Cosmetic Dentistry Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Eggert Family Dentistry Blog

The Vital Role of Teeth and Chewing in Overall Health

By Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

It’s an unfortunate fact of life: sometimes we last longer than our teeth. It’s not uncommon to lose teeth to accidents, decay, disease or deterioration.

Replace Missing Teeth with Implants or Dentures

Dentures have historically been the go-to solution, but dentures definitely are not teeth and satisfaction varies. Some people find them awkward or painful, or have trouble chewing. Luckily, dental implants can provide a tremendous improvement. Implant technology is one of the great advances of the last few decades, and enable everyone to have a full set of functional “teeth” well into an advanced old age.

Why Tooth Replacement is Crucial to Health

If you’re facing missing teeth, why is it important to replace them?

While some people might be tempted to soldier on with missing teeth, this means relying on gum surfaces for chewing; restricting the diet to soft foods; or pureeing foods to make them palatable. We do not recommend these solutions–they may ultimately have negative impacts on the health of your mouth and body.

Jaw and Gum Issues Due to Missing Teeth

When teeth are missing, you have to work harder to chew. Natural teeth have a bite force of 200-250 pounds and dentures have a bite force around 50 pounds. The soft tissue of the gums can’t approach the strength of either. Over time, you’re at risk of suffering irritated, sore, or even infected gums, which will further diminish your chewing ability.

TMJ disorders may also result from the loss of teeth. The TMJ is the temporomandibular joint, where your jaw connects to your skull. Disorders of this joint can lead to headaches, tooth grinding, locking of the joint, and pain in the joint. When you are missing teeth, your TMJ has to work extra hard to compensate.

The integrity of the bone in the jaw depends on the resistance it experiences during the act of chewing to maintain its strength. When the act of chewing doesn’t place pressure on the jaw, the bone of the jaw weakens over time, becoming prone to fractures and potentially jeopardizing neighboring teeth.

Gastrointestinal Problems Resulting from Inadequate Chewing

Digestion is a complex process depending on multiple organs. Each organ must do its part for successful digestion. The role of chewing is more than simply mechanical and with missing teeth, things get complicated. Long story short, on a purely mechanical level, digestion depends on small food fragments. Large fragments cannot be properly broken down, resulting in incomplete digestion. This means nutrients are not fully extracted. Undigested food can lead to indigestion, discomfort, irregularity and excess gas.

Dental Implants or Dentures Restore Chewing Function

Chewing is essential for good nutrient absorption and a healthy, responsive digestive system. If teeth problems are interfering with your ability to chew, talk to us about your options. We’ll be happy to discuss a treatment plan, and explore the pros and cons of dental implants or dentures to resolve your issues and ensure your oral and digestive health.

John’s Success Story: Replacing a Failing Bridge

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

John came to us as an established patient at one of his routine recare appointments. Dr. Elizabeth noted decay around the edges of his expansive 6-unit bridge on his upper front teeth.

After further examination, one of the natural teeth of the bridge was showing signs of infection and needed to be removed. Dr. Elizabeth recommended John go through our records process so she could help John plan for a more stable, longer-lasting tooth replacement option for his front teeth.

What did John want his future smile to look like?

John wanted to replace his missing teeth with a stable and long-lasting solution. Dr. Elizabeth noted changes on one of the anchor teeth of John’s front bridge on radiographs, and the tooth needed to be extracted. John wanted to do what was needed to keep his natural teeth healthy and wanted to replace the front teeth with the longest lasting replacement option. John liked the look of his current bridge.

What did Eggert Family Dentistry do?

Dr. Elizabeth used photos and x-rays of John’s teeth along with the results of a thorough muscle and joint evaluation to present John with the current health of his teeth, gums, and the function of his jaw and muscles. The details of the records process revealed that the position of John’s bridge and many of his natural teeth caused multiple interferences when he chewed. This means he was biting down unevenly, causing the breakdown of his teeth. This deterioration was negatively impacting the function of his teeth and likely contributed to the failing bridge.

