result, your teeth become hypersensitive to cold or hot drinks. You will also have a lot of difficulty chewing food properly.

Common acidic foods may include:

Vinegar
Lemon
Citrus fruits
Tomatoes
Soda

If you develop a sensitive tooth, try and limit consumption of such foods. Also, substitute them with plain yogurt, cheese milk, or fruits high in organic fiber. The substitute foods add moisture to your mouth and neutralize any acidity threats to the tooth enamel.

3. Vigorous Brushing

When you brush your teeth too hard, you risk grinding away at your tooth enamel, thus increasing tooth sensitivity. Brushing too aggressively can also cause gum recession and expose the more sensitive parts of your teeth. You end up with bleeding gums and pain in the exposed tooth. You are better off changing your brushing technique to save your teeth from further damage.

Your dentist might recommend that you switch to a desensitizing toothpaste to relieve yourself of further sensitivity. Also, rinse your mouth with salty water at home to reduce inflammation. Talk to your dentist for more tips on how best to safely brush your teeth.

4. Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)

Bruxism occurs when you tightly clench your jaws and grind your teeth - either consciously or subconsciously. You might grind your teeth when you are in a stressful situation or while you sleep. You are likely to use more grinding force when you are sleeping.

Constant teeth grinding can weaken your enamel and leave you with cracked teeth. You will experience hypersensitive teeth once the dentin is out in the open.

Your dentist might recommend that you use a mouth guard when you sleep to avoid sleep bruxism. They may also prescribe pain relief medicine for your jaws to relieve severe bruxism effects. Also, with a few restorative dental procedures, your fractured teeth can be filled to help get you your smile back.

Act quickly if you want relief from hypersensitive teeth. A thorough dental examination can help diagnose the root cause of your sensitivity. However, you may have to undergo endodontic procedures if the damage is too severe.

For more information about your dental health, contact Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care today. We look forward to speaking with you.

5 Tips to Get Your Toddler to Brush Their Teeth

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 20:21:55 GMT

As an adult, you know the importance of good dental hygiene, but getting your toddler to brush their teeth may not be an easy task. Perhaps your child flees at the sight of a toothbrush or refuses to open their mouth when you attempt to clean their teeth. Or maybe your child is at their independent stage and wants to make their own choices.

If you have trouble getting your child to brush their teeth, you can use some methods to help your child change their mind. Here are five tips about getting your child to brush their teeth.

1. Let Your Child Learn by Example

Does your child fear the thought of toothbrushes and toothpaste? Try showing them that cleaning their teeth is not a scary experience. You can demonstrate how to apply toothpaste to your toothbrush and how to brush your own teeth. You can show your smile to your child after brushing so they can see how cleaning teeth leads to a better smile.

2. Let Your Child Practice

One way to convince your child to get into the habit of dental maintenance is by letting them practice. Some independent children like to have hands-on experience before they give something a try. Your child can practice brushing on their favorite doll or plastic figure. Make sure that your child does not use toothpaste on their toys.

Once your child is comfortable with their toys, help them practice brushing their teeth. Guide your child through the process if they require assistance. You can help your child apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to the brush or monitor them to make sure they are not using too much toothpaste. Your child can also brush with water if they do not want to use toothpaste.

3. Let Your Child Have Fun

For some children, the idea of maintaining their smiles is a dull activity. If your child prefers play over taking care of their teeth, try to make the process fun for them. You can sing a song with your child while they brush their teeth or create a reward system for your child to help them get into the habit of cleaning their teeth. Turn the activity into a fun game or spin a funny story that educates your child about dental hygiene.

4. Let Your Child Pick a Special Toothbrush

Another method you can use for independent children is allowing them to pick their brush. Regular toothbrushes are excellent for manual practice, but electric toothbrushes make the process easier for children. Some toothbrushes have designs that resemble famous characters.

If there is a particular toothbrush that draws your child's attention, purchase that toothbrush for them. You can use the same method for toothpaste and floss. If there is a specific flavor of toothpaste or dental floss that your child likes, let them use that flavor when they brush their teeth.

5. Teach Your Child to Create a Routine

For your child to maintain good dental hygiene, they need to know the importance of brushing every day and night. You can create specific times in the morning and night for your child to clean their teeth. You can also have your independent child develop a routine of their own to help them form a daily habit of dental care.

If your child is having issues with brushing their teeth, using one or more of these five tips can help make the process easier. Remember to take your child to a dentist for regular checkups and cleanings to maintain their smile. Contact Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care to schedule a dental appointment for your child today!

3 Ways You May Be Damaging Your Teeth Without Knowing

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 03:29:05 GMT

If you brush and floss every day, you may think you are doing everything required to protect your teeth. Unfortunately, many seemingly harmless habits can secretly make you more susceptible to tooth decay and damage.

When you become aware of these habits, you can begin to address them and get closer to the perfect picture of dental health that everyone strives for. Here are three ways you may be damaging your teeth without knowing that's what you are doing.

1. Opening Packages With Teeth

Teeth were one of the first tools that our early ancestors made use of, but if you're still using your teeth to open packages you should get with the times. Using your teeth on anything but food is asking for dental trouble, and things could go wrong at any time. Your teeth are designed to withstand the vertical force of your bite, but torque and lateral force can crack dental enamel suddenly and unexpectedly.

Plastic and other thin materials present another problem if you try to bite through them because your teeth come close to direct contact with each other. When you chew your food, the crowns of your upper and lower teeth are separated by the food itself. Your teeth can easily chip as they scrape together when you use them to open a package.

2. Brushing Too Vigorously

Brushing your teeth is one situation where the phrase too much of a good thing strongly applies. Your goal when you brush your teeth should be to remove food particles and plaque, a soft, pasty film that collects on the enamel.

As you might expect, removing these soft substances does not require much force. Your teeth can also get stuck with stubborn hardened plaque known as tartar, but brushing harder doesn't help because tartar must be removed by a dental professional.

The two primary concerns from brushing too hard are gum recession and erosion of dental enamel. When vigorous brushing irritates gum tissue, it can gradually recede and expose the roots of your teeth. Exposed roots are a common cause of painful tooth sensitivity, and they also increase the likelihood of cavities.

Enamel erosion is of particular concern because your body is incapable of restoring lost enamel. Worn enamel allows the acids from oral bacteria to penetrate your teeth and create nasty cavities. Additionally, the pulp inside your teeth is dense with nerves, and enamel that is too thin may give rise to tooth sensitivity.

3. Snacking Throughout the Day

Replacing a meal with a lighter snack is often a good choice, but snacking all day does more harm than good. Frequent snacks pose an oral health challenge because your teeth are always exposed to food particles. This means the bacteria in your mouth will have a round-the-clock supply of food and will produce enamel-eating acid continuously.

With careful snack choices and a bit of moderation, you can keep your teeth healthy without the need to stop snacking altogether. Keep a reasonable limit on sweet, starchy, and sticky foods that readily stick to your teeth. While no one wants to brush after every snack, a quick post-snack rinse with fluoridated mouthwash or even water can go a long way toward protecting your dental health.

Daily choices and habits have a greater impact on dental health than many people realize. If you snack smart, clean your teeth carefully, and do not use your teeth as tools, you can greatly reduce your chances of unnecessary tooth damage or decay. Chew on these tips for a while, and remember to visit Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Cente r for all your dental needs!

Everything You Need to Know About Dental Avulsion

Fri, 07 May 2021 14:15:20 GMT

Your oral health is important, but even if you do everything to keep your smile healthy, accidents occur. In some cases, a major accident can cause sudden and total dislodgement of a tooth. If this happens, you may be wondering what to do. If you would like to know more about dental avulsion, keep reading.

What Is Dental Avulsion?

In most cases, tooth loss is associated with poor oral hygiene, gum disease, and severe decay. However, regardless of how well you care for your teeth, accidents happen. Dental avulsion refers to teeth that have been knocked out of the gums. Avulsed teeth are fully dislodged, so there are no pieces of tooth root left behind. This typically leaves the patient with an open, bleeding socket.

The leading cause of dental avulsion is blunt force trauma to the mouth. This is common in car accidents and high-impact sports, but it can happen because of falls and other accidents too. Patients with dental avulsion may experience pain and discomfort.

Can a Displaced Tooth Be Reinserted?

When the tooth is lost due to trauma, it can't be reinserted, but teeth that have been suddenly and fully dislodged have a chance of healing if treated immediately. Typically, the tooth needs to be reinserted within 30 minutes for the best results. During reinsertion, the area and the tooth are cleaned to reduce the risk of infection.

The longer you wait, the worse the prognosis. Ideally, over time, the tooth becomes secure again. After about two hours, replacement is only done under special circumstances and with specialists. After three hours, the procedure is not recommended.

Before you manage to reach your dentist, store the tooth properly. Ideally, store it in a container of milk, but if you don't have any milk, keep it under your tongue. Don't attempt to clean the tooth yourself before putting it in milk or under your tongue. In fact, how you store the tooth may be more important than how long you find treatment.

Are There Any Risks of Reinserting the Tooth?

There are some risks associated with reinserting the tooth. First, when your tooth is dislodged, it loses the blood supply. Therefore, hypoxia and necrosis of the tooth's pulp occur. For this reason, even if the tooth is successfully replaced, it may be weak and at risk of infection. Therefore, your dentist may recommend a root canal treatment and/or a dental crown to help strengthen the dead tooth.

In addition, tooth avulsion is traumatic, and there is a risk that your mouth simply won't respond to treatment. Therefore, even after going through the procedure, your tooth may end up falling out again in the near future.

Should You Replace a Missing Tooth?

If the tooth can't be reinserted or the tooth falls out later, you may be wondering if you should bother replacing the tooth. However, missing teeth cause a lot of problems. Naturally, it affects your smile, especially if a front tooth is missing, but even missing back teeth can affect your self-esteem and confidence.

Missing teeth also affect your ability to eat, and missing front teeth may hinder your ability to speak properly. Regardless of the location of the missing tooth, the remaining teeth will start to shift. This shrinks the gap where the missing tooth was located, making it harder to replace the tooth in the future. Plus, as the teeth move, it changes your bite.

If your tooth gets knocked out, your dentist may be able to reinsert it, especially if you store it correctly and seek treatment fast. This is a great way to save on money and future expenses to replace the tooth. For more information, contact us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care today.

