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Fluorosis causes white or brown spots on your teeth from overexposure to provide in the early years when the permanent teeth are developing. Fluorosis isn’t harmful to your teeth or general health and is merely a cosmetic concern. However, treatments to hide fluorosis stains are available from dentists.

What Is Fluorosis?

A cosmetic dental condition, fluorosis has characteristics of leaving white or brown stains on your teeth. The colours can remain as tiny white specks indistinguishable on your teeth or large brown spots that are noticeable.

Dental fluorosis might affect you if you were overexposed to fluoride before your permanent teeth developed. The risk of developing fluorosis is higher among children 18 years or younger. However, teeth that have already erupted don’t get affected by this condition.

Mild fluorosis affects one in four Canadians between six and 49. However, moderate to severe fluorosis is not a concern.

Fluorosis does not impact oral or general health. In reality, fluorosis makes people’s teeth more resistant to cavities. However, it doesn’t mean you should be proud of fluorosis stains if you have them on your teeth. If you have noticeable fluorosis stains, you can benefit from teeth whitening for fluorosis to hide the stains from view.

Doesn’t Fluorosis Disappear by Itself?

Unfortunately, fluorosis stains don’t disappear by brushing and flossing. The optimal way to get rid of the staining is to seek treatment from a dentist in Calgary providing fluorosis teeth whitening, dental bonding, veneers or crowns. Therefore if your teeth have stains from excessive fluoride during childhood, you require treatments from the Calgary dentist to hide the stains from view.

The Link between Teeth Whitening Fluorosis

The condition of fluorosis develops during your early years by ingesting too much fluoridated water and swallowing fluoride toothpaste instead of spitting it. Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure provided by dentists to whiten discoloured and stained teeth. However, fluorosis affects your teeth, and whitening remedies help remove the stains. Therefore if fluorosis impacts your teeth to make them look ungainly whitening teeth is a remedy for the condition that works as a temporary cure. Besides the above, there is no other association between fluorosis and teeth whitening.

Teeth Whitening for Fluoride Stains

Teeth whitening Calgary provides cosmetic dental therapies to hide your teeth’ discolouration from stains from foods and beverages, aging, medications, infections, injuries, et cetera. The treatment utilizes concentrated hydrogen peroxide to bleach teeth in a therapy lasting just over an hour.

Hydrogen peroxide also helps eliminate fluoride stains on your teeth when the Calgary dentist applies the bleaching gel to your teeth at four fifteen-minute intervals during your appointment to lighten the stains from fluorosis. In addition, hydrogen peroxide gel lightens your tooth enamel to enable the shade to blend with fluorosis.

Teeth whitening is excellent for fluorosis if you have mild stains on your teeth. Unfortunately, if you are affected by severe staining, you might need to seek other cosmetic dentistry treatments from the Calgary provider.

If you have a severe condition of fluorosis, the dentist might suggest alternative treatments like dental bonding, enamel micro-abrasion, dental veneers or crowns to hide the stains from view. Unfortunately, alternative treatments are more expensive than teeth whitening to deal with a harmless condition. However, if you think fluorosis detracts from the appearance of your smile, you can consider one of the above to make your smile appear beautiful instead of stained.

Teeth whitening, in most cases, helps eliminate extrinsic and intrinsic stains on your teeth developing from the foods and drinks consumed, enamel erosion due to aging, injuries, and infections. However, the colours tend to develop with time if you don’t care for your teeth, as suggested by the dentist. Fluorosis stains never develop during adulthood and will likely remain invisible even after the teeth whitening treatment fades off to need additional treatments.

If you want an alternative remedy to teeth whitening to cover fluorosis stains, you might find dental bonding beneficial because the dentist can alter the colour of a specific tooth or two in a non-invasive procedure needing just over an hour and costing a similar figure as teeth whitening.

If you feel embarrassed showing off your fluorosis stains, please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with Toothworks providing different remedies to cover the staining. You can seek the readily available whitening treatment for fluorosis or consider alternatives that help hide the stains for ten years to two decades, depending on your needs.

Dental Anxiety: What Is It and How Does It Affect Patients?

It is a phobia and great discomfort associated with visiting dentists and undergoing dental procedures. Dental anxiety is one of the many problems that hold people back from seeking dental care, even when they really need it. Like any other phobia, this anxiety can be crippling enough that patients would rather endure pain than visit a dentist. Some of the typical symptoms of dental anxiety are:

1. Palpitations or tachycardia – racing heartbeat
2. Sweating
3. Syncope – possible fainting due to low blood pressure
4. Panic attacks that may cause difficulty breathing
5. Crying and other signs of visible distress

All these signs become evident when the patient with dental anxiety enters a dental clinic. Ideally, even without needles or any dental protocol, the patient may still feel overwhelmed with anxiety about being in the presence of a dentist.

