Month: December 2024

A smile is one of the precious possessions that extends light, confidence, and character to the outer world. However, natural causes like tooth decay, an accident, or even general wear and tear can decrease the aesthetic appeal of the teeth in the long run.

Luckily, today’s dentistry has answers to this issue, and dental crowns and bridges are among the most effective ones. With crowns and bridges, it will be interesting to learn how dental restorations can bring a new look to your teeth and thus enable you to get a smile that is as good as new.

Along this line of treatment, dental crowns and bridges are more appealing because they can fit in your mouth and look like natural teeth. Today, we can make crowns and bridges out of ceramic, resin, or porcelain that perfectly mimic your teeth’ shade, form, and surface, providing you with a highly aesthetic outcome.

However, dental crowns and bridges are not only aesthetic solutions. They are functional restorations for eroded or missing teeth. When you have missing or damaged teeth, dental crowns and bridges can enhance your dental health, biting and talking, and prevent additional dental problems later on.

What are the Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges?

Dental Crowns: These caps are made in the form of teeth and are fitted to blend with the structure of the natural teeth to add strength in cases where other operations have weakened the teeth or developed additional protection to prevent heavy damage. Primarily made from porcelain or ceramic, dental crowns have to blend with your existing teeth’ color and form seamlessly.

Dental Bridges: Unlike crowns, bridges fill the gap arising from one or more missing teeth. These include two anchoring teeth on both ends of the bridgework where some teeth or teeth in the middle are missing. Dental bridges can be made from porcelain, ceramics, and various metal alloys, depending on the patient’s needs.

The Benefits Of Crowns And Bridges

Restored Functionality:
Crowns and bridges are most suitable for restoring broken or fallen working teeth. Since crown and bridge work occurs after shaping the visible portion of the tooth, patients who have these can chew, bite, and speak without discomfort; thus, they can have their full meal and obtain balanced nutrition.

Improved Aesthetics:
Dental crowns and dental bridges are crafted to accommodate the color and texture of the adjacent teeth, making them a cosmetic plus of the procedure. Whether restoring a single tooth using a dental crown or replacing multiple teeth using a bridge, such restorations have excellent aesthetics, which can improve self-esteem.

Preservation of Tooth Structure:
On weakened teeth, crowns offer support to the affected tooth by enveloping it in a casing that does not allow further degeneration. On the other hand, bridges close the space caused by missing teeth and help other teeth not to shift to some other positions to cause disparity with other teeth.

How do Dental Crowns or Dental Bridges Work?

Dental crowns and bridges perform functionality and esthetic roles for damaged or missing teeth.

• Crowns: These are bonded onto the decayed teeth, giving them support and protection from other damages. Ideally shaped to snap into place tightly, crowns are cemented in firmly.
• Bridges: Located between the two adjacent teeth, which are missing, bridges fill up the space like a bridge. Above the implant or the root, dental crowns on both sides then remain anchored and serve as important anchors as well as aesthetic replacements.

Dental Crowns And Bridges – Process

• Restoring your bright and healthy-looking smile starts with a consultation with our dentist, who shall determine your eligibility for the treatment. Where crowns or bridges are advised, the next steps are taken to prepare the tooth that is affected and smoothen the latter to support the restoration.
• The dentist then makes molds of your teeth to manufacture crowns or bridges that will perfectly fit your mouth. If you need denture prosthetics that are made in the dental lab, you may need temporary crowns or bridges in the meantime to protect your teeth and minimize chewing discomfort.
• After your permanent crowns or bridges are made, they will be cemented or bonded to your teeth to give you fully functional cosmetic restorations. If taken care of and properly maintained, these dental bridges and crowns can last many good years, giving you the smile you want and deserve.

How To Look After Your Crowns And Bridges?

Removable retainers help keep your teeth properly aligned after crown and bridge treatment. If you wear your retainer as expected, you will stop your teeth from moving and affecting the treatment outcome.

It’s also important to practice good oral hygiene, such as:

• Using fluoride toothpaste when you are brushing your teeth at least twice a day
• Using a toothbrush and floss to clean between teeth every day
• Choosing a mouthwash to dissolve bacteria
• Calling your dentist to schedule regular check-ups and prophylactic care

Which is Right for You?

Although both crowns and bridges are fixed dental prostheses, crowns sit directly on the affected tooth, and bridges work like gap fillers. Crowns are usually used to fix damaged teeth that require a large filling, are cracked, or have chipped, while bridges are used to fill the spaces between one or more missing teeth. Both treatments will undoubtedly enhance your smile; however, depending on your dental condition, you must determine which is right.

