The dental crown is one of the most diverse treatments in modern dentistry. It can serve as a restoration, a cosmetic enhancement, and in some cases, an effective prosthetic tool to replace missing teeth. As dental prostheses, dental crowns are traditionally used to support a dental bridge. Today, a dental crown can be coupled with a dental implant as an alternative to a dental bridge, providing a more lifelike replacement for your lost tooth. (more…)
A Dental Crown for Every Need
If your tooth is cracked, chipped, discolored, or treated with a dental filling or root canal therapy, then chances are that a dental crown can restore it (or already has). A dental crown covers the tooth in question above the gum line, and is one of the most popular cosmetic and restorative restorations in modern dentistry. Besides serving a variety of functions, dental crowns also come in a variety of shapes and sizes to serve our patients’ specific needs.
What are Dental Crowns Made Of?
In a full, healthy, and properly-aligned smile, each tooth absorbs a specific amount of bite pressure. For instance, back teeth, which grind your food to a pulp, sustain more pressure than your front teeth, which only tear your food into chunks. Depending on the location of your afflicted tooth, your dental crown can be crafted from a variety of materials, the most common being lifelike dental porcelain. Also known as ceramic, the porcelain used for a crown is tinted to match the shade of your natural teeth. Dental ceramic is semi-translucent, and when layered, it can mimic the way your tooth enamel reflects light, creating a restoration that’s indistinguishable from the teeth around it. For back teeth, or molars, Dr. Stewart may recommend porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns that combine the beauty of dental porcelain with the structural strength of metal.
Not Too Much, Not Too Little
Perfection is hard to achieve in most every day things, but when it comes to your dental health, precision is a vital component of effective treatment. That’s especially true when it comes to restoring teeth, which have a very limited surface area and can’t repair themselves when damaged or diseased. If your tooth’s damage or infection doesn’t warrant a dental crown, then Dr. Steward will advise against the procedure to prevent unnecessary disturbances to your healthy tooth structure. If a dental filling won’t suffice either, then Dr. Stewart may recommend an inlay or onlay. The partial crowns are made from porcelain or zirconia, like a regular dental crown, but only cover your tooth’s chewing surface (onlay), or just the area between the elevated cusps (inlay).
About Your Livonia Dentist:
To learn more about the variety of dental crowns we offer, or to find out if a dental crown is the right choice for restoring your smile, visit us as soon as possible for a thorough examination. James Steward, DDS, and our compassionate staff proudly serve patients of all ages from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and all surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.
Pop Quiz—Is it TMJ Disorder?
Although frequently diagnosed and successfully treated, TMJ disorder isn’t as well-defined as more common dental issues, like cavities and gingivitis. Actually, TMJ disorder can mean a variety of different ailments, though all of them effect the same area of your jaw—mainly, the joints and muscles that control its movement. The discomfort from the jaw dysfunction can involve jaw pain as well as headaches, earaches, and other seemingly random symptoms. Sometimes, receiving an accurate diagnosis can be difficult; since some patients don’t realize their condition is dental related, they might not seek a dental examination. However, you can judge the odds that your pain is TMJ-related by asking yourself the right questions about your condition.
Ask Yourself This
Do I suffer from chronic, seemingly inexplicable headaches and migraines?
Headaches and migraines (chronic, debilitating headaches) are among the most common and ambiguous symptoms of trouble. Headaches can occur after a day of unusually excessive stress, as the result of an oncoming illness, or for a large number of other reasons. When they recur, there’s usually an underlying reason, and patients who can’t find an accurate diagnosis at the doctor’s office often suffer from TMJ disorder.
Do I need orthodontic treatment to straighten my crooked teeth?
Your two temporomandibular joints (TMJs) connect your mandible to your skull, and move in tandem when you open and close your jaw. If your teeth are crooked, they won’t rest comfortably together when your mouth is closed, and your jaw may have to work overtime to maintain your bite’s alignment. Straightening your teeth can help ease the tension, restore the balance, and allow your joints to heal so they can work properly again.
Do I grind my teeth?
