Author: Familydentalcare_aDMeeN

Everyone seems to be going to the dentist’s for a smile makeover. You do not have to hide your discolored, crowded, or crooked teeth anymore. A visit to a cosmetic dentist in Crestwood, IL will be able to fix your issues and in return, you won’t have to be overly-conscious.

Because everyone’s needs are unique, there is a wide range of options to choose from for a smile makeover. It should, however, be noted that not every option will work for you. It is for this reason that you should consult your dentist first to find out the one that best suits you.

Let us have a look at each of the procedures:

Teeth Whitening

Also known as teeth bleaching, the tooth whitening process involves lightening the human teeth’s color. Teeth may get discolored or stained for several reasons. You can safely brighten and whiten them by using whitening treatments or trying some home remedies. While teeth whitening is associated with several side effects, most of the treatments are safe given you follow the directions.

Causes of Teeth Discoloration

Teeth discoloration can be attributed to different factors.

• Extrinsic Discoloration: This is when smoking habits, beverages, or foods stain the teeth. Tea, coffee, red wine, and tobacco are the major contributors to this staining. Your tooth exterior is affected by these stains. To treat extrinsic discoloration, use whitening toothpaste targeting the exterior stains.
• Intrinsic Discoloration: This originates from the inside of the tooth. Childhood illness, tooth trauma, medication use, aging, or infections heavily contribute to this discoloration. Treatment involves professional bleaching.

Dental Veneers

These are thin shells in the color of natural teeth attached to your teeth’s front surface to improve their look. Mainly made from resin-composite or porcelain, these shells are usually bonded permanently to the teeth surfaces.

Flaws that can be corrected by veneers include broken, discolored, very small, and chipped teeth. If your tooth is chipped or broken, you may be fitted with one veneer. However, If there is need to create an even symmetrical smile, around six to eight veneers may be fitted. The eight front teeth on your upper jaw are the ones on which veneers are commonly applied.

Dental Implants

These are metal devices that serve to replace lost teeth. Commonly, the devices are made of titanium. They are surgically inserted inside the jawbone at the position of the missing teeth. Besides acting as the tooth root, a dental implant is tailored to provide anchorage to artificial teeth e.g. dentures, crowns, or bridges.

Dental Crowns

Crowns are also known as caps. They are designed to fit over the whole of your tooth after preparation by the cosmetic dentist. For them to withstand pressure for biting down, porcelain or acrylic fused to metal is used to make them.

Crowns correct flaws such as broken, chipped, badly decayed, and poorly shaped teeth. Also if you have large fillings or wish to cover teeth gaps, crowns might help.

Inlays and Onlays

Also known as indirect fillings, inlays and onlays are manufactures in a dental laboratory. They are used under two conditions; one, when your tooth has mildly or moderately decayed, and two, when there is insufficient tooth structure for anchoring a filling.

Your dentist will directly place the inlay onto your tooth surface provided there won’t be damage to the cusps. However, in the situation where there is damage to the cusp or a large fraction of your tooth, the entire surface of your tooth will be covered with an onlay.

In summary, inlays and onlays are designed in a laboratory at the dentist’s office. They are made from composite resin material. Adhesive dental cement is used to attach them to your teeth. Their function is to provide support to strengthen your teeth, restore shape, and prevent further decay or damage.

Composite Bonding

This refers to the process of repairing teeth that have been damaged, discolored, or decayed using materials with a similar color to that of the tooth enamel. During this procedure, the dentist will first drill out the decay. Later, they will apply the composite to the tooth surface then mold it into the right shape. Your dentist will then use a high-intensity light to cure the tooth. The process is simply referred to as “bonding” and it effectively covers any tooth damage giving your tooth a healthy appearance. Patients with chipped, cracked, or decayed teeth can opt for this procedure.

Looking forward to having a teeth makeover? Visit us at Family Dental Care in South Chicago today.

The world as we know it has changed because of this virus. People globally are hanging on to the hope that soon things will resume to normalcy. While there is nothing much to do than stay home and be safe, there is a need to care for your health. Compromising your health can increase your risk of catching this virus, not to mention, succumbing to death. The best way to ensure that the world around you is safe is by ensuring you are well enough to live in it. A lot can change in a couple of weeks of being locked down in the house. Therefore, make it your responsibility to care for your health during this period, as well as that of your family.

What Should Health Care Look Like at Home?

