In the old days, you were left with few options.  The primary – and usually only – choice was a big dark gap right in the middle of your smile.  Today, though, several different options for tooth replacement have been perfected. One of the most recent developments in tooth replacement is dental implants.

Dental implants are stronger than dentures or bridges, and they last longer.  They can also help stabilize dentures or bridges – if you already have them – so your gums don’t get irritated.  Even if the space where the tooth was lost is small or narrow, a mini implant can be used so your teeth appear straight and normal.

Trouble chewing food can also be another major issue with missing teeth, particularly the back molars.  Having to shift certain types of food around in your mouth in order to chew it properly is quite annoying. And many people don’t realize that improperly chewed food can lead to digestive and other medical problems.

If you hate to smile because of spaces in your mouth where teeth used to be, or if you have trouble chewing food because of missing molars, let a professional cosmetic dentist, like those at Bedford Dental Group, help you decide what option would be best for you.  Dental implants can be a good substitute for teeth that have gone missing, and they can make your smile look great again.

As we’ve noted in previous blog posts, many things can stain your teeth from smoking to medication to beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda pop.  Trained cosmetic dentists can provide whitening treatments, but some of those stains might never be completely removable.  As we age, our teeth age too, showing more and more uneven tones and discoloration.  A lot of people today already know that coffee, smoking, or soda can stain teeth, but surprisingly, few think of the popular health drinks like tea also creating an issue with tooth staining.

Similarly, the mechanism for why teeth decay has been clarified through modern research.  The enamel on our teeth is rather like Superman – it’s incredibly strong, but it also has a secret adversary like the Man from Krypton, which in the case of enamel is acids.  Many foods are acidic and many foods cause a reaction in the bacteria in the mouth that cause acids to be produced.  Juices and other healthy beverage are sometimes highly acidic or can produce those acids, so while it might be healthy for your body to drink juice drinks, you teeth could be being harmed by too much of a good thing.

With all the possible issues that can contribute to unattractive teeth, porcelain veneers are a great way to restore your smile to a youthful, more beautiful look.  The nice thing about porcelain veneers is that your teeth don’t need to be drilled down to nubs or pulled like for some other restoration techniques.  If decay has gone too far, there’s really little choice.  If your teeth are still fairly healthy – just exhibiting stains and aging – porcelain veneers might be the perfect answer.

Contact a trained cosmetic dentist like the ones at Bedford Dental Group for help determining what the overall health of your teeth is.  He or she can also help you decide what treatment or procedure would be best to achieve your smile goals.

Most people don’t realize that a tooth actually has four main parts.  Starting from the inside, you have the section called the “pulp.”  The pulp is the soft tissue inside the tooth that provides a spot for the nerves and blood vessels to run through the tooth.  Since the nerve does run through the pulp, some people actually call it the nerve, but in reality, it’s called the pulp.

Next, on the outside of the pulp, but still beneath our gums is the “cementum.”  The main job of the cementum is to provide a place for the attachment of ligaments and tissue that hold the tooth stationary in the bone of our jaw and face.

Now, imagine the cementum growing up and covering the pulp in the center of the part of the tooth you can see.  That section above the gum line, but hidden underneath the outside layer, is called the “dentin.”  Its primary job is to protect the pulp and provide support for the outer layer of enamel.  The important part to remember about dentin is that it is much softer than the enamel.  Because decay can eat through the enamel of a tooth if it’s not fixed quickly, it can reach the dentin and cause much more serious damage to the tooth.

Finally, the outside of the tooth above the gum is the enamel.  Enamel is the hardest tissue in the body, and it varies in depth.  It’s usually thickest at the cusp of the tooth, which is those bumpy ridges on the top of each tooth that feel like little mountains and valleys to your tongue.

This intricate formation has many areas where issues can arise – from a painful infection of the nerve and pulp area to a cavity that has moved through the enamel and into the dentin.  To keep all the layers of your teeth in tip-top shape, make sure to have regular checkups with a skilled and compassionate dentist, like the ones at Bedford Dental Group.

Our dentists here at Bedford Dental Group stress the need for good oral hygiene on a regular basis to help keep your teeth and mouth healthy and happy.   Poor habits can really cause some serious issues for your mouth which, if not diagnosed and treated quickly and properly, might move on to affect other parts of your body.

