Author: KkDenntal_aDmEeN

What Is Oral Cancer Screening?

Dentists perform a dental examination to determine the presence of cancerous cells in your oral cavity. Ideally, an oral cancer screening is a procedure in preventive dentistry in Edison that allows dental experts to detect and cure cancer early.

When you visit a dental clinic in Edison for routine dental exams, the dentist will also examine your mouth for any anomalies indicative of precancerous cells. Should your dentist recommend additional screening measures, it could be out of a suspicion of oral cancer. However, an oral cancer screening is not a cure for cancer. It is the first measure necessary to detect any abnormalities early. Still, you will require additional tests like a biopsy to diagnose you with any oral cancer.

Who Needs Oral Cancer Screening?

Anyone can benefit from regular oral cancer screenings. The test aims to detect any anomalies in your oral cavity that may point to oral cancer. There is no point in undergoing the screening test frequently unless you are at a high risk of oral cancer. Some groups of people that require frequent oral cancer screenings are:

• A previous diagnosis of oral cancer or a different type of cancer.
• Smokers – and patients who consume tobacco in any other form, including snuffing and chewing tobacco.
• A family history of oral cancer
• Alcoholics and heavy consumers of alcohol
• History of significant exposure to direct sunlight

What Does Oral Cancer Screening Entail?

The screening process entails two main facets; extraoral examination and intraoral cavity examination. During the different tests, expect your dentist to put gloved fingers in your mouth for palpation repeatedly. Further, your dentist may employ a special blue screening dye to cause abnormal cells in your mouth to stand out by absorbing the dye and turning blue. The dentist may also use a screening light that makes healthy tissue appear dark while the abnormal cells appear white. While on the dentist’s chair at KK Dental Edison for oral cancer screening, anticipate the following steps:

• Extraoral examination
• The face – the Edison dentist will evaluate your entire face, looking for asymmetry, ulcerations, masses, or swelling. The dentist will quickly identify any hard protrusions on your face and skull.
• The eyes – your dentist will consider different aspects of your eyes, including cranial nerve involvement, swelling of the eye, and periorbital inflammation.
• Ears and nose – the nasal evaluation is crucial as it is directly linked to the maxilla and maxillary sinus, which can impact oral health. The dentist will check for hearing impairment, ulcerous lesions, pigmentations, and tumors.
• The neck – the dentist will compare both sides of your neck, particularly for any signs of lymph node enlargement and signs of immobility.
• The thyroid – the dentist will evaluate the thyroid glands for any tenderness, nodules, or masses. (S)he will have you swallow while the fingers are adjacent to the gland.
• The lips – the dentist will evaluate your lips with your mouth both opened and closed. Any texture, color, firmness, contour, or symmetry anomalies will be noteworthy for the screening process.
• Intraoral cavity examination
• Buccal mucosa – is the lining of your cheeks and the back of the lips where they touch the teeth. The dentist can examine the area along the upper and lower jaws by placing fingers accordingly to identify any irregularities in your Buccal mucosa’s firmness, texture, and color.
• Tongue – you will stick out your tongue, moving it from side to side as the dentist evaluates it. A nerve paralysis can inspire limitations to movement or cause your tongue to deviate in the direction of the lesion. Your tongue’s lateral border is especially a point of concern since it is the most common site for tongue cancers. The other area of observation is the tongue’s ventral surface when you touch the roof of your mouth with the tip of your tongue.
• The mouth floor – refers to the entire U-shaped area from the alveolar ridge to the tongue’s ventral surface.
• Hard and soft palate – rough patches, white spots, masses, and asymmetry are noteworthy for the evaluation.
• Tonsils – your dentist will focus on the oropharynx to identify any redness, swelling, or ulceration.

Gum health is a crucial aspect of oral health. It also plays a significant role in the overall health of your body. Unhealthy gums are an avenue to developing chronic diseases.

Gums cover your teeth, roots, and jawbone. They are the shielding layer against bacteria that damage gum tissue and cause degenerative diseases. Once bacteria accumulate on the flaps, they cause periodontal disease.

KK Dental – Somerset understands the importance of gums to your overall health. They recommend regular visits to the dentist for checkups and cleanings. By maintaining oral hygiene, you avert many health problems that arise as a result of gum diseases.

How Gum Disease Starts

The mouth is an ecosystem of bacteria known as the oral microbiome. Different types of bacteria compete for space, achieving a perfect balance. Your gums are protected as long as the balance exists. Any distortion to the ratio opens room for pathogens to invade.

