Dentures and Dental Implants Seattle

Removable partial dentures usually involve replacement teeth attached to plastic bases, connected by metal framework. They attach to your natural teeth with metal clasps or precision attachments. Precision attachments generally look better than metal clasps and are nearly invisible. Crowns may be required on your natural teeth to improve the fit of a removable partial denture. When you first get a partial denture, it may feel awkward or bulky. But you will gradually get used to wearing it. It will also take a bit of practice to get used to inserting and removing the denture. It should fit into place easily and you should never force it. Your dentist may suggest that you wear your partial denture all the time at first. While it will be uncomfortable for a while, it will help you identify if any parts of the denture need adjustment. After making adjustments, your dentist will probably recommend that you take the denture out of your mouth before going to bed and replace it in the morning....

Your smile is a major factor in the impression people get when they meet you. And the good news is that you now don’t have to settle for a smile spoiled by stained, chipped, or misshapen teeth. Advances in dental treatment mean there is a wide range of choices to help you get the smile that you want. Here are some of the options: – Tooth whitening (bleaching) can help brighten teeth that have become discolored or stained. It can be done in the dental office or with a system the dentist can give you to use at home – Bonding improves the appearance of teeth that have become chipped, broken, cracked or stained. This is done by bonding tooth-colored materials to the tooth surface – Enamel shaping involves modifying teeth to improve their appearance by removing or contouring enamel – Veneers are thin custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth. They are used to treat spaces between teeth and teeth that are chipped, stained or poorly shaped. – Brac...

Root canal therapy is an important treatment that can save a tooth with a diseased nerve and which in the past would probably have needed to be removed. Inside each tooth is the ‘pulp’ which runs like a thread down through the root and provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth. It is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. If the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. The most common cause of pulp death is a cracked tooth or a deep cavity. Both of these problems can let bacteria enter the pulp. So, if you don’t remove it, your tooth gets infected and you could lose it. After the dentist – or endodontist (a dentist who specializes in problems of the pulp) – removes the pulp, the root canal is cleaned and sealed off to protect it. Then your dentist places a crown over the tooth to help make it stronger. Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple procedure involving one to three visits with little or no discomfort. Your restored t...

When you visit a modern dental surgery, its hard to imagine the challenges of dental treatment without all the latest technology. Yet specialists have been taking care of peoples teeth for thousands of years. Here are some of the key developments over the last 300 years. 1723: French surgeon Pierre Fauchard – credited as being the father of modern dentistry – publishes the first book to describe a comprehensive system for the practice of dentistry. 1760: John Baker, the earliest medically-trained dentist to practice in America, immigrates from England and sets up practice. 1790: John Greenwood adapts his mothers foot treadle spinning wheel to rotate a drill. 1790: Josiah Flagg, a prominent American dentist, constructs the first chair made specifically for dental patients. 1832: James Snell invents the first reclining dental chair. 1841: Alabama enacts the first dental practice act, regulating dentistry in the United States. 1844: Horace Wells, a Connecticut dentist, discovers that nitr...

Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that covers our teeth and, when we eat something, these bacteria release acids that attack the tooth enamel. When these attacks are repeated over time, the enamel will break down and this will eventually lead to cavities. When plaque is not removed through daily brushing and cleaning it hardens into calculus or tartar. When tartar collects above the gum line, brushing and cleaning between the teeth becomes more difficult. The gum tissue can become swollen or may bleed. This is called gingivitis and it is the early stage of periodontal (gum) disease. There are several steps you can take to protect yourself against this happening: – Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste – Clean between teeth daily with floss or an interdental cleaner – Eat a balanced diet and limit the number of snacks between meals – Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams – Ask your dentist about sealants these are protective coatings th...

While the general effects of smoking on your health are well-known, it can also have significant effects on your oral health. Here are some of the ways smoking can harm your oral health and hygiene: – Oral Cancer – Periodontal (gum) disease – Delayed healing after a tooth extraction or other oral surgery – Bad breath – Stained teeth and tongue – Diminished sense of taste and smell Research suggests that smoking may be responsible for almost 75% of adult gum disease. Tobacco products damage your gum tissue by affecting the attachment of bone and soft tissue to your teeth. One effect is receding gums which expose the tooth roots and increase your risk of tooth decay or to sensitivity to hot and cold in these unprotected areas. Cigar smoking is equally a major risk and even smokeless tobacco products contain a variety of toxins associated with cancer. Smokeless tobacco can also irritate your gum tissue. Giving up smoking will provide a significant boost to your oral health as well as givi...

If you have any kind of swelling in your gum, it almost certainly indicates a serious infection that should be treated urgently. Dental abscesses result from a bacterial infection in the teeth or gums. For example, it may come from an untreated cavity. Cavities result when some of the bacteria in our mouths mix with sugars and starches in our diet to produce acid. This acid attacks the hard enamel coating of our teeth and, as the cavity gets deeper, it eventually infects the nerve and blood supply of the tooth. In some cases, a dental abscess is caused by an infection of the gum. Bone loss from gum disease can create a pocket between the tooth, gum and bone. When bacteria and other debris get into this pocket, an abscess can form. The treatment for an abscess depends on how severe the infection is. If the abscess has been caused by decay, root canal treatment may be needed or the tooth may even have to be removed. If the abscess has been caused by the gum, the gum will need deep cleani...