Flossing: Why Is It So Important?

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 18:31:21 GMT

When you visit the dentist for a cleaning, one of the questions they likely ask you is whether or not you floss daily. Many dental patients admit to not flossing regularly. For the best results, you should floss every day as a part of your daily oral hygiene regimen. Learn about a few reasons why flossing is very important to keep your teeth healthy.

Flossing Helps Clean Your Teeth

When you floss prior to brushing, any food particles and plaque will be loosened and easier to remove with your toothbrush. The toothbrush is better able to clean between the teeth and get them cleaner when you floss first.

Flossing Prevents Decay

If you leave plaque on and in between teeth, the bacteria in the plaque can cause decay. When plaque remains on the teeth for a long time, you risk decay and subsequent cavities. You can get cavities between the teeth, which are more difficult to notice right away. When you get cavities between the teeth, you may need more invasive treatment to remove the decay.

The decay will also weaken your teeth. If you do not seek treatment, you risk your teeth breaking. Broken teeth need replacement or repair using special dental appliances such as implants, bridges, or crowns.

To help better remove the plaque and particles from between teeth, you can use a high-pressure water flossing system, which is a good option for those with inflamed gums. A water flossing system makes the process more comfortable while still getting the job done.

Flossing Prevents Plaque Buildup

Plaque is a thick substance that collects on the teeth. Bacteria primarily caused by sugar in food and drinks is what makes up plaque. When you floss, you remove the plaque you cannot easily access by brushing alone. Without flossing, the plaque continues to collect on the teeth and contributes to gum disease.

When you look at your teeth, you may not see any obvious signs of plaque. This is misleading and some people may not floss because of this belief. However, once you floss, you can more easily see the plaque hidden between your teeth.

Flossing Helps Prevent Gingivitis

When plaque remains on the teeth for a long time, it will eventually get hard. This hardened plaque is known as tarter. You cannot remove tarter yourself; only a dental hygienist can remove tarter.

When tarter remains on the gums, the gums can become inflamed and infected. This infection can result in gingivitis. Gingivitis is painful and can cause you to lose your permanent teeth.

Flossing Keeps You Healthy

When you floss as part of good oral hygiene, you are protecting your overall health. Gum disease caused by a lack of flossing can cause other health issues, such as heart disease. The bacteria from gingivitis can get into your blood and cause deposits of fats within your circulatory system. And this fat attachment can cause blood clots. When the clots loosen, you can have a heart attack or a stroke.

You can also suffer from hardened arteries, which results in high blood pressure.

Flossing Benefits Pregnant Women

Pregnant women should make extra effort to floss daily. When a woman is pregnant, her gums are more sensitive and are more prone to bleeding. The sensitive gums may cause pregnant women to floss less because it can be more painful. But the lack of regular flossing can result in gum disease and could result in low birth weight or a premature birth of the baby.

Flossing is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to keep your teeth healthy. If you need a dentist, please contact Eastland & Professional Dental Center .

What to Know About Mask Mouth, Gum Disease, and Dental Decay

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 12:26:02 GMT

Do you have mask mouth? Maskne (mask acne) isn't the only issue face coverings can create. Take a look at what you need to know about face masks, dental care, and the easy ways to maintain a healthy mouth.

What Is Mask Mouth?

While mask mouth isn't a technical term, it's the common name for a set of dental conditions that the extended use of face coverings may cause. Bad breath, or halitosis, is one of the most noticeable symptoms of mask mouth. But an odd oral odor isn't the only issue a face covering can cause. Other symptoms include gum changes (receding, bleeding, or swelling), dry mouth, or dental decay.

What Causes Mask Mouth?

Your face covering is the root cause of this oral issue. But to truly understand why you have mask mouth symptoms, you may need to learn more about the biological changes behind this condition.

Several potential causes can lead to why you may have mask-related oral issues. Disrupted breathing, such as shallow or rapid breaths, can decrease the amount of saliva - resulting in dry mouth. You may also experience dry mouth if you regularly keep your mouth closed while wearing a mask or don't drink water when you have a face covering on.

Dry mouth can cause bad breath or lead to increased plaque buildup and decay over time. Without saliva to wash away debris, bacteria, and the acids oral bacteria secrete, you're at risk for gum disease and dental caries (cavities).

Can You Prevent Mask Mouth?

Simply stated - yes, you can prevent mask mouth or reduce the symptoms and risks. Even though mask mouth is something you want to avoid, don't skip a face covering in favor of your teeth. Face coverings serve an important purpose in the reduction of disease transmission and, in some states, are required in public.

Even though you shouldn't sacrifice your mask for your mouth, you can take steps to protect your oral hygiene. Before you invest in a completely new medicine cabinet-worth of dental products, note how you breathe when wearing a face covering. If you breathe heavily, rapidly, or only through your nose, you may need to take breaks from your mask. However, safety is crucial when taking mask breaks. Plan your breaks and don't remove your masks in a public or shared indoor or outdoor space.

To further reduce the risks, keep your mouth well hydrated. Drink plenty of water at home, in your car, or when you're alone and can take a mask break. If this doesn't help your dry mouth symptoms, ask your dentist about specialized rinses and mouth wash products. These can moisten your mouth, making it less likely you'll experience gum issues or dental decay.

Can You Treat Mask Mouth?

What happens if your best prevention efforts are too late? You can still treat the symptoms of mask mouth. The first step is a trip to the dentist's office. The dentist will need to examine your mouth and look for signs of periodontal (gum) disease and dental decay.

The dentist may recommend a deep cleaning or root planing and scaling procedure for severe gum disease. Mild gum disease may only require at-home treatment. The dentist may recommend a new toothbrush, toothpaste, or dental rinse. And you should brush at least twice per day for two minutes each time. Floss after you brush. You may also need to brush or use a mouthwash after wearing a mask for long periods of time.

An at-home oral care routine won't treat existing decay. The dentist will need to fill cavities. Severe decay may require a crown or root canal.

Do you need a dentist office checkup and cleaning? Contact Eastland & Professional Dental Center for more information.

4 Common Oral Infections

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:03:51 GMT

Your teeth take a lot of force and wear and tear, so it's important to do everything you can to give them a hand. One way you can help keep your teeth healthy is by treating any oral infection you may have. If you would like to learn more, check out these four common oral infections.

1. Dental Caries

Your mouth has a delicate balance of bacteria to help break down sugars, but when that balance is distorted, it leads to an infection or caries. The infection alone has little to know symptoms, but it can cause the tooth to lose minerals, which increases the risk of cavities and tooth lesions.

Dental caries are incredibly common, especially among children and adolescents, but even adults struggle with tooth decay. You may be more prone to dental caries if your water is not fluoridated. Fluoride has been shown to help strengthen tooth enamel: the protective, hard outer layer of the tooth. If your water isn't fluoridated, talk to your dentist about fluoride toothpaste, and fluoride treatments.

2. Tooth Abscess

If you neglect your teeth and cavities do develop, your risk of a tooth infection increases. An infection or abscess occurs when bacteria break through the tooth and enters the tooth's pulp. This creates a pocket of pus within or around the tooth.

While some people may not even realize they have an infection until the dentist tells them, many suffer with extreme, persistent pain. Other symptoms include fever, swelling, tenderness, and sensitivity to hot/cold. If the abscess bursts, a sudden bitter taste or foul odor may appear.

If you fail to seek treatment, the infection may fully destroy the tooth, causing it to fall out, rot away, etc. Treatment with root canal therapy, however, can save an infected tooth. In fact, root canal therapy and tooth extraction are the only two appropriate treatment options for a tooth infection.

In rare cases, the infection can spread to other parts of the body. If it reaches the nearby lymph nodes in your neck, you may develop sepsis or widespread infection.

3. Periodontal Disease

As you get older, the risk of periodontal disease may increase. Periodontal disease is an infection in the gums, but it can also affect the jawbone. Symptoms of periodontal disease include swollen gums, red gums, bleeding gums, bad breath, pus from the gums, loose teeth, and gum recession. As the disease advances, it can cause the jaw to shrink and weaken.

People with advanced periodontal disease often have missing teeth or large gaps between the teeth as teeth move. Treating periodontal disease starts with killing the infection and cleaning the teeth above and below the gumline. Minor symptoms like swollen gums or a little gum recession will likely heal on its own (as long as you continue good oral hygiene), but major symptoms like severe gum recession or jawbone atrophy may require surgical treatment.

4. Herpangina

Herpangina is an oral infection that causes ulcers on the roof and back of the mouth. It can also present with a fever, sore throat, headache, neck pain, swollen lymph nodes, and difficulty swallowing. This condition can also cause dehydration, especially if you have a fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.

This infection is highly contagious, and while it can affect anyone, it is more common in young children. Unfortunately, this type of infection needs to run its course, so there is no fast treatment. You may take over-the-counter pain medicines or ask your doctor about topical anesthetics for oral pain.

Some oral infections go away on their own, but others need treatment to prevent extreme tooth loss and jaw atrophy. Luckily, your dentist has the tools and skills to help you fight and prevent oral infections. If you would like to learn more, or if you need to schedule an appointment , contact us at Universal Dental Center today.

Need Scaling and Root Planing? First-Timers' Questions &Concerns

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 19:20:48 GMT

In the U.S., almost half of adults over the age of 30 have developed periodontitis, a gum disease that has advanced past gingivitis or gum inflammation. If you've developed gum disease, or periodontitis, your dentist might recommend an appointment for scaling and root planing. If you've never had this procedure before, you may have many questions about it and wonder why you need it along with a regular cleaning.

Read on to learn more about this procedure so that you assuage any worries you may have and feel good about addressing your periodontitis.

Why Do People Need Scaling and Root Planing?

Regular dental cleanings are preventative procedures that are used to help halt cavities and the progression of gingivitis. However, if you've already developed periodontitis, then these regular cleanings aren't enough to address the issue.

Periodontitis causes gum pockets around your teeth. These pockets can fill up with bacteria and cause the gums to pull away from teeth. During a regular cleaning appointment, your dentist can address the oral bacteria that's on your enamel, but they cannot address the plaque that's filled in these pockets below the gum line.

Scaling and root planing is considered to be the gold standard for removing bacteria below the gum line and treating periodontitis. If you don't treat your periodontitis, the bacteria below the gum line can cause bone damage and even tooth loss.