Once pathogens invade, the gums start swelling, thereby destroying the tissues. The body’s immune system senses the existence of the disease-causing bacteria and produces substances that destroy the bacteria and damage the gum tissue.

Gum Disease’s Effects Throughout the Body

Periodontal disease causes several effects ranging from mild redness and swelling of gums to destruction of the tooth’s framework. Once the entire tooth framework is damaged, you begin to lose teeth. Periodontal disease affects your whole body in various ways.

Heart Health

Gum disease has a direct effect on your heart health. It causes inflammation in your entire body. Some studies have found that severe gum disease links to heart disease. Heart disease is an inflammatory disease that multiplies the probability of a stroke, especially when a person suffers from gum disease.

Lung Health

Periodontal health promotes lung health for persons with obstructive pulmonary disease. Periodontal disease increases the risk of respiratory infections like pneumonia due to inhaling bacteria in the respiratory tract.

Nutritional Health

Meanwhile, gum disease is the foremost cause of tooth loss. Tooth loss makes eating certain healthy foods like crisp fruits and vegetables more difficult. Lack of teeth also causes chewing problems resulting in poor nutrition, which in turn causes problems such as dizziness and fatigue.

Emotional Health

People first notice your smile when in public. It is therefore essential to have a friendly smile, which is not the case for individuals with gum disease. Lack of teeth leads to substantial social problems leading to reduced emotional health.

Overall Body

Periodontal disease causes a surge in the bacteria present in your mouth. The increased bacteria in your mouth increases their chance of getting absorbed into the bloodstream, which may lead to more severe infections. For instance, some researchers have identified a link between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Using an antibacterial mouthwash helps reduce the bacteria and thus lowers the probability of getting gingivitis.

How to Prevent Periodontal Disease

Being ahead of the game is ideal for taking care of your gums. You can maintain optimal gum hygiene and avoid challenges associated with gum diseases. There are several tips to prevent bacterial infection.

• Brush and floss – brushing your teeth twice each day and flossing them before sleeping is advisable. If you have dental implants, braces or bridges, or wide gaps between the teeth, you might use an interdental brush with tiny bristles on one end to clear any trapped food.
• Eat a healthy diet – Once you adhere to brushing and flossing your teeth daily, you can supplement your gum health by taking healthy foods that provide essential nutrients. They include nuts, legumes, fruits, oils, and fatty fish.
• Don’t smoke – smoking increases the chances of developing gum disease. You can avoid smoking and stay clear of periodontal disease.

Tips for Keeping Healthy Gums

• Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste.
• Ensure you rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash at least once daily.
• Replace old toothbrushes that are worn out.
• Adhere to regular visits to your dentist for checkups and cleanings.
• Avoid eating sugary snacks and drinks.

Do you wake up with jaw pains and headaches? Or perhaps you’ve noticed that your back teeth are flattened when brushing teeth and flossing? If so, you could have bruxism. Bruxism is a common disorder where you grind your teeth or clench your jaw while asleep (sleep bruxism) or awake (awake bruxism). Sleep bruxism is the most common.

Since bruxism happens unconsciously, you might not know you have the condition until the symptoms appear. While bruxism isn’t life-threatening, it can lead to serious side effects. Common side effects of teeth grinding include:

• Morning headaches
• Pain in the jaw, ears, and face
• Teeth wearing down or flattening
• Loose or falling teeth
• Dental trauma like chips, cracks, or breaks
• Persistent tooth pain
• Cracked or damaged restorations like fillings and crowns

If you have or suspect you have bruxism, see a dentist for professional diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. They will examine your teeth, bite alignment, and mouth to determine whether you have bruxism. Untreated teeth grinding can increase your risk of long-term complications such as:

• Chronic headaches and ear pain
• Facial muscle enlargement
• Tooth damage that results in cavities or tooth loss. These issues require extensive treatments like dental crowns and implants to treat.
• Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ)

Remedies for Teeth Bruxism

Below are common tips you can use to manage teeth grinding and clenching:

• Stress and anxiety management

For some people, bruxism may be linked to underlying issues like stress, depression, weight loss, and anxiety. In such cases, lifestyle techniques such as meditation, yoga, talk therapy, and exercise manage these conditions and eliminate teeth grinding. These techniques are also beneficial for your overall well-being.

• Lifestyle Changes

Certain lifestyle habits such as tobacco use, drug abuse, alcohol use, and high caffeine are linked to teeth grinding and clenching. Avoiding or limiting these substances can reduce or stop the problem of bruxism.

