Stop! Consult your Cosmetic Dentist If...

         

Consult with the Cosmetic Dentist if you experience the following symptoms:

·       

    Your smile is so important, if you are struggling to enjoy the foods you love it may be time to talk to Dr. Anna Lee and her team about options. No one should have to go through the holiday season avoiding the foods they love because of dental pain. 

     Temperature sensitivity to cold and cold food and drinks

·       Sensitive to air

·       Tooth pain may be constant or comes and goes

·       Feel pain when chewing

·       Feel pain when release the bite

    For more information on cosmetic dental procedures that can give you your smile and health back, contact Dr. Anna Lee and her team today. 

How to Restore Broken Teeth?

                              

Holidays are here!   

You bite into a piece of caramel chocolate crunch and you notice something hard in your mouth that does not melt or dissolve.  You realize a piece of tooth is broken in your mouth. 

Enamel that covers the teeth is strong and it is the most mineralized tissue in the body.  However, enamel strength has its limits.  Broken teeth can happen in several ways:

·       Biting down on something hard

·       Being hit in the face or mouth

·       Falling

·       Having cavities that weaken the tooth

· Having large, old amalgam fillings that don’t support the remaining enamel of the tooth

If you think that you have a broken tooth, DO NOT PANIC. Consult with the Cosmetic Dentist for a diagnosis and treatment plan. There are several treatment options that the Cosmetic Dentist can perform to restore broken teeth.

A minor break of the tooth may not cause pain.  But the tongue may be irritated by the sharp edges of the broken tooth.   The tooth may experience discomfort or pain if a large piece of the tooth breaks off and exposes the nerve inside the tooth.  Tooth may be temperature sensitive to hot or cold foods or drinks.  Pain from a broken tooth may be constant or may come and go.  Many people feel pain when they chew because chewing puts pressure on the tooth.

For more information on cosmetic procedures contact Dr. Anna Lee and her team. 

Sleep Apnea

                                                  

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts while the patient is asleep.  There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and complex.                        

 Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep.  Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain does not send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Complex sleep apnea is a combination of the obstructive and central sleep apnea.  Of the three, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common. People with sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. In most cases the sleepers are unaware of these breath stoppages because they don’t trigger a full awakening.

It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea undiagnosed.  Untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, chronic heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems. OSA is also associated with type 2 diabetes, liver problems, depression and daytime fatigue.

OSA can strike people of any age, including infants and children, but it is most frequently seen in men over 40, especially those are overweight or obese.

For more information, contact Dr. Lee & her team today.

Caring for Permanent Teeth:

It is so exciting when your children’s first teeth are loose and their permanent teeth begin to come in. Dr. Lee recommends these six tips to care for your child’s permanent teeth.

·      Parents should continue to help the children, 6-8 years old, brush their teeth twice a day until they can show that they can do a good job on their own.

·      Use a soft toothbrush with a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste

·      Teach the child to spit out the foamy saliva

·      Begin flossing the child’s teeth daily as soon as any teeth are touching each other

·      Talk to the dentist about the child to make sure they are getting the right amount of fluoride

·      Sealants

Permanent teeth can last a lifetime if your child takes care of them. From the beginning of the first permanent tooth coming in to the last, it is critical to have your child take care of their teeth.  For more information contact Dr. Anna Lee & her team.

Protecting Permanent Teeth

Your child’s teeth are important and it is critical that their permanent teeth are protected. Dr.Anna Lee suggests following these simple rules in order to keep your child’s teeth in great shape for a lifetime.  

·      Avoid sticky and sugary foods.  Some of these foods include cookies, dried figs, granola bars, jelly beans, doughnuts, potato chips, pretzels, cereal, and raisins

·      Avoid sugary drinks such as soda and fruit drinks

·      Avoid skipping regular dental appointments

·      Avoid going days without brushing & flossing

A smile can last a lifetime if they are taking care of it everyday.