Understanding and Treating Gum Disease
Gum disease is a serious problem, and you should treat it as soon as possible by following your dentist’s recommendations. Also known as periodontal disease, it has several treatments depending on the severity of the issue.
Initial Steps to Address Gum Disease
Your first course of action is to completely revamp your oral hygiene habits. Daily flossing and brushing after meals are essential habits to develop. You must have a clean mouth before you go to bed. If you smoke, it’s important to quit, as your oral health depends on it.
If you haven’t been keeping up with regular professional checkups and cleanings, now is the time to start again. Long-term gum health is greatly impacted by the plaque, tartar, food debris, and bacteria left on teeth. Hardened calculus, or calcified plaque, can be removed using a process called scaling, which may require local anesthesia.
Evaluating Progress
Your dentist will monitor your progress to see if your gum tissue is recovering. If you respond well to treatment, gum disease may be managed with these initial steps alone. However, for more severe cases, oral surgery may be necessary.
Advanced Treatment Options
Surgical procedures can regenerate and repair soft gum tissue as well as hard tissues such as bone or teeth. Your oral surgeon will aim to reduce or eliminate gum pockets—open areas beneath the gum line—improving gum-to-tooth attachment. The goal is to restore normal oral functions and aesthetic appearance.
Sedation Options
For patients undergoing oral surgery to treat gum disease, various sedation dentistry options are available, including local anesthesia, IV sedation, or conscious oral sedation. Discuss your options with your oral surgeon to determine the best choice for your specific needs.
Act Now
Don’t delay in treating gum disease. Take the necessary steps to ensure a lifetime of better oral hygiene and gum health.
Are dental issues holding you back? Take control of your oral health by booking an appointment with our experienced team at our Ottawa dental office.
Having a bright, beautiful, white smile is something we all desire. It signals health and prosperity and leaves the best possible first impression a person can make. There are a host of products at the drug store that label themselves “whitening.” Whitening toothpastes, whitening mouth rinses, whitening strips, gels, and creams all line the shelves, promising a “new you!” Your dentist, however, offers something labeled as “bleaching.” So what’s the difference? Which should you choose?
Your natural tooth is made up of two specific layers: enamel and dentin. The enamel layer is on the outside of the tooth. It’s the white part we see when someone smiles. It’s hard and heavily mineralized and can appear like porcelain. The dentin is the inner layer. It’s yellow in color and supports the enamel on the outside. Over time, your enamel naturally wears away and the yellow dentin color can begin to show through.
The term “whitening” is applied to any product that helps restore teeth to a natural color by removing debris and stains from a natural tooth’s surface. Any substance that restores the surface of a tooth’s enamel is a whitening product. Many whitening products contain a mild abrasive that removes leftover discoloration and food particles, leaving the enamel of the tooth smooth and white. Teeth whitening products combat stains caused by aging and the discoloration left by many foods, or by smoking.
The FDA permits the term “bleaching” only for products that can whiten a tooth beyond their initial, natural color. Bleaching products contain active ingredients such as carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide is activated so that it releases oxygen molecules that enter the tooth enamel and break down stains in a way that whitening products cannot. This activation can occur immediately, in the case of some in-office bleaching products, like laser whitening, or it can take several hours, as it can with custom take-home bleaching trays.
If you are considering brightening your smile, talk to cityName teeth whitening dentist dentistName to see what product is best suited to your smile needs!
Take the first step towards a confident smile. Contact our Ottawa dental office to schedule your consultation!
If you’re dissatisfied with the appearance of your smile due to stained, imperfect, or damaged teeth, consider visiting a cosmetic dentist for a smile makeover. Research has shown that people with beautiful smiles are often perceived as more successful, trustworthy, and approachable. While these are obvious benefits, rejuvenating your smile through cosmetic dentistry offers other advantages as well:
- Boosts Confidence and Self-Esteem
- Helps Prevent Tooth Loss and Reduces Risk of Infection – Straight, smooth teeth without gaps are easier to clean, which lowers the risk of dental issues.
- Creates a Healthier, More Youthful Appearance
- Restores Strength and Functionality – Enhances the durability of teeth.
- Makes Brushing and Flossing Easier
- Increases Motivation for Good Oral Care
- Delivers Natural-Looking Results – That complement your facial features.
At our cityName dental office, we offer a wide range of cosmetic and restorative dentistry treatments to enhance your smile and overall oral health. Your smile makeover will be personalized to suit your needs and may involve some or all of the following procedures:
- Teeth Whitening
- Cosmetic Bonding
- Porcelain Veneers
- Tooth-Colored Fillings
- Dental Implants and Bridges
- Braces or Invisalign
- Gum Contouring
A smile makeover typically combines two or more treatments to achieve the desired outcome. Many procedures are non-invasive and can be completed in just one office visit, though some may require multiple appointments.