One of these diseases is called trench mouth.  Trench mouth is usually the result of poor oral hygiene habits.  It is a very bad infection that is caused by the germs that live in the plaque on your teeth.  People like smokers, starving (malnourished) children, and young adults seem to develop this disease more easily than others.  If there is an immunodeficiency issue present it may cause the disease to develop as well.  Increased physical stress, as well as emotional stress can also help the development of this nasty mouth problem.

If you notice any of the following symptoms please call and make an appointment with your dentist right away as the quicker you get a correct diagnosis, the faster it can be treated and eliminated from your system.  The symptoms include, but are not limited to, bad breath, a bad taste in your mouth that won’t go away, or a grayish film on the gums themselves.  Once it develops further, you might get painful, small sores all over your mouth, too. A trained and certified dental professional can help with the determination of the disease as well as the treatment options available.

In most cases, “regular checkups” means going to the dentist twice a year for x-rays if needed, a professional cleaning by a dental hygienist, an initial exam by the hygienist, a review of medication or lifestyle changes that might adversely affect your teeth or gums, and a review and follow-up exam by the dentist in order to develop a course of treatment if one is required.

Some people, however, have fantastic teeth and gums with no gingival disease and only the rare cavity.  For those folks, the dentist might agree that a visit once a year is enough.  On the other hand, if a patient has a genetic predisposition for weak teeth or perhaps takes medication that results in a weak immune system, the dentist and patient might agree that more visits than two per year are required.

Interestingly, most patients think that the main reason for the “regular” visits is to keep their teeth clean.  While the cleaning is a very important part of the checkup, the most important aspect of having regular dental checkups is for a skilled dentist, such as those at Bedford Dental Group, to be able to compare your current condition with your past condition.  This allows him or her to catch any problems early, and the earlier a dental problem is detected, the easier it is to reduce or correct it.

Think about a tiny cavity.  If it is caught early, a small filling can be enough to put it to right.  However, if it’s left to grow and the decay in the tooth gets bad enough, a root canal or even an extraction might be necessary because there’s not enough tooth left to save.

One of the best ways to ensure you have regular dental checkups is to make your next appointment for a checkup at the end of your current appointment.  Put it on your calendar, and then forget about it until it’s time to visit your friendly, caring dentist again!

The reason for this recommendation is likely that a cosmetic dentist is trained to use these products.  They know how to use the agents, how long to leave them on, what possible side effects they might have, and they definitely know that every person’s teeth can react differently to various whitening agents.

Fully trained cosmetic dentists, such as the ones at Bedford  Dental Group, can examine your teeth and their fillings, stains, and even crowns.  With this pre-whitening exam, the dentist can decide whether teeth whitening agents will actually help whiten your teeth or whether a different treatment plan may be best for you. 

For example, did you know that whitening products don’t work on crowns and fillings?  The crowns and filings in your mouth were colored to match your current teeth.  If you have fillings in the front of your mouth, ones that show when you smile, it might be better to remove the old fillings, whiten you teeth, and then put in new fillings that match your whiter teeth.  Of course, the dentist is the best one to explain the various treatment plans and help you choose the one that is right for you.

Before you decide to try some of the ubiquitous tricks and hints for teeth whitening, consult with a certified and trained cosmetic dentist.  The visit might just save you both time and money by developing your own custom and comprehensive treatment plan.

Nowadays, we know how sugar interacts with our teeth to cause cavities and tooth decay.  What happens is that when you eat something sugary, little bits of the sugar basically stick to your teeth, hiding in the cracks and crevices.  While this in and of itself doesn’t matter too much, the real problem is that our mouths also harbor the strep bacteria in those same little cracks and crevices. 

Strep bacteria like to hang out on the plaque buildup on our teeth.  What’s more, the bacteria love to “eat” the sugar even more than bees love honey!  Now that sounds like it could be a good thing, because if the bacteria eat the sugar, it gets it off our teeth, right?  Yes and no:  when the bacteria feed on the sugar, they excrete acids, and it ends up being the acids that cause the problem! 

Even though the enamel of our teeth is the hardest mineral substance in our bodies, it is very susceptible to damage from acids.  When acids are in contact with tooth enamel for very long, the acid begins to erode the enamel, eventually causing decay to begin.  Before you know it, cavities are appearing everywhere.

