Top 5 Reasons for Dentures

When you hear the word “dentures”- what comes to mind? Do you have any friends or family with dentures? If so, what has their experience been? Or perhaps you know someone from your past that had dentures. Dentistry has evolved greatly each decade and along with these developments, dentures have also evolved. Today, with the newest denture technology and the expertise of your restorative dentist, you can find the dentures that can make improvements in your life. Here are some reasons to consider dentures:

1- Aesthetics and Appearance: According to the American Dental Association, dentures can help improve the cosmetic appearance of your teeth, jaw, and mouth. Missing, misshapen, or misplaced teeth may be difficult to deal with in day-to-day life. Dentures can give your smile a more natural-looking appearance.

2- Speaking: Your teeth and mouth affect talking, and teeth that are not functioning correctly can also make it more difficult to speak. Dentures can make it easier to speak.

3- Chewing: Along with speaking, the mouth is used to chew frequently throughout the day. Missing teeth makes it a challenge to chew, but dentures can provide a replacement to what is missing and make chewing a more pleasurable experience.

4- Breathing: Does exercise, or taking a walk around the block, present a challenge? Or how about just normal activities? Though various body parts and organs affect how we breathe, like our lungs and throat, our mouth also helps to regulate our breathing. The correct dentures can make breathing more natural, and often easier.

5- Health: The removal of unhealthy teeth, and replacement with dentures can help give your mouth a fresh, clean start. The combination of being able to speak, chew, and breathe more easily should combine to help you maintain a healthier lifestyle.

If you would like to further discuss dentures and find the right dentures for your life, contact your restorative dentist. The difference that dentures can make is often significant. Have you ever thought about dentures?

Top 5 Reasons for Dental Implants

You yearn for the days when your teeth felt normal. Those were times in which you didn’t have to worry much about your smile, but now you do. Dental implants are a good solution for those that want to have a more convenient solution for their teeth, and also regain confidence in their smile. Here are the top 5 reasons why people decide to get implants:

1- Natural appearance. Implants can help give you back a natural-looking smile. Dental prosthetics have advanced greatly over the last several decades, and now, it is very easy for the average person be unable to tell the difference between a tooth you were born with, and a prosthetic tooth or crown. A natural appearance can give you additional confidence and help you feel like yourself again. 

2- Comfort and Stability. Dental implants stay in place, so you do not have to worry about taking them on or off. Implants are put in place carefully by an expert restorative dentist. The combination of science and craftsmanship that goes into dental implants helps ensure a great personal fit. 

3- Improved speech and smile. Because of the stability and permanency of dental implants, your speech will be more natural and should flow easier as well. 

4- Improved breathing is also a positive effect of dental implants and should help you resume daily activities including exercise, with ease. 

5- Improved chewing. After dental implants, it will be much easier to chew foods, especially meals that are sticky or require much chewing. Imagine being able to enjoy your favorite foods without worrying if your current teeth can handle it. 

Before making any decisions, it is recommended to talk to a dentist that specializes in restorative dentistry, implants, or both. Together, you can make a decision that is best for your life and health.

How Often do You Really Need to Brush?

Brushing is a technique that we learn at a young age, and the habits we pick up early in life often carry into adulthood. We’ve likely all heard the recommendation, “brush twice a day”, but is this really true? And is there anything else we should know about brushing besides simply brushing twice a day? The short answer to brushing twice a day is: Yes. Both the American Dental Association and world-renown Mayo Clinic recommend to brush at least twice a day. 

Brushing in the morning helps eliminate the bacteria that has accumulated overnight. Brushing in the evening helps eliminate the bacteria that has accumulated throughout the day due to all the food and drink that has been consumed. Some people even brush after every meal, or in the middle of the day, and this can easily be accomplished with a mini toothbrush and toothpaste at hand. 

In addition to brushing twice a day, you may want to take particular note when you have just eaten or are about to eat acidic foods. Acidity weakens tooth enamel, which protects our teeth. Foods higher in acidity than others contain a relatively low pH, to include lemons and lemon juice, apples, berries, pineapple, grapefruit, cherries, plums, nectarines, peaches, pears, pimentos, tomatoes, and vinegar. 

Brushing before eating the foods above

helps add a protective coating to your teeth. However, immediately after eating these foods, hold off on the toothbrush. It is recommended to wait at least 30 minutes after eating acidic foods to brush so your teeth have some time to recover after the acidity.

When you do brush, be sure to make it count and do it well. If you’re a little bored, hum or sing a song in your head, or listen to music. Try doing squats! And don’t forget to floss at least once a day as well. Flossing not only removes debris, but also stimulates gums which helps protect teeth and fights off gum disease. What are your favorite times to brush during the day? Any favorite toothpastes or floss?

Oral Cancer Prevention

Oral cancer, also known as mouth cancer, affects nearly 35,000 Americans each year and kills around 8,000. While oral cancer may occur at any age and affects both men and women, it is most common in men over 40. Oral cancer can begin almost anywhere in the mouth- this includes the teeth, tongue, gums, top of the mouth, bottom of the mouth, inside and outside linings of the lips, inside linings of the cheeks, and sometimes even near the top of the throat. It is important to prevent oral cancer as a healthy mouth and oral cavity are essential for a healthy, functioning body. Below are some ideas to help reduce the risk of oral cancer. You may already be incorporating some of the ideas into you own life. Read on for our thoughts:

Tobacco use is the primary cause of oral cancer in both men and women and should be avoided. Tobacco use not only includes smoking cigarretes, but also cigars and pipes. Chewing tobacco may also cause cancer. It is best to not start using tobacco, but if you are a user, consult with your dentist or doctor to determine the best treatment plan available to help lessen or eliminate your use of tobacco.

