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Dentures are teeth replacements used to restore a smile’s aesthetics and dental function. They are made from acrylic resin and customized to look like natural teeth. However, the resin material is fragile and can get damaged easily. Continue reading to find out when to visit an emergency dentist near you for denture repair.

How Can Dentures Get Damaged?

Dentures by the dentist in Cupertino, CA, are customized to look and function like real teeth. Although they closely resemble natural teeth, dentures are not as strong. Their material can crack or chip easily, affecting their function and aesthetics. Below are some ways dentures can get damaged.

• Your denture teeth can break, chip, or fall out when you eat hard foods.
• Continuous wear and tear make dentures more susceptible to damage.
• They can fall accidentally and fracture, chip, or break.
• Mischievous pets can damage dentures.
• Poor care and maintenance always cause denture damage. Examples are not soaking them overnight or using toothpicks to remove stuck particles.

What Not to Do When Your Dentures Become Damaged?

Although you may take excellent care of your dentures, you cannot completely prevent them from getting damaged. So, you should be prepared if your dentures get chipped, cracked, or broken. Below are tips on what to do when that happens.

1. Do not panic

It is a cause for concern when your dentures get damaged. This is because you cannot eat properly with fractured, chipped, or broken dentures. In addition, your speech and smile are affected. However, you should not panic. Instead, call an emergency dentist near you who repairs dentures and explain the issue. They will advise you on the measures to take.

2. Do not wait

If the damage to your denture is not significant, you may decide to wait until the next appointment. However, waiting too long can damage the restorations further, making them more costly to repair. Excess damage can also render them irreparable.

Eating with damaged dentures causes great discomfort. This may lead to gum inflammation since you put more pressure on your gums. So, visit the denturist for repair right away to avoid these issues.

3. Do not fix the dentures yourself

Broken, chipped, or fractured dentures can look easy to repair. So, it may be tempting to do self-repair at home using household products. Some people buy denture repair kits and attempt to fix the restorations themselves.

However, your lack of training and experience in denture repair can lead to further damage and increased discomfort. It is because you will not repair the restoration perfectly. In addition, you lack the skills to customize them after restoring them to fit in your mouth comfortably. So, visit a dentist who fixes dentures near you.

4. Do not throw away any broken parts

Do not discard the broken pieces when denture chips, fractures, breaks, or a tooth falls off. The denturist may require using them during the repair. Therefore, take them with you to the dentist. However, it is okay if you cannot locate any pieces. The professionals will know how to repair your dentures.

When to Seek Emergency Denture Repair?

Some types of denture damage are insignificant and do not need immediate repair. You may wait a few days for a denture repair appointment. However, there are occasions when you must seek an emergency dentist near you for repair. Below are some of them.

• The dentures break while in use

Dentures can break when you chew or bite hard foods and objects. When this happens, your gums, remaining teeth, or jawbone are impacted. Also, the denture will not function properly afterwards. Therefore, you should seek emergency denture repair.

• If an artificial tooth breaks or detaches from the dentures

The false teeth on your dentures can become loose or fall off. If you continue to use the restorations, the pressure will be uneven. Consequently, your gums will become sore and inflamed. So, you should get your dentures repaired immediately to avoid these problems.

• If the dentures ultimately fracture

Your dentures can split in half, or a large piece can become separated from the denture. It will be impossible to wear the dentures again. Also, any attempts to fix them can cause misalignment, which leads to gum damage. Therefore, you should seek emergency denture repair when your dentures fracture.

Conclusion

Dentures can get damaged at any time affecting your dental function and smile. When this happens, you should contact a dentist who fixes dentures. You can get such an expert at Cupertino Family Dental. These experts also offer annual maintenance to reduce the risk of denture damage.

Everyone desires a perfect smile. However, a smile can be impacted by factors such as dental trauma, oral disease, wear and tear, and aging. These issues lead to less-than-perfect teeth and a flawed smile. Fortunately, the dentist in Cupertino, CA, can give you the smile of your dreams through a smile makeover treatment. Read on to learn about teeth makeovers.

Who Should Consider a Smile Makeover?

A smile makeover is an individualized approach of several dental procedures to enhance a smile. The dentist will consider the quality and aesthetics of the part of the mouth visible when you smile. They will evaluate your mouth and select ideal treatments to repair cosmetic imperfections. Eventually, the dentist will provide you with your desired smile.

