Best and Worst Halloween Candy for Your Teeth

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What would Halloween be like without all the festive treats? Halloween is great because of all the fun that comes with dressing up and filling up bags of candy with your friends. Of course, all that fun comes with a big risk of getting cavities. Our team at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights, MI, wants you to have as much fun as you can on this day without compromising your dental health. So, we have created the following guide to help you choose between the best and worst Halloween candy for your teeth. 

Chocolate

Orthodontists in Sterling Heights have good news for all you chocolate lovers. Chocolate is one of the best candies to choose from because of its minimal adverse effects on your teeth. The reason why chocolate is a better choice is because of how soft it is. So, your teeth are unlikely to be damaged as you bite into it. Additionally, chocolate melts in your mouth and doesn’t stick on your teeth. When you choose chocolate, you’re less likely to get cavities compared to other candies. 

As an additional tip, the experts at Dental One Care recommend that you pick dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate since dark chocolate contains less sugar than what is contained in milk chocolate. Don’t forget to brush and floss after eating these yummy treats!

Gummy and Sticky Candy

Here’s a rhym to remember: Be very picky if the candy before you is gummy or sticky. This is because gummy and sticky candy is one of the worst candies for your dental health, especially for people with braces. Sugar in these types of candy will stay on your teeth longer because. Therefore, you’re likely to get cavities. You won’t regret it if you mnimize your consumption of these sweets on Halloween.

Hard Candy

We asked our friend, Dr. Christopher Green, a dentist in Parker, CO, about the best and worst Halloween candy for your teeth. Dr. Green says you should also steer clear of hard candy on Halloween because it poses several risks to your dental health. When you eat this candy, you take the risk of cracking or breaking your teeth. If you just started your orthodontic treatment, then you have to have even more caution because the wires and brackets of your braces are susceptible to damage due to the effect of this hard candy.

Sour Candy

You might think that sour candy is better for your teeth because it seems to contain less sugar than the other types of Halloween Candy. However, dentists in Sterling Heights, MI explain that sour candy is bad due to the acids that give it that sour taste. Those acids will damage your teeth and cause cavities, so you will be doing yourself a favor by staying away from these Halloween candies.

Sugarless Gum

This is another great treat to hand out on Halloween because bacteria cannot feed on the xylitol that is used to sweeten this gum. Sugar-free gum is also a good choice because it helps to clean out the residues of the other candy that one has eaten.

As Halloween approaches be mindful of the sugary treats you eat. Also, be sure to follow your oral dental care routine so that you keep the cavities away. Remember to brush and floss half an hour after eating any candy, and seek professional help at Dental One Care if anything is amiss with your dental health. Now that you’ve know the best and worst Halloween candy for your teeth, you can go into Halloween feeling more confident about your oral health. For questions about our dental services in Sterling Heights, MI, contact Dental One Care!

How is In-Office Teeth Whitening Done?

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 As you grow older, your teeth naturally lose their brightness due to the effects of the foods and drinks that you consume, medication, genetics, and many other factors. However, you don’t have to live with stained or discolored teeth because there are several options that you can select from to whiten your teeth. One option, whose popularity is growing rapidly, is the in-office teeth whitening. Results from in-office teeth whitening show sooner than the results of whitening your teeth using a DIY kit bought over-the-counter. Here are the steps that the experts at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights, MI will follow as they whiten your teeth professionally.

Step #1: Taking Records

The first step that Dr. Fardi Farhat, a Sterling Heights dentist, will take is to record the baseline shade of your teeth. This baseline is the current shade of your teeth when you come to the office.

Your dentist will then show you a shade guide as you discuss how bright you would like your smile to be. Note that experienced dentists like Dr. Fardi Farhat will recommend the most appropriate level of brightening that would bring out the best from your smile without making your teeth look too unnatural. Once the goal of how bright your teeth should be is agreed upon, the next steps follow in rapid succession.

Step #2: Thorough Cleaning

The teeth whitening compound will not be effective if the surfaces of your teeth are coated by plaque and tartar. Dr. Fardi Farhat or any other dental care professional at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights, MI will, therefore, polish your teeth using pumice so that all the plaque is removed.