Dental Practices That Cater to Patients with Anxiety

Finding a dental practice that can cater to your oral needs despite dental anxiety is crucial. The priority of your dentist should be to calm your nerves and administer your treatment in the most painless means possible. Further, the dentist for anxiety patients near you must lay measures to prevent worsening the anxiety. It means preventing the creation of new bad memories related to dental work.

If you are unsure where to find the best dental practice that caters to patients with anxiety, visit us at Toothworks. Aside from a stellar dental facility, we have several experienced, trained, and skilled dental experts. They can handle all your oral needs while accounting for your dental anxiety.

Overcoming Dental Anxiety in Dentistry

Over the years, dentists have identified two major approaches for managing dental anxiety during treatments. They are:

1. Local anesthesia – numbs your mouth before dental work, making all treatments painless. Therefore, you will not experience pain regardless of the procedure’s invasiveness.
2. Sedation dentistry – is the ultimate treatment for dental anxiety. Sedation dentistry in Calgary concerns medication that calms your nerves to keep you relaxed during procedures. Dentists in Northwest Calgary use different sedatives administered through inhaling, injection, or swallowing a pill.

Some other ways of relieving dental anxiety when you visit a dentist near you are:

1. Bring a friend or family member – having a familiar face around you goes a long way.
2. Learn about your treatment beforehand – the more you know, the less anxious you are likely to be.
3. Inform your dentist about your anxiety – so (s)he can take the necessary measures to calm your anxiety.

How Does Sedation Dentistry Ease Dental Anxiety?

Some of the ways that sedation dentistry impacts you are:

1. Anterograde amnesia – sedation dentistry ensures you have little or no recollection of the events of your treatment. Therefore, your brain will not form new memories that may translate to trauma that can worsen your dental anxiety.
2. Sleep dentistry – sometimes sedation dentistry is called sleep dentistry because you can be asleep due to the medication. Deep sedation, like general anesthesia, can make you unconscious during treatment.
3. Calming your nerves – your mind and body can relax during our treatment due to the sedating medication.

How to Find the Right Dental Practice for You

Although many dental practices offer the services you need for oral health, finding the right one is key to a satisfactory experience. Various factors should impact your decision on the best dental practice for your oral needs. Some crucial ones include:

1. Equipment – a fully-equipped dental practice puts you at ease, and the dental experts can handle all your oral needs.
2. Proximity – find a dental practice near your home or work area for convenience and familiarity.
3. Reviews and referrals – do not underestimate good customer service, especially regarding dental care. Find a dental practice with incredible reviews and referrals from patients. Chances are, you will enjoy an equally great experience.
4. Experience with dental anxiety – there is nothing wrong with inquiring whether your dentist has experience dealing with patients with phobias. Consider family dentists who can handle all types of patients, including those with underlying conditions like autism spectrum disorders.

Veneers are a terrific option if you are looking for a way to improve and enhance your smile. They can be used to conceal and rectify a myriad of dental flaws to give your smile a breathtaking makeover.

Dental flaws such as chipped, cracked, unevenly sized, misshaped, severely stained, or discolored teeth can be concealed to give your smile a facelift and transform it into the smile you have been dreaming about.

Making a choice to improve your smile using veneers is a wonderful choice; however, if you go down this road, you will be faced with another decision you will have to make, and that is which material to go with.

This is because veneers are ideally made from two commonly used materials: porcelain and composite resin.

Patients who visit our dentist in Northwest Calgary for veneers have difficulty deciding on their own whether they should opt for composite or porcelain veneers for their smile makeover. The truth is that both porcelain and composite resin veneers can help you achieve the smile you are striving for, but the question is what option will suit your needs best.

Porcelain Veneers vs. Composite Veneers: What’s the Difference?

As much as porcelain and composite veneers can be used to address dental flaws, they differ in quite a number of ways. Let’s take a look at composite veneers vs. porcelain veneers and the striking difference they have:

• Life Span

Porcelain veneers last longer than composite veneers, particularly if they are well taken care of. They can last for as long as 10- 15 years, while composite veneers will last for up to 4-8 years.

Porcelain is more fragile than composite resin; however, when it is bonded onto a tooth correctly, it is more durable than composite resin.

• Strength

They are stronger than composite resin veneers. This means that porcelain veneers are more resistant to chipping than the composite veneers

• Repair

Composite resin veneers can be repaired when they chip due to wear and tear or damage. However, porcelain veneers, on the other hand, are chip resistant, but once they are damaged, they have to be replaced entirely.

