# 4: When last did you replace your toothbrush?
Take a look at your toothbrush… Are the bristles nice and straight? If not, it’s time to throw your toothbrush away and buy a new one!
“Every three months, you should buy yourself a new toothbrush,” say dentists in Colorado Springs. “With use, the bristles can become blunt and frayed and if they’re not sticking out at perfect 90 degree angles, they aren’t doing a good job of cleaning your teeth. We literally have patients whose toothbrushes look more like toilet cleaners, with bristles sticking out in every which direction. What they don’t know is that a frayed toothbrush is horribly ineffective at getting into the cracks and crevasses between your teeth and at cleaning the gum line.”
According to Colorado Springs dentistry professionals, you should also get rid of a toothbrush after a bout of viral infection, such as a cold or flu. The microbes that made you sick in the first place can get trapped in the bristles of your toothbrush and re-infect you after you’ve healed.
# 5: Never use your teeth as tools!
It’s common knowledge that dental enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, but this isn’t license to go ahead and use your teeth for punishing tasks.
“When we treat patients for cracked, chipped or fractured teeth, one of the main explanations for the damage is – I tried to open a bottle with my teeth,” says a Colorado Springs orthodontist. “Using your teeth to pry open containers, twist metal, open bottles and other tasks that aren’t eating and chewing are a no-no! You can very easily crack or chip a tooth using it as a tool.”
A bottle opener costs a few dollars. Dental restoration of a cracked tooth costs a few hundred dollars. You decide which is best.
# 6: How often should you REALLY see your dentist?
“Twice per year” is the advice we’ve all come to know, but did you know that this was more of a catchphrase developed by Pepsodent toothpaste? That’s not to say it’s unfounded advice… seeing your dentist and oral hygienist twice per year is a sterling plan and one that could help you keep your smile beautiful and healthy for life.
Having said that, the standard “twice per year” isn’t always applicable…
“Some of my patients have beautiful, healthy teeth. For them, it may be all right to come back for a check-up again in a year’s time, although we do recommend they see the oral hygienist for a cleaning well before then,” says an orthodontist in Colorado Springs. “Then there are patients who have full-blown gum disease and are in the throes of recovering from an advanced bacterial infection of the gums. These patients will certainly need to come in for appointments more than twice per year. We need to thoroughly clean their teeth and keep an eye on their healing progress, so frequent appointments will be necessary.”
At the end of the day, the number of times you visit your dentist per year should come down to what he or she recommendations, but if you haven’t had a check-up in more than a year, now is the time to book!
Stay tuned for a few last dental facts and stories in the final installment of this three-part article series, coming next week!
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Welcome to the third installment of this four-part FAQ guide to teeth replacement using dental implants! Previously, in Part 2, an experienced dentist in Colorado Springs tackled questions of cost and why dental implants are worth the additional investment. This is especially true when one considers the capabilities of traditional removable dentures, which cannot compare with the functionality, aesthetics and quality of life made possible by dental implants.
