River Walk Dental Orthodontics

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Dental care

Change your diet and ditch your cavities

Your eating routine can have an impact on the health of your teeth and gums to some extent. The frequency of your consumption also plays a role. You are likely to experience tooth decay if you consume too many sugary snacks. Sugar is not the only cause of tooth decay. Lack of minerals, vitamins, and other essential nutrients from gums is equally responsible for the condition. If you eat well, you are more likely to have healthy teeth and gums.

You might be surprised to learn that changing your diet can slow down decay. By eating and drinking properly, you prevent tooth decay and ensure that your teeth are well-nourished.

How diet affects oral health?

You put your teeth under acid attack for up to an hour every time you eat or drink anything sugary. The sugar in your diet will react with the bacteria in plaque (tooth plaque), creating harmful acids. In addition to acidic beverages and foods, there are also acidic foods. The acid dissolves the enamel, allowing the dentine underneath to be revealed. The result is sensitive teeth and an unsightly smile. Therefore, it is important to have sugary foods or drinks only at mealtimes, limiting the amount of time your mouth is exposed to such attacks.

How can food keep your teeth in good condition?

Food is the essence of life. If we take good care of what we eat, we can ensure overall wellbeing. Here are few things to keep in mind;

Lots of Water: The best form of dental care is drinking lots of water regularly. As a result, it cleans off the food residue, including the acids on the teeth.

Well-balanced Diet: Just minimizing the potentially harmful things you eat isn’t enough. It would be best to eat a variety of nutritious foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats such as beef, chicken, or fish.

Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables: Fiber increases saliva production, a natural way of preventing cavities. In addition to washing away food particles from your mouth and cleaning it, saliva also neutralizes acids attacking your teeth about 20 minutes after eating. Try to eat crisp fruit and vegetables like apples, carrots, and celery.

Dairy products: If you are worried about getting enough calcium, then dairy products are your savior. Dairy products contain calcium, phosphates, and vitamin D, which are essential minerals for the health of your teeth. 

Careful Sugar and Carbohydrate Intake: When sugars and carbohydrates combine with plaque, they produce acids that wear down your enamel, causing cavities. You should limit your intake of carbs and starchy foods and choose foods with low sugar levels.

Whole grains should be chosen whenever possible. They will help keep your gums and teeth healthy while providing you with more fibre.

Add Vitamins: Most people do not consume the recommended daily intake of vitamins. Make sure you get enough potassium. Taking vitamins stimulates saliva production, which in turn strengthens teeth.

Also, reduce your added sugars and preservatives, floss regularly, and replace your toothbrush every two months. Simply including small steps can lead to cavity-free teeth. 

Book your appointment today with the dentist for the best possible treatment.

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Dental care

What Are Craze Lines On Teeth?

It is natural to worry when you see weird lines going up your front teeth. You might wonder if your teeths have cracked, damaged, or decayed. But do not worry, as these craze lines are nothing but cosmetic imperfections. These craze lines appear as small hairline cracks that affect only the outer enamel of your teeth.

AAE (American Association of Endodontists) defines five different types of tooth cracks, and craze lines are one of them. These cracks are the least damaging and do not harm your teeth. Most of the time, they are painless and do not require any treatment. The craze lines usually start appearing as people age. The other names for craze lines are superficial cracks or hairline cracks.

How do Craze Lines Look Like

Craze lines can show up in a variety of forms. They could be translucent and may also have shades of yellow, gray, or brown. If there are multiple craze lines on your tooth, suddenly, they might seem unsightly to you. Though most of the time, craze lines are not so apparent and go unnoticed unless you try to look for them. 

Your teeth may stain quickly if you have developed craze lines. That is why these lines are more visible on people who use tobacco or drink red wine, coffee, soda, and tea.

Reasons for Craze Lines

Craze lines can appear for various reasons. The most common being, normal wear and tear of teeth. All the years of chewing and putting pressure on your teeth add up and cause craze lines. Hence, it appears more commonly in people of middle or old age. Some of the other reasons for craze lines are:

  • Bruxism or teeth grinding and teeth clenching for prolonged years.
  • Misaligned teeth that cause an uneven bite pattern.
  • Chewing on hard or non-food items such as ice, bones, etc.
  • Nail-biting habit for a long time.
  • Any trauma or injury to the teeth like being hit during sports activities.
  • Ripping open objects using teeth.
  • Exposing your teeth to extreme and sudden temperature changes like having ice cream and then sipping hot coffee.
  • Any previous dental drillings
  • Gum diseases that could cause bone loss.
  • Large fillings that cause pressure on teeth in effect weakening them.

Can We Fix The Craze Lines?

You might already have craze lines and not be aware of it since they are very light initially. Though they are harmless, their appearance might bother you as it affects the look of your smile. So in case you are looking for some treatments to lighten these lines, then here are some of your options:

  • Filling craze lines with composite resins
  • Getting in-office professional teeth whitening done.
  • Consider using Veneers. These are fragile tooth-coloured shells that attach to the front of your teeth and enhance their appearance. They are used for various teeth issues like chipped teeth, uneven size of teeth, smaller than average in size, etc.

Since, in most cases, craze lines are painless and harmless, you do not need any kind of dental intervention to treat them. But if you do not like how they look or the craze lines develop into deeper cracks, you must contact your dentist. Regular dental cleanings are one of the ways to prevent craze lines from becoming prominent.