Furthermore, gum tissue doesn't regenerate, like other tissue in your body, and grow back. But, after scaling and root planing, gum pockets may be able to shrink and reattach more firmly around the base of your teeth.

What's the Procedure Like?

Scaling and root planing are actually two separate procedures that you'll undergo during a deep cleaning. Your hygienist or dentist will use ultrasonic and manual instruments known as a scalers and curettes to complete both tasks.

During the scaling portion of the deep cleaning, your dentist will use an instrument to loosen plaque and remove it from gum pockets. While scaling instruments break up plaque, they won't damage gum tissues or enamel.

Once the gum pockets are clean, your dentist will use an instrument to smooth any exposed surfaces of your tooth roots. When tooth roots are smoothed, it's easier for the gum pockets to shrink and the gum tissue to reattach more firmly so that bacteria doesn't get below the gum line.

Is the Procedure Painful?

Because the cleaning happens below the gum line, some patients may worry that this procedure will be painful. However, your dentist will use a local anesthetic during the treatment, so you shouldn't feel pain. In fact, you may be a little numb afterwards, but you can immediately return to normal daily activities after a deep cleaning.

As can be expected, your gums may be a little swollen and tender in the following days after your appointment, but your dentist can prescribe a mouth rinse or other analgesic to help you feel comfortable.

How Often Do You Need to Have It Done?

How often you need deep cleanings really depends on many factors. For instance, if you commit to good athome care and cut out bad habits, like smoking, you may be able to halt the periodontitis so that you don't need cleanings as frequently.

With this said, many people usually need two appointments for a complete scaling and root planing procedure, as your dentist may only work on one side of your mouth at each visit. If you have chronic periodontitis, you may need to have regular deep cleanings along with your annual or bi-annual dental cleaning.

To extend the length of time between deep cleanings, your dentist might place antibiotic microspheres in the gum pockets. These microspheres can release medication slowly, which will extend the length the scaling and root planning benefits.

Reach out to us at Eastland & Professional Dental Center to find more answers to your questions and concerns about scaling and root planing.

6 Dental Issues to Correct Before Porcelain Veneers

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 21:58:47 GMT

Porcelain veneers can correct a range of dental issues while improving your smile. But there are some dental conditions that veneers can't correct, such as gum disease. And some dental issues can pose a problem for porcelain veneers. As a result, you should book a dental checkup before you commit to veneers.

If you have any of the following dental issues, you'll need to treat them before you get porcelain veneers.

1. Gum Disease

If you have either mild gum disease (gingivitis) or the more severe version of gum disease (periodontal disease), get treatment before you get veneers. For mild gum disease, your dentist can prescribe some antibiotics or antibacterial toothpaste. Moderate to severe gum disease will require a deep cleaning to remove tartar.

If you place porcelain veneers before you treat gum disease, the veneers may impede gum disease treatment in the future.

2. Poor Oral Hygiene

Healthy, strong teeth work well with porcelain veneers. But if you don't brush and floss your teeth as often as you should, your teeth will deteriorate. Tooth decay, tartar, and gum disease can all result from poor oral hygiene. All of these conditions can weaken porcelain veneers, shortening their lifespan.

If your oral health routine is lacking, then make improvements before you get porcelain veneers.

3. Dental Decay

Porcelain veneers bond to healthy tooth enamel. They won't form a consistent bond with teeth that have cavities, and tooth decay could progress under a porcelain veneer if not treated. Therefore, if you have cavities on the teeth you wish to place porcelain veneers on, have those cavities treated first. As long as the fillings are small, they won't affect the bond of your porcelain veneers.

4. Bruxism

Bruxism or nocturnal grinding damages natural teeth and gums over time. And although porcelain veneers are very hard, they won't withstand the forces of bruxism for very long. If you invest in porcelain veneers before you treat your bruxism, you could be wasting your money. You first need to find out why you grind your teeth at night. Then you can seek appropriate treatment.

If, for instance, you grind your teeth because they are crooked, you might need to undergo orthodontic treatment to correct that issue first. And if stress is the cause, you'll need to treat your stress before you place your veneers.

You can also ask your dentist to make a night guard that you can wear overnight to protect your porcelain veneers.

5. A Crossbite

If you have either an anterior crossbite or a posterior crossbite, this will interfere with your porcelain veneers. Unless you treat your crossbite first, you could damage your porcelain veneers and shorten their lifespan. To treat your crossbite, you'll need to undergo orthodontic treatment to move your teeth into correct alignment. Once you complete this treatment, you can have your veneers placed.

6. Crowded Teeth

For mild cases of crowding, porcelain veneers are a suitable approach to improving your smile. You will still have plenty of tooth surface to work with. But if your teeth are severely crowded, then porcelain veneers won't be possible.

To place porcelain veneers, the dentist needs to remove some enamel to make room for the veneer. But if the teeth in question are badly crowded, there won't be enough available tooth surface for the veneers to adhere to. And it's always a better idea to remove enamel from the frontal surface of a tooth, not the side.

If your teeth are badly crowded, straighten them with orthodontic treatment before you commit to porcelain veneers. This will ensure that your veneers last as long as they should.

Are you thinking of improving your smile with porcelain veneers? Then call Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center today to book a consultation with us. With our help, porcelain veneers can transform your smile in just two weeks.

4 Possible Causes of Jaw Pain

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 20:49:36 GMT

When your jaw hurts, you may find such basic activities as eating and talking all but unbearable. On the bright side, jaw pain usually responds quite well to dental care that addresses and corrects the underlying cause.

While you might not have the dental skill or expertise to pinpoint that underlying cause yourself, you can still benefit from understanding how and why jaw pain occurs. The next time you feel that familiar ache or twinge, consider whether the blame could lie with any of the following four common causes of jaw pain.

1. Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

When many people think of jaw pain, they immediately make a mental association with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD, also called TMJ after the joint itself). This joint connects each end of your jaw to your skull, permitting the wide range of motions necessary for chewing and speaking.

A blow to your jaw, deterioration of the temporomandibular joint cartilage, an abnormal bite, and muscular strain from chronic stress can all trigger TMD. Symptoms include jaw pain and fatigue, clicking noises when you move your jaw, and an inability to open your mouth to its full width.

If you think you have jaw pain related to TMD, ask your dentist for help with this condition. Relief may come from a night guard (to ease unconscious chewing and grinding), dental work to normalize your bite, or recommendations for stress relief and anti-inflammatory medication.

2. Cracked Tooth Syndrome

Pain in your jaw may stem from a problem known as cracked tooth syndrome. This problem occurs when tiny microfractures in the tooth enamel expose sensitive nerve tissue to changes in pressure and temperature. As a result, you may feel pain when you bite down on foods or when you drink hot or cold beverages.

Tiny cracks can form in teeth for various reasons. An impact injury, an unfortunate bite into an extremely hard object, or years of ordinary wear and tear can produce fissures in the teeth. When these fissures extend below the gumline into the roots, you can experience jaw pain as well as tooth pain.

Your dentist can view a microfracture more easily than you can, thanks to X-rays and other advanced diagnostics. A tooth with a cracked root may require extraction, since restorations such as crowns cannot fix this damage. Fortunately, you can always replace the extracted tooth with an implant or bridge.

3. Crowns That Need Adjustment

A permanent crown over a compromised tooth requires considerable precision and care. Your dentist will shape the tooth enamel to receive the crown correctly, take detailed impressions for the crown's fabrication, and then make final refinements to its fit upon attaching the crown to the tooth.

Unfortunately, even the most skilled work cannot guarantee a perfect bite alignment between the treated tooth and the tooth it opposes on the first try. If the biting surfaces don't meet properly, you may experience both tooth pain and jaw pain when you chew. You might experience headaches as well.

In most cases, the crowned tooth sits too high off the jaw in relation to its opposing tooth, which means that it receives too much pressure whenever you bite down on it. Your dentist can fix this issue by filing down some of the crown material as needed until your bite feels normal and comfortable.

4. Referred Pain

Jaw pain doesn't always originate in the jaw. The head, face, and neck share an elaborate network of nerves that can send pain signals to the jaw from another part of the body, a phenomenon known as referred pain .

In addition to hallmark symptoms such as a stuffy nose and headaches, a sinus issue may refer pain to the upper jaw. Cluster headaches normally attack the area around the eye, but they sometimes produce jaw pain as well. Trigeminal neuralgia, shoulder joint pain, and diseases such as the mumps can all create jaw pain.

Whatever the cause of your jaw pain, Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center can diagnose the problem and help you resolve the issue. Contact our office today.

6 Health Benefits of Dental Bridges

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 13:37:15 GMT

Missing teeth cause a range of issues, both dental and mental. And the longer you take to replace a missing tooth, the worse these issues can become. Fortunately, dental problems like shifting teeth and the inability to eat comfortably are avoidable with the right dental treatment.

An effective way to replace one or more missing teeth is with a dental bridge. The most common type of dental bridge consists of a pontic (false tooth) to cover the gap, and two crowns, one on either side of the pontic. And if you only have one available tooth adjacent to the gap, you can opt for a cantilever bridge, which uses just one crown to support the pontic.

A bridge provides you with the following benefits.

1. Prevents Tooth Misalignment

The surrounding teeth in a dental arch respond to the loss of a tooth. And in time, they can begin to shift. Adjacent teeth shift toward the gap, and the surrounding teeth then follow suit. The opposing tooth also shifts toward the space where the missing tooth was. All of these changes can eventually cause widespread tooth misalignment that makes it difficult to eat and speak.

A dental bridge fills the space once occupied by the missing tooth. Although the pontic (false tooth) rests just above the gum tissue with no visible gap, the two crowns on either side of the pontic prevent the adjacent teeth from shifting.

2. Improves Your Ability to Speak

Missing teeth in the front of the mouth have a negative impact on one's speaking ability. This is because the tongue no longer rests where it should as a person speaks. And if a person plays a musical instrument or sings for a hobby or even a living, a missing tooth can become a serious issue.

Because a pontic acts like a real tooth does, albeit with support from the two abutment teeth, it can improve speaking ability.

3. Distributes Your Bite Forces Evenly

Chewing with a missing tooth can be difficult and uncomfortable. Worse than that, because the surrounding teeth then need to chew more to make up for the missing tooth, they experience more wear and tear. This could lead to the need for restorative dental treatment on those teeth in future.