Finishing It Up

Having a healthy mouth means having a beautiful mouth! Let us help you get the smile of your dreams through dental crowns and bridges. We at Cypress Dental can establish and recommend a plan to suit your needs or expectations and address your condition.

Fluoride is a mineral that can reverse tooth decay. It is a magical mineral that can work wonders if taken in small quantities. It strengthens teeth and reduces the risk of cavities. There is no limit to fluoride benefits, especially for kids. It is a naturally occurring mineral easily found in various foods and drinks.

This article will help you understand how fluoride can be helpful for you. You can also learn about fluoride’s side effects and benefits. Fluoride treatment and its benefits for kids will help you understand how it can strengthen your oral regime.

What is Fluoride Treatment?

Fluoride treatment is a dental procedure to prevent cavities and tooth decay and strengthen the tooth enamel. The dentist applies a layer of fluoride in gel to your teeth. The fluoride can be in any form, such as gel, foam, varnish, or rinse. After application, it will remineralize the enamel that is damaged due to bacteria.

The treatment usually takes a few minutes, but you must avoid eating or drinking for forty minutes afterward. Many dentists recommend this treatment every six months. It can help you balance your oral health and prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Fluoride Treatment For Kids

Fluoride is essential for kids. Kids between six months and late teens must have an appropriate amount of fluoride. This intake helps them with timely teeth eruptions as well. As per the American Dental Association, kids who do not have fluoride-rich water sources must use fluoride-based toothpaste or mouthwash. Here are some ADA recommendations one can follow:

• Kids must use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste while brushing every day.
• Spitting the toothpaste is preferred rather than swallowing it.
• Children below six months are too young to consume any minerals other than breast milk.
• Excess of fluoride can result in enamel fluorosis even before the kid’s teeth erupt through their gums.

Benefits of Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride treatment is beneficial for everyone, whether adults or kids. With the necessary benefits, you can improve your oral health and prolong your tooth’s life. Here are the benefits of fluoride treatment you can learn about:

• Strengthening of Tooth Enamel

Tooth enamel is the outer layer of your teeth. Due to plaque and bacteria buildup, it can get damaged. Also, if you have poor oral hygiene, your enamel gets damaged. With fluoride treatment, your tooth enamel remineralizes. It can also help strengthen your teeth and provide better protection to the outer layer.

• Preventing Cavities

Cavities are common dental issues for kids and even adults. Most kids are careless about their food habits and oral hygiene. This might lead to cavities, tooth decay, and excessive plaque buildup.

Fluoride treatment can help kids clean their hard-to-reach areas and improve oral hygiene. This will also help them familiarize themselves with the dentist and identify any probability of dental issues that might be present. It makes teeth more resilient to tooth decay.

• Helping the Body Utilize Minerals

Fluoride treatment helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphate better. This also helps to repair weakened tooth enamel. After the treatment, the body’s absorption rate for minerals increases.

• Reduce Tooth Pain 

People in pain due to dental conditions might feel relief after the treatment. This might be temporary, but it can help you improve your oral health. You also might take over-the-counter pain meds, but this treatment has many side benefits as well.

• Prolonging the life of a baby tooth

Most kids who have fluoride deficiency might lose their baby teeth early. With fluoride treatment, they can prolong its life. This also safeguards and strengthens your teeth.

• Prevent Periodontal Disease

Fluoride treatment involves a cleaning process. With fluoride treatments, you can minimize the buildup of deposits around your teeth. This prevents any periodontal diseases. It will also improve your tooth enamel.

• Improving Oral Health

Fluoride is found in drinking water, food, and beverages. All these benefits can help you improve your oral health. It prevents the growth of cavity-causing bacteria. It slows down the process of demineralization and reverses early tooth decay. These benefits strengthen tooth enamel and improve your oral hygiene.

Side Effects of Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride treatment is beneficial, but it has several side effects. Favored fluoride toothpaste is harmful to kids. Also, large quantities of fluoride are toxic. Only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste or a small amount of mouthwash prevents tooth decay.

You must offer this treatment or fluoride-based products to children above six months of age. Infants must consume breastmilk for all mineral needs only. If you are too concerned about what amount of fluoride is sufficient, you can consult your doctor.

Conclusion

The most common side effect of fluoride is fluorosis. In this way, people can observe spots on their teeth. Testing a sample can help you avoid this dental issue if you consume well water. Also, you cannot brush away fluorosis.

You must stay quite particular about your fluoride consumption, especially if you have to check your kid’s fluoride intake. You can also visit our experts at Cypress Pediatric Dentist to consult more about fluoride and treatment based on it. You can also learn about side effects and avoid them without an expert dentist.

