When should you begin to think about planning for your dental retirement? For most people the answer is now. As in all areas of life it is never too early to plan for the future. Several years before retiring, before there are changes to your source of income or dental insurance, or an unforseen health problem develops, you should have a plan in place to have all of your dental needs addressed.

Being nervous or apprehensive about dental treatment, or just disliking the experience, can be a significant barrier to receiving the care you need. The first step for an apprehensive patient is to acknowledge their fears and be ready to overcome them.

Most dental disease is preventable and lack of pain is not a good indicator if it is present or not. If you are aware of something wrong in your mouth it is time to visit the dentist. If you are not experiencing any problems but you can not honestly say you have been to a dentist recently it is time to visit the dentist.

A mouthguard is an essential part of your equipment for just about every sport. Dental injuries are the most common facial injury in sports, especially during practices.The loss of a single tooth can be costly and cause teeth and jaw problems that will last a lifetime. A mouthguard can lessen the chances of breaking your front teeth. There are different types of mouthguards to choose from.

Denture treatment does not end when you take the dentures home. This is the beginning of the most important and challenging phase of treatment. It may take a long time before you are completely comfortable with your new dentures and they may require quite a lot of adjusting to make them function just right. Expect to have challenges and be prepared to persevere. You are then most likely to wear your dentures successfully.

Dentists are experts, by virtue of training and licensing, in both dentures and the health of the mouth the dentures so intimately affect. We are able to do everything necessary to plan, fit, adjust and care for your complete or partial denture needs. We can provide complete and partial dentures that restore quality of health, comfort and function.

Dental implants function as a replacement for the roots that once anchored the teeth in place.

They allow for replacement of missing teeth without involving any adjacent teeth. As well, implants make it possible to replace missing teeth in cases where complete or partial dentures were once the only option.

A bridge is a secure, comfortable way to replace a missing tooth or teeth. Unlike a removable denture, a bridge is cemented in place and can feel just like your natural teeth. The replacements for the missing teeth are attached to the teeth on either side of the space by restorations placed on these teeth.

The TMJ is the joint that supports the jaw. There is one TMJ located just in front of each ear. Part of the movement of the jaw joint is guided by the bite. Treating and preventing problems associated with the TMJ involve re-establishing the bite/jaw joint balance and eliminating symptoms.

Replacing missing teeth can eliminate unsightly gaps in the smile, provide comfortable chewing and an adequate start to healthy digestion, prevent excessive wear and damage to remaining teeth and minimize the risk of TMJ (jaw joint) problems. Missing teeth can be replaced using fixed bridges supported by the adjacent teeth, replacement teeth supported by implants and dentures.

Filling a tooth does just that, it fills the area where part of the tooth is missing. The filling material is held in place by what is left of the original tooth. When there is too little of the original tooth left to hold a filling in place it is more reliable to place a crown (cap) that holds on to the remaining original tooth structure.

A root canal is the removal of the nonfunctional soft tissue middle of a tooth through a small opening. The inside of the tooth is cleaned. The cleaned space is filled with material and sealed to prevent bacteria from reentering. A root canal is done to relieve the pain from an infected tooth or prevent infection and pain from developing without removing the tooth.

There are a variety of options when a tooth requires a filling. Each has advantages and disadvantages for patients to consider. Some common options are composite resin (white tooth colored fillings), bonded amalgam (a silver mercury alloy), porcelain, and gold.

A sealant is a thin layer of plastic bonded into a groove on the biting surfaces of back teeth to block access to the area by the bacteria. These grooves are a common area to find decay starting even in an otherwise clean and healthy mouth.

Prevention is not a one time treatment but an ongoing lifetime of home and professional care.

Your recall schedule should be determined with consideration for your own individual circumstances, based on the timing that will best maintain your lifelong dental health.

With gum disease the bone that holds the teeth in is lost and is gone for good. You may not be aware that you have gum disease until a tooth gets loose and falls out, without ever being painful.

Tooth loss can be prevented with regular daily care at home and having any hard build-up removed in the dental office before the gum disease process has a chance to start.

There are a number of the steps that comprise a complete dental examination. Perhaps surprisingly, the last step is to check the teeth. An examination includes checking for signs of oral cancer, evaluating function of the jaw joints, an inspection of the hard and soft tissues of the mouth, and much more.

What is commonly called a cleaning is actually two separate treatments to prevent dental disease; removal of hard build-up (called calculus or tarter) and removal of stains on the teeth.