Step #3: Mouth Isolation

A piece of gauze will then be placed in your mouth to keep the teeth that have just been polished dry. Additionally, retractors may also be used to keep your lips, cheeks, and tongue out of the way for the teeth whitening solution. A barrier is also placed along the gum line to protect your gums from being damaged by the teeth whitening solution.

Step #4: Application of the Whitening Solution

The next step is to apply the teeth whitening solution on the front surfaces of your teeth. The most commonly used solution is hydrogen peroxide, but the professionals at Dental One Care can also use carbamide peroxide as a bleaching agent.

Step #5: Curing

Laser light is often needed to cure or activate the whitening compound applied on your teeth. However, some bleaching agents don’t require this special light. Instead, the bleaching agent is reapplied several times. Once the curing light has been applied, the bleaching solution is left on the teeth for about 30 minutes before it is rinsed off.

Step #6: Fluoride Treatment

This step isn’t necessary for everyone. However, for some patients, such as those who have a history of teeth sensitivity, a fluoride treatment is provided to deal with any sensitivity that could result after the teeth whitening procedure. For most people, this is the final step and they leave with a brighter smile.

However, some professional teeth whitening techniques require you to make an additional visit or visits to the Dental One Care office for additional treatments before your teeth can reach the desired shade of white. In such a case, Dr. Fardi Farhat will schedule out all those visits so that when you leave, you will know when each visit is scheduled.

Before you leave the dental office, our dentists in Sterling Heights will advise you about what you should or shouldn’t eat or drink within the first 24 hours after your teeth whitening procedure. The things to avoid are especially pigmented foods and drinks, such as coffee, red wine, tomato sauce, beets, yellow mustard and tobacco products. These substances can stain your recently-whitened teeth, so avoiding them in that timeframe allows the whitening products to cure on the teeth.

Professional DIY Teeth Whitening Kits

If you find the in-office teeth whitening procedure to be very expensive since your insurance doesn’t cover it, the next best option is to get a professional teeth whitening kit that you use at home. We asked our friend, Dr. Christopher Green, a cosmetic dentist in Parker, Colorado, about his opinion about DIY teeth whitening kits. Dr. Green says that teeth whitening kits will get the job done but in-office teeth whitening gives you instant results and it last longer. 

This kit can be custom-made for you at Dental One Care. Dr. Fardi Farhat starts by taking an impression of your teeth and then sending this mold to a dental lab. In about two weeks, the teeth whitening trays will be ready.

Once you receive the tray from the Sterling Heights dentist, all you have to do is to put drops of the specially formulated whitening agent in the tray before placing the tray on your teeth for about an hour each day. This is repeated daily for two weeks as your teeth gradually whiten to the desired shade.

Professional at-home teeth whitening kits offer better results when compared to over-the-counter teeth whitening products available on the market. So, take your pick between having your teeth whitened at Dental One Care by an experienced professional or having a custom tray made so that you can whiten your teeth at home. Regardless of the option that you choose, Dr. Fardi Farhat and the entire Dental One Care team in Sterling Heights will be available to help you in any way possible so that you retain your bright smile for years to come.

 

7 Fastest Ways to Heal After Tooth Extraction

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The professionals at Dental One Care will do everything in their power to save your natural tooth, but extracting that tooth may be inevitable in some situations. If there is ever a need to extract one or more of your natural teeth, implement the following suggestions so that you can heal quickly from the procedure. In this article, Dr. Fardi Farhat shares the fastest ways to heal after tooth extraction.

Allow a Clot to Form

Clots are the body’s natural way of stopping bleeding, and this same mechanism is helpful when you have just had a tooth extracted. The dentist who performs the extraction at Laurich Dentistry will ask you to bite gently on a piece of gauze once the tooth is out. That gauze can be removed and replaced with another, but whatever you do, don’t remove the gauze until at least four hours after your tooth extraction surgery. In that time, a clot will form inside the socket of the tooth that was just removed, and the healing process will start.

Manage Your Pain

Once the dentists in Sterling Heights, MI Dental One Care extracts your tooth, you will be given some pain medication. Make sure that you follow the instructions given by Dr. Fadi Farhart so that the pain is managed effectively.