Every small development in your child’s growing days is a memory. But you must pay close attention if you find any sign of early or late steps. Early baby tooth loss is one of the things you must be aware of. Falling of baby teeth is essential to give space to permanent teeth. Baby teeth help with a child’s oral development and provide space for adult teeth as placeholders.

This article will help you understand what to keep an eye out for. You will understand what to do if a tooth falls off early and how to prevent it. You will also find detailed information about risks, causes, and prevention methods to quickly resolve any issues.

When a Baby Tooth Usually Falls Out

We all know that there are 32 teeth in an adult’s mouth. However, permanent teeth have not been present since birth. First, the child is born without any teeth. Then, the baby teeth come and make space for the permanent teeth. The baby teeth act as placeholders and offer support and structure to the permanent teeth. Usually, the child loses their first baby teeth around six or seven years.

According to the ADA or American Dental Association, the first teeth that a child loses, as per statistics, are central incisors. It takes over a decade for all baby teeth to fall out. By 21 years of age, all 32 teeth should be replaced.

Cause of Early Baby Tooth Loss

Baby teeth can fall out for a number of reasons. You must ensure that its reason does not include any severe health condition. You must make appointments with your dentist to follow essential precautionary reasons. Here are some common reasons a baby’s teeth might fall out early.

1. Tooth Decay

The top reason for an early baby tooth loss is due to tooth decay. Most kids love chocolates and are not particular about brushing their teeth. Sugars from milk, candies, chocolates, and other food items they consume stay in their mouth longer than expected and result in tooth decay. Most children do not understand why brushing their teeth or rinsing their mouth after meals is necessary. This is why tooth decay might cause tooth loss for your children.

2. Accidents or Injuries

A baby tooth can be easily knocked out because of a fall or any other trauma. Kids learn to walk, run, and even ride a bike during their first 5-6 years of life. Accidents and falls are common for them. If their teeth get knocked off due to a fall or are injured due to any similar accidents, you don’t need to worry. You must visit any emergency room and get treated.

3. Gum Disease

Children are not very responsible individuals. They do not care about oral hygiene and often have huge plaque buildup in their mouth. Parents must help their kids brush their teeth properly, or they might develop severe cavities. Poor oral hygiene causes multiple gum diseases and can cause loosened teeth or even fall out. Oral infections are also a common side effect of plaque buildup.

4. Health Conditions

Parents can also get their children checked for childhood cancer, bone diseases, and any other condition that has early baby tooth loss as its symptom. If your dentist finds no other possible reason, they must ensure no underlying health condition is responsible. It is better to find out about such conditions early so that the treatment can start as soon as possible.

5. Genetics

If you or any of your family members have a history of oral diseases, your kids might lose baby teeth due to it as well. Genetical conditions play an essential role in tongue, jaw, and tooth development.

Prevention To Avoid Early Tooth Loss

Preventive measures are a great way to improve your child’s chances of early tooth loss. Here are a few tips to ensure your child leads a healthy and disease-free lifestyle.

• Oral Hygiene: You must teach your kids how to brush correctly. Step-by-step instruction and brushing techniques must be practiced together to ensure kids follow it daily.
• Diet: You must teach kids what to eat or drink and what to avoid. If your child loves to eat sugary products, you must teach them to rinsing or gargling afterward to minimize bacteria growth.
• Dental Visitations: Regular dental visitation can help you find all dental issues your child has. Dentists can detect and resolve these issues quickly. This will minimize the chances of health conditions leading to tooth loss.

Risks Of Early Baby Tooth Loss

There are a lot of risks associated with early tooth loss that you must know as a parent. Here are some risks you can learn about. 

• Orthodontic Issues: Early baby tooth loss makes space for the adjoining teeth. They might shift to empty spaces and result in crowding of teeth. 
• Speech Problems: Premature tooth loss can also cause speech problems in children. 
• Difficulty Eating: If a child loses teeth early, they might find it difficult to chew food. This will affect their nutrition and development. Children might prefer soft foods only if they lose a tooth during their growing days. 
• Delayed Permanent Teeth: Early baby tooth loss also causes problems such as late eruption of permanent teeth. It will lead to issues with jaw growth and bite development. 

Conclusion

Early baby tooth loss can be or cannot be a severe problem. It depends on a lot of factors that parents must keep in mind. As a parent, you must take your kid for dentist visitation every few months to ensure no plaque build-up or cavities are present. Regular visitations can help your child become familiar with the dentist and learn basic oral hygiene while growing up. You can visit Cypress Pediatric Dentist to get your child checked for health problems if they lose baby teeth early.