Now, letâs move on to some questions on what Colorado Springs residents can expect from the actual implants procedure⦠Question: Dental implants have a reputation for being very painful. Is this true? Answer: âThatâs unfortunate because itâs a misconception that keeps many people from the best possible treatment available for missing teeth! First of all, you wonât feel a thing during the procedure because your gums will be numbed and you will be sedated,â explains a Colorado Spring dental implant surgeon. âSecondly, recovery is hardly an ordeal because you will have prescription painkillers to help manage discomfort and swelling. Most patients return to work a few days after surgery and almost all of them report experiencing very little pain at all. âOne thing thatâs important to bear in mind about dental implant surgery is that the entire field is constantly being turned on its head. Every day, esteemed scientists and clinicians work on newer, less invasive and more efficient techniques that can achieve better, less painful, more efficient outcomes. Nowadays, we can literally give patients new teeth in a day with minimal recovery. Instead of getting your information about dental implants from a friend of a friend of a friend, speak to your dentist.â Question: You mentioned ânew teeth in one day.â How long did it used to take to get new teeth with dental implants? Answer: âOlder dental implant techniques could take as long as 18 months to provide patients with a complete set of new teeth,â explains the Colorado Springs dentist. âThatâs because, typically, the surgeon would have to perform a bone grafting procedure before implants could even be placed. âOftentimes, patients who have been living with dentures and without natural teeth for many years will present with atrophied jawbones. In order to provide sufficient support for implants, bone tissue would need to be grafted onto the jawbone. This would then take a few months to heal and only then would the patient begin the journey to getting new teeth. Nowadays, we have a sophisticated dental implant technique called the âAll-on-4,â (see image below) which makes it possible for us to give patients a complete set of new teeth without the need for bone grafting, in most cases. This saves the patients many months of time and of course the expense of such a procedure. Nowadays, dental implant surgeons in Colorado Springs can give patients new teeth in one day and with one surgical appointment!â
Image Source: www.nobelbiocare.com
Stay Tuned for Part 4
Stay tuned for the final installment of this four-part article series to read a few last answers to your frequently asked questions about dental implants. Cosmetic Dentists in Colorado Springs Explain 8 Healthy Habits to Protect Your Enamel, PART 49/24/2014 This four-part article series explains eight changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle to keep your dental enamel healthy, thereby helping to prevent tooth loss in the long run. Keeping all of your original teeth in beautiful condition is a lifelong commitment. It requires a high standard of oral hygiene, the right eating habits and regular professional attention from your dental healthcare team. Over the course of this four-part article series, we have presented the advice of a panel of experienced cosmetic dentists in Colorado Springs on the things we can do to help protect our dental enamel against decay and acid erosion. These included: Tip # 1: Decreasing the amount of sugar in your diet, Tip # 2: Increasing your intake of calcium-rich foods, Tip # 3: Not over-brushing your teeth or pressing down too hard when brushing, Tip # 4: Getting treated for conditions such as acid reflux, heartburn or bulimia, Tip # 5: Being careful of chlorinated pools, Tip # 6: Avoiding substances that cause dry mouth, such as smoking and alcohol. Let’s take a look at the two final fundamental tips for great enamel health… Healthy Enamel Tip # 7: Don’t Grind Your Teeth! Teeth grinding, also known as “Bruxism” and jaw clenching are two habits we are mostly completely unaware of doing and yet they have the potential to do terrible damage to our teeth. The exact cause of teeth grinding and jaw clenching is unknown, although they are believed to share a connection with stress and anxiety. According to our panel of cosmetic dentists, most of the Colorado Springs residents who do suffer from Bruxism grind their teeth at night while they are fast asleep, and so they have no idea that they’re doing it. The only way to really tell is from the wear patterns on the biting surfaces of the teeth. Some people can completely grind their teeth down to the underlying dentine at which stage restoration using a crown may become necessary. Over time and without any preventative measures, teeth grinding and jaw clenching can utterly destroy your teeth. In addition to the erosive action of the grinding, the unnatural force of clenching your jaw can cause the teeth to become fractured and cracked, leaving them far more vulnerable to decay. What’s the Solution? “If your dentist diagnoses evidence of this kind of nocturnal activity, it is imperative that you have a custom mouth guard or retainer fitted, which you should wear to bed at night,” say dentists to Colorado Springs residents. “This will prevent your teeth from coming together and will help to preserve the protective enamel covering them.” Healthy Enamel Tip # 8: See the Dentist Every Year The preventative dental healthcare provided by your dentist and oral hygienist will ensure that your teeth are kept in the best possible condition and that any problems – such as enamel erosion, cavities, decay and gum disease – are diagnosed well before they have a chance to do permanent damage.