Dr. Elizabeth and John decided that John’s best replacement option for the bridge would involve placing two implants and connecting them with an implant bridge. This made it possible to detach some teeth from his original bridge and allow for easier cleaning.

Before we could start with John’s implants, though, we had to address the instability in his bite. John first wore an anterior deprogrammer to take pressure off his back teeth and relax his muscles so his new bridge could be restored to a more stable, comfortable bite. John then had restorations placed on many of his back teeth to rebuild tooth structure into a better functioning bite. John then had two implants placed in front and wore a temporary bridge during the healing phase. The final phase was for Dr. Elizabeth to fabricate a new implant bridge to replace his front teeth.

What does John think of the results?

“Everything turned out great! I like how it looks and I like how it feels! Everyone comments on how nice it looks. At first, I didn’t fully understand how it was all going to come together, but I trusted Dr. Elizabeth and her abilities and I am glad I did!” John is excited to also have brightened his smile and is considering bleaching his lower teeth. Contact us to schedule your bridge consultation.

3 Zoom Whitening Success Stories

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

This spring, Eggert Family Dentistry offered a promotion through this very newsletter and on Facebook for a discounted rate on Philips Zoom whitening. Zoom whitening is an in-office procedure that can instantly whiten your teeth 4 to 10 shades in less than two hours. The appointment consists of four 15-minute treatment sessions, after which we send you home with at-home whitening trays to maintain your bright results.

We had an overwhelming response to this promotion and were happy to see so many of our patients achieve amazing results using Zoom whitening! Check out the testimonials and before and after photos of three lucky patients who wanted to show you what your smile can look like with Zoom!

Alan’s Zoom Whitening Success Story
Alan said that he was hesitant about doing Zoom whitening. He wasn’t certain the results would be worth it. After seeing his results, though, Alan said he would definitely recommend Zoom whitening to anyone considering the procedure, saying, “It was worth it!”

Roxanne’s Zoom Whitening Success Story
Roxanne told us that before her appointment, she was really excited about doing Zoom whitening. Afterwards, she said she was definitely happy that her teeth looked so “clean and fresh.” Her advice for anyone considering Zoom? “Do it!”

Jim’s Zoom Whitening Success Story
Before his appointment, Jim said he was somewhat “leery” of Zoom whitening and wasn’t sure how much of a difference he would be able to see in the shade of his teeth. However, Jim said he was “amazed” after seeing the difference in his smile and was very pleased with his results!

Thanks for sharing your stories, Alan, Roxanne, and Jim! We’re so glad you’re happy with your Philips Zoom whitening results!

To schedule your Zoom whitening consultation, contact Eggert Family Dentistry today.

Jill’s Invisalign® Success Story

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

A few months ago, Jill noticed her top teeth were shifting and her front teeth were starting to cross over each other. She also noticed more crowding on her bottom teeth, and she was starting to trap food because of it. We compared photos of Jill’s teeth from several years ago with her current smile and confirmed noticeable differences.

Jill’s teeth before (left) and after (right).

What did Jill want from her experience with Invisalign®?
Jill had been considering Invisalign® for some time. Her daughter had used Invisalign® teeth aligners and was very pleased with her results. Jill wanted to unravel the crowding on her own top and bottom front teeth. She imagined a future when she could clean her teeth better, eat without catching food between her teeth, and be proud to flash her beautiful smile.

How did Jill get started with Invisalign®?
First, we took impressions, photos, and x-rays of Jill’s teeth right at our office. Then, we sent them all to Invisalign®. In a short time, we could evaluate the 3D simulation of how Jill’s teeth could move with Invisalign® treatment. Jill was happy with the results of the 3D simulation and decided to proceed with treatment. Over a number of months, a sequence of 22 aligners would gradually move Jill’s teeth into place. Jill came into the office every 6 weeks to ensure her teeth were moving as expected. Small composite attachments were strategically and temporarily placed on the front surfaces of some of Jill’s teeth to help with tooth movements. These attachments easily blended in with her teeth, but were removed once her Invisalign® treatment was complete.

What does Jill think of her Invisalign® results?

