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A dark-colored tooth in an adult usually indicates that the nerve of the tooth has become infected and the normal flow of blood in and out of the tooth has stopped. Treatment In most cases, the tooth will need a root canal. Sometimes the tooth will "die,...
There are many advantages when resin—or tooth-colored—onlays are used to restore teeth. Resin onlays are bonded to the teeth. This creates a tight, superior fit, and restores the tooth to nearly its original strength. Resin onlays can be used i...
Think of an air abrasion system as a mini-sandblaster. Instead of turning on a whirring drill, a dentist gives you a pair of goggles and then directs a thin, high-speed stream of air-blown microscopic particles that gently remove decay from your tooth. (V...
Instead of placing a bridge made of porcelain with a metal base, which, years later, can often result in unsightly dark lines at the gum line, your dentist can now restore your smile with an all-porcelain bridge....
Tooth-colored bridges used to be made only of porcelain and metal. But with the new technology available today, they can be made entirely of porcelain....
Tooth-colored crowns used to be made of porcelain and metal. But with the new technology available today, they can be made entirely of porcelain....
All-porcelain crowns (also called caps) are a beautiful, long-lasting choice. The procedure involves reducing and carefully shaping the supporting tooth, creating an impression from which a model of the prepared tooth is made, and having the crown fabrica...
Restoring your lower jaw with dental implants is accomplished in two phases. The first phase is the surgical placement of the implants. They're left under the gums for several months while the bone attaches to them. After healing, the second phase begins....
Once the pulp of a tooth has become infected, your choices are limited. You could choose to delay treatment, you could choose to have the tooth extracted, or you could choose to save your tooth with root canal treatment....
There are many types of dental work that might work as an alternative to orthodontic treatment, such as:...
When you're missing one or more teeth, you have several options:...
After a lot of tooth structure has been lost, your alternatives are limited. You can delay treatment, have the tooth extracted, try another filling or have a crown put on the tooth. Whether tooth structure has been lost due to breakage or cavities, if tr...
Sometimes a tooth can be saved by performing root canal therapy and placing a crown. Other times, there is no suitable alternative to extraction. Your tooth may have to be removed....
The alternative to having wisdom teeth removed is to keep them. A few lucky people are able to keep their wisdom teeth and care for them as they would their other teeth. But for most of us, this isn't possible, and a delay in their removal can cause seri...
When you have a cavity, you really only have two choices: postpone treatment or get a filling. The problem with postponing treatment is that a cavity will never go away on its own. It just gets bigger and bigger. It grows slowly while it's still in the h...
If you have periodontal (gum) disease, your choices are limited. You may either choose to treat the problem, or to delay treatment. Treatment involves a combination of root planing, new homecare techniques, more frequent dental cleanings, and in severe c...
The alternatives to an immediate denture are: periodontal therapy root canal therapy bridges partial dentures overdentures implants delaying treatment Periodontal therapy may be an alternative if there's still enough healthy bone tissue surrounding...
Implants are often used to replace missing teeth. If you decide against implants, there are a few other options. partial dentures bridges full dentures delaying treatment If you have some remaining teeth, a partial denture may be an appropriate altern...
The alternatives to an overdenture are: immediate dentures implants partial dentures delaying treatment Removing all of your teeth and making an immediate denture is an alternative to an overdenture....
Some of the alternatives to a partial denture are: bridges implants dentures delaying treatment In some cases, bridges are an alternative to partial dentures. Sometimes, when we don't have enough teeth to place a bridge, we can solve the problem...
Ankylosis is a dental term for a condition where a primary tooth loses its normal ligament connection to the bone, and becomes fused directly to the bone. This is a fairly common occurrence and is most often seen with lower first molars....
Restoring the mouth with a dental implant is accomplished in two phases. The first phase is the surgical placement of the implant. It is left under the gums for several months so the bone can attach to it. After healing, the second phase begins; the impla...
Restoring the mouth with implants and a dental bridge is accomplished in two phases. The first phase is the surgical placement of the implants. They're left under the gums for several months while the bone attaches to them. After healing, the second phase...
Your gums may bleed: when you brush or floss when you eat from one spot above a single tooth after tooth removal...
