Medical Vision Dental

Periodontal diseases result to tooth loss since these type of gum disease directly affects the specialized tissues that both surround and support the teeth.

Dental implants are recommended if you wish to replace the affected teeth and lost teeth. These are arificial teeth root, which periodontists place into your jaw to hold the implant or bridge. For those people who have lost their teeth due to injuries, dental implants are also good alternatives for tooth loss resulting from periodontal diseases.

Dental implants are indeed better solutions to dental problems such as missing teeth. Since it is aesthetic, dental implants would make you look and feel like it is your own teeth since they integrate with the structure of your own bone. They also prevent bone loss and gum recession that call for bridgework and dentures. Unless you claim so, it would not appear as a replacement tooth.

In addition, a good number of your teeth are left untouched as the neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant. This way, the quality of your adjacent teeth are not sacrificed and this would mean a significant long-term benefit to your oral health. Dental implants restore confidence in you when you speak and eat. You will not worry anymore on misplaced dentures, messy paste, and glues. It is more secure, comfortable, and reliable compared to dentures.

This procedure is usually made by a team effort: you, your dentist, and your periodontist. To determine where and how your implant would be placed, it would depend on the consultation among the three of you. Treatment would always be dependable on your specific condition and chosen implant type to better suit your needs. There are actually different types of dental implants for you to choose from and the team of Ft. Lauderdale dentists provides pertinent information as well as services you can inquire from. You can either visit them personally or their site www.sleepdentists.com.

Bad breath (halitosis) is not only an embarrassing oral health problem, it also causes social stigma especially to the person who doesn’t know that he has one. So, what causes bad breath and what steps should be taken to prevent you from having this malodorous oral condition?

First, you have to know what causes the bad breath. Aside from oral health problems, halitosis stems from your diet, bad habits such as smoking, certain medications and other diseases.

Here are some of the contributing factors of bad breath:

• There are certain foods such as garlic, onion and spices that contribute to the unpleasant odor. Brushing and flossing only masks the smell. The only way to eliminate bad breath as a result of the food you eat is by reducing the amount of these kinds of foods or totally eliminate it from your diet.

• If you regularly go on diets, you are a candidate for bad breath. Infrequent eating causes bad breath.

• Dry mouth or xerostomia also causes bad breath. Saliva is a natural cleansing agent that keeps the mouth moist. Problems in the salivary glands and certain medications may cause dryness of the mouth.

• Smoking.

• Bad breath can be a sign of other diseases that affects the lungs, stomach and liver.

• If you don’t brush and floss regularly and properly, food particles left in your mouth and in between the teeth will rot and form bacteria. This will result to plaque, decay and if left untreated, periodontal disease.

Regular visits to your dentist will help in the prevention of bad breath causing problems such as dry mouth and gum disease. A good oral hygiene is important in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. If you suspect that your bad breath is caused by other non-dental related conditions, it is recommended that you consult with your physician to ascertain the root cause of your bad breath.

To learn more about oral hygiene and periodontal diseases, contact our Ft Lauderdale dentist at sleepdentists.com

Moderate to complex dental procedures utilize some form of sedation medication to carry out the treatment. In each case, the patient’s dental profile and overall health are considered in determining the treatment plan and the level of sedation to be administered. As no two cases are entirely alike, the treating dentist formulate each dental procedure to custom-fit the needs the patient.

If one patient breezed through dental extraction by administering laughing gas and local anesthesia, this doesn’t mean that the same type of sedation applies to other patients requiring the same dental procedure. Simply put, in sedation dentistry, each case is treated independently of other cases, regardless of the similarity of the dental treatment and the patient’s profile. Suffice to say, there is no cookie cutter approach in sedation dentistry.

The following is an overview of some of the frequently asked questions in regards to procedures requiring sedation:

Why is there a need to put people to sleep during dental treatment?

Patients are put to sleep during dental treatment to help resolve special concerns. In the case of people who experience mild to high levels of anxiety during treatment, sedation medication or putting them in a state of deep sleep will help them relax and avoid the pain and discomfort of dental treatment. This procedure is also administered in the case of patients who have special needs and for people who need extensive work done.

What are the types of anesthesia used during the procedure?

The type of anesthesia depends on the dental work to be performed. General anesthesia, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or a combination of these sedative drugs are administered.

What is the difference between sedation and sleep dentistry?

Sleep and sedation dentistry are often mistaken as one procedure especially in dental advertising but these two are entirely different from one another. Although both are forms of sedation, they employ different dental practices altogether. Sedation dentistry uses medications that will put the patient in a relaxed state thereby reducing the levels of anxiety during the procedure. In the sedated state, the patient is able to respond to verbal commands and can breathe on their own. They will have little recall of the treatment.

On the other hand, sleep dentistry is a method wherein the patient will be put in a state of complete sleep. He will not remember anything about the dental work performed on him.

If the dental procedure requires administration of general anesthesia, how long will it take before one can resume to normal activities?

The patients are advised to rest on the first day of the treatment. Most patients resume normal activities the following day.

Shouldn’t dental procedures requiring anesthesia be performed in a hospital setting?

If the dental office does not have the proper tools and equipment to accommodate sleep dentistry then the procedure is performed in a medical hospital instead. Dental offices with a team of licensed sleep dentists and fully licensed facilities and staff can carry out the dental procedure in their respective offices.

If you want to learn more about sedation and sleep dentistry, contact our Ft Lauderdale dentists at sleepdentists.com.