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!

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Dental care

Do Horseshoe Dentures Work?

Dentures are removable prosthetic devices used to replace missing teeth and the supporting tissues surrounding them. They are also called false teeth, and though they are mostly removable, there could be some designs that bond or clasp onto your teeth or dental implants (if you have them).

The common dentures have an acrylic-pink palette that covers your natural gums. Some of you might feel uncomfortable with such dentures since they cover your gums, and despite having a full set of teeth, you lack the proper sensations. This is where a horseshoe denture (also called implant-retained dentures) can help you. 

These dentures have a natural look as well as sense receptors which other dentures lack. Horseshoe 

dentures also do not have other complications associated with common dentures, which makes them all the more desirable.

But do they work in practice as in theory? We will find out in this article, but first, let’s define horseshoe dentures.

Horseshoe Dentures Defined

Horseshoe dentures clip onto your dental implants instead of leaning on your gums. By securely clipping the implant-retained dentures on your gums, you are ensured of steadier and stronger teeth. These dentures need to be removed for cleaning purposes. The horseshoe dentures might take a while to set, but they make quite an affordable option for your dental issues.

How Does the Horseshoe Denture Work?

As the name suggests, horseshoe dentures are in the shape of a horseshoe, making them look less bulky. Here are few points that will help you know Horseshoe dentures better;

  • These dentures rest both on upper and lower dentures.
  • For upper dentures, additional dental implants are needed to be placed juxtaposed to the lower denture to give proper support.
  • Other types of dentures snap onto your jaws by using an acrylic palette, while horseshoe dentures use your dental implants to hold the dentures in their place. This makes these dentures very stable since the dental implants are clipped to the jawbone.
  • Due to their shape, they do not require an acrylic palette and hence do not cover your gums. Having said this, you can have your natural gums and sensations without worrying about artificial teeth.
  • Apart from its steady and natural look, horseshoe dentures are very convenient as you can remove them while sleeping or for cleaning.
  • As your jawbones get weaker, you start losing your teeth. Horseshoe dentures, along with dental implants, make the process of teeth loss less troublesome as the implants protect your jawbones from losing bone density further.

If you have dental implants, then your best option is to go for horseshoe dentures. The dental implants do not require any dental adhesives to snap the horseshoe dentures in place. Dental implants and horseshoe dentures together help you eliminate the difficulties associated with teeth loss. These dentures are also particularly beneficial for those people who have never been able to successfully wear upper dentures due to gagging. Before deciding on this denture, visit your dentist. He should be the best to suggest a denture based on your specific needs and wants.

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!

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Dental care

How Invisalign Changes Your Face?

The world of dentistry has witnessed a phenomenal rise in the popularity of Invisalign. It is an excellent method for teens and adults to correct their smiles and keep away from the tacky and prominent metal braces. Undoubtedly, Invisalign is a fantastic alternative ensuring dental symmetry and achieving that immaculate ‘Hollywood smile’. In addition to being unnoticeable, Invisalign is designed keeping in mind your comfort. It is placid on the teeth, and the results are outstanding, to say the least. Furthermore, there are restrictions to the type of food that can be consumed. So, we can safely assert that the Invisalign has, indeed, received well-deserved clout.

Invisalign and Changes in Face Shape

Opting for Invisalign entails a 1-2 year contract wherein you will have to go through numerous aligners over the duration, and each aligner will be shaped differently than the previous one. The process, thus, gradually pushes the teeth into their correct position.

It is noteworthy to highlight that using Invisalign can positively change the shape of the face. A human’s face shape is determined by the placement of their teeth and jaw and other ancillary factors like an overbite, protruding teeth, crossbite, and so forth. Furthermore, specific dental issues like a crossbite can potentially impact your chewing habits, deter coherent speaking, and so on. Nonetheless, Invisalign is designed to correct almost all the problems related to the teeth, ranging from crossbite to an underbite. Its usage can also push back protruding teeth and considerably improve the overall appearance of a person. Likewise, a crooked tooth influences the shape of the face and can be corrected by Invisalign. If your teeth are growing distortedly, it will assist in repositioning them so that they become straight. Invisalign also helps in eradicating crooked teeth gaps and preventing further dental issues. Similar to its name, Invisalign changes the shape of the face by aligning everything perfectly.

Dentists take the assistance of X-rays to understand and depict how the use of Invisalign will positively change your face shape. They will also show a before and after comparison to make you feel more confident in the treatment. After completing the Invisalign treatment, you will be able to see slight changes in your overall face shape and monumental changes in the form of your teeth. Problems like underbite, crossbite, etc., are entirely solved through this innovative marvel of dentistry. A set of perfectly straight teeth increases a person’s self-esteem and confidence and enhances their speaking ability. As such, Invisalign can be rightly deemed a boon for many people struggling with dental issues throughout their lives. 

The Significance of Proper Dental Habits 

We should reiterate that Invisalign is not an alternative to proper oral hygiene habits. The preventive steps of regular brushing, flossing, and using of mouthwash must be followed even after the erstwhile misaligned teeth are perfected. Furthermore, timely visits to the dentist are of utmost importance if you are serious about keeping your teeth and gums in good health.

Book your appointment today with the dentist for the best possible treatment.