Category: Blog

Feb 01, 2021

Invisalign Helps Straighten Teeth without Metal and Wire Braces

If you are reluctant to straighten your teeth because you don’t want the ungainly metal and wire braces in your mouth, you have an alternative to help you now available. Instead of walking around showing off your crooked or misaligned teeth, wouldn’t you benefit by visiting an Invisalign dentist requesting help to straighten your teeth without braces?

You may wonder why you must choose Invisalign clear braces over any other alternatives available in the market. However, it helps to understand Invisalign clear aligners have helped over 6 million patients straighten their teeth affected by different types of orthodontic issues. Invisalign treatment is comfortable and lets you have straighter teeth discreetly, with braces made from dental-grade plastic remaining virtually invisible in your mouth.

How Can You Begin Invisalign Treatment?

The first step for you is to schedule an appointment with the Invisalign dentist to have your teeth and mouth assessed for suitability. If you are suitable for the treatment with clear aligners, the dentist proceeds to take 3D images of your teeth for customizing your aligners from the manufacturers. You receive your first set of aligners in a couple of weeks after the assessment.

The most significant benefit of choosing Invisalign treatment over any other is the flexibility to remove the aligners from your mouth when eating anything you want and to brush and floss your teeth. You receive a new set of aligners every three weeks as replacements for the existing collection. The aligners must remain on your teeth for 20 to 22 hours every day if you want to achieve your smile goal in the time specified by the dentist.

Invisalign clear aligners move your teeth incrementally to their desired positions according to the treatment plan created by the dentist. Depending on the complexity of your situation, you may require approximately 30 sets of aligners replaced every three weeks.

What About Dental Visits?

You visit the dentist in Calumet city every six weeks to assess your progress or collect your new aligners if they are delivered to the dentist. If you follow the stipulations of Invisalign’s requirements, you can succeed in straightening your teeth and having a beautiful smile in approximately two years. However, the success of the treatment depends on your compliance with the dentist’s instructions.

What Happens After You Complete Invisalign Treatment?

The dentist in Calumet city recommends wearing an Invisalign retainer after you complete the treatment. The recommendation is to ensure your teeth don’t move back into their original positions after receiving Invisalign treatment. The dentist provides specific instructions on how long you need to wear the retainers. It would help if you had them on your teeth all the time initially, after which you can gradually reduce the time until you reach the stage when you can have them only at night.

What If You Are Unsuitable for Invisalign Treatment?

Many people are, unfortunately, unsuitable for Invisalign treatment. The reasons for their unsuitability are the complexity of their orthodontic issues, making it necessary for them to seek treatment from a traditional orthodontist. Severe cases of underbites, overbites, gapped teeth, misaligned teeth, and malocclusion are better treated by orthodontists using metal and wire braces. You will not be happy when recommended to contact an orthodontist to correct the complex issues in your mouth. However, it is a better option than living with severe orthodontic problems that cause you embarrassment and prevent you from maintaining appropriate oral hygiene.

Benefits of Invisalign Treatment

Invisalign clear aligners fit snugly on your teeth and ensure no one notices you are undergoing orthodontic treatments to correct problems with your teeth. The freedom to remove them whenever you want allows you the flexibility of participating in events if required with your crooked teeth.

Invisalign does not subject you to oral health issues like tooth decay or gum disease because you found it challenging to appropriately clean your teeth. The removable aligners allow you to maintain appropriate dental hygiene, ensuring you are not affected by any dental issue at the end of the treatment.

Would you believe if informed that Invisalign helps you to save money? You may probably scoff at the information, but when you realize you don’t have to visit dentists for adjustments every month, you understand it saves you time and fees charged by dentists for adjustments where none exist. You merely continue replacing the aligners every three weeks until the Invisalign dentist eventually states that your orthodontic issues are gone and the time has arrived to wear retainers on your teeth.

Previous Blog Post

Dental Extractions Are No Longer a Complicated Process

Dental extractions were once depicted as scary procedures, particularly in movies and television shows where dentists attacked patients with hammers and chisels to pull teeth. Unfortunately, tooth removal has changed over time with new technologies and modern anesthesia, making even wisdom teeth removal a breeze. If you are recommended wisdom teeth removal by the dentist…

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Bone Grafts in Dentistry Help Facilitate Bone Formation
Nov 01, 2020

Bone Grafts in Dentistry Help Facilitate Bone Formation

The use of bone grafts as fillers and scaffolds to facilitate bone formation and promote wound healing is commonly used in dentistry. Bone graft surgery aims to facilitate osseous replacement to maintain the contour and eliminate dead space to reduce post-operative infections, enhancing healing of the soft tissue and the bone.

