Types of Dental Crowns

There is a wide variety of materials from which dental crowns are made. Each of the type of dental crown has its own pros and cons.
Here’s the list of materials used for dental crowns:

• Porcelain fused to metal - Such crowns, also known as porcelain-bonded crowns, are very common. They combine the strength of a metal base with a cosmetic covering of tooth-colored porcelain. They can make a good choice for either front or back teeth. However, over time, the metal may show through at the gum-line (as a visible dark line). These crowns may therefore not be the ideal choice where aesthetics are of prime importance.
• Porcelain or ceramic - These crowns can give a great cosmetic result, by best reproducing the natural look of a tooth. There are many types of crown that fit into this category. In back of the mouth where substantial chewing forces are routinely generated, placing an all-ceramic might not make the best choice due to strength. They are used most commonly for front tooth.
• Metal - Usually made from gold or "white" (silver-colored) dental alloy. They're known for their strength and durability. The precious alloys that are used to make gold dental crowns have a wear rate that's similar to tooth enamel. That means the crown won't create excessive wear on the teeth that oppose it (the teeth that it bites against).

If you are considering dental crowns for restorative or cosmetic dental purposes, it is best to discuss your options. We, at Expressions Dental can help you choose the dental crown material that best fits your needs.

Fractured Tooth? What to do?

Even though our teeth are extraordinarily strong, they might chip, or break. Biting something very hard, being hit or punched on the mouth or face or falling are some of the causes of fractured teeth.
When your teeth chip or break, it may not hurt. You might not even perceive the damage caused. Minor fractures of the tooth might not cause any pain, but if a larger piece of tooth chips off, it can be very painful. This is because the underlying nerve is damaged and if this is exposed to cold or hot drinks or foods, air and saliva, it can cause extreme discomfort. Pain caused by a cracked or a broken tooth can either be constant or it might be periodic. Some people feel this pain while chewing something as it exerts pressure on the teeth.

What Can You Do?

• Fractured or cracked tooth - A fractured or a cracked tooth cannot be treated at home. You’ll have to seek your dentist’s help. A tooth might only hurt while you eat or there’s a change in the temperature of your mouth (after drinking something cold or hot). If you are experiencing a continuous pain, it can be a case of damaged blood vessels or nerves.
• Broken tooth - In case of broken teeth, visit your dentist immediately. Your dentist will be able to understand the cause of the breakage, whether it is caused due to cavities and if the nerve is injured.

Treatment :
Different tests are performed in the mouth to determine if a tooth fracture is present. In some instances, dental X-rays can help to diagnose, locate, and measure the extent of tooth fractures. A serious fracture is one that exposes both the dentin and the pulp tissue and should be treated promptly. Serious injuries may make the tooth displaced and loose, and cause the gums to bleed. To prevent the loose tooth from falling out completely, the dentist can splint the loose tooth by bonding it to the adjacent teeth to help stabilize it while the underlying bone and gums heal. Because of the high risk of pulp infection after the exposure of the pulp to the oral environment, a root canal procedure may need to be performed during the first visit.
Alternatively, the dentist may elect to only apply a sedative dressing on the splinted tooth to help calm the tooth pain. The tooth will then be reevaluated in two to four weeks to determine if a root canal procedure is necessary. If the tooth appears to have recovered and is stable in the mouth, the splint is removed at that time and a filling or crown is placed to restore the fractured tooth.
The most serious injuries involve vertical, diagonal, or horizontal fractures of the tooth roots. In most instances, a fracture of the tooth root leaves the injured tooth very loose and unable to be restored with dental work, thus necessitating tooth extraction.

If you experience injury to your tooth, contact Expressions Dental™. The general dentist can examine your tooth and recommend various treatments depending on the location and extent of the break.

Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding or bruxism is the involuntary clenching, grinding and gnashing of the teeth. Some people are regular, forceful tooth grinders. Often it happens during sleep, but some people grind their teeth when they are awake. Teeth grinding can be a result of stress. For example, some people grind their teeth when they are angry, concentrating or feeling anxious. It can occur in both children and adults.

Effects of teeth grinding

• Cracked tooth enamel
• More wear and tear on the teeth than is normal
• Broken teeth or broken restorations (for example, fillings)
• Strain on the jaw joint
• Pain in the jaw joint or limited movement
• Tooth loss (rare)

Causes of teeth grinding

• Emotional stress, such as anger or anxiety
• Mental concentration
• Physical stress, such as illness, poor nutrition or long-term pain
• Some dental treatments, such as fillings that sit ‘too high’
• When teeth are coming through in babies and children.
• Taking antipsychotic or antidepressant medications
• Regularly drinking alcohol, smoking and using recreational drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine

Treatment for teeth grinding

If you think you grind your teeth, see your dentist or other oral health professional as soon as possible. They will look at your teeth and talk about possible treatment options that may include:

• Repair of tooth damage
• Fixing fillings that are too high
• A special mouth guard (‘bite splints’) to wear at night so that the guard is worn down instead of your teeth.

Other treatments may include stress management therapy, relaxation techniques, cognitive behavior therapy etc.

In case of teeth grinding, you may seek help from your dental clinic, your doctor, psychologist or from a physiotherapist depending on the cause of teeth grinding.