Colorado Springs residents should see the dentist once every six months, unless he or she has been told that they are in peak dental health and can return again for an appointment in one year. Routine fluoride treatments are also essential for good enamel health and should your dentist believe that you could benefit from any additional hygiene measures, he or she will make the necessary recommendations. Colorado Springs Dental Implant Dentists Explain 8 Healthy Habits to Protect Your Enamel, PART 39/16/2014 This four-part article series explains eight changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle to keep your dental enamel healthy, thereby helping to prevent tooth loss in the long run. Welcome to the third installment of this four-part article series on the things we can do to help protect our dental enamel against decay and acid erosion. In Part 1 and 2, our panel of Colorado Springs dental implant surgeons explained the following important tips for keeping our pearly whites in beautiful condition: Tip # 1: Decrease the amount of sugar in your diet, Tip # 2: Increase your intake of calcium-rich foods, Tip # 3: Don’t over-brush your teeth or press down too hard when brushing, Tip # 4: Get treated for acid reflux, heart-burn and bulimia. Let’s take a look at the next two important tips for great enamel health… Healthy Enamel Tip # 5: Be Careful of Chlorinated Pools You’d never imagine that the cool, delicious embrace of your pool during the hot summer months could damage your teeth or your children’s teeth, but if its chlorine levels aren’t carefully controlled, it very well could! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ran a study that examined the effect of chlorinated pool water on dental health and it found that 15% of those who swam frequently displayed some symptoms of enamel erosion. That’s approximately one in six people. This is compared to the portion of people who don’t swim frequently, of which only 3% displayed signs of erosion. The message here is crystal clear, say dentists to Colorado Springs residents with pools. Monitor the pH levels of your pool carefully and try to keep your mouth closed when you do go underwater. Healthy Enamel Tip # 6: Avoid Substances that Cause Dry Mouth Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is a condition that impedes the normal production of saliva in the mouth and is caused by all sorts of substances: usually those that are bad for you. These substances include tobacco-use, alcohol and a variety of illegal drugs, which is just one of the many reasons you should avoid them.
According to Colorado Springs dental implants dentists, saliva is fundamental for the preservation of good oral health and hygiene because it washes away the sugary food residues that can encourage oral bacteria to grow. It also helps to neutralize the pH levels in your mouth, thereby remineralizing your dental enamel. As such, it’s quite normal for people with xerostomia to suffer from acid erosion and tooth decay. Unfortunately, xerostomia isn’t always preventable, as it does come hand-in-hand with certain chronic medications and illnesses. In these cases, you will need to be more conscious about drinking water and chewing sugar-free gum to keep your mouth hydrated as much as possible. There are medications that can be taken to offset dry mouth, but these will need to be recommended and prescribed by a doctor. Stay Tuned for Part 4 Stay tuned for the final installment of this four-part article series to learn more about the necessary healthy habits for good dental health, courtesy of the advice of our panel of dentists serving Colorado Springs. A Dentist in Colorado Springs Explains 8 Healthy Habits to Protect Your Dental Enamel, PART 19/3/2014 This four-part article series explains eight changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle to keep your dental enamel healthy, thereby helping to prevent tooth loss in the long run. Your dental enamel is the last line of defense for your teeth: it’s what protects them from contamination by oral bacteria. While enamel is the hardest substance in the body – harder even than your bones – it does suffer some wear-and-tear throughout a lifetime, but the good news is there is much that can be done to keep it in beautiful lifelong condition. Since dentists in Colorado Springs operate on the front line of tooth decay and gum disease and treat the consequences of tooth loss every day, we gathered together a panel of these dental healthcare professionals to find out what we can do to keep our dental enamel healthy. In this four-part article series, we present to you what they had to say. Healthy Enamel Tip # 1: Minimize Sugar in Your Diet Dentists don’t drone on about eating too much sugar for a reason! Oral bacteria thrive on sugar, so the more sugary beverages you chug down and the more sugar-laden snacks and foods you consume, the better bacteria are going to do in your mouth. “Oral bacteria use sugar for the energy they need to multiply and the waste products they produce are highly acidic,” explains a Colorado Springs family dentist. “These wastes accumulate on your teeth and at the gum line as plaque, which can lead to the formation of cavities. In addition to decay, acid also softens your dental enamel, which can leave it more vulnerable to attrition or erosion.” The Solution: If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll simply have to learn to control it: not only for the health of your teeth, but for that of your body, too. Stay away from chewy, sticky candies that get stuck in the cusps of your molars and really limit your intake of sugar-packed and acid-rich sodas and fruit juices. Learn to love water because it’s so good for you and it really is the best thirst-quencher. Healthy Enamel Tip # 2: Increase Your Calcium Intake Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth, so increasing your intake of calcium-rich foods will definitely benefit you in the long run!
