• What Happens After a Root Canal?

    Root canal therapy alleviates not only tooth pain but also tissue infection. This video explains why seeing a dentist near Schaumburg for an infected tooth is so important.

    When a tooth has an infection, it cannot expand to accommodate the growing bacteria inside it, which is why sufferers feel pain. The longer this infection persists, the more damage it can do to the tooth and bone surrounding it. A dentist performs a root canal to remove the infection and the potentially destructive pressure that it creates. As a result, after root canal therapy, patients often feel little to no pain when leaving the dental office. Their discomfort is gone, but equally important, their teeth are no longer vulnerable to the damaging effects of an infection.

  • A Patient’s Guide to Braces

    braces in schaumburg Getting braces in Schaumburg now can help you have a more cosmetically pleasing smile in the future. Plus, because of treatment advances, undergoing orthodontic work is easier than ever. When you keep in mind these guidelines, you can better ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy and strong while you wear your braces.

    Cleaning Your Teeth

    Daily brushing and flossing are integral to avoiding tooth decay and gum disease. When you get braces, your dentist may advise that you make a few oral hygiene changes to protect your dental health. For one, you may need to replace your toothbrush more often. Contact between your braces and toothbrush can quickly wear out its bristles, making them less effective at scrubbing away bacteria and food particles. Two, you might have to allow yourself more time to clean your teeth and gums. Threading your floss through your wire can require a few extra minutes, as well as brushing thoroughly around each brace bracket.

    Eating Meals

    Wearing braces doesn’t mean that you have to overhaul your normal diet. Because food can easily catch on your brace brackets and wire, though, you may need to make a few minor alterations to your eating habits. For instance, when you eat fibrous foods, slice them into portions that you can eat with your back teeth instead of biting into them with your front teeth. You may also want to avoid sticky foods that can cling to your orthodontic equipment.

    Seeing Your Dentist

    Keeping up with your dental exams is crucial while you undergo orthodontic treatment. Even when you regularly brush and floss your teeth, bacteria and plaque can easily grow around your brace brackets. As a result, your teeth may be more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease while you undergo treatment. When you get dental cleanings, your dentist can thoroughly remove any accumulated plaque and tartar on your tooth enamel that may cause oral disease. He can also evaluate your orthodontic equipment to ensure that it is functioning as needed to move your teeth into better alignment as quickly as possible.

    Reference: www.knowyourteeth.com

  • Tips for Caring for Your Teeth When You Have Braces

    fast braces schaumburg il If you have braces, it is important to adjust your eating and oral hygiene habits in order to continue caring for your teeth. Though it may take some extra time to clean in and around the hardware of your braces , proper care is essential for achieving a good outcome when your braces are removed. If you are considering orthodontics in Schaumburg, here are some great tips for caring for your teeth after you are fitted with braces:

    Maintain Good Oral Hygiene

    Food particles can easily become trapped between the brackets of your braces. This means that you must take extra care to brush and floss your teeth regularly. If you don’t practice proper oral hygiene with braces, a build up of plaque and food particles can begin to cause dental problems such as cavities and gum disease. For patients with braces, orthodontists recommend brushing after each meal. Your orthodontist may also recommend other tools to help clean your teeth, including a proxabrush, which is a special toothbrush designed to fit between your braces. Waterflossers and fluoride mouthwash are also highly recommended.

    Avoid Certain Foods

    There are certain foods that can become quite problematic and can even damage the hardware of your braces. Therefore, it may be best to simply avoid these foods altogether. Foods such as apples, taffy, licorice, corn on the cob, nuts, and popcorn are examples of foods that can easily damage brackets. Orthodontists recommend avoiding bubblegum and also discourage potentially harmful habits such as chewing on ice cubes.

    Protect Your Mouth While Playing Sports

    If you play sports, you will need to use caution with your braces. If you run the risk of being hit in the mouth with a ball or other object during practice or a game, your orthodontist can fit you with a mouth guard. The mouth guard is designed to fit over your braces in order to prevent injury to your mouth or damage to the brackets and wires. Depending on the sport you are playing, a full-facial guard might also be appropriate. Strips of dental wax are also good options for protecting your braces and the soft tissue of your mouth during sports play.

    Reference: http://www.webmd.com

  • How to Maintain Your Porcelain Veneers

    schaumburg cosmetic dentist Even though porcelain veneers are extremely resistant to stains and discoloration, it’s imperative that you know the best way to care for them. After your veneers are placed, your Schaumburg cosmetic dentist will help you develop a dental maintenance plan.

    The most important way to maintain your veneers is to continue practicing good oral hygiene, just as you would for your natural teeth. This means that you should continue to follow a daily brushing and flossing regimen. Dental professionals also suggest using non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste to clean your veneers.

    After your veneers are placed, it is essential that you attend any follow-up appointments necessary. These appointments allow the dentist to observe your mouth and any physical reactions to your new veneers. If you grind your teeth at night, your dentist may choose to fit you with a bite guard in order to protect your veneers. It is also recommended that you visit your dentist every six months for regular cleanings and dental exams.

    Reference: http://www.aacd.com

  • Removing Stains From Your Teeth

    If you’re like many people, you may wish that your teeth were whiter. Over time the pores of our teeth can become stained from products such as red wine, coffee, and cigarettes. If you are unhappy with the color of your teeth, you might consider finding a Schaumburg dentist who specializes in cosmetic dentistry . Watch this video to find out more about the different treatment options.

    A dental exam by a qualified dentist can help determine if you are a candidate for cosmetic dentistry procedures. Dental whitening involves a dentist removing the surface stain from your teeth, thereby restoring the teeth to their original color. Dental bleaching is an option for patients who want to achieve even whiter teeth. After whitening or bleaching your teeth, it’s important to practice good oral hygiene in order to maintain a beautiful white smile.

