EMA Dental Blog

From getting fluoride trays at school when we were young to crazy John Birch Society members saying that fluoride in the water supply was a Communist conspiracy, everyone has heard of fluoride. And most people have an idea that the stuff if good for your teeth.

Well, since we’re all about healthy teeth at EMA Dental, here is some information about just how fluoride protects your teeth and the role it plays in battling tooth decay.

One of your mouth’s minerals

Minerals play a big part in the health of your teeth. Minerals are continually added to and lost from a tooth’s enamel layer through two processes, demineralization and remineralization. Demineralization is the problem. Minerals are lost from a tooth’s enamel layer when acids, formed from the bacteria in plaque and sugars in the mouth, attack the enamel. Fortunately, when you eat foods and drink water, minerals such as fluoride, calcium, and phosphate remineralize the teeth. Therein lies the ongoing battle — too much demineralization without remineralization results in tooth decay.

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. It helps prevent tooth decay by making the tooth enamel more resistant to those acids from bacteria and sugars in the mouth. Fluoride also has the cool effect of reversing early cases of decay. For kids under 6, fluoride becomes incorporated into the development of permanent teeth. This makes the teeth resistant to the assault of acids to demineralize the teeth. Fluoride also speeds remineralization and disrupts acid production in the mouth.

Not just for kids

It was thought that only children benefit from fluoride, but new research shows that topical fluoride from toothpastes, mouth rinses, and fluoride treatments are important to help adult teeth fight decay. For children, it’s long been known that children between 6 months and 16 years need fluoride to help build their teeth.

Fluoride treatments at EMA Dental

So, now you know that fluoride is one of your mouth’s best friends. We provide fluoride treatments at EMA Dental to give our patients a more concentrated occasional fluoride application. We apply fluoride topically at each appointment of our younger patients. Call either our Longmeadow or Northhampton offices for your next appointment.

Dentures have been around since the 7^th century BC when the Etruscans in northern Italy made partial dentures out of human or animal teeth fastened together with gold bands. The Romans expanded on the practice. Wooden full dentures were invented in Japan in the early 16^th century. Probably the most famous denture wearer was George Washington, whose famous chompers were made with ivory from hippos and elephants, gold rivets, spiral springs, and real human teeth.

Surprisingly, one quarter of the U.S. population over 65 years of age have lost most or all of their natural teeth. Many of those people, unfortunately, have learned to live without teeth, with the corresponding damage to their ability to eat certain foods, to speak clearly, and to their social life and overall self-esteem.

But it doesn’t have to be that way — dentures, whether full or partial, can give you back a beautiful, functional smile. At EMA Dental, we offer full dentures, partial dentures, and implant-retained dentures. Although fully replacing teeth with implants is preferable, dentures can surely be a cost-effective alternative.

Benefits of dentures

Expertly designed, well-fit dentures from EMA Dental can have a dramatic impact on your quality of life. Dentures can:

• Improve your ability to chew and bite properly and make it easier to eat a healthy diet rich in crunchy fruits and vegetables.
• Help you look more youthful with the restoration of your gums, teeth, and jawbone.
• Improve your self-esteem. You can smile and laugh without feeling embarrassed about the way you look.
• Make it easier to communicate and speak clearly.

Partial or full

If you have at least one remaining tooth in the upper and lower jaw, partial dentures will probably be your best option. With partial dentures, crowns are put on top of the remaining natural teeth, serving as anchors for the artificial teeth in between. Partial dentures fill the spaces created by the missing teeth and also prevent the remaining teeth from moving into those open spaces. Partial dentures can be removable or permanent, depending on the number of remaining teeth.

Full dentures replace all of your teeth. Any remaining badly damaged or decayed teeth are removed and then various impressions are taken to use when constructing the dentures, which can take about two months. Full dentures are held in place through pressure provided by the tongue and cheeks, and suction. Adhesive can be used to add stability. That’s why it’s important to have your dentures constructed and fit very precisely.

Implants + dentures

Denture technology is moving toward using dental implants to anchor dentures. Implants are titanium posts that are inserted into the former tooth sockets. The jawbone is allowed to grow back around the implants, making them similar to natural tooth roots. The dentures attach to those implants, which are placed at various necessary support positions in the upper and lower jaw. Implant-supported dentures have several advantages:

• Dentures don’t move, rub, and cause irritation because they are anchored in place by the implants.
• The dentures don’t slip when speaking, biting, or chewing.
• Because they don’t slip, food debris doesn’t get stuck under the dentures while eating.
• The risk for bone loss is reduced, as implants maintain the normal downward pressure that stimulates the jawbone.
• Lower jaw dentures are more stable compared to traditional prosthetics.