Bonding enables your dentist to: close spaces between your teeth lengthen small or misshapen teeth whiten stained or darkened teeth A single tooth can be shaped and colored, or your entire smile can be changed!...
Isn't an eight-year-old a little young for braces? Not really. Some conditions, such as an excessive overbite or underbite, are far more easily treated in the growing child. There are two kinds of devices used to re-position or hold the position of teeth...
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Braces are often the ideal way to straighten teeth—especially when teeth are severely crowded—but you must be willing to wear braces for one to three years. Orthodontics is now a very common procedure for adults; in fact, 40 percent of orthodont...
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Proper tooth brushing involves four things: a soft toothbrush toothpaste with fluoride the correct brushing angle brushing in a pattern...
My son never eats any sugar. How can he have so many cavities?My other children never had any cavities. Why does my youngest have six?...
New cracks accompanied by pain when chewing Treatment Hurry to the dentist. The pain is the flexing of the tooth underlying the crack. A significant portion of the tooth may soon break away. Worst case scenario The crack extends into the nerve and a root...
You have several treatment choices if you'd like to correct crowded or misaligned teeth. These choices include: recontouring braces bonding crowns veneers...
When a tooth is broken down due to decay or fracture, a crown is an excellent way to cover and protect it. But when damage is severe, there may not be enough remaining tooth structure to support a crown. Years ago, a tooth like this would have to be extr...
Temporary crown fell out A temporary crown or bridge covers and protects the involved teeth and serves as an anchor that keeps adjacent teeth from moving. Temporary crowns or bridges are generally cemented in place with temporary cement. This cement allow...
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We don't want crowns on our child's teeth. Can't his problems be solved with fillings? Deciding whether a crown is the optimum treatment depends on several factors: the age of your child, the size of the cavity, and how much of the tooth is decayed. Let...
Remember the excitement of losing a tooth when you were six years old? Well, that excitement fizzled somewhere on the road to adulthood. Losing a tooth as an adult is hardly a cause for celebration. But there is a silver lining to the lost-tooth storm cl...
Lasers are in smart-bombs, CD players, and bar-code readers at the grocery checkout counter. Now they're showing up in your dentist's office....
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Front teeth There are many causes of discolored front teeth. Genetics, drugs taken while the teeth are forming (such as tetracycline and fluoride), infected teeth, root canal treatment, smoking, and certain foods may contribute to dark or stained teeth....
To make the entire extraction procedure comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist will do is make sure you're thoroughly numb....
Before we explain precisely how wisdom teeth are removed, here are some suggestions to make the procedure easier and more comfortable for you: You probably won't feel like driving home after your surgery appointment, so arrange to have a friend or family...
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I don't want my child to have any silver fillings. Can't all fillings be done with white filling materials?Yes. If you strongly prefer white fillings, seek a second opinion if your dentist does not or will not use them.Click here for much more o...
Periodontal flap surgery is necessary when pockets and infection still remain after root planing....
What is fluorosis and how did my child get it? Fluorosis shows up as multiple snow-white specks or a brownish stain on permanent teeth. Your child may have ingested too much fluoride during the years when his teeth were forming. The excess can come from s...
Healthy gums, tight against the necks of the teeth, are an important part of a beautiful smile....
When your mouth is healthy, your gums are snug against your teeth and the root doesn't show. Unfortunately, in some cases the gums have pulled away from the tooth and some of the root surface is exposed. This apparent lengthening of the teeth can really...
Bruxism is the clenching or grinding of the teeth, which occurs primarily while you are sleeping. The symptoms of bruxism are:...
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There is growing evidence that the presence of periodontal (gum) disease can be linked to the incidence of coronary heart disease. Gums infected with periodontal disease are toxic reservoirs of disease-causing bacteria. The bacteria hide in pockets next...
If you prefer not to have a partial denture or bridge attached to adjacent teeth, you might consider an implant, which is a metal cylinder surgically inserted into the bone of the upper or lower jaw. A crown or modified denture may be attached to the impl...
What is an implant? An implant is thin metal cylinder surgically implanted into the bone of the jaw to replace the root of a missing tooth. One kind of implant has a metal frame and one or more posts. The frame is positioned on the jawbone, then covered...
