Author: harmonydentaltx_admin

Dental crowns are not a new concept in the world of oral health. They have been used over the years to increase the longevity of teeth by strengthening weak teeth. Patients get dental crowns for different reasons. For some of them, they need to create room for dental bridges, while others need reinforcement for damaged teeth. Whatever the reason. Dental crowns have benefited patients over the years.

In this Halloween, getting your dental health in check is an initiative you should take before considering any trick or treat activities. If you require dental sealants, then your dentist might also mention dental crowns for your treatment. When it comes to dental crowns, most people are not aware that there are different types of crowns used. Lucky for you, today we look at the porcelain and ceramic crowns to help you make your decision on which ones to get for Halloween.

All-ceramic crowns

All-ceramic dental crowns are usually made of zirconium dioxide, which is a porcelain-based material. These crowns are unique because they are 100 percent ceramic in the entire crown. The crowns are very natural looking to mimic the natural color of human teeth. With all-ceramic crowns, you may not need teeth whitening to match your natural teeth to the crown. These ceramics are commonly used to cap the front teeth, mostly because they can blend well with the neighboring teeth. All-ceramic crowns are also common among patients will metal allergies.

However, the durability of all-ceramic crowns is not as reliable as other crowns. For the most part, it depends on the quality of the underlying tooth. The filling materials also affect the sealing ability of this type of dental crown. Its greatest advantage over all other types is its life-looking appearance that is aesthetically appealing.

Porcelain-fused to metal

Other than all-ceramic crowns, there is another type of dental crown. The porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns are also made from porcelain, but not purely. Porcelain is usually connected to a metal structure, to increase the strength of the crown. The metal attachment makes the porcelain-fused to metal crown more durable than an all-ceramic dental crown. They are also resistant to wear.

A porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crown is not as aesthetically appealing as an all-ceramic crown. The metal part of the crown is darker than the rest of it. This means that it requires coverage so that the tint does not show through. The situation can be hard to manage if the gums of the patient begin to recede around the area of the treated tooth. This makes it harder for it to properly mimic the original color of your teeth.

Unfortunately, these dental crowns are very abrasive to opposing teeth. If it is not properly glazed and polished, it can cause significant wear to the opposing teeth. Some patients are also known to be allergic to the components in the metal part of the dental crown. Therefore, before opting for a porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crown, have your dentist know of your allergic triggers beforehand.

Are there any other types of dental crowns?

Other than the two mentioned, there are two other types of dental crowns that your dentist might mention in your visit there:

• Gold alloys – this is a dental crown that features a mix of metals, including gold, palladium, nickel, chromium, and copper. Gold has been used to make dental crowns for many years now. However, the combination of metals increases the strength of the crown while reducing the cost. They are very durable dental crowns. They also do not require removing a lot of your enamel to be applied. They do not wear off quickly, neither do they easily crack nor break.
• All resin – all resin dental crowns feature a mixture of nontoxic tooth-colored plastic and glass beads. From all the types of crowns available in the market, they are the most affordable. However, they also wear off more rapidly than all other crowns. This is why they are mostly used as temporary dental crowns, and not permanent.

Summary

Halloween should be your time to enjoy trick or treating with your friends and family. However, there is nothing more satisfying than having your oral health in check as you lead on with your life. Check with your dentist to ascertain that dental crowns can fix your dental problems, lest you require bone grafting to correct your dental formula and alignment.

The dental sealants in Pearland, TX, are barriers placed on your back molars which create a layer between your teeth and bacteria or plaque, thereby protecting your teeth. The sealants are usually applied on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth i.e. molars and pre-molars. These are the places where decay occurs quite often.

How Can Sealants Help in Preventing Decay?

A sealant is a plastic coating that is applied to the chewing surface of the back teeth. The plastic coating bonds well into the depressions, pits and fissures of the back teeth. The sealants act as a barrier and protect the teeth enamel from plaque and acid. Our toothbrush can help in cleaning and removing plaque from the smooth surface of the teeth, but the bristles can’t remove plaque from the groves where the decay usually occurs quite often.

Can Sealant Application Be a Complex Procedure?

The application of sealants is one of the easiest procedures as compared to other dental treatments. It is a preventive treatment that can be completed in less than an hour. There is no pain and discomfort and you can easily eat and drink after an hour or two. No special precautions need to be taken for recovery.

The dentist near you will first clean your teeth followed by roughening the surface with the help of an acid solution. The acid solution will help the sealant in bonding well with the tooth. The sealants are then applied onto the tooth enamel directly and allowed to harden. The dentist may also use a special curing light for hardening the enamel. Till the time the sealants are in place, the teeth will be protected.

The sealants can sustain the pressure from chewing and last for many years. You may need reapplication after several years and the dentist will check the condition of the sealants during a regular examination.

