What’s So Bad About Losing a Tooth? No matter how you lose a tooth, leaving the gap will cause other problems to develop over time. You may notice that your other teeth begin to shift, which will alter your ability to chew your food properly. Losing teeth changes your dental occlusion (your bite), causing your remaining teeth, gums, jaw muscles, and jaw joints to experience additional stresses, and this can produce mild to severe pain.  Dental implants represent a reasonable choice for replacing a missing tooth or even multiple teeth. Implants simulate the look of natural teeth because they’re placed below your gum line, unlike a bridge or dentures, which rest upon your gums. The materials used to create modern implants can be dyed/stained to blend with the look of your natural teeth. Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD      280-5201 43 St.     Red Deer, AB     T4N 1C7     (855) 636-9223     VistaDentalCare.ca

Below is an excerpt from an article found on Colgate.com that was written by Katriena Knights Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, and is therefore vital to the health of your teeth. Not everyone's is the strongest, though, and still others have teeth without enamel at all. Without enamel to protect the softer interior parts of your teeth, they can't stand up to the stress of natural biting and chewing. These abnormal developments require special care and treatment. Enamel Hypoplasia Teeth can come in without enamel as a result of inherited issues or because of exposure to certain substances while the teeth are erupting. Baby teeth and permanent teeth can both emerge with enamel that is weak, improperly formed or missing altogether. One of these conditions is enamel hypoplasia, which literally means "underdeveloped enamel." A disorder that causes the teeth to develop with thin, deficient enamel, it sometimes manifests as a pit in the tooth ñ or eve

Learn more about what the American Dental Association has to say about the risks and additional costs associated with dental tourism. The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel. Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD      280-5201 43 St.     Red Deer, AB     T4N 1C7     (855) 636-9223     VistaDentalCare.ca

Invisalign Boosts Your Confidence Ease of use, comfort, and privacy are three features to the Invisalign system. These one-piece aligners have no metal or wires to stab and rub, irritating your mouth. In fact, there are no moving parts that must be continually adjusted. Although you wear the aligners 24-7, they can be removed for eating and cleaning. Because there are no braces to interfere with proper brushing and flossing, you can eat and drink whatever you wish while in treatment. In short, keeping your teeth clean of plaque is just as straightforward as it was prior to treatment.  You’ll enjoy the level of privacy these aligners afford. The clear design of the aligners makes them difficult to see, unless someone is deliberately watching your mouth. So, feel free to smile big! Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD      280-5201 43 St.     Red Deer, AB     T4N 1C7     (855) 636-9223     VistaDentalCare.ca

Learn more about what the American Dental Association has to say about teeth grinding also known as bruxism. The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel. Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD      280-5201 43 St.     Red Deer, AB     T4N 1C7     (855) 636-9223     VistaDentalCare.ca

If the thought of seeing your dentist gives you chills every six months, an anesthetic may be the solution. Sedation dentistry uses a combination of techniques, ranging from nitrous oxide or "laughing gas" to general anesthesia, to relax a patient during surgeries or otherwise uncomfortable appointments. For even the most severe dental phobias, there is no longer a reason to avoid the dentist altogether. Settings that Practice Anti-Anxiety The dental office has long been the most common setting for routine dental procedures that use sedation and anti-anxiety techniques. These techniques can be used for any type of dental procedure depending on the needs of the patient. Ultimately, your fears and phobias can be managed so that you can receive the dental care you require no matter where the treatment takes place. Are You a Candidate for Sedation? Your overall health, as well as physical and mental conditions you may be battling at the time, are important to be able to saf

Porcelain Veneers for a Beautiful Smile If you have oddly shaped teeth, extra wide gaps, or dark discolourations, our porcelain veneers may offer you the smile you’d prefer. Veneers are thin porcelain coverings that, after teeth are prepared, fit over and are bonded to those teeth. In addition, they may be used for covering chipped, cracked, or worn teeth. Veneers look natural because they are made from dental ceramic blended to the colour of your surrounding teeth. Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD      280-5201 43 St.     Red Deer, AB     T4N 1C7     (855) 636-9223     VistaDentalCare.ca