Do you find it hard to smile or laugh in public due to the condition of your teeth or gums? Then you should consider a smile makeover near you. You should also consider the treatments if you need to:

• Replace missing teeth
• Reshape or lengthen your teeth
• Fix gaps between teeth
• Repair broken, chipped, or cracked teeth
• Reshape or contour your gum line to improve a gummy smile
• Straighten crooked, misaligned, or crowded teeth
• Whiten your teeth
• Improve the shape of your face

How Should I Prepare for My Smile Rejuvenation Treatment?

Adequate and appropriate preparation before any treatment increases the success of the procedure. It also helps you to be aware of what to expect during the treatment. Therefore, you should prepare for your smile makeover treatment. Below are tips to help you prepare well.

1. Ensure that you are aware of the flaws you want the dentist to fix. Note the various defects in your teeth and gums, including those that appear minor. For instance, you can note missing, misaligned, crowded, discolored, fractured, or decayed teeth.
2. Have a goal of your expected outcome after the makeover. For example, how do you want your teeth to appear in color, shape, and size? Do you want them to appear ultra-white or natural, perfectly aligned or slightly varied?
3. Do research on the cosmetic dental treatments you may need to perfect your smile. Learn about the duration and average cost of each treatment. Also, determine which options give a permanent or temporary solution to your oral issues.
4. Search for a dentist in Cupertino, CA, who is highly trained and experienced in providing smile makeovers. You can ask for recommendations from people who have had the treatment. Alternatively, you can search for the best dentist by checking online reviews.
5. Prepare a list of questions you may for the dentist have before the teeth makeover. The dentist will clarify any issues by providing accurate and individualized answers.
6. Find out if you need any treatments before the smile makeover begins. For instance, if you have gum disease, the dentist must treat it prior to the smile rejuvenation.

Smile Makeover Benefits

A smile makeover improves the condition and appearance of your teeth. The smile rejuvenation process impacts several other areas of your life. For instance, the treatment makes you feel good about your smile, improving your confidence. Also, treatments such as orthodontics and crown placement can improve your oral health.

People with difficulties speaking due to tooth loss can have smoother speech. The dentist will replace the missing teeth during the smile makeover. The new teeth will help you to pronounce all words correctly. The experts can also close significant gaps between teeth that cause speech impediments.

In addition, people who cannot chew food properly due to dental issues can receive help through the makeover. Your dentist in Cupertino, CA, will repair any fractures or gaps, improving your bite and chewing function. This will make eating a healthy, balanced diet easier and improve overall health.

The procedure can enable you to enjoy a whiter and aesthetically pleasing smile. Your dentist will reshape your gums, whiten your teeth and ensure they are uniform in size and shape. As a result, you will have a dazzling, more youthful, vibrant, and attractive smile.

Do you want to enhance the appearance of your smile? Then contact us at Cupertino Family Dental. We have modern software, skills, and experience to guarantee an excellent outcome. Our team will work with you to help you achieve the smile of your dreams.

Regular visits to a dentist near you are very crucial for one to have strong teeth and healthy gums, but this can be a bit difficult for some, especially people with dental anxiety. This problem affects approximately 36 percent of the US population, where the affected individuals tend to get extremely anxious or stressed when sitting on the dental chair.

There are few persons who actually enjoy going to their dentist’s dental clinic, but dental anxiety patients become so afraid that they cancel their visit until when their pain is unbearable. This blog explains more about the coping strategies used for dental anxiety patients.

Causes of Dental Anxiety

Below are some of the most common causes of dental phobia and dental anxiety:

• Personal space – Some patients may find the idea of a stranger inserting instruments in their mouth uncomfortable, and this may make them anxious when on a dental chair.
• Fear of pain – Despite most dental procedures being painless, some people still experience dental anxiety because of fear of pain. This fear is usually a result of past bad dental experiences or horror and pain stories they have heard from people.
• Embarrassment – People with extremely decayed or damaged teeth may feel embarrassed because of their state of dental hygiene or health. This embarrassment may make one anxious about visiting the dentist or discussing their dental health.
• Fear of needles and injections – Fear of injections is also common, especially during procedures that require oral injections. For some, the thought of the needle gives them chills, while for others, it’s that feeling that comes when the injection is given.

Symptoms of Dental Anxiety

Some of the distressing symptoms persons with dental anxiety experience before or during appointments include:

• Panic attacks
• Feeling faint
• Heart palpitations
• Extreme sweating
• Aggressive behavior
• Low blood pressure

The Effects Dental Anxiety Can Have on Your Oral Health

People with unaddressed dental anxiety are more likely to avoid going to the dentist’s office. This can lead to advanced dental diseases creating the need for more complex restorative procedures or emergency care. Making regular visits to your dentist for check-ups, cleanings, and X-rays facilitates early detection of oral issues, which means simpler and less-invasive procedures.

