Category: Blog

ClearCorrect is a tooth alignment system that is an alternative to getting traditional braces. This is similar to other designs like Invisalign available through a dentist or orthodontist to help provide alternative treatment to their patients. ClearCorrect offers custom-made removable aligners that gradually move the teeth back into line without having to wear braces to do it.

Different things from your medical history will help build these personalized, custom trays including x-rays and scans of your mouth as they are used to create an exact 3D-model of what your mouth looks like. Your treatment is then mapped out by using a gradual realignment system to help get your teeth to be straightened to the point where your dentist wants them to be.

Treatment is set up through a computerized model of your mouth for you to use on the internet while you are wearing the ClearCorrect trays throughout your treatment time. The program allows you to email your dentist with questions, comments, or concerns throughout your experience and to get advice on how to make the system work best for you.

You wear these trays for a three-week period of time before the alignment changes enough that you get a new customizable set of trays. Each phase allows for you to control and be flexible with where your teeth go and what you do with the next phase of the treatment. You should wear the trays at all times except when eating and drinking, and they are barely noticeable while they are in your mouth unlike braces.

After each set is worn for the 3-week period you will notice the gradual alignment of the teeth and the entire treatment takes from 1 to 2 years. There are 3 sets of options available for treatment. One plan provides unlimited tray changes till your teeth are where they need to be and the other plans offer 12 or 6 sets of trays respectively and are priced accordingly. Treatment costs vary depending on the plan you choose to best suit your needs.

ClearCorrect is currently available for teens and adults. ClearCorrect is similar to comparable with InvisalignTeen. Children who might now have all their molars or senior citizens who are missing some teeth or have complicated dental needs may be able to use ClearCorrect if the dentist determines that this treatment can meet their specific needs.

ClearCorrect can also help correct various problems that you are having including some conditions like crowded teeth, extra space between teeth, overbites/underbites, or crooked/rotated teeth that need to be moved to be facing forward again.

In cases where ClearCorrect is not a good solution to one’s problems such as where there are complex problems are treated by more traditional orthodontics such as braces. Traditional metal braces, however, can oftentimes stop one from cleaning and keeping good oral hygiene up as well as they can with trays you remove to brush your teeth and floss. ClearCorrect requires a lot less intervention from dentists and is pain-and-hassle free compared to metal braces that can cause poor oral health or gum and lip irritation from constant rubbing.

Both ClearCorrect and Invisalign are removable trays that slowly realign teeth into their natural position, while changing trays continues to help the teeth move when the previous set no longer fits anymore. Expect to pay between about $2,500 and $3,500 for a full treatment depending on your needs and length of the treatment involved. It’s up to individual insurance plans if they will cover the cost of this treatment or not.

Your dentist can determine if something like ClearCorrect is right for you if you want to improve your smile and use this technology ask them today!

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about us visit us here or call us 909-465-1016. The Ramona Dentistry Team “Where Family Comes First”

Tooth-bonding is a procedure that is used to bond the application of the tooth-colored resin material using adhesives. These tooth-bonding procedures are used using highly-intense curing lights. The procedure bonds the restorative piece to the tooth. Bonding is usually used for aesthetic purposes such as to fix various problems like chipped teeth or discoloration. These tools can also be used to help close gaps between teeth or to change the shape or color of the teeth as well. These same devices could protect the portion of the tooth that may become exposed when gums recede.

Bondings can be considered to help fix many issues including repairing tooth decay, repair chip/cracked teeth, improve the appearance of discolored teeth, close spaces between teeth, to make teeth look longer, change the shape of your teeth, as an alternative to amalgram fillings, or to protect unexposed parts of the root of the tooth that is exposed when the gum begins to recede.

Dental bonding takes little-to-no preparation, and the use of anesthetic is not necessary to do this procedure unless the bonding is filling a decayed tooth. Your dentists’ goal will be to match the closest color and shade of the rest of your teeth. There are two types of bonding and one is direct composite bonding which is a process where the dentist use tooth-colored composites that they have in their offices to fill cavities, repair chips/cracks in teeth, close gaps in the teeth, or to build up worn-edges around the teeth. These composite materials may also be directly and sculpted to the surfaces of the teeth that will prominently when you smile for minimally invasive procedures. These are also known as having “bonding” procedures done. The other type of bonding is an adhesive bond which is commonly used for things like esthetic crowns, porcelain veneers, bridges, and inlays/overlays. After your dentist has chosen a color that matches your teeth. The dentist will have to rough up the surface of the teeth before using gentle phosphoric acid solution and after the roughing agent is removed there will be a bonding agent applied and it will be hardened on there after the bonding is done. This is done with an ultraviolet light that hardens as the light is shone on it.

The pros of dental bonding are not expensive compared to other procedures in the dental industries and can be done in a short office visit unless many teeth are involved. Compared to veneers and crowns this requires little to no removal of tooth enamel and most procedures require no anesthesia.