Benefits of Sealants

• Pain-Free

One of the major benefits of dental sealants is that the process of application is pain-free. Many dental procedures are painful and cause discomfort but getting sealants is by far the most convenient dental procedure. There is no need for sedation or numbing the site of the procedure. And you are done within a few minutes.

• Easy Repair and Maintenance

You don’t need to follow precautions when it comes to dental sealants. They are quite easy to maintain. All you need is simple brushing and flossing and they are good to go. During your regular appointments, the dentist will examine the condition of the sealants. Usually, re-application is required after 3-4 years.

• Saving Money

The dental sealants are a preventive measure for protecting your teeth from decay. If you don’t follow the preventive measures, the cost of repairing and treating the decayed teeth can be far more as compared to the cost of getting the sealants applied.

• Helps in Saving Time

People who get cavities filled or get a root canal procedure done can vouch for the fact that one needs multiple visits and follow-up checkups after getting the dental procedure done. Sealants reduce your chances of getting cavities, so there is no need to visit the dental clinic time and again.

• Promote Good Oral health

Tooth decay can soon become the cause of several other dental issues. Even when you get the cavities filled, the health and strength of the tooth get compromised. No treatment can bring back your original healthy tooth back. Thus, it is important to prevent decay and enjoy a good oral health.

Are Sealants Only for Kids?

There is a popular misconception that sealants are only for kids. However, the fact is that anyone can benefit from the sealants whether kids or adults. The chances of developing cavity are higher during early life, so kids and teenagers are the right candidates for sealants. But adults who are at the risk of cavity and decay can get the sealants applied.

The sealants are a support to oral care and you mustn’t solely rely on them for protecting your teeth. The sealants are an additional measure, which should be accompanied by regular brushing and flossing along with good eating habits. Relying alone on sealants won’t help!

Brushing is a vital part of the dental healthcare routine. Proper brushing techniques are not only required for a healthy mouth and smile but could also help prevent many dental problems. Here are a few tips from the professionals at Harmony Dental for proper brushing:

• Brush for a minimum of two minutes
• Brush in small circular motions instead of back and forth
• Brush gently so that you do not harm your gums

FAQs

1. How often should you brush your teeth?

You should brush your teeth at least twice, daily if brushing after every meal isn’t possible.

2. Is it possible to over brush?

Brushing your teeth more than three times a day, for longer than two minutes, could damage the enamel and gums by wearing them down.

3. What does brushing actually do?

Brushing teeth regularly is necessary in order to remove plaque, which in turn would prevent cavities and eventual tooth loss.

4. Do I still need to brush my teeth if I eat healthy?

Yes. It is important to brush your teeth, even if you’re eating right. It is necessary to prevent plaque, cavities, bad breath, and other such problems.

5. What’s the worst that could happen if I don’t brush my teeth?

Not brushing your teeth leads to the accumulation of plaque as well as harmful bacteria, which could lead to diseases and tooth loss.

6. How frequently do I need to change out my toothbrush?

It is recommended to change your toothbrush once every 2 or 3 months or sooner if the bristles are frayed.

7. Is it bad if I don’t brush my teeth before sleeping?

Not brushing your teeth before sleeping could cause a high buildup of bacteria during the night. This, in turn, could cause several oral problems.

Schedule an appointment at Harmony Dental to learn more and get better oral healthcare

Getting regular oral cancer screenings is important for reducing the instances of oral cancer-related deaths every year, the Oral Cancer Foundation explains. Can there be any better way to celebrate oral cancer awareness than scheduling an oral cancer screening appointment with your dentist in Pearland?

Unlike presumed, the oral cancer screening is very comfortable, safe, and simple, and it’s an opportunity to prevent the disease or diagnose it at an early stage so that it doesn’t progress further.

Oral Cancer Screening Procedure

You may not even realize that the screening happened; it’s that comfortable. In most cases, the screening takes only a few minutes. During the test, the dentist near 77504 will visually examine your smile and look for any early warning signs of oral cancer. The warning signs include:

• Changes in the color of the soft tissue
• Changes caused in the texture of soft tissue
• Lumps or bumps found in the soft tissue
• Unhealed sores on the soft tissue
• Swelling and inflammation of the lymph nodes
• Difficulty in swallowing or chronic hoarse voice

During the oral screening, the dentist may also ask a number of questions to determine whether you are suffering from oral cancer. Some things that the dentist in Pearland, TX, will want to know about would be: sore throat, hoarseness, and other changes in the voice along with bad tastes in your mouth.

Advantages of Oral Cancer Screening

The alarming estimation is that one person in the US dies every hour because of oral cancer. Early and timely diagnosis can prevent this. Only half of the people who are diagnosed with oral cancer will be able to survive five years after diagnosis. Researchers say that early diagnosis can help in reducing instances of oral cancer-related deaths every year.

