Best Ways to Keep Your Healthy Gums

June 26, 2019 by sterlingheightsdentalcare Leave a Comment

Dental health isn’t all about having sparkling teeth to display during photo moments or munch on any kind of food you desire. The health of your gums also matters, and millions of people have diseased gums and they don’t even know it. Dental One Care doesn’t want you to be one of those blissfully ignorant people, and it has compiled the following tips to help you to keep your gums healthy.

Brush Twice a Day

This seems so basic, but you would be shocked by how many people neglect to perform this crucial oral health activity. Dr. Fardi Farhat, a dentist in Sterling Heights, explains that it takes plaque approximately 24 hours to form and start hardening into tartar (calculus). By brushing twice a day, you disrupt this plaque and tartar formation process so that bacteria doesn’t get lodged beneath your gum line to cause you gum disease. So, take the hint and start brushing twice a day and make sure that you brush all the surfaces of your teeth each time.

Use the Right Toothpaste

If you thought that all toothpaste was created the same, take a closer look at the different kinds of toothpaste in the toothpaste aisle of your local convenience store. Some toothpaste is meant to whiten your teeth, other types are for people with sensitive teeth, some varieties are for kids, and some toothpaste is fluoride-free. There’s a variety of toothpaste for every conceivable need. Which type is right for you? First, the experts at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights recommend that you narrow down your options to toothpaste which have the ADA (American Dental Association) seal of approval. This shows you that the toothpaste has been endorsed by dental professionals as being helpful in protecting dental health. Secondly, select a toothpaste that contains fluoride since it has a track record of protecting teeth from decay and damage by bacteria. The rest is just bells and whistles (flavors, etc.).

Know When to Rinse Your Mouth

Rinsing the mouth can have two totally different effects depending on when it is done. For example, rinsing your mouth with water just after you have had a meal is a good habit because it washes away any food particles which may have remained stuck on your teeth. However, it isn’t advisable to rinse your mouth with water immediately after brushing because you want the fluoride in the toothpaste to have a few minutes to work its protective magic on your teeth. Rinsing immediately washes that fluoride away! Dr. Fardi Farhat, therefore, recommends that you wait a minute or so after brushing your teeth before you rinse your mouth.

Use an Antibacterial Mouthwash

While still on the subject of rinsing your mouth, dentists in Sterling Heights also recommend that you use a medicinal rather than esthetic (making your breath smell fresh) mouthwash. This mouthwash will kill any bacteria growing in your mouth and your gums will be protected from gum disease. Read the product labels of different mouthwashes available and pick one that is antibacterial. Alternatively, you can ask Dr. Fardi Farhat, a dentist in Sterling Heights, for the best brands to buy.

Floss Daily

We asked our friend, Dr. Kristina Neda, a dentist in Georgetown, KY, about important dental care habits. Dr. Neda says flossing may be one of the most important daily habits you can have. Your toothbrush may not be able to reach all the areas that need to be cleaned. For example, a toothbrush is unable to reach the gum between teeth. Such hard-to-reach areas are best cleaned by flossing on a daily basis, regardless of what time you decide to floss. Remember, plaque starts hardening into tartar within 24 hours, so flossing once a day gives you a chance to catch that plaque when it is still pliable.

Get Off Cigarettes

Another damaging habit that will certainly compromise the health of your gums is smoking. The chemicals in cigarettes are very harsh on the gums and soon cause them to be inflamed. The same chemicals also make it hard for the gums to heal, so you will quickly slide into a spiral of gum issues if you smoke. Talk to the experts at Dental One Care for suggestions on what to do and who to see for help in quitting smoking. As you work towards quitting smoking, the team of Dr. Fardi Farhat will treat the dental health problems caused by smoking.

Schedule Dental Cleanings Every Six Months

You can also ensure that you have healthy gums all your life by visiting Dental One Care for professional dental cleanings every six months and a checkup at least once a year. This professional care is important because any developing issues will be caught and treated early before they cause extensive damage to your dental health. For example, gingivitis can be caught early and reversed before it progresses to periodontal disease which can cause irreversible damage to your teeth, jaw, and gums.