Teeth-grinding is a common symptom of stress and anxiety. As your body’s muscles tense up, those in your jaw can force your upper and lower teeth to grind together. If you’re angry, the pressure and energy expenditure can even seem slightly therapeutic. When it’s habitual, teeth-grinding (known as bruxism) can wear down your teeth’s surfaces, throwing your bite off-balance and contributing to TMJ disorder.
About Your Livonia Dentist:
If you believe you may be in the grips of TMJ disorder, or if you wish to seek relief for your chronic headaches and migraines, then visit us as soon as possible for a thorough examination. James Steward, DDS, and our compassionate staff proudly serve patients of all ages from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and all surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.
What’s the Difference Between Migraines and Headaches?
To many people, a headache is a headache. To those who experience them frequently, headaches can take on a variety of forms, from minor to debilitating, and are occasionally described as migraines. Though sometimes used interchangeably, headaches and migraines differ in their frequency, severity, cause, and pattern of symptoms. Knowing the difference can help you find more permanent relief by addressing the underlying cause of your chronic discomfort, which often originates with one or more dental health issues.
Defining Migraines and Their Symptoms
Headaches are typically categorized by their cause, which can determine where, how frequently, and to what degree the headaches occur. Migraines refer to recurring, debilitating headaches that usually affect one side of the head, and can accompany a list of other symptoms, as well. Hormonal changes, genetics, excessive stress, and other factors can contribute to aggressive migraines, though experts aren’t certain what exactly causes the condition. The excruciating discomfort of some migraines can last for hours, sometimes days, and may include;
- Blinding flashes of lights, or blind spots in your vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness and disorientation
- Extreme sensitivity to light and sound
- Tingling pins and needles in the arms, legs, and extremities
What Causes Dental Migraines?
Like toothaches, headaches can often be a symptom of a dental health issue, such as habitual teeth-grinding (bruxism) or TMJ disorder. Grinding your teeth creates an intolerable amount of pressure for your jaw’s joints and muscles. Aside from wearing down and destroying your tooth structure, bruxism can exhaust your jaw’s joints, leading to TMJ disorder. A jaw dysfunction can disturb the nerve in your jaw, known as the trigeminal nerve, that’s also the largest of your 12 cranial nerve groups. Bruxism and TMJ disorder are among the most common dental issues that claim chronic migraines as frequent symptoms, though severe tooth infections and other dental issues can also contribute to extreme headaches. If you suffer from migraines and have been unable to find a cause or cure, then speak with Dr. Stewart about the possibility of TMJ disorder, and how you can find an appropriate course of treatment.
About Your Livonia Dentist:
As a highly experienced general and restorative dentist, Dr. Stewart is dedicated to helping all of our patients enjoy the benefits of a healthy, beautiful smile. James Steward, DDS, and our compassionate staff proudly serve patients of all ages from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and all surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.
How to Ease TMJ Headaches
Chronic, seemingly-unexplainable headaches are often signs of TMJ disorder—an umbrella term for a wide variety of issues concerning damaged or misaligned jaw joints. The problem with TMJ disorder is that, like a headache, it can result from a number of different causes. Besides headaches, it also entails a lot of other symptoms that could indicate many different conditions, such as sore neck and back muscles, frequent earaches, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus). If you suffer from recurring headaches and haven’t found an accurate diagnosis, you can find temporary relief with a few at-home remedies. For permanent relief, however, Dr. Stewart strongly suggests scheduling a dental examination as soon as possible to determine if TMJ disorder is the reason.
Simple Solutions at Home
Though TMJ disorder has numerous causes, the reason for its wide range of symptoms is due to stress in your jaw’s nerve, which innervates the majority of your craniofacial structures. In the grips of a headache, you can help ease stress and tension by;
- Applying a heating pad or hot water bottle to relieve jaw muscle tension
- Applying an ice pack to the side of your face to relieve pain (alternate with heat for best results)
- Gently massage your jaw’s joints directly in front of and just below each ear
- Relax with a warm bath, read a book in low (but sufficient) light, or listen to soft music to relieve built-up stress
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, like Aspirin or Ibuprofen
Professional Treatment for TMJ Headaches
Temporary relief from your headaches can help you function better throughout your day, but it won’t solve the root of your problem. TMJ disorder requires a professional assessment and diagnosis, and treatment usually depends on the nature of your disorder. For instance, if your jaws are distressed because your teeth are crooked, which can throw your bite off-balance, then you might need orthodontic treatment to straighten them. In many cases, Dr. Stewart can prescribe a dental appliance designed to hold your jaw in a more comfortable position, allowing the joints and muscles to heal.
