Top Benefits of Dental Crowns

It is safe to say that most people want to show a beautiful smile. Among cosmetic dentistry, there are many options to enhance yours. You may find clear braces to straighten them, teeth whitening to improve their color, porcelain dental veneers and dental crowns to improve their function and appearance, and many more.

In this blog, our dentist in Indian Land will discuss the power of dental crowns. If you are looking for dental crowns near you, keep on reading! You will know their benefits and more.

What are Dental Crowns?

Dental Crowns are caps that your dentist places over a damaged tooth or an implant to improve your smile. Our dental crowns in Indian Land may last up to 15 years with proper care, and some patients have had them for longer! However, for it, you may take excellent care.

What Can You Expect from the Procedure?

First, your dentist will administer a local anesthetic to numb the area. They will remove enamel and dentin (which is the layer of the tooth above the nerve). 

Next, your doctor will shave down the enamel of your tooth to create room for the crown. If they place it without doing this, your occlusion will not be correct, and your smile will look bulky.

Afterward, they will take a mold of your mouth with putty and send it to a dental laboratory, and after two weeks, the crown will be ready.

In the meantime, they will place a temporary one for you to be comfortable with until the permanent one is ready.

After removing the temporary crown, clean the tooth, and cement the final one. The dentist will check your biting, and if everything is correct, you will be ready.

In the case of a dental crown on top of a dental implant, you must wait three months for the dental implant to fuse with the bone (osseointegration) before the final restoration. After this period, your dental professional will install the crown on top, and you will look and feel natural.

The Benefits of Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are popularizing because they restore function and enhance the appearance of your smile. Among their benefits, you may find:

1. Fix damaged teeth – If you have severe tooth decay, a dental filling is not eh best option. When your doctor removes plenty of damaged dental tissue, a dental crown is best to restore it because it is more resistant and will not fracture for many years (they don’t last forever).

2. Stain-resistant – Dental crowns don’t stain with pigmented foods and drinks, like dental fillings. You don’t need to keep diet restrictions whatsoever; nevertheless, we suggest avoiding biting solid objects because these may crack your natural teeth and artificial devices.

3. Durability – Dental crowns may last up to twenty years. They are mostly made with metal fused with porcelain or porcelain itself, which are strong materials.

4. Boost your self-esteem – Like any cosmetic dental procedure, they will enhance your confidence. People with improved smiles feel better about themselves and even more comfortable interacting with others.

5. Mercury-free – Amalgams had their popularity for restoring large cavities. Even though they are still in use, many people prefer other materials due to the mercury in metal fillings. Dental crowns are free of it, and patients feel safe wearing them. 

If you made it this far, now you know the benefits of dental crowns. If you are looking for a dentist near you to acquire them, you may visit our dental clinic at your best convenience. They look and feel natural and will strengthen your dentition.

Where to Get Whiter Teeth That Will Stay That Way — Quickly, Dramatically, Safely and Comfortably

We don’t keep track of what questions are asked when and most often. But, if we did keep track of questions like that, we feel pretty confident that one of the most common questions we get goes something like this: How can I get my teeth whiter? Faster? And so it’ll last longer? And without any risks? 

Let’s take a look at your most common options for whitening your teeth: You can do it yourself or you can ask your dentist to provide professional teeth whitening in Indian Land. 

How your dentist can whiten your teeth 

Professional teeth whitening by a dentist can be performed in two different ways: In the dentist’s office or at home using customized kits provided after a consultation with your dentist. Both options will use bleaching products containing carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide to break down stains. Whitening by a dentist in Indian Land or using take-home trays containing bleaching products selected and formulated specifically for your teeth is an extremely safe procedure because it is based on a careful assessment of the health of your teeth and gums and the exact nature of the stains being targeted.

How you can whiten your teeth yourself

Do-it-yourself teeth whitening options include whitening mouthwashes and toothpaste, whitening chewing gums, and whitening strips. Products approved by the Canadian Dental Association (ask your dentist if you’re not sure!) are safe if used as directed. Keep in mind that there’s a trade-off to the safety of these DIY options: Time. Any whitening effect you’ll notice from DIY options will take much longer to develop and will have a much shorter lifespan than teeth whitening provided by a dentist in Indian land. That’s because the bleaching compounds used in DIY options are much weaker than the bleaching compounds your dentist will use. 

The weaker compounds make them safer for use by amateurs, but slow down any whitening process so be patient. When people suffer any ill effects from using DIY teeth whitening options, it’s usually because they use them too often or for too long because they’re not patient enough. Always use the products according to their instructions. If you want more dramatic results, make an appointment with a dentist near you. Professional teeth whitening in the dentist’s office or at home using bleaching compounds in trays provided by your dentist may be a better alternative for you. 

