Category: Uncategorized

Could a Flipper Denture Be The Answer to Your Incomplete Smile?

Living with missing teeth can be difficult. Without a complete smile, it can be harder for you to eat and speak effectively. Spaces in your smile can also cause oral health issues, such as increases in plaque, bacteria and food debris; and can allow your teeth to drift out of proper alignment. This can cause them to strike one another at the wrong angles and cause damage to the tooth enamel.

If the missing tooth is one of your upper front teeth, you will undoubtedly feel very self conscious about your appearance, no matter how polte the people around you may try to be. If that is the case for you, you should talk to our dentist, Dr. [doctor_name] about replacing your missing tooth or teeth. Dental implants are very effective single-tooth replacements, but they can be very expensive, and not everyone may be a suitable implant candidate. Dentures are excellent for replacing teeth. But you may not need a denture, and although dentures are less expensive than implants, they may be out of your price range. So what can be done so you can smile with confidence again?

A flipper denture may be a good choice for you. A flipper denture is not actually a denture, it is really a retainer with one or several prosthetic teeth mounted on it. It fits in with the rest of your upper teeth and is held in place partly by metal brackets. It is called a flipper because it is fairly easy to flip it out with your tongue. A flipper is not as strong as a regular denture, but it is much less expensive and may be a good option for you if cost is a concern. You will need to be careful when eating hard, tough or sticky foods. You should also use care when biting into things. You may want to cut harder foods into slices to avoid damaging or displacing your dentures.

Your flipper should fit firmly, but comfortably. If it is too tight or too loose, it will not be comfortable or effective. You should let the dentist know if your flipper does not fit well or causes you pain. You should remove your flipper twice a day and gently clean it using a soft-bristled toothbrush and a nonabrasive toothpaste, or a mild hand or dish soap. When you take it out before going to bed, you should place it in a denture soaking solution. Your flipper needs to remain moist so that it does not warp out of shape, and the solution will help to keep your flipper clean.

If you need to fill out your smile, and would like to find out if a flipper denture in [city], [state] would be a good fit for you, we would be happy to see you for an exam, consultation and recommendation. If you would like to schedule an appointment at [practice_name], call [phone] today and we’ll take it from there. Start smiling and enjoying your life again.

Tips for Having a Top-Notch Smile on Summer Break

As summer quickly approaches, you might be so focused on the school-less days and the warm summer nights. Well, as you plan your trips and your fun summer activities, our dentists, Dr. Michael Long and Dr. Matthew Thurman, encourage you to keep your smile in mind. It’s very important to care for your teeth and gums as you enjoy the warm weather. To help you keep your smile in tip-top shape this summer, our dentist encourages you to do the following things:

-Keep up on oral hygiene: Make sure to brush twice a day and floss once a day. This is important because it can help you remove dangerous substances from your teeth and gums regularly. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste when you brush, and don’t forget your oral hygiene tools when you travel on summer trips.

-Visit your dentist: If you’re due for a dental checkup this summer, make sure to mark it on the calendar and set reminders for yourself! Your dental checkups are very important because they help you maintain a top-notch smile and they even help you prevent major dental problems, like tooth decay and gum disease.

-Wear a mouthguard: A mouthguard is a top-notch appliance that can protect your teeth, gums and jaw when you participate in high-contact sports and activities. So, make sure to wear a mouthguard while you’re active. That way you can avoid oral injuries, like knocked-out and broken teeth.

For more information and details about smile care in [city], [state], please reach out to our dental team at [practice_name]. We are happy to give you the answers and help you need, so please don’t hesitate to contact us by dialing [phone]. We look forward to hearing from and helping you!

Smoking and Oral Cancer

At this point, everyone in the world knows that smoking is incredibly bad for your health. It causes cancer, leads to shorter lifespans, and permanently stains your teeth a nasty shade of nicotine yellow.

Smoking does more than that, though. One of the aspects of smoking that’s often overlooked is the role it plays in causing oral cancer. If you, or a loved one, has a smoking habit and are looking to quit, these facts about smoking and oral cancer might just do the trick.

What types of cancer?
Oral cancer refers to any type of cancerous growth in the mouth. This includes your teeth, gums, and cheeks. A [dr_type] treats oral cancer, though they’ll work in conjunction with your oncologist.

Dr. Michael Long and Dr. Matthew Thurman have seen many different types of oral cancer. Unfortunately, all cases lead to severe and devastating long-term effects.

What does it cause?
Oral cancer isn’t necessarily fatal if treated early. However, it still presents a huge infection risk to the rest of your body. If oral cancer starts in your gums, it can eat away at that tissue, killing your teeth along with it. Then, you’re left with nothing but an infected mouth.