Also, since most oral diseases are preventable and lifestyle-related, you get to miss out on learning how to promote good dental care by avoiding the dentist.

7 Management Strategies for Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety affects people of various age groups. Here are coping strategies to help ease your fear of the dentist chair.

1. Talk with your dentist.

If you have dental anxiety, communicating your concerns with our dentist in Cupertino can help make things easier. Ask questions about the procedure you are scheduled for so that you prepare yourself psychologically. Knowing what to expect makes you feel less anxious.

2. Bring company on your first visit.

Having a friend or a relative accompany you during your dental appointment can help you feel relaxed, safe, and comfortable.

3. Breathing exercises

Deep breathing can help you relax your mind and feel calmer during your dental visits. Shut your eyes and take a deep breath, then hold it in for a few seconds before exhaling slowly through the mouth. Do this several times.

4. Guided imagery

Guided imagery allows you to visualize happy thoughts or funny past memories while sitting on the dentist’s chair. Being nostalgic or in a state of euphoria can help relax and calm the mind.

5. Meditation

Sitting in the waiting area alone or on the dental chair during a dental appointment can worsen your anxiety, but a simple practice like meditation can help promote calmness and reduce stress. Once you get seated on the dental chair, close your eyes and allow all your body muscles to relax to release all the tension.

6. Anxiety-relieving medication

If you have moderate anxiety, your dentist may prescribe short-acting anti-anxiety drugs to help calm you before your appointment. This medication is taken an hour prior to the dental visit.

7. Conscious sedation

Conscious sedation is an option considered for people with moderate or severe anxiety. It will involve taking a sedative orally a few hours before your appointment to keep you in a relaxed but responsive state.

For more information on anxiety therapy in Cupertino, CA, visit Cupertino Family Dental.

Sleep apnea is a condition whereby the patient experiences restricted breathing when asleep. It disrupts their sleep, causing them to snore, choke or wake up frequently. Untreated sleep apnea also leads to health and lifestyle issues that affect your quality of life. Read on to learn why you should seek sleep apnea treatment near you.

Dangers and Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea

1. High blood pressure.

Obstructive sleep apnea makes you wake up frequently at night. The resulting stress on your body causes your blood pressure levels to rise. Also, you will not inhale adequate oxygen when you snore or choke at night. Consequently, the oxygen level in your blood decreases, increasing your blood pressure.

Getting treatment for obstructive sleep apnea at a dentist’s office near you can improve high blood pressure. The dentist will provide treatments to help you breathe well when you sleep. Therefore, the oxygen levels in your blood will normalize.

2. Heart problems

High blood pressure caused by obstructive sleep apnea can lead to cardiovascular issues. The low oxygen levels cause your blood vessels to strain when pumping blood. This may result in irregular heartbeats, heart attacks, or heart failure. OSA treatment reduces the strain on your heart and prevents or reduces the risk of heart problems.

3. Diabetes

When you do not get adequate rest, your body does not use insulin properly. As a result, you may get type 2 diabetes. The risk of getting diabetes increases if you are overweight or obese. Treatment allows you to rest, helping the body to utilize insulin properly.

4. Stroke

When suffering from OSA, your blood does not receive enough blood and oxygen. As a result, it increases your risk of an ischemic stroke. Obstructive sleep apnea treatment helps your brain to receive enough oxygenated blood. This reduces your risk of strokes during REM sleep.

5. Surgery and medications complications

Obstructive sleep apnea causes airway obstructions when you are lying down. This poses several risks during surgical procedures since you cannot breathe properly. OSA also causes complications when using certain medications. For example, dentists cannot administer general anesthesia during dental work. Treating OSA helps avoid these complications.

6. Daytime fatigue or sleepiness

When you wake up several times during the night due to OSA, you do not get enough sleep. Therefore, you will be drowsy, sleepy, or fatigued during the day. This makes it hard to concentrate. As a result, it affects your performance or lead to accidents. In addition, you may feel depressed, restless, moody, or quick-tempered. OSA treatment reduces these effects.

7. Memory slips and brain fog

Untreated sleep apnea can lead to several issues with your brain. Some people have memory loss or thinking problems. Others become forgetful, slow to react, or distracted. The dentist in Cupertino can reduce or prevent these issues through OSA treatment.

8. Increased weight gain

People with OSA often gain extra weight and have difficulty slimming down. This is because obstructive sleep apnea results in the release of hormones that make you crave sweets and carbs.

