What Diabetics Should Know About Dental Care

A beautiful smile destroyed by gum disease is a terrible thing to experience, but patients who suffer from diabetes may also experience higher rates of gum disease due to inflamed gums. The American Dental Association (ADA) estimates that there are at least 7 million people in the United States alone who have diabetes and are unaware that their gums might be in danger. Diabetes Impact on Gums and Health The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that diabetes sufferers who have chronic high glucose levels will experience a higher-than-average development of plaque. Unfortunately, patients with diabetes often take longer to heal than non-diabetes patients, and this may mean significant problems for a patient if severe gum disease develops. Gum disease impacts the ability of a diabetic to control his or her disease. Impact of Gum Disease Gum disease is an affliction that may start out as a mild problem and eventually destroy the soft tissue that supports the teeth and bones o

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Thank God for Cosmetic Dentistry

Decades of jokes about the British propensity for yellowed, crooked teeth have created some incredibly memorable characters on the silver screen, but thanks to cosmetic dental work, nobody needs to suffer with a mouth that looks like Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery. Most movie-goers are so adverse to crooked, aged teeth that Hollywood movies tend to shy away from accurate portrayals of the way people s teeth used to look hundreds of years ago: yellow, bent and missing. It s rare that Hollywood has featured performances with actors who have “era-appropriate” teeth, but there are a few notable examples. In 1998 s “Shakespeare in Love,” actor Geoffrey Rush, playing theater producer Philip Henslow, had a mouth full of so many crooked, yellow teeth that it looked as though one of his poor molars was about to pop out of his mouth and land right in a movie-goer s lap. Likewise, in the 1996 film “The Crucible,” actor Daniel Day-Lewis not only we

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Help Your Kids Overcome Fear of the Dentist

A trip to the dentist can be an anxious experience for adults, so it s no surprise that children are often resistant and even fearful. Given the importance of maintaining healthy family dentistry practices, however, regular trips to the dentist are crucial for young children. With the following tips, you ll have the tools to make your child s next visit to the dentist as easy and stress-free as possible. Start Early Perhaps the best way to help your child overcome their fear and anxiety is to start at a very young age. Regular trips to the dentist should begin by age 1, or as soon as the first tooth appears. Beginning at such a young age will help your child acclimate to the process, and it will alleviate the fear of the unknown that many kids experience. If possible, you should bring your child to the same dentist throughout their youth.

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All You Need to Know About Porcelain Veneers

Your smile is one of the most important factors in the way people perceive you. It may seem like a very superficial way to judge people, but if you look into a person s mouth and see a bunch of teeth that are crooked and yellow, you are not going to treat them the same way as a person with teeth that are white and perfectly straight. Because of this, people are taking steps to improve the appearance of their teeth through many methods. One such method is porcelain veneers. Let s take a look at exactly what veneers are: Types There are two primary types of veneers used in dentistry—composite and porcelain. The veneers made of porcelain are small, thin pieces of porcelain. These pieces are bonded to the teeth on the front side to give the appearance of teeth that are flawless. The dentist begins by making an impression of your teeth. The impression is sent to a lab, and a lab technician creates the actual veneer. Uses There are many different reasons why a person would choose to h

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Signs of an Infected Tooth

Going to the dentist is an activity that most people only do every six months for a routine cleaning, or when pain in the mouth leads a person to suspect a problem like a cavity. The medical community has long suggested that oral health is a key indicator of a person s overall condition. Lack of proper oral care may lead to severe health problems due to the presence and growth of natural bacteria that live in the mouth. One of the potential complications of bad oral hygiene is an infected tooth, which is often referred to as a tooth abscess. Why Infections Occur Regular brushing is essential to maintain good oral health; however, even terrific oral care cannot prevent all problems. As a painful and potentially dangerous condition, an infected tooth requires a visit to a healthy family dentistry to prevent this problem from impacting the entire body. An infection commonly occurs due to a crack or opening within the enamel of the tooth. Bacteria are allowed to enter through this vulnera

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