• Aesthetics

Porcelain veneers are aesthetically sounder than composite veneers. This is because porcelain veneers are translucent and tend to look more like our natural teeth than composite veneers do

• Stain Resistance

Porcelain veneers are stain resistant than composite resin veneers. This means that with porcelain veneers, you can forget about having to whiten your smile every now and then. Composite veneers, on the other hand, tend to get stained as your natural teeth would.

Which One Is Right for You?

You should look at certain factors when deciding whether to opt for porcelain veneers in Calgary or composite resin veneers. Here are some of the factors you can use to narrow down your choice:

• Cost

You have to work with the choice that you can comfortably afford and maintain in case repairs or replacements need to be made later. You can consult our dentist in Northwest Calgary to find out how much each of these options will cost to help you make an informed decision

• Durability

Go for the option that has the best durability, as this will be the best value for your hard-earned money

• Aesthetics

You can compare the two veneers and decide which one is more aesthetically pleasing. Remember what you choose needs to enhance your smile and transform it into a good way

• Personal Goals and Preferences

Everyone has a certain goal they are after when they opt to undergo a smile makeover. What you desire to achieve after undergoing this procedure will also influence the option you choose

You do not have to get stressed trying to pick out what will work for you. Our dentist will guide you and help you narrow down the choice that will deliver the results you need.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are thin wafer-like shells that can be contoured and matched to your natural tooth color. These veneers are chip and stain-resistant. Apart from this, they are aesthetically sound and can last 10-15 years when properly cared for.

Composite Veneers

The composite veneers are made from a resin material that can also be shaped and contoured into a desired shape and size. These veneers can also be matched to your natural tooth color; however, they are prone to chipping and are not stain resistant

Contact us today at Toothworks for dental veneers to enhance and transform your smile.

The vacations and the hot sunny days are coming to an end. But it doesn’t mean that you cannot let your smile shine; as the adage goes, a smile can light up a room. So, this autumn, opt for a Calgary smile makeover or any other cosmetic dental treatment.

Some people may underestimate the power of a stunning smile. If you have a flawless smile, you will walk with your head high since your confidence levels will soar.

Cosmetic dental treatments enhance not only your dental aesthetics but also your oral health. In fact, most cosmetic dental treatments address functional and aesthetic issues.

The Best Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments For Autumn

Cosmetic dentistry employs science and art techniques to give you a breathtaking smile. Here are some treatments that can revamp your smile this autumn:

Teeth Whitening

Cosmetic dentistry is never complete without offering teeth whitening. Almost everyone seeking to revamp their smile will always go for teeth whitening. White teeth look attractive and exude vibrancy.

Our dentist in Calgary will use a peroxide-based gel to bleach your teeth. In-office teeth whitening will last about 15-45 minutes to alter your smile. Even though there are many other teeth whitening treatments, in-office teeth whitening is the fastest and safest way to whiten your smile.

Dental Bonding

At times your teeth may have cracks, chips, or even severe stains, which can taint your smile. However, with dental bonding, our dentist can repair your teeth. Dental or tooth bonding involves using composite resin to revamp your affected teeth.

The composite resin chemically adheres to your teeth, and that’s why it is referred to as dental bonding. Once the resin has bonded to your teeth, they will be as good as new.

Teeth Shaping

Enamel shaping is the procedure where our dentist files or reshapes your tooth’s shape. It is a quick and pain-free solution that can dramatically change your smile.

Dental Veneers

Veneers are not so different from tooth bonding since they are placed on the front surface of the flawed teeth. The major difference between the two treatments is that veneers are fashioned from porcelain. They are ultra-thin shells that our dentist bonds onto the surface of your flawed teeth.

Veneers are quite common since they are versatile and can deal with various cosmetic dental flaws such as chips, cracks, spaces, crooked teeth, severe stains, etc.

Cosmetic Dental Implants

Your smile will not be complete if there are some missing teeth. Your smile might be unsightly, and your facial structure may also be affected. But there’s no better solution than dental implants in the market because they replace the roots and the crown. They are the most functional, durable, and stable option.

Orthodontic Treatments

Crooked or misaligned teeth will also taint your smile. A perfectly aligned smile is attractive and

Even though there are many teeth-straightening alternatives, Invisalign in NW Calgary is an excellent treatment that offers great results. It is discreet, comfortable, and convenient.

How to Find the Perfect Cosmetic Dentist for You

Several methods can be used to find a cosmetic dentist. Some of those ways are:

• Ask for Referrals

People are a good gauge of the best services in town. So, speaking to relatives, friends, and colleagues could be a fantastic place to start your search. You can also ask other general dentists in your area to point you to a good cosmetic dentist.