When choosing the best method, don’t ignore potential side effects

One of the biggest advantages of getting teeth whitening near you from a dentist rather than doing it yourself is that your dentist will be able to tailor the bleaching compounds precisely to your stains, the condition of your teeth, and any prior experience you’ve had — negative or otherwise. This is important because there are a couple of common, though minor and temporary, potential side effects of teeth whitening (especially if you use DIY options without following the instructions precisely).

Some people who have undergone teeth whitening notice increased tooth sensitivity, though that sensation is usually minor and disappears over several days. Your dentist may recommend that you use toothpaste containing sodium fluoride and potassium nitrate to help ease that sensitivity. If you know you have particularly sensitive teeth, let your dentist in Indian Land know before your whitening appointment. They’ll be able to adjust and perhaps provide some preventative tips, too. 

Whatever your goals are when it comes to whiter and more beautiful teeth, you’ve got options. For the safest, most tailored, most effective, most dramatic, most comfortable and longest-lasting results, make an appointment with a dentist near you.

Everything You Need to Know About Dental Implants

If you have lost a tooth, you know how embarrassing it can be to interact with others, and you probably feel self-conscious about your smile all the time.

However, missing one or many teeth does not have to be the end of the world. You may benefit from our dental implants in Indian Land right now!

What are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a small post that your dentist places inside your jawbone to replace the root of a lost tooth. The dental implant will perform as the root, and it will fuse with the bone for good. It will be part of your anatomy. The latter is the reason why they are the number one option to replace a missing dental piece.

Acquiring dental implants near you if you lost one or many teeth is the best you can do. A dentist will evaluate you to determine if you qualify for them.

Who Qualifies for a Dental Implant?

If you have sufficient jawbone (and are fully developed), you may opt for dental implants. Our dentist in Indian Land will evaluate you and make a set of x-rays (and possibly require a CT) to determine if you fulfill these conditions. 

If you don’t have enough bone density, they may suggest bone grafting, which consists of taking tissue from a donor site and placing it in the recipient site (the jawbone). The integration completes after four to six months, so you must wait this time before receiving the implant.

What to Expect from the Procedure?

First, your dental professional will administer a local anesthetic. When the area is numb, they will drill the dental implant inside your jawbone. If you are an anxious patient, you may also discuss sedation dentistry with your doctor.

Sedation dentistry consists of taking a sedative before the appointment to feel calm (oral sedation). Your doctor may also place a mask over your nose so you to inhale the laughing gas (gas sedation).

Once your doctor places the dental implant, they will put an abutment on top (it will be the base of the dental crown). After a period of osseointegration (which takes three months), you may visit a dentist near you for a porcelain dental crown. 

How Much Does a Dental Implant Cost?

The price of a dental implant depends on many factors. First, you must choose a dental professional. We suggest that you visit a dentist specializing in dental implants. Specialists tend to charge more because they have more experience in the field. 

The procedure might be less expensive with a general dentist, but we strongly suggest that you choose a specialist for your dental implant surgery.

A dental implant may cost from $700 to $1,500, but you need to add the cost of the dental crown. A dental crown costs approximately $1,000.

Overall, it is a pricey procedure, but it is a long-term investment. It will last for a lifetime if you take proper care. 

Our patients state that it is worth the price. You will not have to worry again about that dental piece.

You may contact your insurance company to see if they offer any coverage. Since these are cosmetic procedures, they tend to cover a small amount (or none), but you can always contact them to check.

Schedule Your Appointment

And if you are interested in undergoing the procedure, you may contact us at your best convenience. 

We have a team of surgeons happy to help you enhance your smile and your confidence. All you have to do is schedule your consultation visit.

Could Invisalign Be Right For You?

If you want straighter teeth but don’t want to have to live with wire and metal braces for years, your dentist in Indian Land may have a solution for you — Invisalign.

Invisalign treatment plans move your teeth while you progress through a series of slightly different aligners. Those aligners are slightly different in their shape, but they’re all transparent, removable, smooth, and comfortable. You’ll wear each aligner in sequence for a couple of weeks at a time, while your teeth will move up to 0.25 millimeters with each aligner. That seems like a tiny distance, and it is, but the cumulative effects of those movements of all your teeth can have a transformative effect on the youthfulness and beauty of your smile — all without any wires or metal brackets on your teeth.

How does the Invisalign process work?

The first step to confirming whether Invisalign is right for you is to arrange an appointment with a dentist near you — but not just any dentist! Not every dentist provides Invisalign treatment. Because Invisalign is such an advanced and specialized form of treatment for alignment issues, be sure to consult with an experienced Invisalign provider when looking for answers to your questions.

