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We’ve long known the dental dangers of letting children and teenagers drink sugary, carbonated drinks, and most of us try to avoid them as adults, as well. However, staying off carbonated drinks may not be as much of an automatic safety net as previously thought, as there are other enemies to teeth that are becoming more and more popular: sports and energy drinks.

In the latest issue of General Dentistry, a study has been published showing the detrimental effects of some of the most popular sports and energy drinks. The elevated acidity level of these drinks erodes tooth enamel, causing damage to the teeth that is irreversible. As the study shows, some drinks are worse offenders than others, but none of them is particularly safe in terms of dental health.

What is worrying is that adolescents are the age group most likely to fall for the promises that sports and energy drinks offer. They look forward to higher energy levels and better athletic performance, and most believe that energy and sports drinks are actually good for them, or at least better than carbonated drinks.

The Academy of General Dentistry has Make an appointment for a dental checkup so Dr. Rye can see how your teeth are doing, and start incorporating more natural drinks like water into your daily intake.

If there was a major cosmetic problem with your teeth, most likely you wouldn’t hesitate to make an appointment to see the dentist. But when something minor happens, like a small chip or crack on one of your teeth, you might not be inclined to make a dental appointment right away if it was only a cosmetic issue.

There’s no reason to wait, though. For cracked, chipped, and discolored teeth, or teeth that are slightly misaligned, there’s a simple and economical solution called dental bonding. It provides a result similar to what veneers offer, but at a fraction of the cost. The procedure is both quick and painless, and can either be used to improve a single tooth, a group of teeth, or even your entire smile.

The process of dental bonding couldn’t be easier. A substance similar to putty is applied to the tooth or teeth in question, and then the putty is sculpted to an appropriate shape. Once the sculpting is done, a high-intensity light hardens the putty, and then finally the tooth can be polished until it has a completely natural appearance.

Dental bonding is one of the least expensive cosmetic procedures in dentistry, and is generally suitable for all budgets. It’s also one of the most convenient procedures, and can usually be taken care of in a single office visit. It is also painless and can often be done without any anesthetic. Usually the process takes less than an hour, but of course the time involved depends on how many teeth are being treated.

One of the concerns that patients often have is whether a single tooth with dental bonding will stand out from the other teeth, either by being a different texture or a slightly different color. The putty used for bonding can be color-matched to your other teeth, and should not stand out in any way. In addition, the polishing process allows the tooth to have the same sheen and reflective qualities as the rest of your smile. In most cases, no one should notice that your bonded tooth looks any different from your other teeth.

Bonding can be used for a number of cosmetic purposes. If you want to make your teeth look longer, close a gap, repair a misshapen tooth, or any other cosmetic dentistry, give us a call to make an appointment for a consultation.

Most of us have been in a situation before where one particular tooth experiences a momentary pain twinge for no apparent reason, and then it just goes away and everything is fine. Sometimes this happens only once, and could have been caused by any number of passing anomalies, but then sometimes the twinge returns and we continue to tell ourselves “maybe it’s nothing.”

The game of wait-and-see is a dangerous one if you have discomfort or pain in your mouth that keeps coming back. Even if it’s only occasionally, it might indicate a condition that could develop into much larger problems. In addition, neglecting problems in your mouth can not only lead to bigger mouth problems, but may also exacerbate or even contribute to the development of overall negative health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

The economy has forced many of us to cut back in a lot of areas, but it’s important to understand that getting prompt attention for a dental issue is actually the most economic way to handle the situation. Dental conditions rarely get better on their own, and often get much worse. When the problem escalates, usually the cost of fixing it does, too. It simply doesn’t pay to wait and see.

But cost isn’t the only reason that people avoid making a dental appointment. Sometimes when the pain or discomfort starts, you may hope that it’ll go away on its own because the thought of going to the dentist fills you with anxiety. Again, this is a situation where the longer you wait, the worse it’s likely to get. If you’re simply dreading the appointment and apprehension is overriding your logical realization that you need dental care, you can ask us about our sedation dentistry, which for three decades has helped even the most anxious patients have a relaxed and comfortable dental experience.