Bone grafting is performed for many reasons, including dealing with injuries and disease. Four primary reasons exist why bone grafts are performed. They are:

  • Bone grafts are helpful in dealing with multiple and complicated fractures or conditions that don’t heal appropriately after initial treatment.
  • Two bones can heal together with fusion across a deceased joint. The fusion takes place on the spine.
  • Regeneration has to replace bone last due to disease, infection, or injury. The procedures performed using either small amounts of bone in the bone cavities or large sections.
  • Grafts are helpful to help the bone heal around surgically implanted devices like dental implants, joint replacements, plates, and screws.

What Types of Bone Grafts Are Performed?

This two standard types of bone grafts performed are:

  • Allograft, where membrane from a dead donor or cadaver cleaned and stored in a tissue bank, is one option.
  • An autograft is helpful as the bone is taken from the body of the patient like the ribs, pelvis, hips, or wrist.

The type of bone graft performed depends on the procedure the surgeon is performing.

Allografts are routinely used to reconstruct the hips, knees, or long bone like the legs and arms. The benefit of allografts ensures no additional surgery is required to acquire the bone. Allografts reduce the risks of infection is because other incisions or operations are not necessary.

Patients needing dental bone graft surgery for the insertion of dental implants undergo tooth bone graft if they have an insufficient bone in their mouths for implant placement. People with missing teeth and short jawbone but desiring to replace them must consult with dentist Chicago, who decides the type of bone graft best suited for the patient.

The dentist performs a comprehensive medical history and physical examination before the surgery and inquires about any medications or over-the-counter drugs the patient is taking. Fasting is recommended before the surgery to prevent complications arising from general anesthesia. The dental Surgeon provides comprehensive instructions on what the patient can or cannot do in the days before, and the day the procedure is scheduled. It is incredibly important to follow the instructions of the dentist.

After determining the type of bone graft to perform before the surgery, patients are administered general anesthesia to put them in a deep sleep. The patient’s anesthesia and recovery are monitored by an anesthesiologist.

The surgeon makes incisions in the skin above where the graft was needed. After that, the surgeon shapes the bone to fit into the area. The graft is held in place with pins, screws, wires, plates, or cables. After the bone graft is actually in place, the surgeon closes the incision with stitches and dresses up the wound. Casts or splints to support the bone during the healing period may be used, but in many cases, they may not be necessary.

Recovery From Bone Graft Surgery

Recovering from bone grafts depends on the size of the graft and many other factors. Generally, the recovery may require ending between two weeks to a year. Patients must avoid strenuous physical activity for as long as suggested by the surgeon.

Patients are advised not to smoke after bone graft surgery because it can hinder the healing process. The failure of bone grafts among smokers is higher, and many dental surgeons refuse to perform bone grafting procedures on smokers.

Patients desiring to replace missing teeth and undergoing bone grafts must understand adhering to the advice of their dentist is the best option to get replacement teeth as early as possible. It will help patients have their implants faster to begin smiling again with artificial teeth in their mouths.

Bone grafts are suggested by dentists to patients who delay getting teeth replacements and allow bone resorption. After going through an intensive procedure, patients will help their cause by following the instructions of their dentist because the only way they can have the implants placed. Delaying the matter further by ignoring the dentist’s advice will prove detrimental for the patient to leave them with missing teeth even after undergoing bone grafts to support dental implants.

Previous Blog Post

Invisalign Helps Straighten Teeth without Metal and Wire Braces

If you are reluctant to straighten your teeth because you don’t want the ungainly metal and wire braces in your mouth, you have an alternative to help you now available. Instead of walking around showing off your crooked or misaligned teeth, wouldn’t you benefit by visiting an Invisalign dentist requesting help to straighten your teeth…

Read More

Why Is Tooth Extraction Necessary
Oct 01, 2020

Why Is Tooth Extraction Necessary?

Dentistry is etched on the notion that saving natural teeth ensures you excel in your oral health in the long haul. It explains why processes like root canal treatments, dental fillings, and other restorative measures are taken to help preserve your teeth. However, it is not always the case that saving your natural teeth is the only way to help protect the health of your mouth.

Dental extractions are oral procedures that have been performed many times in dental health, with the advantage of preserving oral health. To appreciate the importance of tooth extraction dentists, you must learn a thing or two about tooth extraction treatments, and why they are necessary.

What are Tooth Extractions?