Let’s hear it straight from Jill:

“My daughter went through Invisalign® and gave me the encouragement to do it. I understood the procedure and knew what to expect. I’m very happy with the results! I would encourage anyone considering Invisalign® to do it!”

Thanks for sharing your story, Jill! We’re so glad you’re happy with your Invisalign® results!

To schedule your Invisalign® consultation, contact Eggert Family Dentistry today.

Splint and Occlusal Therapy: Ruth’s Story

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

How did this start?

Ruth came to us as a new patient. She was experiencing frequent headaches, 3-4 times per week or more, as well as frequent neck aches, shoulder pain, back pain, and migraines. In addition, she had ear pain, jaw pain, and was having a hard time sleeping. Ruth was working with her MD to determine a diagnosis and treatment plan to help her manage the pain, which her MD thought was because of a possible pinched nerve. She struggled with the headaches and migraines for years but was now experiencing increasing jaw pain. Dr. Elizabeth noted some tooth wear throughout her mouth and intense muscle discomfort during her muscle evaluation. Dr. Elizabeth recommended Ruth go through our records process so that she could delve deeper into the underlying causes of her pain.

What did Ruth want?

Ruth struggled with upper back, shoulder, head, jaw, and neck pain for years but she didn’t realize the pain could be related to her teeth. Ruth had, however, noticed some changes with her teeth including a space opening up and a loose front lateral tooth. Ruth decided to undergo records because she wanted to be able to eat without worry, she wanted her mouth to function better, and she wanted her teeth to last her lifetime. She also noticed herself clenching often and she was hoping to have that addressed during the process.

What was revealed during the records process?

Dr. Elizabeth used models, photos, and x-rays of Ruth’s teeth along with our thorough muscle and joint evaluation results to present Ruth with the current status of her teeth, gums, and the function of her jaw and muscles. The details of the records process revealed that the position of Ruth’s teeth, muscles, and jaw joints were causing multiple interferences. This means she was biting down unevenly causing the breakdown of her teeth as well as the jaw, neck, and shoulder pain. It was recommended that Ruth begin splint therapy.

What was involved?

The purpose of her splint therapy was to change the position of Ruth’s jaw to a relaxed muscle position. We were hoping this would improve her headaches and migraines and it did! In Ruth’s case, we also discussed how if we adjusted the teeth to fit together at the relaxed jaw position, she should be much more stable long-term. Dr. Elizabeth fitted Ruth with a TMJ splint to wear all of the time to create the best possible function between the natural position of her jaw, muscles, and her teeth as they worked with one another.

As soon as Ruth’s muscles reached a comfortable and relaxed position, Dr. Elizabeth adjusted the alignment of the upper and lower teeth and altered the chewing surfaces of some of the her back teeth to remove the painful interferences. This process is called equilibration. Dr. Elizabeth then completed a solid new bite for Ruth with porcelain veneers and crowns on her upper and lower front teeth. The veneers were an important step in completing Ruth’s new bite because the ideal shape of the teeth helps to keep the back teeth from over engaging her muscles. This created harmony among Ruth’s jaw joints, muscles, and teeth as the joints and muscles were placed in a relaxed position and the teeth now come together at the same time. We finally designed a splint for Ruth to wear while she sleeps to keep her teeth, jaw, and muscles in this new comfortable position.

What does Ruth think?

“The presentation was really thorough and really good. I had no idea my migraines were caused by my bite. I got relief from my migraines in the early stages which was fantastic! I’m really happy. Everything was explained very well to me. I would recommend anyone experiencing my pain to come here. I would tell them to definitely pursue the treatment because you don’t have to live with the pain. It is also so nice to have everything looking great!”

Do you wonder if improving your bite may give you relief from headaches, migraines, or even back pain? Call today for an appointment at Eggert Family Dentistry 651-482-8412.

What Is Crown Lengthening?

By: Dr. Elizabeth EggertEvery smile is beautiful and unique, but some people are self-conscious about the amount of gum tissue showing in their smiles. Others might need a crown or other tooth restoration, but do not have enough visible tooth for us to complete the fix. In both cases, crown lengthening is a solution.