If you still feel some pain even while on the medication, dentists in Sterling Heights, MI, recommend that you use an ice pack placed outside your mouth on the side with the pain. Don’t leave this ice pack in place for more than ten minutes, but you can repeat the process of using it as many times as you want throughout the day.

Minimize Physical Activity

Any physically demanding activity, such as exercising or lifting heavy objects, can open the wound at the tooth extraction site and cause fresh bleeding. For this reason, Dr. Fadi Farhart recommends that you avoid strenuous physical activity for a few days so that you can heal quickly.

Be Careful What You Eat

Nutrition plays a key role in your recovery after a tooth extraction, but you have to be selective with what you eat, at least during the first few days. For example, hot food and drinks are a no-go because these can melt the clot in the socket. Also, opt for softer foods that will not require a lot of chewing. As you chew, use the other side of your mouth, furthest from the extraction site. Some foods that Dr. Fadi Farhart recommends are mashed potatoes, soup, and applesauce. Keep in touch with your dentist in Sterling Heights so that he or she can recommend when you can eat normally again.

Adjust Your Sleeping Position

If you aren’t careful with how you sleep, you have a higher chance of bleeding at the tooth extraction site. Dr. Farhart advises patients who have just had teeth extractions to elevate their heads on pillows while they sleep. This will help prevent bleeding at the extraction site.

Take Care of Your Oral Hygiene

Oral hygiene deserves extra attention after tooth extraction surgery because, at this time, you face a higher risk of developing infections. Dentists at Thorough Dent Smiles in Georgetown, KY, recommend the perfect oral health care routine, including brushing and flossing but avoiding the tooth extraction site. A warm, saltwater solution is also useful when rinsing your mouth because it will kill bacteria. While you heal, resist from using mouthwash because it may be too harsh on the tooth extraction site.

Be Keen on Infections

As already mentioned, you face a higher risk of developing an infection in your mouth when healing after tooth extraction. Therefore, you need to be alert for any signs of infection so that prompt action can be taken before the healing process is compromised. Some of the warning signs that Dr. Fadi Farhart says you should be on the lookout for are fever, excessive swelling, a discharge from the extraction site, and nausea. Contact Dental One Care immediately if you experience any of those signs.

The extraction site should heal in less than a week, and the gum tissue will take a few weeks to heal fully if nothing interferes with the healing process. To increase the chance of a smooth recovery, implement all the tips above and any recommendations given to you by the experts at Dental One Care. 

When to Visit the Dentist About Tooth Pain

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You may be suffering from a toothache if you feel any sharp pain or even a dull ache in or around your tooth. A wide variety of underlying causes can trigger such toothaches, and those factors could cause a nerve to send pain signals to your brain. Some types of toothaches, such as transient pain, can be dealt with at home, but there are cases of tooth pain that require you to see Dr. Fardi Farhat at Dental One Care for professional diagnosis and treatment. This article explores some of the circumstances under which you should see a dentist in Sterling Heights, MI, immediately.

When Pain Persists

When your toothache is persistent (goes on for several days, for example), the pulp of your tooth may have been affected. This explains why you could be feeling pain even when you haven’t done anything, such as taking a hot beverage, to trigger than pain.

Contact Dental One Care so that the Sterling Heights dentist can examine you and treat the underlying cause of the persistent tooth pain before the problem gets worse.

Increasing Inflammation

Inflammation is a normal response of the body to an infection that it is grappling with. Inflammation is usually characterized by redness, tenderness, and some swelling of the affected area.

If your tooth pain is accompanied by worsening inflammation, it is time to see Dr. Fardi Farhat for help. That increasing inflammation may be an indicator that the gum or tooth infection has spread to the pulp of your tooth, and the sooner the dentist in Sterling Heights, MI gets to the bottom of it, the better.

Swelling Around the Face or Jaw

You should also see a Sterling Heights dentist if you are experiencing tooth pain, which is accompanied by visible swelling around your jaw or face. This symptom indicates that you may be suffering from an acute tooth or gum infection and that infection can easily spread to other parts of the body and cause additional problems. Getting prompt treatment at Dental One Care can save you from the pain, in addition to preventing additional dental problems.

Bleeding Gums

On its own, pain is an indicator that something is amiss with your health. When tooth pain is accompanied by bleeding around the gums, then you need to see your local dentist in Sterling Heights ASAP.