Thanks to advanced dental technology, you no longer have to settle for a less-than-perfect smile. Schedule a consultation with a qualified dental professional today to learn how a smile makeover can help you enjoy the benefits of a brighter, more confident smile.
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If you’ve been wearing dentures for some time, you might have experienced issues like poor fit, shifting, or clicking when talking or eating. Such problems can lead to discomfort, mouth sores, or food buildup under the dentures, contributing to bad breath.
If these issues sound familiar, there may be a solution for you. A new option is the combination of traditional dentures with dental implants, creating what’s known as hybrid dentures. This approach uses dental implants inserted directly into the jawbone to anchor the dentures, providing the stability and comfort previously only offered by natural teeth.
Advantages of Hybrid Dentures
- Improved Stability: Hybrid dentures are much more stable than traditional ones, allowing for better chewing capabilities and the ability to enjoy foods you might have had to avoid, like crisp vegetables or tough meats. This opens up a wider variety of foods, helping to maintain a balanced diet and avoid digestive issues.
- Smaller Dentures: With the increased stability from the implants, the dentures themselves can be smaller and more comfortable. Traditional dentures often cover the roof of the mouth, which can affect taste and feel, but implant-supported dentures allow for an open roof, enhancing your ability to enjoy food and providing a more natural feel for your tongue.
- Bone Preservation: Dental implants also help stimulate the jawbone, similar to natural tooth roots. This prevents bone shrinkage, which is common after tooth loss, and helps maintain the shape of your face and the fit of your dentures.
If you’re a denture wearer and want a more secure and comfortable experience, consider discussing with your dentist how hybrid dentures could improve your dental health and quality of life.
Are dental issues holding you back? Take control of your oral health by booking an appointment with our experienced team at our Ottawa dental office.
Do you have a single tooth that has darkened due to trauma? The first step in determining if a damaged tooth can be lightened is to visit your dentist for a thorough examination.
Your dentist will need to identify what is causing the dark staining. To do this, your dentist may perform x-rays or other tests to learn if the pulp of the tooth is “vital” or alive. If the tooth is deemed to be alive, external bleaching may yield the whitening results you are seeking. Your dentist can create a single-tooth bleaching tray to whiten the traumatized tooth effectively. This type of tray keeps the bleach away from other teeth, producing the best color match for your overall smile.
However, if it is determined that the nerves have died and it is no longer a living tooth, your dentist may need to perform a root canal. Darkening of a dead tooth can happen immediately or may develop over time after a root canal procedure has been performed. For this type of tooth trauma, your dentist or endodontist may recommend bleaching the tooth from the inside.
Stains from a non-vital tooth come from the inside, rather than outside, of the tooth. Therefore, your dentist needs to put the bleach inside the tooth. This type of teeth whitening is a routine procedure that involves making a small opening in the tooth through which to bleach the tooth. Once this procedure is complete, you can assess with your dentist whether the desired results have been achieved. If the whitening is not enough, the tooth can then be bleached externally as well. If the results are still not acceptable, you may want to consider a tooth-colored veneer or crown.
If you have a darkened tooth marring your smile, consult your dentist to determine the best teeth whitening treatment to return your smile to its bright, white best.
Take the first step towards optimal oral hygiene. Reserve your dental appointment at our Ottawa dental office now and experience personalized care.
Root canal therapy is a painless procedure performed when decay has caused enough damage to a tooth that it is either dying or has already died. During the procedure, your dentist or endodontist removes the diseased or damaged pulp from the tooth and refills the tooth cavity. To ensure a successful and pleasant treatment, here are some basic do’s and don’ts to follow:
Do’s:
- Do take any medication your dentist has prescribed for you before the root canal therapy.
- Do expect mild discomfort for 2-3 days following the procedure. Apply an ice pack and sleep with your head elevated to minimize swelling.
- Do continue brushing your teeth normally, even the root canal treated tooth.
- Do eat a soft diet for several days and avoid chewing on the treated tooth until a permanent restoration is placed.
- Do contact your dental professional immediately if you have any complications or questions during your recovery, and make sure to keep any follow-up appointments.
Don’ts:
- Don’t anticipate pain; stay calm and relaxed during the procedure.
- Don’t skip taking prescribed pain medications, even if you are not experiencing extreme pain.
- Don’t bite on hard foods or disturb the affected tooth during the course of treatment.
- Don’t drink excessively hot or cold beverages until the treatment is completed.
- Don’t smoke or drink alcohol within 24 hours of the root canal therapy.
- Don’t delay getting the treated tooth capped with a crown or other restoration to avoid fracture or additional damage, causing failure of your root canal therapy.
Root canal therapy has a 95% success rate. By following these simple guidelines, you can help ensure a positive result from your root canal therapy and enjoy many more years of a healthy smile.