The cons of the dental bonding procedures can include that the dental bonding materials used are not as strong as your original teeth in many cases and so chewing on things like pen caps or fingernails or even ice cubes can cause problems if the material is chipped. These may not even last a few years before the bondings need repaired which can mean more appointments, but these procedures are not as invasive as the crowns, veneers, and/or fillings.

Bondings can only fix some problems though and some dentists see it as a small cosmetic procedure, but not things that can fix major problems. Sometimes bondings can cause lower pressure in biting power and cause problems with people being able to chew food well.

A consultation with your dentist can determine if the problem can be solved with the bonding procedure, or if the procedure needs to be something a little more invasive than bonding. The dentist will also discuss other risk like the tooth chipping or cracking or having other issues and possibly needing bonding a gain in the future to see if this is the right move for you. The teeth will be required to be taken extra care of to ensure you are not choosing to chew on things like fingernails or ice cubes. You can expect to pay $100 to $400 per tooth for the procedure to be done.

Whether you want to get dentures or already have them there is a lot that you should know about having them to take the optimal care of your oral health and your expensive dentures.

Dentures are simply fake teeth and gums that are put in the mouth if your natural teeth have been lost or removed your own natural teeth. Dentures can cover part or all of where your natural teeth would have originally been. These will be designed to custom-fit your mouth.

Dentures have in the past been made out of porcelain or plastic and today are generally made of hard resin. These materials are softer than your original teeth would have been, so they will chip or crack much quicker than the natural teeth. The teeth are held to the natural gum line by the fake gums that are custom-fit to the curvature of your mouth. They are made of a flexible polymer fiber that fits snugly to the natural gum line.

Dentures not only help improve the aesthetic look of your mouth, but can also help improve a smile for someone who has multiple missing teeth. Dentures make it easy to eat and chew harder foods as well. It ensures that you can consume more than liquids and ensures that you are getting proper nourishment. Having fitting dentures helps eliminate and remove a lot of problems that would otherwise exist with the fit of the dentures.

Partial dentures are often used to replace a few lost teeth instead of surrounding the other healthy teeth when the remaining teeth are not healthy enough to hold or support dental bridges or other tooth replacement implants that consist of two or more teeth. These dentures are fitted to the gum line where they will have to rest to ensure that they stay in place while the person eats and drinks throughout a day. These are not permanently fastened like a bridge or implant, however, and you are able to be removed to clean the dentures and put back into the mouth.

Full dentures also known as complete dentures are dentures that replace all the natural teeth in your mouth. They are fitted to the top or bottom gum line respectively, and are held in place throughout the day by oral adhesives. Just like the partial dentures they remove easily.

Immediate dentures are the dentures that are either full or partial dentures that differ from permanent dentures as they are only meant to be used just while the gums are healing from where one’s natural teeth are removed. This is until the gums heal and the permanent dentures are able to be put in. This is usually a few days to a couple weeks depending on how long it takes your gum line and natural tissue to heal.

The overdentures are used in cases where traditional dentures are too uncomfortable or if there are a few natural teeth that are still left. Overdentures are fitted to the roots of the remaining teeth to put teeth in between the natural ones that are left over. Some people find these kinds of dentures more comfortable fitting than natural ones.

Implant-supported dentures are as the name implies these dentures are anchored by dental implants. A dental implant is a permanent fixture that is attached to the jawbone and can be used to replace any number of teeth that you may have lost. They are comprised of the implant itself which is a metal post and a custom crown which look like natural tooth.

Implant-supported dentures have a few different ways they can attach but should be cared for like any traditional dentures. It’s more common to have fewer problems on the lower jaw than the upper jaw with implants like this but many people have plenty of both and have no problems. The upper jaw implants are also likely to be less secure than the bottom ones as well.

When you have dentures to clean them you should be cleaning them every day just like regular teeth. To clean dentures take them out of the mouth and rinse them under water to help remove any food particles that may be lodged on the teeth. Use a soft denture-specific toothbrush and some mild soap or dental cleaner to brush the teeth and do not use regular toothpaste o electronic toothbrushes as they are too abrasive and will break the tooth down quickly.

Also clean your gums while the teeth are out with a very soft toothbrush head and some fluoridated toothpaste if needed. If your toothbrush is too harsh use your finger wrapped in a washcloth to run it along your gum line to help get any food that is lodged in there out.

Always remove dentures before sleeping to avoid damaging them and it also gives your gums time to relax. Submerge the dentures in warm water while you sleep to let them soak, but ensure that teeth are not left lying around as they get overly dry and can become mis-shaped and will no longer fit in your mouth the way they were meant to.

In the end, always remember that dentures are nothing to be ashamed of. Accidents or trauma can happen to someone at any age as well as infections can also happen as well. Dentures are not just for seniors despite the stereotypes that circulate these days. There is no shame in wearing dentures! If you need such tools do not hesitate to enquire. They exist to help you chew better, feel more confident, and love how you look so you can smile again!

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about us visit us here or call us 909-465-1016. The Ramona Dentistry Team “Where Family Comes First”