Do I need upper jaw implants? Placing upper jaw implants Do I need lower jaw implants? Placing lower jaw implants...
Bottle syndrome, or early childhood caries, is the severe decay of baby teeth caused by the constant presence of milk, formula or juice in a child's mouth....
In a dental office, the professional staff takes pride in adhering to the highest possible infection control standards. The staff members scrub their hands before and after each appointment and always put on a new pair of disposable gloves. Your dentist...
When Chewing Jaw-joint pain when chewing is a symptom of temporomandibular disorder (TMD), which is more commonly called TMJ syndrome. Most common in women between the ages of 25 and 40, TMD can be caused by a bad bite, misaligned teeth, missing teeth, ar...
What is TMD?...
Braces behind the teeth—also called lingual appliances—have been used by orthodontists all over the world since the early 1980s. Treatment time is comparable to standard braces (18 to 24 months), and the quality of treatment is excellent. Lingua...
Treatment It's important to deal quickly with a loose or broken filling or crown. Once a filling or crown has lost its seal, a cavity will quickly form. A cavity in the area of a restoration is already past the first line of defense of the tooth. Waiting...
Caused by gum disease Following a dental injury After braces...
Here's an "insider tip": If you have recently lost a tooth because of long-standing problems or an accident, it's important to obtain a temporary replacement. It's also important for you to know that not replacing a missing tooth can start a chain reactio...
Notches or slots in your teeth at the gum line usually mean that your bite is off and the notched teeth are not aligned with the rest of your teeth. (A hard toothbrush or your brushing pattern is usually not the cause of notching.) Teeth that are under un...
There are two reasons why it takes new tools and techniques to clean the plaque off of your teeth when you've lost bone due to periodontal disease. First, in a healthy mouth, the space between the tooth and gums (called the sulcus) is normally two to thr...
It takes two appointments to replace a missing tooth with a cantilever bridge. That's because a bridge is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your teeth. To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist wi...
To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist will do is make sure you're thoroughly numb. Depending on the size of the filling and the tooth being worked on, a rubber dam may be used. It fuctions like a safety net, preve...
It takes two appointments to replace a missing tooth with a gold bridge. That's because a bridge is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your teeth. To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist will do...
It takes two appointments to restore your teeth with a crown. That's because a crown is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your tooth. To make the entire process comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist will do is make sure t...
It takes two appointments to replace a missing tooth with a Maryland bridge. That's because a bridge is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your teeth....
It takes two appointments to replace a missing tooth with a porcelain bridge. That's because a bridge is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your teeth. To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist wil...
It takes two appointments to restore your tooth with a crown. That's because a crown is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your tooth. To make the entire process comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist will do is make the af...
It takes two appointments to restore your tooth with a crown. That's because a crown is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your tooth. To make the entire process comfortable for you, the first thing your dentist will do is make the af...
To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the affected area is numbed with a local anesthetic....
To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the affected area is numbed with a local anesthestic. Depending on the size of the filling and the tooth being worked on, a rubber dam may be used. It functions like a safety net, keeping debris from fall...
It takes two appointments to replace a missing front tooth with a three-unit bridge. That's because a bridge is custom-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your teeth. To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the first thing your dent...
To make the entire procedure comfortable for you, the affected area is numbed with a local anesthetic....
It takes two appointments to replace a silver filling with a resin onlay. On the first appointment, the old filling and any additional decay is removed....
Teeth can be straightened at any age. In fact, one out of four orthodontic patients in the United States today is an adult. Until the 1980s, a steel band went around each individual tooth like a ring. The wire that pulled the teeth into line was attached...
Until recently, orthodontics was used mainly to straighten crooked teeth. Now, when problems are caught early enough, it's possible to actually alter the facial development of a growing child by using functional appliances on his teeth. Other orthodontic...
Small cavities in primary teeth can be fixed with fillings, because there's still plenty of supporting tooth structure. However, large cavities need to be fixed with crowns. A crown strengthens a damaged tooth by covering and protecting it....