“Calcium builds strong teeth and, being alkaline, it also helps to neutralize acid in the mouth. Having a glass of milk, a slice of cheese or a small bowl of yogurt with your breakfast, lunch or dinner can go quite the distance in helping to preserve the health of your teeth,” explain our dental healthcare experts. What about the Fat in Dairy Products? Since dairy is derived from animal products, it does naturally contain some fat. Choosing the low-fat or fat-free options won’t compromise calcium content, so Colorado Springs residents can make the smarter and healthier choice and still have their pearly whites benefit from the calcium it contains. Stay Tuned for Part 2 Stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series to learn more about the necessary healthy habits for good dental health, courtesy of the advice of our panel of Colorado Springs family dentists. Getting porcelain veneers can be fun or traumatic, depending on whether the final outcome is beautiful or badly flawed. Learn the 10 most common mistakes when getting porcelain veneers, and how to avoid them. This is part 3 of a series explaining the top 10 most common mistakes made by inexperienced dentists doing porcelain veneers, and how you can avoid picking the wrong dentist. We also briefly described in the first part of the series how amazing well-done veneers can look. It is our goal that after reading this series, you will be able to choose the right cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs for you and avoid any major mistakes. 5. The fourth mistake we see when patients come to our office with veneers done by another dentist is intense staining under the veneers. If the dentist uses a ferric sulfate solution as a hemostatic (anti-bleeding) agent during the procedure, this creates a major problem. This can result in dark black stains under the veneers that can appear in a matter of weeks or months. The proper method for stopping bleeding of the gums during a veneer procedure is to use an aluminum chloride solution. When you are interviewing a potential dentist to do your veneers, it can be a wise idea to simply ask what the dentist uses as a hemostatic agent. If he’s using ferric sulfate, keep looking for the right dentist because you haven’t found him yet!
6. Another red flag to watch out for is the dentist who does not provide before and after photos of previous cases. (Teeth-only photographs can be very telling of the dentist’s artistic abilities without revealing the identity of the patient.) First of all, it is important for dentist’s to document every step of the case with photograph and x-ray footage. This is critical for maintaining a precise record of every procedure he does, and it is important for legal reasons as well as for providing patient “testimonials” in marketing materials. Therefore, if a dentist in Colorado Springs is unable to show you before and after photos of successful cases, this is a sign that either the dentist has no experience or he is terrible at charting and keeping himself out of legal trouble. 7. This next mistake may be an honest and somewhat benign error, but it could be a sign of lack of experience. When making impressions of your mouth for the temporary and permanent veneers, your cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs should make two impressions. Unless your dentist is utilizing high-tech digital impressions, it is actually quite common for there to be a flaw in the impression. He may send it off to the laboratory for your veneers to be constructed, and then end up with the lab sending requesting a second impression because of a flaw in the first one. Come back next week for part 4 in this series. Getting porcelain veneers can be fun or traumatic, depending on whether the final outcome is beautiful or badly flawed. Learn the 10 most common mistakes when getting porcelain veneers, and how to avoid them. We wrote in part 1 of this series about why getting porcelain veneers can be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience for both the patient and the dentist. The results of good veneers done by a cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs with an exceptional amount of training and experience can be life-changing. Because a smile is one of the most prominent features of the face, a total smile makeover can enhance your appearance and make you look more youthful. However, badly done veneers can be devastating. If you missed part 1 of this series, click here to read the first two major mistakes made by dentists when they do veneers with a lack of expertise. Read on to learn more common mistakes and how to avoid them.