As with anywhere else in the body, pain is an indicator that something is wrong, and you should listen to what your body is telling you. Ignoring it and hoping it’ll go away on its own is never advisable, and the sooner you can get the problem looked at by the dentist, the better. We can set up an appointment for you at our Fairfax, VA dental office so that you can get small issues taken care of right away, before they turn into larger, more complicated ones.

Gingivitis and periodontitis are serious issues that can be very harmful to the health of your teeth. Furthermore, there’s growing evidence to show that excess bacteria left untreated in the mouth can contribute to bigger health problems like diabetes and gum disease. There is hope, however – there are plenty of actions you can take to keep gum disease at bay and have a healthy smile for many years to come.

1. Visit the dentist regularly. Many times, especially in the early stages, the symptoms of gum disease are invisible to the untrained eye. Visiting your dentist on a regular basis for check-ups and cleanings is an essential part of stopping gum disease before it takes hold. Don’t assume that because everything looks and feels okay to you, that there are no problems.

2. Brush daily. Brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste can help remove most of the plaque associated with gum disease, and this one simple habit is probably the most important when it comes to regular at-home care. Brushing is especially important in the morning, when bacteria have been building up in the mouth all night, and after meals, when it’s important to clear away food particles that get stuck on the teeth.

3. Floss daily. Most people are pretty good about remembering to brush, but remembering to floss is often another matter. Plaque between the teeth can be especially dangerous because it settles where your brush cannot reach. Over time, that plaque can cause inflammation of the gums that can lead to gum disease. Learning how to floss correctly and making the effort to do it daily is an important part of your oral hygiene habit.

4. Stop smoking, or don’t start. Smoking, aside from causing severe problems with the respiratory system, can also wreak havoc on your gums. In fact, smoking is one of the highest risk factors for gum disease, and in addition, being a smoker can reduce the effectiveness of gum disease treatments.

If you think you may have gum disease, or if it’s just been awhile since you’ve been to the dentist and you need a check-up, you can book an appointment at our Fairfax, VA dental practice to have your teeth cleaned and checked out. Safe is definitely better than sorry, and the sooner you catch the early signs of gum disease, the more that can be done about it.

Medical research continues to find more and more evidence that good oral health is connected with good health throughout the body. Some studies are even indicating that advanced gum disease can be linked to more serious illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. While the research is ongoing and more facts are being discovered every year, the general trend is undeniable: taking good care of your mouth is an important factor in taking care of your overall health.

There are various theories as to why gum disease is an indicator for other health conditions. One of the frontrunning theories is that dangerous bacteria in the mouth, if not dealt with, can enter the bloodstream and come into contact with deposits in the blood vessels. This in turn may lead to conditions that can contribute to heart disease.

Another theory involves the bacteria associated with gum inflammation. Patients who show an elevated amount of this bacteria also tend to show an elevated level of blood vessel thickening, which is in turn associated with heart disease.

Either way, making sure that you have a healthy mouth has a multitude of benefits. Aside from the obvious advantages of preventing oral conditions, you may be helping yourself out in other areas, too.

One area where most people could use some improvement is daily care. Brushing and flossing every day are important parts of your oral hygiene routine that shouldn’t be ignored. If you feel your daily regime isn’t doing what it should, make an appointment for a checkup so we can assess the situation and help you get the most out of your home dental care.

There are also some changes you can make in your lifestyle that will boost your health in all areas. Many people have a weakness for convenience snacks, which often have a high sugar content. This is not only bad for your teeth, it’s bad for the rest of your body, as well. With a little preparation, you can make healthy snacks just as convenient as sugary ones. This can be as simple as portioning out fruits and vegetables to take to work for snacks, or creating something more elaborate like salads or homemade yogurt cups with fresh fruit. Having the right snacks on hand can keep you from reaching for candy bars when you get hungry during the day, and that in turn can help prevent some of the most common oral health problems.

Lastly, if you’re not seeing the dentist every six months, you’re putting yourself at risk for developing conditions that can lead to bigger health problems later. Coming in for regular checkups and cleanings is not just recommended, it’s essential if you want to enjoy optimal oral health.

Anxiety about visiting the dentist is extremely common, and you should not feel embarrassed or ashamed if you’re afraid to make an appointment. Many people even list “going to the dentist” as their biggest fear, and in some cases this leads to dental neglect and oral health problems becoming bigger than they need to be.