In addition, fatigue caused by OSA makes it hard for your body to convert food into energy. Therefore, you gain weight very fast. Treatment for OSA helps you rest and gives you the energy to exercise. It also prevents the condition from worsening.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment

When your doctor diagnoses OSA, they will provide treatment based on the severity of the condition. They may recommend lifestyle changes for milder cases and surgery for serious ones. Some changes may include losing weight, avoiding alcohol before bed, and exercising regularly. You may also use nasal decongestants and change your sleeping posture.

For moderate conditions, they will use special devices to open blocked airways and promote airflow when asleep. They may provide continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP devices. The dentist will use customized mouth appliances if the patient cannot use the CPAP device. These may help keep your throat open or hold your tongue in a proper position.

Surgery is usually recommended for severe cases. The dentist may perform surgery to help you breathe properly when asleep. At Cupertino Family Dental, we provide all these and more treatment options for OSA. Schedule a consultation to determine suitable treatment for you.

Perhaps you recently had a dental checkup and were told to have a periodontal problem. While you do not want to be told they are suffering from gum infection, various treatment options are available depending on your case’s severity. Laser periodontal therapy, for example, is a less invasive surgery alternative gaining popularity.

You’ve probably heard that lasers have revolutionized a variety of industries. But did you know they’ve also expanded into dental care? We recommend speaking with your dentist at the laser, our gum therapy near you, about your specific treatment plan. But first, let’s go over periodontal disease and how laser therapy can help.

An Overview of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is an infection of the soft tissues and bones that support your teeth. It’s an advanced stage of gum infection. It can be reversed with a strict oral care routine if discovered while still in the gingivitis stage. Periodontal disease, on the other hand, necessitates professional intervention. Periodontal disease risk factors include: poor oral hygiene, smoking, certain medications, chronic illnesses such as diabetes, and genetic predisposition

Periodontal disease is typically treated with scaling and root planing. This process removes tartar, plaque (biofilm), and bacteria from the tooth and its roots above and below the gumline. It also encourages gum tissue to regenerate and grow back snugly around your tooth.

Alternatively, your periodontist may decide that surgical treatment of your periodontal disease is the best option for you. This could be because your gum infection is severe. Another common surgical option, gum flap surgery, involves a surgical cut in the gum tissue. It is then pulled back to clean the roots beneath thoroughly. After that, your gum tissue is sutured back into place to heal.

Other periodontal surgery options include bone grafting, soft tissue grafting, guided tissue regeneration, and the use of tissue-stimulating proteins.

How LANAP Therapy Works

Laser therapy is not a stand-alone treatment but works in conjunction with other treatments. For example, periodontal laser therapy involves your periodontist using a laser to access and remove inflamed gum tissue around your tooth’s root. They then remove the tartar and plaque that has accumulated beneath and around your gumline. Then, with a different tool, they smooth out rough spots on the tooth above and below the gumline. Removing these rough spots reduces the likelihood that your teeth and gums will attract bacteria and develop future infections.

Your mouth will require time to heal and regenerate following laser therapy. During this healing period, your gums should be free of infection and able to tighten back up around your tooth, much like a turtleneck that fits snugly around your neck!

It should be noted that not all dentists use laser therapy. Those who decide to use this therapy on patients receive laser training. This ensures they have the correct technique and understand how to use different wavelengths.

Benefits of Laser Therapy

Some of the benefits of choosing laser therapy at Cupertino Family Dental for gum disease treatments include:

1. No Cutting or Stitching

Rather than making incisions into the gum to access the periodontal pocket, a dental laser such as the PerioLase® MVP-7TM can access the pocket by simply pointing the laser wand toward the diseased pocket and removing diseased tissue and vaporizing harmful bacteria. That means you won’t have to deal with periodontal gum bandages and stitches for several weeks after finishing the treatment, as you would with traditional surgery.

2. Less Bleeding

Gums typically bleed during traditional gum treatments for infection and tissue incisions. However, patients can expect less bleeding at the start of the procedure because no incisions are required. Even better, patients will notice almost no bleeding when the laser’s final pass in the pocket forms a gel clot that seals the pocket while it heals.

3. More Precise

Your dentist in Cupertino, CA, can use a dental laser to adjust the power and wavelength based on your level of disease. As a result, your laser therapy is tailored to your specific needs, making the treatment less invasive.

4. Quicker Recovery

Because dental lasers work so efficiently within the gum pocket that patients will recover much faster and easier than traditional surgery. In addition, because lasers cause less tissue trauma, gum pockets heal quickly and with little discomfort.

