The Perfect Smile with Dental Crowns

Dental Crowns have certainly changed over the years, and thanks to modern dentistry, you can have your existing crowns replaced or new crowns placed with dental restorations that look and feel just like your own natural teeth.  

According to the American Dental Association, porcelain jacket crowns were made in the early 1900’s, but unfortunately were not very efficient. During the 1950’s, dental crowns were a real possibility as porcelain was fused to metal. These days, crowns are made out of a high-grade porcelain or porcelain that is bonded to gold. Most dentists recommend higher strength materials for more serious dental problems such as lost teeth, excessive wear, and old filling breakdown.

Dental Crowns are used to replace missing teeth and offer support to broken or misshaped teeth. Dental Crowns look and feel natural and can fix a smile while taking care of chewing problems.

If you are experiencing pain in your back teeth, you may have a hairline crack. Your dentist may decide to place Dental Crowns on the teeth in order to relieve the pain. Crowns on your molars will also allow you to return to full dental function.

Porcelain Crowns and Bridges are used in the front teeth to replace older fillings that might be chipped or stained. Porcelain Crowns are also used where Porcelain Veneers are unsuitable.

Your dentist may also recommend a Dental Crown over Root Canals to prevent breakage.

If the damage to your tooth or teeth is extreme, your dentist may use Porcelain or Porcelain fused to gold Dental Crowns. Your dentist explains that Dental Crowns can last for twenty to thirty years if you practice good oral hygiene.

Dental Crown fitting takes two or more dental appointments. During your first visit, your dentist will remove the tooth decay before shaping the tooth and fitting it with a temporary Dental Crown made from metal or plastic.

During your next visit, your dentist will take out the temporary crown before fitting and adjusting your new permanent Dental Crown. The final step in the process is cementing your new Dental Crown in place.

If you would like more information regarding Dental Crowns, schedule an appointment with your dentist today. A beautiful smile really is just a phone call away. 

Are You Prepared for the Risks when it Comes to Oral Piercing?

Tongue, lip and cheek piercing is quite popular, but if you or someone you know is considering oral piercings your dentist will tell you that there are some dangers that everyone should be aware of.

According to Web MD, oral piercings can cause excessive bleeding, gum disease, infection and disease. In fact, oral piercings can also cause eventual tooth loss.

Infections are a common side effect with oral piercings thanks to the millions of bacteria that already live in your mouth. Once jewelry is introduced and has been handled by less than clean hands, your risk of infections is increased ten-fold.

The Herpes Simplex Virus and Hepatitis B and C can be transmitted after oral piercings. Make sure that if you do decide to have your lip, tongue, or cheek pierced that you do so with a reputable oral piercing establishment and schedule an appointment with your dentist.

People who have undiagnosed heart problems could have serious problems, especially if a bacterium enters the blood stream. Endocarditis is a real issue that causes inflammation of the heart valves and the heart itself.

Nobody likes to drool, but if you have oral piercing, it could become a permanent problem as could nerve damage.

It is normal to experience a numb mouth or tongue after oral piercings, but unfortunately, that loss of taste and sensation could become a permanent issue, especially if your nerves were pierced when you had the procedure.

If the blood vessels are accidentally punctured during your oral piercing, you could have prolonged bleeding that could result in excessive blood loss.

Tongue swelling is normal after an oral piercing, but your dentist has seen cases where the swelling was so severe that it cut off the airways making breathing almost impossible.

Gum disease is seen more frequently in people who have had oral piercings and those who wear long stem jewelry, such as barbells could cause injury to the gums. If this occurs, you are setting yourself up for gum recession and eventual tooth loss.

Jewelry aspiration happens if the stud, ring, or barbell becomes loose. You could accidentally swallow the jewelry. Injury to the lungs or digestive track is a real possibility if you wear mouth jewelry.

Of course, many other problems could occur with oral piercings including daily oral function, tooth damage and an allergic reaction to the metal.

For more information about the dangers of oral piercing, schedule an appointment with your dentist who just may be able to change you, a friend, or a family members mind.

How Smoking Affects Oral Health

Kicking that nasty cigarette or cigar habit will not only do wonders for that nagging cough, but will also help your teeth and gums.

According to Web MD, Smoking and smokeless tobacco products can cause serious damage to your teeth and gums. If you use tobacco, and that includes the popular Hookah Pipe, your teeth will eventually become discolored and you will have bad breath. 

