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.
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 potential cause you may want to consider. It may be due to issues with your temporomandibular joints (TMJs), which connect your jaw to your skull.
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 missing teeth, there’s good news. Dental implants can give you a great smile again. Furthermore, unlike bridges, which can slip and slide, dental implants are placed permanently in your jawbone and function just like natural teeth.
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.
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 be in any immediate danger beyond disturbed sleep, apnea can have serious consequences on your health if it’s not effectively treated.
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, California, we provide a wide range of dental services, including dental bonding. Here’s what you need to know about the process and the conditions it can treat.
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 placing dental caps. In this blog, Dr. Ellis explains more about what dental caps are for and also discusses five main types.
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 your skull.
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.
Unfortunately, accidents happen. And sometimes you need to see an emergency dentist to put things right. Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp., 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 blog, she explains three signs that you need to see an emergency dentist.