3. The third common mistake is failure to use a good esthetic ceramicist. In this case, the overall skill of the dentist may be quite good, but the final outcome will look dull or fake. Make sure your dentist in Colorado Springs has a good relationship with a trusted ceramicist. The wrong materials used in making your veneers could make your veneers susceptible to irreversible staining, or even a problem with the way light reflects off your teeth. You do not want people to say, “Why did you get veneers?” or even, “What nice veneers you have!” When you pay upwards of $1,000 per porcelain veneer, people better be telling you that you have beautiful teeth! The right ceramicist will make all the difference. 4. A fourth mistake is doing the wrong number of veneers. Many patients visit their cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs and say they want to get veneers on 6 upper teeth (the ones that show when you smile for a picture). The problem here is that most individuals actually show the top 8 - 10 teeth when they smile. When 6 teeth are done instead of 8 or 10, the smile can look imbalanced or it can be obvious that the front 6 don’t match the rest of the teeth in the mouth. People will notice this during a casual conversation with you. Even if you have an unusually small mouth opening, you will probably show 8 teeth when you smile. If your dentist lets you get away with having 6 teeth done, this could be a red flag that you should look for another dentist. On the other hand, if your dentist tries to convince you to get 8 or 10 teeth done instead of 6, please understand that he is not just trying to make more money. He is genuinely trying to offer you a more desirable result. Come back next week to read part 3 of this series. Getting porcelain veneers can be fun or traumatic, depending on whether the final outcome is beautiful or badly flawed. Learn the 10 most common mistakes when getting porcelain veneers, and how to avoid them. While going to the dentist is often seen as one of the least enjoyable things one could do with their day, getting porcelain veneers in Colorado Springs can be an incredibly fun experience. When you go in for your initial consultation and subsequent procedures, the attention is all on you and your smile throughout the entire appointment. The dentist and his team are 100% focused on what it will take to make your smile look incredible. The results are usually stunning. After getting porcelain veneers, many individuals begin to attract new opportunities and new social connections as their pearlescent smile tends to draw people in. This is one of the reasons why dentists in Colorado Springs love to do porcelain veneers on smile makeover patients. However, some cosmetic dentists in Colorado Springs are so eager to help their smile makeover patients achieve such life-changing results that they start doing porcelain veneers for paying clients before they have gotten adequate training and experience. The art of placing veneers is not something that can be learned in a weekend continuing education course. It often takes years of post-graduate training and practice to become a master of the art. There are many details, materials, and technologies that must be attended to when placing veneers, but here we describe ten of the most common mistakes. As a patient, you can arm yourself with this knowledge to avoid getting bad veneers -- and having to pay to get them re-done by another dentist.
1. The first thing that must be addressed before the veneers are done is the gum line. The height of the periodontal tissue at the top of each tooth makes a huge difference in the overall appearance of your smile. If too much gum tissue is visible when you smile, this can either make teeth look too small or cause someone to have a characteristic “horse teeth” appearance. It is often referred to as a gummy smile. In addition to the height of the gum line, the symmetry must also be examined. If the gum line is lower in the front teeth than it is in the canines, this can give the appearance of fangs. The majority of patients getting veneers will require some periodontal reshaping done either with a laser or surgical method before getting veneers. Beware if your cosmetic dentist pays no attention to your gum line before proceeding. 2. The second mistake to look out for is failure to do a wax-up or any kind of preliminary procedure to show you what the finished porcelain veneers will look like in your mouth. A wax-up is a 3-D model that is placed over your teeth to give some idea of how the veneers will look, and a wax-up will also help you and your dentist assess whether there will be speech difficulties or other issues with the veneers. You definitely want to know these things before anything permanent is done so that the problem can be fixed before the veneers are even crafted. Next week, we’ll discuss more common mistakes to avoid when looking for a cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs for porcelain veneers. This article can help you decide whether to choose dental implants or dentures. There are few things quite as embarrassing as attending a major social event, job interview, face-to-face sales presentation, or meeting a special someone for the first time when you are missing one or more teeth in a noticeable area of the mouth. It can cause a person to avoid smiling or laughing, or even be afraid to speak up much, for fear of being “found out” -- fear of being seen as the toothless one. Unfortunately, people do judge based on appearance, and