Do you find it overwhelming to get your child to Brush? As children’s teeth develop or fall, they might find it uncomfortable to Brush. In addition, your child might try to assert themselves by challenging you because you compel them to Brush daily.

In addition, children aren’t concerned about preventing tooth decay or gum disease by practicing brushing every day. Therefore you must show off your creativity and patience to encourage your child to Brush without exceptions.

Do you think our suggestion will further overwhelm you because your child is adamant about not brushing? If you do, we suggest you discuss the issue with the dentist near you, who suggests five techniques for your child to start brushing and retain the habit of life.

Suggestions That the Dentist Nearby Provides

1. Starting Early : Cleaning teeth is a habit that must begin soon after the child’s first tooth erupts. It might seem too early to brush teeth at six months. However, the baby teeth serve as placeholders for the permanent teeth making it essential to establish healthy dental habits early. Your child will not have the skills to Brush at that age. Therefore it is your role to Brush their teeth twice daily for two minutes each to ensure brushing becomes your child’s second nature
2. Setting an Example : It is a practice among children to observe and mimic parents constantly. Therefore if you decide to become a role model for your child during the crucial developmental stages of brushing your teeth with your kid, it helps them learn how to proceed with brushing.
3. Rewarding Positive Behavior : the dentist in Cupertino suggests you motivate your child to Brush their teeth to make it a lifelong routine for their dental health by using positive reinforcement. For example, you can make a reward calendar and add stickers to it every time your child brushes without your instructions. A week after you begin the motivation, reward your child by spending extra time before the TV for 10 minutes and a bedtime story for good measure.
4. Brushing Must Be Fun : Making toothbrushing funny is not a challenging task, and your child will look forward to it if you make some effort. For example, making brushing a game by calling your child a superhero out to kill the cavity monsters on their teeth before two minutes can encourage them to motivate themselves. You will soon notice that your child enjoys the superhero routine, frequently appearing as a winner. On the other hand, you can also include some fun tunes to make brushing a dance and party routine as you brush your teeth with your child. Finally, do not forget to switch on the fun themes during brushing to ensure your child doesn’t maintain poor dental hygiene.
5. Selecting Toothbrushes and Toothpaste : children’s dentistry in Cupertino, CA, suggests selecting toothbrushes for children available in multiple colors and toothpaste in various flavors. It would help if you let your child choose the toothpaste and toothbrush they like with their favorite colors, characters from TV shows, movies, et cetera. Similarly, they can also select the flavor they prefer by taking the lead, making them more likely to make brushing a lifelong habit.

Children listen more to persuasion and encouragement than merely forcing them to indulge in brushing and flossing. Therefore, you cannot consider punishing children for refusing to Brush. Instead, if you adopt the suggestions, the Cupertino dentist suggests your child will start brushing their teeth to maintain excellent dental hygiene to have a smile you will be proud of.

Getting children to brush their teeth early ensures they don’t develop harmful habits that might impact their oral and general health. In addition, taking your child to the Cupertino children’s dental facility helps you manage your child patiently because the dental practice stresses the importance of dental hygiene to help you with proven techniques to get your child to Brush their teeth and maintain excellent oral health.

Excellent dental health is essential for everyone but important for children’s developing teeth and jaws. It helps ensure children have healthy baby teeth and develop permanent teeth without confronting significant challenges. If you find it difficult to get your child to brush their teeth, you receive adequate help from Cupertino Family Dental, a children’s dentistry facility providing excellent tips to help you get your child to Brush their teeth. You can schedule a meeting with the practice today to learn about the nuances of children brushing their teeth from this practice.

Which is the ideal replacement option for your missing tooth? Missing teeth cause gum recession, affects your dental functionality, and could lead to oral health issues. The dentist near you may recommend you replace teeth using dental implants or dentures. However, tooth loss also affects the dental structure; the adjacent teeth to the left gap could shift and become loose as they are unstable. So how will you know the right replacement option for you? This article will compare dental implants and dentures and determine which option is suitable for you.

Various Aspects To Consider While Comparing Dental Implants vs. Dentures

There are multiple factors you need to consider while determining the right choice between implants and dentures, including:

Dental Aesthetics: After placing a dental implant, the artificial tooth affixed is custom-made to resemble your natural tooth, but dentures can feel bulky.

Oral Hygiene: You’ll be compelled to clean dentures daily, while with dental implants, you’ll need to floss and brush regularly. Both options will require you to observe proper oral hygiene practices, but you’ll need to do it meticulously with dentures.

Durability: Dental implants can last many years or even a lifetime if well preserved. Unlike dentures that require frequent replacement, implants are permanently fixed to the jaw bone.