The pain and bleeding gums may be symptoms of advanced periodontal disease. You may also be suffering from an infection which your body has been unable to deal with on its own. Whatever it is, a dental care professional will diagnose it and administer the correct treatment so that you can be free from the pain and the underlying cause bringing that pain.

Fever and an Earache

It is also possible to have tooth pain that is accompanied by earache and fever. Depending on the tooth affected, any pain you experience can also manifest in another area other than around that tooth. For example, when the last molar is infected, chances are you will feel an earache on that same side of your face.

Tooth pain, an earache, and fever usually indicate that a dental problem is getting worse and is becoming systemic. So, the sooner you consult Dr. Fardi Farhat about the problem, the easier it will be to address the root cause of these seemingly unrelated symptoms.

You Suffered Trauma to the Face or Mouth

If you recently had a nasty fall or took a blow to the face or mouth and you are now experiencing tooth pain, see a dentist in Sterling Heights, MI immediately. Trauma to the face or mouth may cause damage to the teeth in a way that isn’t immediately apparent. So, when you develop tooth pain afterward, the damage may be coming to the fore. Seek professional help at Dental One Care and the Sterling Heights dentist may be able to save your tooth if the damage from the trauma wasn’t excessive.

As anyone who has experienced dental pain will tell you, this isn’t an experience that one would wish to undergo again. The best way to limit the likelihood that you will experience tooth pain is by taking preventive steps, such as brushing and flossing daily, wearing a mouth guard if you play contact sports and getting prompt help as soon as you notice anything amiss in your dental health. When problems are caught early, they will be treated before they progress to a level where they cause excruciating tooth pain. Contact Dental One Care if you ever experience tooth pain and our experienced team will provide the care you need to feel normal again.

Reasons Why You Need an Oral Checkup

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Can you remember the last time you visited your dentist? If your answer is no, then you may have a severe problem. Your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body and contains millions of bacteria, some good and some bad. Which is why it is important to go for regular checkups with your dentist to ensure everything is in order.

Most individuals think that brushing and flossing are enough to maintain good oral health. But numerous oral problems can occur even if you brush and floss regularly. Which is why the American Dental Association has recommended that individuals should get a dental checkup once every six months. More often for those that have oral problems. We discuss some reasons why that is.

Seven Reasons Why You need an Oral Checkup

Detect oral cancer

Oral cancer is a serious disease that can accumulate for some time before being detected by an individual. Like all cancer, the condition is life-threatening, and the sooner it is discovered, the more chances of it being treated. Since individuals usually overlook the early signs, a dentist can help identify early stages of oral cancer. Which means that it can be treated before it spreads, giving individuals a higher chance of overcoming it.

Plaque

Build-up of plaque leads to tartar, which results in cavities. When it comes to dental care, these three are probably the most common problems. One thing people that brush and floss regularly tend to overlook is that plaque can still build up in small pockets that are hard to reach which brushing and flossing. As plaque builds up, tartar is formed. Tartar is much harder than plaque and cannot be removed without professional cleaning. What tartar does is, it starts to create holes in the teeth, giving way for bacteria to form cavities in the teeth.

Dentists can help you identify plaque and tartar build-up so it can be treated before cavities are formed.

Gum disease

Gum disease is another typical result of plaque and tartar build-up. As tartar builds up on the gums, it leads to an infection which leads to the tooth pulling away from the gum. This condition is also known as gingivitis. If gingivitis is left untreated, it can lead to serious gum disease, which results in tooth loss. Regular checkups with your dentist will help identify gingivitis and treat it, so it doesn’t become too serious.

Maintaining good oral habits

Certain habits can cause damage to your teeth. Most individuals aren’t aware of such practices which can lead to damaging of the teeth or other problems. These habits are:

  • Nail-biting
  • Teeth grinding
  • Chewing ice
  • Jaw clenching

Dentists can identify when such habits have an impact on your teeth and can guide you on how to get rid of such habits.

X-ray

Dental X-ray can help dentists see beyond the surface and into what is happening inside the gums. They help them identify when wisdom teeth are coming in, notice impacted teeth, and also bone decay. With regular checkups, the dentist can recommend X-rays when needed to find exactly how healthy your teeth and jawbones are below the surface.