If you have been experiencing problems with a tooth, you may wonder, "Do I need a root canal?" Root canals, also known as endodontic therapy, are performed when the nerve or pulp of the tooth becomes infected and inflammed due to dental decay, a cracked or broken tooth or an injury to the tooth, according to the American Dental Association. During the procedure, a dentist uses a drill to remove both the nerve and pulp and seals up the tooth to protect against further damage. Only your dentist or a dental specialist called an endodontist, can determine whether a root canal will adequately treat your problem. Here are a few possible symptoms of the need for a root canal and some steps for dealing with them. General Possible Symptoms The most common symptom that may indicate the need for a root canal is tooth pain, according to the American Association of Endodontists. The intensity of the pain can range from mild to severe; it may lessen or intensify throughout the day, or

Below is an article found on MouthHealthy.org . With age comes wisdom. Specifically, wisdom teeth. Your mouth goes through many changes in your lifetime. One major dental milestone that usually takes place between the ages of 17 and 21 is the appearance of your third molars. Historically, these teeth have been called wisdom teeth because they come through at a more mature age. When they come through correctly, healthy wisdom teeth can help you chew. Itís normal to feel a little discomfort when your wisdom teeth appear, but if you have pain, see your dentist immediately. Room to Grow? Wisdom teeth can lead to problems if there isnít enough space for them to surface or they come through in the wrong position. If your dentist says your wisdom teeth are impacted, he or she means they are trapped in your jaw or under your gums. As your wisdom teeth make their way through your gums, your dentist will be monitoring your mouth for signs of the following: Wisdom teeth that arenít in t

You want to keep your teeth for a lifetime, but circumstances can arise that prompt your dentist to recommend removing a tooth for the good of your dental health. And although many of your teeth are easily removable, it's occasionally more complicated, and requires a more involved procedure. Here's why the surgical extraction of teeth may become necessary, and how your dentist differentiates these procedures from others. Why Can't a Tooth be Saved? The American Dental Association (ADA) Mouth Healthy site suggests teeth are usually removed due to trauma, disease or crowding. When a tooth cannot be repaired with a filling or a crown because of an accident or extensive decay, an extraction may be your best recourse. Teeth that aren't supported by enough bone due to periodontal disease are also candidates for removal, according to Warren Dentistry, necessitating the use of a gum-protecting toothpaste like Colgate TotalÆ Clean Mint following extraction. Infected (abscess

Parents are a child's first teacher in life and play a significant role in maintaining his or her overall health. Providing oral health education to mothers and families is essential to teaching children healthy habits and preventing early childhood tooth decay, according to an article published in the May/June 2010 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). With all of the challenges that new parents face, they may not think much about the link between their child's oral health and overall health. In fact, an understanding of oral hygiene can help parents to prevent tooth decayóthe single most common chronic childhood disease in Americaóand to create a lifetime of healthy habits for their child. "Ideally, the oral health education for any family will begin with prenatal education and the establishment of a dental home by the time the child is 12 to 18 months of age," says Tegwyn Brickhouse, DDS, autho

Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org . Root canal treatment is necessary when the pulp (soft tissue inside your teeth containing blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue) becomes inflamed or diseased. During root canal treatment, your dentist or endodontist (a dentist who specializes in treating the insides of teeth) removes the diseased pulp. The pulp chamber and root canal(s) of the tooth are then cleaned and sealed. If the infected pulp is not removed, pain and swelling can result, and your tooth may have to be removed. Causes of an infected pulp could include: a deep cavity repeated dental procedures a cracked or broken tooth injury to the tooth (even if thereís not a visible crack or chip) If you continue to care for your teeth and gums your restored tooth could last a lifetime. However, regular checkups are necessary; a tooth without its nerve can still develop cavities or gum disease. Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple

The American Dental Association has created informative videos called Ask the Dentist. Here is their video on: 'Baby Teeth Are Going to Fall Out, So Why Take Care of Them?' The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel. Vista Dental Care      Chad Aitken, DMD      280-5201 43 St.     Red Deer, AB     T4N 1C7     (855) 636-9223     VistaDentalCare.ca