Overall Oral Health: Having dental implants near you aids in bone growth stimulation, restoring the bone and connective tissues. Implants reduce the risk of tooth loss. Dentures cannot stimulate bone growth; if ill-fitted, they can lead to bone loss.

Comparison Between Dental Implants vs. Dentures

There are several distinctive features between dental implants and dentures, and here’s a breakdown.

Dental Implants vs. Dentures

Dentures refer to false teeth attached to acrylic resin material and adhering to your gums. The appliances are removed for cleaning; however, permanent dentures are not removable. On the other hand, dental implants are surgically inserted appliances on your jawbone to anchor a crown. Implants are used if you have sufficient bone mass or if your tissues are healthy to allow for grafting.

Dentures vs. Implants Durability and Maintenance

Dental implants are easier to maintain and serve you for longer than dentures. Dentures require periodic replacements, while dental implants are permanently placed on your dental. In addition, denture adjustments vary with age-related changes, among other factors, but implants don’t require adjustments.

Dentures vs. Implants Procedure

The procedure of having a dental implant near you and a denture has distinctive features. The number of missing teeth and bone health are some considerations, and the dentist near you will tailor the right options based on your needs. In addition, the longevity of the process will vary on the type of denture you need. The procedure of having dentures near you involves:

• Initial consultation and taking of X-rays
• Digital scans on your dental to obtain impressions
• Placement of a temporary denture as you await the permanent one
• Final placement of the permanent denture

On the other hand, having a tooth implant involves a highly invasive surgical procedure, and here are the stages involved:

• During the initial stage, our dentist in Cupertino will take digital X-rays and dental impressions.
• The titanium rod will be surgically placed into your bone
• The healing process takes about six months to allow for the jawbone to integrate with the implant
• Placement of a temporary prosthetic tooth
• Having a permanent crown

Once the bone fuses with the implant, the bone is stimulated to grow. Your specialist may also augment the existing bone by grafting to enhance stability. The procedure of having a dental implant and the healing process take longer than dentures, but in the long run, implants serve you for a long time.

Final Word

A restorative dental procedure is personalized based on the condition of your oral tissues. Each method has its benefits and complications, and your specialist may recommend you undertake a particular option based on your requirements. At Cupertino Family Dental, we replace your missing teeth with dental implants and dentures. Therefore, it’s prudent to visit our specialists, undergo a dental exam, and determine the ideal replacement option. Both dental implants and dentures near you can serve you for a long and are a viable option for replacing your lost teeth.

Professional teeth whitening is an aesthetic dentistry procedure many seek to eliminate yellow, discolored, or stained teeth from foods and beverages besides infections and teeth damage. In addition, having brighter teeth helps boost self-esteem and improves your quality of life.

Currently, you can find many dentists offering teeth whitening near you and wonder whether you are suitable for the treatment. Teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure to brighten your teeth, but not everyone is considered ideal for the therapy. For example, if you have dental infections like tooth decay or gum disease, the dentist in Cupertino recommends you have the conditions treated before seeking teeth whitening remedies. Similarly, if you have severely discolored teeth from infections or injuries not responsive to whitening treatments, the dentist might recommend alternative therapies such as dental veneers, bonding, or crowns. In addition, if you have dental restorations over your teeth, dentists warn you ahead of time that the whitening treatment will not change the color of the repairs to cause a contrast in your smile.

Is Teeth Whitening Suitable for All Ages?

Teeth whitening from a dental professional is an excellent remedy for children and adults. Tooth bleaching is a cosmetic dentistry procedure whitening your teeth by a controlled application of hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. While children can also get whitening products at drugstores, they must seek advice from a pediatric dentist before using bleaching ingredients on their teeth, recommends the American Academy of pediatric dentistry.

While teeth whitening treatments are safe for all ages, children must wait until the enamel on their permanent teeth has calcified before considering whitening treatments. The tooth enamel calcification occurs two years after the emergence of adult teeth. Therefore if children start using whitening treatment before their adult teeth have erupted, they risk eroding tooth enamel and causing damage to the gum tissue. Therefore children are recommended not to use over-the-counter teeth whitening remedies at home without proper advice from their pediatric dentist.

Adults with discoloration on their teeth and without infections or restorations such as the ones described earlier can receive the best teeth whitening from the Cupertino dentist, completing their treatment in one appointment spanning 90 minutes.

The Facts about Teeth Whitening

When you visit the Cupertino dentist to whiten your teeth, please do not expect the professional to begin your treatment immediately upon arrival. Instead, you must exercise patience while the dentist examines your teeth, looking for signs of infections or restorations that make you ineligible for the treatment.