At that initial assessment about Invisalign in Indian Land, your dentist will take a detailed medical history from you, discuss your oral and general health, and review your goals and priorities when it comes to the health and appearance of your teeth. It’s also a chance for you to get answers to all your questions. After that general discussion, your dentist will conduct a digital scan of your mouth to create 3-D images using a device called an iTero 3D Scanner. Images captured by the Scanner will be used to track the movements of your teeth, simulate your progress through your aligners, and even anticipate the final position of your teeth and to give you a glimpse into the future.

Once your dentist has confirmed Invisalign can help you to achieve your goals, and assuming you decide to go forward with an Invisalign treatment plan, those same images will be used by Invisalign’s technicians to craft your set of thermoplastic aligners from a medical-grade material unique to Invisalign and customized for your teeth called SmartTrack.

Once Invisalign’s technicians finish preparing your set of aligners, they’ll be sent to your dentist. Your dentist will arrange an appointment to walk you through the process of wearing, taking care of, and moving from one aligner to the next. At the end of that appointment, you’ll walk out of your dentist’s office with a set of aligners on your teeth and on the way to a new perfect smile.

How long will it take?

It probably won’t surprise you that, because every orthodontic treatment plan — with traditional braces or Invisalign — is different, it’s impossible to give you a precise estimate of the time it will take to achieve your goal in any article like this. The length of your Invisalign treatment plan will depend on three primary factors: the current condition and position of your teeth; the number and extent of the movements your teeth will need to take to get into their final proper position; and your commitment to your own treatment plan by wearing and caring for your aligners and teeth.

As a very general rule, people straightening their teeth with Invisalign will notice results as early as two to three months after starting wearing their aligners. Many typical treatment plans (if there is such a thing as a “typical” treatment plan) are completed within 18 months. If you’re interested in accelerating your plan to the fullest extent possible, ask a dentist near you about options for quickening the pace. In some situations, there are Invisalign options to get things moving faster.

After reviewing this information, does Invisalign feel like a good option for you? To find out more about how Invisalign can help you to achieve your goals, make an appointment with an Invisalign dentist near you..

The Truth About Root Canal Therapy

There is no other dental procedure in the dental industry that scares people the most than root canal therapy in Indian Land. It happens because there is much misinformation out there.

Our endodontic dentist in Indian Land wants to debunk the most common myths and bring you the truth about root canal therapy near you.

What is a Root Canal?

First, you need to know what a root canal is. It is a dental procedure that removes the infected nerve of a tooth to avoid the infection from spreading further, causing you to lose the tooth. 

It is true that a long time ago, this procedure was annoying for the patient. It was too long, sometimes painful, and needed more than one dental visit. Now, modern dentistry has led to the simplicity of dental treatments. Our patients state that it is a no bigger deal than when they get a dental filling.

Why Does the Nerve Get Infected?

The most common cause of nerve infection is tooth decay. When you have one, if untreated, it keeps growing and reaches the pulp (where the nerve and blood vessels are), which is in the center of the dental piece. Another cause is dental trauma, leading to a crack that may expose the tooth’s nerve.

What are the Symptoms that Need a Root Canal?

When the pulp is inflamed, you may feel:

• Pain – Your tooth will ache randomly or when eating and drinking hot/cold foods/drinks.
• Sensitivity – You may develop sensitivity to extreme temperatures.
• Tooth discoloration – Your dental piece may become darker.
• Asymptomatic – Sometimes, patients don’t feel a thing, but they have an infection. In these cases, the tooth is necrotic (dead), but they still need to undergo root canal therapy in Indian Land.

 If you feel related to any of the above, it’s time to look for an endodontic dentist near you. And fear not. Root canal therapy is not the monster people say it is. 

Let’s debunk the myths!

The Most Common Myths About a Root Canal

Myth 1 – The Root Canal is Painful

Sometimes, people confuse the pain of an infected tooth with the treatment itself. During a root canal, your endodontist will previously administer a local anesthetic to manage any discomfort during the procedure. 

When the root canal treatment is over, the pain will reduce, and during the next couple of days, it will cease.

Myth 2 – You Need Too Many Appointments

It usually takes a single appointment. In some cases, it may need two dental visits if your doctor decides to leave medication inside the canals.

Myth 3 – If My Tooth Doesn’t Hurt, I Don’t Need a Root Canal

As we mentioned before, sometimes, your tooth has been infected for so long that it dies, and you have no symptoms. If untreated, the infection will keep spreading, harming your jawbone.

An endodontic dentist near you must treat the infection before any of the above occurs.

Myth 4 – Root Canal Treatment is Temporary

Some patients believe that the root canal will last a few years only. A root canal may last for decades if the patient takes proper oral care. 

Every year that we keep the tooth inside the mouth is a win. Your natural tooth is always going to be better than any artificial device. 

After the treatment, the tooth is brittle, so you must not chew with that side of the mouth, and be careful until you get your permanent restoration (a dental crown).

If you have more questions, you may contact our dental clinic in Indian Land at your best convenience.