Author Archives: chzechze

How to Recover a Swallowed Dental Crown

Dental crowns are not only necessary for a beautiful smile, if they are on a back tooth they provide a surface with which to chew food. Dental crowns are expensive. There are two types of crowns, temporary and permanent. Dental patients more often tend to swallow a temporary crown, since the adhesive used to hold it in place is more likely to fail and the crown may be dislodged while chewing a mouthful of food and swallowed before you know it’s missing. Less frequently, this happens with permanent crowns but when it does, you can recover the crown and have it reattached. Dental crowns or restorations may be inhaled or swallowed by the patient during chewing food, sleeping, laughing or yawning or may be during some accident. Patient should be told not to get panic and stay calm if he/she has swallowed a dental crown. Continue reading

How to Recycle Partial Dentures

It’s time to replace your partial dentures. But what do you do with your old ones? It seems a shame to just throw them away. After all, they were expensive, and there are so many people who can’t afford dentures but need them. Did you know that there are over 3,600,000 sets of dentures produced around the world every year? And did you know that each set contains around roughly US$25 of precious metals? Unfortunately, because of the personalized nature of dentures, they are usually not recycled in such a way that they are given to another person to wear. There are some things, however, that you can do with your partial dentures other than just tossing them in the nearest trash bin. Continue reading

How to Notice When Bleaching Teeth is Too Much

Did you know that teeth whitening is the number one requested cosmetic service today and that its popularity continues to soar? A recent survey showed 80% of Americans aged 18 to 49 want whiter teeth, with women leading in this area at 85%.  6 out 10  believe a whiter, brighter smile would boost their self-confidence especially in the 18 to 24 age range. According to the American Academy of cosmetic Dentistry, Americans spent more than $1.4 billion on over-the-counter teeth whitening products last year alone. Continue reading

How to Make Your Braces Hurt Less

Dental braces are a type of orthodontic treatment used to correct teeth that are crowded, crooked, protruding, out of alignment or have irregular spacing. By moving the teeth into the ideal position, dental braces help to create a more attractive and healthier smile for both children and adults. Continue reading

How to reduce cravings with a tongue scraper?

Ever wonder why you crave pickles or coconut or a ham sandwich? Chocolate and ice cream cravings make sense to many of us because they taste so good. But that’s not the only reason! We all experience cravings, some more than others. If you start to pay attention and maybe even keep a food diary, you can sometimes recognize patterns. Cravings can be emotional, but a lot of times they are your body’s way of demanding a certain nutrient. That’s why it’s important not to deny your cravings, but to figure out what they mean and how to meet them in a healthy way. Continue reading

How to Regrow Gums

Everybody loves to smile, but lately you’ve been hating it because of the state of your teeth and gums. They are a mess, especially your receding gumline. You’re absolutely certain your smile looks more like a jack-o-lantern’s grimace than a genuine expression of warmth. You don’t need to clamp your mouth shut forever, but rather take a stab at a few methods that may help you regrow gums. Gum disease is the leading cause of extensive of gum damage. Feel fortunate that you found out the problem before you developed things like loose and sensitive teeth. If you already have sensitive or loose teeth, don’t waste any more time. Get yourself back to your dentist to get help with your receding gum problem. It’s always helpful to walk in with some knowledge of the receding gum treatments. Continue reading

How to Make a Model of Permanent Teeth

Dental models are three-dimensional reproductions of a patient’s teeth and gums, according to “Torres and Ehrlich Modern Dental Assisting.” Also called study casts, these models are valuable diagnostic tools for creating devices such as dentures or braces, or for making temporary crowns or mouth guards. Whatever the reason, making a permanent teeth model is easy to do, if you don’t mind having plaster in your mouth for a few minutes. You could do it yourself with a few pieces of equipment, or you could have your local dentist make a mold for you. It is painless and doesn’t take more than an hour to complete. With these models, the dentist can study a patient’s mouth at angles he or she cannot reach during a regular patient examination in the dental chair. Continue reading

How to Deal With a Patient Who Doesn’t Speak English

According to the 1990 US Census Bureau, 31.8 million residents, or 14% of the population 5 years old and older, reported speaking a language other than English at home. The most common non-English language spoken at home was Spanish (17.3 million) followed by French (1.9 million), German (1.5 million), Chinese (1.3 million), and Italian (1.3 million). Seven states—New Mexico, California, Texas, Hawaii, New York, Arizona, and New Jersey— reported that 20% or more of their residents did not speak English at home. Continue reading

How to Evaluate Denture Occlusion

Denture occlusion is no different from natural teeth occlusion. Occlusion refers to your bite, to how well and how accurate the teeth come together and how well the top teeth fit into the bottom teeth when you bite together. If you experience pain when you bite down or chew food, your occlusion may be off and need adjustment. You evaluate denture occlusion the same way you evaluate natural teeth occlusion, with dental occlusion paper and a mouth mirror available from your dentist or a dental supply laboratory. Continue reading

How to Kiss With a Partial Denture

Wearing dentures can take a bit of practice, especially when it comes to inserting them and taking them out. Most people will adapt to dentures relatively easily, however, with just a bit of practice. You’ll also find that most normal activities, like speaking and eating, even whistling, can be done with dentures as well. Kissing with dentures is essentially the same as kissing without them. If you’re feeling nervous about the idea, there are a few things you can do to help relieve your anxiety and ensure a pleasant experience for all concerned. Continue reading