What You Need to Do About a Gummy Smile

Have you ever felt that your gums rest too high or too low on your teeth? If you are not satisfied with your smile as it shows off too much of the gums, you may need a gum contouring surgery. It is also known as gum reshaping or tissue sculpting surgery. It is basically a cosmetic dental procedure that evens out the gum line and gives you a smile that you can be proud of.

Problems with gums can occur because of several reasons such as genetics or use of certain prescription drugs. Gums that cover a large portion of your teeth can make your teeth look small and in some cases, the gums can make your teeth look bigger than they actually are which is just the opposite case. Gums that are too high are often caused by gum recession. It is a condition where gum tissue is pulled off and exposes the root of the tooth. It will not only make your teeth look longer than usual but may also cause tooth decay and tooth loss. It can possibly be an early sign of a periodontal disease, depending on the situation.

In most of the cases, gum contouring need not be a medical treatment which becomes mandatory. Most people opt for the treatment because they are not happy with their smiles. On the other hand, some people need to go for gum contouring because of much required periodontal procedures. It could be crown lengthening, pocket reduction and, some other regenerative procedures.

Many dentists also perform gum contouring, but it is better to choose one who has specialization in the field and is an expert in his or her line of work. An expert periodontist or gum specialist is the best choice in this case. One should ask his or her dentist about the various intricacies and medical aspects involved in gum contouring procedure.

The cost of the gum contouring depends on the procedure length and the complexity of the treatment. However, dental insurance generally does not cover the gum contouring treatment charges as it is a cosmetic procedure but one can talk to the dentist depending upon one’s specific needs. The usage of the equipment also affects the quality of the treatment. Dentists often use lasers and radio-surgery to complete the procedures.

It may take a few days or weeks to completely recover from the surgery, depending on the complexity of the treatment. One should follow specific guidelines as directed by the dentist in Sterling VA in order to make the most of the treatment in their Sterling dental clinic. One can then enjoy having a beautiful smile and not worry about the smile being too gummy.

How to Correct a Receded Gum Line

A receded gum line is a dental condition which causes the gum to pull-off from the tooth which may later cause periodontal diseases. It is a common dental problem that occurs mostly in adults and many people ignore this condition until it is worsened. It causes too much exposure of the tooth and the tooth root. In the majority of such cases, people do not even recognize that their gums are receded. With time, this condition will not only make your teeth look ugly but may also cause tooth sensitivity towards hot and cold food items.

Gum grafting is a procedure where the dentists in Sterling takes preventive measures to protect your teeth from gum recession. It helps you in maintaining a healthy smile at its best.

If not diagnosed and treated on time, it can also cause tooth loss, and a gum grafting surgery becomes necessary to prevent that situation from arising. Gum tissue grafting is performed in three different ways depending on the specific situation.

Connective-Tissue Grafts: It is one of the most common methods used to treat teeth root exposure. In this procedure, a mouth tissue (skin from the palate) is cut down and stitched to the gum tissue surrounding the exposed root. When the tissue is removed from the palatal flap, the flap is stitched back.

Free Gingival Grafts: This method is similar to the Connective-Tissue Grafting method but in this case, a small amount of tissue is removed from the roof of the mouth and is attached to the problematic area. People having thin gums are treated by this method that also helps in gum enlargement.

Pedicle Grafts: In this method, the tissue is not extracted from the palate but from the gum around the problematic area. The flap that is also known as pedicle is only partially cut away so that one edge of the tissue remains attached. The gum is then pulled down and stitched to the tissue. It covers the exposed root and the tooth at the same time.

Dentists in Northern Virginia often give sedatives to relax their patients after the treatment. But once the treatment is completed, patients must look after their gums and follow the directives given by the dentists. Patients are often prescribed not to floss or brush near the treated area until it is completely healed.

Importance Of Well Aligned Teeth For Good Oral Health

Most of the people have a misconception that the only reason dentists recommend braces is to improve their patients’ smile. According to Ridgetop Dental’s dentists in Sterling VA proper alignment of teeth is very important for good health and functionality of your entire mouth. Improper alignment of teeth can result in jaw pain, difficulty eating, jaw popping, gum diseases, dental caries and many other problems. In this blog post by Ridgetop Dental, we will read how alignment affects our oral health.

Misaligned teeth increase your chances of gum disease

Daily cleaning becomes easier if your teeth are properly aligned. If your teeth are crooked, cleaning becomes much harder; food gets stuck between your teeth, which can cause different forms of gum disease and tooth decay.

Receding Gums

According to Ridgetop Dental’s Sterling VA dentists, if any of your teeth are not in good alignment, it can cause the surrounding gums around it to recede. In many cases of overbite, lower front teeth come in contact with the gum tissue of the upper teeth, causing irritation to the gums.