A dental bridge will allow a person to distribute biting forces evenly when eating and chewing.

4. Restores the Face Shape

Missing teeth - especially several missing teeth - can change the shape of a person's face. Teeth support the facial tissues, such as muscles and skin, giving the face a fuller and more youthful appearance. One missing tooth will cause minor changes. But several missing teeth will lead to noticeable changes in face shape.

A dental bridge can replace two or more teeth and help to restore lost facial shape and fullness.

5. Strengthens and Beautifies the Adjacent Teeth

When the teeth on either side of a missing tooth are in poor condition, a dental bridge can improve their appearance and structural integrity because a dentist places a porcelain crown on each of those teeth. This distributes chewing forces between the two supports. And it can also mean that if those two adjacent teeth were unattractive or weak, the porcelain crowns will cover them and provide durability and beauty.

6. Provides the Ability to Smile With Confidence

A missing tooth can severely hamper a person's ability to smile. This, naturally, causes a loss of confidence when interacting socially with others. But a dental bridge gives the patient back their ability to smile, which can, in turn, boost their self-esteem and confidence.

A single dental bridge can replace one or more teeth in the same arch. If you'd like to restore your ability to speak, eat, and smile with comfort, a bridge could be the right choice for you. Call Eastland Dental Center and Professional Dental Center today, and we'll help you choose a custom dental bridge to restore your smile and confidence.

Is Teeth Whitening Possible With Periodontal Disease, Dentures, or Damage?

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 23:03:47 GMT

Can you whiten your teeth if you have gum disease, dentures, or dental damage? Before you schedule in-office whitening, take a look at what you need to know about this procedure and some of the most common oral-care issues.

Teeth Whitening and Periodontal Disease

Almost half (47.2 percent) of Americans over age 30 have periodontal disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you're one of the many adults with some form of gum disease, you may wonder if you can whiten your teeth. While teeth whitening is typically a safe, pain-free cosmetic procedure, patients with periodontal disease may:

Need a dental exam first. Do your gums bleed when you brush or eat, look red or swollen, or feel painful? These are common symptoms of gum disease. Before the dentist schedules you for a whitening procedure, they'll need to examine your gums.
Need to start with treatment. The agents that whiten teeth can add to the irritation you may already experience. The dentist will likely want to treat your periodontal disease before your in-office whitening procedure.
Need a re-evaluation. Even though you may want whiter, brighter teeth right now, the dentist may ask you to wait until they can reevaluate the progress of your gum disease treatment. This reduces the irritation risk and can help your mouth to heal.

The specific treatment your dentist recommends depends on the extent of the periodontal disease. Along with regular daily brushing and flossing, the dentist may need to deep clean (root planing and scaling) your gums, prescribe a medication, or suggest gum flap surgery. Advanced gum disease may take longer to treat. This can push your whitening start date back.

Teeth Whitening and Dentures

Perhaps your dentures were once bright white, but do they now look dull or stained? Like natural teeth, dentures are also subject to the ravages of coffee, tea, and dark or bright-colored foods. But this doesn't mean you can treat denture staining the same way you would for natural teeth.

Dentures won't react to whitening or bleaching agents in the same way natural teeth would. Instead of getting brighter, a strong whitener can weaken the denture material or add to the discoloration. Never use dental bleach, abrasive products, or whitening toothpaste on your dentures. If your dentures are streaked, stained, or look worn:

Discuss your dentures with the dentist. Before you take any steps to whiten your smile, discuss the options with your dentist. Even though your choices won't probably include in-office (or at-home) whitening, the dentist can help you to brighten the look of your dentures.
Assess your cleaning routine. How well do you clean your dentures? If the stains and streaks on your dentures are superficial, the dentist may remove them with a regular office cleaning or recommend a new at-home routine and overnight soak.
Consider a replacement. Decade-old dentures that look worn and don't fit properly often require a replacement.

If you wear partial dentures, talk to the dentist before you whiten your existing teeth. Overly bright natural teeth won't blend well with stained or worn dentures. This will highlight the denture discoloration and create a mismatch in your mouth.

Teeth Whitening and Dental Damage

Chips, cracks, and other types of dental damage require immediate attention. While you might want to whiten your smile as soon as possible, the dentist will need to:

Examine the damage. The dentist will need to assess the damage and repair the teeth. This could include polishing, bonding, crown placement, or, in some severe cases, extraction and implant placement.
Evaluate the surrounding area. If the unaffected part of the tooth requires whitening, the dentist will evaluate the area. Crowns and bonding material won't likely respond to whitening procedures. But the remaining part of your tooth might.
Recommend the next step. If the dentist feels you're a candidate for in-office whitening, they'll schedule this procedure after your tooth and mouth heal.

The dentist will match bonding material or crowns to your natural tooth color. If you plan to whiten your teeth soon, discuss the options with your dentist before the repair and restoration.

Do you need an in-office whitening procedure? Contact the Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care for more information.

5 Things to Know About Teeth Shifting

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 20:26:47 GMT

A healthy mouthful of straight, evenly-spaced teeth can prove more difficult to maintain than you might suppose. A tooth attaches to its socket in the jaw via a collagen-based fibrous joint called a gomphosis. This arrangement gives teeth a surprising degree of mobility that permits them to shift position in the mouth.

Whether you have noticed changes in your tooth spacing or you just want to watch out for such developments in the future, it pays to know how and why teeth shifting occurs and what you might do to minimize it. Here are five things to keep in mind as you keep an eye on your smile.

1. Teeth Shift Naturally Over Time

As your body grows and your jawbone changes configuration, your teeth will naturally shift over the years. While you might expect this phenomenon to occur in growing children, it also affects adults. With age, a process known as mesial drift causes the teeth to move forward in the jawbone, toward the center of the face. 

This tendency may have developed as a compensation for regular tooth loss in prehistoric humans. As dental care advanced, people kept more of their teeth even as they lived longer. As a result, older individuals often experience tooth crowding and misalignment, especially in the lower row of teeth.

2. Bruxism and Teeth Shifting Go Together

Bruxism (compulsive or unconscious clenching or grinding of the teeth) can play a role in teeth shifting. The constant application of force on chewing surfaces can cause molars to shift their position, which in turn places stress on surrounding teeth. Jaw soreness or other symptoms may accompany bruxism-related shifting.

Nightguard usage and stress relief techniques may help control bruxism. If you wear a nightguard to help protect your teeth against bruxism, bear in mind that an ill-fitting night guard (such as a one-size-fits-all product) can actually make teeth shifting worse. A professionally-fitted night guard can prevent this complication.

3. Periodontal Disease Increases Tooth Mobility

Periodontal disease harms teeth in several ways. The presence of bacteria attracted to plaque and tartar causes inflammation in the gum tissue surrounding the teeth. As the periodontal pockets enlarge and ligaments holding them in place start to loosen, the teeth may grow more mobile and shift position.

Severe periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. Your remaining teeth may then respond to the extra space in the jaw by shifting to fill the gap, which only creates larger spaces between each tooth. Early treatment can help you get periodontal disease under control before these changes occur.

4. Postural Choices Can Affect Teeth Shifting

How you prefer to sleep can actually have a significant effect on the spacing and alignment of your teeth. Teeth have more of a tendency to move during sleep in people who sleep on their stomachs. If you normally sleep in this position, try sleeping on your back or side instead to prevent teeth shifting.

Poor posture can allow teeth to shift during waking hours as well. This problem may occur in individuals who let their heads droop forward, a common occurrence in people who spend long hours staring down at computer monitors or smartphones. Pay attention to your head angle and make ergonomic changes as needed.

5. Straightened Teeth Can Still Shift

Many people with crooked or gapped teeth undergo orthodontic treatment to correct the problem. Unfortunately, your newly straightened teeth may still shift and possibly even resume their former misalignment pattern if you neglect to wear your retainer.

These shifts may take months or even years to become noticeable. Once they start to create problems, however, you may have no choice but to go through another round of orthodontic correction. You can avoid this scenario simply by wearing your retainer according to the orthodontist's recommendations.

Eastland & Professional Dental Center can help you protect, stabilize, and nurture your teeth so that they can maintain their optimal placement in your mouth. Contact our clinic today to schedule a dental evaluation.

Why Do Your Gums Bleed and What Can You Do?

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 20:35:04 GMT

Do your gums bleed? Even though this common dental complaint may seem startling, it's a treatable oral issue. If your gums bleed when you brush, floss, or eat, take a look at what you need to know about the causes and treatments.

Why Do Gums Bleed?

There isn't one universal answer to this question. Gums bleed for several possible reasons. The key to successful management and treatment is discovering the cause. Possible causes of bleeding gums may include:

Gingivitis . This mild form of gum disease can cause your mouth to bleed when you brush, floss, or eat hard/chewy foods. While gingivitis typically doesn't indicate a serious infection, if left untreated it can progress into more serious periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease . According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 5 percent of adults ages 20 to 64 have moderate or severe periodontal disease. This advanced form of gum disease can cause bleeding, swollen, red, or painful gums.
Tooth brushing . Dental disease isn't the only cause of bleeding gums. Over-brushing or a hard-bristled brush can irritate your gums. This can result in bleeding, swelling, or discomfort.
Flossing . Like brushing, over-flossing or the use of too much pressure can also cause your gums to bleed.
Pregnancy . Are you pregnant? Hormonal changes, decreased saliva production, and morning sickness can all lead to gum-related issues.
Vitamin deficiency . Some vitamin deficiencies, such as C and K, may cause gums to bleed more easily.
Some types of medications . Some prescriptions, such as blood thinners, may make it more likely your gums will bleed.

If you're not sure which of these reasons is the cause behind your oral issue, talk to your dentist. The dentist will examine your mouth, take a dental history, and ask questions to figure out the cause behind bleeding gums.

What Is the Treatment for Bleeding Gums?

