Dental Center of Lakewood Blog

Traditional dentures have allowed many people to enjoy complete smiles after extensive tooth loss, but these appliances have their limitations. They tend to lose their fit after five or seven years, making replacements necessary, and many people find that they can slip around the mouth, which can lead to oral injuries and embarrassing situations during speech. Here’s a brief guide to adjusting to your new implant dentures if you have worn traditional restorations previously.

There’s no question that dentures work well as replacement teeth; patients wouldn’t get them otherwise. Still, learning to eat with these prosthetics can be a bit of a challenge. You may struggle to have nice meals with them at first, as they take some getting used to. The good news is that your Dallas dentist is here to help with your adjustment. To that end, consider these four helpful tricks for eating with dentures.

Chances are you know someone who needed a wisdom tooth extraction. If not, maybe you are that someone! This is one of the most common dental treatments in the US, and yet, the origin and purpose of wisdom teeth are largely mysterious.

Fortunately for curious types everywhere, you wouldn’t be the first to wonder why humans still develop third molars if they usually have to be pulled. Keep reading for some illuminating answers!

Many people assume gum disease just harms your gums, given its name. That said, the condition does more than damage the tissues around your teeth. It also warps the shape of your face as it worsens, causing your good looks to decline. Your Dallas dentist will even show you how that’s possible with some handy explanations. To that end, keep reading to learn how gum disease affects face shape and tips on avoiding (or managing) this oral issue.

Spreading illness is unfortunately easier than it should be. Whether you touch a surface with germs without washing your hands, breathe them in, or even share a cup, this can transfer bacteria and viruses from person to person. But what many people don’t realize is that you can share dangerous bacteria with someone else even if you aren’t displaying any symptoms, including the gingival bacteria that causes gum disease!

Here’s what you need to know about the dangers of spreading oral bacteria and how you can prevent it.

A dental implant consultation is generally a low-pressure appointment. No treatment happens—it’s just an examination and discussion with your dentist. It’s a great visit to learn more about your treatment options, see if you are a good candidate, and try to pick the one that’s right for you. Although you don’t need to prepare physically in advance, you should consider coming with some questions in mind if you want to maximize your time and glean as much information as possible.

Below are some examples of questions you should have prepared for your dental implant consultation so that you leave feeling informed and confident about your decision to move forward.

You could definitely argue that the point of summer is to enjoy more activities while the weather is fair, time is free, and spirits are high. However, fun in the sun can be not so fun for your teeth. Besides the typical risk of injury involved with sports, there are some lesser-known dental hazards that often get overlooked. To be in the know and better protect your pearly whites, keep reading!

To create a dental crown, your dentist takes precise measurements, ensuring that it fits comfortably and resembles your other teeth in size and shape. However, there’s a less talked about part of this process: color-matching. That’s right, your dentist uses color theory! In this article, we’ll cover the more palette-centric part of crown creation. You’ll be amazed at how much work goes into it!

You had a row of missing teeth that was making life more complicated than it needed to be. Or maybe just one missing tooth was taking a toll on your confidence. After talking things over with your dentist, you decided to go through with a dental bridge treatment. Now that some time has passed and you’ve adjusted to your new smile, you pretty much treat your dental bridge like natural teeth! Maybe you even sometimes forget that they’re inorganic.

It’s awesome that your dental bridge feels seamless – that’s the goal. But if you want it to last a long time and spare your wallet from repairs, there are some things you should know. Keep reading for some common reasons your bridge might fail and how to avoid them.

Denture sores are a troublesome nuisance, but they should be rare. While they are most likely to develop when you are still adjusting during the first few weeks of receiving a new set of dentures, they may also mean that your jawbone has changed and your denture needs an adjustment to fit properly again. Here’s a quick overview of denture sores including what causes them, how to get rid of them, and when to see a dentist.