Decayed, broken, and missing teeth affect your oral health and your self-confidence. When a tooth has suffered structural or cosmetic damage, a dental crown can restore a tooth’s function and appearance. A crown is a custom-made “cap” that covers the entire visible surface of a tooth. Your dentist

What is tooth decay? Tooth decay begins with the Streptococcus mutans bacteria. These bacteria join with food particles and fluids in the mouth to create plaque, a constantly forming biofilm that sticks to the surface of tooth enamel. The bacteria in plaque convert the sugars in our foods into lactic

When you lose a tooth, it affects not just the appearance but also the function of your smile. It can be difficult to eat or speak naturally. Extra stress is put on your remaining teeth, you’re at greater risk for developing gum disease, your remaining teeth can shift out of position, causing bite

A dental veneer is a thin, durable porcelain shell that is custom-fabricated to cover the front of a tooth. Veneers can restore the appearance of teeth with chips, cracks, and stains, can close small gaps between the teeth, and can reshape misshapen or slightly misaligned teeth. Veneers are a popular

Over time, stain-causing foods and beverages, smoking, and thinning enamel can dim the brightest smile. If you are feeling self-conscious about your teeth, your dentist can help you discover the whitening treatment that is best for you. At-home Whitening Home treatments can help reduce surface stains.

Periodontal (gum) disease, also known as periodontitis, is a bacterial infection that inflames the soft tissue around your teeth and becomes more severe if left untreated. Over time, gum disease will erode the bone that supports your teeth, leading to mobility and tooth loss. Gum disease is quite common,

If your dentist has detected that your gums have receded substantially, you may be referred to a periodontist for a gum graft. Gum recession occurs when the tissue surrounding each tooth pulls away, exposing more of the tooth or the tooth root. This exposure can cause significant damage to the supporting

Periodontal disease is an infection of your gum tissue, usually caused by poor oral hygiene habits. If brushing and flossing is not done at least twice a day, and you’re not visiting your dentist for checkups and professional cleanings twice a year, plaque will build up on the teeth and eventually

The most likely location for a cavity to develop in your child's mouth is on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. The deep and varied crevices in these teeth make it easy for food particles to hide, and it can be difficult to keep these teeth clean, even with regular brushing. Your child’s dentist

Dentists prefer to preserve your natural teeth as much as possible, but sometimes that just isn’t an option. There are two ways a tooth can be removed, depending on how severe the damage is to the tooth: Simple extraction: Local anesthesia is used, which is a numbing agent either applied or injected

Wisdom teeth are the third molars in your mouth and the last permanent teeth to erupt. They typically appear between the ages of 17 and 25. For the lucky few, some never develop wisdom teeth or they erupt normally and cause no issues. For others, they experience what is called impacted wisdom teeth,

It’s no secret that the best way to prevent oral decay and disease is by maintaining a strict oral hygiene routine every day. Brushing and flossing go hand in hand; you shouldn’t do one without the other. Brushing your teeth is an excellent way to remove food debris and flossing allows you to get

Brushing and flossing at home to keep up your oral health is great, but it’s also important to visit the dentist for checkups and professional cleanings at least twice a year. These checkups allow your dentist to identify any problems in your mouth that you cannot see just by looking in the mirror,

If you have recently dealt with an injury or disease that affected your oral health, there are options available to recover the smile you once had. You may even be able to achieve a better smile than the one you had. Dental implants make it possible to renew your smile if you have lost some teeth. There

If you are missing an entire arch of teeth due to injury or disease, whether it’s your lower or upper arch, it is possible to replace that arch with implant dentures. Implant-supported dentures are dentures fixed to the gums by mini implants. For patients with an uncomfortable or loose-fitting denture,

What are dental implants? A dental implant is a small post that serves as a replacement for a tooth root. An abutment, also known as a connector, is built and placed on the top of the implant, connecting to the replacement tooth. The replacement tooth is a crown that is created to uniquely match your