After the dentist diagnoses a cause, they can create a treatment plan for your bleeding gums. The specific treatment depends on the cause and may include:

Increased at-home oral care. You may stop the progression of gingivitis with improved oral care. The dentist may suggest a new brush, longer brushing, or increased flossing.
Decreased at-home oral care. Even though you need to brush for at least two minutes twice a day and floss, if you overdo it causes your gums to bleed, the dentist may suggest you scale back or use less force.
A new brush. Replace a hard-bristled brush that tears tender gum tissue with a softer model.
Careful brushing. If you use a blood thinner or another medication that increases the likelihood of bleeding issues, cautiously brush your teeth.
A rinse. The dentist may suggest a simple saltwater rinse or may prescribe a therapeutic mouthwash to reduce the likelihood of an infection.
Regular dental visits. Continue to schedule regular in-office cleanings and checkups. If the dentist feels your gum disease is severe or requires extra care, they may recommend visits every few months or several times per year.
Root planning and scaling. This deep cleaning is done in the dentist's office. The procedure removes tartar and bacteria from beneath the gum level. This can reduce the effects of periodontal disease and help your gums heal.
Dietary changes. If you have a vitamin C or K deficiency, dietary changes may reduce bleeding. Try vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes, or bell peppers, or vitamin K-rich foods, such as kale and spinach.

Special situations that you can't change, such as pregnancy or medication use, may require a different type of treatment tactic. Your dentist can help you choose the best course of action for your oral and overall health.

Do you need to schedule a dental visit? Contact Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care center for more information.

Do You Need Dentures? Understand Your Options

Wed, 27 May 2020 20:39:12 GMT

People lost teeth for a variety of reasons, from traumatic accidents and surgical procedures to uncontrolled periodontal disease. If you have lost more teeth than a removable or fixed bridge can efficiently replace, you may need to think about getting fitted for dentures. These more substantial toot replacements can restore chewing and speaking function while also improving your smile.

When many people think of dentures, they automatically envision full denture plates held in place by adhesive or suction. However, you should know that modern dentistry offers other intriguing options for denture wearers. Take a look at how these different dentures could offer you the most comfortable and convenient experience possible.

Partial Dentures

Individuals who have lost most of their teeth must decide on the most sensible method for filling the gaps in their smiles. For instance, if you have a few teeth surrounded by spaces that once accommodated several other teeth, the dentist may recommend that you receive a partial denture instead of having permanent bridges installed to replace the missing teeth.

A partial denture consists of artificial teeth molded onto a gum-colored acrylic base. Metal hardware runs along the bottom of the denture, maintaining the proper amount of free space between the artificial tooth segments for your remaining natural teeth. The partial denture uses your remaining teeth as anchor points, latching onto them with either metal clasps or more natural-looking precision attachments.

Unlike a bridge, which can only fill in a few adjacent missing teeth, a partial denture can replace all your upper or lower missing teeth with a single appliance. The fact that you can remove the partial denture makes this appliance a preferable option to a fixed bridge if your dentist anticipates additional tooth loss in your future. A partial denture also helps to keep your own teeth from shifting.

Soft-Lined Dentures

Even if you already own a pair of dentures, you may find yourself taking them out frequently or not wearing them at all due to ongoing discomfort, no matter how much skill has gone into creating and fitting them. You may simply have sensitive gums that get irritated by the usual hard lining in dentures, especially if you also suffer from advanced atrophy of the jawbone.

Before you give up on dentures altogether, give soft-lined dentures a try. Dentures normally require relining every couple of years to keep up with changes in wearers' jawbone density. For your next re-lining, have the dentist install a soft liner made of a silicone elastomer. This material may only last for about a year, but it offers greatly enhanced comfort and cushioning.

If you have never worn full dentures before and/or have some leftover swelling and discomfort from extractions, ask the dentist whether you should receive a plasticized acrylic resin liner. These liners can provide even greater softness than silicone elastomer liners, although they usually need replacing after three to six months of wear.

Implant-Retained Dentures

Traditional dentures can restore your smile and help you eat or talk, but they can sometimes cause problems as well. Even when secured by dental adhesive, these appliances can occasionally make clicking noises or even slip out of place. They also do nothing to prevent the inevitable jawbone loss that occurs without the presence of roots to stimulate bone growth.

Traditional full upper dentures also need to cover most of the palate so they can create the necessary vacuum pressure that holds them in place. This arrangement can cause gagging in sensitive individuals.

Implant-retained dentures avoid these pitfalls. The surgical placement of permanent metal implants ensures that your jawbone will continue to receive stimulation and build new bone to replace lost bone. They also hold rows of artificial teeth securely in place without suction. For this reason, implant-retained upper dentures often have a horseshoe shape that covers only the dental ridge.

You can get implant-retained dentures in either fixed or removable snap-in varieties. Snap-in dentures have snaps that connect to the ends of either two or four upper or lower implants.

Eastland & Professional Dental Center can help you get the right kind of dentures for your needs. Contact us today.

Dry Mouth: Causes, Effects, and Treatments

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 20:42:19 GMT

The first line of defense against tooth decay, oral infections, and bad breath is saliva. Some people do not produce an adequate amount of saliva, which causes discomforts like cotton mouth and a sore throat as well as other complications. Learn about the causes of dry mouth and how to increase moisture to improve your dry mouth symptoms.

Causes

Dry mouth can occur as part of the aging process and is more common in adults over 40. Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and menopause sometimes trigger dry mouth in women. Even certain drugs and diseases interfere with the ability to make saliva. Lifestyle choices can also cause symptoms of dry mouth.

Medications

Dry mouth is a side effect of many over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including some that treat high blood pressure, depression, nasal congestion, and anxiety. According to the University of Pittsburgh, about one third of the most commonly prescribed medications cause dry mouth.

Medical Conditions

People with head or neck cancers often experience dry mouth as a side effect of radiation treatment. Additionally, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and Sjogren's syndrome (an autoimmune disease that attacks the salivary glands) cause dry mouth.

Habits

Alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco use can cause dry mouth or make it worse in people who already have dry mouth. You may also notice your mouth feels dry if you eat a lot of spicy or salty foods without drinking enough water. Snoring and breathing through your mouth also cause moisture to evaporate from the oral cavity, leaving your tongue feeling thick or sticky and your throat scratchy.

Effects on Oral Health

Saliva rinses the oral cavity and bathes teeth in a pH-balanced solution to promote a healthy environment in the mouth. Without this pH-balanced solution, you experience negative effects on teeth and soft tissues like gums and the tongue.

Cavities

Bacteria break down sugars in your mouth and produce acid as a byproduct. And without enough saliva in your mouth, food particles and acids stick to teeth, giving the bacteria more food. The acids wear down the protective enamel covering teeth, which allows cavities to form.

Limit sweet and starchy foods to help reduce the amount of acid produced in the mouth, and be sure to brush or rinse after meals and snacks

Soft Tissues

Saliva defends against harmful bacteria that enter the mouth. Too little saliva allows these germs to spread and cause infection in the gums, which causes them to become inflamed.

Saliva also helps the tongue and soft palate manipulate food to swallow and begin the digestive process. Without enough saliva, it can be hard to swallow and speak properly because your tongue and throat are dry.

Treatments

You can treat dry mouth with a combination of tactics to avoid drying factors. You should always stay hydrated, stimulate saliva flow, and add moisture as needed.

Short-Term Relief

Dry mouth caused by diet or habits can be alleviated by making lifestyle changes. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep up the moisture level in your mouth. Avoid spicy-hot foods, overly salty foods, smoking, and alcoholic drinks, as they make dry mouth worse. Chewing gum and mints sweetened with xylitol instead of sugar stimulates saliva production.

Long-Term Solutions

Dry mouth caused by chronic diseases or medications may need additional help. Your dentist can prescribe artificial saliva products such as sprays, gels, or rinses to add moisture to your mouth before you go to bed. Add water vapor to the air with a humidifier, which can help your oral cavity retain moisture.

If you have dry mouth symptoms such as a sore throat, a rough or sticky tongue, and difficulty swallowing or speaking, contact us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care to find out how we can help.

Do's and Don'ts of Choosing an Electric Toothbrush

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 21:28:29 GMT

Your toothbrush is probably the most important tool you use for home dental care. And if you're buying an electric toothbrush, it can be a bit of an investment (compared to the old-fashioned manual kind).

So when you make the decision to choose a new electric toothbrush style, you shouldn't take that decision lightly. Whether your old toothbrush is out of production or whether your dental needs have changed, you should carefully consider the pros and cons of each model before buying. Here are some do's and don'ts of choosing an electric toothbrush.

Do Look for Smooth, Soft Bristles

Did you know that jagged, unrounded bristles can abrade your gums? Gum irritation can be a factor in gum disease or gum recession, so you'll want to avoid that. Instead, look for soft brushes that have smooth, rounded bristles. (Typically, you won't be able to see the rounded tips with the naked eye, so check the packaging for explanations or illustrations.)

Don't Choose a Too-Large Brushhead

In some cases, electric toothbrush heads may be larger and thicker to accommodate the electrical components. If you have TMD (temporomandibular disorder), coordination issues, a sensitive gag reflex, or just a small mouth, a large brush head may not work well. Or you may simply be unused to a larger brush head because you're used to a manual brush.

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, check product information and online reviews for a brush that has a smaller head. You may even want to look for a child-sized brush head in extreme cases.

Do Focus on Proven Cleaning Ability

Getting your teeth clean is the whole reason you need a toothbrush, so it makes sense to focus on the brush's cleaning ability. However, every company is likely to think (or at least say) that their toothbrush is great at cleaning. Look for external evidence such as:

Third-party studies

ADA seal of acceptance

Hundreds of positive reviews online

These clues can help you compare different toothbrushes to see which ones are more likely to deliver consistent cleaning power.

Don't Get One That's Unwieldy

Just because you're looking for an effective, powerful toothbrush doesn't mean you'll have to choose one with a handle that's clumsy, difficult to handle, or too large for your hand. Modern electric toothbrushes often have very slim profiles and can pack a lot of brushing power into a very small space.

So don't settle for an electric toothbrush that has an unwieldy handle. In fact, if possible, try holding the toothbrush before you buy one to see how it feels in your hand. (Your dentist may have some models you can look at during a dental visit.)

Do Consult Your Dentist

Like any other dental treatments, your daily dental care routine should always be dentist-approved for best results. So if you're considering a new toothbrush to improve your dental hygiene, talk to your dentist about what features might be right for you.

For instance, if you have sensitive teeth and gums, you might need a toothbrush with a sensitive brush head or gentle cleaning mode. If you tend to push too hard, you may need one that has a pressure sensor. And some electric toothbrushes are even compatible with multiple types of specialized brush heads, in case your specialized needs change.

