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By Applewood Dental
April 11, 2018
Category: Dental Procedures
KeeponCourseduringthe3PhasesofaSmileMakeover

Are you ready for a new smile? You’ve endured the embarrassment and drain on your of self-confidence long enough. The good news is that modern cosmetic dentistry has an awesome array of materials and methods ready and able to help you make that transformation.

But before you proceed with your “smile makeover” it’s good to remember one thing: it’s a process. And depending on how in-depth your makeover might be, it could be a long one.

To help you navigate, here’s an overview of the three main phases of your smile makeover journey. Each one will be crucial to a successful outcome.

The “Dream” Phase. The path to your new smile actually begins with you and a couple questions: what don’t you like now about your smile? And if you could change anything, what would it be? Right from the start you’ll need to get in touch with your individual hopes and expectations for a better look. With your dentist’s help, take the time during this first phase to “dream” about what’s possible—it’s the first step toward achieving it.

The Planning Phase. With that said, though, your dreams must eventually meet the “facts on the ground” to become a reality. In this phase your dentist works with you to develop a focused, reasonable and doable plan. To do this, they’ll need to be frankly honest with you about your mouth’s health state, which might dictate what procedures are actually practical or possible. You’ll also have to weigh potential treatment costs against your financial ability. These and other factors may require you to modify your expectations to finalize your treatment plan.

The Procedure Phase. Once you’ve “planned the work,” it’s time to “work the plan.” It could be a single procedure like whitening, bonding or obtaining a veneer. But it might also involve multiple procedures and other specialties like orthodontics. Whatever your plan calls for, you’ll need to be prepared for possibly many months or even years of treatment.

Undergoing a smile makeover can take time and money, and often requires a lot of determination and patience. But if you’ve dreamed big and planned well, the outcome can be well worth it.

If you would like more information on ways to transform your smile, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Beautiful Smiles by Design.”

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By Applewood Dental
April 03, 2018
Category: Oral Health
Tags: pediatric dentistry   x-ray  
YourChildIsntinDangerfromX-RaysThankstotheALARAPrinciple

Your child’s dental care wouldn’t be the same without x-ray imaging. It’s one of our best tools for finding and treating tooth decay.

But since x-rays emit radiation, is your child in any danger when they’re exposed?

X-rays, an invisible form of electromagnetic energy, will form images on exposed film after passing through the body. Because it takes longer for x-rays to pass through dense tissue like teeth and bones, the corresponding areas appear lighter on the film than less dense tissue like the gums. We can detect decay because the diseased tooth structure is less dense and thus appears darker against healthier tooth structure.

The downside of x-rays, though, is the radiation they emit could potentially alter cell structure and increase the risk of future cancer, especially with children. That’s why we follow a principle known as ALARA when using x-ray imaging. ALARA is an acronym for “as low as reasonably achievable,” meaning the doses for an x-ray session will be as low as possible while still gaining the most benefit.

Advances in technology, particularly the development of digital processing, has helped reduce the amount of radiation exposure. We’re also careful with what types of x-rays we use. The most common type is the bitewing, a device with the film attached to a long piece of plastic that the child holds in their mouth while biting down.

Depending on the number of our patient’s teeth, we can usually get a comprehensive view with two to four bitewings.  A typical bitewing session exposes them to less radiation than what they’re receiving from natural environmental background sources each day.

Keeping the exposure as low and as less frequent as possible greatly reduces health risks while still getting the full benefit of early decay detection. Still, if you have concerns about your child’s x-ray exposure, we’ll be happy to discuss our approach and all the precautions we take using x-ray imaging.

If you would like more information on x-ray diagnostics and your child, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “X-Ray Safety for Children.”

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By Applewood Dental
March 26, 2018
Category: Dental Procedures
ItsSpringCleaningTimeforYourTeeth

The arrival of spring often serves as inspiration to clean house and create an environment that’s bright and fresh. Here at the dental office, we can do the same for your mouth as well! Having clean teeth, healthy gums and fresh breath helps you look and feel your best. Here are some ways we can help you freshen up your smile:

Dental Exam. The best place to start is with a dental exam. Finding and treating tooth decay in its earliest stages will help you avoid more costly and invasive dental treatments later on. It could even save a tooth that might otherwise be lost! Plus, oral cancer screenings are important for everyone—even young, non-smokers. Regular dental exams also give you a chance to bring up any issues you may be concerned about, and to ask for pointers on hygiene.

Professional Cleaning. Having a good oral hygiene routine at home goes a long way towards keeping your mouth healthy. But routine professional cleanings are still very important. Your dental hygienist uses specially designed tools to reach into places where your brush and floss can’t, and remove disease-causing dental plaque and tartar. A polishing provides the finishing touch for a squeaky-clean feeling.