Visit a trusted and reputed dentist in Pearland, who offers oral cancer screenings every six months. With these regular screenings, you are increasing your chances of getting oral cancer treated and receiving a diagnosis as early as possible at treatable stages.

Do you know when a dentist need to extract the tooth? If you think that when the dentist doesn’t have any other option, then you are right. This is the last option for the dentist, before that if there is any possibility not to extract the teeth, so they prefer not to extract. Before the extraction, you must make sure that the dentist has experience and has dealt with many such kinds of operation.

What generally happens when a tooth is extracted?

There can be many reasons for tooth extraction, such as wisdom tooth, damaged, broken, infection, chemotherapy, and beyond repairable. Before extracting the teeth dentist makes sure that they know the exact situation of your test, so they take an x-ray. If you are taking any kind of medication, supplements, protein, and so on, it will help if you told your dentist about that so they can perform the surgery properly.

Tips for how to best care of yourself post-surgery.

The best thing you can do is listen to your dentist because they know the actual situation and they also perform the complete surgery. Your surgery can take a few weeks to heal so you can follow a few tips which are given below

• You can expect to bleed within 24 hours so contact your dentist to inform you about the same
• To reduce the swelling, you can use an ice pack every 20 minutes
• For a few days, you can avoid hard foods and eat only soft foods
• Your dentist might suggest you rinse your mouth with the help of warm salt water mix
• It will help if you avoid smoking and alcohol for a few weeks so the healing process cannot be stopped.

How to prevent the need for a tooth extraction?

If you take care of your teeth properly, you may not need to get teeth extraction in your life. Make sure that you clean your teeth every single day with the proper method and also visit the dentist at least two times a year. If you follow these two rules, you may not need to go for the extraction of the teeth. You can fix your appointment at Harmony Dental. They have experience regarding the same kind of treatment.

We all are aware of how important a good first impression is. It’s just like the difference between a good and a bad hair day. It’s quite obvious for people to look for ways that can transform their smiles. The cosmetic dentistry services in Pearland, TX can help in giving a smile makeover to people. To get that enviable pearly white smile, all you need is a professional teeth whitening treatment. Let’s explore more:

Better Results

Many people choose OTC whitening products thinking that professional treatment is expensive. However, the truth is that the OTC products take a lot of time for showing results and the results are seldom satisfactory. For dramatic whitening, you must go to the dentist’s in Pearland. You can get up to 8 shades whiter smile in just one session.

Customized Whitening

Not many people are aware of the fact that not the same white shade suits everyone. A bright smile on one person could look impossible on someone else. What looks right on one patient can look dull on another person. Thus, visiting a dentist is better than trying OTC products. The dentist will discuss with you and figure out what shade of white suits you the best.

Access to Professional Advice

If you don’t visit the dentist, you will lose an opportunity to gain insight into how to prevent discoloration of teeth and what can stain your teeth again. With an OTC product, you may get some whitening results, but they will fade away within a few days or months.

It’s Safer

The procedure at the dentist’s clinic is much safer as they protect your teeth and gums from getting exposed to the whitening agent, which can cause sensitivity and irritation. With OTC products, there are high chances of your teeth and gums getting exposed to the whitening gel.

The Best Teeth Whitening Service: Ask Your Dentist

No matter which whitening treatment or kit you use, the best results can be obtained only when the dentist performs the procedure. He is a professional and he can help in giving you a pearly white smile of your dreams.

Pregnancy is an important phase of every women life. It comes with changes in lifestyle and health. A pregnant woman must take proper care of her health during this time. Just like her health, her oral health and hygiene are also important.

In this period of time, hormones of woman changes which may open channels for oral bacteria as well. It is believed that there is a direct link between gum disease and the baby’s weight. It is believed that when pregnant women suffer from oral issues she will not eat properly which will affect her baby’s weight. Further, it may cause issues in childlike asthma, ear infection, birth abnormalities, etc. It is thus better to consult a dentist to know about the care you need to take in pregnancy.

Let your dentist know if you are pregnant

If you have any dental issues, you must not delay your visit to a dental clinic. You may let your doctor know that you are pregnant so that he could avoid any surgical treatment and may suggest better alternative accordingly.

Create an oral health history

Once you are pregnant you must make sure that you take the right dental precautions to maintain your overall oral health. You may consult the dentist about your oral health to know the right dental suggestions.

Dental x-rays during pregnancy

If you have major dental problems, you must let your dentist know about your pregnancy. This will help him provide the right treatment without any dental x-ray or anesthesia.

Brush twice daily during pregnancy and floss

Due to hormonal changes, your immunity may drop while at the time of pregnancy. This makes it very essential to brush and floss properly at this time so that oral health and hygiene can be maintained.

Deal with morning sickness

While at the time pregnancy, vomiting is normal and this may release bacteria in the mouth. This can create acid formation in the mouth which may lead to further dental issues. In such cases, it is always better to wash your teeth after vomiting.