And where will all that infection travel? You’re right – everywhere else in your body.

Prevention
Even if you don’t smoke, you can still get oral cancer. Luckily, every appointment here at the practice of [practice_name] in [city], [state], includes an oral cancer screening. This ensures that you’re not developing any issues.

Of course, the best thing you can do to avoid oral cancer is to avoid smoking tobacco at all. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, call us today at [phone].

Oral Health Outliers: Dental Fitness

Making sure you have a healthy smile depends on your various dental fitness routines that you are employing. Not only do you need to make sure that you are responsibly caring for your smile by cleaning it every day, but you’ll also need to make sure you’re taking routine visits to your dentist. Furthermore, an effective dietary plan should be in place, and you should think about all aspects of your life that can be improved.

Various aspects of your oral health can lead to severe dental damage. In order to keep your smile safe, you have to be aware of products that can easily damage your teeth and gums even if they’re meant to help you. In the case of teeth whitening products, they are designed to eradicate deep stains and discolorations. However, they may also end up bleaching your gums or wearing down your tooth enamel. For a safe and effective tooth whitening treatment system, visit your dentist for a professional in-office whitening used with custom-designed whitening trays and safe gels. Through the use of a single in-office whitening, it is possible to improve the color of your teeth by up to 10 shades safely and effectively.

If you have additional oral health risks that you may not be aware of, you will want to talk to your dentist about your dental history and any potential risks in your life that could lead to further oral health damage. By limiting the risks associated with various disorders and products in your lifestyle. you can drastically improve the health of your teeth and gums and help to keep it that way for decades to come.

Do you feel confident in your knowledge about dental fitness? With dental fitness treatments from [practice_name], we can make sure you receive the oral health care you need. If you wish to schedule an appointment to visit us at our dental office in [city], [state], Dr. [doctor_name] and our team can be reached by calling us at [phone].

 

Treatments for Your Smile: Sleep Apnea

Are you aware of the risk factors associated with sleep apnea and whether or not you are at an increased risk for developing the disorder? Sleep apnea arises when individuals experience breathing pattern interruptions while they are asleep. One common sign that sleep apnea is occurring is snoring. However, just because you snore does not mean you also have sleep apnea.

Several risk factors exist to alert you to the presence of sleep apnea. This includes the following:

– if you are overweight

– if you are over 40

– if you are a male

– if you have large tonsils or a large tongue

– if you have a nasal obstruction with a deviated septum

– if you are experiencing sinus and nasal problems

If you are suffering from any of these risk factors, you may be suffering from sleep apnea or be at a heightened risk of the disorder. If left untreated, it can lead to stroke, heart failure and several other oral health issues.

Once your dentist has determined whether or not you are suffering from sleep apnea, they can provide treatment as needed. Oftentimes, it can consist of changes in the way you sleep or the use of specialized oral appliances to help correct your jawbone and open your airway. Surgery can also be helpful.           

For additional help with treating sleep apnea, please call [practice_name] so we can get you in to see Dr. Long or Dr. Thurman as soon as possible. Our office is located in [city], [state]. To reach us, call our office at [phone].

 

Revamp Your Oral Health Care With Interdental Cleaners

In order to clean between your teeth, you are going to need a study and reliable interdental cleaner. When determining which interdental cleaner you need to use to keep your smile safe, it is important to take into consideration your personal preferences, your oral health care needs, and your physical situation. For additional help, speak with our dentists about product recommendations and suggestions. If you are interested in a traditional interdental cleaner, shred-resistant dental floss has been proven to be effective. If you wish to forgo threaded floss, water flossers can be extremely beneficial.

Dental floss has been around for a very long time has been proven effective. This is because it can easily reach the spaces between teeth and remove debris and plaque buildup without damaging your tooth enamel. When flossing, it is important to make sure you wrap each end of each strand around a finger on each hand for moving easily up and down the thread as needed. Thus, it is important to make sure you are not re-contaminating your teeth by moving plaque between one area to the next. Always make sure to throw out the dental floss when you’re finished and use a new strand for each subsequent typing.

If you wish to forgo the use of dental floss, water flossers can help by spraying a beam of water on your teeth. By focusing the water stream, you can easily clean between teeth just as effectively as floss would. Furthermore, using water flossers can lower your risks associated with plaque buildup. Water flossers are also easy to operate and beneficial for individuals that have muscle or joint pain. Furthermore, if you have oral health care procedures and restorations in place that impede the use of dental floss, water flossers can be used as an alternative.

