Dental Crowns Pt. 2

Have you ever wondered what steps are involved in getting a dental crown? From the patient’s point of view a crown is not much different than a filling, but they do take longer. They are not painful or scary. Following is the basic procedure for a crown.

Getting a crown usually takes two visits. The first visit involves shaping the tooth and putting on a temporary crown. You are being numbed up, because the crown has to be a certain thickness to maintain its durability, the tooth material is removed to make room for the required thickness of the crown. The tooth is shaped so the crown will fit properly over the top of it. If the tooth is missing a portion of the crown a post may be added for stability.

Next, an impression of the tooth is made and sent to an outside laboratory that will manufacture the crown, which can take up to three weeks. In the meantime, the dentist places a temporary crown, which is usually made out of plastic or metal, over the tooth to protect it while waiting for the permanent crown to arrive. The temporary crown is cemented in place.

When the permanent crown arrives a second visit is scheduled.  If you are very sensitive you may be numbed up, but this is not always needed. The temporary crown is removed and the permanent crown fitted.  Your bite will be checked to make sure the crown fits properly. Once you and the dentist feel it fits right, then it is cemented in place and the procedure is done.

There is a new type of crown called Cerec.  Cerac eliminates a few of those steps, the best of which is that two to three week waiting period! Cerec (Chaiside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics),a company specializing in ceramic restorations, has a system called “Computer-assisted-design-Computer-assisted-manufactured” or CAD-CAM that makes it possible for the Cerec dentist to make the crown right there in his office in about 20 minutes, so it completely does away with the need for that second visit.

As far as cost, there is really not much difference between a Cerec crown and a traditionally made crown, but a Cerec crown does have a few advantages over a porcelain covered metal crown. First, and probably the biggest advantage is the time it takes to manufacture the crown, which allows it to be completed all in one visit. Second, because it is manufactured out of a single block of ceramic, it is very durable and long-lasting. Third, because of the precision of digital measurements, more of the natural tooth is maintained. Fourth, the look of ceramic is cosmetically more natural-looking. The disadvantages of a ceramic crown is that it takes specialized training on the part of the dentist and not all are experts in this field, so finding a highly skilled Cerec dentist may not be easy at this time, depending on where you live.

Dental Crowns Pt. 1

Dental crowns are a popular and effective method for restoring teeth that might have been lost.

Dental crowns are commonly fitted over the remaining part of your original tooth. They are used as a type of dental restoration. These crowns can also be used as a cap for your dental implants. Dental crowns are generally made of a number of materials including porcelain, ceramic, gold alloy and porcelain bonded to metal. These dental accessories made of porcelain are used for front teeth. They are very natural looking. However, these are not as strong as the bonded crowns. The ceramic ones usually have the strength of bonded crowns and appearance of porcelain. They are suitable enough for almost any position in the mouth. Those made of gold alloy are very hard. They are available in white or gold color.

Dental crowns are used when you have decay, broken teeth or excessively worn teeth. They are molded in the dental laboratory and act as strengtheners for the leftover of your original teeth. After the completion of this procedure your teeth not only become stronger, it also become more attractive. In fact, these crowns are so designed that they look very natural and can enhance the overall appearance of your tooth. You must also refrain from certain damaging habits such as ice chewing, teeth grinding and fingernail biting.

You can experience hot and cold sensitivity when your crowned tooth. Such sensitivity is especially experienced between the edge of the gum line and crown. However, you can minimize this tendency by using toothpaste that is designed for sensitive teeth. In case your crown is set too high on your tooth, you may suffer from pain while biting something. In such cases, see your dentist immediately to fix the problem.

Apart from the sensitivity issues, dental crown comes with some other drawbacks. Your crown is fitted with cement. When it washes out from under your crown, it becomes loose and bacteria can easily leak in and cause tooth decay. They can also fall off at times. This usually happens due to lack of cement or improper fit. In such cases, immediately clean the crown and replace it temporarily by any temporary tooth cement or dental adhesive. Also, contact you doctor as soon as possible.

However, you can conveniently avoid these damages if you stay away from biting ice and other hard objects, and chewing hard food. As said earlier, you must also avoid teeth grinding. In addition, visit the dentist at a regular interval and brush your teeth twice daily.

Gingivitis – An Introduction

Simply put gingivitis is inflammation of the gums. Gingiva in dental terms are the gums of the mouth. “itis” is a suffix and when added to a name of a body part means inflammation of, for example, appendicitis which is inflammation of the appendix or tonsillitis which is inflammation of the tonsils.