These referrals also help sift through the numerous available options and focus on the best dentists in your area.

• Look for Reviews

Most dental offices have websites where patients can post their reviews or opinions. Checking out the reviews helps you view the experience from another patient’s lens. This will help you size up a cosmetic dentist.

The dental reviews will tell you about the quality of the services offered in a dental practice.

• Check Out the Website

If the practice has a website, you can check it to see what they are about. You can also learn more about the services and how the office is by checking their website.

In any case, finding an excellent dentist isn’t as hard as it was before. The internet has made life infinitely easier. You can check online for the cosmetic dentist that is near you. You can also contact us at Toothworks to book an appointment with our cosmetic dentist in Calgary.

The end of summer and early autumn may mean time by the pool, relaxation of daily routines, and camping tips. Unfortunately, dental hygiene can be affected during these times. Many foods are available during summers, such as cotton candy, cold soda, and fruit juice boxes with sugars that can contribute to tooth decay and the development of cavities.

For your child, removing the cavity-causing bacteria from their teeth and gumline may not be possible. This is why you must ensure that they practice good oral hygiene, or you can also take them to their dentist for dental check-ups, including professional cleanings.

This article outlines important tips you and your child should practice to keep your smile healthy and bright this autumn.

1. The Autumn Dental Check-up

A dental check-up involves thoroughly examining your teeth, mouth, and gums to prevent minor problems from becoming major ones. A dental check-up at Toothworks will also detect problems that may happen in the future.

Visiting your dentist in Calgary during autumn for dental check-ups is important for the following reasons:

• There is early detection of problems which is important for maintaining your oral health.
• It improves your smile and your overall health.
• It also teaches your child good oral hygiene habits that they will practice as they get older and also prevent them from having dental problems in the future.
• Dental check-ups also help avoid pain emergencies, unnecessary spending, and time.

2. At-Home Habits For A Brighter Smile

Some home habits that help to brighten your smile and keep your teeth healthy include:

• Regular flossing and brushing. Brush your teeth after meals and floss daily.
• Use a fluoride mouthwash to keep your teeth strong
• Invest in a water flosser. A Waterpik is important in keeping your smile brighter and your teeth healthier. The water flosser can remove food particles from hard-to-reach areas, thus preventing cavities.
• Use a whitening toothpaste that has fluoride. This will strengthen your teeth and remove surface stains.
• Chew sugarless gum after meals. Chewing encourages saliva secretion, which helps to wash away food particles. It also decreases any acids present in food particles that may cause cavities.

3. What to Eat And Drink For A Healthier Smile

There are different types of food that are good for your teeth that your dentist recommends eating not only during autumn but every time to improve the health of your teeth and smile.

These types of foods are good for protecting your teeth. They include foods rich in fiber like vegetables and fruits. These foods rich in fiber help increase saliva flow and may wash away food particles that cause a cavity. Examples are apples, celery, and carrots.

Foods rich in calcium are great for strengthening your teeth and protecting the enamel. This includes milk, calcium-fortified juices, soy products, and leafy green veggies. Foods rich in vitamin c like oranges, spinach, sweet potatoes, and carrots also help keep your gums healthy and prevent conditions like gingivitis that can lead to loss of adult teeth and periodontal diseases.

It is advisable to opt for tea over coffee to reduce the staining of your teeth. Black or green tea without added sugars contains properties that help prevent gum disease.

You should also avoid alcoholic and colored drinks that may cause stains on your teeth. Smoking is another factor that affects your teeth. Quit smoking or keep it at a minimum. Take plenty of water to help wash away any food particles that may have remained in your mouth

4. Professional Teeth Whitening

Professional teeth whitening is another way of keeping your teeth healthy this autumn. If you have stains or discolored teeth from colored foods or beverages, it is important to limit their consumption so that you can have a whiter and brighter smile. Professional teeth whitening is a dental procedure where your dentist lightens the color of your teeth.

Your dentist will use different methods such as the use of hydrogen peroxide, which is a bleaching agent, laser teeth whitening, or even zoom teeth whitening. The laser teeth whitening in Calgary involves using bleaching gel and lasers to reduce the discoloration of your teeth.

If you have migraines, you will undoubtedly find a way to stop them. Different factors can cause migraines. Sometimes you might feel a migraine in your head, which may be caused by a problem in your haw and mouth.

Everyone has two temporomandibular joints connecting your jaw’s sides to your skull. They help ease the opening and closing of your mouth when you eat, talk and yawn. However, the pain that starts in these joints or the muscles around them may travel up to your skull and cause a migraine. That is why a dentist may need to relive your migraine pain.

