Straight Teeth are Healthy Teeth

Benefits of having properly aligned teeth extend far beyond a confident smile. According to the American Dental Association, straightening your teeth can significantly affect your overall dental health. Straightening your smile could hardly be perfect if it’s not a healthy one and here at Alta Loma Dental Care we provide Six Month Smiles and Invisalign options to help get you started.

Swollen red gums can often be the result of having teeth that are crowded or too widely spaced. Unfortunately, these are also signs of periodontal disease. When teeth are properly aligned, it helps the gums fit more securely around the teeth, allowing for the strongest and healthiest defense against periodontal problems. When teeth are crooked, extra pressure is placed on just a few teeth when the forces of chewing should be equally distributed between all of the teeth. In addition, smiles can be misaligned to the degree where individual teeth may be completely out of place behind or in front of other teeth, which can cause daily cleaning problems. Plaque left behind after brushing and flossing begins to turn into tartar within 24 hours and this tartar cannot be removed with a toothbrush.

If you desire straighter teeth, and a confident smile, give us a call to discuss your options. To learn more about our orthodontic services visit www.altalomadentalcare.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Kim at Alta Loma Dental Care in Alta Loma, CA, call 909-987-6268.

The Effects of Poor Oral Hygiene

Oral hygiene is important for the health of your teeth, your gums, and your overall health. At Alta Loma Dental Care here in Alta Loma, CA, we strive to inform our patients of proper oral care and why it is important. We want our patients to know the consequences of having poor oral hygiene.

When brushing is not performed two to three times per day, plaque sits on teeth and can weaken the enamel. This makes them susceptible to cavities. When plaque is not brushed off of teeth at all, not only is decay possible, but the plaque can actually form crystals that harden the plaque. The plaque then turns into tartar, which is only able to be removed by a dentist. Plaque and tartar decay the teeth and also irritate the gums. When the gums become diseased, they form deep pockets and recede. This allows bacteria to enter the gums deep down by the root of the tooth. A scaling and planing is needed to remove the bacteria and clear up the gum disease. Gum disease is painful, irritating, and can cause bad breath. Not to mention, it is not very aesthetically pleasing. If left untreated, it will lead to loss of the teeth.

Brushing two to three times per day and flossing once per day is all that is needed to remove plaque. For more information about oral hygiene, call Alta Loma Dental Care or schedule an appointment at our Alta Loma, CA dental practice. Call us at (909) 987-6268 or visit our website, www.altalomadentalcare.com. 

Why it is Important to Replace Missing Teeth

Replacing a missing tooth is important for more than the aesthetics of your smile. Replacing a missing tooth can be vital to your jaw structure and your other teeth. Here at Alta Loma Dental Care in Alta Loma, CA, we want our patients to understand the importance of tooth replacement and what options they have.

When a tooth is lost, the bone tissue in the area of the jaw begins to deteriorate. This changes the shape of the jaw. If multiple teeth are missing, this can actually end up changing the shape of the facial structure. When there is a space where a tooth used to be, the other teeth begin to shift towards that opening. This can create a change in how the teeth connect while chewing and biting. It also creates gaps between the other teeth that can become hard-to-reach places for a toothbrush. Bacteria can build up and cause decay and gum disease.

For tooth replacement, we want to give our patients options. Alta Loma Dental Care offers dental implants, dental bridges, and dentures. Dentures, the removable option, are available in full and partial sets. They can be placed immediately or conventionally.

To learn about your options for tooth replacement, call us at (909) 987-6268 or visit our website, www.altalomadentalcare.com. Schedule a consultation with Alta Loma Dental Care in our Alta Loma, CA dental practice to find out which option is best for you.

Brushing Up on Brushing Your Teeth

Brushing your teeth is important to remove cavity-causing plaque and other debris. It is something we have been doing our whole life, but have you really ever had a lesson in brushing your teeth? Here at Alta Loma Dental Care in Alta Loma, CA, we want to make sure our patients are getting the most out of their brushing.

It is important to brush your teeth for a full two minutes two to three times per day. Plaque builds up just hours after brushing, so two to three times per day is vital for clean and strong teeth. A great way to make sure you get a balanced brushing is to split your mouth into four sections and brush each section for thirty seconds. Also make sure to brush the insides of your cheeks, the roof of your mouth, and your tongue, because bacteria collect in these places, as well.

The best way to reach all of the plaque along your gum line is to brush in an up-and-down motion. Short strokes are best to scrub the whole tooth. Brush every surface of the teeth; the insides, outsides, chewing surfaces, and the backs of your back molars.

In addition to brushing two to three times per day, flossing should be performed once per day. To schedule a cleaning here in our Alta Loma, CA dental practice, call us at (909) 987-6268 or visit the Alta Loma Dental Care website, www.altalomadentalcare.com.