In this case gingivitis is inflammation of the gums, this inflammation is caused by the body’s response to bacteria which is in the mouth. The mouth naturally has millions of bacteria present and most of the time the bacteria can live in a symbiotic nature within the oral cavity. The problem starts most of the time when overgrowth of bacteria starts to occur due to inadequate oral hygiene but other factors can come into play which may allow a person to develop gingivitis even though their oral hygiene is good.

In simple bacteria-related gingivitis buildup of gingivitis causing bacteria accumulate above and below the gumline. The bacteria are attached to a tooth via what is called ” dental plaque.” Plaque simply put is a matrix of food, bacteria and other particles which adhere to the tooth structure. When plaque is not cleaned away both above and below the gumline it starts to “irritate” the gum which in turn signals the body to initiate an inflammatory response to prevent disease. The body puts up a fight against the bacteria to try and win the war, this is turn is when you see bleeding and redness as a main indicator of gingivitis. The body attempts to bring blood cells to the site of the inflammation to help heal what it perceives as bacterial invasion, in this case bacterial within the plaque is the invader. In this case bleeding should not be perceived as something to be afraid of, it is simply the body’s way of telling the person something is wrong and to do something about it. This is when you should floss and brush more, not less.

In other cases of gingivitis the body can play a role in how it responds to dental plaque. Sometimes due to hormonal fluctuations in women, whether it be during pregnancy, cyclical changes during the menstrual cycle or peri-menopause, a woman’s mouth can be very sensitive to the dental plaque that is present and can develop hormone-induced gingivitis very easily. As well, people who are diabetic (type 1 and/or 2), have other systemic illness and take medications can be at higher risk for developing gingivitis.

Overall, the most important thing you can do at home for preventing and help treat gingivitis at home is;

-Brush 3 times a day for 2 minutes with sonic electric toothbrush.
-Floss 1 time a day making sure to clean well below the gumline.
-Mouth rinses such as Biotene which can help kill the bacteria that cause gingivitis or a salt water rinse. The dentist may also prescribe a mouthwash designed to help fight gum disease.
-In between meals if you are not able to brush, drink water or chew sugar-free gum for a few minutes to help loosen food and wash it away.

Most adults are aware of the old adage to see your dentist every 6 months for a cleaning and check-up. This may not be true for many of us who have had gingivitis in the past. Research has shown us that it takes about 3 months for bacterial plaque to mature, this is called biofilm and we all have some of this on our teeth, usually below the gumline. For some people who have very healthy mouths that biofilm will cause no harm, but for a large part of the population who have gingivitis, i.e. gums that bleed, a 6 month interval between cleanings may be too much and damage to the gums and underlying structures may occur. Talk with your dentist about what is best for you.

5 Steps to Dental Health

Ask almost any dentist and they will tell you that good oral health takes more than just good brushing. You may know the dos and don’ts of brushing by heart, but there are other steps you can take to keep your teeth for a lifetime. After all, oral hygiene is not only about the teeth. It includes the whole mouth as well.

5 Steps to Follow to Maintain Good Dental Health

Healthy teeth translate to good overall well being. So, to boost your appearance and self-esteem, invest in your oral health. Here are steps for you to follow towards maintaining good dental health.

1. Visit your dentist  regularly. When it comes to oral hygiene, your dentist has the expertise to meet all your oral health care needs. Discuss with him/her the frequency of your visits. Unlike others who visit their dentist at least twice a year, you may need to see yours more frequently.

2. Eat well. A well-balanced diet is important to good oral health. People say that you are what you eat. Well, it’s pretty much the same with your teeth. They depend much on what you put inside your mouth. It’s best to avoid alcoholic drinks and food with too much sugar and starches. They will only accelerate the breakdown of the enamel in the teeth.

3. Regularly check your mouth. Aside from your dentist, you are in the best position to notice changes in your mouth. From time to time, examine your mouth and see if there are changes that might need attention. These can include sore or sensitive gums, discolored teeth, and chipped teeth. If you see any of these signs, report it to your dentist right away.

4. Quit using Tobacco. Smoking tobacco is not only a danger to your overall health, but to your oral health as well. Continuous use of tobacco, either smoking or chewing, often leads to gum disease, bad breath, stains on the teeth, or worse oral cancer.

5. Floss every time you brush your teeth. Flossing is important to overall dental health.

Oral Health and Overall Health

Experts believe that problems in the mouth are often linked to health problems to the rest of the body. When the teeth are healthy, bacteria in the mouth don’t go to the bloodstream. With regular brushing and flossing, these bacteria are kept under control. However, when you neglect your teeth, it can lead to gum disease that can pose a great health risk to you.

Following these simple guidelines can lead to a lifetime of good dental health.