Here are some things you need to know about migraines, including their causes, symptoms, and how to get relief from migraine pain.

What Is A Migraine?

A migraine is a headache which causes a pulsing sensation or a severe throbbing pain, usually on one side of your head. This is often accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and extreme sensitivity to sound and light. The migraine attacks can last for hours to days; this pain can be so severe and interfere with daily activities.

What Are The Symptoms of A Migraine?

The main common symptom of migraine is a headache. The pan is sometimes described as throbbing or pounding. This can begin as a dull ache that develops into a pulsing pain that is mild, severe, or moderate.

Some people may also feel pain around their eyes or temple, and sometimes in the faces, sinuses, neck, or jaws.

Other common symptoms of migraine that may accompany the headache include:

• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting and nausea, abdominal pain, and upset stomach
• Sensitivity to noise, light, and odors
• Feeling tired
• Pale skin color
• Feeling very cold(chills) or warm(sweating)
• Tender scalp
• Blurred vision
• Fever and diarrhea(rare)

What Are The Causes of A Migraine?

The cause of migraines and headaches is complicated and has not yet been fully established. When you have a headache, some specific nerves in your blood vessels send pain signals to your brain. This releases inflammatory substances into the blood vessels and nerves of your head. However, it is unclear why your nerves do so.

Migraine attacks can, however, be triggered by a variety of factors. This includes:

• Emotional Stress. This is one of the most common triggers of migraine attacks. When you have stressful events, certain chemicals in you are released to combat the situation, known as the fight or flight response. Unfortunately, releasing these chemicals can bring on a migraine. Other emotions such as worry, anxiety, and excitement can also increase your muscle tension and dilate your blood vessels, making your migraine more severe.
• Missing a meal. Delaying a meal can also contribute to your migraine headache
• Sensitivity to certain chemicals and preservatives in foods. Some food and beverages such as alcoholic beverages, hot dogs, aged cheese, and food additives such as nitrates found in hot dogs, pepperoni and luncheon meats, and pickled or fermented are responsible for triggering up to 30% of migraines.
• Daily use of pain-relieving medications. If you often use medicine to relieve headaches, ten can cause a rebound headache.
• Hormonal changes in women. Migraine in women is also more common around the time they have menstrual periods. This is because the abrupt drop in estrogen that triggers menstruation can also trigger migraines.
• Fluorescent lights, flashing lights, computers, or light from the tv and sunlight can also trigger migraines

How Can Dentists Help Relieve Migraine Pain?

If your migraine symptoms stem from tense muscles in your temple, jaw, cheek area, or TMJ(jaw joint problems), your dentist may help ease your migraine pian in the following ways:

• Your dentist in NW Calgary will offer you FDA-approved botox injections to relieve your migraine, facial pain, and TMJ. In just a few minutes, a series of these injections will cause the nerves, which cause muscle spasms providing pain relief and deep relaxation.
• Laser Therapy. Another way of treating migraines in your jaw and face is with laser therapy. The laser treats tense muscles in your jaw, face, and neck with a high-intensity pulsed light, increasing your blood flow to the affected areas and causing your muscles to relax.

You can visit Toothworks if you are looking for a dentist that helps in migraine pain prevention in Calgary.

Veneers cover the front tooth surface and prevent them from discoloration, minor misalignment, or damage. Our dentist in NW Calgary recommends veneers over other cosmetic procedures since they restore your appealing dental outlook and safeguard your tooth enamel from chips, cracks, and minor damages. Your dentist examines your teeth and provides you with various veneer types, depending on your cosmetic need and preferences. Veneers transform your overall dental aesthetics and enhance your confidence.

What are Veneers?

Veneers are cosmetic appliances to cover your teeth and prevent chips, cracks, and discoloration. The prosthetics brighten your teeth, cover gaps between teeth, and correct misalignments. Our dentist in NW Calgary uses resin or porcelain material to restore your natural smile and restore your dental structure.

Porcelain material is customized to suit your personalized dental needs. Porcelain material resembles your natural teeth, and the material placement is minimally-invasive. Once you have porcelain veneers in Calgary, all your minor dental flaws are resolved, and the prosthetics can serve you for about ten years. Unlike other cosmetic procedures, veneers provide a vibrant smile without discomfort.

What Are the Various Veneer Types?

How do you determine which veneers are right for you? If you consider having dental veneers, it’s essential to consult your dentist on the ideal for your dental. Veneers reshape and even out your teeth to give you a pearly white smile. The main types of veneers that your dentist may recommend are:

Porcelain Veneers-they are customized with thin ceramic shells bonded to your front teeth. The veneers are durable with the proper oral hygiene regimen. Dental impressions are required to ensure the veneers perfectly fit your dental.

