Teeth Wearing Away?

Your teeth are built to last. They can even last a lifetime with regular teeth cleanings and dental care. However, the daily grind of chewing, brushing, and grinding, along with accidental injuries, can take a toll.

Reasons for tooth erosion:

• Chipped, fractured or broken teeth - Things such as chewing ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels and opening nuts with your teeth can lead to chipping and breakage of natural teeth and restorations. Teeth that have fillings or root canals are at highest risk, because they aren't as strong as intact teeth. Most frequently, teeth are damaged as a result of an accident or sports-related injury. Although a chipped tooth can be repaired, a fracture is more difficult to fix especially if the crack extends below your gum line.
• Teeth grinding - Unconscious grinding or clenching of teeth, over time, can damage the chewing surfaces. In many cases, people don't realize they have a problem until a dentist notices signs on their tooth surfaces.
• Acid and tooth enamel erosion - Teeth become vulnerable when acid levels in the mouth are too high. Acid erodes enamel, making teeth more susceptible to decay. Acidic foods and drinks, and acid-producing bacteria in the mouth are prime culprits.
• Excessive consumption of alcohol - Alcoholics and binge drinkers can have the same wear on their teeth because of too much alcohol. Not only do teeth become thin and almost transparent in these extremes, but the body also loses needed vitamins and minerals, depriving teeth of some needed nutrients, too.
• Other physical conditions – Conditions such as cancer or even pregnancy show their presence on teeth, and individuals are advised to combine medical care with regular preventative dental care and maintenance.
• Medications - Many medications cause dry mouth. Saliva is necessary for keeping the mouth clean. Keeping a wash of saliva around the teeth keeps decay from forming as rapidly and provides needed moisture for gum tissue. Certain medications suck the saliva out of your mouth. Syrupy medicines also harm teeth by coating them with sticky sugar. Rinsing after taking cough, cold or allergy syrups, or having children rinse after taking them, will help keep residue from building up and attacking enamel.
• Brushing right after meals - If you have the habit of brushing right after dinner, stop doing so. Acids weaken tooth enamel and leave it more prone to erosion during brushing. Wait about 20 to 30 minutes before brushing your teeth.
• Brushing hard - Some people like to brush very hard. They want to keep their teeth very clean so they will scrub very hard, but that will traumatize the gums. Over time, it will cause the gums to recede. Brush gently and spend at least three minutes brushing and flossing your teeth each time. Always use a soft or ultrasoft toothbrush.

Alternatives to Dental Veneers

If you are thinking of veneers as a possible way to make your teeth look better, it is good to first consider all the available options. Different dental procedures have different benefits, results and costs.

Here are some basic choices for the patients looking for brighter smile:

1. Tooth whitening - This is a conservative way to remove tooth discolorations. The basic structure of your teeth remains unchanged. Not all stains can be whitened with this approach. This approach will only provide a color change for your teeth, so if their alignment or shape isn't already pleasing, it's not the right solution.
2. Micro abrasion - It is a process where a thin outer layer of tooth enamel that contains blemishes is abraded and eroded away. It involves the use of a coarse polishing compound mixed with 5 to 10% hydrochloric acid.
3. Reshaping - Some patients choose to have their teeth actually reshaped in order to improve the look of their mouths. This is generally not effective for changing discolored teeth, but it is a similar service that some patients consider as opposed to filling in gaps with porcelain veneers.
4. Porcelain crowns – These are a good solution for teeth that are damaged, misshapen or decayed. Crowns can be used alone or with dental bridges and dental implants. A crown will improve a tooth’s size, shape, strength and appearance.

If any of these procedures sounds like something that could help you improve your smile, talk to our general dentists at Expressions Dental™ about these dental treatments and the risks and benefits.

Tips To Take Care of Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers do not require any special care. But you can take good care of them with proper oral hygiene, flossing and routine cleanings.

Home care

Porcelain is stain resistant, however, the resin composite cement used to bond to the teeth can be susceptible to stain. Alcoholic beverages soften the surface of the resin, increasing the likelihood of staining and wear. Aggressive tooth brushing can wear away the glaze on the veneer. Avoid frequent carbohydrate intake and increase home flossing to maintain your veneers in good condition. Also avoid highly abrasive toothpastes as you may lose the shining lustre of the veneer.

During visit to a dentist’s clinic

Your hygienist will be conservative with power polishing equipment. It can remove the glaze layer put on veneer. Once the glaze layer is removed, it cannot be reapplied. With the glaze intact, porcelain is resistant to stain.

If you have any questions about porcelain veneers, contact Expressions Dental™.

Broken or Cracked Tooth

Any trauma to the mouth that causes bleeding and lacerations to the gums, tooth fracture and/or dislodging of teeth, may require immediate attention. If you take longer to see your dentist, it will reduce the chance of revival of the tooth.

Causes

Whether the result of an accident or biting on a piece of food that’s too hard, mouth injuries can cause teeth to become cracked, broken, or knocked out/dislodged. It is important to see a dentist because if left untreated, a dental emergency can lead to serious complications.

If the tooth is just chipped, you should make a non-emergency dental appointment to have it smoothed down and filled. If the tooth has been knocked out or is badly broken, see a dentist immediately. Find your nearest dentist who offers emergency dental appointments.

While you wait to see a dentist, you can follow these dental tips:

• If you still have a knocked out tooth, handle by the tip of it (crown) and avoid touching the root. Do not scrape or brush the tooth. If that tooth is dirty, rinse with milk or salt water. The sooner a knocked-out tooth is re-implanted, the more likely it is to embed itself back into the gum. If you don't want to be left with a gap, make an emergency appointment to see your dentist. Usually, your dentist will want to re-implant your tooth as soon as possible, ideally within an hour of it being knocked out. If you have already attempted this yourself, they will check that the tooth is in place correctly.

• In case of lost tooth, most people will choose to have it replaced. Different dental treatments are adopted for tooth replacement. Your dentist can replace the tooth with a denture, a bridge or an implant.

• If you have broken your tooth, do not try to re-implant the fragment back into your gum – store it in a clean container and cover the fragment with milk or saliva until you can see a dentist. It may be possible to reattach the broken fragment to the tooth. If you have broken a tooth halfway down and damaged the network of blood vessels and nerves in its center (the pulp), root canal treatment will be needed to remove the damaged pulp from your tooth, as this can become infected. The space will then be filled and the tooth sealed with a filling or a dental crown.

Unlike broken bones, the crack in a tooth will never heal completely. It is still important that you get treatment. Our dental team at Expressions Dental™ will be able to tell you more about this problem and recommend treatment for a broken or cracked tooth.