Bone loss around teeth

Crooked teeth also lead to excess force on teeth, which can injure your teeth supporting structures and cause bone loss around the teeth.

Other significant problems caused by misaligned teeth:

·       Toothaches

·       Sensitivity to hot and cold

·       Pain in Jaw

·       Jaw clicking and popping

·       Difficulty biting, chewing, or closing the mouth

What to do if you have crooked teeth?

If you have crooked teeth you need to be extra careful when brushing. There are certain difficult to reach areas that require extra attention; hence regular visits to your dentist are a must to get your teeth properly cleaned. If your teeth are severely misaligned, then talking to your dentist about orthodontic treatment is the best thing to do.

When you visit Ridgetop Dental, the expert dentists will carefully examine your bite to make sure that your teeth fit well together. Also, if you have any concerns about your bite, you should discuss it with the experts. There are a plethora of treatments ranging from fixed appliances, to veneers, to invisalign, available at Ridgetop Dental’s Sterling Dentistry centre that will help you achieve your dream smile!

Take the first step towards a perfect smile; visit Ridgetop Dental at- http://www.ridgetopdental.com/

Do You Experience Frequent Headaches? Your Dentist May Have An Answer

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), commonly known as TMJ is a condition in which patient suffers from frequent headaches, jaw pain and experience difficulty in chewing. While, it is not a serious problem, it does affect patient’s normal life. If you too experience any of the symptoms, listed above then consulting a good dental clinic, like Ridgetop Dental’s Northern Virginia Dental clinic is a good thing to do. Let’s find out more about TMJ disorder, its causes and treatment options.

Which part is affected in this disorder?

In this disorder, chewing muscles within the mouth are greatly affected in functionality. TMJ is a joint located near the joints between the base of the skull and the lower jaw. In this condition, TMJ joint is affected leading to headaches, jaw pain and chewing difficulties. TMJ disorder can affect the quality of life and lead to more complex dental problems down the road. Ridgetop Dental offers diagnosis and treatment for bite disorders, like Invisalign in Sterling VA to relieve symptoms and restore your quality of life.

Causes of TMJ

The disorder may be caused by a variety of underlying problems:

• Bruxism: In this condition, a person grinds and clenches his/her teeth during sleep
• Trauma: Any injury to the joint area caused by an accident or surgical procedure
• Improper bite: Uneven bite due to fitted dentures, fillings and dental crowns
• Stress

Treatment Options

To ensure a good quality of life and prevent other serious disorders in future, it is very important to seek treatment in the early stages.

Before starting your treatment, Ridgetop Dental’s experts will assess your overall dental health, including the function of your jaw joints, to determine the underlying cause of TMJ.

They will then create an individual treatment plan designed to help restore your beautiful smile and oral health.

Treatment options can include:

• Dental splint therapy
• Orthodontic treatment
• Occlusal equilibration
• Mouth guard

If left untreated, TMJ can have a dramatic impact on your oral health over time, so don’t ignore the warning signs of TMJ, contact Ridgetop Dental for the expert consultation. Ridgetop Dental has always helped patients by providing the best dental care From the treatment of the most complex dental diseases like dental implants in Northern Virginia.

To know more, visit- http://www.ridgetopdental.com/

Benefits Of Single Dental Implant Over A Bridge

Dental Technology has seen much advancement in the past few years. For example, in the past if you sought treatment for your missing teeth, the preferred option would have been to use a bridge (in which replacement tooth is held in place by brackets placed over the adjacent teeth on either side of the gap), but today’s dentists are able to provide a revolutionary alternative solution-dental implants. At Ridgetop Dental, the dentists regularly use a single dental implant in Leesburg VA, instead of a bridge, which does have several advantages. Let’s take a look.

Does not need the support of adjacent teeth

One of the main advantages of missing teeth replacement using single dental implant is that it does not need the support of adjacent teeth. In case of bridges, the adjacent teeth need to be shaved down to accommodate the brackets which support the fixed bridge, which can weaken your teeth and have an adverse effect on your overall oral health.

Helps prevent bone loss

When a tooth is missing, the bone around that area starts deteriorating due to the lack of pressure and stimulation. The titanium implant, which is surgically placed in your jawbone, acts like a tooth root, stimulating the surrounding tissue and bones, thus preventing bone loss, assert Ridgetop Dental’s expert Northern Virginia dentists. However, if you choose to wear a bridge, the gradual bone loss and deterioration will continue.

Easy maintenance

Dental implants need the same type of care which your normal teeth require. Daily brushing and flossing is enough to keep your implant in good shape. A fixed dental bridge, on the other hand, can be harder to keep clean since it uses a special cement to hold it in place, which may over time get washed away. So, extra precautions need to be taken.

