Your daily brushing and flossing routine is crucial to thwarting dreaded cavities and gum disease from invading your smile, but by itself, it’s still not enough to maintain top-notch oral health. There is a reason we recommend regular dental cleanings and exams!

Do you know the important differences between full and partial dentures? Our team is happy to review both versions for optimal tooth replacement to help you better understand how they can restore your smile. Below we will review the main types of dentures, which are full and partial dentures, and the benefits they have to offer.

Dentures replace missing teeth in your smile to keep other teeth from changing their position. Dentures are customized for your mouth to fit comfortably and can be removed for cleaning. Today’s dentures are more natural-looking than ever so that your appearance and smile remain natural. Without dentures, missing teeth can cause the facial muscles to droop and you may appear to age prematurely. Dentures also help you chew comfortably and speak clearly again when they restore missing teeth in your smile.

October is here and fall has officially begun, bringing with it Breast Cancer Awareness Month as well as National Dental Hygiene Month. This is a time to raise awareness for both and help to prevent problems by monitoring your health and being mindful of your lifestyle choices. Whether you are fighting cancer or dental problems, catching problems in their early stages helps stack the success rate in your favor.

If you have ever lost a tooth, you might have more than just a gap between your teeth. If a lost tooth is not replaced, the bone in the jaw that supported the lost tooth starts to deteriorate. That’s because when you chew your food, there’s no more stimulation to the bone from the missing tooth’s chewing action. Over time, the gaps in your mouth change as the surrounding teeth shift into the empty space, causing your bite alignment to shift with it. When this happens, missing teeth can not only affect how you look but can cause problems when you chew and even when you speak.

When it comes to protecting your teeth, your first line of defense against tooth decay and cavities is tooth enamel, as it is the outermost covering that protects the more vulnerable dentin and tooth pulp below. Your enamel comes equipped for the job as the hardest substance in your body. However, because it doesn’t have living cells it can’t grow back once it is lost.

When you come in for dental exams and we have cleaned your teeth and gum line and removed any hardened plaque, our dentist can look at them for any signs of trouble, such as cavities, loose or broken teeth, damaged fillings, and evaluate your risk rate of certain diseases which might also take into account your family history. We will look for swelling in the gums or redness and bleeding and even measure the depth of gingival pockets signaling gum disease. We will evaluate your bite, determine if you have bruxism (a sign of teeth grinding), check the contact between teeth and examine the lower jaw joints for problems. We will also examine the soft tissues in your head, mouth and neck, including the lymph nodes, for any indications of cancer or infection. If problems are detected, you may require further diagnostics followed up with recommended treatment options.

Have you considered using gold for your next tooth restoration? Nowadays, you have several choices in materials, but some dentists may not always ask you if you have a choice. With the advent of 3D printing technology, porcelain has been the assumed material used. While porcelain is aesthetically pleasing—looking the most natural, there are still many areas where gold is superior.

Each tooth has its own unique function to perform and therefore needs its own level of care. For example, the pressure of chewing typically is handled by your molars and premolars, which requires them to have a lot of durabilities. If these back teeth develop a cavity, they typically need to receive an amalgam dental filling to offer a lot of strength and provide necessary support for these teeth. While metal fillings can be very durable, they are not easy to conceal in your smile.

Oftentimes, when an individual tries to treat bad breath, they end up simply masking the odors involved. To properly treat bad breath, you will have to get to the cause or the issue. This includes keeping your mouth clean and free of bacteria and finding out if there’s a problem within your body that needs to be assessed. Only by understanding what is causing your bad breath, can you make sure that it will not continue to arise.

If you want a strong and healthy smile, then you need to take good care of your teeth and gums at all times. This means you need to keep your smile in mind while you’re at school. Unfortunately, there are bad school habits that can damage your smile and promote dental issues. Our dentist, Dr. Alex Abernathy, recommends avoiding those habits as much as possible. Those habits are:

-Chewing on your nails and other hard objects: We understand that chewing on your nails, pens and pencils is a nervous habit that can help you get through your tests and assignments, but it’s very dangerous for the smile. In fact, it applies unnatural pressure to the teeth and can crack the tooth enamel. It’s best to avoid chewing hard things.

-Not drinking enough water: Water can wash your mouth, so it’s best to sip on it throughout the day. When you drink water, it eliminates the bacteria from the smile and also helps you avoid bad breath, dental issues and dry mouth.

-Not chewing gum: Chewing gum can increase your saliva flow. Your saliva can wash the bacteria and other harmful substances from your teeth and gums. So, make sure to chew sugarless gum after every meal and snack to maintain a top-notch smile.

If you have any questions or if you would like to know more about bad smile habits in Jackson, Mississippi, please contact Lakeland Dental Care at your earliest convenience. Our dental team is here to help you, so call 601-981-8166 today! We look forward to hearing from you.