Monday, July 22, 2013

Teeth grinding or Bruxism habit.

I have been noticing more and more frequently in patients that they are grinding their teeth.Most people are unaware that they grind their teeth as they expect themselves to make a loud noise that would either awaken them or the person sleeping next to them.

On oral exam you can see worn edges and cusps of the teeth,chipped enamel,fracture lines on teeth,abfractions (loss of enamel at the gum line and gum recession.On being told that they are grinding their teeth,9 out of 10 times the answer is no I don't think so doctor coz I haven't heard my self doing it.

Bruxism or teeth grinding habit is most of the times silent unless very advanced.Of course the advanced cases will have symtoms like morning jaw muscle soreness,Pain and clicking or in severe cases dislocation of TMJ,headaches and ringing in the ears.Bruxism causes damage to the teeth slowly over a period of time so it goes unnoticed by the bruxer if its not advanced.Take a look at the pic below of a bruxer mouth.



Any pre existing oral disease progresses at a much faster rate if the patient is a bruxer for eg bone loss around the teeth due to periodontal disease may progress at a much faster rate.A lot of times patients get treatment for the effects of bruxim for eg teeth wear by fillings or big broken fillings with crowns,or bone loss with extensive gum treatment procedures.

Even before treating the effects of bruxism on your mouth the most important thing is to eliminate the root of the problem so the slow destructive process can be stopped. Wearing a night guard at night can protect your teeth and instead of pounding against each other with a force of almost 760 PSI you bite against the nightguard and protect your teeth from further damage during the night.A simple device can help avoid lot of expensive Dental treatment in future.The old saying prevention is better than cure definately holds good in this case.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Want a celebrity smile consider getting Veneers!




If you have yellow,stained,decayed,chipped teeth or have gaps in your teeth you can now have a beautiful smile with veneers.A beautiful smile can knock of years from your face and uplift your confidence. Veneers can also reduce wrinkles and signs of aging by making you mouth look fuller.

Veneers a thin custom made ceramic covers which are placed on the front surface of your teeth.Advances in technology have made possible for very superior ceramics to be used for veneers which make them appear natural.

The process of getting veneers involves a smile consultation with your dentist .This visit includes pre opp pictures and study models of your teeth to design your smile.It is important to pick a smile that matches your face. There are several shapes of veneers to choose from and it's important to choose a shape which goes with your face.For eg: you don't want to give large square shaped veneers to a small feminine face.

Afters selecting the right kind of veneers the teeth are minimally shaped to take impression for the veneers.This may require numbing or may be done without numbing depending on the thickness and shape of your origional teeth.

An impression is then taken to fabricate the veneers.If the veneers are fabricated inhouse you get them the same day if they need to be sent out to the lab you get temporary veneers matching your final smile till the permenant ones come in from the lab.

Once the veneers arrive they are permenantly cemented on your teeth and you have your new new smile.Veneers don't change color so you can be assured that your beautiful smile will remain the same color even after many years.Home care for your veneers is the same as for your natural teeth.For more information on Veneers please visit our website at www.nicholascosmeticdentalcenter.com