Alta Loma Dental Care Patients Receive Straight Teeth with Six Month Smiles®

Alta Loma Dental Care Patients Receive Straight Teeth with Six Month Smiles®

Straight teeth go a long way toward creating a beautiful smile that you can be proud of, and the orthodontic community would agree that braces are the most widely used and effective method for giving patients straight and healthy teeth. However, traditional braces aren’t always a favorite of patients. If you’re unhappy, self-conscious or embarrassed about your smile but don’t want to have metal mouth for over a year, come to our office in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and see how Six Month Smiles® can change your smile.

 

Six Month Smiles® is an innovative orthodontic treatment that has taken the best aspects of traditional braces and modified them to give adults the cosmetic solution they want in a way that best fits their lifestyles. With an average treatment time of only six months, this orthodontic treatment provides a conservative and dramatic final result that is sure to keep you smiling. Using Six Month Smiles Lucid-Lok® clear brackets and tooth-colored wires renders these braces barely visible while straightening your teeth. In addition, Six Month Smiles Patient Tray Kits™ ensure that all appointments are quick and comfortable.

 

Overall, low forces and short treatment times increase your comfort, hygiene and safety while using Six Month Smiles®. Here at Alta Loma Dental Care, we can help you get a straight smile easily and quickly. Schedule a consultation with us by calling (909) 296-7920. For more information, visitwww.AltaLomaDentalCare.com. 

 

Alta Loma Dental Care Can Help You Decide if Dentures are Right for You

Alta Loma Dental Care Can Help You Decide if Dentures are Right for You

Whether you’re already missing several teeth or are facing widespread disease or decay, dentures may be the solution for you. Depending on your specific case, you may receive one of three types of dentures: partial dentures, conventional full dentures or immediate full dentures. Our office in Rancho Cucamonga, CA can help you decide which is best for you!

 

Conventional full dentures are one type of full dentures. This type of dentures is used after all of a patient’s teeth have been removed and after the gum tissue has completely healed over the span of several months. With this type of dentures, the patient would have no teeth in place during the healing process.

 

The other type of full dentures is immediate full dentures, which are more popular since patients are not required to go toothless for any period of time. With these, one of our doctors will take measurements of your mouth before removing your teeth so that dentures can be placed as soon as they are removed. With this method, however, a follow-up visit is required to refit and tighten the dentures since the jaw bone will actually change shape slightly as it heals without teeth.

Partial dentures are commonly used when not all teeth need to be removed. They are similar to bridges but are removable.

 

Whichever type of dentures you choose to get, you will need some time to get used to them. The flesh-colored base is placed over your gums, which can feel bulky or make your mouth feel crowded. With training, however, you will learn to eat and talk naturally.

If you think dentures might be the best option for you, we can help you decide at Alta Loma Dental Care in Rancho Cucamonga, CA! Schedule an appointment by calling (909) 296-7920. For more information, visit www.AltaLomaDentalCare.com. 

What You Need to Know About Dental Crowns in Rancho Cucamonga, CA

What You Need to Know About Dental Crowns in Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Dental crowns help protect and strengthen teeth that have become badly decayed or fractured. Covering your tooth and restoring it to its original shape and size, crowns (also called caps) can help reduce pain, save your tooth from needing to be removed and keep your smile beautiful and functional. At Alta Loma Dental Care, we can see if a crown is necessary to save your smile.

 

Crowns are usually only necessary if decay has reached the point where the existing tooth structure is compromised. When a dental crown is installed, the decay is removed from the tooth and a core build-up is used to insulate the nerve and create a surface to bond the crown to. Then an impression of this surface is made so that the new gold or porcelain crown can constructed to fit perfectly. After the crown is fabricated, a process that can take around two weeks, it is cemented onto the current tooth.

 

Dental crowns are made incredibly strong to protect the remaining tooth structure, and the custom fit ensures that the seam between tooth and crown is minute, which protects it from further decay.

If you’re experiencing decay and pain in one of your teeth, stop by our office to see if a crown can save your smile. Schedule an appointment with Alta Loma Dental Care in Rancho Cucamonga, CA by calling (909) 296-7920. For more information, visit www.AltaLomaDentalCare.com. 

Sleep Apnea

When many people think of snoring, they think of noisy nightly disruption that could easily earn the frustration of anyone in earshot.  While some snoring is natural and affects almost everyone at one point or another, chronic, obstructive snoring is a sign of a serious condition known as sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea occurs when tissue in the throat or oral cavity obstructs respiration and blocks sufficient intake of oxygen.

Sleep apnea dentistry deals primarily with this concern.  One of the most common treatments provided through sleep apnea dentistry is the nightly use of a simple oral appliance which prevents the airway obstruction. Most sleep apnea oral appliances are similar to night guards that prevent night grinding.

Many patients are quite satisfied with a night appliance as a form of sleep apnea therapy and the consensuses is that they are more comfortable, flexible and convenient than a CPAP machine and mask, which fits over the mouth and nose and requires electricity.  If you snore, or share a bedroom with someone who does, sleep apnea is a condition that may concern you. We welcome your call and questions on how we can help with sleep apnea dental medicine.

The Secret to Fresh Breath

The secret to fresh breath is actually a collection of steps you should take to avoid the embarrassment of a not-so-fresh impression. Whether you’re going on a job interview, having a conversation with a friend, or getting close to someone special, bad breath can ruin just about any face to face interaction.  To save yourself the hazards of halitosis, follow these steps to fresh breath:

• Keep gum disease free by visiting for regular checkups and cleanings. One of the symptoms of gum disease is bad breath that quickly resurfaces even after brushing and using mouthwash.  If you have bad breath that’s persistent, it could be a sign that your periodontal health is in trouble.  
• Practice excellent oral hygiene by brushing and floss every day. Don’t forget to clean your gums, tongue, cheeks and the roof of your mouth, as food particles and bacterial buildup can thrive on these surfaces—causing foul odor. Daily use of a tongue scraper is also a great defense against bad breath.
• Don’t use tobacco products. Whether you smoke it or chew it, tobacco kills the good bacteria that fights disease and wreaks havoc on your mouth.
• Use alcohol free mouthwash and gargle with peroxide.  An alcohol-free mouthwash won’t dry out your mouth the way an alcohol rinse will.  The antimicrobial mouthwash and the properties of peroxide keep odor and decay causing bacteria at bay. 
• Mind your diet – garlic, onions and pungent ingredients can amount to some seriously potent breath. A well balanced diet and moderation are important to keeping your oral and overall health in check and maintain the fresh breath that comes with it. If you suffer from heartburn or GERD, make sure you’re managing your diet, as such conditions can result in bad breath, teeth grinding and enamel damage.

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123357.htm

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/smoking-oral-health

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/dont-let-bad-breath-trouble-your-pretty-smile

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth!

Annie Lindsay with the Las Vegas Review Journal wrote an interesting article about keeping all 32 of your teeth as you age. Check it out!

http://www.lvrj.com/view/keeping-teeth-healthy-can-be-a-challenge-with-age-182136361.html

Visit your dentist regularly and report any problems with painful teeth, ulcers lasting more than two weeks, gum abscess, bleeding gums, loose teeth, swelling and soreness or cracks in the corner of the mouth. Ideally, teeth should be cleaned and flossed twice daily. Call us today at 909-987-6268 or visit us at www.altalomadentalcare.com