Category: Blog

Dental veneers are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of custom tooth color designs that are put over the surface of the tooth to help improve the appearance of the color of one’s teeth. The shells are then bonded to the teeth to help improve the size, shape, or color (overall appearance) of the teeth.

Dental veneers are made of either porcelain or sometimes resin composite materials. Porcelain veneers resist stains better than the resin composite materials so generally wind up being more popular materials of choice. It’s best to discuss the material you choose with your dentist.

Dental veneers are used to fix many problems people may have with their teeth. Those problems include things like discoloration of the teeth, as a result of root canal treatment, stains from drugs like tetracycline, excessive fluoride or exposure to other types of chemicals, or large resin fillings from previous fillings that tooth may have had.

Veneers are also used to treat things like teeth that are worn down, teeth that are chipped/broken, misaligned/uneven/irregular teeth, or teeth with gaps between them that leave them looking unsightly.

Veneers will require three trips to the dentist. The first trip will be when the dentist meets with you to determine what you are trying to accomplish and what you want the veneers to do for you. They will also take x-rays and scans of the teeth so they can determine how to fit the veneers to your teeth.

That way they understand your needs better. The second appointment will require about ½ of millimeter of enamel to be removed from the teeth that the veneers will go on. The dentist will provide a numbing agent before taking off the enamel so you feel no pain. About 2-4 weeks later your veneers will be created and it will be time to go back for the final appointment. If your teeth are particularly unsightly then they will be able to put temporary veneers in to help improve your look in the meantime.

The final appointment will require the bonding of the veneers to be permanently cemented to the teeth. The excess cement will be removed, and the veneers will be trimmed to fit the teeth appropriately. A few weeks later a follow-up appointment will occur to ensure that the veneers have stayed in place properly.

Once veneers are on the teeth some benefits you may notice are that they improve the tooth’s natural appearance and the porcelain veneers will be much stronger and the aesthetic will be pleasing. The gum tissue will tolerate the porcelain or resin will. These materials will also resist stain from using your teeth every day well so they last longer.

Veneers do have some downsides as well including that once they are put onto the teeth they are irreversible and you cannot put the enamel back on the tooth once its removed. The process is largely irreversible. Veneers are rather costly and sometimes insurance may not cover them if they are put on for purely aesthetic reasons. If the veneers do not exactly match the other teeth you have you may have them look rather unsightly. Also, veneers may dislodge and fall off. To avoid this issue habits like chewing your nails or on other hard objects should be broken, and you should avoid putting excessive pressure on your teeth in the future after the veneers are placed. If you grind your teeth or clench your jaws a lot you may be a poor candidate for veneers.

Veneers will generally last 7 to 15 years, dependent on the way they are treated over the long term. Generally, every 15 years or so the veneers will need replaced, if not more often. Veneers do not require special care as just following general good health practices are enough to keep the veneers healthy. It is recommended, however, that even with the stain-resistance the veneers have it is recommended to avoid consuming large amounts of staining liquids like teas, red wines, or coffee.

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”

It’s key to note that sleep impacts how you live your everyday life. A good, fitful rest helps you feel energized and ready to take on the day ahead. However, not getting adequate sleep for long periods of time can other issues. One of the main causes for poor rest is obstructive sleep apnea. It’s a real problem that effects many people, but it is manageable if you get help.

Obstructive sleep apnea plagues nearly 30 million Americans which causes people to stop breathing sometimes many hundreds of times a night. This chronic condition lets the muscles relax TOO MUCH when one is sleeping, and as a result one’s breathing quits without the person knowing it as they are already sleeping. The airway is blocked by the soft tissue that collapses, and this causes continual, brief periods of being awake while one is trying to sleep.

Common signs that someone may be suffering from this condition include snoring sounds and series of abrupt, gasping sounds while the person is sleeping. This is more common in men, but can plague anyone. Moreover, it’s usually caused by one having access body weight pressing down on their wind pipe while they are trying to sleep pushing the soft tissue down and shutting of the airway. Sometimes people of a healthy weight with a misaligned jaw can suffer from this problem also.

It’s vital to ensure that if you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea that you are getting treatment. Obstructive sleep apnea can cause problems including things like high blood pressures, strokes, heart disease, diabetes, chronic acid reflux, and erectile dysfunction name a few. Severe sleep apnea can result in the increased risks of death as well.

