Having missing teeth can be a traumatic experience for many. A missing tooth can transform your facial aesthetics and significantly impact your self-esteem and confidence. Leaving the gap left by missing teeth untreated can also lead to drifting adjacent teeth. It can also impact our chewing, speaking, and eating abilities. Finding a tooth replacement is the only way to restore the functionality of the teeth. Even though various tooth restoration options, such as dental bridges, dentures, and crowns, are available, dental implants are the most popular among all.

What are dental implants?

A dental implant is a prosthetic replacement for a missing tooth. Implants can be used for replacing not only a single tooth but also several adjacent teeth and a row of missing teeth in a jaw. In the implant process, an artificial tooth root is inserted into the jaw bone, and a dental crown will be anchored above the implant to replace the area of missing teeth. The amount of bone available plays an important role in deciding the number of implants that can be placed.

Why are they a popular option for teeth replacement?

• With implants, patients can experience predictable outcomes such as restoring the functionality of the teeth, retrieving the chewing ability and speech ability, and improving the overall facial aesthetics. Furthermore, it gives patients the confidence to smile and engage in social activities.
• Implants also protect the remaining healthy bone after a tooth extraction procedure is completed.
• It preserves the adjacent teeth since tooth preparation is not required for dental implants.
• It is also resistant to cavities since implants do not decay, similar to natural teeth.

What is the best time for dental implants?

You need to consult a dentist providing dental implant services to know whether you are eligible for dental implants or not. Still, you may be a good candidate for dental implants if you have one or more missing teeth. If you presently have a dental bridge needing replacement, you could be eligible for dental implants. If you currently have dentures slipping too often, it may be the best time for dental implants. Furthermore, dental implants are an ideal replacement for your missing teeth if you are experiencing bite problems or pain due to a missing tooth.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

• Dental implants resemble, feel and function like a natural tooth. 
• If maintained properly, dental implants can prove to be long-lasting and reliable.
• Dental implants that are properly taken care of have high success rates compared to other conventional forms of tooth restoration options. Implants can be successful, especially for people in good health.
• The implants are anchored in the jawbone, similar to your natural teeth. Concerning time, implants will be able to preserve the jawbone and thus significantly minimizing bone resorption. You can also eat the food of your choice and can speak clearly with dental implants. 
• There is no need to prepare the adjacent teeth similar to what is being done in other tooth restoration options. Thus the adjacent teeth are preserved with the help of dental implants.
• Implants are a permanent tooth restoration option as opposed to a removable prosthesis.
• Dental implants are cost-effective.
• Dental implants increase the confidence and self-esteem of the person who has suffered from low self-esteem due to missing teeth earlier.

What are the do’s and don’t after dental implants?

The Do’s

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss once after meals.
• Make use of a soft-bristled toothbrush specifically designed for cleaning the implant teeth. 
• Make use of unwaxed floss to reduce the possibility of gingivitis and bleeding.
• Do not eat sugary snacks, which may result in the formation of plaque.
• Ensure that fruits and vegetables are sliced into smaller pieces before beginning to eat so that the strength of the implanted teeth can be protected.
• Schedule regular dental visits for detailed examination and cleanings. 

The Don’ts

• You should not suck through straws right after surgery.
• Avoid smoking since it can cause various types of dental problems.
• Do not open packs, cans, or bottles using the implant teeth.
• Avoid hard or crunchy foods immediately after the completion of surgery.
• Avoid sugary, sticky, and gummy foods. 

Dental implants not only replace your missing teeth but also restores the functionality of your teeth. It helps you to smile confidently, chew smoothly, and speak properly.

Managing patients who are nervous about their dental visit is a big challenge and so using sedation in this situation can be very successful. Several drugs are used in the sedation method which is found to be effective in treating anxiety in older patients. In Dentistry, the use of oral sedation is very common.

The oral sedation dentistry process involves taking sedative drugs through oral passage. Oral sedation also helps to make local anesthesia more effective. Doctors use this process to improve the dental experience of a patient and also to reduce patient anxiety.

The sedation cycle is successful for patients as it makes the patient cooperative and comfortable. The technique is also very useful in older patients, as diagnosis and clinical process management for older adults is very important in dentistry.

How effective is it?

Normally, many people avoid going to dentists in fear of pain and therefore, oral sedation helps people get the treatment without any trouble. This includes using oral pills that will ultimately help the patients relax in the dentistry.

In dentistry, oral sedation procedure is very effective in making the patient feel relaxed and in increasing the patient’s cooperation. Evidence has also shown that the procedure is very successful in patients with autism, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other conditions of this type. Oral sedation is affordable for both the patient and the doctors when compared with other sedation forms.

