Not all patients who exhibit tooth decay require a dental filling or root canal therapy. When caught and treated in its early stages, tooth decay can often be reversed before a cavity has the chance to develop. Tooth decay begins when oral bacteria produce acid to destroy your teeth’s protective layer of enamel. Once compromised, enamel becomes ineffective, and bacteria can slip past it to infect the tooth’s main structure. Left untreated, tooth decay and cavities can consume your tooth, rendering it useless. With years of experience as a dedicated Livonia general dentist, Dr. Stewart can expertly restore your afflicted tooth, whether it’s just beginning to show signs of decay, or the infection is severe enough to require a tooth extraction. (more…)
Livonia Dentist Explains Teeth Stains and Whitening
Are your teeth marred by one or more stains? Has the overall color of your teeth faded until they’re no longer pearly white? Teeth stains and discoloration are among the most common cosmetic dental blemishes, making teeth whitening one of the most sought-after dental treatments today. Unfortunately, even professional whitening treatments aren’t always effective at brightening a patient’s smile. Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, is experienced at improving and restoring patients’ smiles, and can determine the cause of your discolored smile before prescribing an appropriate treatment.
Why Your Teeth Change Color
Teeth stains are classified as external (extrinsic) or internal (intrinsic). Extrinsic stains occur on the surfaces of your teeth and affect the semi-translucent enamel that covers and protects them. Outer stains are typically caused by darkly-pigmented food and beverages, poor hygiene, or smoking/chewing tobacco. Intrinsic stains describe the discoloration of your tooth’s inner tissues. Dentin, which is directly underneath enamel, and the nerves and blood vessels that make up the tooth’s pulp can change color when damaged by cracks and fractures or infected with tooth decay. Some illnesses and certain medications can also lead to intrinsic discoloration, which won’t respond to chemical teeth whitening.
Teeth Whitening for Extrinsic Stains
Dr. Steward offers a choice of in-office and take-home teeth whitening procedures, each designed to accommodate patients’ specific needs and preferences. In-office whitening can be completed in just over an hour, and our take-home kits allow you brighten your smile over the course of 10-14 days. Both treatments involve a bleaching agent that is applied to the surfaces of your teeth and penetrates underneath tooth enamel to eradicate stains and brighten the tooth’s appearance. Even seemingly severe external stains may be eliminated with professional teeth whitening.
Dealing with Intrinsic Discoloration
If your smile is discolored from within, then Dr. Stewart may recommend a cosmetic dental bonding, porcelain veneers, or a porcelain dental crown to rejuvenate its look. Bonding consists of placing, sculpting, and polishing tooth-colored composite resin over a tooth’s blemish to conceal the imperfection. Veneers are wafer-thin shells of dental porcelain that are bonded to the tooth’s front surface, creating a new, stain-free face for one or more teeth. A dental crown is a replica of your tooth’s visible portion, and can be placed over the tooth to completely conceal it. If a dental disease is the cause of your tooth discoloration, then Dr. Stewart will prescribe an appropriate treatment to restore the tooth’s health before addressing its appearance.
About James Stewart, DDS:
Our philosophy is that excellent dental begins with developing a relationship with the patient. James Steward, DDS, and our experienced staff proudly serve patients 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.