Teeth Whitening. Teeth tend to get duller with age; that’s why teeth whitening treatments can give you a more youthful appearance. Bleaching your teeth is safest when supervised by a dental professional. We recommend two methods: either a professional treatment at the dental office, or a take-home kit we can provide, which includes custom-fitted bleaching trays. The first way will give you the fastest results, while the second is more economical.

Smile Makeover. Sometimes whitening alone is not enough to fix what’s keeping you from flashing a big, bright smile. For example, maybe your teeth aren’t straight, or they have been worn down over the years. Perhaps a tooth is chipped or is missing entirely. Or maybe there are multiple cosmetic issues. If this is the case, we can help you figure out what’s really bothering you about your teeth and how you can achieve the smile of your dreams.

If you have questions about oral hygiene or cosmetic dentistry, please contact us or schedule a consultation. You can learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Daily Oral Hygiene.”

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By Applewood Dental
March 25, 2018
Category: Dental Procedures
ProvisionalRestorationsletyouTryoutYourNewSmileFirst

Transforming your smile with veneers, crowns or other restorations could be a life-changing decision. To help make that change a successful one, it’s possible to fit you with a kind of temporary restoration that allows you to “try out” your new look and even make modifications before you receive the permanent one.

Referred to as a prototype or provisional restoration, it’s different from other temporary, “one-size-fits-all” restorations that serve mainly a functional purpose until the permanent restoration is ready. By contrast, a provisional restoration is a customized “blueprint” of the final restoration so you can better communicate with your dentist to get what you want.

Provisional restorations are test runs — they help both patient and dentist evaluate three key areas critical to ultimate success:

Your  Smile — with provisional restorations you can get input from others (and from what you see in the mirror) regarding tooth coloring and how it blends with other teeth, the attractiveness of the crown shapes, and whether the teeth appear proportional and balanced with the gums.

Your Facial Appearance — changing the look of teeth may also alter overall facial appearance. Do the new teeth fit well with the lips and other facial features? Do they change the smile line, and does it appear harmonious with the rest of the face?

Your Mouth Function — There’s more to teeth, of course, than how they look. Teeth are essential for biting, chewing and speaking. So, can you perform these tasks comfortably with the provisional restoration?

While you’re wearing the provisional restoration, we’ll discuss these and other areas, what might look or work better, or if you feel we’ve hit the mark just right. We can then modify or verify our specifications with the dental lab creating the final restoration.

Of course, a provisional restoration will allow you to function normally like other temporary options. But their custom detail serves a higher purpose — to help us improve your future smile.

If you would like more information on customized temporary restorations, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Concepts in Temporary Restorations.”

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By Applewood Dental
March 17, 2018
Category: Oral Health
Tags: fluoride  
3FluorideSourcesYouShouldMonitorforYourFamilysDentalHealth

Fluoride is an important weapon in the fight against tooth decay. Fluoride consumption and other applications are especially beneficial during children's dental development for building strong teeth long-term.

But the truism "too much of a good thing" could aptly apply to fluoride. If a child consumes too much fluoride over an extended period of time, it could cause a condition called enamel fluorosis in which the enamel surface develops mottled or streaked staining. It's not harmful to the tooth's health, but it can greatly diminish a person's smile appearance.

To avoid fluorosis, it's important with the help of your dentist to know and regulate as much as possible the amount of fluoride your child receives. Here are 3 fluoride sources you should manage.

Toothpaste. Many manufacturers add fluoride to their toothpaste formula, usually an important way to receive this tooth-strengthening chemical. But younger children tend to swallow more toothpaste than older children or adults. Because the chemical builds up in the body over time, swallowing toothpaste every day could potentially elevate your child's fluoride levels. To avoid this, just use a "smear" of toothpaste on the brush for children under age 2, and a pea-sized amount for older children.

Your water system. About three-quarters of all public water utilities add fluoride to their water as an added measure for tooth decay prevention. The amount can vary from system to system, although the maximum amount recommended by the U.S. Government is 0.70 parts per million (PPM). You can ask your local water system how much fluoride, if any, is present or they add to your drinking water.

Bottled water. Any type of bottled beverage (water, juices, sodas, etc.) could contain various levels of fluoride. Unfortunately there are no labeling requirements regarding its presence, so the most prudent course is to carefully manage the beverages your child drinks, or stay with bottled water marked "de-ionized," "purified," "demineralized" or "distilled," which typically have lower fluoride levels. For babies feeding on milk, you can use the aforementioned bottled waters to mix powder, use ready-to-feed formula (also low in fluoride) or breast-feed.

If you would like more information on fluoride and your baby, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Tooth Development and Infant Formula.”

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