Long lasting

Single dental implant is a long lasting solution, whereas, gum line where your dental bridge is fixed will recede due to continuing bone loss.

If you’d like to know more about dental implants, bridges or dentures in Northern Virginia then visit Ridgetop Dental and discuss all your tooth replacement options. The experts at Ridgetop Dental will be happy to help you.

To schedule an appointment, visit- http://www.ridgetopdental.com/

All You Need To Know About Gingivitis

Periodontal disease is the most commonly existing condition in dentistry. Many people reading this blog won’t even know they are suffering from a periodontal disease, as many people believe that only when there is pain or discomfort, there’s a periodontal disease. But, unfortunately periodontal disease involves the foundation of the tooth. That is the bone and gingival tissues (gums). Slow loss of bone and gums has no pain or discomfort for majority of the patients; therefore, sometimes periodontal diseases go un-noticed in the initial stages. One such periodontal disease is gingivitis. Ridgetop Dental, a leading Northern Virginia dental clinic offers useful information about gingivitis and ways to prevent it.

What is gingivitis?

Gingivitis is a very common and mild form of gum (periodontal) disease that causes irritation, redness and swelling (inflammation) of your gums. Because gingivitis can be very mild, you may not be aware that you have the condition. But it's important to take gingivitis seriously and treat it promptly. Gingivitis can lead to much more serious gum disease (periodontitis) and eventual tooth loss.

Causes of Gingivitis

The most common cause of gingivitis is poor oral hygiene. Good oral health habits, such as regular professional checkups and daily brushing and flossing, can help prevent gingivitis.

How to prevent gingivitis

According to the leading dentist in northern Virginia of Ridgetop Dental, early preventive care and routine dental visit can help to prevent periodontal disease. Regular prophylaxis (cleaning) can remove tartar and plaque around the gums and make the tooth healthy and stronger. Healthy habits and good oral hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, are critical in preventing gum disease and maintaining good oral health.

Non-Surgical treatment of gingivitis (Periodontal disease) at Ridgetop Dental

Though prevention is always better than cure, but, even if you have contracted gingivitis or any other periodontal disease, the experts at Ridgetop Dental can help you in the following ways:

• Deep cleaning ( Scaling and root planning)
• Laser pocket reduction ( bacterial reduction)
• 3 month perio recare

Periodontal diseases are easily preventable. Just a few precautions and regular visits to dentists can keep periodontal diseases at bay. Ridgetop Dental, a highly advanced centre for general and cosmetic dentistry in Northern Virginia has been serving the community for many years by providing excellent dental care using latest and innovative technologies.

To learn more about periodontal treatment offered at Ridgetop Dental, call us at-703.444.9900 or visit -  http://www.ridgetopdental.com/

How You Can Benefit From Gingival Grafting?

Many people experience receding gums, due to a variety of reasons, like aggressive brushing, periodontal diseases, tartar build-up, smoking, hormonal changes, diabetes etc. You may not be in control of what caused this problem, but you can surely benefit from gum grafting surgery. Gum grafting or gingival grafting when performed by experts, like Ridgetop Dental’s dentists in Ashburn VA; can restore the health and beauty of your smile. Let’s take a look at how you can benefit from gingival grafting in this article, brought to you by Ridgetop Dental.

Gum grafting-an overview

Gum grafting is a dental procedure where viable tissue, grafted from the roof of the patient’s mouth is used to treat teeth with receding gums. Undergoing the gum graft procedure at a professional and safe dental office like Ridgetop Dental is a permanent fix to the problem of receding gums. Sometimes, gum grafting is advised prior to the placement of dental implants in Ashburn VA. Gum grafting thickens the gum, ensuring the success of dental implants.

Some benefits of getting a gum graft are:

Improved oral health: This is the most important reason for getting this procedure done. Exposed tooth roots can make simple things such as eating and drinking very difficult. Once the gingival grafting is done and fully healed, the patient is able to eat and drink without pain and enjoy a normal life.

Reduced sensitivity: Exposed tooth roots can cause extreme tooth sensitivity when eating hot or cold foods. Gum grafting permanently covers exposed tooth roots, providing patients respite from extreme discomfort.

Confidence: Recessed gums don’t just cause discomfort; they may have an effect on your confidence levels as well. Health experts suggest, smiling more often to stay healthy. However, it can be difficult for some to smile when they aren’t confident in the appearance of their gums. Gum grafting helps restore that confidence and improve your overall wellbeing.

 

Talk to the experts at Ridgetop Dental today to determine if gum grafting is the right option for you. At Ridgetop Dental, there are many advanced treatment options available, like dental implants, veneers and invisalign in Ashburn VA that can help you achieve good oral health and confident smile.

To know more, visit-http://www.ridgetopdental.com/