The prevalence of dental anxiety is the reason we began to offer sedation dentistry back in 1981. For the past three decades, our practice in Fairfax, VA has offered anxious and apprehensive patients a way to come to the dentist with confidence, and without fear of the procedures that might occur.

There are many different reasons you might be avoiding making an appointment. Perhaps you have had dental procedures in the past that left you with an unpleasant idea of what dentistry is like. Maybe you have complex dental issues that require more than just a minor procedure. Perhaps you’re extremely afraid of having shots or are slow to numb. You might even just have a sensitive gag reflex or general anxiety about being in the dentist’s chair.

In any of these cases, sedation dentistry can help take down the barriers standing between you and your perfect, healthy smile.

Sedation dentistry requires that you take a small pill prior to your dental appointment. The pill will bring on a drowsy state in which you will remain comfortable and relaxed throughout your procedure. Of course, this means that you will not be able to drive yourself to and from our office – you will need to have someone with you to take care of your transportation.

Once you arrive at our practice, we will take extra care to make sure that you are warm and comfortable. Dr. Rye will perform any procedures while you are sedated, and when you wake up, everything will be done, and you will have very little if any memory of what happened.

Even extensive and multiple procedures can be handled during a single sedation session, and for most people there is no pain associated with sedation dentistry. You will, of course, be monitored the entire time to ensure everything proceeds safely, and when you wake up, you will be thrilled to see your new smile!

Don’t wait any longer to get the treatment you need – discuss your apprehensions with us, and let us create a plan that will make you feel comfortable and confident about going forward with your dental care.

A quick Google search for dental implants will quickly show you a lot of “dental tourism” companies that boast dental implant procedures in other countries for a fraction of what they cost in the United States. The idea is that even with travel costs, the total money spent is still relatively low, and you get a vacation as a bonus. It may sound good on the surface, but if you’re considering going abroad for dental implants, there are some issues you should keep in mind.

1. Language barriers can be a problem. Unless you just happen to speak the language of the country you’re going to, it’s not a safe assumption that the staff at dental practices there will be able to communicate with you. Needless to say, you should not accept treatment from someone unless you can fully understand each other, so this can quickly lead to a stalemate situation.

2. Standards may be different. Not all countries have the same standard of medical and dental training. If you are traveling to an unfamiliar place, it can be difficult to know for sure what training the dentist has had. Dental implant procedures are complex to carry out, and you want to be absolutely sure you are under fully qualified care.

3. Complications can be worrying. Although most dental practices around the world will ensure that every effort is made to complete a procedure safely, as with any medical procedure, sometimes unexpected things can and do happen. If that were to happen to you, would you feel comfortable being abroad, or would you rather be in your home country?

4. Corrective issues can be impossible to pursue. If you get dental implants abroad and something goes wrong with them after you get back to the United States, getting any useful help from the dental practice can be very difficult, unless you’re willing to travel back there again for follow-ups.

There are many benefits to having dental implant procedures done in your local area, and the cost may be lower than you think. Your peace of mind is worth it, and so are your teeth. If you’re going to go through the trouble to get the smile you deserve, then you also deserve to have treatment you can trust, in an environment where you will be completely comfortable, and where you can relax knowing that you’re in good hands.

Upgrading Your Dentures to Dental Implants

Traditional, removable dentures used to be the standard for replacing teeth when most or all of the teeth were missing. If you have worn dentures, or are still wearing them now, you are probably all too familiar with issues like sore gums, messy adhesives, or worse, adhesives that fail at the most inopportune moments. There can also be problems with eating and talking, both in terms of personal comfort, and general function of the dentures.

If you have heard about dental implants and are wondering what your options are for upgrading from dentures to implants, contact us at our Fairfax, VA dental practice and make an appointment to have your situation assessed. We use the most advanced Cone Beam CT scanning technology to quickly have a look at your mouth and jaw from every angle, and we can usually discuss your options with you on the same day.

One of the issues with adhesive-based dentures is that because they sit on the gums, there is no root to interact with the jaw bone underneath. Over time, this can cause the bone to deteriorate, which can lead to changes in the shape of your face and smile. With dental implants, a few titanium “roots” are placed into the bone. As the body heals from the procedure, the bone becomes fused to the implants, and afterward a bridge or denture can be fitted to the exposed bart of the implants. With an all-on-4 procedure, as few as four implants may be needed to support an entire arch of teeth.