Do you need a tooth extraction? It is the removal of a tooth from its socket. There are many reasons why you may need to remove your tooth. Here’s a look at 5 reasons for the removal of a tooth.

5 signs recommended by the dentist in Pearland that you may need to have a tooth extracted

• You have a damaged tooth.

If you have badly decayed teeth, the dentist will try to fix it with a dental filling, crown, or other treatment. The dentist may recommend the removal of the tooth if your tooth has so much decay or damage that repairing is not possible.

• Your tooth is infected.

The infection is the tooth root is a common reason which leads to the removal of the tooth. A root canal is performed when the pulp of the tooth becomes infected. If the tooth infection is so severe that the root canal and antibiotic can’t cure it, the tooth may need to be removed for preventing the spread of infection.

• You have crowded teeth.

Crowded teeth can be caused by genetics or an injury. They can cause wear and tear, tooth loss, periodontal disease, and jaw joint damage. The tooth may need to be removed if you have crowded teeth. Sometimes the dentist removes teeth for preparing the patient’s mouth for orthodontic treatment. The aim of orthodontic treatment is the alignment of teeth which may not be possible with crowded teeth.

• You have impacted teeth.

The impacted teeth usually occur due to a lack of space in the jaw bone. The third molars known as wisdom teeth are more likely to be impacted. The dentist may recommend that you have your wisdom teeth removed if they cause infection, pain, or crowd other teeth. Wisdom teeth that are healthy and come in properly don’t cause problems.

• You have loose teeth.

Loose teeth will need to be removed if they are not in a condition to be saved. Periodontal disease and gum infection can destroy the jawbone. Gum disease can cause teeth to loosen in their sockets and extraction may be required.

Everybody needs a smile which gives them confidence every single time. If you want to close a deal two things are very important one is confidence, and another is a smile. A smile creates trust in people which allows them to open up and make those deals which sometimes are not possible. If you are looking for that kind of smile, Harmony Dental will help you out. Following you will find four reasons to go to a dentist for teeth whitening.

Professional whitening offers the most dramatic results: If you are looking for a smile like a star then over the counter shop would not be able to help you. You need professionals who can help you get a smile which you have dreamt for such a long time. They provide you with white teeth shade which you like. This can work only when a professional treat your teeth.

Professional whitening is fast: Remember an old saying, “Time is Money,” this stands right every single time. Professionals know the importance of the time that is why they provide you better whitening from the OTC products in less time. This process takes about 60 to 90 minutes while OTC product takes weeks.

Professional whitening is safe: When a professional works, safety is what they make sure of because they are experts in that. They know how to do the process in the best manner so your teeth would be secure as well as you get the best result.

Your dentist can complete your smile makeover: Sometimes only whitening is not the only problem. You might have problems like crooked teeth, gaps in between teeth, etc. Professionals would inform you of that problem and if you agree he/she makes sure that your smile looks perfect.

Having your teeth in good shape is not it, your teeth should look perfect so you can freely open your mouth and smile and laugh without worry. That is what a professional makes sure of, so you can speak in the best way. Nothing would be better if you have a smile which others admire.

It is important to replace your missing teeth as even single missing teeth can impact the facial structure. It can also lead to difficulty in chewing as well as low self- esteem. One of the best ways to replace a missing tooth is dentures. However, these are an important dental appliance which needs you to take extra care of them even the slightest change in their shape or form can make you feel uncomfortable and could impair their function.

Here’s a Look at Some Tips That Will Help in Caring for Your Dental Appliances:

• Handle Dentures with Great Care

You must stand on a folded towel or near the sink full of water when handling with them so that even if you drop them accidentally, they don’t get damaged.

• Brush and Rinse Dentures Daily, But Not with Toothpaste

You need to clean these dental appliances with the toothbrush, but you don’t need to use the toothpaste as it is abrasive and leads to scratches giving way to food and plaque for accumulating. Dentist in Pearland, TX says you mush brush them daily just like you brush your natural teeth. However, choose a brush with soft bristles which is specially designed for cleaning dentures. Be careful that you don’t end up damaging the plastic or bend the attachments.

• Clean with a Denture Cleaner

You can use a mild soap or dishwashing liquid for cleaning these dental appliances, but many household cleansers can be abrasive and it is better to stay away from them. Also, avoid using bleach as they may whiten the pink portion of the dentures. You can use the ultrasonic cleaners which are like small bathtubs for the dental appliance. They come with a cleaning solution which dislodges undesirable deposits.

• Take Proper Care of Dentures When Not Wearing Them

When you are not wearing the dental appliance, you need to keep them moist so that they don’t dry and lose their shape. You should place them in a cleanser soaking solution or water. It is better to talk with your family dentist about taking care of them.