  • Are You a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

    dental implants schaumburg il If you have missing teeth, dental implants might be the right corrective option for you. Dental implants are great options for patients who are missing one, several, or even all of their teeth. Dental implants are strong, natural looking alternatives to bridges, crowns, or dentures. If you’re looking for dental implants in Schaumburg, it’s important to visit a dentist in order to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure.

    Good Overall Health

    Dental implants are the most successful on patients who are in good overall health. There are certain health issues that may affect the dental implant being able to fuse to your bone. Some of these health issues include cancer, gum disease, smoking, or diabetes. It is important to discuss your health in detail with your dentist in order to allow the best opportunity for implant success. In your conversation with your dentist, it is a good idea to share all prescription and over-the-counter medications that you are taking.

    Good Oral Habits

    Good candidates for dental implants must be willing to practice good oral hygiene. Dental implants need to be kept clean through daily brushing and flossing. It is also important to visit your dentist on a semi-annual basis in order for the stability of your implants to be monitored. Your dentist will also use special instruments to clean your implants. These instruments are designed to clean the implants without doing any damage to the metal surfaces.

    Sufficient Bone Structure

    Dental implants are implanted directly into the bone. Your dentist will use x-rays, CT scans, and computer imaging in order to ensure that the implants are placed correctly in the bone. It is imperative that the patient has enough bone in order to be a good candidate for dental implants. Bone loss is very common in patients who are missing teeth. This is because bone needs stimulation in order to retain its structure. In fact, dental implants are sometimes specifically used to prevent further bone loss in patients who are missing teeth. If a patient does not have enough bone structure to undergo the implant procedure, a bone-grafting procedure could be a possibility in order to increase bone volume.

    Reference: http://www.osseo.org

  • How Do Fastbraces™ Work? [INFOGRAPHIC]

    Everyone wants to have a beautiful smile full of straight teeth, but many people need a bit of assistance to achieve this. Whether you are a parent whose child needs braces or an adult considering orthodontic work near Schaumburg for yourself, consider Fastbraces™ as an alternative to traditional braces. Traditional braces use square brackets, but Fastbraces™ use triangular ones to achieve crown and root movement at the same time. Fastbraces™ treatment is more comfortable than traditional braces treatment and could take as little as three months. Check out this infographic to learn more about Fastbraces™ and how they work, and talk to your dentist to find out if they’re the right choice for you. Please share with your friends and family!

    INFOGRAPHIC

  • Why Missing Teeth Are Dangerous

    missing teeth schaumburg Most people with missing teeth feel self-conscious about the look of their smile. Missing even one tooth can cause serious health issues in the mouth, however. Keep reading to find out why it is so important to visit your dentist near Schaumburg to find a solution for your missing teeth:

    Without teeth holding the bone into place, your jaw might start to change shape, which can affect the appearance of your face. Once this starts to happen, it will also affect the gum tissue, which could cause other teeth to loosen. As a person loses more teeth, he or she has less function in the mouth and more difficulty talking and chewing.

    The holes created by missing teeth also create the perfect space for plaque and food to build up. Without the dedicated care of a dentist, these spots become much more vulnerable for periodontal disease. If you are already missing one or more teeth, you should talk to your dentist about how dental implants can help.

    Reference: http://www.deardoctor.com

  • Which Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures Are Right for You?

    With new advancements in cosmetic dentistry , dentists can help a wide range of patients find solutions for the aesthetic issues in their mouths. Keep reading to find out which cosmetic procedure can help you improve your smile and feel better about your teeth:

    A Teeth-Whitening Treatment

    If your teeth are yellowed or discolored, you might want to ask your dentist about a teeth-whitening treatment to restore them to their original color. When you whiten your teeth, you can enjoy a more youthful appearance and a brighter smile. Whether you are getting ready for a big event or you just want to improve the aesthetic appeal of your smile, a teeth-whitening treatment can help.

    Bonding

    If your teeth have gaps or chips, cracks, or stains, your dentist can use the bonding materials to improve their appearance and help you get a more attractive smile. Bonding can also be used to fill in small cavities and prevent further decay as well as to protect the root of a tooth.

    Veneers

    These thin pieces of porcelain can be placed over teeth to fix issues with size, shape, and discoloration. Porcelain veneers offer a wide range of patients natural looking results and enhanced durability. They can also be used to close spaces between teeth. The dentist creates custom veneers so each patient enjoys the best results.

    Dental Crowns

    If you need your entire tooth covered, your dentist can use dental crowns to restore function and aesthetic appeal to your smile. Dental crowns are often used to completely cover misshapen teeth, to strengthen a weak tooth, or to fix a broken tooth. They can also hold bridges into the mouth and provide a replacement tooth when a patient gets dental implants.

    Dental Implants

    Dental implants are used to when patients are missing one or more teeth. These titanium posts are surgically placed into the jaw to serve as replacement roots that are as durable as the natural tooth. If you are interested in improving the look of your smile, you should find a dentist near Schaumburg.

    Reference: http://www.webmd.com

  • Master Your Flossing Technique with These Tips

    If you want to get good news at your next visit to the dental office , it is important to properly clean your teeth at home. Floss is an integral element of an oral health routine and helps you prevent tooth decay and gum disease in Schaumburg.

    Choose the right kind of floss for your teeth. Waxed floss slides in easily and is a popular option. If you have wide gaps between your teeth, you should use taped floss. Break off about 18 inches and wrap most of it around your index fingers.

    You should move the floss gently back and forth between the teeth and the gums. Repeat the process on other teeth with a new section of floss. Learn more about the proper technique in this video.