What are dental bridges? Do you need these?

If you think that it's okay to ignore missing teeth, you have to start changing this belief. Missing teeth do not only affect a person's physical attributes, but can also cause serious health problems if not addressed properly.

What problems will I encounter if I ignore missing teeth?

• Difficulty eating
• Neighboring teeth may start drifting
• Infection and/or gum disease
• Lips, cheeks, and the chin may collapse

More than the above mentioned effects of missing teeth, these can affect how we talk and may even cause a person's confidence level to go down.

To avoid all of these problems, clinics like Morgan Dental Care in Portland, Maine offer putting dental bridges on patients with gaps between their teeth caused by missing teeth. Your cosmetic dentist will either place removable bridges or fixed bridges. Removable bridges can basically be removed for cleaning while fixed bridges can only be removed by your dentist. The most common materials used for bridges are ceramic, porcelain, and gold - discuss which you prefer and which will suit you best with your dentist.

Root Canals and Sedation Dentistry

Are you having painful problems with your teeth, but are too afraid to go to the dentist for a root canal? It's time that you put your fears aside and ask your local dentist about sedation dentistry when undergoing a root canal procedure.

Why should you have that root canal? Pain in your teeth means only one thing: there is damage in your teeth. This damage is usually caused by tooth decay or injury. If this preventive procedure is not done, more damage may occur.

If you are worried about the pain of a root canal, you can ask your dentist to use sedation when you undergo the procedure. A lot of clinics like Morgan Dental Care offers this option to their patients so looking for a clinic with sedation methods won't be a problem. With this technology readily available to everyone, it's time that you set your dentist anxieties aside and give your teeth the care they deserve!

Get a Perfect Smile with Porcelain Veneers

Do you have gaps between your teeth? Are your teeth misaligned? Or is there a discoloration? If your teeth are putting you down, then here's good news for you! You don't have to be embarrassed about your teeth anymore because now you can achieve a perfect smile with porcelain veneers.

Dental veneers are basically teeth-colored porcelain that is placed over your discolored, chipped, or cracked teeth. To complete the procedure, dentists usually require patients to go to the clinic three times. In these three visits, your dentist will discuss with you the procedure, prepare your teeth, and finally place your veneers. After the whole procedure, you'll notice that your teeth are whiter and straighter. You don't have to worry about staining as well since porcelain veneers are stain resistant. These are very durable as well so expect that they'd last a long while.

Don't let you teeth bring your confidence level down. If you want to start sporting a beautiful smile, consult with your local Portland, Maine cosmetic dentist about this procedure.

Porcelain Veneers in Portland Maine for a fabulous smile

Dental crowns

Now, in Portland, Maine, it's possible to get a dazzling, white smile without feeling anything but good throughout the process. Imagine having a Hollywood smile, with no anesthesia, no residual discomfort and no need to avoid foods and beverages that are too hot or cold for weeks after you leave the dentist's office. For many years now, cosmetic dentists have been helping people achieve the look they want – bright, confident smiles they are proud to show the world. Now, with porcelain veneers at their disposal, Portland, Maine cosmetic dentists can give you that dazzling smile quicker and more easily than ever before! In addition, the procedure is painless. You won't feel even a moment's discomfort!

My best friend has crowns. Are they better than porcelain veneers?

Maybe you should get crowns. Ask your Portland Maine cosmetic dentist if they're right for you. Dental crowns are certainly the right choice, in some cases. Dental crowns work very well in completely surrounding badly damaged, stained or decayed teeth. They are bonded to your damaged teeth with specially formulated cement. Crowns can be shaped attractively and colored to the desired tint to give you the smile you've been dreaming of. Plus, dental crowns are very strong and they resist staining for many years. You can enjoy the foods and drinks you love without embarrassment or worry.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

In Portland, Maine, getting dental crowns usually means your dentist has to remove some of your natural tooth material in order to make just the right-shaped nub for attaching the crown. Some of the material your dentist removes may be perfectly good and healthy, but once it is removed there is no getting it back. Crowns are especially good in cases where teeth have natural deformities or have large chips or large areas of discoloration. A dental crown completely surrounds the misshapen or damaged tooth, replacing a flawed or damaged look with perfection. It's important to keep in mind that once a tooth is reduced to a nub, a crown will always be required. You can't "un-remove" the part of a tooth that has been ground or filed away. Keep in mind, too, that your gums are going to naturally shrink away from the crown as you get older. That can leave you with an unattractive line or gap, and you may end up back at square one. It is important to discuss matters like this with your cosmetic dentist.