As you can see, choosing the right electric toothbrush isn't the simplest thing in the world, but all it takes is a few simple steps and consideration of what you most need the brush to do. Schedule an appointment with your dentist today if you have questions about home dental care.

For more information on the dental services we provide or to schedule an appointment, call the office of Eastland & Professional Dental Center today.

3 Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 20:46:46 GMT

While prevention is always the best medicine, prevention alone can't fix every oral concern. Cosmetic dentistry, however, provides numerous procedures to give your smile a makeover. If you are hesitant about cosmetic dentistry even if you are unhappy with your smile, check out these three benefits.

1. Increased Confidence

To many, society seems to be less and less accepting of people without perfect teeth. So because you have a few crooked teeth or gaps, your confidence may drop drastically, making you want to hide your smile. Without help, your confidence may continue to fall, affecting your quality of life. You may no longer spend time with friends or limit your time in public, which can lead to depression and harmful distractions like drinking.

The way your teeth look is not the only thing that affects confidence. People with missing teeth or severely damaged teeth may have trouble talking or eating, which can further lower your self-esteem and make you not want to talk to people over the phone.

A cosmetic solution exists for any dental concern you have. For example, if your only concern is stained teeth, a simple teeth whitening visit can be enough to help. However, even mouths with missing or decayed teeth can be transformed with crowns, veneers, or composite bonding.

2. Improved Bite

Teeth work best when they all meet at once. This allows the pressure from eating to evenly distribute. When you have a misaligned bite, however, some teeth hit each other first, which can prevent your mouth from fully closing. This forces these teeth to take all the pressure, which weakens them and increases the risk of damage.

Other types of malocclusion include crossbite, overbite, and underbite. In many cases, the misaligned bite is from a misaligned jaw, which may require corrective surgery to fix. However, less serious misaligned bites may be from injuries, impacted teeth, and mouth breathing.

Your dentist will determine the best course of action to correct your bite. Most commonly, braces correct a bite, but other cosmetic procedures are available for minor bite issues. If your front teeth don't meet, for example, the dentist may suggest porcelain veneers, which can make the teeth longer, so they hit.

3. Potential Future Savings

Cosmetic dentistry can be costly, but in the long run, it may actually save you money. If you have weak, decaying teeth, even good bushing may no longer be enough to save these teeth. Over time, they may need removing and replacing with expensive dental implants. Instead of letting your teeth root away, however, you can cover, protect, and strengthen them with dental crowns.

A dental crown will prevent pressure points and weak spots on teeth while also making the teeth look nearly perfect by fixing many oral complications. Similarly, if your teeth are prone to staining because of weak enamel, causing you to need constant teeth whitening, you may actually end up saving money by just getting veneers, which are resistant to stains.

Finally, some cosmetic procedures actually make it easier for you to care for your teeth. Naturally, if you spend a fortune on your teeth, you'll likely have more motivation to care for them, but cosmetic dentistry can do more than motivate you. By fixing overly crowded teeth and impacted teeth, cosmetic dentistry makes it easier to floss and clean between those teeth, reducing the risk of future decay or tooth loss.

Cosmetic dental procedures aren't usually the cheapest option, but they can finally give you the beautiful and healthy smile you've always wanted. Plus, in some cases, cosmetic dental procedures now can save you hundreds or thousands in the future. For more information about cosmetic dental procedures, contact us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care today.

4 Common Complications After Oral Trauma

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 20:48:29 GMT

If you get hit in the face with a baseball or get into a car accident, your mouth can be injured. Even a small hit to your head or face can cause your teeth to collide wrong and chip. If you want to protect your oral health after you have experienced oral trauma, check out these four common complications that result after an accident that involves your mouth.

1. Chipped or Cracked Crown

The portion of tooth that sits above the gum line and is protected by enamel is the tooth's crown. In many cases, damage to the tooth enamel occurs slowly due to erosion from bacteria and poor oral hygiene. In severe cases, decay can even cause the tooth to crack or chip. However, even in healthy mouths, your tooth can be chipped or cracked from trauma.

Once the crown had been penetrated, it becomes vulnerable to more damage. With enough pressure and damage, the tooth may even shatter, leaving behind only the tooth's root. If the chip or crack is small and only on a front tooth, a quick filling may be enough to do the trick, but back teeth, with are responsible for chewing, may need a prosthetic dental crown.

2. Tooth Infection

A tooth abscess can occur from poor oral hygiene, but it may also occur after oral trauma, especially if there was damage directly to the tooth's roots.

When decay is caught quickly, the decayed portion of the tooth can easily be removed and replaced with a filling to stop the spread of decay. However, if the bacteria reaches all the way through the enamel and denting, it reaches the tooth's pulp, which contains blood vessels, nerves and other living tissue that can be infected.

Your dentist may be able to perform a root canal procedure to remove the infection, but if there is damage to the roots, it may be best to pull the tooth to prevent future infections.

3. Darkened Dentin

Teeth may darken over time for many reasons, such as smoking, drinking red wine, eating berries, etc. However, these stains generally only affect the enamel, which can be "bleached" with dental whitening procedures. Trauma, on the other hand, can make the dentin in your teeth turn black, causing your tooth to look grey.

Unfortunately, dental whitening procedures don't work well on this type of discoloration. An alternative solution is to get a porcelain veneer on affected front teeth. Your dentist may also recommend dental bonding for a cheaper alternative. Again, if the tooth has also been chipped, a dental crown may be an ideal option to consider.

4. Dislodged Tooth

If you are in an accident or are injured in a contact sport, teeth may become dislodged. Some teeth may only move slightly, which can affect your bite, cause discomfort and increase the risk of tooth infection. If hit hard enough, however, a tooth can become fully dislodged, leaving you with just an empty socket.

If the tooth has been fully knocked out of the socket, chances of saving it are low, and you may need to consider tooth replacement options. If the tooth was only partially dislodged, however, the dentist may be able to reposition it without causing further damage or harm. This is usually only possible if the blood vessels are still attached, and it must be performed as soon as possible for the best chance at success.

Oral trauma can cause major damage to teeth, especially if teeth are shattered or become dislodged. In some cases, the dentist can save your tooth, but tooth replacement options are sometimes necessary. If you would like to know more about oral trauma and oral health, or if you need to schedule an appointment, contact us at Eastland & Professional Dental Center today.

3 Easy Denture Maintenance Tips

Sun, 20 Oct 2019 20:52:39 GMT

Dentures may be immune to tooth decay, but some maintenance is still required to keep them in good condition. Caring for your dentures properly can add several years to their life and protect them from warping, cracking, and staining. Here are three easy tips that can keep your dentures bright and comfortable to wear for years to come.

Handle With Care and Eat Cautiously

Quality dentures may look virtually indistinguishable from real teeth, but they are always more fragile than enamel. Even a short drop from your hands into the sink can be enough to chip a tooth. It's a good idea to put a towel in the sink when you are rinsing your dentures so that you have a safety net in case you drop them.

Just as you should handle your dentures carefully, you should eat carefully when wearing them. Foods like seeds, nuts, and corn on the cob are well-known for the danger they pose to dentures, but other foods that you may not suspect can cause just as much damage.

When eating apples and other smooth-skinned fruits, dentures can sometimes slide along the surface and break rather than piercing the skin. And tough steak can potentially dislodge teeth from your dentures, as can sticky candies.

Avoid Drying and Excessive Heat

Your dentures fit comfortably because your dentist creates them from a mold of your mouth to ensure a precise fit. When dentures begin to warp, they can become quite uncomfortable as they start to pinch and rub against parts of your mouth that they didn't before.

While warping from normal wear should be minimal and take a long time, you can avoid a few mistakes that cause dentures to warp more quickly.

Allowing dentures to dry out is the most common occurrence that leads to them losing their shape. Dentures will shrink as they dry out, an effect that is especially pronounced around the outer edges of the dentures and can result in uncomfortable pinching of the gums.

Sometimes leaving them out for a night or two is enough to ruin the perfect fit they had before, so make sure you soak your dentures every night.

The second most common cause of warped dentures is repeated exposure to excessive heat. While hot foods and drinks are not usually a problem if consumed occasionally, rinsing dentures in hot water can lead to warping over the course of days or weeks.

Heat makes the plastic in your dentures more malleable, and they can easily fail to return to their original shape as they cool. Water for rinsing and soaking your dentures can be warm but never hot.

Don't Use Harsh or Abrasive Cleaners

Not all cleaning products that are good for your teeth will be good for dentures. The acrylic that makes up your dentures is much more susceptible to scratches on the surface than enamel is. The problem with these scratches is that they create excellent hiding spots for bacteria. Firm toothbrushes and whitening toothpaste are too abrasive for dentures and should be limited to natural teeth only.

You should be wary of any "home remedy" advice you hear for cleaning dentures. Chlorine and bleach are often thought of as good whiteners, but they can do more harm than good for your dentures. Bleach will weaken your dentures and can whiten the pink portions that should match the color of your gums. Chlorine can corrode any exposed metal pieces on your dentures.

Wearing dentures and maintaining them properly takes some getting used to but is well worth the benefit it can bring to your smile. Contact us at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center if you are considering dentures or have questions about keeping your dentures in good condition.

The Pros and Cons of Dental Tourism

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 20:55:21 GMT

When you think of going on vacation, you may think of skiing down the slopes or relaxing at the beach. Sitting in a dentist's chair may be the furthest thing from you mind. However, many Americans do just that.

Fewer people have dental insurance coverage today. And, unfortunately, dental procedures can be very expensive. So, some Americans have started going abroad to have their dental procedures completed. Find out about dental tourism - and why it's probably not right for you.

Dental Tourism Hubs

Mexico is especially popular with American dental tourists, and for Americans willing to travel farther, India and Thailand are dental tourism hubs, though the former is more patronized for medical tourism. In Thailand, most dental tourists head to resort towns for their procedures.

Costa Rica is more popular with Canadians, and Europeans often head to Hungary, where there are more dentists per capita than any other country. Hungary even boasts entire towns mostly dedicated to practicing dentistry. Americans will sometimes travel to Hungary for more complex procedures as well, such oral surgery and implants.

Dental tourists can get almost any procedure done abroad. However, they tend to travel to have the most expensive procedures performed. In addition to oral surgery and implants, dental tourists also seek to have procedures like root canals, dental crowns, and dental bridges performed.