Obstructive sleep diagnosis is diagnosed after a sleep evaluation is completed by a doctor before making a diagnosis. If you are determined to have sleep apnea your doctor will determine the path of treatment you need including providing you which includes Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatments where you wear a mask of your face with a tube with air constantly running to the machine. This helps keep the airway open and unrestricted to help you breathe while you sleep. Another option is wearing a special mouth-guard like device that allows the airway to remain open so you can breathe. There are also a variety of surgical option all running different rates.

The CPAP treatment is effective to help stop with treating obstructive sleep apnea and snoring however the mouth-guard device is usually preferred as its more comfortable to sleep with according to most patients. Qualified dentists can also make these oral appliances to help treat your sleep apnea. There are over 100 oral appliances currently approved to help treat obstructive sleep apnea according to the FDA standards of treatment to help provide you the treatment you need.

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”

There is a lot more than rotting teeth that can come from poor dental hygiene. The link between higher between the plaque and gum inflammation and the rise of Alzheimer’s Disease among older participants in a New York University (NYU) study.

A New York University (NYU) study concluded that there are gum inflammation and the rate of people that are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease after being studied for over 20 years. This was a fairly small study though with about 152 participants in it, but the study commenced in 1984 when the patients were aged well over 70. Comparing these people’s cognitive functions at age 50 and 70 showed greater declines in mental capacity with those that had higher levels of gum inflammation and diseases.

This study also took into account potential conditions like obesity, smoking cigarettes, and other conditions with the tooth decay and gum loss as well as in the decline in the person’s mental functioning.

In 2013, researchers in a UK-based study from the University of Lancastershire (UCLan) was built on the findings of the study compared brain tissue samples from 10 living Alzheimer’s patients with 10 samples from people who did not have any Alzheimer’s disease.

The bacteria that was shown present in the Alzheimer’s brain that was largely missing in the healthy brain is called Porphyromonas Gingivalis — which is usually associated with plaque in the mouth and gum diseases as well. Another study was published in 2014 following up with that study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease: Medical News Today regarding the findings.

In this article, Dr. Singhrao says there is sufficient evidence to show that two of the three gum disease-causing bacteria also increase a person’s chances of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The path that the gum disease takes is that it crawls into the roots of the teeth and enters paths that take the same bacteria directly to the brain. It usually goes through the body’s blood circulation system which leads all over the body, including right to the brain.

The gum disease is always established first, but once it leaks into the body it can go through the blood circulation system and reach the brain. The hypothesis was further strengthened during recent results from more brain studies showing that the P. Gingivalis reaches the brain and inadvertently damages the neurons in the area of the brain linked to one’s memory.

Another condition that this same P. Gingivalis causes pancreatic cancer according to a team of researchers Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. The same bacteria that cause periodontitis has been shown pancreatic cancer. These same bacteria cause the loss of the bone around the base of the tooth and cause teeth to decay and rot, and when the disease gets far enough can result in tooth loss.

Just having gingivitis was not linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. This is when there is just plaque around the gums and the teeth, but not treating gingivitis can eventually lead to periodontitis. That’s why good dental hygiene is vital to keep that disease from advancing to that point in the first place.

A study of over 51,000 men in a long-term follow-up study showed that those that had gum diseases had a 64% increased risk of having gum diseases. The greatest risk was carried by the men who had recently lost teeth due to decay and rotting. This research suggests that the same bacteria that causes tooth loss from periodontitis can also cause pancreatic cancer rates to increase as well.

Yet another follow-up study in 2012 suggested that it could also be possibly due to carcinogenic materials may also be the cause of the pancreatic cancer, and not just the bacteria that cause periodontitis. More research is needed to determine what the link to the actual pancreatic cancer is before conclusions are drawn.

Another condition people may be at increased risk at over having periodontitis and extra presence of the P. Gingivalis bacteria in their mouths may also be heart conditions. This is more established in research than the connections between Alzheimer’s and pancreatic cancer.

In 2008, MNT reported that there are very much heightened links between people suffering from severe gum conditions like bleeding gums due to poor oral health and the risk they have of contracting a serious heart condition. The bleeding gums and open sores allowed the P. Gingivalis bacteria to enter the bloodstream which goes back to the source where the blood is pumped from to cause more conditions and that is the heart. This can contribute to triggering things like heart attacks that can cause more serious, permanent damage.

The is all in conclusion to say that the mouth is probably the dirtiest place in the human body with over 700 bacteria existing there. This is why it’s important to ensure you are keeping up with proper oral hygiene. This can help you avoid a myriad of other health problems, not to mention helping you keep your teeth, long into the future.

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”