Lumineers-these are thin and robust dental veneer types. The placement of Lumineers on your dental is painless since they do not require grinding.

Palatal Veneers-the veneers are made from gold, composite, or porcelain material. They are designed to prevent tooth wear and are applied to the upper teeth.

Composite Veneers-they are same-day appliances that last for about ten years. They cover the front teeth and are smoothed to appear like your natural teeth. However, they are proven to stain and chip, and they require periodic replacement.

Temporary Veneers-they are viable before the placement of permanent veneers. They are made of resin to provide you with an upfront, confident smile before the permanent veneers are customized.

How Do you Know Whether Veneers Are Right For you?

To ensure you are an eligible candidate for veneers, you need to consult your dentist. It’s also crucial to have the right veneer type. You may be exempted from having veneers if you have the following dental conditions:

• Missing tooth portion
• Eroded tooth enamel
• Habitual teeth clenching
• Severely decayed tooth or periodontal disease

If you want to have porcelain veneers in Calgary, our specialist examines your dental and determines whether dental veneers are viable for you.

How are Veneers Applied?

The procedure of having veneers is simple and as follows:

• Having diagnostic tests and digital X-rays to examine the condition of your dental
• Removal of your affected enamel portions
• Taking impressions of your dental and customizing the desired veneers for you
• Placement of a rough texture on your dental to ensure veneers bond with your tooth
• Hardening of the dental veneers with ultraviolet light

What Are the Benefits of Veneers?

The type of veneers you select depends on your cosmetic goals. Veneers are custom-made to fit the color and shape of your teeth. If you wonder how you’d know if veneers are right for you, your dentist will examine your teeth and determine whether you are an ideal candidate. Once you’re satisfied with your overall dental outlook, your dentist provides you with the best remedy. Using veneers can benefit you if you have the following dental flaws:

• Uneven teeth
• Misaligned teeth
• Small gaps between your teeth
• Worn out teeth
• Discolored teeth

Dental veneers are cosmetically applicable, and if your condition is severe, you’re likely to undertake extensive dental procedures. In addition, veneers can achieve a perfect smile if you need to transform your smile. Your dentist will determine the correct type of veneers during your appointment. At Toothworks, we prefer veneers as an ideal alternative to other cosmetic procedures.

Your smile isn’t only about your teeth. If you have excess or uneven gum tissues, your teeth can appear short, affecting your smile. Fortunately, cosmetic dentistry can change the appearance of your gums and give you a beautiful cosmetic smile.

Among other procedures, your dentist can recommend gingival recontouring, also known as gum reshaping or tissue sculpting. The procedure is designed to reconstruct your gum tissues and enhance the appearance of your smile. Let’s look at the candidacy, benefits, and recovery of gum recontouring treatment.

Who is a Candidate for Gingival Contouring?

The only sure way to determine whether you’re eligible for gum contouring is to visit a dental office near you. The dentist will inspect your gums and surrounding structures and advice you accordingly. Generally, gum contouring is effective in correcting numerous gum issues, including:

• Gummy smile
• Teeth that appear shot
• Uneven gum line
• Teeth that appear unevenly sized
• Premature aging
• Illusion of crookedness
• Red and puffy gums
• Pain and inflammation from rubbing excess gum tissues

What are the Benefits of Gingival Contouring?

Most patients report enjoying the following benefits after gingival contouring:

1. Aesthetic Benefits

The primary reason for gum contouring is commonly for aesthetic benefits. If your gums are uneven or too low in your mouth, it may throw off the idea of a perfect smile. You’re likely to feel insecure about smiling or laughing broadly. Gum contouring changes the appearance of your gum line, giving a beautiful and healthy-appearance smile.

2. Improved self-confidence

Having a gummy, uneven, or short-looking smile can make you self-conscious about your appearance. According to research, 96% of adults believe that having an attractive smile makes you more appealing to the other gender. Others believe that an attractive smile can hurt your chances of career success. With gingival contouring, you achieve a symmetrical and gorgeous smile, making you feel good about your smile.

3. Improved periodontal health

While most people go for gum contouring due to cosmetic reasons, the procedure also benefits your oral health. For instance, reshaping excess gum tissues can help treat and lessen the risk of gum infection. Your dentist can recommend gum contouring when undergoing certain procedures such as pocket reduction, crown lengthening, and regenerative procedures.

Similarly, gum contouring reduces your risk of gum disease and bacteria growth. The more gum tissue you have, the more areas for bacteria and plaque to hide. Gum contouring gives you a healthy gum line, preventing the risk of plaque and bacteria attacks. A proportional gum line makes brushing and flossing much easier, which is essential for your oral and overall health.