Ends up saving you money

Regular checkups can help you save a lot of money in the long run. Dental treatments can be costly if they aren’t identified at an early stage. With regular checkups, your dentist can help identify problems and treat them, so they don’t become too serious and rack up your dental bills.

Brighter smile

Everyone aims to have a picture-perfect smile. With a regular checkup, your dentist can help you achieve that smile and maintain it. Most dentists even offer discounts on treatments such as cleaning and whitening for regular clients.

There are nothing but benefits when it comes to going for regular checkups. At Dental One Care, Dr. Fardi Farhat and his team ensure to treat every patient with the care they need. There is a growing fear of going to the dentist, and we make sure that our patients feel comfortable first before treatments and checkups. To ensure they keep coming back regularly without any fear.

How to Take Care of a Temporary Filling

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Many reasons could explain why your dentist in Sterling Heights, MI, may place a temporary filling on your tooth. For example, you may have just undergone root canal therapy and are waiting for a crown or gold filling for the tooth. Regardless of the reason for getting the temporary filling, you must learn about temporary filling care for the best outcomes. Dental One Care recommends the following for people who have just got temporary fillings.

Know the Setting Time of Your Temporary Filling

As Dr. Fardi Farhat, a Sterling Heights dentist, may have told you before your procedure, many kinds of temporary fillings exist. Each of these different temp fillings have their own setting time. Knowing how long it will take you to get set helps you be extra cautious about the filling.

Watch What You Chew

Dr. Fardi Farhat usually advises patients to avoid using the side of the mouth with the temporary filling to chew. While this is the ideal to aim for, it is possible that in the weeks during which you have the temporary filling you will forget and use that side to chew.

When that happens, don’t worry as long as you are gentle while chewing. However, you need to avoid chewing any sticky, hard, or crunchy food items, such as nuts and toffee. Chewing gum is also a no-go if you listened carefully to the temporary filling care instructions given by your Sterling Heights dentist.

Be on the Lookout for Unusual Sensations

After your dental procedure, the anesthesia will take a few hours to wear off. During this time, the treatment area of your mouth will be numb. Desist from eating anything while you’re numb because you could bite the side of your mouth or even your tongue.

As the effects of the anesthesia wane, you may experience tingling sensations. Avoid using your tongue to press on the filling or manipulate it in any way to combat the unusual sensations that you experience. Otherwise, the temporary filling may be dislodged. The tingling will subside on its own as the anesthesia wears off.

Brush and Floss Carefully

Dr. Fardi Farhat dispels any thinking that special techniques have to be used while brushing or flossing if you have a temporary filling. The same techniques you use to perform these oral hygiene routines apply while you have a temporary filling. However, you need to be specific and use only toothbrushes with soft bristles since harder bristles may put the temp filling at risk of being dislodged. Also, brush gently.

Similarly, when removing the floss, remove the floss from the side of the tooth instead of straight up. Straight up motions can snag a temp filling that is close to a tooth’s edge, and this could make you lose that filling.

Talk to Your Sterling Heights Dentist Before the Procedure

The best way to be certain that you know all the temporary filling care tips is by having a detailed discussion on the subject with Dr. Fardi Farhat before you undergo the procedure that necessitates the placement of a temp filling. This discussion will give you ample preparation for every step that you need to take from the time you leave the dental office. All in all, it isn’t difficult to take care of your temporary filling. Adhere to the care recommendations given to you at Dental One Care and your temp filling will remain in place until your tooth gets its final restoration.

What Happens When a Tooth Dies?

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Most people know what to do to maintain good oral health, but do you know the warning signs of all the dental conditions that could affect you? Having a dead tooth is one of the conditions that you need to educate yourself about so that you can get professional help immediately. In this article, Dr. Fardi Farhat, a dentist in Sterling Heights, MI, explains the causes, signs, prevention, and treatment options for a dead tooth.

Why a Tooth May Die

A tooth is described as non-vital or dead if there is no blood flowing to it. Two significant factors can lead a tooth to die, namely;

Tooth Decay

When you suffer from tooth decay, you develop cavities. Any untreated cavities can worsen and reach the pulp inside your tooth. The pulp may fight off the resultant infection for a while, but it may eventually become overwhelmed, and the pressure inside the tooth will rise. At this point, the blood vessels supplying the tooth will then become blocked, and your tooth will die.