Smoking also causes inflammation on the roof of your mouth where some of your salivary gland openings are located, and tartar and plaque on your teeth and gums. If that isn’t reason enough to kick the habit, smoking, and smokeless tobacco products can lead to increased jawbone loss and an increased risk for oral cancer. Smoking and smokeless tobacco products can also delay healing after dental treatments such as tooth extraction, oral surgery, and periodontal treatment. Smokers and people who use smokeless tobacco products have a lower success rate when it comes to Dental Implants and have more chance of developing periodontal disease than people who do not smoke.

Bad oral hygiene isn’t the only thing that causes gingivitis and periodontal disease. According to recent studies and your dentist in Rancho Mirage, smoking actually interferes with normal gum tissue cell function making smokers and those who use smokeless tobacco products more susceptible to gum disease. Smoking also impairs the flow of blood to your gums, which could affect your ability to heal quickly.

Cigars and pipes lead to just as many oral health issues as cigarettes. In fact, cigar smokers suffer from jawbone loss just as much as cigarette smokers do. Although pipe and cigar smokers do not inhale, all are still at risk when it comes to throat and oral cancer as well as stained teeth and bad breath.

Dr. Randall Szutz explains that smokeless tobacco isn’t any better. Chewing tobacco and snuff contain more than 28 harmful chemicals that will increase your risk of esophageal, throat and oral cancer. Have a single snuff, and you are giving your body more nicotine than 60 cigarettes. Chewing tobacco also irritates your gums making them pull away or recede leading to tooth loss. Once your roots are exposed, you will become more sensitive to temperature changes making eating uncomfortable. If that isn’t reason enough to throw out that can of snuff. 

The Journal of the American Dental Association discovered that people who use smokeless tobacco products were more than four times more likely to develop dental caries as snuff has added sugar in order to enhance its flavor.

If you are having trouble kissing your smokes goodbye, schedule an appointment with your dentist who may be able to help you understand how dangerous smoking is for your body and your teeth and gums.

Dental Sealants Can Prevent Tooth Decay

Thanks to the wonders of modern dental technology and the help of your dentist Dr. Randall Szutz in Rancho Mirage, you can now prevent tooth decay with a special acrylic coating known as Dental Sealants.

Unfortunately, no matter how much you brush and floss, it can sometimes be impossible to get into the nooks and crannies in your back teeth. Pits and fissures prevent your toothbrush from reaching areas that are susceptible to tooth decay, and that is where Dental Sealants come in.

According to Wikipedia, Dental Sealants are not new. In fact, one of the very first attempts occurred when dentistry pioneer, Dr. Willoughby D. Miller applied silver nitrate to teeth in 1905. Researcher T.P Hyatt in 1921 and dentist C.F Bodecker carried out further attempts at Dental Sealants in 1929. Silver nitrate was also used in the 1940’s in order to prevent dental carries on the back molars.

Studies conducted by Dr. M.G. Buonocore in 1955 proved that etching the enamel on patients teeth with phosphoric acid and resin provided a bonding system that would eventually lead to today’s dental bonding procedures.

Your dentist understands that Dental Sealants can help children, teens and adults prevent tooth decay on the biting surfaces of the teeth. Applied to the grooves and fissures on the molars, the tooth-colored acrylic coating is actually painted on to the surface providing a barrier against dental carries.

Dental Sealants actually act as a protective barrier and help prevent acid and plaque from penetrating the enamel on your teeth.

When you schedule an appointment with your dentist for Dental Sealants, Dr. Szutz will determine if you are a good candidate. Children and teens are usually deemed suitable for Dental Sealants, as are adults who have not had previous restorative work done on their back teeth.

Dental Sealants take just a few minutes for each tooth and can last for years without the need for reapplication. Dental sealants hold up well to normal chewing and can help prevent tooth decay.

For more information regarding Dental Sealants, schedule an appointment with your dentist today.

Dental Implants For A New Lease on Life

Dental Implants are nothing new; in fact, Dental Implants have been helping people replace missing teeth for thousands of years.

According to Wikipedia, Archaeologists are responsible for unearthing ancient Mayan skulls from 600 A.D. These skulls were filled with semi-precious stones such as lapis, jade, crystal quartz, and turquoise. Other civilizations hammered seashells into their gums to resemble their lost teeth. Those early Cosmetic Dentists helped modern dentists create Dental Implants based on those early procedures. Just like today, some of those implants actually fused to the bone.

Modern Dental Implants can replace an entire mouthful of teeth or your missing front tooth. Dental Implants are quickly becoming the chosen method when it comes to deciding between dentures and Dental Implants.

