Tips about Receding Gums

Tips about Receding Gums

Receding gums not only look unattractive, they can harm your health. If you notice that your gums are receding, ask your dentist for help so that you can reverse the problem instead of allowing it to worsen. The goal is to catch gum recession early and get it under control before it turns into periodontal disease.

What exactly is gum recession?  It’s the condition in which the outer tissue on a tooth begins to wear away toward the root, leading to exposure of your tooth enamel and eventually your tooth’s root. If untreated, receding gums lead to periodontal disease. The best way to avoid this problem is to prevent it from starting in the first place. This is easily done by performing good oral hygiene techniques. Brush twice a day with a soft toothbrush using a circular motion and mild pressure. Also, floss your teeth every day.

If you see that your gums are starting to recede, it’s likely that practicing better dental hygiene will restore your gum health over time. A deep cleaning by your dentist will help kick-start your hygiene routine at home. In some cases, an even deeper cleaning called root planing may be necessary.

For more advanced cases of gum recession, your dentist may need to take tissue from other areas and use it to cover exposed roots. This can boost your gum tissue and make it healthy again. If you experience pain and increased sensitivity due to exposed roots, your dentist may prescribe medications to help.

The main thing to remember about receding gums is that quick action is important. Good dental care is key in both preventing it and in correcting the problem after it has begun. If you notice that your gums are pulling away from your teeth or experience sensitivity, start the healing process as soon as possible by asking your dentist for treatment advice.

Schedule your appointment at our Lawrence MA dental office

CEREC and What it Means to You

CEREC and What it Means to You

Using a 3D camera and CAD/CAM technology, CEREC creates dental restorations in one office visit instead of multiple trips or temporary fittings. Crowns, veneers, inlays and onlays are made out of ceramic and fits perfectly to renew your smile. So what does this new technology mean to you as a patient?

No impressions

There is no need for trays filled with messy material used to make impressions of your mouth. In the past, this unpleasant process was required for creating restorations but CEREC uses a 3D camera instead. The camera scans your prepared tooth in just a few seconds and sends the data to a specialized computer to design your restoration.

No temporary fittings

Because CEREC restorations are created in a milling machine right there in your dentist’s office, the need for temporary restorations is eliminated. The machine quickly makes your fitting from a solid ceramic block, so the final product is ready to be placed in your mouth immediately instead of wearing an ill-fitting temporary while you wait for your real restoration to be developed in a dental lab.

No waiting

Only one appointment at your dentist means you don’t have to spend extensive time in the waiting room or dental chair, or driving back and forth to multiple appointments.

No metal

Made completely from ceramic, CEREC restorations do not contain any metal. They are biocompatible and tooth-colored, matched to the exact shade you and your dentist choose together, giving you the most appealing look possible in your smile.

No wearing out

CEREC restorations are durable and long-lasting. Studies show that they are at least as durable as gold restorations, which are known to have a long lifespan. Your smile can be healthy and appealing for many years to come as a result of CEREC technology.

If you need a dentist in Lawrence MA contact us today

Anatomy of a Smile Makeover

Anatomy of a Smile Makeover

Everyone hopes to look younger and more attractive, and one way to achieve that youthful glow is to have a beautiful smile. Teeth free of stains, chips, misalignment, cracks and other problems are more likely to help you feel good about yourself and make a better impression on others. One way to achieve this goal is to see a cosmetic dentist for a smile makeover.

Dentists have been helping patients improve the appearance of their smiles for many years, but advances in techniques and materials allow smile makeovers to be much more advantageous today. Silver fillings have been replaced with tooth-colored composite resin, dental implants securely replace missing teeth, teeth whitening methods produce dramatic results, and computer imaging can provide great predictions for the outcomes of various cosmetic dental procedures.

There are many options for a smile makeover depending on what you need:

  • Discolored or stained teeth benefit from professional whitening treatment. Yellowed teeth can improve numerous shades of white to give you a whole new look.
  • Chips in your teeth can be filled with tooth-colored composite resin in a procedure called bonding. You can choose a shade closely matching your tooth, so that once it is smoothed and polished you can’t even tell it was done.
  • Uneven teeth that are slightly longer or shorter than their neighbors can be shaped in a more appealing way using recontouring techniques.
  • Gaps between teeth can be closed using composite material, or large spaces can be hidden with dental veneers. In fact, porcelain veneers can cover all sorts of flaws that you don’t want others to see in your smile.
  • Cavities or cracked teeth can be filled with tooth-colored material instead of traditional amalgam, making them invisible in the mouth.
  • Broken teeth that are unsightly or weak can be covered with a durable and attractive crown.

Crooked teeth can be moved with orthodontic treatment, employing the latest method of Invisalign. These clear plastic aligners transform your smile without the noticeable metal braces that impact your diet and dental hygiene.