Watch Your Diet

Your diet also plays a big part in determining whether your gums will be healthy or plagued by disease. For example, a person who limits the consumption of sticky or sugary drinks and foods stands a higher chance of having healthy teeth and gums when compared to another whose diet contains a lot of these substances. Dr. Fardi Farhat recommends that you eat a diet that is teeth-friendly, such as consuming foods rich in calcium (yogurt, milk, etc.). A balanced diet is crucial to availing all the nutrients that your gums and teeth need to stay healthy.

Stay Hydrated

Keeping hydrated is beneficial to your oral health, especially your gums. A hydrated body will usually secrete enough saliva to maintain a correct pH balance in the mouth while also washing the oral environment to get rid of food particles, bacteria and other contaminants in the mouth. Take about 8 glasses of water each day so that your body stays hydrated. The amount of water you need will vary in accordance with the time of the year, the activities you are engaged in and your overall health. Listen to your body and hydrate accordingly.

Despite all your efforts to keep your gums healthy, you may still develop gum disease. When that happens (if you notice that your gums are inflamed, bleeding or swollen, etc.), contact Dental One Care for prompt treatment. The timely treatment promotes oral health because diseases aren’t given a chance to progress. So, call us each time you notice something unusual about your oral health. Dr. Fardi Farhat will conduct a thorough examination and design an appropriate treatment plan to bring you back to good oral health.

Is Dental Bonding for Me?

June 24, 2019 by sterlingheightsdentalcare Leave a Comment

Dental bonding refers to a process through which your dentist in Sterling Heights places a special resin on your tooth to fix a minor cosmetic or structural issue. This procedure is very popular for very many reasons as you will discover in the discussion below.

Defects Where Dental Bonding is Helpful

Discolored teeth. When your tooth or teeth are discolored, Dr. Fardi Farhat, a dentist in Sterling Heights, can apply this special resin to the affected teeth so that their color matches that of the rest of your teeth.

Minor chips. When your tooth is chipped, it can develop an unflattering appearance especially if that tooth is among those that are visible when you smile. In such a case, you can contact Dental One Care so that dental bonding is applied to mask the chipped area of your tooth.

Small teeth. Some people’s teeth are naturally small and those individuals would like to have their teeth made slightly bigger. Dental bonding comes in handy in such situations since the bonding material can be placed on the sides of the teeth to make them look wider than they naturally are.

Short teeth. Some people want to make their teeth look longer than they are naturally. The team at Dental One Care can place the bonding resin on the top surface of those teeth in order to improve their length.

Minor gaps in teeth. Dental bonding can also be used to close the small unwanted gaps between teeth. For patients with this problem, Dr. Fardi Farhat places the bonding resin on the sides of the teeth so that the gaps are eliminated.

The Pros of Dental Bonding

Non-invasive. One of the biggest reasons for the popularity of dental bonding is that the procedure is non-invasive, unlike other procedures such as dental crowns or veneers. Dental bonding is therefore reversible because the structure of your natural tooth isn’t affected during the procedure.

It is quick and simple. Undergoing dental bonding on one or more teeth takes a short time to be completed. This means you can schedule the procedure within your workday and still get back to your to-do list without anyone being the wiser. This is unlike other dental procedures, such as getting dental implants, which take months to be completed.

It is affordable. The simplicity of dental bonding is also reflected in its affordable cost. The materials used for this procedure are readily available and no specialized skill is required to apply the bonding resin. The net result of all these attributes is that the bill you get at Dental One Care for this procedure will be affordable.

Many issues can be addressed at one go. We asked our friend, Dr. Chris Green, a dentist in Parker, CO, about the benefits of dental bonding. Dr. Green says dental bonding can also fix more than one issue with the same tooth or teeth. For example, your local dentist can apply a bonding resin on a tooth to make it bigger and also cover the stubborn stain which hasn’t responded to teeth whitening treatments.