About Your Livonia Dentist:
As a highly experienced general and restorative dentist, Dr. Stewart is dedicated to helping all of our patients enjoy the benefits of a healthy, beautiful smile. James Steward, DDS, and our compassionate staff proudly serve patients of all ages from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and all surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.
Knocking Down Myths About TMJ Disorder
TMJ disorder, which affects the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) connecting your lower jaw to your skull, isn’t as well-defined as tooth decay and gum disease. The pain isn’t confined to a specific area, and might include headaches and earaches as well as jaw pain and facial discomfort. There’s no single cause for the disorder, and preventing it isn’t an exact science. Nevertheless, TMJ disorder isn’t exactly a mystery. Experts know that certain circumstances contribute to jaw joint damage and fatigue, and that treating those circumstances can help your jaws heal and alleviate discomfort. Despite what the experts know, many patients who suffer from TMJ disorder know little about it, and much of what they believe might not be exactly accurate. (more…)
Questions About Your Replacement Teeth?
Not sure how to replace your lost teeth? Wonder if your replacements could work a little better? Ideally, you should retain all of your natural teeth for life, but in all honesty, many people have trouble maintaining ideal dental health every day of their lives. Teeth are routinely knocked out or subjected to destructive infections (cavities), or lost to aggressive gum disease as it destroys the gums and jawbone that support teeth. Regardless of how you lost your teeth, you may have a few questions regarding the best way to replace them, or about improving the comfort and function of your current dental prosthesis.
I’ve only lost one tooth. Do I have to replace it?
Quantity is a good measure of severity. For instance, one lost tooth isn’t as immediately-dire as losing most or all of your teeth. That’s not to say, however, that you can freely ignore your single lost tooth without consequence. Remaining teeth can shift to take up the slack in your bite, and the imbalanced pressure can damage the teeth that remain. In short, yes, you have to replace it.
I’ve lost several, but not all of my teeth. How do I replace them?
The beauty of modern dentistry lies largely in variety. Your appropriate dental prosthesis depends on the number and pattern of the teeth you’ve lost. For one tooth, or a few of them in a row, a dental bridge can close the gap with an appropriate number of connected replacement teeth. Teeth that aren’t in a row may require a partial denture to replace, which is designed to fill in the scattered gaps of your smile while fitting around existing teeth.
Why do my dentures keep losing their grip?
Patients who’ve lost all of their teeth on one or both dental ridges typically find hope in dentures to restore their smile’s beauty and function. A denture is a row of replacement that sits on a custom-fit, gum-colored plastic base. The base is designed to fit snugly on your dental ridge, and is held in place by adhesives. After losing your teeth’s roots, however, your jawbone can suffer from a significant decrease in bloodflow, causing it to shrink and your dentures to lose their grip.
Do dental implants work for everybody?
Dental implants are prosthetic root devices that are inserted into the jawbone, and can support your dental bridge, denture, or a crown for single tooth replacement. Most patients with a fully-developed jawbone can be suitable candidates for dental implants, but must first meet a few important requirements. A weak jawbone can be fortified with a jawbone graft, and your teeth and gums will have to be treated if you exhibit cavities or gum disease.
About Your Livonia Dentist:
As a highly experienced general and cosmetic dentist, Dr. Stewart is dedicated to helping all of our patients enjoy the benefits of a healthy, beautiful smile. James Steward, DDS, and our compassionate staff proudly serve patients of all ages from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and all surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.
How to Lose Permanent Teeth
Their called permanent teeth, but most people don’t even bat an eye at the fact that they can lose them. Their moniker should hint towards the idea that your adult teeth are meant to last a lifetime, and losing them isn’t a natural or benign process. Fortunately, you have a wide range of options for rebuilding your smile if ever you should lose one or more teeth, but keeping your natural smile intact by preventing tooth loss is a more beneficial option. To keep all of your natural teeth, however, you must first understand how to lose them.
