April 2013 - The Dental Place

April 25, 2013

Our teeth play a subtle, yet important role in the way we speak. Our speech is formed through a series of interactions between the many facets which make up our oral cavities – our teeth, tongue, cheeks, lips and even the palate of our mouths all contribute to the way in which we pronounce our words.

In the past, people with dentures had difficulty with pronouncing certain words, as their dentures could easily slip, causing clicking and whistling sounds during speech. However, today’s modern dental techniques and custom dentures go a long way to helping denture wearers speak properly, as well as delivering other benefits such as smile appearance.

Older dentures tended to be of a uniform size; often not being crafted to take account of a patient’s oral structure. As a result, they were often ill-fitting, and many patients found it difficult to adapt to their use. Custom dentures, however, allow the dentist to design and manufacture dentures according to the specific dimensions of the patient’s mouth; taking into account a range of factors to ensure that dentures deliver a cosy fit that not only improves the smile’s appearance, but helps to maintain speech patterns, and enhance biting and chewing ability.

A well-fitted denture helps to ensure that there are no compromises on the way the wearer speaks; sounds can be elicited properly without the added clicks or whistles, or even the dreaded slip of dentures. Foods can be bitten into and chewed with greater ease, meaning those foods that were once taboo can now be enjoyed, and the patient is not restricted to eating soft, mushy foods as a result.

And the shape of the dental arch and position of existing teeth can also be maintained as custom dentures can provide support to adjacent teeth, so preventing them from shifting position and compromising a patient’s bite pattern and strength.

What’s more, custom dentures can be shaped and shaded to provide a perfect match to already-existing teeth, helping further to deliver a natural finish that’s difficult to tell apart from natural, healthy teeth.

Today’s dentures are stronger, more flexible and can be designed to meet the specific needs of the patient. It’s little wonder then that they continue to enjoy popularity as a means of tooth replacement.

Contact The Dental Place to learn if you can benefit from custom dentures. Call 972-264-5795 to schedule your visit.

April 16, 2013

When we lose a tooth, we might well believe that only the appearance of our smile will be affected. However, the truth is, a lost tooth can compromise our dental health in several ways, and can eventually cause further tooth loss. Tooth replacement solutions such as dental implants have thus become popular treatments.

Losing a tooth doesn’t just leave behind an unsightly gap where it once stood within our mouths; no, a lost tooth also diminishes the level of support that is afforded to adjacent teeth, as well as robbing gum tissue and jaw bone mass of necessary stimulus that the tissues require in order to remain healthy and strong.

This loss isn’t limited to just the area of the lost tooth; the recession of tissue can spread, causing other teeth to become loose as their own foundations become compromised…

Our teeth work together in order to help us bite and chew, and even speak properly. When a tooth is lost, the teeth that remain may begin to shift towards the gap left behind, which can alter our biting pattern and chewing strength, and so might make eating certain foods more difficult. Our teeth are also used in speech, as they help to shape the sounds and pronunciation of words; without teeth, our pronunciation and accent might change.

Perhaps most importantly, however, is the effect a lost tooth has on the health of others. A natural tooth’s roots help to stimulate the gum tissue and jawbone, which provide a strong, natural foundation for our teeth. That stimulus is lost when a tooth is no longer present, and as a consequence the health and growth of gum tissue and jawbone can begin to decline.

Eventually, gum tissue will begin to recede, and jawbone mass will begin to lessen, leading to changes in appearance, such as sunken cheeks. A loss of jawbone mass also makes a dentist’s job of successfully placing dental implants more difficult and heightens the chances of treatment failure.

This loss isn’t limited to just the area of the lost tooth; the recession of tissue can spread, causing other teeth to become loose as their own foundations become compromised, and can eventually be lost themselves.

By using a small titanium rod that bonds to the patient’s jawbone, a dentist can utilize dental implants to help restore a smile back to its former appearance and also help to maintain good dental health by providing the stimulus that gum and jawbone tissues need to grow and remain healthy. They can also provide the strength required by surrounding teeth to help maintain biting and chewing, and have become a common tooth restoration treatment as a result of the benefits they bring.

To learn more about your tooth replacement options, contact our skilled and dedicated team to schedule your professional consultation.

April 4, 2013

Our teeth receive a lot of punishment each day in life. From the foods we eat to the objects we subconsciously chew upon, and even through physical exercise, our teeth put up with a lot. As a result, teeth can sometimes become damaged, which can in turn have a detrimental effect on the appearance of our smile. A dental crown can, however, help to restore the appearance of a smile by concealing tooth damage.

Dental crowns are typically made of porcelain, and a dentist uses dental crowns to treat a range of issues, from concealment to damage control. A dental crown can be used by a dentist to conceal large fillings, such as those used in root canal treatments; alternatively, if a tooth has already received several fillings, its structure may not be sufficiently strong to handle another, and so a dental crown may be used instead to cover and seal the tooth.

In instances of damage, where the tooth’s enamel has been broken or cracked, but the underlying tooth’s structure is intact and in good health, a dentist can use a dental crown to conceal the damage, and also to prevent the tooth from incurring further damage. Teeth that are badly cracked can be preserved through the use of dental crowns, as the crown can act as a buttress to support the underlying tooth.

Severely misshapen or discolored teeth can also be treated through the use of crowns, although a dentist may opt for other options of treatment dependant on the severity.

A dental crown isn’t used solely to conceal or protect damaged or broken teeth. Other uses for crowns include acting as a support to help hold a dental bridge in place, and to cover the titanium rod used in dental implant treatment.

To treat a tooth that is to receive a crown, the dentist removes a thin layer of tooth enamel in order to shape the tooth and make it more receptive to the crown. Impressions of the mouth are then taken and the impressions sent to a dental lab. The crown can be shaped and shaded to better match the natural appearance of the patient’s existing teeth.

In the meantime, a temporary crown is used to protect the tooth, and once the permanent crown has been delivered, the dentist affixes the crown onto the tooth to give a permanent and natural finish to the treatment, restoring the patient’s smile.

To learn more about the benefits of dental crowns, contact The Dental Place at 972-264-5795 and schedule your consultation today.