After examining your teeth, the dentist proceeds to clean your teeth, removing plaque and tartar deposits that also cause tooth discoloration before making a note of the existing shade of your teeth for reference later.

The teeth whitening treatment starts only after the dentist completes the above procedures and begins by safeguarding the soft tissues of your mouth and gums using cheek retractors and rubber dams to prevent sensitivity from the whitening ingredients from accidental leakage on them. After protecting your soft tissues, the dentist starts the whitening treatment using concentrated hydrogen or carbamide peroxide ingredients unavailable in over-the-counter remedies.

You receive four applications of the concentrated ingredient over your teeth for an hour at 15 adults each. Suctioning off the existing application on your teeth enables the dentist to give you a new application, and the sequence continues throughout the hour. Heat and light accompany the whitening treatment to accelerate the process of brightening your teeth as best possible during the hour.

At the end of the hour, the dentist requests you rinse your mouth and receive a fluoride treatment helpful for combating sensitivity and battling against cavities for several months. They compare the color of your teeth that would have changed by three to eight shades during the hour than earlier, as noted in the comparison chart.

Before leaving the dentist’s practice, the professional recommends limiting your consumption of stained foods and beverages, maintaining proper dental hygiene habits by brushing twice daily and flossing once besides getting six monthly dental exams and cleanings to avoid needing whitening treatments sooner than expected. Teeth whitening treatments do not deliver permanent results but depend on your dental hygiene and the care you provide your teeth. If you aren’t careful with your lifestyle habits and insist on having staining foods and beverages, smoking, or maintaining improper oral hygiene habits, you might require further whitening treatments to make your teeth appear brighter than they are.

Cupertino Family Dental provides effective teeth whitening treatments in the region, delivering results to make people’s teeth appear brighter and whiter. If you need teeth whitened, kindly do not hesitate to contact this practice to receive professional teeth whitening.

Figuring whether you need a root canal is not easy. An array of symptoms can indicate that you need our dentist in Cupertino to treat the root canal infection. But in some cases, you might not pick the subtle symptoms, but our experienced dentist can easily identify the tell-tale signs of a root canal infection.

The root canal is infected when the enamel weakens and cavities form, creating access for food and bacteria to get into the inner parts of the tooth. The root canal is home to connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. That’s why you would feel pain whenever the root canal is infected.

Without further ado, let’s unpack the glaring signs you need to seek root canal treatment.

Symptoms of Root Canal Infection

You might not be capable of ascertaining whether you need a root canal or not until our dentist takes a look at your teeth. But some of the symptoms that might guide you include:

• Toothache

Since the nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels are exposed, it is only a matter of time before the pain kicks in. Infected root canals will always come with pain, at times, acute pain. If there is inflammation, the pain intensifies, is almost unbearable, and needs prompt treatment.

Even though pain is one of the glaring signs that your root canal is infected, it’s not always an indicator that you need a root canal near you. There are instances where a tooth needs a root canal, and you might not be in pain.

Other conditions such as periodontitis, bruxism, tooth decay, exposed dentin, and tooth fracture can cause tooth pain. That’s why you need to look for other signs that indicate that the root canal is infected.

• Gum Sensitivity and Swelling

Tooth sensitivity and swollen gums are common symptoms when your root canal is infected. But these symptoms show up in different ways.

Sometimes your gums may seem okay, but they might be tender. In other scenarios, you will notice that the gum is swollen. If the swelling lasts for an extended period or is very pronounced, there is a possibility that a root canal is needed.

• Bad Breath, Abscess, or Pus

If bacteria find a way to get into your root canal and begin to multiply, you will have bad breath. Whenever there’s an infection in the mouth, always expect to develop halitosis (bad breath).

Also, you can experience a bad or sour taste in the mouth, usually attributed to pus. If pus-filled pockets are on the gums, this is a clear sign that the root canal is infected. When you notice that there is pus formation, it means that the infection has already spread. This is what is known as a dental abscess.

Rush to our dental clinic and seek prompt care since a dental abscess can spread to other body parts.

• Tooth Discoloration

When a tooth is alive and well, it has a distinctive whitish or off-white color. But the root canal is likely to be infected when a tooth or teeth develop a bluish, dark-yellowish, or grayish color. The color change occurs due to the limited blood flow to the tooth since the blood vessels are infected.

Color change also indicates a change in the nerve area; if the infection spreads, the nerves weaken and eventually die.

What Happens If You Leave a Root Canal Infection Untreated?