• Mouth Devices

If you have mild to moderate sleep bruxism, your dentist might recommend wearing a night guard. A night guard is also used for a number of sleep-related disorders like sleep apnea and snoring. The guard prevents the upper and the lower teeth from grinding against each other while sleeping. While they won’t cure bruxism, they preserve the health of your teeth and reduce other symptoms of bruxism

When considering a night guard, be sure to use a custom-made mouthguard from your dentist. It’s designed according to your mouth structure, offering maximum protection, comfort, and durability. While you can opt for cheaper over-the-counter night guards, they might be bulky and ill-fitting, which can worsen your condition and cause breathing problems.

• Tongue and Jaw muscles exercises

The build-up of stress in your jaw can trigger you to grind your teeth or clench your jaw. Fortunately, you can try some tongue and jaw exercises to help relax and maintain the proper position of your jaw and facial muscles. You can consult a physical therapist to determine which exercises suit you better. In the meantime, you can try massaging your jaw to loosen up the muscles.

• Orthodontic treatments

Sometimes tooth grinding might be caused by orthodontic problems like a poor bite, crooked teeth, and overcrowding. Your dentist might recommend orthodontic treatments like traditional braces and Invisalign to align your bite and prevent teeth grinding and clenching.

• Treating Existing Conditions

Sometimes teeth grinding and clenching can be a side effect of certain medications such as antidepressants. If that’s the case, you can consult your doctor about a different prescription. Similarly, bruxism can signify sleep-related disorders such as sleep apnea. Addressing sleep apnea can help improve sleep bruxism. Treating medical conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can help manage bruxism.

Final Verdict

Early treatment for teeth grinding and clenching is essential to prevent severe and long-term complications. If you suspect or have bruxism, visit a dentist or doctor near you for diagnosis and treatment. For more information about teeth grinding and clenching, contact KK Dental – North Brunswick to book your appointment today.

Wisdom teeth always take time to develop, often developing during the late teenage years, around the age of 17 years. Unfortunately, some people experience complications with their wisdom teeth. For instance, if there isn’t enough room in the jawbone for the tooth to erupt or develop normally, the tooth becomes impacted. Such a tooth may:

• Grow in a direction toward the adjacent tooth
• Grow at a right angle position to other teeth
• Grow straight down or up but stay trapped within the jawbone
• Grow in a direction towards the back of the mouth

While not always, an impacted tooth can result in several problems such as:

• Pain
• Plaque and tartar build-up
• Oral infections like gum diseases, tooth decay, and oral thrush
• Damage to the nearby surrounding bone
• Problems with orthodontic treatments
• Development of a fluid-filled sac

Even if an impacted tooth isn’t causing problems, the dentist might recommend removing it to prevent future complications. The dentist might also recommend extraction if a wisdom tooth has developed normally but has suffered extreme damage or decay.

In most cases, the dentist extracts the tooth through surgical extraction. Most patients are often worried about their recovery after the surgery. Below are essential tips for faster healing and recovery after a wisdom tooth extraction.

After Your Wisdom Teeth Extraction, Here’s What You Should Do:

Following your dentist’s aftercare instructions is the first tip to facilitate faster healing and recovery. Other tips include:

• Rest adequately. After oral surgery, avoid strenuous activities or exercises for the next few days. However, don’t be completely inactive; try short walks to improve blood circulation and facilitate faster recovery.
• The dentist might prescribe medication to manage swelling and pain. Ensure you take medicine as directed by your dentist. Don’t use over-the-counter medication without consulting your healthcare provider.
• Elevate your head. When lying down, use a soft pillow to raise your head.
• Use an Ice Pack. In the first 24 – 48 hours after wisdom tooth removal, apply an ice pack outside the cheek to manage pain and swelling.
• Bite on the gauze. It helps a clot to form and stop the bleeding for quick recovery.
• Take a soft diet. The wound will be sensitive to extreme temperatures and touch after an extraction. When eating, opt for liquid and soft food diets like soups, mashed potatoes, yogurts, milkshakes, and smoothies. Chew on the side opposite the extraction area.
• Stay Hydrated. Drink enough amounts of fluids to avoid dry mouth and oral infections. Do not use a straw.
• Call your dentist or contact our dentist near you in Edison if bleeding and swelling worsen or persist beyond normal.

Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare: Don’ts

• For the next 24 hours, avoid sucking, spitting, rinsing, or using a straw to prevent dislodging the clot.
• For the next 72 hours, avoid tobacco and alcoholic products to prevent a dry socket.
• For the next three days to a week, avoid hard, spicy, crunchy, and chewy food items like nuts, carrots, popcorns, and hard vegetables to avoid disturbing and irritating the wound.
• Don’t eat until the anesthesia wears off completely.
• Do not take aspirin as it can affect blood clot formation.
• Do not touch the wound with a finger, toothpick, or tongue. It can cause the blood clot to dislodge, resulting in a dry socket.

What Else Should I Know About Wisdom Teeth Extraction?

When preparing for a wisdom tooth extraction surgery, your dentist might ask you to choose a form of sedation to keep you pain-free and comfortable throughout the procedure. If you have another sedation other than nitrous oxide (laughing gas), organize for a friend to take you home after the procedure. Also, be sure to have someone stay with you in the first few hours, just in case you encounter any complications.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Do you need more information about wisdom tooth extraction? Contact KK Dental Edison to book your appointment with our dentist.

Dental phobia is a serious issue that causes millions of people to avoid dental care. Unfortunately, avoiding or delaying dental care isn’t the answer to your oral troubles. If left untreated, most oral issues often advance to severe and life-threatening stages, causing the need for more invasive and expensive treatments.

Dental fear, anxiety, or stress are triggered from a dental setting or the thought of procedures like injections and drilling. It can be from a previously bad or painful dental experience. If the thought of dental appointments makes you feel uneasy or anxious, you can benefit from sedation dentistry.

Signs you have dental anxiety or phobia and you might benefit from sedation dentistry include:

• Racing heartbeat or palpitations
• Sweating
• Low blood pressure
• Fainting (syncope)
• Withdrawal or aggression
• Visible distress, signs of panic, or crying

Visit our office for more information about sedation dentistry in Somerset.

Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

There are many ways sedation dentistry can make your dental experience better:

• Quicker dental appointments

Dental fear or anxiety can delay or affect how your dentist provides dental care, especially among kids. For instance, signs of panic or crying can slow down or completely prevent treatment. When sedated, you’ll feel relaxed, painless, and calm. This allows our Somerset dentist to work faster and uninterrupted.

• Get multiple treatments in one sitting.

Sedation dentistry keeps you relaxed and comfortable enough to undergo lengthy or multiple appointments without feeling tired or irritated. Having multiple appointments will save you and your dentist plenty of time and money.

• It gives you a positive dental experience.

If you normally feel anxious about seeking dental care, dental sedation can change your perspective. Once you realize how comfortable, painless, and calm you can receive dental treatment, you won’t feel anxious or fearful about visiting your dentist. Sedation dentistry will give you a positive experience with dental care and help you get dental care when necessary.

• Prompts you to seek preventive care

Apart from seeking dental care, dental anxiety can prevent you from visiting your dentist for routine dental exams and cleanings. These appointments are essential to prevent potential oral issues and facilitate early treatment.

You’ll feel calm and pain-free during your routine appointments with sedation dentistry. It will prompt you to keep up with your routine appointments and help you maintain excellent oral health.

• Sedation helps with strong gag reflexes.

Patients with a strong gag reflex can gag or throw up during dental appointments. It can make dental appointments uncomfortable, longer, and embarrassing. Thanks to sedation dentistry, you’ll feel relaxed and calm, significantly reducing or eliminating gag reflex.

• Painless treatments

Perhaps the primary cause of dental anxiety is pain. Even when undergoing invasive treatments that can cause pain, sedation dentistry prevents any pain or discomfort, allowing you to undergo treatments comfortably.

• Improves your oral and overall health

Delaying or avoiding dental care due to dental anxiety or phobia can harm your oral and overall health. For instance, untreated gum infection can lead to serious oral and overall illnesses like jawbone disorders, certain cancers, diabetes, respiratory problems, and heart problems. Sedation dentistry makes dental appointments quick and comfortable. It will always prompt you to seek dental care whenever necessary, helping you maintain excellent oral and overall wellness.

• You have several options to choose from

Several sedation options are available based on factors like your age, overall health, and the length and type of procedure you’re undergoing. The sedation administered can be mild, moderate, or deep.

Mild sedation only keeps you relaxed and calm, but you’ll be conscious, and you can communicate. These types of conscious sedation are often administered orally through a pill or by inhaling a gas (nitrous oxide).