Reverse poor oral hygiene with interdental cleaners. If you would like Dr. Long, Dr. Thurman and our team to bring you in for an oral exam, schedule an appointment at our dental office in [city], [state], by calling us at [phone].

Oral Health: TMJ Disorders

Due to the oral health risks associated with TMJ disorders, it is important to assess what they are and how to treat them properly. A TMJ disorder, also known as a temporomandibular joint disorder, arises when the joints in your jaw are not working correctly. This is because they consist of different working parts including muscles and ligaments that work with your jaw bone. If for any reason they are damaged, your entire oral health could suffer.

Typical causes of TMJ are often linked to stress or excessive use of your jaw. This can arise due to continually chewing on pens or pencils, or biting your nails. Furthermore, if you’re suffering from an underlying condition such as bruxism, which means you are unconsciously grinding and clenching your teeth, your risk for a TMJ disorder is increased. Arthritis, dislocations, and misalignments with your teeth and jaw are also known risk factors for TMJ disorders.

Treating a TMJ disorder often depends on applying stress-relieving techniques and stretching exercises, Heat packs can assist with pain, and ice packs can help with inflammation. If a TMJ disorder does not get better, visit your dentist for an evaluation and treatment suggestions.
For more information concerning TMJ disorders or to schedule an appointment with our dentist and the rest of our team, please contact us at our dentist office in [city], [state], by calling [phone]. [practice_name] wants to help you take charge of your future with a healthy smile!

Unlock Your Smile with Endodontics

Endodontics is a branch of dentistry designed to care for the pulp and tissues within the root of a tooth. The pulp contains the life force of the tooth including the connective tissues, nerve endings, and blood vessels of the tooth. If for any reason it is damaged, it will need to be carefully extracted to ensure the tooth can still function.

If a tooth has suffered from pulp infection, an endodontics treatment such as a root canal therapy will be needed. Endodontics specializes in pulps as it is a branch of dentistry designed to save damaged and broken teeth. Endodontists receive an additional 2 years of advanced training past medical school to allow them to perform complex medical procedures and surgeries that otherwise would require tooth extraction. Through the use of a complex treatment such as a root canal, endodontic treatments may allow teeth to function properly even after their pulps have been removed. Each year in the United States, endodontist save millions of teeth for numerous endodontics surgeries and treatments including root canals.

Visit [practice_name] today for an endodontic treatment. We can be reached by scheduling an appointment with Dr. [doctor_name] and our team at our dentist office in [city], [state] by calling us at [phone].

Sensational Smiles: Tooth Hazard Prevention

Numerous tooth hazards revolve around your diet. Not only do they heavily affect the products you can consume, but also arise in the implementation of the products in your diet through various methods. Always exercise caution around any tooth hazards present in regard to your diet and dietary habits.

Limit snacking between meals as it can increase the rate at which tooth decay can occur. In addition, opening product packaging with your teeth is a severe tooth hazard that should be avoided at all costs. Never try to open bottle caps or plastic packaging with your teeth. In regard to your diet, exercise caution with products that can easily contribute to oral health ailments such as dental erosion or tooth decay. Avoid gummy candies as they can link to your teeth and gums and cause dental erosion. In addition, products such as fruit juice, potato chips, sports drinks, and soda are all high in sugars or starches, which can be converted by plaque and bacteria in your mouth into harmful acids capable of causing dental erosion. Thus, avoid these products to keep your smile safe.

To talk about your tooth hazard treatment options with Dr. [doctor_name] and the rest of our team, you can make an appointment at our dentist office in [city], [state]. Our number is [phone].

What Are the Benefits of Dental Checkups?

Dental checkups are vital for a top-notch oral health and smile. This is why your [dr_type]s, Drs. Long and Thurman, strongly recommend attending your checkups every six months. Dental checkups can help you and your smile in a myriad of ways. To help you know a little more, our dental team is happy to list the benefits of the checkups, which are:

-Dental checkups can keep tooth decay and gum disease at bay. This is because the cleaning treatment involved removes the plaque and tartar from your teeth. Plaque and tartar attack your smile and promote cavities and periodontal disease. It’s important to remove these substances regularly.

-Dental checkups can help you have a top-notch oral health. This is because the fluoride treatment provided can strengthen your teeth and help them fight bacteria that cause dental problems.

-Dental checkups can help you have a more appealing smile. This is because the polishing treatment involved can remove the minor stains on the surfaces of your tooth enamel. This can make your teeth brighter and more attractive.

To learn more about dental checkups in [city], [state], please contact [practice_name] at [phone] today. We also encourage you to call our office if you’re due for your next checkup. Our dental team is here to help you in any way we can, and we look forward to hearing from you!