Potential Limitations of Dental Bonding

Dr. Fardi Farhat cautions that not every cosmetic problem can be fixed by dental bonding because this procedure best addresses minor defects only. For example, people with severely cracked teeth are better off getting a dental crown because it does a better job of giving the damaged tooth added structural strength.

Additionally, the dentist in Sterling Heights explains that the bonding resin used isn’t very strong, so this makes the procedure suitable for the teeth at the front of your mouth only. The back teeth are exposed to a lot of pressure as you chew and these forces can easily damage the bonding resin.

Dental Bonding Procedure

The initial exam. First, you will be examined by the Sterling Heights dentist to confirm that dental bonding will be helpful for you. Patients with major cosmetic or structural issues may be advised to opt for a more appropriate procedure.

Next, Dr. Farhat may or may not administer a local anesthetic around the tooth to be bonded. Anesthesia is usually not required, but people with chipped teeth or teeth with other abnormalities may need it since their teeth tend to be sensitive.

Once the anesthesia takes effect, the professional at Dental One Care will place cotton pads inside your mouth to keep saliva from interfering with the dental procedure.

An etching solution is now applied to the surface of the tooth to roughen it in preparation for the bonding resin going to be applied. This resin looks like putty and it is shaped before being placed on your tooth. The particular resin used is selected to match the color of your tooth.

Once the resin is in place, the dentist in Sterling Heights will use special tools to put final touches to the shape of the resin before polishing it to remove any sharp edges. The final step involves shining a special light on the resin so that it cures (hardens).

How to Care for Your Bonded Tooth

Avoid using your bonded tooth (or any other tooth for that matter) to bite hard substances, such as nut shells and ice. As already mentioned, the bonding resin isn’t very hard and can easily be damaged if used to bite or chew hard things.

Go for professional dental cleanings every six months so that the tooth beneath the bond remains healthy. Otherwise, the bonded material will detach from your tooth if the health of the underlying tooth is compromised by dental diseases.

Dr. Fardi Farhat also cautions that you should watch your intake of pigmented foods and drinks, such as coffee since these can easily stain the resin bonded onto your tooth. Once stained, the dental bond can only be replaced since it cannot be whitened in the same way that natural teeth can be whitened.

Do you still have questions about dental bonding? Contact Dental One Care for answers to any question you have about dental bonding or any other dental issue. Dr. Fardi Farhat and the entire team are standing by to give you the treatment you need to maintain your smile for the rest of your life.

Ask the Dentist: Waterpik vs. Flossing

November 16, 2018 by sterlingheightsdentalcare Leave a Comment

The Differences Between Waterpik and Flossing

A healthy smile is important for more than just cosmetic reasons. Yes, it looks good but ensuring you keep good oral hygiene is important so you don’t develop cavities or gum disease. Gum disease has been linked to heart problems so oral hygiene is vital for your overall health.

Most people think that just brushing their teeth gets the job done. While it is good practice to brush your teeth twice a day, the process doesn’t completely remove all food particles from the mouth. Food particles and plaque build up in the little gap between your teeth and under the gum, a brush isn’t enough to target these areas. That is why all dentists in Sterling Heights, MI and the American Dental Association recommend flossing every day.

When it comes to flossing, you have two options either use a floss or Waterpik. But how can you decide without knowing the pros and cons of each? We have you covered, we have the insights from Sterling Heights dentists that will help you choose which is a better option for you.

Waterpik vs Flossing, Which is Better for You?

Waterpik

Waterpik uses water to rid plaque and food particle between teeth and under the gum. Also, known as oral irrigators or dental water, the process uses pressurized water stream to get the job done.

Who is Waterpik recommended for?

Flossing may be hard if individuals:

have braces
have crowns
have bridgework done
have dental implants

Waterpik may also be recommended for those individuals with arthritis or anyone that finds it difficult to use a string floss.