Deep forms of sedation make you fully unconscious. Most patients don’t remember anything about their treatment. For most types of sedation, you’ll need someone to drive you home after the procedure.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Ready to begin pain-free, relaxed, and comfortable dental treatments? Contact KK Dental – Somerset to speak with our family dentist in Somerset.

Tooth decay is a ticking time bomb. If not addressed on time and correctly, it can eventually lead to loose teeth, tooth loss, gum infection, abscesses, and bone infection. Fortunately, you can prevent these side effects and save your tooth.

A root canal treatment is an effective way to remove and stop tooth infections. If damage is significant, tooth extraction may be the only remedy. Afterward, you can replace the tooth with a bridge or implant. Contact our dentist in New Brunswick, NJ, to determine the right treatment.

How Root Canal Works

A root canal restores the health of a decayed tooth. Usually, your tooth has three main layers – enamel, dentin, and pulp chamber. Enamel is the outer layer that protects the inner structures of the teeth. The pulp is the innermost chamber that contains nerves and blood vessels.

Unfortunately, your tooth can chip, crack, break, or fracture, exposing the tooth’s pulp. It can happen from accidents, severe teeth grinding and clenching, and poor dental hygiene. When bacteria enter the tooth, they infect the pulp tissues, leading to decay. Root canal therapy is necessary to remove the infection. The dentist begins by numbing your mouth to prevent pain and anxiety during the procedure.

Next, the dentist drills through the tooth to access the tooth’s pulp. Then, the dentist removes infected and decayed pulp tissues, and the tooth is rinsed and disinfected. Next, the dentist fills the empty chamber with a filling material to close the hole. Placing a crown is necessary to protect and strengthen a tooth after a root canal. Typically, placing a permanent filling and crown may take a few weeks. Contact our endodontist in Brunswick, NJ, for more information about root canal treatment.

Factors that Affect Recovery after a Root Canal

While most canals are often successful and long-lasting, there’s often a risk of re-infection. It can happen for several reasons. For instance, if saliva or infection gets trapped during a root canal, it can result in re-infection. Similarly, a crown can crack, chip, or break, exposing the tooth to further infection.

Fortunately, you can do something to facilitate successful healing after a root canal. These include:

• Early treatment

Early treatment is a key factor in successful treatment when performing a root canal. Like most health issues, the sooner tooth decay is detected and treated, the higher the chance of successful root canal treatment.

The more severe the tooth infection or decay, the higher the risk of re-infection. Regular dental assessments and cleanings can help with early diagnosis and treatment. Similarly, seeking dental care immediately when faced with oral issues can ensure a successful root canal with fewer side effects.

• Tooth type

The second factor that can affect the success of a root canal is the type of tooth that needs treatment. Generally, front teeth have single roots, and fewer canals are easier to treat. On the other hand, molars and premolars are hard to reach and contain a complex root canal network. It can make a root canal treatment more complicated, increasing the risk of re-infection.

• The aging process

Over time, teeth can wear down or weaken, making them susceptible to damage. If a root canal is performed on an aged tooth, there’s a higher fracture risk, leading to infections. It’s advisable to place a dental crown after the root canal treatment to prevent this.

Similarly, taking too long to place a crown can increase the risk of re-infection. Most dentists advise placing a crown within a few weeks after the root canal treatment. The improper placing of the crown can also lead to re-infection.

How to Promote Faster Recovery after Root Canal

Immediate Aftercare

• Take medication as prescribed by the dentist.
• Use an ice pack to manage swelling and pain.
• Eat a soft diet. Avoid hard, sticky, spicy, or crunchy food items.
• Brush and floss gently around the treated tooth.
• Avoid hot and acidic items to prevent sensitivity.
• Notify your dentist or contact our North Brunswick dentist if your symptoms worsen or persist.

Long-term Aftercare

• Brush and floss regularly.
• Wear a mouthguard for bruxism or sports.
• Schedule frequent dental assessments and cleanings.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Do you have an infected tooth? Contact KK Dental – Brunswick for root canal treatment.

Gum or periodontal disease is an increasingly rising oral concern among millions globally. Keeping up with good oral hygiene and regular oral exams is the key to maintaining healthy gums. Usually, gum disease results from bacteria, plaque, and tartar in the mouth. These deposits can irritate and infect the gums, causing inflammation.

Over time, these deposits form along and under the gum line, forming deep pockets. As the pockets become deeper, it might be difficult or painful to get rid of these deposits. If not eliminated, the infection can spread to the underlying jawbone and lead to tooth loss, loose teeth, bone damage, etc.