See, now you’re a denture expert. If you’re missing an assortment of teeth, one of these denture options from EMA may be the way to go. Call either our Longmeadow or Northhampton office to schedule an appointment for us to take a look and discuss your options.

Most people have heard of a crown, but they don’t really know what they are, beyond something Prince Harry will one day wear!

At EMA Dental, we use crowns to repair teeth that are damaged and to anchor bridges onto adjacent healthy teeth. A crown is a cap placed over the part of the tooth that sits above the gum line. They can be made of either metal alloy or porcelain.

Reasons to have a crown

Crowns can have a wide variety of uses. The most common are:

• If a tooth is deeply cracked or worn
• If a tooth has a very large cavity
• If a tooth has a root canal procedure
• If a tooth is abnormally small, oddly shaped, or very discolored

How are crowns placed?

Fitting and placing a crown usually takes two appointments. During your first appointment, we remove any decay or other area of the tooth that is not savable. In cases where a tooth has extensive decay, it can’t be simply filled because the filling will occupy too large an area and won’t have the strength necessary for long-term chewing and biting. A crown is needed.

To prepare your tooth for a crown, once we have removed any decay or damage, we shave off some of the healthy portion of the tooth. This is necessary to make room for the crown to be fitted atop the tooth. Then we take dental impressions and send them off to the lab for the fabrication of your crown. While the crown is being made, we fit you with a temporary crown.

When your crown is finished, you return and we check the fit. Then the crown is permanently cemented onto your tooth. Any final shaping and polishing is done, and you’re good to go.

So, give that damaged or decayed tooth the royal treatment — have the pros at EMA Dental put a crown on it. Call either our Longmeadow or Northhampton offices to schedule your appointment.

Sometimes a tooth cannot be saved. Maybe it has been damaged from a sports injury or other trauma. Maybe the decay in the tooth is just too involved to leave enough healthy tooth for a filling. Or maybe, the tooth has been damaged for too long and is dying. In these cases, extraction is necessary.

But what to do about the gap?

Some people think you can leave a gap from a single tooth alone. After all, it’s only a single tooth, right? Well, this can lead to a series of problems.

First, the teeth on both sides of the missing tooth tend to want to fill the space, sliding out of alignment in doing so. Second, a healthy tooth keeps the jawbone below it healthy. How? When you chew food, a certain amount of energy goes down through the tooth into the jawbone below. This energy keeps the jawbone continually adding new mass. When a tooth or teeth are missing, that area of the jawbone no longer receives that stimulation and begins to lose bone mass.

Implants to the rescue

You can have a bridge with a crown to replace that missing tooth, or you can have a dental implant. At EMA Dental, we believe implants are the best choice for permanent replacement.

A dental implant is actually a titanium screw that is placed down into the root socket from the missing tooth. The titanium implant is left in place to allow the jawbone to accept it and grow around it, a process known as osseointegration. Once this has happened and the implant is now basically part of your jaw, a post is attached to the implant with an artificial tooth on top of that.

Just like a real tooth

That artificial tooth feels and functions just like a natural tooth. Why? Because it is anchored into the jawbone exactly as a natural tooth is. You can eat whatever you want, and caring for an implant is just like caring for a natural tooth.

Do you have a missing tooth? Let’s replace it with a dental implant at EMA Dental. Call us for an appointment at either of our two offices.

Studies have shown that people respond more positively to people with bright white teeth. They are perceived as younger and more attractive than people with discolored or stained teeth. We offer professional teeth whitening in our Refresh Whitening Spa at EMA Dental, but what the procedure entails can be influenced by the degree of tooth discoloration.

Figuring out the causes behind a patient’s discolored teeth is important. Those causes can be internal or external.

External triggers

Tooth discoloration due to external causes is a result of the stains being in the outermost surface of the teeth. Causes of this type of staining are:

• Coffee, tea, red wine, dark colas, fruit juices
• Chewing and/or smoking tobacco
• Chlorhexidine mouthwash (it’s true — mouthwash can stain your teeth)
• Certain medications or supplements such as tetracycline, liquid iron, doxycycline, and others

Internal causes

When staining is caused by internal forces, this is often referred to as intrinsic discoloration. In these cases, the dentin (the middle layer of the tooth) becomes a dark hue. Reasons for intrinsic discoloration are:

• Age
• Tetracycline (staining from this antibiotic is common among people who were given the drug at an early age)
• Fluorosis, or exposure to an elevated level of fluoride at an early age.

As us about tooth whitening treatments in our Refresh Whitening Spa. Call either our Longmeadow or Northhampton offices.