Benefits of Waterpik

Waterpik makes it easier to reach tightly packed spaces between your teeth. Spaces where you may have trouble squeezing in a floss. Flosses are thin but at times a lot of effort is needed to squeeze them in tighter spaces which results in the application of a lot of force. Due to the force, the floss may be jammed into your gum and it starts to bleed. With a water pick, the stream of water can easily maneuver through the tight space and clean it.

The process is much easier than flossing. It may take a little time for you to fiddle with the settings and get that right but the application of Waterpik is easy. You just need to make sure that you clean all sides of each tooth with it and do it slowly. There are no risks to using Waterpik.

Disadvantages of Waterpik

While the process is easy to use, it may not be as effective at getting plaque out as compared to flossing. It can loosen plaque but the pressure isn’t enough to completely get the plaque out. That is why some use a floss to get rid of loosened plaque after using a Waterpik. The technology is also a lot more expensive than dental floss.

Flossing

Dental floss has been a practice to clean teeth since prehistoric times while it wasn’t patented until the 1870s. Floss was initially made out of silk until the second World War when nylon replaced silk. You can find floss pre-cut, long strands, flavored, and in different varieties.

Who is floss recommended for?

Floss is recommended for everyone, it should be a part of your daily oral hygiene.

Benefits of floss

Floss is a great way to target food particle, plaque, and bacteria between the teeth. It allows you to target the plaque and get rid of it before it turns into tartar. Using a floss gives you more control over the cleaning process. You can exert more force and maneuver the floss in the direction that you want to get the right angle for cleaning.

Disadvantages of floss

It may be difficult at times to reach areas that are too tightly packed with the floss. If you go too far down in your gum with the floss it can result in your gums bleeding. So you need to be careful and do the process slowly.

Once you are done flossing, it is recommended that you rinse your mouth with water to get any loose particle of plaque out.

When it comes to picking between the two, it all depends on which of the two you are more comfortable with. Many find it easier to just floss their teeth after they brush, it requires a bit more effort but you have complete control over the process. Dr. Dhoon at Greeley Dental Care agrees that floss is also more effective at getting rid of plaque. If you are too lazy to floss on your and need something easier to use then Waterpik is the next best option. Either way, one of the two should be a part of your oral hygiene regimen to ensure your smile stays healthy.

Why You Should Get Invisalign Aligners

November 15, 2018 by sterlingheightsdentalcare Leave a Comment

Why You Should Get Invisalign Aligners

Metal braces are slowly becoming outdated. While they help align your teeth to give you that perfect smile, braces just don’t look right cosmetically. You also have to keep them on for a long period of time, which can be tasking and painful. Which is exactly why the Invisalign aligner has garnered so much support. It is the hassle-free way to perfect your smile.

All You Need to Know About Invisalign Aligners

Invisalign is a “clear” way to straighten teeth. The aligners are of thermoplastic, which is a translucent material so it almost looks as if they aren’t even on. The treatment has been around for over two decades now but in recent years you find that more orthodontists are recommending it to their patients.

The aligners are custom designed to help straighten your teeth. Your mouth is scanned from which the aligners are designed. The process is slow and there are numerous different aligners you will receive throughout. In fact, you get a new aligner every two weeks. Every time you get a new aligner it is slightly different than the last. Each time the aligner works on making your teeth straighter, moving it just slightly. This happens throughout the treatment, which generally lasts about a year or so.

4 Reasons Why Invisalign Aligners Are Right For You in Sterling Heights, WI

1. It’s a clear solution

Metal braces can be a pain to deal with and they aren’t appealing at all. Aesthetically Invisalign is clearly the better solution, as it almost appears as if they aren’t even on. So you don’t have to hide your smile anymore or avoid the things you love to eat because of braces, Invisalign provides you with the same benefits without the hassle.

2. Easier to maintain your oral hygiene

When compared to braces, Invisalign experts in Livonia, MI agree that it is much easier maintaining a good oral hygiene with Invisalign. With braces, you find it difficult to brush and floss, having to work around the wires and buying special equipment to get the basics done. That is not the case with Invisalign, when you need to brush and floss, you can remove the aligners and take care of your oral hygiene.