Things you should know

The active oral sedation strategy requires the use of more than one oral sedative to induce a relaxed state of the patient’s central nervous system. For dentistry, several oral sedation strategies are available to help the dentists make direct contact with the patients throughout the sedation cycle.

The sedation procedure can affect people who use other medications for health conditions, but it is successful for the vast majority of patients who are afraid to visit the doctors. The sedation process is widely accepted among patients, as it helps to reduce the passing time sensation.

In case the doctors are trying to manage a complicated and critical condition during the very first sitting, this is very helpful. This method is also very successful because they help to prevent tooth muscle stiffening or sore formation due to sitting for a prolonged period of time. However, it is necessary to regulate the sedatives taken by the patients, so that there is no risk of side effects at the sedation bond.

You wouldn’t want to choose just any dentist for oral sedation given the possible side effects and not every dentist is approved for sedation in the first place. Thus, to get an authorized sedation dentist near you in Kingwood TX, tap here.

Teeth whitening is one of the most common procedures in cosmetic dentistry today. But why do so many patients still choose a dentist for their teeth whitening when they can easily purchase over-the-counter whitening products and whiten their teeth at the comfort of their home?

The answer is simple: a dentist’s supervision brings about a lot of added perks that make professional teeth whitening produce unmatched results. There are whitening kits at the counter in all forms- from toothpaste to gels but the solution used by a dentist can only be found in his clinic.

Thus, without further ado, the following are 4 reasons to choose professional teeth whitening over over-the-counter whitening kits:

1. Faster results

This may come as a shocker but it’s true! You must be aware that the teeth whitening products that you buy over the counter take weeks and sometimes months to whiten your teeth. However, a dentist can whiten your teeth in HOURS! To be precise, it usually takes 2 hours for a dentist to whiten your teeth.

2. Better results

Often, commercial whitening products leave behind white spots on your teeth. With a dentist taking care of your teeth whitening, you don’t have to worry about that and to top that off, you get a consistent white set of teeth. Furthermore, professional teeth whitening can produce shades that are much whiter than those produced by over-the-counter whitening products.

3. Expert supervision

Why do people choose restaurants? Because the food is better. How is the food made better? The food is made better by experienced chefs, the specific use of spices, and professional equipment. That’s exactly how you can get better teeth whitening at the dentist’s clinic than what you’d get at home.

It is for this same reason why your teeth whitening process would be absolutely safe, which brings us to the next point.

4. Safety

There are numerous cases of teeth whitening disasters that you can read on the internet. Infections and allergies have sometimes made permanent damage to a consumer’s facial features. These are not issues at all when you choose a professional dentist for your teeth whitening.

But how can you trust a dentist to be reliable enough? So, let’s choose a dentist who is a member of the ADA. How? Click here to get the best dentist near you in Kingwood TX for teeth whitening.

You may know by now that dental implants are one of the more expensive dental procedures in dentistry. However, dental implants are worth it. This is reflected by how increasingly popular dental implants are becoming. Each year, 500,00 people get dental implants in the USA alone.

Why are dental implants becoming so popular, though? The main reasons why dental implants are becoming so much popular owing to their benefits. Dental implants have an upper hand over other dental restorations in every aspect.

If you’re one of those concerned patients wondering if dental implants are worth it, these following benefits of dental implants would help you make your mind:

Strength

Dental implants are made of titanium. Titanium is the strongest alloy in the world. This is why dental implants are the strongest dental restoration for a missing tooth.

Naturalistic

Dental implants look and feel completely natural. They perfectly resemble your natural teeth and feel completely natural once they’ve healed. You’d rather forget that you have a missing natural tooth!

Low-key maintenance

Dental implants do not require too much aftercare. Once you get them, you can just brush and floss them just as you would with your natural teeth. This is one of the major reasons why in the long run, dental implants prove to be less expensive as compared to dentures.

Permanence 

Dental implants can last a lifetime. It’s a permanent restoration solution to a missing tooth. As a matter of fact, dental implants can stop the bone recession and make your surrounding teeth last longer as well!

Better oral health

Dental implants, unlike your natural teeth, are immune to cavities. Furthermore, dental implants can even stop cavities from spreading from one tooth to the other, by acting as an immune barrier.

The rare complications that arise from dental implants are due to unhealthy gums and insufficient jawbone to support the implants. Only the best dentist would have a thorough consultation with you regarding these factors before proceeding with dental implants. You can get the best dental implants dentist in Kingwood TX near you!

A root canal treatment is related to a condition called ‘pulpitis’. Pulpitis is a condition in which the pulp of a tooth, which is the innermost layer of a tooth beneath the enamel and the dentin, gets infected.

