Sugar and starches on the teeth will eventually turn to acid if they are not cleaned properly. Some foods contain acid, even those that are healthy for us such as citrus fruits and many vegetables. Eating a healthy diet and brushing and flossing your teeth regularly are essential to keeping your tooth enamel strong, as well as preventing the buildup of bacteria that can lead to gum disease. You can help to wash away acids after eating by drinking water after meals and not brushing your teeth immediately. Immediately after meals, enamel is rebuilding and can be damaged further if you brush within 20 minutes or so after eating, so save the brushing until a bit later.

Sometimes tooth enamel is damaged by factors that we can’t control, such as illness. Acid reflux disease, dry mouth, and vomiting are some of the health issues that can cause such tooth destruction. It is also beneficial to be cautious of medications and vitamins as there are some that contain high levels of acid (such as aspirin and
Vitamin C).

With all of the acid in even healthy diets, it is impossible to prevent your tooth enamel from eroding. This is why nature designed the re-mineralization process to properly rebuild enamel and maintain a healthy smile. Although our bodies assist us in our oral health care, human nature and lifestyle choices make it necessary to give nature a helping hand in keeping our teeth strong. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice a day and flossing at least once a day, limiting sweets and seeing the dentist for checkups twice a year are the best things you can do to prevent enamel erosion and other oral health problems.

When tooth decay does occur, fillings, crowns and other dental restorations can rebuild a damaged tooth to restore its strength and prevent the decay from spreading. If you would like to learn more about tooth enamel and how to prevent erosion that leads to cavities and tooth decay, call our Chevy Chase office for an appointment today.

The post Tooth Enamel Erosion: Causes and Treatment appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

The simplest form of cavity is smooth surface decay. This is caused by plaque buildup. Plaque can build up on the teeth if you do not brush and floss regularly. With smooth surface decay, the plaque buildup has caused decay on the outside flat surface of the teeth. This is a slow-growing type of cavity and the easiest to reverse.

Pit and fissure decay affects the back teeth on the chewing surfaces. This type of decay can become serious rather quickly if it is not treated.

Root decay affects the surface of the tooth roots. It is common in older adults who have receding gums. This is the most difficult type of cavity to treat.

Not all tooth decay results in a cavity that needs a filling. If the decay is stopped from reaching the dentin, the second layer of the tooth beneath the enamel, the enamel can repair itself. Fluoride is necessary for this to happen, including prescription-strength fluoride treatment from a dentist. Once the decay reaches the dentin, then a filling is necessary. Cavities that are not treated can eventually reach the inside of the tooth, which may result in the need for root canal therapy to save the tooth.

When a cavity begins to develop, you may experience pain. You should see a dentist as soon as possible to get treatment when it is still relatively simple. Continue brushing and flossing regularly, even if you are experiencing pain. Keeping bacteria and plaque away is the best thing you can do to prevent cavities from getting worse. Cavities can be prevented by brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing at least once a day, and seeing the dentist twice a year for checkups. Dental sealants for children or adults can also protect the back teeth from bacteria that can lead to tooth decay and cavities.

The post Types of Tooth Cavities appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

In our opinion, this procedure should not be performed without using a CT Scan generated surgical guide, which can help ensure that the implant will be precisely placed at the proper angle and depth in the bone. In many cases, we also insert a healing cap on the same day in an immediate tissue load procedure. This eliminates the need for a second surgery to construct and place an abutment (support) in the implant, then followed by a crown, bridge, or other prosthesis. Surgical time is reduced, making the procedure much more efficient!

Presented here is a case in which we placed an implant in this patient’s upper right quadrant using a CT scan generated surgical guide. She had absolutely no postoperative discomfort or pain. In three to four months, this implant will be ready for restoration.

[media-credit id=15 align=”alignleft” width=”301″]Failing Tooth [/media-credit]

[media-credit id=15 align=”alignleft” width=”301″]Tooth Extracted; Bond Graft Placed [/media-credit]

[media-credit id=15 align=”alignleft” width=”301″]Site Ready for Implant[/media-credit]

[media-credit id=15 align=”alignleft” width=”300″]Implant Inserted After Three Months [/media-credit]

[media-credit id=15 align=”alignleft” width=”301″]Implant and Healing Cap Inserted with Minimal Surgical Tissue Management[/media-credit]

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White tongue

A white tongue can be sign of a condition called leukoplakia. This is an excess of cell growth that is not actually dangerous, but sometimes it is a sign of cancer forming. Leukoplakia can also be caused by using tobacco products or because your tongue has been irritated.
Oral thrush also causes white tongue. Oral thrush is a yeast infection, and can be treated by eating plain yogurt or with medications.
White lines on your tongue may be oral lichen planus. Doctors and dentists do not know what causes this condition, but it usually goes away on its own without treatment.

Red tongue

A tongue that is too bright pink or red could be a sign of vitamin deficiency, particularly vitamin B-12. A peculiar condition that is called geographic tongue because it involves reddish spots on the tongue that look like a map is harmless and usually goes away by itself. If you have a red tongue accompanied by fever, you could have Scarlet Fever. You should see a doctor immediately because Scarlet Fever must be treated by antibiotics. Children under the age of five can develop Kawasaki syndrome, a blood vessel disease that is indicated by a red tongue and fever. If treated early, Kawasaki syndrome usually has no long-term negative effects.

Black tongue

Black, hairy tongue sounds and looks terrible, but it is usually harmless. It involves bacteria attaching papillae, the small bumps on the tongue. Good oral hygiene can prevent this from occurring. A healthy tongue should be pink at most times. Any unusual coloration of your tongue that you cannot attribute to a food or beverage warrants a visit to a doctor or dentist. Any unusual bumps, sores or markings on your tongue or inside your cheeks should be checked on as well.

Contact your dentist for any additional questions- and remember to keep your mouth healthy and happy.

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The material crowns are made of can affect how long the crown lasts. Porcelain crowns are translucent and reflect light in the same way that natural teeth do. For this reason, they are more natural looking than crowns made of other materials; however, they are also more fragile. The bite force you have when you bite into and chew food makes a difference in how long any crown will last, and if you have a particularly strong bite force, porcelain crowns are more likely to break than crowns made of other materials.

Resin crowns are the least expensive crown type, but they are prone to fracture. Metal crowns are strong and durable, but because they are silver in color, they are usually only used for back teeth.

A compromise between durability and appearance can be had with porcelain over metal crowns. These crowns are metal based, but porcelain is fused to the metal to give a natural looking appearance that can be color-matched to your other teeth.

How long dental crowns will last depends on many other factors in addition to the material they are made of. Practicing good dental hygiene by brushing and flossing twice a day will increase the life of your crowns. You can also increase crown life by limiting consumption of hard or crunchy foods. If you tend to clench or grind your teeth, your crowns may not last as long as they would for someone who isn’t “a grinder.” Habitual teeth-grinding is called bruxism, and many people do it while they’re sleeping and don’t even realize it. A dentist can determine if you are a nighttime grinder, and explain how that may affect your crowns.

On average, crowns can be expected to last at least 5 years. It is not unusual for crowns to last from 10-15 years.

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