Ref: www.nhs.uk/conditions/teeth-grinding

www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

Caring for Teeth with Braces and Retainers

Braces, wires, springs, rubber bands, and other appliances can attract food and plaque, which can stain teeth if not brushed away. Food can also react with the bacteria in your mouth and the metal in the braces to produce a bleaching effect, which can cause small, permanent light spots on the teeth. It is recommended brushing after every meal or snack with fluoride toothpaste and carefully removing any food that may have gotten stuck in your braces. You may also be prescribed or recommended a fluoride mouthwash, which can get into places in the mouth that a toothbrush can't reach.

Brush your teeth with specially designed brush for cleaning between braces.

Foods to Avoid While Wearing Braces

There are certain foods that can break or loosen your braces and should be avoided, such as:

• Hard or tough-to-bite foods, such as apples or bagels
• Chewy foods, such as taffy or caramels
• Corn on the cob
• Hard pretzels, popcorn, nuts and carrots

In addition to foods, do not chew ice or bubble gum.

Caring for Retainers

Every time you brush your teeth, brush your retainer as well. Once a day or at least once a week, disinfect your retainer by soaking it in a denture cleanser.

While playing sports, use mouth guard, designed to fit comfortably over your braces.

Broken Braces

Broken braces, loose bands or protruding wires can cause problems but rarely require emergency treatment. However, call your an orthodontist to set up an office visit to fix the problem. If you suffer a more severe mouth or facial injury, seek immediate help.

Other Problems

Because braces brush up against the inside surface of your mouth, you may be prone to developing sores. If a sore develops, your orthodontist or dentist may prescribe an ointment or a prescription or nonprescription pain-reliever solution to reduce the pain and irritation and help heal the sore.

Ref: www.webmd.com

Why Get Dental Implants

Dental implants are an option to restore missing teeth without using additional teeth as support or anchors. They are also able to support dentures and prevent difficulties associated with the slipping and shifting of the denture. Implants are surgically placed in the jawbone and mimic the root of the natural tooth which also prevents bone reduction. Dental implants are restored with crowns, bridges and dentures.

Why get dental implants to restore missing or damaged teeth?

• A dental implant restores a lost tooth so that it looks, feels, fits and functions like a natural tooth.
• Dental implants allow you to maintain the natural shape of your face and smile.
• Leaving empty spaces in your mouth after losing one or more teeth can lead to additional health issues, such as the loss and deterioration of some of your jawbone. When it is not being used to support a natural tooth, the jawbone deteriorates, losing its strength and firmness. Dental implants may preserve and stimulate natural bone, actually helping to stimulate bone growth and prevent bone loss.
• Cavities can’t occur in an implant-restored crown, or replacement tooth; however, you will need to visit your dentist as scheduled and clean and care for it and your gums and mouth every day, the same as you would if it were a natural tooth.
• Dental implants are fixed in place and fuse naturally with your jawbone, meaning your replacement teeth won’t move, click or shift.
• Dental implants go in the jawbone, in the spot where your missing tooth root was, without impacting healthy teeth. They also help prevent healthy, adjacent teeth from shifting as they would if an empty space were left for an extended period of time.

In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for a dental implant. Heavy smokers, people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders - such as diabetes or heart disease - or patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an individual basis.
You should consider the fact that it is a surgical procedure so there are always risks present as with any surgery , ie. delayed healing, proIonged bleeding, infection, Surgical complication. There also a significant time commitment required as the implant site may need to have additional procedures performed to make it ready to accept the implant. If you are considering implants, talk to your dentist to see if they are right for you.

Do you need a Root Canal?

To make an accurate diagnosis about your tooth's need for endodontic therapy (root canal), your dentist will need to evaluate information collected from a number of different sources.
And while there are some obvious signs that nearly everyone is familiar with, there are also a number of less apparent ones that quite possibly only your dentist will notice.

Here are the types of issues and events that they'll need to evaluate.

1. Symptoms you have noticed - It's usually the presence of discomfort and/or swelling that signals to a person that their tooth has a problem. Your dentist will quiz you about what you have experienced.

• Pain
• Sensitivity to hot/cold
• Gum tenderness or swelling
• Frequency of pain or swelling

2. Signs noticed by your dentist - Some teeth give little indication that there's a problem within their nerve space. But to the trained eye, these subtle hints can be an obvious sign that a problem likely exists.

• Identifying problem teeth with x-rays
• Recurring or persistent gum pimples
• Individually darkened teeth
• Exposure of a tooth’s nerve

3. Additional testing - Once a dentist has identified a suspect tooth, they may then perform additional testing that can help to confirm their suspicions.

• Percussion testing – tapping the end of one of their instruments on your tooth.
• X-ray evaluation
• Thermal testing
• Electric pulp testing – A pulp tester transmits low-levels of electrical current to a tooth. The general idea is that a healthy nerve will respond with a tingling sensation. A dead nerve will have no response.

If you notice any of the signs and symptoms mentioned here, you should contact your dentist and make arrangements to be evaluated and receive treatment in a time frame they determine is necessary.

Don’t make assumptions and don’t delay

Some people won't seek treatment promptly if, in their mind, they think it's already too late, will cost too much money or else the idea of having the treatment is too unnerving for them. 

Don't make this mistake. If you have a tooth that's displaying symptoms, have your dentist evaluate it sooner rather than later. Doing so may make a big difference in what you experience, what type of treatment you require and its total cost.