Your risk for oral cancer increases with the amount of beer, liquor, or wine consumed per day. Someone that drinks three to four alcoholic beverages per day has an oral cancer risk that is twice that of someone that does not consume alcohol. To reduce your alcohol use, consult with a doctor or review treatment centers or groups in your area.

Sunlight exposure may increase the risk of mouth or lip cancer. Make sure you wear a protective chapstick or lotion when in the sun, especially for extended periods. And, Prevent the growth of bacteria and diseases in your mouth by brushing at least two times a day and floss regularly. Make sure to incorporate healthy foods into your diet and start or maintain an exercise routine. With the right mindset and determination, you can equip your body with the best tools possible to help prevent oral cancer.

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Start the New Year off right with Cosmetic Dentistry

Why Cosmetic Dentistry? Why not is what you should be asking yourself. Traditional dentistry focuses mainly on preventing and treating oral issues as well as hygiene. Cosmetic Dentistry is focused on the appearance of your smile. Your teeth may currently be free of plaque and other harmful additions to your teeth – but how do they look when you smile? Cosmetic Dentistry options can help with this.

There have been many advances in cosmetic dental options offering natural looking and durable dental options. This can range from choosing a filling color made from porcelain or composite materials so that they match the color of your teeth as much as possible to teeth replacements. A smile makeover is not comfortable, convenient and affordable.

Not many dentists are specially trained in the Salt Lake, Layton and Ogden area to provide these options. Affleck Dental, located in the Ogden/Layton area, can. Teeth whitening is one of the more popular methods and with the new Zoom Whitening options, Affleck Dental is able to accommodate all types of patients.

Other treatments for cosmetic dentistry are inlays and onlays and composite bonding to correct the appearance of your mouth and teeth. Along with veneers, these options are intended to simply correct and repair chips and cracks in the tooth. Dental implants can take it the next step further by adding artificial tooth implants all the way from the root. This option can enhance your smile and bring back your youthful look.

These are only a few of your options at Affleck Dental. Dr. Michael Affleck is one of the few local prosthodontists who can perform these procedures and ensure your excellent results. Start the new year off right with a free cosmetic dentistry consultation!

The Perfect Smile Makeover

Our smiles can say a lot about us and naturally we all desire to have a perfect smile. Not everyone is born with the perfect smile, but luckily reaching that goal is not a hard thing to do.   Now improving our smiles is easier than ever with many options to receiving a total smile makeover.  We have all had something about our smile we have wanted to fix, whether it is straighter teeth, whiter teeth, or just prettier teeth.  

There are many options to perfecting your smile.  One of the most common and easiest is whitening.  There are many ways to whiten your teeth from strips bought in-store to a quick and easy chair session at your dentist’s office.  Teeth whitening may seem like such a small aesthetic improvement to your smile but the results can really make a huge difference in your smile’s look.

A smile makeover can also include certain measures such as closing gaps between teeth or correcting inconsistent spacing.  This can be accomplished with veneers — a thin material placed over a tooth, like a shell, to improve the appearance of your smile.  Veneers are also great for chipped teeth or making your teeth have a more even look about them.

Smile makeovers can have some very positive results like boosting self esteem.  This reason alone makes smile makeovers extremely common.  Many celebrities have had aesthetic dental improvements.  It is extremely common to find celebrities having dental improvements just like everyday people! A smile makeover could possibly be one of the best decisions you have made yet. Affleck Dental has just the answers with great, fast teeth whitening options and reliable veneers for designed specifically for every person.

         

Veneers? Why would I want veneers?”

– you ask yourself. Thousands of people every day are having veneers placed over their teeth for a variety of reasons. Perhaps your teeth are permanently discolored, they are worn down, chipped or broken, uneven or there are large gaps between them. With veneers, you don’t have to live with aesthetic issues like these.

 Veneers are wafer-thin, customer made shells that are designed to cover the front surface of the teeth, colored to match your normal teeth color and intended to improve your appearance. Veneers are bonded to the teeth for permanent change of color, shape, size and even length.

Now that you have a better understanding of what they are and the purpose of veneers, you can decide if the process if for you. Generally veneers are fitted within three visits.

Visit 1) Diagnosis, treatment and discussion of the entire procedure

Visit 2) Preparation of the tooth; removing unnecessary enamel to allow the veneer to fit; and taking an impression of the tooth to use a base for construction of the veneer

Visit 3) Bonding – here the dentist will make sure your veneers are a perfect fit before permanently cementing the veneer on to the tooth.

Nevertheless, as with any procedure, there are advantages and disadvantages. Even with veneers, your teeth can still decay if not taken care of and your tooth may be more sensitive since enamel was removed. On the other hand, veneers are stain resistant and offer a stronger, more aesthetic alternative to other potential procedures.

And if you are still unsure, it’s ok! Dr. Affleck provides FREE consultations before coming up with a plan to better your appearance.