What is it? We are excited to announce that we have adopted a new way of taking impressions for crowns, night guards, retainers, bridges, implants and Invisalign®! We now have a 3Shape TRIOS® Intraoral Scanner that eliminates the need for goopy impression material, saving time and providing comfort to both the patient and clinician. How Does it Work? The scanner takes several images to create a 3D image of your teeth. This scan is sent to a dental lab that uses it to create the 3D models needed to create most of the items listed above. The scan takes around Read More →
We’ve all had that dreaded dream of losing teeth in our sleep. What happens when we are truly faced with this situation? While we may not want to think of needing to have a tooth extraction, there are many circumstances that can require this treatment. Traumatizing events can happen in the blink of an eye. A piece of workout equipment lands on our face and knocks out a front tooth. You bite down on a hard candy and hear a crunch that crumbles your tooth. You hit a tooth with a fork while eating a salad. These are all real-life Read More →
When tooth pain strikes, our instinct is to get relief quickly. Toothaches seem to happen at the most inconvenient times and can put a damper on our plans. But often, there are options, such as root canals and extractions, to treat a tooth that is causing severe pain. If a tooth has been injured from previous trauma, dental work or decay, your dentist will assess the extent of the injury and determine whether the tooth is savable. If there is enough tooth structure left and the tooth hasn’t already been previously treated with a root canal, your dentist may recommend Read More →
At Family Dentist Tree, we work with dental benefits every day. We know they can be confusing and difficult to navigate. While it’s important to review and understand your specific dental benefit package, here are some general tips to ensure that you are getting the most out of your benefits. Pre-authorizations If you are unsure of what your dental insurance will cover, ask your dental office to submit a pre-authorization. While pre-authorizations do not guarantee benefits, they are usually pretty accurate. If you have questions about your pre-authorization, talk to your dental office and they can help you understand your Read More →
From Christina, Dental Hygienist: We all know someone who took a bite out of an apple and heard that dreaded crunch that signified a chipped tooth. Check out our tips for what to do when you chip a tooth and how each solution depends on the size and extent of the fracture. Smooth Over the Teeth If your tooth doesn’t have a deep fracture or if the neighboring teeth were already a bit shorter than the fractured tooth, smoothing over the chipped tooth to match the teeth around it may be a great option to consider. Even a smallest chip Read More →
What is dental floss and why should I use it? Dental floss is a cord of thin filaments that removes food and plaque that stick between teeth where a toothbrush is unable to reach, polishes hard to reach tooth surfaces, and can help control bad breath. What kind of floss should I use? It really is a matter of personal preference. Waxed floss has a coating that helps it slide through tight spaces. Unwaxed floss does not have this coating, so it is thinner. You can also use Dental tape which is helpful if you have a bridge or wider Read More →
via GIPHY When a patient arrives with an aching tooth, their first thought may be to “TAKE THIS THING OUT”! For some cases an extraction may be the only option; however, that is a decision that you and your dentist can make together. Making the best choice now could save you time and money in the long run. Many times when a patient arrives with a constant, throbbing tooth, it likely needs a root canal. A root canal replaces infected pulp in a tooth’s canal and may be completed by your General Dentist or by an Endodontist. Once the root Read More →
Dental implants are the state-of-the-art way to replace missing teeth and are about the closest thing to what nature created as we can get. Dental implants can be used to support a single crown/tooth, to replace multiple teeth, or even support a denture. The advantage of using dental implants instead of traditional bridges is the adjacent teeth do not have to be crowned (to support the bridge). Dental implants offer other important advantages over traditional fixed bridges in that caring for implants is very much the same as with natural teeth. Do You Already Have a Denture That Just Won’t Read More →
Tooth extractions are a common dental procedure and can be necessary for a variety of reasons. While no one wants to experience a tooth extraction, this simple procedure can improve the overall health of your mouth. Reasons for Tooth Extractions Crowded Mouth: Some patients have a crowded mouth in which the teeth begin to encroach upon each other. This can be caused by extra teeth, abnormally shaped teeth, or even genetics. Crowding is often corrected with orthodontia, but can also necessitate tooth extraction to make space for the teeth. Decay or Infection: If tooth decay becomes so severe that the tooth can’t Read More →
Dental x-rays are an essential part of your regular dental examinations. We use x-rays to look for hidden tooth decay, abscessed teeth, and conditions of the jawbone. Additionally, dental x-rays allow us to inspect the condition of dental restorations such as fillings, crowns, implants, root canals, and bridges. Benefits of Digital X-Rays Digital x-rays offer many benefits, including: Reduced radiation exposure (50-90% reduction over traditional x-ray films) Elimination of darkroom chemicals, which is better for the environment Secure storage in our computer system and can be easily transmitted for insurance purposes, referrals or record transfers An almost instantaneous ability to view Read More →
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