Bruxism is a common sleep disorder that affects about 10% of adults and up to 15% of children. This condition involves clenching and grinding your teeth in your sleep, which can hurt your jaw muscles, teeth, and temporomandibular joints (TMJs), which are the hinge joints that connect your jawbone to...
Gum disease, termed gingivitis in its early stage and periodontitis in its more serious stage, is an infection of the gums. Diabetes is a disease that causes high blood sugar levels due to a lack of the hormone insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or cell resistance to insulin’s effects (Type 2...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by age 17, 7% of Americans lose at least one permanent tooth due to decay. For adults 35-44, that number rises to 69%, and by age 50, the average American loses 12 teeth. Dr. Virginia Ellis of Virginia H. Ellis, DDS...
If you have one or more cosmetic dental issues, Dr. Virginia Ellis of Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda, California, may recommend dental veneers to remedy the problem and make your smile dazzlingly white. Many patients, though, wonder if there are limitations with veneers when it comes to eating. The good news is you...
Whenever you lose a tooth, your oral health takes a big hit. Missing teeth can alter your bite, cause extra wear and tear on your other teeth, and lead to bone loss in your jaw. The gaps can also make you self-conscious about your smile. If you’re missing one or...
Unfortunately, accidents happen. And sometimes you need to see an emergency dentist to put things right. Virginia H. Ellis, DDS, is an expert in emergency dentistry, and she has treated many serious and time-sensitive dental problems at her practice, Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp., in Orinda, California. In this...
You have two jaw joints, one on each side of your head. Called the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), they’re hinged joints that connect your jaw with your skull and allow you to open and close your mouth to eat and speak. TMJ is also the name given to pain, stiffness, and...
Do you wake up every morning with a headache or often feel a dull throbbing throughout the day? It could be due to a number of reasons. For example, it might happen because of the way you sleep or because you have tight neck or shoulder muscles. But, there’s another...
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a progressive bacterial infection that irritates, inflames, and eventually destroys gum tissue. If you fail to brush, floss, and get regular dental checkups, it can become entrenched and worsen over time. It’s a serious problem in the United States, as about half of...
If you crack a tooth, you need to treat the situation as an emergency and schedule an urgent appointment with Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda, California. This is because only a dental professional can tell if a crack is minor or if it needs major work right away to...
Do you have a tooth with a crack, a large filling, and another structural issue? A dental cap — also called a crown — can shore up your tooth and give you a great smile again. At Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp., in Orinda, California, Dr. Ellis and her staff specialize in...
We spend our early years with pearly white teeth, but a lifetime of living can turn them dull and discolored. If you’re like most people, you’re looking for a way to bring the white back. Fortunately, there are ways to do just that. At Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp....
Do you wake up in the morning with sore teeth and an aching jaw? If so, you may be unconsciously clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep. Clenching and grinding can lead to sharp pain or a dull ache in your jaw, as well as excessive tooth wear and...
If you’re missing one or more teeth — and by age 50, according to the CDC, the average American has lost 12 — it can seriously damage your oral health. From bite misalignments to worn teeth to the inability to clean properly, missing teeth can cause a host of problems, making...
Snoring is often more than just noisy breathing while you sleep. In many cases, it’s a sign you have a condition called sleep apnea, where you actually stop breathing for short periods of time. It’s a relatively common condition, affecting about 26% of adults ages 30-70. While you may not...
If your teeth are weak, cavity-prone, or both, you have a number of options to strengthen them and give yourself a bright, healthy smile. One of the more overlooked options is dental veneers, which are wafer-thin porcelain shells that the dentist bonds to the fronts of your teeth. At Virginia...
Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is a progressive bacterial infection that causes inflammation and destruction of the gum tissue. It can easily establish itself and worsen if you don’t maintain good oral hygiene and get regular dental checkups. In the United States, gum disease is a serious problem. More...
If you’re experiencing popping, clicking, or grating sounds whenever you open or close your mouth, chances are good that you have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, which is a problem with the hinge joint that connects your jaw to your skull. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research,...
Yellow or stained teeth can put a dent in your smile. That may be why, according to the American Association of Orthodontists, almost 90% of dental patients ask their providers for some type of teeth whitening. Here at Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda, California, we often get...
Anytime you lose a tooth, you put a dent in your oral health. A missing tooth can alter your bite, cause added wear on other teeth, and lead to bone loss in your jaw. It may also make you self-conscious about your smile. If you have one or a few...
You always hope it won’t ever come to it, but sometimes an emergency dental appointment is essential. Virginia H. Ellis, DDS, of Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda, California, is a qualified emergency dentist who can help resolve a wide range of serious and time-sensitive dental problems. Here’s...
If you wake up in the morning with sore teeth and an aching jaw, you may be clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep. Not only does this cause pain, but it can also lead to tooth wear and degeneration of the jaw joint. Fortunately, there’s a solution to...
