News with tag filling

Are you considering a smile makeover or other type of cosmetic dental treatment? Teeth whitening is a great place to start.

An Affordable Option

Teeth whitening is a relatively affordable cosmetic treatment. Plus, it’s easy to maintain. You can generally plan on whitening your entire smile for less than the cost of other types of treatment. It even makes a great gift for yourself or another family member.

Create a Baseline

Whether or not you plan to get additional cosmetic work done — like veneers or crowns — it’s best to have a white smile to begin with. That way, future restorations can be matched to your adjacent teeth. If you’re planning on having an area bonded later this year, you can’t whiten the material used to place the bond. It’s best to just have white teeth from the start! Otherwise you would need to replace the restoration after you whitened your teeth, so that it didn’t stand out.

Better Results Than Store-Bought Kits

No matter how many whitening strips, trays, or toothpastes you buy online or at the supermarket, they won’t be as effective as a prescription grade product that your Carnegie dentist can equip you with. They may seem cheaper at first, but after you’ve gone through one or two refills, you will have already spent more than if you did getting professional treatment…without the results to show for it.

Find Out if You’re a Candidate

There are a few things you need to know before starting a whitening regimen. First, your teeth need to be free of cavities. If necessary, we can place a temporary filling that can be replaced with a permanent one after you whiten. Also, your gums need to be free of periodontal disease.

Schedule a quick exam at North Road Dental Clinic in Carnegie to find out if one of our cosmetic teeth whitening treatments is right for you.

If you’ve been on Pinterest any time recently, you’ve probably seen personal or sponsored posts that have something to do with 'healing cavities the natural way” or “reversing tooth decay without seeing your dentist.' But could these headlines be too good to be true? Yes and no. The truth is, a full blown cavity cannot be fixed, healed, or have the tooth “grow back” by using some magic formula in your bathroom. But if the cavity is only in the beginning stages — we’re talking enamel demineralization on the most outer layers of the tooth — then it can be reversed before an actual “hole” forms in your enamel.

Demineralization: Phase One of Tooth Decay

Before tooth decay actually works its way through the tooth, it must first target a healthy area of enamel. The first stages involve eating away the outermost layers, etching the tooth and creating a weak spot. As more acids come into play, the enamel starts to appear chalky or white compared to the tooth around it. At this point, the surface is demineralized and prime for a cavity to form at any second.

Intercepting Before it’s Too Late

Once a tooth is demineralized, you have an important choice to make: treat the area of weakened enamel to prevent a cavity and re-strengthen your tooth, or wait it out and allowing the cavity to form, then get a filling.

The less invasive and more holistic approach would be to remineralize the tooth and prevent the cavity. This can be done by:

• Cleaning the area more thoroughly each day
• Seeing your dentist for a professional strength fluoride treatment
• Optional treatments in your dentist’s office
• Getting a prescription fluoride to use at home
• Changing your habits to limit acid exposure to the teeth

If you suspect that you have a demineralized tooth or have a history of frequent cavities, call North Road Dental Clinic in Carnegie to schedule an appointment.

Did you know that most types of tooth loss can be avoided? Of course, there will always be exceptions here and there, but when it comes to the most common situations we see in our Carnegie dentist office, there are steps you can take to prevent tooth loss from happening before it’s too late.
Here are a few tips:

Wear a Protective Mouthguard During Athletic Activities

Dental injuries occur every day, especially to athletes (no matter their age.) Wearing a custom fitted mouthguard offers the best protection against knocked out teeth and concussions.

Floss Every Day

The leading cause of tooth loss in adults is gum disease. Even if your brushing is great, it won’t clean between the teeth and under the gumlines where periodontitis starts. Clean these areas daily. If you hate flossing that much, consider investing in a water flosser.

Drink a Lot of Water

Staying hydrated rinses your mouth to neutralize bacteria levels, acids, and prevent xerostomia (a risk factor of tooth decay.) Tap water also contains fluoride, to make your teeth stronger.

Don’t Ignore that “Twinge” Feeling

Do one of your teeth feel “off” from the rest? Your body could be trying to tell you something. If a small cavity is starting to develop, it’s best to treat it while it’s still small. Large decay can spread quickly, to the point that the only option left to treat it is to remove the tooth.

Schedule Routine Dental Checkups

At North Road Dental Clinic, our Carnegie dentists recommend seeing patients for a checkup at least every six months. These frequent intervals help us to screen for problems earlier on (when treatment is easier) and work with patients to form good habits to intercept issues as they arise.

Call our Carnegie dentist today to schedule.

Every smile makeover that we perform at our Carnegie dental clinic is unique. For some individuals, only one treatment is needed; others opt for a combination of two or three, for a more comprehensive approach to their aesthetic goals. At North Road Dental Clinic, these are top three cosmetic treatments that we offer: Porcelain Veneers For the most dramatic impact on the way your teeth look, porcelain veneers are one of the best choices. Each veneer bonds to the natural tooth behind it, masking the appearance of aesthetic imperfections such as crowding, discoloration, uneven enamel, etc. Veneers are usually completed in a two or three-visit process, depending on the type of veneers that you choose. As soon as they’re in place, it will make your smile look completely different. Teeth Whitening Simply lightening the colour of your teeth may be the only thing necessary to take your appearance to the next level. Teeth whitening is a great option to consider if you have healthy, straight teeth, or before planning more permanent treatments that need to match your existing smile. Opt for take home teeth whitening that you complete in the convenience of your own home, rather than weaker kits you can buy at the grocery store. You’ll see better results that are easy to maintain throughout the years. White Fillings and Crowns If your smile has been impacted by tooth decay, trauma, or other structural issues, then a cosmetic restoration can improve its health and appearance. These restorations are custom-matched to the colour of the teeth around them, letting them blend in with your smile rather than stand out. Not only are white fillings aesthetically pleasing, they’re less invasive to your tooth. Which one — or two — is right for you? Contact North Road Dental Clinic in Carnegie to schedule a cosmetic consultation today.

It’s been a while since your last dental checkup, and you’re starting to worry that something is wrong with one of your teeth. When you bite down, it feels “off”, not to mention there’s a rough area when you run your tongue over it. To your surprise, you find out that you need more than a filling to repair it. Instead, our dentist in Carnegie recommends a dental crown. But you’ve never had a crown before, so you’re not quite sure what to expect. What Exactly is a Crown? Crowns are full-coverage restorations that go over and around the tooth, rather than inside of it like a filling. This protects more brittle or compromised tooth structure, allowing it to withstand everyday wear. Some people refer to crowns as “caps.” The Treatment Experience At North Road Dental Clinic, we’re here to make sure your crown treatment is a comfortable one. After numbing the tooth and removing any damaged tooth structures, we’ll shape the remaining enamel so that a crown can slip over the tooth, then take an impression. You’ll wear a temporary crown for a week or two, while your permanent one is being designed. Once it’s ready, you’ll stop by our Carnegie dental clinic to have the new crown bonded into place. Most of our crowns are made of a high-grade porcelain that matches the colour of the teeth adjacent to them. In some cases, other materials might be preferred. Caring for Your Dental Crown Through good home care and ongoing maintenance, your new crown can last for several years. You will want to floss around it daily, to prevent bacteria from seeping under the margin. We recommend scheduling a checkup at our Carnegie dental clinic twice a year to make sure that your crown and other restorations are all intact. Call North Road Dental Clinic today to schedule your next visit!