This infection is caused by a bacterial infection that has been either unnoticed or left untreated for too long. Over time, the infection has penetrated the enamel and the dentin to infect the pulp of the tooth.

An infection like dental caries or decay that occur on the surface of the tooth can be easy to cure. However, since pulpitis occurs deep within the tooth, a surgical procedure like a root canal is necessary. The following are the 7 signs that you need a root canal treatment.

1. A toothache that keeps getting worse 

When you have pulpitis, you’re bound to experience a lot of pain due to the underlying infection. The bacteria feast within your tooth, to cause a lot of damage and decay within. You’d experience that only particular toothaches regularly and severely. However, toothaches can occur due to several reasons and you should rather look for the other symptoms alongside it to suspect pulpitis.

2. Fever 

Toothache with fever is not very usual. You get a fever when your body raises its temperature to fight off infections. Thus, if you have a toothache and a fever, you’d better look for a dentist near you, today!

3. Swollen lymph nodes 

Lymph nodes release lymphatic fluids that fight off bacteria and viruses from the body. With an infection as severe as pulpitis, these lymph nodes become hyperactive and subsequently swell up.

4. Bad breath (Halitosis)

If you brush and floss your teeth daily and still have bad breath, you should be considered. The foul smell comes from the bacteria within your mouth. Thus, when you have washed and rinsed your mouth thoroughly and still have bad breath, it may be because the bacteria is within your tooth.

This is also why you may experience a persistent bad taste in your mouth.

5. Bleeding gums 

This is a sign of severe pulpitis that has already surpassed its limits. Did you spit and spot blood in it and have no idea where the blood came from? Or are your gums bleeding and you don’t know why? Either way, it means something is really wrong and you must waste no time in contacting your dentist.

6. Increased sensitivity in a specific tooth

Since the pulp of the tooth is infected, it damages the nerve endings, thereby weakening them. These weakened nerves become more susceptible to heat, cold, touch or even anything sweet.

Root canal treatment is the most viable cure to an infected pulp. Having gone through the signs, if you still suspect that you have pulpitis, get a dental consultation for a root canal treatment, today. In Kingwood TX, you can get the best endodontist in town for your root canal treatment.

Orthodontic treatment is recommended to dental patients who have been suffering from misaligned teeth. The purpose of this treatment is to realign a set of misaligned teeth for a better appearance. However, straight teeth are not the only benefit of dental braces.

If you are someone looking to get dental braces, you will be delighted to know that dental braces come along with other significant benefits. Healing from speech impairment is one of such major benefits. While your dentist is likely to only point out the primary benefit of dental braces, here are the other benefits of teeth straightening with orthodontic treatment that you should know:

Strengthening gum tissues and bones

Here’s a simple fact: When you do not have enough teeth, the jawbone starts to recede and your gums become weak, with no teeth to support. When you have misaligned teeth, you are likely to have spaces in between your teeth. The bone underneath these spaces tends to recede and the gums become weak, often in an irreversible manner.

Thus, by aligning your teeth properly and eliminating these spaces in the process, dental braces prevent help your bone and gums to remain strong.

Preventing oral infections 

When your teeth are misaligned, it means that their shape is not even. One may overlap another and some may even be positioned improperly. For this reason, your toothbrush may not be able to reach out to some places on your teeth.

By aligning your teeth, dental braces ensure that your teeth do not overlap with each other anymore, and each of them is positioned properly. Thus, it helps you in cleaning your teeth better, keeping away the bacteria that may otherwise feast in the places where your toothbrush cannot reach.

Reducing teeth grinding 

One tooth is bound to collide with another when your teeth are misaligned, and increase your chances of grinding them. Orthodontic braces prevent this, effectively.

By aligning your teeth perfectly, there is an even space and shape distributed throughout your teeth, which prevents grinding. Even when you have your braces on, you are less likely to grind your teeth, due to the chips and wires on them.

Improving speech

Your teeth play a vital role in delivering your speech. They regulation your pronunciation. For instance, people who have perfectly aligned teeth, pronounce the letter ‘S’, with a sharp and crisp hissing sound. However, people with a slightly misaligned set of teeth pronounce it with a rather bland hiss.

This is one of the several other instances where your teeth play a role in your speech delivery. By aligning your teeth properly, dental braces help you in improving your pronunciation and overall speech, and would surely save you from potential embarrassments!

Overall, orthodontic treatment is meant to heighten your self-esteem. With improved speech and appearance, there is not an entity that you can’t woe! And you need not worry about looking different with those braces on. It is a sustainability approach after all, and this is why over 4 million Americans have them on, as per The Washington Post! If you are looking to get orthodontic treatment, book an appointment with a dentist, now!