If you’ve been curious about dental implants as an upgraded alternative to your current dentures, the sooner you come in for an assessment, the better. We can get you in for a scan and then speak to you about your options, and afterward you can decided how you want to proceed. The first and most important step is not to wait, as you want your jawbone in the best possible condition for placing the implants. Regardless of how long you’ve had your dentures, it is certainly worth coming in and getting a professional opinion about how to make your teeth more reliable and comfortable.

You will often hear dental implants spoken about in very glowing terms, with strong implications that implants are some sort of miracle treatment. While it’s true that implants provide a very advanced method of permanent tooth replacement, like any other dental work, certain precautions need to be taken to ensure that the implants are well taken care of, so that they can last as long as possible.

The first thing you can do to reduce the risk of problems with dental implants comes long before you have the procedure done. Make sure that you are in good general health and that you are a non-smoker. You should eat a balanced diet, and of course follow a strict and regular oral hygiene routine. Following healthy practices can greatly reduce the risk of your implants not “taking” properly.

Good dental hygiene is also important after your surgery. Your implants will need to be brushed and flossed just as if they were natural teeth, and you will need to be vigilant about keeping your gums healthy.

Grinding or clenching your teeth can greatly increase the risk that your implant will fail. Grinding puts a huge amount of unnecessary pressure on the teeth, and if you have an implant that is healing, you can either break the implant or cause it to move around.

One problem is that people who grind their teeth at night may not even be aware that they are doing it, though signs will be there that the dentist can see. When you come in for your dental appointment, if it appears you grind your teeth, that issue will need to be dealt with first to increase the likelihood that your implants will be successful.

Luckily there are some complications with traditional tooth replacement solutions that simply aren’t an issue with implants. For example, you will never have to worry about the problems associated with a poorly-fitting denture. You will not have to worry about losing your teeth while talking or eating, nor will you need to remove your teeth at night.

Implants that are properly taken care of will look and behave like your natural teeth, and will last many years or even decades. If you are concerned about your risk factors, or if you are diabetic or a smoker, come in for an initial assessment and get some advice on the best way to proceed. The sooner you get professional advice, the sooner your smile can be restored in every sense of the word.

If you’re looking far the latest technology for dental and oral diagnostics, a cone beam CT scan is the most advanced procedure there is. Making the right choices in dentistry first depends on knowing exactly what sort of situation we’re dealing with, and with equipment like the PreXion 3D Cone Beam CT, within seconds we can see everything that’s going on in the mouth, teeth, jaw, and airway.

This means that you do not have to schedule two appointments in order to learn what your options are – we can do the scan and diagnosis on the same day, and inform you of the best treatment path for you.

Not only is the cone beam scanner more convenient for you, it’s also healthier. A traditional fan beam CT exposes the patient to approximately 80% more radiation than is experienced in a cone beam CT. The structure of the scan is different, and the scan time is much faster, as well, which helps minimize radiation exposure.

In our Fairfax dentist office, we prefer the PreXion 3D Cone Beam CT for a variety of diagnostic uses. It’s the absolute best method for planning dental implants, but can also help us diagnose things like periodontal disease and jaw tumors. It can help us see the full picture when it comes to impacted teeth, and can even assist us with treating problems like TMJ and sleep apnea.

The PreXion 3D scan also helps us show you exactly what’s going on in your mouth, so that you can better understand the diagnosis and treatment options that are presented to you. This can help you to feel more confident about visiting the dentist, as there are no question marks and everything is made perfectly clear with the help of the scanned 3D image.

But the best part of the PreXion 3D Cone Beam CT is how it benefits us when it comes time for you to have a procedure. Because of the accuracy of the scan, we can see the mouth in great detail exactly how it is, and this means that there are no surprises when it comes to the procedure. We can reduce the anesthesia and procedure time, which in turn means that you will have a reduced recovery time.

As if that weren’t enough, the PreXion 3D Cone Beam CT costs much less than having a CT scan done the old-fashioned way, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of this amazing technology.

We have a PreXion 3D Cone Beam CT scanner in our Fairfax dentist office, so you can get your scan without having to visit two locations.