How are veneers different? What is the difference between composite veneers and porcelain veneers?
A composite veneer is a high-strength, stain-resistant resin that is applied only to the parts of your teeth that can be seen by others. Composite veneers are very different from crowns in this regard. There is usually no restructuring or reshaping of existing teeth required. These composite resin teeth veneers are pleasing to the eye and at the same time very strong. One of their main selling points is the fact that they usually can be applied in just one visit to your Portland, Maine cosmetic dentist. With this type of dental veneer, your cosmetic dentist has a little leeway in reshaping a tooth, since material is being added to your natural tooth. Small chips and other imperfections can be filled in with durable, tooth-colored risen.

Porcelain veneers are increasingly being thought to be superior to composite resin, because they are made of a high-tech, incredibly strong ceramic. This specially developed ceramic is very resistant to staining, much like glass. Porcelain veneers exhibit exceptional strength, too. It is thought they can last up to 30 years. This is a major area in which they are thought to be better than composite resin dental veneers, which seem to lose a bit of their stain-resistant quality as time goes on. The near-translucence of porcelain veneers allows them to do a better job in maintaining a natural tooth color while still effectively hiding defects. Porcelain veneers are applied in the same way as composite resin dental veneers – to the outward-facing surfaces only, but porcelain veneers are applied in coats as thin as one millimeter! In Portland, Maine, this means you can get your porcelain veneers and not worry about your teeth looking any bigger than they did before you went to the dentist. No one will notice any size increase in your teeth after you get your porcelain veneers, but if you do have small chips, they will be effectively concealed.

Advantages of dental veneers over dental crowns:
• Fewer visits required – in some cases, only one
• No pain, no discomfort during the procedure
• No worries over sensitive teeth, since there is no grinding or filing

If you have been considering getting that smile you've always wanted, don't wait – contact your local Portland, Maine cosmetic dentist today. Find out for yourself about the available procedures, and let your dentist help you decide which technique is right for you. If you don't need large defects covered and you want to avoid discomfort, you might just opt for porcelain veneers. 

Dental Crowns: Restoring Your Teeth's Regal Bearing

Getting your teeth back in shape with dental crowns 

Do you often look at the mirror and admit to yourself sadly that, yes, your teeth are in bad shape? Chances are you have also been thinking of going to your Portland, Maine cosmetic dentist to ask for advice or recommendations. If you have cracks, breakage or damage caused by wear and tear then expect to be told about dental crowns as an option. 

How your cosmetic dentist does it

The dental procedure for dental crowns is quite simple. First, your Portland, Maine cosmetic dentist conducts a thorough examination (that is, through x-ray, physical checkup).  Unless you have gum infection, which may require treatment first, your cosmetic dentist will proceed to reshape your teeth. You want to make sure that you get a dental crown that fits perfectly. 

Using an impression paste or putty, your cosmetic dentist in Portland will make a model of your teeth so that dental lab technicians can create the dental crown in their lab.  After three weeks of waiting (or wearing a temporary dental crown), you will get your customized dental crown.  Now comes the actual crowning. Don't say you're afraid of the pain caused by the pressure on your gums as your Portland Maine cosmetic dentist or family dentist puts the crown on your teeth with dental cement. Make sure to ask your family dentist about sedation dentistry which makes this procedure virtually painless and worry-free.

Dental crowns are made of these

Would you like the strongest material to cover your dental imperfections and improve the appearance of your teeth? You can choose a porcelain dental crown fused with metal. How about going natural? You can have porcelain or ceramic crowns. Actually, you can have also a resin or metallic dental crown (read: nickel, chromium, or even gold). Or, would you like anything but metal (because you're allergic to it)? For some clients like you, cosmetic dentists have recommended resin or porcelain dental crowns.

Marching to the cosmetic dental clinic

Enough said. There's nothing like hearing facts about dental crowns straight from the mouth of your cosmetic dentist in the Gorham and Portland, Maine area. See for yourself what a difference a dental crown makes.