According to the American Dental Association, there are a few things we all should do to maintain oral health

1. Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and replace brush heads every several months.

2. Floss daily to prevent gum disease and tooth decay which occurs in between teeth.

3. Visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and professional cleanings.

Remember when you visit your dental hygienist and dentist to come armed with any and all questions you may have regarding anything from eating and dental hygiene habits to cosmetic treatment options. That’s what we’re here for!

Before

After

Please call us and ask about our cosmetic services today!

Parents should have an active role in their children’s dental health not only in infanthood and toddlerhood but also throughout childhood. Children are not capable of properly cleaning their teeth and gums until at least age 10. We often encourage parents to look in the child’s mouth to make sure they do not spot any problems. Many times cavities are visible in baby teeth. And, listen to your child if they complain about a tooth hurting. We enjoy treating children as well as the rest of the family here at Narrows Family Dentistry.

As usual, if you would like any further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

We gladly offer whitening services, so call today!

First is ACT mouthwash. ACT is a great fluoride rinse for children and adults. It can calcify soft areas of enamel and prevent cavities from forming. It is also great for people with braces.
Burt’s Bees toothpaste. Burt’s Bees toothpaste contains a substance called calcium sodium phosphosilicate, which is derived from cranberries and has been shown to prevent plaque from sticking to the teeth. It comes in a whitening formula and a multicare variety, and both contain fluoride. It has also been shown to help with sensitivity and gingivitis.

We also provide a prescription strength fluoride toothpaste in office, Fluoridex for particularly susceptible patients.

For our periodontal patients, we offer the prescription antimicrobial rinse, PerioRx. This is a chlorhexidine rinse that kills bacteria and reduces gingival inflammation.

Just as a disclaimer, we are not endorsing any one product brand over others. These are the particular products we use based on the research we have done. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for reading!

The dentist, drills or cuts through the decay in your tooth and removes it completely, then it can stop spreading. This leaves a hole, which must be filled by a material.

There are two main types of filling materials, amalgam and composite. Amalgam is the tradition “silver” or “gray” filling material that has been used for many years. It contains a mixture of metals, including Mercury. Once it is mixed, it is packed into the tooth and carved, and it hardens on its own within minutes.

photo credit to mynewsmile.com

Composite is the “tooth-colored” material that is requested more frequently these days. Composite is made out of several different synthetic materials and is often referred to as resin. Composites are placed through a bonding technique that involves, etching or conditioning the tooth, applying adhesive, then placing the composite material in layers. The process requires dryness (which is why you are stuffed full of cotton rolls) and the adhesive and composite are cured with a special UV light. It is a slightly longer process than an amalgam, but the result is a tooth that doesn’t look like it ever had a cavity in the first place!

photo credit to mynewsmile.com

At Narrows Family Dentistry, we do both amalgams and composites as we see fit, or at patient’s request. I hope this has been an informative post, and as always, thanks for reading!

First, you can replace it with an implant. This is only true is some cases, where there is enough bone in your jaw and you are healthy enough to accept an implant. Implants are inserted into the jaw bone and act as roots, then a crown is placed on top. Implants require surgery and usually take a minimum of 3 months to complete due to the healing process required. They can also be costly as dental insurance still does not cover them well.

The second option is a bridge. A bridge consists of placing a crown on either side of the missing tooth space, and splinting another tooth to those crowns. When the bridge is placed, you will have three teeth that are joined. This can make flossing difficult, but otherwise a bridge feels and functions just as normal teeth would. A bride is fixed and does not come in and out, which leads us to the third option, a partial denture.

A partial denture is usually used to replace multiple missing teeth. It is a removable unit that clasps onto other teeth in your mouth. Partial dentures do not function exactly like normal teeth and usually require patients to adjust their speech and eating habits. Many people find partial dentures to be a satisfying replacement for their missing teeth and keep them for years.

The final option is to do nothing. Some patients choose this option for a variety of reasons including financial reasons. Depending on what tooth is missing, this can be an acceptable option. The main consequence is that other teeth will shift in order to accommodate this space, and it can cause these, otherwise healthy teeth to begin having problems.

If you have a missing tooth and would like to discuss your options, feel free to call our office and we will be glad to do a consultation with you.

The term dentists use to describe the way the upper and lower teeth come together is occlusion. Your occlusion is complex, dynamic and dependent on many factors which work together to maintain a healthy balance. One slight alteration in any of these factors can have an exaggerated effect on the whole. For example, if you are under stress and you grind your teeth either at night or during the day, it can have an affect not only your teeth, but also your jaw joint, facial muscles, gums, even the nerves in your teeth and face.

To help you understand this better, let’s look at what factors play into your bite. First, you have the upper and lower teeth, rooted in your upper and lower jaw bones. These teeth each have nerves within them that allow you to feel hot and cold and alert you when you are chewing something too hard. Between the upper and lower jaw, there exists a hinge, known as your temporomandibular joint or TMJ. This hinge allows you to move your lower jaw from your skull. Also, there is a disc or piece of cartilage in the joint. This disc can wear thin over time or slip just as the cartilage in your knee or elbow joint can. Lastly, there are muscles in your face that control your jaw movements. These muscles can become overworked and sore when too much stress is put on them, just as the muscles in the rest of your body can get sore after a workout or injury.

When you have a high spot on a filling or crown, the brunt of your chewing force, which is quite strong, is taken by that one tooth instead of being distributed among all of your teeth, which then causes inflammation in the surrounding area of the tooth and root. This results in a distressed nerve. The only way the nerve can respond is by producing sensitivity to cold and biting. Therefore, the first time you bite into something hard or cold water hits that bruised tooth, you feel a painful sensation. This pain is usually transient and goes away as soon as the water warms up or is swallowed. If the pain lingers, it can mean there is a problem with the nerve and may the tooth may need further attention.

High spots left untreated can cause permanent damage to the tooth and can result in root canal treatment and/or a crown. The fix is very simple, a few more rounds of tapping on articulating paper and a little adjusting and the balance will be restored once again.