Unfortunately, a root canal infection cannot go away independently; you need to visit our dentist to receive treatment. You might assume that the infection is no longer there when you stop feeling pain, which indicates that the nerves have died. But remember, the infection is still inside the tooth.

If you don’t seek treatment, the infection will spread to other parts of your body, including the jaw, face, brain, and the rest of your body.

The infection is usually life-threatening since it can cause a heart attack or stroke. You might also lose your tooth or even part of your jaw. It is unwise for you to ignore seeking treatment hoping that the infection will subside.

So, call us if you suspect a root canal infection. You can ask us anything, including root canal cost, how it is performed, etc. Contact us today at Cupertino Family Dental to schedule an appointment.

Are you having trouble yawning, chewing, talking, and even laughing because of jaw pain? If you are, there’s a high chance that your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is out of whack! When the temporomandibular joint is not functioning as it should, it could be a nightmare to enjoy simple things such as laughing.

The name of the joint could be a mouthful, but it is a critical joint that might affect the quality of your life. If chewing is affected, then your overall well-being could be at stake, so you need to visit our dentist in Cupertino, CA, to receive treatment.

There are several ways that TMJ disorder could be treated. We will look at some of the best ways in just a bit. But first, let’s get acquainted with the TMJ and TMD.

Understanding TMJ and TMD

Whenever you come across the acronym TMJ, you should always know that it stands for temporomandibular joint disorder. This joint is on either side of your face, close to the ears, and links the lower jaw to your skull. Its primary function is to allow the movement of the lower jaw. In other words, it is responsible for allowing you to open your mouth and move your jaw from left to right.

However, due to trauma to the jaw, certain illnesses, or even bad posture, the joint can stop functioning as it should. When this happens, you will exhibit several symptoms such as popping sounds when you open your mouth, pain when moving the jaw, headaches, etc. If the condition doesn’t subside in a few days, then there is a chance that you have developed temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).

At times, people mistakenly interchange TMJ and TMD. But as mentioned earlier, TMJ is the joint, and TMD is the disorder that affects the TMJ.

People experience variations of the disorder, and symptoms may not last more than a few days. In contrast, others have chronic symptoms that, without TMJ disorder treatment, the symptoms will not varnish.

How to Manage TMJ Disorders

If your symptoms are not severe, TMJ pain relief is possible without surgery. At times, if the issue isn’t chronic, the symptoms might vanish after a few days. Either way, here are eight ways that can you relieve pain in your TMJ:

• Correct Your Posture

Sitting in an unideal posture for a long time can cause you to feel more pain. If your work requires you to sit for long hours, ensure your chair has back support. Also, take frequent breaks to improve your posture.

When you are driving, ensure that you place your sit in an upright position. Also, when you are relaxing, watching T.V, or enjoying leisure activities, you should choose a space that allows you to sit upright and then place a pillow behind your back.

• Maintain the Resting Position of Your Jaw

Most of the time, you will feel more pain when you move your jaw. So, you need to minimize jaw movements such as chewing and talking to help alleviate the pain. The point is to ensure that your muscles are relaxed as possible.

• Reduce Stress

Try yoga practices such as meditation or any other activity to help loosen and relax your jaw. These practices can reduce stress on your muscles since they calm your mind and facial muscles.

• Get a Good Night’s Rest

We cannot stress enough how much sleep is essential for healing. To help minimize your pain during sleep, you can sleep on your back and support your neck using pillows. Try not to lie on your belly; if you prefer sleeping on your side, don’t place your hand on your jaw.

• Exercise Your Jaw

Jaw exercises are good and can help alleviate jaw pain by increasing mobility in the TMJ. You can try stretching, strengthening, and relaxation exercises.

• Use a Hot or Cold Compress

Heat increases blood flow to your jaw and relaxes the jaw muscles. On the other hand, ice reduces swelling and pain. So you can use both of them, alternating between them at 15 to 20-minute intervals. Remember to place a light layer between the skin and the compress.

• Avoid Certain Foods and Activities

Specific foods and activities can cause you to move your jaw or open your mouth forcefully. So, you might have to avoid yelling, hard or crunchy foods, chewing gum, taking large bites of food, and foods that require prolonged chewing.

• Take Notice of Bad Habits

Certain habits can cause TMJ pain, such as clenching your teeth, chewing cheeks and lips, nail-biting, clenching jaw muscles, grinding your teeth, resting your jaw in your hand, etc.

Take note of your daily patterns; you might solve the problem. You can contact our dentist at Cupertino Family Dental if you need TMJ treatment near you.