Our dental office is located in Lawrence MA

Saving Your Smile with Cosmetic Dental Techniques

Saving Your Smile with Cosmetic Dental Techniques

Traditional dentistry focuses on maintaining your oral health and treating any diseases you might have, while cosmetic dentistry is all about the way your smile looks. The goal of cosmetic dentists is to help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted. It is becoming an increasingly popular area of dentistry because so many people want to look their best, and one of the utmost ways to do that is to have a beautiful smile.

There are numerous treatments and procedures available in cosmetic dentistry today. Here are some of the most popular ways that patients seek to transform their smiles:

  • Teeth whitening, sometimes referred to as bleaching, relieves stains and discolorations that are affecting your teeth. It is a simple and quick process when performed by your cosmetic dentist, often taking only an hour out of your day. The results are usually amazing, making your teeth many shades whiter and eliminating embarrassing stains.
  • Dental veneers cover up all kinds of smile imperfections. Problems like chips, cracks, discoloration, misalignment and more can be hidden under veneers. These thin porcelain shells are customized only for you, and are cemented directly onto the fronts of your teeth. A small amount of your tooth enamel must be removed in preparing your teeth, so veneers are a permanent solution for transforming your smile.
  • Dental implants are a great solution for replacing missing teeth. Instead of going through the hassles associated with dentures or bridges, implants are a permanent restoration that becomes part of your body. A titanium rod is surgically placed into your jaw bone so that it fuses with the bone as it heals, and then an artificial tooth is placed on top. Implants are a secure and attractive way to restore your smile.
  • Crowns, also called caps, are customized for every patient to fit over an existing tooth that has been severely damaged. They are often used to correctly shape broken, chipped or uneven teeth. Made of porcelain or acrylic with metal, crowns are strong and able to withstand biting forces that other restorations might not tolerate well.

If you need a dentist in Lawrence MA contact us today

Some Fast Options for Smile Makeovers

Some Fast Options for Smile Makeovers

Are you looking to improve your smile but you don’t have a lot of time? Have you heard that smile makeovers are invasive and time-consuming? There are many options available to you for your smile makeover that are relatively short and sweet. If you are in good health but want to make improvements to your smile, these fast and easy options may be right for you.

Teeth bleaching (also known as whitening) is an extremely popular and very simple therapy for quickly brightening your smile. Many common foods and drinks we consume daily can slowly dim your smile by discoloring or staining your tooth enamel. Having your teeth whitened by your dentist can lighten your teeth by as many as ten levels in a single office visit, saving you time and effort.

Composite bonding can repair small problems like cracks, chips or irregular shapes in one visit. Bonding is done by hand by your dentist and requires excellent technique and materials, as well as the skill needed to match your natural tooth color.

Perhaps you need a little more extensive work done to achieve your dream smile, but you don’t have the time. Your dentist may be able to offer you a “snap-on” smile. This is a thin appliance that is placed on top of your natural teeth using nothing but your teeth as an anchor – no adhesives are necessary. These snap-on teeth can be made to mimic a celebrity’s teeth, or just better, straighter, whiter versions of your own. They can stay in all day during your regular activities, allowing you to get the benefits of a beautiful smile without the time of a more invasive treatment.

Talk to your dentist today about the treatments you can have done in a single office visit. Your friends, family and coworkers might not be able to immediately identify what “work” you had done, but you can rest assured everyone will notice your change in attitude and your gorgeous smile.

Our dental office is located in Lawrence MA

Frequently Asked Questions About CEREC

Frequently Asked Questions About CEREC

If you have a tooth that needs some reconstruction, you want to have the very best reconstruction process available. For many patients, that process is CEREC. It is an acronym for Ceramic Reconstruction. Here, we’ll answer many of the frequently asked questions regarding CEREC.

  • What is CEREC? It is a process that utilizes computer assisted design (CAD) and computer assisted manufacture (CAM) to enable a dentist to design, manufacture and place single tooth restorations in the mouth.
  • How long does CEREC restoration take? Because of the CAD/CAM technology employed by the dentist, CEREC is accomplished in a single dental appointment.
  • Where does CEREC tooth construction take place? CEREC takes place in the dentist’s office and completely removes the need for a dental lab.
  • What materials are used with CEREC? CEREC utilizes tooth-colored ceramic blocks. The type of ceramic used is dependent upon which tooth is being replaced.
  • How is the tooth restoration created? CEREC utilizes CAM to mill the tooth restoration in as little as ten to fifteen minutes with diamond-coated milling tools.
  • Is CEREC safe? Yes! CEREC is in use by close to 40,000 dentists across the globe. Seven million CEREC restorations take place each year.
  • How accurate is CEREC? CEREC is extremely accurate. The number of patient issues related to poor fit is significantly lowered.
  • Will a tray be used to take dimensions of my mouth? No, CEREC removes the need for goop-filled trays and instead utilizes intraoral cameras that generate mouth scans. For patients with a sensitive gag reflex, this is revolutionary!

If you are considering CEREC, get these and more questions answered by your dentist today.

Fresno CEREC dentist

If you need a dentist in Lawrence MA contact us today