Midlothian Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Long Family Dental of Cleburne Blog

Treating Infected Teeth with Root Canal Therapy

June 6, 2013

If you’re suffering from a toothache, it’s important to give your dentist a call right away. If the pain is persistent, you might need root canal therapy to treat the infection inside of your tooth. An infected tooth is a serious threat to your dental health and should be addressed as soon as possible.

The hard enamel on the outside of your tooth serves to protect the soft inner canal where the pulp is found. Whether it’s through damage or extensive decay, when the enamel is breached it allows bacteria to enter the pulp. This causes a root canal infection.

Some signs that you might have a root canal infection include the following:

Pain
Swelling
Increased sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures or sweet things
Bad taste in your mouth
Pain while biting or applying pressure to the tooth

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, you should give your dentist a call. Delaying the treatment will only make things worse. If you end up needing root canal therapy, your dentist will carefully remove the infected pulp inside your tooth. Usually the canal will be filled and covered with a crown to prevent further infection. Your tooth will be restored and your smile will be healthy once again.

Root canal therapy is a good way to treat an infected tooth and restore it to health. If you’re suffering from tooth pain, give your dentist a call today to see if this could be the right solution for your smile. The sooner you call the better before the decay has a chance to spread any further.

Restore Your Teeth With A Crown

May 30, 2013

If you have a tooth that is broken, cracked or weakened, it’s important to repair it to maintain the health of your smile. Often a filling will be used. In cases where the damage is more extensive, your dentist will use a crown to restore your tooth.

Crowns are a great restorative dentistry treatment used to repair your teeth. A broken or damaged tooth not only makes it more difficult to eat, but also impacts the health of your entire smile. A damaged tooth is more susceptible to disease and infection. This type of restoration is also helpful for completing a root canal treatment or treating a large cavity.

It will usually take your dentist two visits to fully repair your tooth using a crown. Your dentist will start off the first visit by removing the damaged or decayed portion of your tooth. Then an impression will be made of your tooth that is used to create your crown. Crowns can be made out of a variety of materials, but porcelain is a popular choice because it more closely resembles a natural tooth. You’ll have a temporary crown fitted to your tooth.

At your second dental visit, the crown will have been completed and will be affixed to your tooth. Your smile is now complete and healthy once again. Some dentists use methods such as the E4D system that allow them to make your crown and complete the restoration all in the same dental visit.

A damaged tooth needs to be repaired quickly to restore and maintain the health of your smile. Your dentist can help by capping your affected tooth with a crown. Call them to learn more and see how a crown can have a positive impact on your teeth.

Revitalize Your Smile with Porcelain Veneers

May 23, 2013

Are you disappointed with your smile when you look in the mirror? Do you find yourself wishing your teeth were whiter, straighter, or just more perfect? Luckily, your dentist has a solution for you. Porcelain veneers are a great cosmetic dentistry procedure than can have a positive impact on your smile.

Your smile may currently be chipped, stained, crooked, have gaps, cracks or other flaws. Porcelain veneers are a great way to correct and hide imperfections in your smile. Since they’re thin pieces of high quality porcelain that are attached to the front of your teeth, they can change the way your smile appears to the world. Anything you don’t like about the appearance of your smile can be hidden away, transforming your smile immediately without the need for extensive dental work. Porcelain is an ideal material because it reflects light similarly to tooth enamel, giving you a smile that is natural in appearance.

If your dentist decides that porcelain veneers are the right choice for your smile, they’ll have your veneers custom made in a dental lab to enhance your smile. They’ll remove a small amount of your natural tooth structure and affix the porcelain veneers to the front of your teeth. Instantly, your smile will be revitalized. The entire process usually takes two dental appointments.

If you’re not satisfied with the appearance of your smile, you don’t have to live with it. Porcelain veneers allow your dentist to reshape the appearance of your smile, hiding any imperfections or flaws. Call your dentist today to learn more or see if this option is right for you.

Restorative Dentistry Defined

January 7, 2013

Are you disappointed in the appearance of your teeth? Is you smile not quite as nice as you’d like it to be? Perhaps you should look into restorative dentistry.

Restorative dentistry is focused on restoring the health and appearance of your teeth. If your teeth are damaged or decayed, your dentist will fix the damage, thus improving the health and appearance of your teeth. Restorative dentistry usually involves a combination of services, customized to the patient’s unique needs. Some of the common services are discussed below.

Bridges

Bridges are used to replace missing teeth. Since teeth rely on each other for support, a missing tooth could cause the surrounding teeth to shift directions. A bridge allows your dentist to replace your missing tooth while helping the rest of your teeth remain in their ideal position.

Crowns

Crowns are used to help repair and restore teeth that are cracked or decayed. If the damage is too large for a filling, then a crown is used. This allows your dentist to save your natural tooth, which is better for the overall health of your mouth. Usually crowns are made from porcelain, ceramic, or metal. If you care for them like you would your natural teeth, they will last for years.

Dentures

If you’re missing more than one tooth, dentures are your solution. Depending on the location of the missing teeth and the health of your remaining teeth and jaw bone, full or partial dentures may be used. Dentures are custom-molded to fit your mouth, and may sometimes be anchored by remaining teeth. Since they’re custom-made, you’ll have a great fit and be able to smile and eat with confidence. It is also important to treat them as you would natural teeth with regular brushing and flossing.

There are lots of restorative dentistry options available to help you smile proudly once again. Your dentist will analyze your mouth and come up with a treatment plan, using some of the restorative dentistry techniques discussed above. See how easy it is to have healthy teeth once again!

Your Oral Health Matters

October 18, 2012

A healthy smile is important at any stage of life. That’s because, from the moment your first tooth comes in, your smile is vulnerable. But through regular general and family dentistry, your doctor can help you avoid and treat such common conditions as tooth decay, gum disease, and others.

Prevention Is An Important Aspect of Family Dentistry

There are many ways a general and family dentist can help his patients. One is through dental sealants. As an effective family dentistry tool, dental sealants are applied directly to teeth, protecting vulnerable pits and grooves from harmful bacteria and plaque. Children are often the primary recipients of dental sealants, but adults can benefit from them as well.

Another great general and family dentistry tool is laser decay detection. With this revolutionary tool, a general dentist can quickly scan teeth for even the smallest signs of decay. As a result, cavities can be diagnosed sooner, rather than later, resulting in fillings that preserve more of your natural smile.

As great as dental sealants and laser decay detection are, though, they’re just part of a preventive process that includes twice yearly checkups and cleanings. Through regular checkups and cleanings, a family dentist can watch for changes in your smile over time and can suggest services or home care techniques to improve oral health. What’s more, through a professional cleaning, your teeth can be cleaned more thoroughly can they can be with just brushing and flossing alone.

Make Regular Checkups and Cleanings a Priority

To make sure that you and your family are thoroughly protected, contact your general dentist twice a year, or about every six months, for a regular checkup and cleaning. Through visits like these, your general and family dentist can help you maintain a healthy smile and an improved quality of life.