Dental Implants provide a solid foundation for natural looking replacement teeth. After your Dental Implant procedure, you can eat and drink like the old days without having to worry about loose dentures or a broken bridge. With Dental Implants, you can smile knowing that your new teeth have given you a reason to flash those pearly whites again.

When you schedule a no obligationconsultation with your Dentist for Dental Implants the two of you will discuss your health history and your dentist will examine your teeth and gums in order to determine your candidacy for Dental Implants. If you have any problems such as gingivitis or periodontal disease, those issues will be addressed before any Dental Implant procedures begin.

If your Dental Implant Surgery is given the green light, your dentist will place tiny posts, usually made from titanium, into your jawbone to replace your missing teeth. Because the posts fuse to the jawbone, a strong foundation is created for your natural looking artificial teeth. Dental Implants take a few months to complete depending on your particular situation, but it is well worth the time. Dental implants not only preserve facial structure, but can also be used to stop bone deterioration that occurs when you are missing a tooth.

Schedule an appointment with your Dentist for Dental Implants. Not only will you have more self-confidence, but you will also be able to talk, laugh, eat, and enjoy life more than you have in years.

Contact your Dentist in Rancho Mirage if you Have Bad Breath

If those party invitations are becoming few and far between, it may have something to do with your breath. Chronic halitosis is a big turnoff, especially if you are on the receiving end. Unfortunately, sometimes even your closest friends will not utter those four little words, “You have bad breath.”

Thankfully, there is something you can do about your halitosis. If you do not use tobacco, and have ruled out chronic infections, kidney or liver ailments, dry mouth, diabetes, odorous foods, or systemic diseases, it most probably has something to do with your oral hygiene, and that is where your Dentist in Rancho Mirage can help.

Poor dental habits are the number one cause of chronic halitosis. In fact, more than 60 million adults in America suffer from it.

You really are what you eat, and if you are not brushing twice, flossing once a day and seeing your Rancho Mirage Dentist regularly you are inviting gingivitis and its worse relative, periodontal disease into your teeth and gums.

According to Web MD, the foods that you eat are broken down by the acids in your mouth and will be absorbed in your lungs and eventually carried to your support system, your lungs. Garlic, onions, and those spicy ethnic meals that you love could be the culprit when it comes to your bad breath.

Brushing, flossing and mouthwash are only masking the odor as these types of foods will never go away completely until they have passed through your entire body, which can take more than 72 hours after you have digested them. If you love to eat spicy tacos, curry laden with garlic or deep-fried onion rings, you may want to enjoy when you are on your own, or with someone who could care less about your bad breath.

By far the worst thing you can do is not brush or floss. Brushing and flossing will get rid of the food particles and bacteria that cause chronic halitosis in the first place. Be sure and take care around your gums and do not forget to brush your tongue, as this is where bacteria will truly thrive.

Other causes of chronic halitosis include poorly fitting dentures and chronic dieting. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Randall W. Szutz in Rancho Mirage who will be able to determine the root cause of your chronic bad breath.

You Can Smile Again Thanks to Dental Veneers

Tooth restoration has really changed over the last few years, and if you have been considering Cosmetic Dentistry have a chat with your Dentist in Rancho Mirage, Dr. Randall Szutz.

Your dentist has the skills to correct what used to be known as permanent dental problems including chipped, cracked, or worn teeth, and crowded or crooked teeth. Schedule an appointment with your Dentist in Rancho Mirage who can also replace missing teeth, fix gaps between your teeth, and help with general bite dysfunction. If your teeth are discolored or stained, Dr. Szutz can help.

Ten years ago, the only people who could afford dental veneers were people who made six figures. Celebrities and those in the public eye would visit a cosmetic dentist to improve their smile. These days nearly everyone can have beautiful teeth with affordable dental veneers .

Porcelain veneers are bonded directly to the top and front of your tooth’s surface and are the perfect way to improve your smile. Schedule an appointment with your Rancho Mirage Dentist who will be able to determine if you are a good candidate for porcelain veneers. With porcelain veneers you can close those gaps that you have always disliked between your front teeth, repair that crooked or misshaped tooth or cover those unsightly stains that occurred after you finished your round of tetracycline.

According to your Dentist in Rancho Mirage, dental veneers are thin porcelain veneers that Dr. Szutz will bond to your teeth, and best of all, no one will know they are there except for you and your Rancho Mirage Dentist. Because the dental veneers are so thin, they look incredibly natural, especially when light shines right through them.

Dental veneers are the answer to your dental restoration problems. Schedule an appointment with your Dentist in Rancho Mirage today and start smiling again. Beautiful teeth really do make a difference to your overall well-being. Call for an appointment today.