It is easy to say you need to take care of yourself. However, the question of how to do it is still unclear to many. Researchers have shown a link between poor health and high risk of COVID19 virus. As is, a compromise in your health will increase your chances of getting the virus. It is easy to dread the idea of catching the virus until your health is hanging on a thread.

Taking care of your health should not be a one-time thing, but an everyday affair. However, the stakes are higher now that the virus is spreading faster than anticipated. Many tips can be useful in helping you care for your health at home. An important thing to remember is that there are different elements of your health that all need your attention:

• Mental health
• Dental health
• Physical health

Finding a balance between these elements is the only way to achieve excellence in your overall health during this period of distress.

Which Kinds of Health Precautions Do You Require?

Precautions you should take during this period should affect your overall health. Some of them include:

• Meditation – this is especially helpful for your mental health. Take time away from everything to clear your mind and relax.
• Reading – any books and reading materials you have always wanted to catch up on should be your go-to right now. This will play a big role in keeping you sane and preserving your mental health.
• Physical exercise – there are a ton of workouts you can try out while at home to keep your body in shape, your muscles strong, and ligaments mobile.
• Rest enough – quality sleep is important for your health. Be sure to maintain healthy sleeping patterns that will help create a healthy culture in your home.
• Oral hygiene – don’t allow yourself to slack when it comes to brushing your teeth and flossing. An infection in your mouth is equally as dangerous as any other part of your body.
• Healthy meals – for once in a long time, you have the opportunity to enjoy home-cooked meals with your family. Be sure to make them healthier and more nutritious than ever. You can follow different recipes online to switch things up for your taste buds.
• Health checkups – when all is said and done, you still need the help of a health expert in your life. With the social distancing requirement globally, find ways to reach out to a health expert. You can do video conferencing, or them online. When all fails, make a call to a dentist in Chicago IL for help. You would be shocked at how many dental experts know about taking care of overall health.

Why You Need Health Checkups

As highlighted above, an important part of keeping your health in check is through health check-ups. You can never be sure about the state of your health unless an expert weighs in opinion about it. This becomes even more necessary if you have an infection or illness in your system. Some of the reasons you would need a health check-up are:

• For early diagnosis – you would hate to have an infection develop into something serious because of negligence.
• Nutritional counseling – perhaps all you need to change up your life is some input from an expert about what to eat.

The world is currently under the shadows of the novel virus COVID-19, but this does not mean you should neglect your dental health. This year’s National Smile Month might not be like others but Family Dental Care would still like to let you know how to care for your smile despite the pandemic. National Smile Month greatly focuses on 3 key messages: brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, cut down intake of sugary foods and drinks and to visit your dentist regularly or as recommended. While all these are important to ensuring good dental health, currently most dental practices have cancelled routine dental check-ups, unless for emergency cases. This means that is greatly up to you to ensure you are taking good care of your teeth.

Brushing Teeth Twice Daily

The simple act of brushing your teeth twice daily or after every meal can go a long way in ensuring your teeth remain strong and healthy. Dentist recommend this practice because your mouth is continually producing plague. Bits of food left in the mouth after eating mix with bacteria inside the mouth to form plaque. Plaque, the sticky yellow film that coats the teeth places bacterial acid in direct contact with the enamel. This slowly starts to eat away the tooth’s enamel, resulting in tooth decay.

So, rather than letting this happen and then look for toot decay treatment, it is better to work on the prevention. To properly brush your teeth, place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums and then gently move it in circular motions as opposed to back and forth strokes. Make sure to brush the outside, inside and chewing surface of every tooth and keep brushing for at least 2 minutes. Use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste or one that is recommended by your dentist.

Besides just keeping your teeth free of plaque, brushing daily helps prevent tartar and bad breath. It also improves the health of your gums so that you can prevent gum disease. You can actually reverse the early phase of gum disease by properly brushing your teeth daily. Flossing once a day and using a mouth rinse will also help clean out anything your toothbrush couldn’t get to.

Healthy Diet for Your Teeth and Gums

Sugary and acidic foods are a big enemy to the health of our teeth. The mouth is usually laced with a balance of both good and bacteria at any given time. However, sugar and acid destroy this balance as the bad bacteria feed on them producing acids that threaten the health of the teeth. The result of this is having your enamel eaten away by the acid, increased tooth sensitivity, pain and overall weakness of the tooth.

Since you cannot completely cut out intake of such foods, we advise that instead limit their intake by introducing healthier alternative into your diet. For instance, instead of drinking a soda, you could have an apple. Also make a point to brush your teeth after indulging in things like cakes and chocolates to clean out any excess sugar that is leftover in the mouth.