If caught early, your dentist or periodontist can perform deep cleaning, also known as scaling and root planing, to eliminate plaque and tartar under the gums and allow the gums to reattach to the teeth. However, deep cleaning might not be effective if your pockets are too deep, say more than 5mm. In such a case, your periodontist can recommend pocket reduction surgery, also known as Osseous surgery. Visit a dental care clinic near you or contact our Edison dentist for periodontal disease treatment.

What is Osseous Surgery?

Osseous surgery is a pocket reduction surgery designed to reduce or eliminate deep pockets from periodontal disease. If you have periodontitis and your pockets haven’t improved, your doctor may recommend surgery. Contact our family dentist in Edison, NJ, to determine whether Osseous surgery is right for you.

Osseous Surgery Procedure

Osseous surgery is to eliminate infection and bacteria in gum pockets. Typically, the procedure takes about 1 – 2 hours. It may depend on the patient’s need for additional procedures such as bone grafting.

The periodontist will begin by numbing the treatment area to prevent discomfort and keep you relaxed during the procedure. Next, the periodontist will open and lift back your gum tissues from the teeth and jawbone.

They will clean the pockets and smoothen the root surface using special tools. It creates a better surface for teeth and gums to reattach. Next, the gum tissues trim to fit the underlying structure. Lastly, they stitch the gums to facilitate healing.

Bone Grafting

Your periodontist can recommend bone grafting to repair your bone. The procedure entails placing new bone materials into the area where you’ve lost bone.

Osseous Surgery Aftercare

After the surgery, it’s normal to experience some side effects like pain, swelling, or sensitivity. Fortunately, your periodontist will prescribe some medication to manage that. Complete healing may take three to six months.

Your doctor will also give you a few aftercare instructions to facilitate faster healing and recovery. It can include:

• Take medication as prescribed.
• Brush and floss daily gently around the treatment area.
• Eat cool and soft food items. Avoid hot, acidic, hard, crunchy, and acidic items.
• Avoid smoking or alcohol consumption.
• Don’t suck, spit, rinse, or use a straw for the next few days.
• Rest adequately. Avoid strenuous physical activities like exercises for the next five days.
• Use an ice pack to manage pain and swelling.
• Use saltwater rinses after 24 hours.
• Notify your periodontist if your symptoms worsen or persist. Visit a dental clinic near you if you have a fever or infection.
• Go to your doctor’s follow-up appointments.
• Schedule regular oral checkups and cleanings.

Schedule An Appointment

Contact KK Dental Edison to talk with our oral surgeon in Edison for more information about Osseous surgery and periodontal disease.

When you lose several of your natural teeth, it causes more harm than just ruining a perfect smile. Since the teeth support your facial muscles, missing teeth can cause facial sagging and wrinkles, giving you an older appearance. Similarly, you’ll likely experience difficulties chewing food and pronouncing certain words.

As far as your oral health is concerned, missing teeth often increases plaque and bacteria buildup in the mouth, exposing you to tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral complications. Additionally, the remaining healthy teeth are likely to move towards the gaps, leading to misalignments. Your jawbone will likely deteriorate or weaken over time due to a lack of chewing activities.

Lost teeth can negatively impact your oral appearance, function, health, self-confidence, and overall quality of life. Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it. If you’ve lost a few or all of your natural teeth, your dentist will likely recommend getting dentures.

What are Dentures?

A denture is a removable tooth-colored dental device that replaces missing teeth and the surrounding tissues. Dentures replace a few or all missing teeth. Dentures consist of artificial teeth and a gum-colored base over the bone ridge that supports the natural teeth. Dentures function, feel, and look like your natural teeth.

Getting a quality customized denture will ensure that it comfortably fits your mouth without causing discomfort, falling off, or slipping off when chewing or speaking. Ill-fitting dentures can hurt your gums, bone, and remaining teeth leading to oral infections and other complications. They likely cause breathing, chewing, and speaking problems.

For this reason, it’s always advisable to make sure that you are getting your dentures from qualified and professional dentists. Contact our team for high-quality partials & full dentures in Somerset, NJ.

Types of Dentures

There are two major types of dentures, namely:

Complete or Full Dentures

Full dentures are ideal if the patient is missing all their natural teeth on either jaw. These dentures are removable, and you should never sleep with them. Ensure you clean them thoroughly and soak them overnight in a denture liquid to get rid of food debris, plaque, and bacteria buildup accumulated throughout the day.

