Posted by drgracesun on July 18, 2009 under General Dental Knowledge, Gum Disease and Treatment, Healthy Smile, Hygiene, Information | 
Aging? Not me! We do not get old, but our body parts increasingly need more upkeep to stay young! Baby boomers need special attention in particular – although we may feel like as young as a college graduate, an aged and/or discolored smile will reveal your years. As a cosmetic dentist, my mission is to help you maintain a happy and healthy smile that will compliment your well kept physique – and “looking good” is often related with having a beautiful smile. If you’re not happy with your smile, get a consultation from a cosmetic dentist to see what you can do to refresh your smile!
The most commonly challenging dental dilemma for baby boomers is combating those dull and severely worn teeth. Many people are unaware of the slow aging process of loosing tooth structures, mainly from night grinding, erosion and attrition. Bad habits and poor hygiene can also ruin teeth. The approach to rejuvenate can be as simple as having your teeth whitened, or it could be more complicated, requiring a multidisciplinary approach with extensive time and financial investment needed.
Often times, porcelain veneers 
might be suggested by your cosmetic dental professional to restore an aging smile, but make sure your dental health has been evaluated first. It is pertinent to check whether or not the gum and bone tissues are healthy, if there are any missing teeth that haven’t yet been replaced and if any shifting bite or teeth issues have been addressed. If you have had prior cosmetic work done, however, maintaining your investment is vital if you want your new smile to last. Follow up any cosmetic procedure with proper hygiene habits, which include brushing and flossing twice daily (and after meals), a healthy diet, no smoking and no excessive drinking (sodas or alcohol). A night guard might also be recommended.
Baby boomers have worked hard to establish their careers, family and personal well-being – now it’s time to enjoy more of your accomplishments. Get the smile you’ve always wanted, as it’s not only for vanity but also truly for your overall health. Visit your dental professional not only for a routine cleaning and check up, but ask for a comprehensive cosmetic evaluation, including a smile analysis, TMJ and occlusion check and a periodontal exam with an oral cancer screening. When you take care of your mouth, you are taking care of a vital bodily system which performs in delicate balance with the rest of your body. When your oral cavity ’s health is at risk, your overall health is being endangered.
Tags: age, aging, bacteria, bright, cap, clean, crown, crowns, healthy, hygiene, maintenance, porcelain, restorations, veneer, veneers
Posted by drgracesun on April 30, 2009 under Information |
Do you need some extra cash, especially if you are feeling the squeeze of the credit crunch? Check your drawers and jewelry boxes to find any gold crowns or inlays removed from your mouth, trade in the dental scrap for some pocket change!
Gold fillings are removed
You might have never thought about it, but gold fillings, bridges and other gold dental work is actually worth some money in today’s economy! Gold is one of the few precious metals which has held its value, and many people with scrap fillings lying around the house are turning to jewelers to get money for their gold dental work! They can sell for $30 to $50.
In our office, when offered remaining gold scrap when a patient has old dental work removed, 25% of people say they would like to keep the gold. Some people have these gold teeth lying around, and if you fall under this category, it might be time to change the gold dental scrap to good use. Gold does not corrode in the harsh oral environment, and because of this, it has been a suitable restorative material choice for decades (even though in more recent years, the trend has been towards composite or porcelain material which looks natural against other real teeth). Still, there is plenty dental gold work even today, and even porcelain crowns can be supported with dental gold alloy. While dental gold is usually 12 to 16 karat, not 24 karat, it still fetches a high resale value, up to $900 per ounce in today’s economy! The gold must be treated chemically to remove other metallic substances, but this can be easily done by the jeweler you sell your scrap gold to.
There is one shocking fact you learn from this dental gold rush story – the base tooth is actually separated from the gold cap with your cola drink. Cola is no stranger to criticism from the dental world, its acidic properties can erode your enamel and gum (and even lead to bone loss!) and can wreak havoc in your mouth. If you soak the tooth in a cup of cola for 24-48 hours, the gold cap will separate from the tooth and will be ready for scrapping. Doesn’t this fact make you think twice about drinking cola? The best way to fight recession is get into prevention, take good care of yourself! When you’re healthy, it’s much easier to be productive and move ahead. Let your mouth be your asset instead of liability starting with proper home care and stay away from bad habits and poor diets.
Tags: ca, california, cap, cavity, cola, crown, dds, dental gold, dental scrap, dentist, economy, filling, gold, gold tooth, LA, los angeles, metal, money, recession, restorative, scrap, soda, weho, west hollywood
Posted by drgracesun on February 15, 2009 under Beautiful Smile |
It is exciting when you are loosing your baby teeth and welcoming in your permanent adult teeth, but that should be the end of a person’s teeth loss! For the majority of us, we need 28 teeth to support our facialmuscular system. If one tooth is missing, it could lead to a physiological domino effect, in which a simple problem becomes exacerbated. A missing front tooth is unthinkable to live with – it must be restored ASAP. A missing back tooth, however, is sometimes ignored. This can lead to surrounding teeth shifting and tilting, during which the dentition can later cause gum, tooth and bite problems. At that point, restoring the mouth is not only a one-tooth job, but concerns multiple teeth, gum and bone. It is much easier to handle one missing tooth and not deal with such tremendous consequences.
What are the causes of missing teeth? Congenital missing teeth (teeth which never formed), severely broken down and non-restorable teeth due to dental diseases, lack of supporting bone for teeth due to advanced gum disease and physical trauma from a serious mouth injury are all common reasons. Once you do loose a tooth, your oral environment is severely affected! Besides smile-phobia, speech impairment for missing front teeth, diet complications (in which you can’t properly bite and chew food – especially with foods rich in fiber which require a good set of teeth to digest), and bite force can all be severely affected. Shift and tilt on existing teeth when the jaw exerts pressure lead to uneven loading creates jaw tension and possible accelerated wear and tear of the teeth. Additionally, tilted and shifted teeth make it more difficult to clean , which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
Thankfully, dentistry has greatly advanced in recent times, and you do have multiple treatment options for a missing tooth! If just one tooth is missing, dental implants are a great option which can replace the missing tooth without affecting the adjacent teeth, and preserve the bone as well. Dental implants are made of bio-compatible titanium, which are surgically placed into the jaw to preplace the missing root structure. Then, a post and crown is built on top of the implant. Other options include a dental bridge , which needs capping (a crown) of neighboring teeth to help support the artificial tooth replacing the missing one. It is stationary and feels natural (if made properly), but connected teeth need a special tool for flossing. Full or partial dentures are generally the least expensive treatment option, especially if many or all of a person’s teeth are missing. This option involves false teeth being set into a plastic base, which fits over your gums.
What will be the best treatment option for you? Please consult with your dental professional, the sooner the better!
Tags: bridge, california, cap, cosmetic, crown, crowns, dental, dental implants, dentist, dentist to the stars, dentistry, denture, dentures, doctor, implant, los angeles, missing, mouth, restorations, restore, smile, sun, teeth, tooth, west hollywood
