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How Do You Define the Perfect Smile?

How Do You Define the Perfect Smile?

Movie stars and celebrities often have stunningly beautiful smiles that immediately catch your eye. In recent years cosmetic dentistry has become far more popular, and many people want to emulate the smiles of famous people to help boost their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Your dentist in Sicklerville can transform a perfectly ordinary smile into something spectacular, often using a combination of techniques. A smile makeover can involve teeth whitening, tooth colored fillings and porcelain veneers, and a skilled and experienced cosmetic dentist will restore damaged teeth, rebuilding a smile. Patients can invest as much or as little as they wish in updating their teeth.

When deciding on a smile makeover, it can help to define your idea of a perfect smile. Think about particular characteristics of your teeth you would like to change, for example teeth that are crooked or which have spaces in between them. Could your teeth look a little whiter?

Popular cosmetic dentistry treatments can include:

  • Dental implants to replace missing teeth
  • Invisalign clear braces to discreetly straighten teeth
  • Porcelain crowns and fillings to replace old restorations
  • Porcelain veneers to create a uniformly stunning smile

Deciding how you’d like to improve your smile will give you a good starting point for treatment. You can discuss your goals during your initial meeting with your cosmetic dentist in Sicklerville, and they can describe possible treatment options. Many people collect photographs of smiles they admire, and this can be helpful for your dentist to compile your treatment plan. Just remember everyone’s smile is unique, and treatment will be customized to fit in with your facial features, skin tone, gender and age.

Schedule your appointment at our Sicklerville dental office

Watch Out for Oral Cancer

Watch Out for Oral Cancer

Each year, more than 30,000 Americans receive an oral cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, less than 57 percent will live beyond five years. In fact, the death rate for oral cancer is higher than cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, brain cancer, and liver cancer. Usually seen in older patients, oral cancer in individuals under 40 is on the rise.

Fast Facts about Oral Cancer

• Early detection increases the survival rate to almost 90 percent.
• Initially, oral cancer patients may have few obvious symptoms of the illness.
• Certain factors, such as gender, lifestyle choices, and age can increase your risk of developing oral cancer. An estimated 25 percent of oral cancer patients, however, have no risk factors for the disease.
• Famous people who have battled oral cancer include Michael Douglas, Roger Ebert, Aaron Spelling, Humphrey Bogart, Eddie Van Halen, and Babe Ruth.
• Signs of oral cancer include a sore that does not heal after two weeks, color change in oral tissue, hoarse or scratchy throat, and difficulty with chewing or swallowing.
• Side effects of oral cancer may include chronic discomfort, loss of oral function, and difficulty in chewing, swallowing, or speaking.
• Research suggests that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables decreases your chances of developing cancerous lesions.
• Routine dental visits allow your dentist to look for signs of oral cancer, which can lead to early detection if there is a problem.
• Tobacco and alcohol use can result in a 75 percent chance of receiving an oral cancer diagnosis.

We treat patients from Sicklerville and the surrounding area

Understanding the Basics About Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges

Understanding the Basics About Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges

There are times when a tooth is so damaged from decay, trauma, or cracking that a filling isn’t the best choice. In these cases, a dental crown may be recommended for long-term tooth health. If a tooth is missing completely, your dentist may suggest a dental bridge to fill the gap between two bordering teeth.

Dental crowns, or “caps,” completely cover and protect your damaged tooth. It is bonded in place, giving you a stable, strong, and attractive alternative for your original tooth. Because it is customized for you using impressions your dentist makes of your teeth, it is a perfect match in size, shape, and position to your natural tooth.

Dental crowns can be the perfect solution to a severely damaged tooth. You won’t need to worry about pain, tooth stability, or your appearance when you choose a dental crown. Depending on what material is used, your crown can look as natural as your own tooth.

Dental bridges are designed to span a gap caused by a missing tooth. Having a gap in your smile can affect you in more ways than just cosmetics. Chewing and talking can become problematic as teeth adjacent to the gap begin to shift, leaving the potential for gum disease or jaw issues.

Dental bridges literally bridge the gap between two teeth. They are cemented onto the pair of teeth that border the empty space vacated by one or more missing teeth. The bordering teeth act as anchors for the bridge, and are trimmed down to hold a dental crown. Between the two crowns is a replacement tooth, customized for you by your dentist. Once the bridge is in place, you will regain the ability to smile freely while the bridge maintains the shape of your face and lips. You will speak more clearly and be able to eat a greater variety of foods. A dental crown also protects your healthy teeth from issues related to bite alignment.

Dental crowns and dental bridges are excellent choices for overall dental health, and can last a lifetime. To prevent damage to your dental work, avoid chewing things like ice or hard candy. It is also important to maintain regular dental checkups.

We offer dental crowns at our Sicklerville dental office

 

Cosmetic Dentistry for a Beautiful Smile

Cosmetic Dentistry for a Beautiful Smile

If you are looking for a beautiful smile and improved self-confidence, cosmetic dentistry may be the answer for you. This specialized area of dentistry offers procedures and techniques to enhance your smile and create a sparkling new you.

Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving your smile’s appearance through a variety of procedures. Although it doesn’t concentrate on addressing your oral health, there are overlapping benefits to both.

So what are some of the common procedures that cosmetic dentists perform? Here are some to consider:

Teeth whitening –this popular procedure provides a quick boost to your smile. Stains caused by habits like coffee drinking and smoking can be removed, as well as reducing discolorations from medications like tetracycline. Teeth whitening also improves teeth yellowed from age, making you look younger and healthier.
Porcelain veneers – these shells for the fronts of your teeth can alter the shape, color, and texture of your teeth. They also provide a natural-looking cover over broken and decayed teeth.
Dentures – provide a complete or partial replacement of missing teeth due to decay, age, or trauma. Dentures are customized to meet each patient’s needs and comfort.
Crowns – permanent repair for chipped or worn teeth. Made from porcelain, resin, or ceramic to match the natural tooth color, crowns are adhered over your natural tooth to improve appearance and function.
Dental bridges – used to replace a missing tooth or gap between teeth, bridges fasten to your natural teeth on each side of the gap. They provide a secure, permanent restoration known to last ten years or more.

Other techniques performed by cosmetic dentists include gum surgery, dental fillings, orthodontic treatment, and dental implants. Consider consulting with a cosmetic dentist to see if any procedures might benefit you and restore your smile.

Contact our office to schedule a Cosmetic Dentistry consultation in our Sicklerville dental office.

Does Asthma Affect Oral Health?

Does Asthma Affect Oral Health?

About 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma, a long-term lung disease that causes swelling and narrowing of the airways. The condition has been linked to oral health, with patients having increased risk for cavities, gum problems, and bad breath.

One of the main culprits negatively impacting an asthma patient’s oral health is the medication required to treat the condition. Some medicines, such as corticosteroids, decrease the flow of saliva. This leads to dry mouth, which in turn can increase cavities and bad breath. Dry mouth is worsened by the fact that many asthma patients breathe through their mouth. Inhaled steroids can also increase the risk of thrush, which is caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the mouth.

Here are some tips for keeping your mouth safe while still controlling your asthma:

  • Make sure your dentist is aware of your condition, as well as all medications that you are taking.
  • Rinse your mouth with water or a fluoride mouthwash after using your inhaler.
  • Consider using a spacer device with your inhaler, which will spray the medication directly into your throat and avoid some of the direct risks to your mouth.
  • Bring your inhaler with you to dentist appointments, both to show it to your dentist and to have your medication available in case you experience an asthma attack at the office.
  • Ask your dentist if more frequent dental visits are recommended in your case.
  • Inquire about adding fluoride supplements to your routine, especially in areas where the water is not fluoridated.
  • Maintain good brushing and flossing habits.

If you need a dentist in Sicklerville contact us today

Dental Implants Repair Smiles

Dental Implants Repair Smiles

Sometimes people lose teeth. It may result from tooth decay, trauma, disease, or other problems but no matter the cause, the end result can be poor mouth function and an embarrassing appearance. Luckily, dental implants provide an effective way to repair your smile and change your whole outlook on life.

Dental implants are basically replacement roots for your missing teeth. When you lose a tooth, you also lose the roots that hold it in place. Implants provide a substitute for the roots in order to anchor an artificial tooth securely in place. It requires oral surgery to get dental implants, because a small titanium post is placed directly into the bone where the missing tooth’s roots should be. As healing occurs over the next few months, the implanted post becomes part of your jaw and creates a very secure artificial root.

Once the implant has successfully attached to your jawbone, a small post is placed to hold your new tooth. A crown that matches your existing teeth is attached to the post, and your dental implant is complete. Some of the benefits you can expect from dental implants include:

  • Permanent restoration
  • Improved appearance
  • Normal speech
  • Comfort
  • Easier eating
  • Improved self-confidence
  • Convenience

Before deciding to have a dental implant, make sure you see a qualified dentist or oral surgeon to make sure you are a good candidate. It is important to have enough bone to support the implant. If not, you may need some type of intervention to correct bone deficiency or you might be advised about a different type of restoration. But if you learn that implants are an option in your situation, you will be able to begin your journey to a beautiful smile.

We offer dental Implants for missing teeth at our Sicklerville dental office

Lakeside Dental
601 Liberty Place
Sicklerville, NJ 08081
856-432-7788

   LocationAppointment

Lakeside Dental
601 Liberty Place
Sicklerville, NJ 08081
856-432-7788

   LocationAppointment

Sicklerville Dentist. Dorothy Drain DMD provides Dental Implants, Snap On Smiles, Lumineers, Childrens Dentist, Dental Hygiene, Same Day Dental Emergency, Dental Insurance to the following locations: Williamston, NJ, Berlin, NJ, Glouster, NJ, Berlin, NJ.