Just be sure to brush and floss after every meal or snack you have so it doesn’t get stuck in the aligner, which can allow bacteria and plaque to build up.

3. Continue to eat what you love

We’ve touched upon this point before. You will not have any restrictions to what you can eat with these aligners. The reason for that is because when you eat, you can simply take the aligners out and then put them back on after brushing your teeth. There’s no way of doing that with braces and there are a few limitations to what you can eat. You can’t eat anything that is too crunchy or would stick to the metal, which deprives you of food you may love.

4. No emergencies related to your aligners

A reason why dentists in Sterling Heights recommend this treatment is due to the fact that you won’t encounter any emergencies related to Invisalign. Metal braces are delicate and the wires can break causing you a lot of discomfort. When this happens you have to rush to the orthodontist to have it repaired in an emergency. There are no such issues as Invisalign is a two-piece aligner, one for the top half of the mouth and another for the bottom, that has no wiring or complicated components attached.

Don’t wait any longer to get that perfect smile. With such a simple solution, contact Sterling Heights dentist and be on your way to a more confident, happy you.

Benefits of Dental Implants

October 24, 2018 by sterlingheightsdentalcare Leave a Comment

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants are the substitutes installed to replace the roots of your missing teeth. The replacement crown or replacement teeth are anchored onto these implants. According to a leading dentist in Sterling Heights, dental implants have numerous benefits. This article discusses some of those benefits.

They Improve Your Appearance

Sterling Heights dentists say that people tend to look older once they don’t replace any natural teeth that they lose. This aged appearance is due to the loss of bone mass in the areas where there are no teeth. The facial structure becomes distorted as more bone is lost. For example, your lower face will shrivel and the chin will look longer.

The use of dental implants can reverse such deteriorations in your physical appearance. This is because the implant will act like the natural tooth root and keep stimulating more bone material to be deposited around the implant in order to withstand the forces exerted when you chew food. You will, therefore, look younger once your facial structure is restored by the installation of dental implants.

The Remaining Teeth Will Stay Healthy

Some dental restorations, such as dental bridges or partial dentures, require the surface of the surrounding teeth to be modified in order to create space for the restorations. For example, your Sterling Heights dentist will grind down the teeth on both sides of the gap left by the missing tooth in order to anchor a dental bridge onto the nearby teeth. This grinding removes some enamel on those nearby teeth. As you may already know, enamel loss is almost irreversible so the neighboring teeth will be at risk of being damaged too in future.

In contrast, the installation of dental implants leaves the remaining natural teeth intact because the implant is installed in the jawbone. Any restoration will then be supported by the implant without affecting the surrounding teeth. This is a sustainable option since it preserves the existing natural teeth in your mouth.

Caring For Your Teeth Is Easy

Dental implants make it easy for you to care for your teeth because you can brush and floss normally. The implant-supported restoration acts and feels like your natural tooth. This is unlike other restorations, such as wire-supported bridges, which create crevices where food particles can be trapped. Dental experts in Arizona agree that brushing and flossing are harder with such restorations since barriers are created between teeth. Such an environment makes it easier for bacteria to thrive and cause dental diseases or infections. Dentists in Sterling Heights frequently treat infections in people with such problematic restorations.

Greater Comfort

Dental implants give you the chance to be normal again in numerous situations. For example, you will no longer have to chew gingerly in order to prevent your removable dentures from falling out. Similarly, you will not have to be self-conscious when you smile since there will be no gaps in your dentition.

Instant Results

It is possible for some people to get their implant-supported restorations during one visit to the office of their dentist in Sterling Heights. However, each case is different so you will need to ask your dentist to explain your chances of getting the restorations in place during one dental visit. The instant results you obtain can last a lifetime since properly cared for dental implants can last for a lifetime.

As you can see, dental implants give you a long-term solution to missing teeth. Talk to a Sterling Heights dentist about your suitability for dental implants so that you can schedule a visit and start enjoying the benefits in the discussion above.