Your dentist can place complete dentures immediately or a few weeks after teeth extraction. Conventional dentures are placed about 8-12 months after teeth extraction. This waiting period allows the gums to heal properly. Immediate dentures go on immediately after extraction, meaning that you won’t have to stay without teeth during the healing phase.

However, it’s worth noting that your bones and gums shrink during the healing phase. It means that immediate dentures will require more adjustments to fit properly. In most cases, immediate dentures are used as a temporary solution as you wait for the conventional dentures.

Partial Dentures

A partial denture consists of several artificial teeth attached to a gum-colored or pink plastic base. Partial dentures are for when a patient misses one or a few of their natural teeth in either jaw. You can get a removable or fixed denture depending on your condition and needs.

A partial removable denture should be removed and soaked when sleeping. Alternatively, you can get a fixed partial denture, also known as a dental bridge. A dental bridge is a fixed dental device that replaces one to a few teeth next to each other. The dental crowns support the artificial teeth by attaching healthy teeth adjacent to the gap. A dental implant can also support the bridge, giving it more strength, stability, and durability.

Partial or Full Dentures. Which is Better?

The choice between a partial denture and a full denture depends on the number of missing teeth. If you’re only missing a few of your natural teeth, a partial denture is better. On the other hand, if you’ve lost all of your teeth on either jaw, then a full denture is probably your best option.

Once you visit your dentist for an exam, they will inspect your mouth and determine the most suitable treatment option. Contact KK Dental in Somerset to get started with your treatment today.

Tooth chips, cracks, decay, and discoloration are the most common dental imperfections. Sports & car accidents, poor dental hygiene, and consumption of highly pigmented items are key reasons behind teeth damage. Fortunately, you can correct dental imperfections with porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers can restore your oral function and appearance thanks to their excellent aesthetics and strength.

What are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are thin tooth-colored coatings placed on the front surface of a tooth to repair the damage. Porcelain veneers are porcelain materials. When placing the veneer, the dentist will have to shave a small portion of your tooth’s enamel for the veneer to fit properly without looking bulky or abnormal.

After shaping the tooth, the dentist takes impressions of your teeth and sends them to the dental lab to create the porcelain veneers. This procedure takes about two weeks. A temporary veneer offers protection for the teeth.

The dentist will remove the temporary veneer on the second appointment and test the customized one. Next, the dentist will cement the porcelain veneers in place. Your veneers should last for 10-15 years with proper dental care before requiring replacement.

Do you Need Porcelain Veneers?

While porcelain veneers are highly effective, they aren’t ideal for all dental imperfections. To know whether you’re qualified for the treatment, visit a dental clinic near you or contact our North Brunswick dentist.

Unlike other dental procedures that take months and a series of appointments, getting porcelain veneers only takes two appointments. Your dentist will likely recommend porcelain veneers if you have dental imperfections like:

• Teeth stains and discoloration

Over time, your teeth can get stained, yellowed, or discolored due to dental trauma, poor hygiene, acidic items, highly pigmented foods, and smoking. While teeth whitening will always be the first attempt to whiten your smile, deeper stains may not respond to bleaching.

In such a case, porcelain veneers can help. The dentist will place a porcelain veneer on the front of the tooth, covering up the stains and giving you a whiter smile.

• Have abnormally short teeth

When your teeth appear shorter, your smile will likely look gummy even though you don’t have excess gum tissues. Your dentist can place a porcelain veneer to elongate your teeth and improve your smile.

• Uneven teeth

Uneven teeth can make you look unattractive and unhealthy. Your dentist can place a porcelain veneer on the tooth, improving the shape and size of your tooth. It provides balance to your smile.

• Teeth chips and cracks

Porcelain veneers are also effective in repairing minor teeth chips and cracks. These damages will likely worsen with time if not treated, leading to further complications like tooth decay and tooth loss. Your dentist can place a porcelain veneer over the teeth, holding the tooth together and creating a perfect smile.

• Minor tooth gaps and misalignments

If you only have minor teeth gaps and misalignments, you don’t need orthodontic treatments like braces and Invisalign. A porcelain veneer can be used to widen your teeth, close improper teeth gaps, and fix misalignments.

Ideal Candidates for Porcelain Veneers

To qualify for porcelain veneers, you should possess certain traits. For successful attachment, you should have healthy teeth and gums for a porcelain veneer. If your teeth are severely damaged or decayed, your dentist will likely recommend more extensive procedures like dental crowns, root canal, or extraction. If you have underlying problems like gum disease, your dentist may address them first.