Recovery from Gingival Contouring

Usually, gum contouring only requires a single appointment. You’ll be given anesthetic to keep you calm and pain-free during the procedure. After the procedure, it’s normal to experience a few side effects, such as minor pain and swelling. Fortunately, these issues should fade away after a few days. General healing takes about 1-2 weeks. Follow your dentist’s aftercare instructions strictly to facilitate faster healing and recovery. These can include:

• Limit physical activity by resting adequately for the next 48 to 72 hours.
• Hydrate well before and after the surgery
• Brush and floss daily. Be gentle around the treated areas. You can use an alcohol-free mouthwash and salty water to prevent infection.
• Your dentist will likely give you some medication to manage pain and swelling in the area. Take them as instructed and avoid medications such as aspirin.
• Use an ice pack to manage pain and swelling
• For the next three days or so, stick to a soft diet. Completely avoid hard, hot, crunchy, sticky, and spicy foods as they can disturb or irritate the area. This can delay healing. Avoid items such as nuts, kiwis, popcorn, and poppy seeds. Instead, opt for eggs, yogurt, soft pasta, soft cooked vegetables, and soups.
• Notify your dentist immediately if your symptoms worsen or persist.
• Schedule regular dental checkups and cleanings to maintain healthy gum tissues and overall wellness.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Do you think gingival contouring may be right for you, or do you need more information about the procedure? Contact Toothworks to speak with our best dentist in Calgary.

Tooth extractions are relatively standard, and millions of people get their wisdom teeth extracted every year in Canada. In addition, various other people undergo tooth removal of overcrowding, infections, tooth decay, and injuries.

If you have recently undergone tooth removal, you might notice a white formation in your tooth socket. The white material is granulation tissue containing blood vessels, collagen, and white blood cells. The granulation tissue is part of the natural healing process of your body and isn’t a cause for concern.

If you experience severe pain in the granulation tissue, it might indicate complications like an infection or dry socket. Please continue reading to learn more on how to tell the differences between the natural healing process of your body and other complications.

What Is the Granulation Tissue in the Tooth Socket?

If you do not experience severe pain 72 hours after tooth removal, the granulation tissue you notice isn’t likely a cause for concern. Unfortunately, if you are experiencing discomfort, it might indicate you have developed an infection or dry socket.

Granulation Tissue Explained

Your mouth starts the natural healing process after tooth removal, similar to other parts of your body. The blood clot formation completes within 24 hours of tooth removal to stop the bleeding. After blood clot formation, your body starts building the granulation tissue to cover the extraction site. The tissue appears creamy-white and contains white blood cells, collagen, and blood vessels.

Blood clot formation indicates healed tooth extraction. So long as you’re not experiencing any other symptoms, it shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

Actions You Can Take

After tooth removal, your dental Surgeon places gauze over the extraction site to control bleeding. The gauze can remain stuck to the extraction site leaving behind a tiny piece of cotton when removing it. You can leave the gauze by itself if it isn’t causing any pain because your body cares for it eventually.

How Painful Is a Dry Socket?

After undergoing tooth extractions in NW, Calgary, the most common complication you might experience is a dry socket. Dry sockets occur when the blood clot formation fails to develop or dislodges before your gums heal. Dry sockets expose the bone and nerves, causing severe pain days after tooth removal, radiating pain from the socket to your ear, temple or eyes, but breath, and an unpleasant taste in your mouth.

If you think you have a dry socket during tooth extraction healing stages, you must contact your dentist or oral Surgeon without delay. The primary symptom of a dry socket is severe pain several days after your surgical procedure.

How to Identify a Dry Socket

The white spots in your mouth can also be food debris left behind after eating. While the food particles aren’t harmful, they have the potential to dislodge the blood clot during your healing period. In such cases, you can use a saltwater rinse in your mouth to dislodge food particles.

Unfortunately, if you notice white or yellow pus after tooth removal, it indicates an infection. You might also experience continuing swelling beyond 72 hours, worsening pain, and ongoing bleeding for over 24 hours. In such cases, you must call your dentist immediately to confirm the presence of infections and receive recommendations for antibiotics.

Risks of a Dry Socket

Contact your dentist right away if the white granulation tissue you see is accompanied by pain and falls off. When the granulation tissue falls off, it exposes the nerves causing severe pain radiating from your socket to the side of your head. Exposed bone increases your chances of developing new infections.

You can develop a dry socket by smoking after tooth removal playing with the extraction site with your tongue to dislodge the blood clot resulting in a dry socket developing. Therefore after tooth removal, you must adhere to your dentist’s instructions to ensure you don’t confront any complications.