Tooth Trauma

One or more of your teeth can still die even if you maintain the highest level of oral hygiene. This is because physical trauma, such as during a fall, can cause blood vessels connected to a tooth or teeth to burst, leading to the death of the affected teeth.

Signs That You Have a Dead Tooth

Dr. Fardi Farhat explains that while not all dead teeth will show visible signs that a layperson can identify, there are things you can watch out for. Here are some of those signs.

Pain

See a dentist in Sterling Heights, MI if you experience any type of tooth pain regardless of the magnitude of that pain because you could be having a dead tooth. In some people, a dead tooth can cause excruciating pain while the pain may be mild in other people.

A Bad Smell or Taste

Tooth infections can trigger a bad smell or bad taste in your mouth. Sterling Heights dentists caution that people who experience this bad taste or smell in the mouth could be having a dead tooth since the infection causing the smell or taste could have caused an abscess to form in that dead tooth.

Swelling

Swelling is a common sign of inflammation, and this swelling can soon block blood from flowing to your tooth if the swelling isn’t contained alongside the underlying cause of the swelling. A dead tooth can also cause swelling, mainly when the infection in the tooth spreads to the surrounding areas.

Altered Tooth Color

Dr. Farhat explains that when a tooth is no longer vital, it begins to darken. However, not all dead teeth will show this sign immediately, so see a professional when you notice the other signs discussed earlier.

Treatment Options for a Dead Tooth

Root Canal

If the dentist in Sterling Heights, MI diagnoses you with a dead tooth, you may have to undergo a root canal. During this treatment, the dentist at Dental One Care will remove all the infected pulp and clean out the tooth before filling the dead tooth permanently. This will prevent you from losing that tooth completely.

Tooth Extraction

In some cases, it may not be possible to save the dead tooth by performing a root canal. In such situations, your Sterling Heights dentist may extract the dead tooth and discuss tooth replacement options, such as implants and dental bridges. One of the adverse consequences of a delay to replace a missing tooth is bone resorption (loss of bone density and height due to lack of stimulation for the jawbone in that area).

How to Prevent Tooth Death

Wear a Mouth Guard

While it is hard to predict and forestall many accidents that lead to tooth death, some categories of people can wear mouth guards to protect their teeth from trauma. These include individuals who play contact sports. A custom-made mouthguard will offer more protection than a mass-produced one since customized mouth guards fit better.

Maintain Oral Hygiene

Dr. Fardi Farhat recommends that one of the best ways to prevent your teeth from dying is by sticking to an oral hygiene regime of brushing two times each day and flossing once a day. Use fluoride toothpaste when brushing so that you safeguard your teeth against the action of oral bacteria. Many people find that they have dead teeth resulting from tooth decay, so don’t slack off on oral hygiene.

See Your Dentist Regularly

It is also advisable to see a Sterling Heights dentist every six months for professional cleanings and an annual dental checkup. These visits to Dental One Care will address any dental issues early before those conditions kill your teeth.

While taking the preventive steps above may not guarantee that you will not have a dead tooth, taking the suggested preventive steps will ward off most of the avoidable causes of dead teeth. Dental One Care is here to partner with you on this journey of retaining your beautiful smile. When the worst gets to the worst and a dead tooth has to be extracted, we shall recommend the most suitable replacement options.

 

What You Need to Know About Scaling and Root Cleaning

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Your Sterling Heights dentist may recommend that you undergo deep teeth cleaning. This means that your teeth will be scaled and the roots will be planed. Deep cleaning is usually recommended when the dentist in Sterling Heights, MI finds that you have a chronic case of periodontal (gum) disease. Read on and discover more about scaling and root cleaning at Dental One Care.

When Deep Cleaning is Needed

As already mentioned, scaling and root cleaning is recommended for people that have been found with chronic gum disease. Bacterial activity causes significant gaps to develop between the gums and your teeth. Dr. Fardi Farhat explains that the size of these “gingival pockets” determines the extent to which periodontal disease has progressed (from gingivitis to moderate periodontal disease or even advanced periodontal disease).