Neglect Them
The suggestion that you brush and floss your teeth at least twice every day isn’t designed to control your consumption of toothpaste; it’s mandatory to combat the bacteria that dwell in your mouth. Every day, these germs form plaque that protects them, and as bacteria cling to your teeth, they release acids and toxins that lead to destructive dental diseases. Tooth decay and gum disease are common reasons for tooth loss (gum disease is the most prevalent), and both stem from poor and neglectful oral hygiene practices.
Traumatize Them
When the crown of a tooth is cracked or fractured, it can often be repaired with a manmade dental crown that’s placed over it. If you hesitate to treat it, the exposed inner tooth structure can become infected, and the infection might destroy the tooth’s nerves and blood vessels. Severe infection, or a cracked root, might lead to the need for an extraction, costing you the tooth even if it isn’t completely knocked out.
Extract Them
Disease and damage aren’t the only reasons for extracting a tooth. If you suffer from malocclusion (teeth misalignment) and a tooth is so misaligned that it would interfere with attempts to straighten your smile, then removing the tooth may facilitate orthodontic treatment. Impacted wisdom teeth, which can’t fully erupt through the gum line because they’re blocked by other teeth, are routinely extracted to restore a smile’s tranquility. Leaving an impacted tooth alone will allow it to push against the others, damaging them and throwing your bite off balance.
About Your Livonia Dentist:
As a highly experienced general and cosmetic dentist, Dr. Stewart is dedicated to helping all of our patients enjoy the benefits of a healthy, beautiful smile. James Steward, DDS, and our compassionate staff proudly serve patients of all ages from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and all surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.
Why Chocolate’s the Perfect Valentine’s Gift
Wondering what you should get your loved one for Valentine’s Day? The desire to be original can be a strong one for many people planning their romantic day, but one classic should always be a prominent part of the celebrations. Chocolate, the preferred treat for people of all ages and from all walks of life, was once considered a decadent treat that warranted caution, since it was notoriously believed to be hazardous for your health. In recent years, however, chocolate has been slightly vindicated as researchers have learned that it may actually help improve certain aspects of your health, including your smile. (more…)
Dental Sealants vs. Cavities
Protecting your children’s teeth from trouble, like cavities, is similar to protecting your own teeth. Brushing and flossing them every day helps remove the bacteria responsible for cavities, and attending a checkup every six months (at least) ensures that your smile stays healthy. Like your teeth, Dr. Stewart can tell when your children’s teeth are especially in danger, and has the tools necessary to strengthen them against cavities that could irreversibly damage them.
Look Out for Cavities
A cavity, another name for tooth decay, is an infection that slowly eats away at your tooth’s main structure, called dentin. To reach dentin, bacteria have to bypass the enamel that surrounds and protects it. When you eat, some microbes convert the sugar in your food or beverage into acid that attacks enamel. Frequent snacking and infrequent hygiene create ideal conditions for bacterial acid to compromise enamel, eroding it until holes develop that allow bacteria through. Not long afterwards, a cavity will develop from the infection if it isn’t treated quickly.
What is a Sealant?
Dental sealants are exactly what they sound like; they’re small plastic seals that are spread over the chewing surfaces of teeth, usually molars, to protect them from bacteria and acid. The resin is applied in liquid form so that it molds into the grooves between the tooth’s cusps. Once hardened, the plastic sealant can withstand the normal pressures of biting, chewing, and brushing teeth.
Other Ways to Fight Cavities
Good hygiene and protective measures, like dental sealants and fluoride applications, go a long way to prevent the formation of cavities, but they aren’t a guarantee that tooth decay won’t develop. If Dr. Stewart notices a cavity during your child’s checkup, then he’ll consult with you and your child to determine the best method for treating it. If it’s a primary tooth (or baby tooth), then the cavity may compromise the permanent tooth underneath if not treated.
About Your Livonia Children’s Dentist:
As a highly experienced children’s dentist, Dr. Stewart has helped many young patients prepare for a lifetime of healthy, beautiful smiles. James Steward, DDS, and our compassionate staff proudly serve patients of all ages from Livonia, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and all surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.