They are dental procedures that are performed to forcefully remove teeth from their roots. The extraction of your tooth is done purposefully, usually for treating an underlying dental issue. The worry over whether or not the procedure will be painful should not bother you that much. Usually, dental experts use sedation and local anesthesia to numb your mouth and help you relax during treatment. if it comes to the point of needing a dental extraction, consult your dentist about the reasons why it is necessary for you.

Why Do You Need Your Tooth Removed?

It is not every day that a dentist requires you to have your tooth removed. Tooth removal is one of those dental procedures that have a finality to it. In that case, it is necessary that your tooth is only removed when there is a need that merits that kind of treatment. Some of the situations where tooth removal is performed include:

  • Severe dental decay – procedures like root canal treatment of tooth fillings are there to help save teeth after they have been damaged. However, when a tooth is significantly decayed, the structure thereof is compromised, making it difficult for a dentist to fix the tooth. Such a tooth is better off removed than left in place.
  • For endodontic treatment – this is a treatment that treats the root canal of a damaged tooth. Some types of root canal procedures are performed by temporarily remove a tooth, to treat the inside. In such a case, your tooth will be restored.
  • To place permanent dentures – in restorative dentistry in a dental clinic near you, you may be prepared to receive permanent full dentures. These usually follow the installation of all-on-4® implants, meant to support the complete denture to be installed. However, if you have a few of your natural teeth remaining, they may have to be extracted before a complete denture can be installed.
  • For orthodontic treatment – orthodontic treatment is offered to patients who need to realign their jaws and reposition their teeth. One of the common oral problems treated in orthodontics is a crowded mouth. This is a condition where the teeth in the mouth of a patient are too big for the space in the jaw. In other cases, a patient may have more teeth than the mouth can hold. Therefore, to properly reposition your teeth and align your jaw, you require an extraction procedure. For this one, you will not need to find an affordable tooth extraction dentist. Instead, your orthodontist will extract your teeth as part of your treatment plan, before you can wear braces or other teeth aligners.
  • To reduce or mitigate the risk of infection – sometimes one damaged tooth poses a great threat to the other teeth in your mouth, as well as the gum tissues. Keeping such a tooth leads to other dental complications that can be avoided by removing the tooth.
  • Advanced periodontal disease – is usually called periodontitis. It claims both the health of your gum tissue and your bone tissue. The result is a compromised foundation that cannot properly support your teeth. for treatment, your periodontist might recommend removing the most affected teeth, as you consider other treatment and restorative options.

Impacted wisdom tooth – removing wisdom teeth is a common practice in dentistry. Impacted wisdom teeth are molar teeth that grow wrongly, affecting the health of the adjacent teeth. Ideally, wisdom teeth are the last molars to come out. When they do not grow as they should, they cause pain, discomfort, swelling, and can even be the cause of infection in your gums. Such teeth should be removed since your mouth can still perform optimally without wisdom teeth.

Previous Blog Post

Bone Grafts in Dentistry Help Facilitate Bone Formation

Bone Grafts in Dentistry Help Facilitate Bone Formation

The use of bone grafts as fillers and scaffolds to facilitate bone formation and promote wound healing is commonly used in dentistry. Bone graft surgery aims to facilitate osseous replacement to maintain the contour and eliminate dead space to reduce post-operative infections, enhancing healing of the soft tissue and the bone. Bone grafting is performed…

Read More

How Dental Sealants Outweigh Your Potential Tooth Decay
Sep 01, 2020

How Dental Sealants Outweigh Your Potential Tooth Decay

Proper oral care is vital for your overall health, and dental sealants are ideal in protecting you and your child against cavities. Dental fissure sealants are applied to your child’s molar surfaces to prevent tooth decay. They prevent sticky food and plaque deposition on your molar crevices.

It would be best if you undergo the placement of dental sealants near you, and avoid potential risk factors related to teeth decay. Your oral health specialist may recommend you to ensure your children have sealants when their molars develop to prevent early decay.

What’s a Dental Sealant?

A dental sealant refers to a tooth-colored film that’s applied on your molar teeth fissures, vulnerable to decay. The plastic fillings seal your natural teeth grooves, and prevent decay and avoid extensive restorative procedures in the future. They prevent the build-up of plaque that eats away your enamel, causing severe decay.

Your children are ideal candidates for fissure sealants once their first teeth erupt from their gum line. Your dentist examines their dental status and determines whether sealants will be helpful. Your dentist can use preventive sealants to address detected signs of decay during your dental exam.