Maintaining a healthy balanced diet is also important as it ensure your teeth get all the needed nutrients. A good diet also keeps you in good shape which closes room for any opportunistic illnesses that may also have effect on your teeth.

What to do in a Dental Emergency

Before coming to our emergency dentist in Calumet City, IL, you are advised to call ahead. This is to ascertain the nature of your emergency and it is also a life serving measure in this time of the corona virus pandemic. If there is need for you to see the dentist, you will be instructed on the measure to follow so that we can relieve you from any pain or discomfort and help save your tooth. learning some basic first aid responses to dental emergencies can also help greatly in preventing the situation from getting worse.

We serve the surrounding location of Calumet City which include South Chicago, Evergreen PARK, East Side, Oak Lawn and Crestwood.

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism is a disorder that most patients have. It is a situation where the patient grinds teeth together, especially at night. The consequences of teeth grinding are evident over time. This habit should be stopped at childhood by a pediatric dentist. However, the older one gets, the worse the problem might become. Many adults still suffer from bruxism. Besides that, it is an involuntary problem, which means patients are not even aware of the grinding problem.

What Causes Bruxism?

The precise causes of teeth grinding and face clenching have not been determined. Different patients experience it differently.
Still, stress and overall anxiety in life have been known to be risk factors. When stressed, the facial muscles constrict and the clenching goes hand in hand with the grinding of teeth. The force of a clenched face pushes together the upper and lower teeth. It may then result in a movement of grinding that grates down the enamel of teeth.

The best way to know you are a victim of teeth grinding is to consider the symptoms. Some of them include:

• Hypersensitive teeth
• Thinning enamel – this then leads to duller teeth color.
• Flattened teeth – due to wearing out.
• Pain in the jaw – it also manifests in the facial muscles.
• Headaches and toothaches.
• Cracked and chipped teeth.

What Are Mouthguards?

They are oral appliances that are used for protecting teeth. Most people know if mouthguards as teeth protectors for sporting activities. People involved in high-contact sports like boxing, football, and rugby, are beneficiaries of mouthguards.

These types of mouthguards feature a plastic-like material that Kay’s over the upper teeth. This provides an extra layer of protection for teeth against external impact. Only in unique cases will a dentist prepare a teeth protector for the lower teeth.

However, a dentist in Chicago IL will tell you that mouthguards serve a greater purpose in dentistry than that. Some types are specially made for sporting, but other mouthguards for teeth grinding treatment. This type of mouthguard is referred to as nocturnal bite plate or bite splint. They are specially created to protect teeth from the effects of teeth grinding.

More about Nocturnal Bite Plate

These appliances can also be termed as dental night guards. They are worn over teeth at night to shield them from the damage of bruxism. The nocturnal bite plate is different from the traditional mouthguard from how they are made. They feature a sturdy resin material. The appliance is also customized as per your teeth impressions, which is not usually the case with most traditional mouthguards.

The bruxism mouthguard for sleeping covers either the lower or upper teeth. The thickness of the material you choose ultimately depends on when you experience teeth grinding. For some people, it can also occur in the daytime as well as the night. Typically, mouthguards for night usage are thicker than for daytime usage.

How Does A Night Mouthguard for Bruxism Work?

The night teeth protectors are there to cover the surface of your teeth. This means that they protect the teeth from damage caused by night grinding. However, they may not do much to stop the grinding. That may involve a different treatment that your dentist will guide you through.

The role of night mouthguards is to absorb the pressure that is exerted when the facial muscles clench. As the upper and lower jaw come together and cause grinding, the mouthguard absorbs the pressure. This is what stops your teeth from wearing down.

Do Mouthguards Cure Bruxism?

As the precise cause of this condition is not certain, the treatment options vary. Curing bruxism is not an easy process. It takes a balance of several treatment options to alleviate the pain levels and reduce damage.

Mouthguards can only but protect your teeth from getting damaged. Besides, they even out the pressure exerted on teeth by dispersing it. This may relieve some tension on your Jaws and facial muscles. However, mouthguards should not be considered a cure for bruxism.

Talking to your dentist about your grinding problem at night is the best solution. For one, it will help you have a custom-fitted mouthguard for the night that will better protect your teeth. Further, your dentist will also recommend other solutions to help deal with your underlying causes of bruxism.

The best thing you can do for yourself is relaxing. Relaxing is a nice way to unwind and let go off of the stress that is largely associated with teeth grinding and face clenching.