Crown lengthening is a routine dental surgical procedure that restores smiles or improves them. If you feel your teeth are too small in your smile, it might be that your teeth aren’t actually to blame. Sometimes, it’s the gum tissue covering the teeth that makes them seem too small. Crown lengthening remodels the contour of your gum line to provide a better balance between tooth and gum tissue. This is an aesthetic use for crown lengthening that helps perfect your smile.

Crown lengthening is also an important tool in restoring very broken down teeth. Sometimes, we get patients who need permanent crowns, but we can’t place the crowns because too little of the tooth is visible above the gum line. Or, there may be too much decay or the tooth may be broken below the gum line. In all of these cases, crown lengthening allows us to gain more access to the tooth to properly place permanent crowns.

What can I expect during my crown lengthening experience?

More often than not, you will see a gum and tissue specialist, called a periodontist, for your crown lengthening procedure. They will review your dental history and your x-rays and set a date for your crown lengthening surgical procedure. We might help the periodontist by placing a temporary crown to protect a broken or decayed tooth. The day of the surgery, you’ll have local anesthetic and the crown lengthening procedure will be completed. The length of the surgery depends on the number of teeth being worked on.

After the surgery, you’ll take medicine for pain relief (usually OTC) and you’ll use a mouth wash to keep the surgical site clean as it heals. The periodontist might even ask you to stick to soft foods and a slightly altered brushing and flossing routine while you’re recovering. Most often, in less than two weeks, it’ll be time for your stitches to come out and to complete any follow-up procedures.

What are the outcomes of crown lengthening?

We like to let our work speak for itself! Rob and Lola are two happy patients who have completed crown lengthening. As you can see, the results are quite striking. You can tell from their beaming smiles that they’re satisfied with the outcome!

Rob Before & After

If you’re wondering if crown lengthening might be the solution for you, contact Eggert Family Dentistry today. Call (651) 482-8412.

Crowns Done in a Day? Serena’s Story

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

When Serena needed a crown, her friends told her that she’d need to schedule two dentist appointments: one to place a temporary crown and another for the permanent crown. As a busy working mom who travels often, Serena couldn’t fit these appointments into her schedule.

The dentists at Eggert Family Dentistry were excited to help. We can prepare, design, and place permanent crowns in just two hours using CEREC, an innovative technology, to make these restorations. Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff are fully trained in CEREC and Dr. Furey plans to complete the training soon.

Serena’s CEREC restoration started with a digital scan of her tooth. Then, Dr. Elizabeth digitally designed the restoration using the 3D scan. It took just 15 minutes to mill Serena’s crown once the design was complete. Dr. Elizabeth tried the crown on Serena’s tooth to match color and glazing. Once it was complete, she cemented it in. Once the crown was in place, Serena couldn’t even tell which tooth had the crown.

Serena’s appointment lasted just over two hours. According to Serena, “The time went fast! I liked being able to catch up on email and read a book.” Serena and our other CEREC patients have been really impressed with the fit of their crowns and the short, effortless process of placing them.

Trauma to a Front Tooth – Sarah’s Story

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

How did this start?

Sarah came to us first as a new patient with her parents before Christmas. They were looking for a solution for her front teeth. Sarah experienced trauma at 13 years old and her left front tooth fell out at that time and was re-implanted. Sarah had a root canal done within a couple weeks of the trauma, which was the recommended course. As with many trauma cases, over the years Sarah has noticed that tooth and her other front teeth are starting to turn dark because of the trauma. When Sarah was seen in our office, her tooth was showing signs of significant external root resorption. The long term prognosis of the tooth is poor but at the time of her visit with us she was not experiencing any pain or swelling.

What did Sarah want?

Sarah is currently a senior in high school and wanted to improve the look of her front teeth for graduation and prom. Sarah and her parents weighed different options for restoring her front teeth and ultimately decided to keep her natural teeth for now since they aren’t causing her any pain. They chose a treatment option that will buy Sarah some time and improve her esthetics and also let her finish growing.

What was revealed during the comprehensive records process?