Nobody likes to have stained teeth, whether the cause is one too many cups of coffee or taking tetracycline when you were young. Fortunately, there are many whitening options at our Refresh Whitening Spa at EMA Dental — from in-office treatments to at-home whitening kits.

The tooth whitening process of your choice, however, should be based on the underlying cause of your tooth discoloration. Here are the reasons for tooth discoloration.

• Genetics. Some people are born with enamel that is thinner than normal. The teeth appear more yellow due to the underlying dentin.
• Certain medical conditions such as extreme cases of fluorosis and certain types of fungal infections. Improper development of the enamel may also be a result of amelogenesis or dentinogenesis.
• Use of certain medications such as tetracycline use during pregnancy (this affects the child rather than the mother) and early childhood. Certain antihistamines and antidepressants have also been shown to cause tooth discoloration.
• Poor dental hygiene (brushing, flossing, regular dental cleanings)
• Chronic smoking
• Certain foods such as coffee, wine, tea and dark-colored sodas

Tooth Whitening at EMA Dental’s Refresh Whitening Spa
Our Refresh Whitening Spa at EMA Dental offers different whitening options. You can opt for our relaxing in-office whitening, or you can utilize our home whitening kits. Our team will help you select the best option for you discoloration.

People hear about dental bonding, but since most people only really know two “bonds” — James and jail — there may be a need for enlightenment.

Dental bonding uses resin, a plastic-like material, to remedy a variety of dental issues. Bonding is used when a tooth needs a large cavity filled, to correct gaps, even fix the appearance of crooked teeth. Bonding can be used in lieu of more expensive treatments such as porcelain veneers.

Bonding can be used to:

• Restore decayed teeth
• Fill cracks and repair chips in teeth
• Permanently fill gaps between teeth
• Brighten heavily discolored teeth
• Replace certain types of fillings
• Protect the teeth when gums recede
• Improve symmetry of the teeth
• Hold veneers and crowns

Bonding benefits
There are three pretty groovy reasons to consider bonding.

• Price — Bonding can be used in place of more expensive options such as crowns, precious metal fillings, and veneers. A talented dentist can achieve similar results with bonding.
• Simplicity — Bonding is done right in our office, and usually in just one appointment. No waiting for lab fabrication or downtime.
• No pain — Because bonding material is applied to your teeth, there is no need for anesthesia.

At EMA Dental, we are bonding experts, so when keep it in mind the next time you need to have some work done.

There is no need to doubt your smile any longer. With the help of our treatment, you will feel a new confidence and that smile might even become your own favorite feature. Feeling good about your oral health is important in every outlet of life. Professionally, you want to greet your clients with a firm handshake and a genuine smile. Let us give you the smile you have always wanted.

Composite are a Great Option

If you are suffering from tooth decay or if your teeth require reshaping or color change, composites might provide a perfect option for you.

Composites are:

• Tooth-colored
• Resin mixtures
• Identical to the original tooth

Bonding Can Bring Back That Smile

Similar to composites, bonding is a procedure that requires the application of a resin material to teeth, which is then hardened with a special light, bonding the material to the original tooth. Dentists apply this in layers, building up the material to suit the area in question, to restore a tooth’s shape and help to improve a client’s smile.

Bonding can be a solution for:

• Chipped teeth
• Reshaping teeth
• Improving appearance of discolored teeth

Veneers Are a Great Option

Veneers can be a great option to improve the appearance of:

• Crooked teeth
• Misshapen teeth
• Misaligned teeth

Our veneers are made of high-quality ceramic and attached to the front and top of existing teeth. This treatment provides an easy solution for patients and does not leave any apparent sign of dental work, other than an improvement to the overall appearance of teeth.

A new veneer is made from a direct model of your original tooth, which is sent away to a lab to ensure that the unique veneer is a perfect fit for your tooth. Once your veneer is ready, it is trimmed down to fit properly. Your tooth is then cleaned, polished, and prepared, roughing the tooth surface to allow for a stronger bond. Dental cement is applied and once the veneer is placed on the tooth, your dentist will use a special light to activate the cement, creating an attachment between the veneer and the original tooth, and curing the veneer. Excess cement is then removed and your bite will be examined. Any final adjustments are made as needed.

Complete Smile Makeovers

You deserve to have a smile that makes you feel confident about your appearance. If you’re concerned about how your smile looks and makes you feel, we can help. Whether it’s just adjusting the shape of a tooth or two, changing the color of your teeth, or a complete makeover, we can design the right treatment plan to achieve your goals.

We understand that:

• No two smiles are the same
• The dental journey is a combination of artistry and science
• Dental changes can change your whole outlook

We want you to be happy with what you see in the mirror, and be confident in your interactions with other people. Call us today to book your consultation and discover the perfect smile that’s waiting for you.