Typically, regular brushing and flossing can avert periodontal disease, but when it develops and remains untreated, your teeth can start becoming loose, you may lose tissue and bone in the affected areas, and your teeth may start falling out or moving from their positions.

Causes of Chronic Gum Disease

The experts at Dental One Care in Sterling Heights, MI, explain that chronic periodontal disease is commonly caused by insufficient oral hygiene. However, hormonal changes, family history, the process of aging, smoking, poor nutrition, and some other medical conditions can also trigger this condition.

Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Periodontal Disease

Deep spaces between the teeth and gums are a common symptom of chronic gum disease. Other symptoms include bad breath, bleeding gums, gum inflammation, changes to your bite, and shifting teeth in your mouth.

What Happens During Scaling and Planing?

Scaling and root planing is usually completed as an outpatient dental procedure once the dentist in Sterling Heights recommends this procedure for you. One or more visits may be needed, depending on how severe your condition is.

First, Dr. Farhat Fardi may administer a local anesthetic if the Sterling Heights dentist determines that an anesthetic is required. You can also talk to the Dental One Care professional about your pain management concerns so that the treatment is tailored to your needs. For example, a sedative may be administered if you suffer from dental anxiety.

Next, Dr. Farhat will scale your teeth. During this step of the procedure, the dentist in Sterling Heights will scrape plaque from the surface of your teeth and from the large gingival pockets.

After teeth scaling, root planing will be done. This involves using a tool to smoothen the roots of the teeth so that bacteria find it hard to become lodged there. Planing also makes it possible for the detached gums to reattach to the teeth.

Depending on how severe the chronic gum disease is, Dr. Fardi Farhat could recommend other treatments to ensure that all the bacteria in the areas that have been cleaned are killed. For example, antibiotics may be prescribed, or some medications may be administered in the gingival pockets directly to promote faster healing.

Benefits of Scaling and Planing

Scaling and root planing are regarded as the best remedy for chronic periodontal disease. This is because the procedure not only removes the plaque layers which harbor oral bacteria but also reduces the deep pockets which create room for any infection to progress and affect the inner sections of the teeth as well as the surrounding areas.

Are There Any Risks?

Scaling and root planing has been refined over time to reduce any potential risks. So, you need not worry that you will face any particularly serious risks when you undergo this dental procedure. One notable risk is the risk of infection since you may take more than a week to heal after the procedure.

To minimize this risk, Dr. Fardi Farhat may give you an antibiotic or special mouthwash to avert any infection risk you may face while you heal.

What to Expect After Scaling and Planing

You are most likely to be asked to return to Dental One Care so that Dr. Fardi Farhat can confirm that you are healing as expected. For some severe cases, more than one session of scaling and planing may be scheduled. So you’ll be told about the number of visits needed before the procedure commences.

If you were told that one visit is sufficient, another treatment session might be recommended. Only after the follow-up visit, the gingival pockets haven’t reduced to the desired level.

After the scaling and planing procedure, resume your normal oral hygiene habits, such as brushing and flossing. However, the dentist in Sterling Heights, MI, who performed the procedure may recommend some changes or tweaks to these routines in order to deal with problem areas in your mouth. For example, Dr. Fardi Farhat may have observed that your front lower teeth appear to be at a higher risk of gum disease since you don’t brush them adequately. This will prompt the dentist to ask you to pay special attention to this section of your teeth so that the risk doesn’t manifest.

When to Contact Dental One Care

Contact Dr. Fardi Farhat at Dental One Care immediately if you feel severe pain after teeth scaling and planing. If healing takes longer than what was predicted, or you develop a fever, call Dental One Care immediately and have a professional assess your condition so that remedial action can be taken.

Scaling and root planing are routine procedures that shouldn’t cause you any worries. If you suspect that you could be having chronic periodontal disease, call for an appointment at Dental One Care and Dr. Fardi Farhat will determine whether scaling your teeth and planing their roots will be beneficial. Don’t let treatable conditions cost you your dental health when the experts at Dental One Care are just a call away!

 

Benefits of a Tooth Extraction

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While tooth extraction often occurs as a last resort remedy, many situations exist that make this procedure not just necessary but also desirable. This article discusses some of those situations and also explains what to expect during and after tooth extraction.