having particular dental imperfections such as missing teeth may be judged unfairly. People will jump to conclusions about social class, hygiene, or smoking and drug use habits. Besides the social aspect, missing a tooth presents a health problem. It can lead to periodontal (gum) disease, which is a risk factor for heart disease and even autoimmune disorders. Thankfully, with today’s modern technologies, no one has to suffer the harsh consequences of having a missing tooth. The absolute cheapest option for replacing a missing tooth is to get dentures, otherwise termed as “false teeth.” Dentures are removable dental prostheses that need to be taken out and cleaned after eating or drinking anything. They may become odiferous, so it is recommended to soak them in a special denture cleaner each night so they won’t take on the scent of bad breath and food particles. Many people who wear dentures have noticed that their dentures click when they talk, and sometimes they may even become loose and wobble or fall out. This can quite possibly be even more embarrassing than missing a tooth. People around you may be taken by surprise to see your dentures move or fall out, and it can be a socially awkward situation in general. Even for those with a good sense of humor, this is humiliating when the dentures wobble or fall out at exactly the wrong time. Dental implants in Colorado Springs cost more than dentures in the beginning. However, implants are permanent and don’t need to be replaced like dentures do. And you can clean and maintain your dental implants the same way you clean and maintain the rest of your teeth. They aren’t removable and you don’t need any special tools or cleaning kits for them besides the ordinary toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. Therefore, the overall cost investment over the long-term is perhaps even cheaper than dentures.
Because dental implants involve a surgical procedure, some patients feel hesitant to try them so they try dentures without ever considering the dental implant option. But the first step towards getting dental implants is to visit an implant dentist in Colorado Springs. Your dentist will determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants. (Most people are, unless they have severe bone loss in the jaw area.) The entire dental implant procedure takes about one hour under local anesthesia. Most patients drive home and are back to work the next day. This article explains the difference between a general dentist who does cosmetic dental services and a cosmetic dentist who has been specially trained in this field. Many general dentists in today’s day and age are doing cosmetic dental procedures such as teeth whitening and porcelain veneers. They may even advertise themselves as cosmetic dentists even though they are actually just general dentists who do some cosmetic procedures. It can be confusing sometimes for consumers to discern the difference, since there is no set of regulations for the practice of cosmetic dentistry or the use of that term in marketing materials. As long as a person is licensed in the field of dentistry, he may call himself a cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs. Now sometimes, you might not actually need a fully trained cosmetic dentist. Sometimes a good general dentist will do. For instance, for routine cleaning and maintenance of your dental implants or porcelain veneers, your regular general dentist’s office should suffice. If you live closer to a general dentist that you know and prefer to see on a regular basis (which may be more affordable than going to a cosmetic dentist for a routine cleaning and checkup), it can be a smart step to choose the general dentist for routine occasions.
However, if you are in need of an ultimate smile makeover, you will need to see a cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs if you want to have the absolute finest results. For instance, if you need your teeth whitened, a general dentist will probably make impressions of your mouth and then send you home with an expensive home whitening kit. The guesswork will be up to you concerning how long to leave the trays in your mouth, and the entire process could take weeks of wearing these trays for a certain amount of time each day. A cosmetic dentist will whiten your teeth professionally in his office. The entire process will likely only take an hour, and the financial expense will likely be very similar in this case to the whitening kit that a general dentist will sell to you. If you need porcelain veneers or a porcelain crown for a dental implant, you will without question want to go to a cosmetic dentist, rather than a general dentist who can place a veneer or crown. The difference in the finished result is quite striking. A cosmetic dentist will use a professional ceramicist who will custom-make your veneers to best fit your mouth and facial shape. The veneers will look like natural teeth, except that they won’t stain like a natural tooth, and they will likely not need to be replaced for a couple of decades. A general dentist in Colorado Springs will not custom-make your veneers. They will be shaped exactly like everyone else’s veneers, and they may start to turn yellowish after a few years or even months. People may compliment you and say, “Your veneers are lovely. Who did them?” When you go to a cosmetic dentist, people will say you have a beautiful smile, but they will have no idea you actually have dental veneers. |
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