How Long Does It Take the hole to Close after Tooth Extraction?

The hole depends on the size of the tooth that was removed. If you underwent a simple extraction on teeth visible in your mouth, the gap created by the missing tooth should fill up within a week. However, if the tooth had large roots embedded in the jaw, you might require approximately three weeks to recover.

Surgical extractions to remove molars and wisdom teeth require incisions on the gums during the extraction. In such cases, you might need six weeks or more to have an entirely healed tooth extraction site.

The extraction site after tooth removal appears white, and so long as it remains that way, it isn’t a cause for concern.

Toothworks perform numerous simple and surgical tooth extractions. If you must have teeth extracted for any reason, please schedule an appointment with this facility to undergo your procedure.

Missing teeth usually come with various issues such as poor pronunciation, difficulty chewing, jaw bone deterioration, and much more. However, the most glaring issue easily noticeable is poor dental aesthetics. Having unsightly gaps in your smile will affect your self-esteem.

That’s why our dentist in Calgary offers cosmetic and implant dentistry to help you deal with the aesthetic and functional issues that come with missing teeth. You might be shocked to find out that implants are a treatment offered within Calgary cosmetic dentistry. Over and above that, most people don’t think that cosmetic dentists can perform dental implant surgery.

So, let’s understand what a cosmetic dentist does.

In a nutshell, a cosmetic dentist can perform various procedures that range from fixing minor issues to performing major surgeries to ensure that your smile is looking its best.

What Is the Most Popular Cosmetic Procedure?

As mentioned above, there are a plethora of services within Calgary cosmetic dentistry. Here they are:

• Teeth Whitening

This is among the most sought-after cosmetic dental procedures, and with good reason. It is one of the least expensive treatments that immediately impact your dental aesthetics. Who wouldn’t love to see their smile transform in a heartbeat?

The procedure is performed to remove stains from your teeth. Over time, when you eat teeth-staining foods or have certain habits such as smoking, your teeth may turn yellow. This makes the teeth unattractive. So, teeth whitening turns the clock back, and your smile looks as good as ever.

There are tons of teeth whitening treatments that can be found in your local stores. However, if you desire to get safe, quick, and effective results, you should let our dentist perform the procedure.

• Dental Veneers

This is another common cosmetic dental treatment. It is performed to correct various cosmetic dental flaws such as minor cracks, spaces between teeth, chips, and severely stained teeth. They can also be used to upgrade the appearance of crooked teeth.

They are versatile since they are made from tooth-like shells, which are ultra-thin, and are placed on the front surface of the flawed tooth. Once the veneer is placed over the tooth, your smile will instantly change.

However, the main downside of the procedure is that your teeth have to be prepped. This means that our dentist will need to create room for the veneers by removing some of the tooth enamel. If this is not done, the veneers become bulky and uncomfortable. Always note that the procedure is irreversible since enamel can never grow back.

• Dental Bonding

Tooth or dental bonding is a similar procedure to dental veneers. However, with bonding, our dentist will use composite resin to cover the flawed teeth. The resin is moldable, and once it hardens, our dentist will trim, shape, and polish the resin to ensure that it blends with the rest of your teeth.

• Dental Crowns

Tooth crowns are also a common treatment that is used to cover and reinforce damaged teeth. It is also similar to porcelain veneers with one notable difference; crowns cover the entire tooth and not just the front surface.

• Dental Implants

Our cosmetic dentist can replace those teeth after tooth loss or severe tooth decay by placing the titanium rod in the jawbone to replace the root. The jawbone will be given some time to heal. Once healing has taken place, which is usually after a few months, our dentist can place a dental crown, denture, or bridge to cover the implant. Just like that, you will have a brand new smile.

Who Is Not Eligible for Dental Implants?

Theoretically, almost anyone can get tooth implants. However, not every procedure will be successful. So, you might need to meet with our dentist to find out if you are eligible for the treatment.

These are the things that our dentist will be looking for:

• Bone Health

This is one of the major issues that might disqualify you from undergoing the procedure. Since implants are placed in the jawbone, you will need healthy bones. So, if you have unhealthy bones, you will not qualify for the treatment.

• Age

Age is not necessarily a determining factor, but it can exclude some people. Kids and teenagers aren’t really recommended to undergo the procedure.

What’s more, you will not qualify for the treatment if you:

• Smoke tobacco
• Have an uncontrolled disease such as heart disease or diabetes
• Have unhealthy gums
• Cannot commit to several months of treatment

If you wish to find out more, we are here for you. Just contact us at Toothworks, and we would love to help you.