Similarly, you should not have bruxism. While porcelain veneers are pretty durable and strong, they won’t be able to withstand the constant pressure of teeth grinding and clenching. It will likely break or chip pretty quickly. If you have bruxism, your dentist can recommend night guards and relaxation techniques to minimize the damage to your teeth. You may not qualify for porcelain veneers if you have severely crooked or improperly gapped teeth.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Do you think you’re a good candidate for porcelain veneers, or would you like to learn more about dental veneers? Contact KK Dental – North Brunswick to book your appointment.

Despite the widespread education about preventive dentistry, about 50% of Americans over 30 years have gum disease. If you don’t care for your mouth by cleaning and eating healthier, you risk getting gum disease and permanent teeth damage.

Mainly, gum disease occurs when bacteria and food debris accumulate on the surface of the teeth and along the gum line to cause plaque. Fortunately, you can remove plaque by thorough brushing and flossing. However, when you don’t remove plaque, it hardens to become tartar.

Over time, tartar and plaque irritate and inflame your gums. In its initial stages, gum disease is usually painless with few symptoms. Unfortunately, most adults don’t realize they have the condition until too late. Regular dental assessments and cleanings can help identify early signs of the disease and prevent permanent damage.

Early symptoms to watch out for include:

• Puffy or swollen gums
• Red or purplish gums
• Tender and sore gums
• Bleeding when eating or brushing
• Unexplained bad breath
• Painful chewing
• Loose teeth or tooth loss
• Pus teeth and gums
• Receding gums
• New spaces between teeth

Complications of Gum Disease

If you have gum disease, our Edison dentist will treat the condition and help restore the health of your gums. If you don’t treat gum disease on time and correctly, it can worsen. This leads to severe and life-threatening complications such as:

• Loose teeth and tooth loss

Untreated gum disease spreads further underneath the gums and attacks the jawbone and other supporting structures of the teeth. It often leads to bone deterioration, deep gum pockets, and receding gums. Over time, the gums and jawbone cannot hold the teeth securely, eventually leading to loose teeth and tooth loss.

Loose and lost teeth often hurt your oral health and function, like chewing, brushing, and speaking. Additionally, they can lead to jawbone deterioration, teeth crookedness, and facial sagging. You might have to invest in dental implants, bridges, or dentures to replace the lost teeth.

• Swollen, bleeding, or red gums

When your gum tissue continually inflames, you’re likely to experience sore, red, swollen, or bleeding gums. It can happen around one tooth or through the entire mouth.

• Chronic bad breath

Bad breath is a common side effect of untreated gum disease. The odor often happens when bacteria and plaque under the gum line and between teeth release gases and chemicals. Foods with strong smells like garlic, onions, and spices can worsen the breath.

• Diabetes

You’re at a higher risk of developing or worsening diabetes if you have gum disease. Bacteria in the infected gums can enter the bloodstream. It activates your body’s defense mechanism, potentially leading to high blood sugars in the blood and putting you at risk of diabetes complications.

• Cardiovascular diseases

According to research, patients with poor dental hygiene are three times more prone to heart disease and strokes. The bacteria from untreated gum disease can enter your bloodstream and cause a severe condition called atherosclerosis. It makes you more susceptible to blood clots and restricted blood flow, which can cause stroke and heart attack.

• Receding gums

Gum recession happens when the gums surrounding a tooth wear away or pull back. If you can see your tooth’s roots or notice that your teeth appear longer, you might have receding gums.

• Respiratory diseases

Untreated gum disease can worsen or increase your risk of respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or asthma. It is because gum infection increases inflammation of the lungs and airways.

• Cancer

You’re at a high risk of developing oral and lung cancer if you have gum disease. According to a recent health study, patients with advanced gum disease had a 24% higher cancer risk than those with healthier gums.

How to Prevent Gum disease

Typically, gum disease is avoidable. Use these tips to maintain healthy gums and overall wellness:

• Brush at least twice daily. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush gently. Abrasive brushing can cause gum disease.
• Floss daily
• Schedule regular dental checkups and cleanings
• Eat gut-friendly foods
• Eat healthier and hydrate well
• Wear a nightguard for bruxism
• Avoid or limit tobacco products

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you looking for gum disease treatment, or do you need dental care in Edison? Contact KK Dental Edison to book your appointment today.