Some questions Sarah and her parents needed to decide were – how to address the uneven gum tissue levels? How to address the uneven tooth edges? How to improve the color on potentially dying teeth? Save the left front tooth for now or not? How long would they allow treatment to take? What was their budget at this time?

What was involved?

To help Sarah and her parents answer some of those questions, Dr. Elizabeth designed different blueprints out of plastic to try directly in Sarah’s mouth to help Sarah and her parents see the results of some of the different treatment options available.

In the end, Sarah decided to split the difference on the length of her teeth. She decided not to change her gum tissue levels at this time. She wanted to keep the left front tooth for now. And, she wanted to do as much as we could to improve the color with composite filling material. We all decided to add composite veneers to three of her front teeth and to bleach her remaining teeth for a cost effective way to improve the esthetics for a few years.

What does Sarah think?

Sarah and her parents were thrilled with the results! It was a low cost way to keep her smiling through her graduation and into the future! Sarah 4

How a Smile Impacts Confidence – Richard’s Story

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

How did this start?

Richard came to us first as a new patient last winter needing comprehensive care and a restorative plan to fix teeth that were breaking down. At the time of his first exam, Richard had many teeth throughout his mouth that had lost fillings, fractured or cracked and he knew things were starting to break down. Dr. Elizabeth also noted a decent amount of decay contributing to the breakdown and we recommended Richard go through our records process so that she could delve deeper into underlying causes behind his lost fillings, cracked, and broken teeth.

What did Richard want?

What did Richard want? Richard had noticed his teeth were starting to break down. He was losing fillings and his teeth were breaking. Prior to seeing Dr. Elizabeth, Richard would “patch” his teeth when things were broken, but he wanted to take a more comprehensive approach to prevent further damage. He wanted to have his teeth healthy again. Specifically, Richard wanted his teeth to function better for him long into the future. He had many broken teeth, decayed teeth, and wanted to know what he should do.

What was revealed during the records process?

Dr. Elizabeth used models, photos, and x-rays of Richard’s teeth along with our thorough muscle and joint evaluation results to present Richard with the current health of his teeth, gums, and the function of his jaw and muscles. The details of the records process revealed that in addition to the decay, the position of Richard’s teeth caused him to bite down unevenly. This was accelerating the breakdown of his teeth. This deterioration was negatively impacting both the esthetics and function of his teeth. It was hard to get Richard even to smile. Richard needed a full mouth reconstruction to rebuild what had broken down and bring his teeth back to a healthier state.

What does Richard think?

“I think the process is amazing. You guys have been the most impressive part about this process – making something that isn’t pleasant a fun thing to do. I would most certainly recommend Dr. Elizabeth and her team if someone I knew was considering getting this done.”

Look at how Richard smiles more easily now. It is amazing how a smile can change your confidence!

Lia’s Story

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

“Smile and the world will smile with you.”

Lia’s Story

A congenitally missing tooth is one of the most common dental developmental abnormalities. In fact, roughly 20% of adults have at least one tooth that never developed.

Why is that number so high? Well, we’ve all hear of that person who didn’t develop all, if any, wisdom teeth. If you take wisdom teeth out of the picture, the percentage of adults with congenitally missing teeth drops to only 5%. Other permanent teeth we see missing are second premolars, upper lateral incisors, and lower central incisors.

A wisdom tooth that never grew in is a good thing – one less tooth to remove! However, being a child with a missing front tooth is quite a different story. Teenage years are often difficult enough without having to worry about appearance. With the emotional roller coaster of being a teen, we need to give our children any excuse to smile!

This month’s Case of the Month features Lia. Lia is a beautiful 16-year-old patient of ours who never developed one of her lateral incisors. Her goal is to smile big… and with confidence.

Typically, implants are the treatment of choice to replace a missing tooth. However, the golden rule for teenagers is to proceed with implant placement once skeletal growth is complete. Early implant placement, at a time of continuing growth, can lead to unaesthetic results.

In Lia’s case, we chose to use a resin composite bonding material to create a beautiful smile that she can confidently wear until it’s time for an implant.

Don’t let missing teeth affect your confidence. Give us a call today to discuss treatment options. 651-482-8412