This explains why trained dental professionals, like those at the Bedford Dental Group, tell us to brush and floss regularly and get regular checkups that include a professional cleaning.  It’s not the amount of sugar you eat that matters.  Rather, the important relationship is how long the sugar stays on your teeth – the longer it stays, the longer it is available to be consumed by the bacteria and the more acids are produced.

So the secret is to brush and floss after eating foods with sugars in them, and see a trained dentist regularly.  Keeping the acids and plaque buildup down should help eliminate some of the cavities you get, even if you do like to eat sugars.

Dental floss can be made from bundles of nylon or in ribbon formed from polyethylene, also known as Teflon®.  The nylon floss comes in fine and extra fine, and there is also normal or regular size.  Most people automatically pick the regular size when shopping, but that might not be the size they really need.

Normally-spaced teeth and teeth that are set apart, with a space between them, will work better with fine or regular types of nylon floss. This floss also comes in mint or plain as well as waxed and un-waxed.  If your teeth are very close together it might be wise to use the waxed version because it will make it much easier to get the floss where it needs to go.  Please note however, sometimes the wax can leave a slight residue in the cracks of your teeth so you will need to brush thoroughly after flossing to make sure and remove whatever has been left.

Very close-set teeth may require the ribbon type of floss.  This is like taking a very fine piece of paper and easing it between your teeth in order to properly floss them.  The ribbon is available in flavored and unflavored, too.  The most popular flavors right now are mint and cinnamon.  It’s kind of like using a mouthwash at the same time you are flossing.

Regardless of which type of floss you pick, please talk to us first.  We would be happy to assist you in determining the correct type for your teeth.  If you have any questions about flossing or the types of floss to use please contact one of the trained cosmetic dentists at Bedford Dental Group for answers.

Bruxism – more commonly known as “grinding your teeth” – is often caused by stress, tension, or even unresolved anger.  When it happens at night, it’s called “sleep bruxism.”  Although stress is the most common cause of grinding your teeth, there are other causes, including bad jaw alignment or even a side effect of certain medications.

Regardless of the cause of grinding at night, chances are you won’t even realize you are doing it until symptoms begin to show up.  Some of the symptoms can be headaches, migraines, a popping noise and/or pain in your jaw when you try to open it, even an earache or bigger than normal jaw muscles. The scariest symptoms can be those that cause pain.  Often you go to a doctor, but they can find nothing wrong.

Another noticeable symptom is when your back teeth start to get shorter and shorter.  What you are basically doing is grinding down the cusps, or bumps, on them, causing them to get flat and undersized.  This can cause a misalignment of your jaw that, in turn, can cause severe pain that seems inexplicable.

If you happen to have any of these symptoms of grinding your teeth, and a doctor has ruled out medical reasons, make an appointment with a skilled cosmetic dentist like the ones at Bedford Dental Group.  They can determine whether you are unknowingly grinding your teeth at night and design a treatment plan to correct the problem.

One of the most common reasons for an emergency visit to the dentist is a broken or chipped tooth.  Certainly, teeth can get broken in some kind of accident – baseball bats and automobiles come to mind – but you can also break your tooth by doing something you do regularly without even thinking about it.  One of these behaviors is putting pencils, pens, and other inflexible objects between your front teeth.  Your teeth are definitely strong, but there’s only so much punishment they can take before they start to wear down and break.  Keep hard objects from between your teeth to avoid the chance of shipping or breaking.

Along with pens and pencils, many of us often subject our teeth to something else that is hard, and again, we never even think of the damage it can do.  That “something else” is ice!  Some people intentionally chew ice because they are dieting or because the cool feels good in the middle of a hot summer.  Others merely eat the ice that comes in a cold beverage at a restaurant.  Regardless of whether you are a habitual ice-chewer or not, always think about the potential damage to your teeth before you grab that first piece of ice.  Considering the fact that glaciers are made of ice and they have done immense damage, pulverizing rocks and boulders, and gouging deep channels in the frozen land.  Well, ice is not any kinder to your teeth, either.  If you really love the chilled enjoyment of ice in the summer, chew or eat either finely crushed ice or even ice shavings. 

If you do happen to chip or break a tooth, a trained cosmetic dentist, like the ones at Bedford Dental Group, will help you decide on the right treatment for you.  Not chewing on ice, not chewing on pens o pencils, and seeing your dentist regularly can help you maintain your beautiful smile for years to come.