Cosmetic procedures often aren't covered even for patients who have dental insurance, making them another sought-after service.

Advantages of Dental Tourism

Dental tourism really has only one main advantage - cost. Dentists in the above-named countries perform procedures at a fraction of the cost of American, Canadian, or British dentists.

If you look on dental tourism websites, they'll promote the dental offices in those countries citing their modern equipment and commitment to service as reasons to consider them. However, those qualities are only advantages if you can't find the same in the United States. For most American dental offices, modern equipment and a commitment to service are bare necessities, not promotional features.

Danger of Dental Tourism

The main danger associated with dental tourism relates to the fact that you don't know what you're getting. This danger is exacerbated if you don't speak the language.

In the U.S., dentists follow standard practices for specific dental procedures. They apply said procedures based on what the accepted standard of care is for the underlying issue. They also typically walk you through your options every step of the way.

Dentists abroad might not hold the same standard practices. Indeed, in some cases they perform wholly different procedures than an American dentist might suggest. They also might not perform all the attendant procedures that are necessary for good dental health, such as removing cavities before applying a crown.

Dental Tourism and Standard of Care

Many of the above countries don't have governmental agencies looking over their work. In other words, some countries don't have oversight to ensure dentists are meeting a specific standard of care. They might not even have agencies ensuring they're protecting patient safety.

Conversely, American dentists are driven by meeting a standard of care, which is the standard a reasonable professional would exercise. Likewise they have a lot of government oversight to ensure they're meeting all health and sanitation requirements.

Dental Tourism and General Health

Dental tourism is only for the strong of heart - literally. If you have any underlying issues, you can't be sure a foreign dentist has the same qualifications to deal with them as your local dentist. Asthma, high blood pressure, and a heart murmur are all conditions that can complicate even simple dental work.

Finally, in that vein, an important aspect of dental care is aftercare. The procedure itself may go fine, but any follow-up care will be impossible if you've returned home. Indeed, if major problems arise from the work performed, you'll have to visit your local dentist and likely pay much more than if you'd just had the procedure performed at home.

Any type of medical tourism, including dental tourism, is for gamblers. Keep your smile and health safe by sticking with your local dentist. We at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care can take care of all your dental needs.

4 Reasons You Should Protect Your Child's Primary Teeth

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:57:25 GMT

If you are a new parent, then you may wonder why you should protect a child's primary, or baby, teeth from cavities and decay, even though they will eventually be replaced with adult teeth. While these teeth may only stay in your child's mouth for a few years before adult teeth replace them, they serve several important purposes.

Learn about four three little-known reasons you should protect the integrity of your child's primary teeth just as you would their permanent ones.

1. Baby Teeth Are More Fragile

Of course, baby teeth are smaller than adult teeth since a child's mouth is much smaller than an adult's. A typical child also only has 20 baby teeth, while about 32 permanent teeth eventually erupt.

However, these are not the only ways that that primary teeth differ from adult teeth. Baby teeth also have much thinner enamel than adult teeth, leading to a child's primary teeth being much more fragile than their permanent counterparts are.

For this reason, just a small area of decay in a baby tooth can turn into a large cavity that penetrates right into the tooth pulp very quickly. Once primary tooth decay reaches the pulp of the tooth, it can cause your child to experience intense pain. The only option at this point is to extract the tooth.

2. Baby Tooth Extraction Can Affect Adult Tooth Eruption

Extracting a primary tooth early may not sound like a big disadvantage when all primary teeth eventually fall out. However, extracting a baby tooth can cause problems with adjacent baby teeth and the adult teeth that will eventually replace the extracted tooth.

The teeth adjacent to the extracted tooth may shift and block the site where an adult tooth is meant to erupt. This can lead to the adult tooth impacting or erupting in front of or behind the shifted teeth. Both problems can lead to the need for orthodontic treatment later in life.

3. Extracted Baby Teeth Can Lead To Speech Problems

The natural loss of baby teeth over time typically does not lead to speech problems in children. Most primary teeth lost naturally are quickly replaced with adult teeth, since primary teeth are usually pushed out of place by the permanent teeth replacing them.

If yours needs to have several baby teeth extracted early, then this could cause a speech problem, especially if adult teeth do not replace them for a long period. This is because many consonant sounds are from placing the tongue strategically against certain teeth.

4. Space Maintainers Can Make Oral Care More Complicated

Thankfully, many of the hazards of extracting a primary tooth early are avoidable by placing a space maintainer in a child's mouth. One of these dental devices can keep adjacent teeth from drifting into the space from the extracted primary tooth to help the permanent tooth underneath it erupt properly.

Two types of pediatric space maintainers exist: fixed and removable. Fixed maintainers attach to the teeth with a dental bonding material and are adjacent to the gap from when a primary tooth is extracted early. A removable maintainer temporarily anchors to these teeth and is removable when your child brushes their teeth.

While these devices are useful and can often help problems with permanent teeth that more expensive orthodontic care would need to correct in the future, in rare cases, they can break, irritate your child's mouth, or affect jaw growth. In addition, young children are prone to removing their removable space maintainers and losing them.

A child's primary teeth serve more purposes than many parents realize. Keep these facts in mind next time you are tempted to allow your child to slack off on at-home dental care or skip their next dental appointment. Contact the staff at Eastland Dental Center and Professional Dental Center to schedule your child's next dental check-up today.

Dental Emergencies Seniors Face

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 21:01:02 GMT

While many people associate dental emergencies with children, seniors often face these concerns as well. Seniors may be prone to different types of dental emergencies than children, but dental issues can impact them just as severely. If you have a senior in your home or are a senior yourself, it pays to understand the risks of dental emergencies like these.

Intense Dental Pain

Seniors may suddenly have more cavities in their teeth than they have ever had, and medications could be to blame. If your loved one complains of intense dental pain, he or she may have cavities in spite of the fact that they have never been particularly prone to them. In fact, you might not even realize that this is the cause of the problem because your loved one has never expressed dental pain before.

One reason for the sudden change could be medication for issues like pain, cholesterol, blood pressure, and allergies. Certain medications seniors take can cause dry mouth. Saliva helps wash away bacteria in the mouth, but dry mouth prevents saliva from doing its job.

You may not typically associate dental pain with an emergency, but for seniors these issues become a bigger issue. Plaque on your teeth may actually have an influence on heart health and certain health conditions, like diabetes.

Tooth Abscess

A tooth abscess is an infection in the gums, especially surrounding the root of a tooth. An abscess can be deadly if left untreated, so seniors should take abscesses seriously. Plus, abscesses are painful. Additionally, a dental infection could leave you more susceptible to heart issues, which can grow more serious with age.

Knocked Out Tooth

A senior who falls may lose a tooth, and perhaps it may even pop out of the socket entirely. A traumatic tooth injury can lead to permanent tooth loss, painful roots, and even infection.

If a senior loses a tooth, he or she should first put the tooth in a place where it can stay moist, unless you can place the tooth back in the socket. Some people put the tooth between the teeth and cheek, perhaps surrounded by milk to best preserve the tooth. The next step is go to the emergency dentist right away.

Cracked Tooth

Seniors, who may be more prone to falls, may also crack a tooth in a fall. Cracks commonly occur if somebody hits a tooth against the ground. Cracks and chips may also result if you try to open a container with your teeth or chew something hard, like a candy or popcorn kernel.

Cracks and chips can be serious, so they are a dental emergency. Seniors who crack a tooth should make an emergency dental appointment as quickly as possible. In the meantime, rinse the area with warm water and place a cold compress on your face, since it may begin to swell.

Jaw Injury

A fall can also lead to a jaw injury in addition to broken bones, dislocation, or joint damage. If a senior complains of jaw pain after a fall, a dentist may perform an x-ray to determine if you have any cracks in your jaw.

Lost Fillings and Crowns

If you discover a filling or crown has fallen out of place, you need to make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime, try to keep the area covered with the detached crown or a piece of sugar-free gum in the case of a filling.

Eastland & Professional Dental Center understands the needs of each of our dental patients. Whether you yourself or a senior loved one needs assistance with dental care, give us a call. We can help seniors recover from dental setbacks quickly and with a minimum of pain.

What To Know About Dry Socket

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 21:03:28 GMT

If you have a severely damaged tooth, your dentist may recommend extraction. Extractions are common and usually have few complications. One of the biggest complications after extraction, however, is dry socket.

Dry socket exposes the underlying nerve roots, which can result in extreme pain. If you are going to have a tooth pulled in the near future and you want to protect yourself against pain, check out these commonly asked questions about dry socket.

What Is Dry Socket?

After you get a tooth pulled, blood and other cells form a clot in the tooth socket. Once this area heals, it becomes normal gum tissue that can be treated just like your normal gums. As long as your gums are healthy, the area should even be strong enough to support a dental implant. However, while the area heals, there is a risk of the blood clot getting dislodged.

Without the blood clot, your underlying bone and nerves are exposed directly to the air. Food particles can also get stuck in the tooth socket, which may lead to infections and/or slowed healing. To prevent dry socket, your dentist may provide some antibacterial mouthwashes or medications, but there are still a lot of risk factors that can lead to dry socket.

What Causes Dry Socket?

Most researchers believe dry socket is caused by bacterial contamination or trauma at the surgical site during extraction. However, you can also actually suck the blood clot out of the socket with actions like smoking or using a straw.

Smoking also increases the risk of complications because it reduces blood flow to the area, which slows the healing process. Other risk factors include taking oral contraceptives, improper at-home care (brushing too hard), and a tooth or gum infection. Regardless of the cause, however, most patients with dry socket experience many negative symptoms.

What Are the Symptoms of Dry Socket?

In some cases, the symptoms of dry socket are visible. You can literally look at the socket and see the blood clot is missing (the blood clot may be totally or only partially missing). You may even be able to see the underlying bone through the socket. Other symptoms include bad breath and an unpleasant odor.

Of course, the most relevant symptom of dry socket is pain. With your bone and nerve roots exposed, you will notice severe pain at the site of the socket. For many patients, the pain also radiates to the ear, eye or temple as it follows the nerve's path. If you notice any of these symptoms, it's time to head back to your dentist as soon as possible.

How Is Dry Socket Treated?

Ultimately, dry socket is treated naturally as the socket heals. However, there are some things your dentist can do to reduce the risk of infection and lower your pain. First, the dry socket may need to be regularly irrigated to remove any food particles that have gotten trapped. To help with the pain, the dentist will pack an analgesic medicated dressing into the socket.

