Cosmetic Dentistry and Skin Care Blog

The Fluoride Solution

Up until now, you may have thought of fluoride as only a toothpaste additive. But did you know that fluoride is often present in water and many kinds of food? And when used properly, it's also a big part of the tooth decay solution. Fluoride helps with tooth development in children, and it hardens the surface of existing teeth in adults and older kids. The proper amount of fluoride prevents demineralization-and makes teeth more resistant to enamel breakdown and decay.

So how do you get fluoride? In addition to the fluoride present in food and water, fluoride is available in toothpastes, over-the-counter and prescription mouthwashes, and gel or foam treatments. If you're at risk for tooth decay, your dentist may apply gel or foam fluoride directly to your teeth or place it in a mouth guard to ensure adequate coverage.

Who Needs Fluoride Treatments?

Fluoride intake is critical for infants, toddlers and children between six months and 16 years as teeth are developing and erupting. But fluoride intake should not stop after adolescence. Older teens and adults can also prevent tooth decay with regular, topical fluoride treatments.

If you have any of the following health concerns, your dentist may recommend additional, more intensive fluoride applications.

• Frequent tooth decay: If you have a high rate of tooth decay (1-2+ cavities a year), it could be an indication that you need regular fluoride treatments.
• Gingival recession (a form of gum disease): Gingival recession exposes tooth roots, making teeth more susceptible to decay.
• Dry mouth: Certain types of diseases, allergies, or medications can cause excessive dry mouth. Saliva is important to the breakdown of acids and food, and its absence may cause frequent cavities and enamel softening.
• Corrective hardware: Braces, retainers, crowns and bridges can keep teeth from receiving the fluoride they need through daily exposure. Your dentist may need to apply fluoride directly to brackets and appliances to prevent underlying tooth decay.

Improve Your Smile with Smile and Skin

If you're concerned about excessive tooth decay, ask the Smile and Skin team if you could benefit from fluoride treatments. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Meola today, and ask about our variety of dental maintenance and cosmetic procedures. We'll help you protect your teeth-and enjoy your smile!

Advantages of Veneers

Smile and Skin veneers are a permanent solution to chipping, cracking, staining and unwanted tooth gaps. Porcelain veneers can transform your smile in as little as two appointments-and at competitive pricing. During your veneer visits, we will prepare your teeth, make detailed tooth impressions and carefully bond the porcelain laminates to your teeth, sometimes without any drilling or needles. We will use a special light to "cure" the bonding cement, so your veneer will be both permanent and durable.

Placing cosmetic veneers requires skill and artistry-and the Smile and Skin team has years of experience in transforming smiles of all ages. Benefits of our restorative veneers include:

• Texture, look and shine that mimics natural tooth enamel
• Stain and decay resistant design
• Simultaneous reversal of staining and tooth shape corrections
• Little to no discomfort; infrequent need for anesthesia

Advantages of Ceramic Crowns

For years, dentists have been repairing badly damaged teeth with crowns. Traditionally, these crowns were made of metal-which is an undesirable look for visible teeth. However, thanks to ceramic (porcelain) crown technology, Smile and Skin can apply natural-looking crowns that not only look attractive and mimic natural tooth structure, but also strengthen and protect your teeth.

If you are considering implant treatment or have extensive structural tooth damage, ceramic crowns are an aesthetic way of restoring your smile-and improving tooth functionality. During your crown visit, we will prepare the tooth and make an impression so our partner lab can manufacture a custom-fitted crown. After we receive the crown, it is permanently cemented in place and you are provided with a comprehensive review of how to care for it. Proper maintenance allows cosmetic crowns to last years and years, or even up to a lifetime.

Schedule Your Cosmetic Consultation Today!

If you've been putting off smile repairs, it's time to visit Dr. Meola's team of smile experts. Our staff of trained cosmetic dentists can use veneers and ceramic crowns to improve existing enamel defects, remove unsightly gaps and repair crooked teeth-and our three-dimensional models allow a glimpse of your new smile before we even begin. Call or email today to schedule your no-obligation cosmetic consultation, or to inquire about Zoom tooth whitening and other Smile and Skin cosmetic services.

Why is it important to replace a missing tooth?

Bone loss and shrinkage of gum tissue can begin immediately following the loss of a tooth. In addition, the loss of a tooth frees up space in the mouth, allowing for other teeth to begin moving and shifting in to undesirable positions. This unfortunately can alter your bite and compromise the long-term stability of those teeth. It is vital to see a dentist immediately after the loss of a tooth to discuss the available implant and/or restoration options.

What are Dental Implants?

In the past, the options for restoring missing teeth were limited to removable dentures, which relied on suction of the gums or the support of neighboring teeth, or a fixed dental bridge, which required the reduction and restoration of teeth adjacent to the missing tooth area. Today, dental implants can provide a permanent cosmetic replacement for a missing tooth or several missing teeth. Implants look and feel like natural teeth and serve to restore the bite as well as improve chewing function.

In general, a dental implant consists of three parts. First there is the titanium post, which is secured into the jawbone. This post serves as the replacement "root" of the missing tooth. As the titanium dental implant is allowed to heal in the bone for several months, your bone fully attaches and fuses to the implant through a process called "Osseointegration". After this occurs, the gums are gently uncovered to expose the dental implant and a small healing cap is secured to the implant, allowing the implant to be slightly exposed in the mouth. Following this step, impressions are taken by your dentist and the laboratory will then fabricate a custom natural looking tooth crown made out of porcelain as well as a metal connector called an abutment which attaches the tooth crown to the dental implant itself.

For those who wear removable complete dentures due to having lost all of their teeth in the mouth or those who wear removable partial dentures for several missing teeth, dental implants can used to help retain and secure these dentures for a more stable bite. This allows people to chew and function normally without the fear of embarrassment if the dentures were to come loose or fall out.

How Predictable are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are very predictable with long-term success rates as high as 97%. Dental implants have been utilized in dentistry for over 30+ years and have become the "Gold Standard" for replacing missing teeth. In order to ensure the longevity of the dental implant and the health of the surrounding gum tissue around the implant, frequent professional cleanings are needed.

Things such as smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, and poor oral hygiene with chronic untreated periodontal disease are all important risk factors, which negatively impact the long-term success rate of dental implants.

Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?

In order to determine if you are a candidate to have dental implants, a professional consultation is needed with your dentist. At this visit, radiographs "X-rays" will be taken along with a thorough clinical exam to determine if there is an adequate amount of bone required for dental implant therapy. The longer a person goes without a tooth, the greater the amount of bone loss occurs, making implant therapy more difficult. Often times an additional bone grafting procedure is performed either prior to or at the time of implant placement in order ensure that the implant is properly stable and secured within the bone as well as to obtain optimal esthetics of the gum tissue.