Dental caps and dental crowns are synonymous terms. Both are tooth-shaped restorations that fit over the entire visible portion of the tooth. If a tooth gets a chip or crack, for example, a dental cap can reinforce the tooth and improve its appearance. Virginia H. Ellis, DDS, of Virginia H....
When brushing and flossing, many people tend to think that the health of their teeth equals their oral health. However, the truth is your gums are just as important to your oral health, if not more so. Your gums are part of a larger tissue system called the periodontium, and...
It’s common — not just for kids, but also for active adults — to get hurt playing sports, particularly contact sports. A primary area of damage is the face, with sports-related dental injuries ranging anywhere from minor chips to a completely knocked-out tooth. Each year, children and adults suffer an...
So, you’ve chipped or cracked a tooth — what now? You could get a veneer or crown, but they can get expensive. That’s where dental bonding comes in. Dental bonding can repair damage quickly without draining your wallet. At the office of Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda,...
According to the American Association of Orthodontists, close to 90% of dental patients request teeth whitening treatments from their providers. At Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda, California, we also get many questions about how to whiten teeth and keep them white. Dr. Ellis and our team offer...
When you’re unhappy with the appearance of your teeth, it can affect how you interact with friends and colleagues, and it can lower your self-confidence. If you’re part of the majority of Americans — more than half — who feel insecure about their teeth, consider custom veneers. At Virginia H....
Earaches, neck pain, and a jaw that pops, clicks, or gets stuck are all signs of a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. At Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda, California, Dr. Ellis specializes in diagnosing and treating TMJ problems. In this blog, she explains what TMJ disorders are along...
Do you wake up with a sore jaw or a headache most mornings? These could be signs that you may benefit from a custom-fit night guard. At Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda, California, Dr. Ellis, a skilled general and cosmetic dentist, recommends night guards to her patients...
According to the American Dental Association, adults ages 20-64 have three or more decayed or missing teeth. And having missing teeth can lead to a variety of oral and overall health problems. Here at Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. in Orinda, California, Dr. Ellis makes it her mission to...
A dental bridge does just what it sounds like it does: It bridges the gap between missing teeth. There are a few options for replacing missing teeth, so how do you know when a bridge is the right solution? Take a few minutes to read what Dr. Ellis of Virginia...
We’ve all seen the ads for at-home teeth whitening kits that promise amazing results. But, can whitening strips, pens, and gels deliver equal or better results than a professional whitening? Most of the time, the answer is no. If you want predictable and dramatic whitening results using safe products, a...
Nearly half of all adults in the United States have some level of gum disease. And gum disease doesn't just affect your oral health. Gum disease, which starts out as gingivitis, and, if not treated, turns into periodontal disease, can lead to serious consequences for your overall health as well....
When you think about transforming your smile from dull to dazzling, you may think the only way to do that is through extensive dental work. However, that may not be necessary. Veneers are a relatively simple, yet highly effective way to correct a variety of common dental flaws. Here at...
Losing one or more teeth can leave you feeling stressed and self-conscious, and it can make it difficult to eat the foods you love. While there are several solutions for replacing missing teeth, dental implants top all others in both form and function: If you have missing teeth, our highly...
Imagine these scenarios: You’re at your son’s baseball game, and he knocks a tooth loose while sliding into home plate. You have pain in your jaw that begins to throb and cause ear pain. You bite down too hard on a piece of candy and chip a tooth or loosen...
It’s that time of year again — the time when we all make resolutions to be better versions of ourselves in the coming year. But, how often do those resolutions fall by the wayside after a month or two? Do you want a resolution you can actually accomplish? How about...
The lower jaw is connected to the skull by a hinge joint known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Like any joint in the body, the TMJ is vulnerable to injury and wear and tear over time, putting you at risk for a condition known as TMJ syndrome (also known as...
The holidays are a time when family and friends gather to celebrate and, thanks to cellphones-turned-cameras, everyone is a potential photographer. If you want your smile to light up your holiday photos, professional teeth whitening is just the ticket. At Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp, our team offers a...
When gum disease gets serious, so do the treatments. The problem is that the damage occurs below the gum line, out of the reach of brushing and flossing. Typically, this means some aggressive scaling and root planing at the dentist’s office, and even full-on dental surgery that can cause an...
We get it — going to the dentist is rarely exciting. It’s probably fair to say that most people dread the thought. But these visits are necessary to maintain both your oral health and your overall health. It’s no surprise, then, that researchers have found a clear connection between oral...
If you unconsciously grind, gnash, or clench your teeth, you might have a condition called bruxism. While it may not seem serious, bruxism can trigger a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including: Flattened or damaged teeth Enamel loss Increased tooth sensitivity and sore gums Soft tissue damage to the inside of...