Depending on your level of pain and how long it takes to heal, you may need to replace the dressing while the area heals. For most patients, this dressing provides fast and effective relief, but if you need more help, ask your dentist about over-the-counter or prescription medications.

Dry socket can happen to anyone, but it is more common if you don't listen to your dentist's after-care instructions. Actions like smoking or brushing your teeth too hard can dislodge the protective blood clot.

Luckily, your dentist can help with pain, but the best course of action is to avoid dry socket, so if you want to know more about dry socket and how you can prevent it, contact us at Eastland Dental Center and Professional Dental Care.

Tonsil Stones Causing Bad Breath? Prevention Strategies & Removal Options

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 21:06:03 GMT

If you suffer from bad breath, also called halitosis, then you are not alone. An estimated 25 percent people worldwide report that they struggle to keep their breath fresh. While there are many causes of bad breath, if you occasionally see a white or yellow dot on your tonsils, then your bad breath may be caused by a tonsil stone problem.

Your tonsils are part of your lymphatic system, which is designed to defend your body from bacteria and viruses that can make you ill. They have small holes in them, called crypts. These crypts serve the important purpose of trapping bacteria and viruses, so your immune system can then attack them with white blood cells.

However, tonsil crypts can become a nuisance when the bacteria they trap, along with food particles and other debris, form small chunks called tonsil stones. Also called tonsilliths, these stones can begin to release sulfur, causing bad breath that can only be eradicated by removing the stones and preventing their recurrence.

Read on to learn how to prevent tonsil stone formation and how to remove them once you have already developed them.

Tonsil Stone Prevention

If you are prone to tonsil stone development, you can prevent them by choosing to:

Gargle with mouth rinse or warm salt water after each meal . Gargling can rinse small food particles out of your tonsil crypts before they turn into tonsil stones.
Quit smoking . Although medical professionals are unsure why, cigarette smokers tend to develop more tonsil stones than non-smokers.
Irrigate your tonsils with a water flosser . A water flosser will project water at your tonsils forcefully, which can debris from your tonsil crypts before they turn into tonsil stones.
Treat postnasal drip . If you suffer from frequent postnasal drip due to allergies or frequent sinus infections, then discuss treating options with your doctor. The mucus that travels down the back of your throat can accumulate in your tonsil crypts and cause stone formation.
Avoid dairy products . The calcium in dairy products can contribute to tonsillith formation.

In severe tonsil stone cases, a full tonsillectomy can keep them from recurring.

Tonsil Stone Removal Options

If you currently have one or more tonsil stones, removing them can help get rid of your halitosis. You can remove your own tonsil stones at home or visit your dentist and have them professionally removed.

If you want to remove your tonsil stones at home, you can:

Ease them out with cotton swabs . Gently pressing the tip of a cotton swab next to a tonsil stone will often dislodge it.
Gargle with salt water or a mouth rinse . Gargling cannot only prevent tonsil stones, but can also help dislodge them.
Extract them with a specialized tonsil stone extractor . Tonsil stone extractors are plastic or metal devices composed of handles with ends shaped like doughnuts. The doughnut-shaped ends apply pressure evenly around the tonsilliths to ease them out of place.

You can also wait it out to see if the stones work themselves out of your tonsils over time. Tonsil stones are often dislodged while simply eating or drinking.

Tonsil Stone Professional Removal

If you have a difficult time removing your tonsil stones at home or simply feel uneasy doing it yourself, then your dentist can remove them for you. Dentists typically remove tonsil stones by using a professional air or water syringe, or a simple tongue depressor.

If your dentist elects to use an air or water syringe, they will spray a stream of water on and around your tonsilliths to dislodge them. A tongue depressor is often used to dislodge larger tonsil stones; your dentist will apply pressure next to the tonsillith with the tongue depressor to dislodge it.

If you suffer from recurring tonsil stones that are causing tonsil inflammation, your dentist may also prescribe a round of antibiotics to kill bacteria in your tonsils; this can reduce tonsil inflammation and also help keep tonsil stones from reforming.

Reach out to the dental professionals at Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Care to discuss your tonsil stone problem and treatment options.

5 Popular Diets and How They Can Affect Your Oral Health

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 21:08:46 GMT

In today's world, you'll find weight-loss diets, fad diets, and dozens of other diets all offering great results for various problems. But even if you adopt a certain diet for an issue that’s completely valid and unrelated to dental health, it can still affect your dental health for better or for worse. Here are five popular diets and how they can affect your oral health.

1. Keto Diet

A keto diet is one that's extremely low in carbohydrates, which forces your body to start burning fat as fuel. Like the paleo diet, this low-carb diet can actually boost oral health in several ways. For example:

Avoiding sugar and starchy foods means you don’t frequently expose your teeth to acid from sugar-eating bacteria.
Fewer pathogenic overgrowth incidents in your mouth could also lower chances of gum disease since it's caused by bad bacteria as well.
Reducing simple carbs and increasing vegetables and fruits may lower your body's inflammation levels, including gum inflammation levels.

However, it's not all positives with the keto diet, since there is one unpleasant side effect: bad breath.

2. Paleo Diet

In some situations, a paleo diet can improve dental health. That's because if you switch from a carb- and sugar-laden diet to one high in animal fats and vegetables, you'll likely be feeding your teeth and gums more of the things they need (such as collagen, fat-soluble vitamins, and nutrient-dense vegetables) and they'll likely spend less time under attack by acids.

However, there are a couple of areas of concern to consider. For one thing, a paleo diet doesn't include any dairy products. Dairy products are an important source of calcium, one of the best-known minerals for dental health. Be sure to discuss it with your doctor or dentist before going on a paleo diet long-term.

3. Gluten-Free Diet

If you have celiac disease, you absolutely need to be on a gluten-free diet for both medical and dental reasons. In addition to the typical digestive symptoms, celiac can cause oral health issues such as canker sores, enamel defects, and cavities.

But gluten-free diets are also useful to individuals with wheat allergies, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and even seemingly unrelated inflammatory conditions. For example, a gluten-free diet may cause a reduction in endometriosis symptoms in 75% of cases.

However, keep in mind that just because something is gluten-free doesn't mean it's great for your teeth. You still need to pay attention to ingredients, reduce sugar intake, and stay on top of dental hygiene.

4. Vegan Diet

Some people are vegan by principle, while others follow this diet for health reasons. However, you'll need to keep in mind some specific nutrients that are traditionally obtained through animal products so you don't become deficient by mistake, as this could affect your oral health negatively.

For example, Vitamin K2 is found in animal products, specifically in the fat since it's a fat-soluble vitamin. Other fat-soluble vitamins , including Vitamin A and Vitamin D, are also crucial for dental health. These fat-soluble vitamins are critical for strong teeth and bones. And, like paleo, a vegan diet excludes dairy, meaning low calcium can be an issue as well.

5. Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet

Although similar to a vegan diet in some ways, a whole-food plant-based diet isn't quite the same. It's a bit more forgiving on the animal products angle. If you're on this diet, you focus on eating as much unprocessed food and as many plants as possible, in the process avoiding anything refined such as sugars or oils and animal products.

The avoidance of refined sugars and refined carbs can help reduce acid attacks on your teeth. And because you have the flexibility to eat small amounts of animal products, you're less likely to suffer fat-soluble vitamin deficiency or calcium deficiency. However, you still need to obtain most of your nutrients from plant sources.

What you eat is a big factor in dental health, so it makes sense that going on a special diet could affect your teeth. Be sure to talk to your dentist if you have any concerns about your dental health when going on a diet. Contact Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center today to set up an appointment.

Up Your Smile Game: 4 Ways Veneers Can Enhance Your Smile

Thu, 30 May 2019 21:11:35 GMT

Instagram, Facebook, Instagram, repeat. If it seems like all you spend your time doing is scrolling through social media and looking at people with perfectly good smiles and wishing that you were one of them, then it's time to up your smile game. Yet with so many cosmetic options out there, you may be a little bit overwhelmed.

One of the best things you can choose from is dental veneers. Dental veneers are thin porcelain shells that adhere to the top of your existing teeth to help correct a variety of cosmetic issues. From straightening your teeth to changing the shape of them, this article will list four specific things that veneers can do for you.

1. Straighten Your Teeth

If you want straight teeth, then metal braces or Invisalign don't have to be the only way to go. Rather than going through another phase of life being called metal mouth, get veneers to cover up minor gaps that don’t affect your dental health. When veneers are placed over the top of your existing teeth, they can give you the appearance of having a straight smile. Plus, they can also help to fill in gaps between your teeth.

One thing to know about veneers is that they won't be able to fix other misalignment issues like jaw problems. Your dentist will be able to tell you whether or not veneers will be an effective way to straighten your misaligned teeth.

2. Whiten Your Teeth

Does it seem like you are always spending money on whitening strips and toothpaste, yet you never get the results that you want? Or, does it feel like after you get your teeth professionally whitened that you still have to worry about the upkeep? Natural teeth are porous, which makes them susceptible to staining over and over again with simple things like drinking a cup of coffee. Rather than giving up your daily cup of joe, choose a different option.

Dental veneers are a lot more challenging to stain, which makes them one of the most popular whitening options. During your first appointment, your dentist will help you pick the right shade of white so that your teeth will look whiter without looking artificial.

3. Correct Chips

Chips to go with your salsa is one thing, but chips in your teeth are not something that you want. Depending on how bad the chip is in your tooth, veneers may be able to help. As long as there is still enough room left on the tooth to adhere the veneer to, your dentist will be able to cover your chipped tooth and get you looking like yourself again in no time.

4. Change the Shape and Size

Not everyone likes the shape and size of their teeth. A lot of people wish that they could change the shape of their teeth so that they are a little bit squarer or larger. When you choose dental veneers, you get to choose the exact shape and size of teeth that you want.

The best way to tell whether or not dental veneers are for you is to schedule an appointment with the dentist. During your initial appointment, your dentist will take a look at your teeth, do some x-rays, and determine whether veneers are the best route for you. Although dental veneers can be expensive, they can last up to 15 years , which can help to justify the expense.

If you are ready to take the next step or learn more, contact our Eastland Dental Center & Professional Dental Center office today. We’re happy to answer your questions and are excited to work with you.