A Closer Look at Gum Disease and Its Treatment
Many people think of gingivitis (the inflammation of the gums) when they hear about gum disease. Unfortunately, gingivitis may only be the tip of the iceberg if gum disease is allowed to develop. You see, gingivitis has a habit of lingering in the body, allowing it to progress into a more damaging form of gum disease called periodontitis. Your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, therefore, encourages his patients to do all that they can to prevent gum disease from developing, as periodontitis can wreak havoc on the mouth, eventually causing tooth loss. (more…)
Why You Need to Attend Dental Checkups
If you have the propensity to let your dental checkups slide back a few months or even to skip them altogether, you could be putting your oral health at unnecessary risk. Attending dental checkups allows your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, to examine your teeth on a regular basis. These frequent examinations enable Dr. Stewart to monitor your teeth for any troubling symptoms that could develop into significant oral health problems and intercede if necessary. For example, if Dr. Stewart were to notice signs of wear on your teeth from bruxism (teeth grinding), he could provide you with a dental night guard to wear when you sleep. The night guard would prevent your teeth from rubbing against one another, protecting them from enamel loss and structural damage. It would also reduce the bite force generated by bruxism, thus lowering the stress experienced by the temporomandibular joints (jaw joints), which may develop a disorder as a result of continual strain. (more…)
Why Dental Implants Are So Popular
Have you ever wondered what makes dental implants so popular? Well, imagine having a prosthetic tooth
in your mouth that is held stable thanks to the support of the surrounding teeth. Biting down on this tooth would feel strange, and each time you chewed, you would be reminded of the fact that the tooth was not real. Now imagine a prosthetic tooth with a root in the jawbone just like a natural tooth. Pretty soon you might forget that the tooth was a prosthetic at all. As the dental implant acts like a tooth’s root, creating the second scenario, you can see why dental implants garner a lot of interest from victims of tooth loss. However, choosing a dental implant to replace a missing tooth has still more benefits. As your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, notes, dental implants do more than stabilize prosthetic teeth. They also transmit bite force to the jawbone. By picking up this task where the root of the lost tooth left off, the dental implant can help stimulate the bone cells in the jaw, encouraging a healthier bone density. As other tooth-replacement options cannot perform this task, patients who choose dental implants for their replacement teeth often enjoy better jawbone health than patients who rely on prosthetic teeth that are not supported by dental implants. (more…)
Livonia Children’s Dentist Discusses Developing Good Brushing Habits
Teaching children to brush their teeth can be an exercise in maintaining patience. Many children completely refuse to brush their teeth, and finding a way to encourage brushing without having nightly battles can be very difficult. Thankfully, your Livonia children’s dentist, Dr. James Stewart, has a trick up his sleeve that may help resolve this difficult situation. It is called a tooth brushing chart, and if you integrate it strategically into your child’s oral health regimen, you may no longer have to remind your little one to pick up a toothbrush. (more…)
Livonia Family Dentist Discusses Bruxism in Children
Have you ever come across your child grinding his or her teeth during sleep? If so, you may be worried that your little one is damaging the smile you have come to adore. You may be interested to learn, then, that a shocking 38% of children grind their teeth, yet very few of them receive treatment for their bruxism (teeth grinding). The reason for this disconnect is not neglect, either. According to your Livonia family dentist, Dr. James Stewart, bruxism is a habit that children may outgrow around age six, and because there is little threat of teeth sustaining significant damage from the force inflicted upon them at this age, treatment is generally unnecessary. (more…)
When Do Teeth Need a Root Canal?
Have you ever wondered what happens if a cavity does not receive a dental filling? The short answer is that the bacteria responsible for the decay are left to cause further damage. The longer answer is that these bacteria may gain access to the tooth’s pulp, where they can cause a dangerous infection. If the infection is not removed, the tooth can become very painful and may even be lost or require an extraction. However, before resorting to extraction, your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, will seek to preserve the tooth by performing root canal therapy. This procedure, while well-known, is often misrepresented as excruciatingly painful or even dangerous. The truth of the matter, however, is that root canal therapy is performed to eliminate pain rather than cause it and that it can remove a dangerous infection that, if left unchecked, may spread throughout the mouth and into the body, potentially causing an illness. (more…)
Livonia Dentist Examines the Effect of Diet on Oral Health
We are all very familiar with the fact that our diets can impact the health of our bodies. But have you ever stopped to consider how certain foods can influence your oral health? According to your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, the foods and drinks you consume can have a dramatic effect on your teeth. Perhaps the best-known foods that should be avoided for the health of your teeth are sugar-filled snacks. Harmful oral bacteria feed on sugar, causing them to produce an acid byproduct that can rob teeth of their enamel, and if sugary snacks are consumed with regularity, these bacteria may have a chance to do real damage to your teeth, creating cavities. (more…)
Livonia Dentist Improves Hygiene with Dental Checkups & Cleanings
When Was Your Last Dental Checkup?
Maintaining a clean and healthy smile is a continuous process. When done correctly, brushing and flossing your teeth can keep teeth safe for a short while; however, if you wait long enough until your next session, or if you’re careless with how well you clean your teeth, then brushing and flossing may not be adequate to protect your smile from danger. Even if you’re diligent with your toothbrush and floss, excessive plaque and tartar (calcified plaque) can still slip past your defenses in certain spots. Aside from daily home care, routine professional dental checkups and cleanings with your Livonia dentist are also a vital part of good oral health, and are necessary to ensure consistently healthy teeth and gums. (more…)