Factors That Necessitate Tooth Extraction

Extensive Damage. If one or more of your teeth are severely damaged by decay or trauma, you are likely to experience a lot of pain and discomfort. The only way to bring that discomfort and severe pain to an end is by pulling the damaged tooth.

Crowded Teeth. If your teeth are crowded, Dr. Fardi Farhat, a leading dentist in Sterling Heights, MI may decide to extract one or more teeth in order to allow the remaining ones to be aligned properly. This will correct any bite issues that you may have had as a result of the crowding.

Infections. Some infections may spread to the pulp of a tooth and cause such teeth to die once the blood supply to the living tissues inside is cut off. In such cases, the experts at Dental One Care may decide to either perform root canal therapy or extract the dead teeth.

Heightened Risks of Infections. People with low immunities, such as cancer patients, may have to undergo tooth extraction of the teeth that are most at risk of infection so that the risk is averted. The decision to extract the teeth will occur after treatment plan is put in place.

Impacted Teeth. If any of your wisdom teeth are impacted, Dr. Fardi Farhat may have no choice but to extract the impacted wisdom tooth before it causes more damage.

Gum/Periodontal Disease. Advanced periodontal disease can cause the bone, gums, and other surrounding tissues to be destroyed. Your Sterling Heights dentist may, therefore, opt to extract the worst affected teeth to stem the spread of the gum disease to the rest of your oral structures.

Cosmetic Reasons. Some people may feel self-conscious about their smile. Many patients ask Dr. Fardi Farhat to extract those unflattering teeth so that aesthetically suitable restorations can be placed in their location.

Tooth Extraction Prep

The tooth extraction procedure is a simple surgical procedure that rarely lasts for more than an hour. However, like all other surgical procedures, Dr. Farhat will have to get your full medical history before giving the green light. Tell the Sterling Heights dentist about any current medical condition you have as well as any medication or nutritional supplements you are taking at the moment. Notify Dr. Farhat if you are pregnant and reveal any bone problems that you have.

The Dental One team will consider your medical history and either delay the tooth extraction or tweak the process to accommodate your unique factors.

What Happens During a Tooth Extraction?

A dentist in Sterling Heights or a maxillofacial surgeon will perform the tooth extraction procedure. First, Dr. Fardi Farhat will apply a local anesthetic, or even a general anesthetic if the tooth to be extracted is a wisdom tooth. Sedation is also used in cases where multiple teeth will be pulled.

Once the area is numb, forceps are used to pull out the tooth. If the tooth is large, your Sterling Heights dentist will cut that tooth into two pieces before extracting those pieces, one at a time.

If the tooth was impacted, the dentist would cut through the gum and bone before pulling the tooth out. A blood clot will form in the socket, and the Dental One Care dentist will give you a piece of gauze to bite on so that the bleeding can stop. This typically takes a few minutes.

Dr. Fardi Farhat will prescribe some medication to deal with the residual pain that you are likely to feel hours or even days after the extraction. The Sterling Heights dentist warns that you refrain from taking aspirin for the pain since this particular painkiller can thin your blood and worsen any bleeding.

After the Tooth Extraction

In most cases, you can immediately resume your daily activities once your tooth is extracted. However, Dental One Care cautions patients to avoid doing any heavy lifting or performing any strenuous activities within the first 24 hours after a tooth is pulled. Dr. Fardi Farhat may also recommend several of the following measures in order to enable you to heal faster;

  • Restrict yourself to soft food for your first two meals and then slowly introduce other foods as the tooth extraction site heals.
  • Avoid drinking or eating anything hot because these may melt the newly formed clot at the extraction site.
  • Desist from doing anything, such as spitting, using a straw or blowing your nose, that could put pressure on the extraction site and cause the clot to become dislodged.
  • Don’t take any alcohol as this could affect the healing process and compromise any medication you are taking.
  • Prepare a warm, saltwater solution and use it to rinse your mouth instead of using antiseptic rinses that could be too harsh on the extraction site.

Once a tooth is extracted, the adjacent teeth may shift to fill the gap left. Dr. Farhat wouldn’t want these complications of a gap to affect you. So, consider the different tooth replacement options recommended by the experts at Dental One Care and replace the missing tooth before it is too late.

 

 

Is Dental Bonding for Me?

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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.

Contact Us: 586 274 2800

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