It's almost always a traumatic experience for both a child and her parents when a front tooth gets broken. Fortunately, new bonding techniques and materials now allow teeth to be beautifully restored back to nearly new condition. Depending on the size an...
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Some people say root canals are painless, while others say they hurt like crazy. What's the truth? If I have a root canal, will I need a crown, too? How many office visits will it take to complete a root canal?...
Root canal treatment and subsequent tooth restoration usually involves three steps. First, your dentist removes the infection to promote healing. Next, he places a post to strengthen the tooth. Finally, he crowns the tooth to protect it....
The goal of root planing is to eliminate the source of periodontal infection by removing the plaque, tartar and bacterial toxins from surfaces of the roots. Tartar shows up on an x-ray as small white lumps on the sides of the teeth....
Porcelain Veneers Bonding Crowns...
Silver amalgam and composite resin are the two most common materials used to restore teeth damaged by decay. There are situations where one material is preferable over the other, and similarly, there are disadvantages to both of these filling materials. A...
In the past, the traditional methods for making tooth-colored restorations, crowns, and veneers involved a series of dental appointments and final fabrication of the restoration by a dental laboratory. Today CAD/CAM allows a dentist to custom-fabricate an...
My child's teeth came in rotten. Does she have "soft teeth"? No. Tooth decay is usually caused by a lack of dental hygiene. During breast or bottle feeding, infant teeth are bathed in milk sugars. If not cleaned regularly, infant teeth will develop cavit...
Canker Sores White Sores on Tongue or Inside of Cheek Gum Boil Other Sores inside the Mouth Special Advisory...
Cold Sores or Fever Blisters Caused by Herpes Type I Virus These are painful, fluid-filled blisters on the lips, under the nose and on the chin. Cold sores are caused by a virus and are very contagious. They are often triggered by a fever, illness, skin...
TMD, temporomandibular disorder, is not one condition, but a group of conditions that affect the temporomandibular joint (the TMJ). The symptoms arise when there is a conflict between the biting surfaces of the teeth, the muscles in the jaw, and the jaw j...
Here is the human mouth in its ideal form. No cavities, no fillings, and no sign of dental disease....
TMJ syndrome is a cycle of pain, muscle spasms, and joint imbalance in the area where the jaw meets the skull. TMJ is an acronym for "temporomandibular joint." This joint connects the temporal bone of the skull with the mandible bone of the jaw. Cushioni...
Constant Throbbing Pain when Chewing After Routine Dental Work Wisdom Teeth...
Advantages Disadvantages of metal fillings Procedure for placing tooth-colored fillings...
Silver and gold fillings used to be your only choices for fillings, especially for back teeth. Today, silver fillings can be replaced with tooth-colored fillings for a much more natural look....
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This is common in adults and children, especially during times of unusual life stress. Treatment If grinding becomes a long-term pattern, consult your dentist to prevent damage to your teeth and temporomandibular joint (TMJ)....
Many conditions can cause your tooth to be sensitive to heat, cold or pressure. These include broken fillings, cracked teeth, and early infections of the nerve. Careful examination and evaluation by your dentist can keep problems from worsening....
Restoring the upper jaw with dental implants is accomplished in two phases. The first phase is the surgical placement of the implants. They're left under the gums for several months to allow the bone to attach to them. After healing, the second phase begi...
A microscope is a new tool in dentistry that really helps in the treatment of periodontal disease....
Until recently you had no choice about the color of your fillings. Now you can have old silver or gold fillings replaced with nearly invisible porcelain or resin restorations. Another advantage - they can be bonded to the teeth which gives a tighter sea...
Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, are the last of the teeth to erupt. And usually, they're the most troublesome. By the time they grow in - typically between the ages of 15-25 - the teeth are already crowded in the mouth, leaving little room for fou...
Everything wears out; resin fillings are no exception. They have to endure an incredible amount of biting force, and as time passes, they will slowly wear out or break. The edges of the filling pictured to the right are breaking away, and a space is ope...
Everything wears out eventually, and white plastic fillings are no exception. As white fillings in front teeth age, they absorb moisture, swell, and begin to leak. This filling has lost its seal and no longer fully protects the tooth from cavities. When...