Why You Need Dental Sealants

Your molar and premolar teeth fissures are deep and are difficult to clean. Soft-bristled toothbrushes can’t clean the narrow grooves effectively.

The chewing surfaces become vulnerable to decay due to the accumulation of plaque at the crevices. Bacterially manifested plague produces an acid that eats away your enamel, leading to the development of severe cavities and tooth decay.

Fluoride treatment is useful in protecting your tooth surfaces from decay, but dental sealants near you will provide exceptional protection for your pitted or grooved chewing surfaces. Sealants offer a smooth cover over your fissured teeth.

The dentist near you places the first dental sealant on your first permanent molar tooth, upon the complete eruption of the tooth from your gum line. Sealed teeth surface to protect your child from further damages that are resulted from decay. Placed sealants save your dental from undergoing extensive procedures due to severe underlying conditions.

The molars and premolars erupt until the teenage years, and proper maintenance of your child’s teeth is vital in the development of their permanent teeth. A cracked tooth sealant can be applied on your tooth if you’ve previously undergone trauma or injury that caused cracks on your tooth. Sealants are vital in covering your dental fissures and ensuring you preserve healthy teeth.

Perfomance of the Dental Sealants Placement procedure

The placement of dental sealants is a painless and straightforward procedure. It requires a few appointments with your hygienist to seal your teeth, and the sealants application process involves:

  • Dental cleaning of your teeth to remove plaque or tartar
  • Your teeth are dried using absorbent material.
  • An acidic solution is put on your teeth fissures for a few seconds and then rinsed off, to ensure the material bonds with your teeth effectively. The bonding surface becomes rough to enable the sealant attachment.
  • The sealant is cemented onto your tooth enamel, and it bonds directly to your tooth. Hardening is done by radiation or two-component sealants to ensure the material is firmly attached to the grooves. Once the sealant becomes hardened, a hard plastic varnish coating is applied, and your natural teeth functionalities are retained.

Dental Fissure Sealants at Family Dental Care

Our child’s tooth is vulnerable to decay once it erupts from the gum line, and you need preventive therapy. At a tender age, the enamel is weak and regular cleaning is insufficient in preventing decay. Our experienced dentists recommend that your child undergoes placement of sealants to prevent the development of severe cavities.

During the appointment, we examine the condition of your teeth and identify any signs of decay. We perform a dental cleaning procedure and use a solution to roughen your crevices. Once your teeth are rinsed, we place the sealing material. Our dental practitioners at Family dental provide you and your child with effective sealants to prevent your teeth from cavities.

Our filling material is robust to protect your teeth surfaces from plaque and deposition of sticky food particles. We recommend that you bring your kid for early preventive care to ensure the healthy teeth are protected from decay. Please make an appointment with our dental team today for a dental sealant placement procedure and have long-term protection for your teeth today!

Previous Blog Post

Why Is Tooth Extraction Necessary

Why Is Tooth Extraction Necessary?

Dentistry is etched on the notion that saving natural teeth ensures you excel in your oral health in the long haul. It explains why processes like root canal treatments, dental fillings, and other restorative measures are taken to help preserve your teeth. However, it is not always the case that saving your natural teeth is…

Read More

7 Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures to Restore Your Smile
Aug 01, 2020

7 Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures to Restore Your Smile

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.

Previous Blog Post

How Dental Sealants Outweigh Your Potential Tooth Decay

How Dental Sealants Outweigh Your Potential Tooth Decay

Proper oral care is vital for your overall health, and dental sealants are ideal in protecting you and your child against cavities. Dental fissure sealants are applied to your child’s molar surfaces to prevent tooth decay. They prevent sticky food and plaque deposition on your molar crevices. It would be best if you undergo the…

Read More

How to Care for Your Health Amidst COVID-19
Jun 01, 2020

How to Care for Your Health Amidst COVID-19

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.

Previous Blog Post

Common Dental Emergencies and How to Take Care of Them

Dental emergency refers to issues that affect both the teeth and its supporting tissues that should be addressed immediately with a relevant professional. A common sign of dental emergencies is pain, which is felt around the tooth or the surrounding tissues. An expert in the field can be able to identify the cause of pain…

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Our Advice for National Smile Month 2020
May 01, 2020

Our Advice for National Smile Month 2020

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.

Previous Blog Post

How to Care for Your Health Amidst COVID-19

How to Care for Your Health Amidst COVID-19

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…

Read More

Uses of Mouthguards for Treating Bruxism
Mar 01, 2020

Uses of Mouthguards for Treating Bruxism

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.

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