Dentistry

Crown lengthening is a dental surgical procedure that exposes more of the tooth’s surface. Below, we answer commonly asked questions about crown lengthening, including what the procedure involves, recovery time, and potential risks. What is the purpose of crown lengthening? According to the American Academy of Periodontology, crown lengthening serves two purposes: to improve the ... Read more

Interested in taking your already winning smile to the next level? If so, a recent celebrity trend that actually dates back 2,500 hundred years could be just the thing. Find out more on how tooth gems are installed, how long they last and if there are any risks. What are tooth gems? Although tooth gems ... Read more

Dental technology has progressed in leaps and bounds over the past two decades. The upshot of these advances is that painful procedures are being reconfigured as minimally invasive surgical techniques with much quicker recovery times. The dentist’s office is no longer a place that needs to provoke fear in children and adults alike. One of ... Read more

When teeth are decayed or cracked, a dentist removes the affected area and covers it with a tooth filling or restoration. There is a wide array of materials to choose from. Here we break down the pros and cons of the most common types of fillings so you can make an informed decision when consulting with ... Read more

Access to affordable dental care is a major issue for most Americans. Many employers don’t offer dental coverage, while those who do often charge costly deductibles and employee contributions. Some plans don’t even cover routine dental care, let alone dental emergencies. Although it may require some research and patience, there are still ways to obtain affordable ... Read more

Fluoride was first added to drinking water in some areas of the United States in 1945 as evidence showed that people who were exposed to higher levels were less likely to experience tooth decay. More than 70 years later, proponents and skeptics continue to debate whether the risks of water fluoridation outweigh the benefits. Like ... Read more

A pearly white smile is striking. It communicates health, confidence, and good old-fashioned attractiveness. Unfortunately, some of our most beloved treats — coffee, tea, candy, and wine, namely — leave their mark over the years, turning a white smile dull or yellow. While you could shell out money for a snap-on-smile or porcelain veneers, at-home ... Read more

You know you should be flossing, but sometimes it can be really hard to motivate yourself to do it. Not only does flossing add an extra step to your teeth cleaning regime, floss can be tricky to maneuver and flossing may make your gums bleed. Enter the water flosser, a device that shoots a concentrated ... Read more

While most people have no difficulty during the placement of a dental crown, it is possible to experience pain with temporary crowns. Some underlying oral conditions can also worsen due to the procedure, which can add to the discomfort. Pain with temporary crowns should not be ignored as it may signal previously undetected dental issues. ... Read more

Usually, recovering from having a tooth extracted goes off without a hitch, but occasionally – about 1-4% of the time – patients go on to develop a complication called alveolar osteitis, also known as dry socket. When the empty socket doesn’t heal properly, pain, headache, spasms and swelling can develop. Here we outline the steps ... Read more