Bone Grafts

Dr. Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental, located in Parker, CO., offers dental surgery such as bone grafting to our patients. Bone grafting happens when a patients jawbone isn’t large enough or strong enough to support a dental implant. To remedy this, a procedure is done to enhance the jawbone.

 

When a patient has missing teeth that aren’t replaced, the bone that housed those teeth begins to degenerate. The teeth are needed to keep the bone strong. A bone graft then becomes necessary in order to receive a dental implant. Bone grafts can also be used to repair compromised implant sites, structural damage, gum disease, and injuries. At your appointment with Dr. Kattaura, an x-ray will be taken of your mouth and jaw. From here, it can be determined how much jaw bone is needed. Commonly, the bone graft is taken from a bone in another area of the mouth. Other times the bone will be acquired from a tissue bank.

 

At the procedure, you will most likely be placed under general anesthesia. An incision in the skin will be made upon the designated area. The bone will be put into place using pins, plates, screws, wires, and/or cables. Once finished, Dr. Kattaura will stitch and bandage the area.

 

Recovery depends on the patient's health and the size of the graft. Recovery can range between two weeks to a full year. Remember to follow any and all post-operative instructions. Avoid vigorous activity while healing.

 

If you are in need of an oral surgeon or bone graft, schedule an appointment at Ardas Family Dental, located in Parker, CO. Dr. Kattaura is available through appointment. To schedule an appointment, visit our website or call 720-459-8420.

 

 

 

 

 

TMJ/TMD

The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is the joint connecting your jawbone to your skull at the temporal bone. This joint controls many everyday necessary functions like talking and chewing. If you experience pain in your jaw when eating, chewing, or any other time, don’t wait to call Dr. Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental, located in Parker, CO. You may be experiencing temporomandibular disorder, or TMD.

 

TMD can be caused by stress, teeth grinding, or clenching of the jaw muscles. The main symptoms are pain when opening or closing mouth, trouble chewing, jaw becoming stuck open or shut, headaches or ear pain, clicking or popping sounds when opening your mouth, and teeth grinding.

 

Teeth grinding is a problematic symptom of TMD. When you grind your teeth, the top and bottom rows are scraping against each other. Eventually, this will wear down the enamel on your teeth. This exposes the dentin within. Dentin is sensitive, and exposure causes a handful of different issues. This includes opening a pathway for harmful bacteria.

 

For short term relief, hot/cold packs can be applied in 15-minute intervals to the affected area. Over-the-counter pain relievers are also helpful. For long term effects and treatment, an appointment with Dr. Kattaura is needed. Dr. Kattaura can give you a mouth guard, which will prevent your teeth from grinding together. In severe cases, surgery may be required.

 

If you suspect you have TMD, contact Ardas Family Dental for a consultation. Our office is located in Parker, CO. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kattaura, visit our website or call 720-459-8420.

 

Teeth Whitening

At Ardas Family Dental, located in Parker, CO., we know that you deserve a perfect smile. But keeping your teeth white is harder than it sounds. That's why Dr. Kattaura offers teeth whitening services for our clients. Teeth whitening is a safe and easy way to restore the natural coloring of your teeth.

 

Teeth can become discolored for a variety of reasons. Foods that are high in tannic acids, like grapes and tea, are common culprits. Coffee and cigarettes are major ones as well. For some, simply cutting back on these items is enough to restore their smile. Teeth whitening is used when a little extra help is needed.

 

There are two steps to the teeth whitening process. At your first appointment with Dr. Kattaura, an impression of your teeth will be taken. At Ardas Dental, we use a tray whitening system. This means that the impression of your teeth will be used to create custom whitening trays. A dental laboratory will receive your impression and create the trays for us.

 

At your second appointment, you will receive your whitening trays. Dr. Kattaura will instruct you on how to use them. All you have to do is place the whitening gel into the trays, then insert the trays onto your teeth. Dr. Kattaura will tell you how many days to wear the trays and for how long. After a short amount of time, you should notice a whiter smile of 4-8 shades.

 

To learn more about our teeth whitening services, contact Ardas Family Dental, located in Parker, CO. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kattaura, visit our website or call 720-459-8420.

 

Night Guards

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is when a patient grinds their teeth. This destroys the enamel of the teeth, exposing the dentin. This can lead to teeth sensitivity, and open the gateway for bacteria. The majority of patients who experience bruxism have it happen while they're sleeping. At Ardas Family Dental, located in Parker, CO., Dr. Kattaura offers the solution in the form of night guards.

 

Grinding your teeth can lead to permanent enamel damage, jaw pain, and irritated gums. The night guard can prevent all that. Night guards are very similar to the mouth guards worn by athletes. These removable, clear devices are inserted into your mouth and over your top teeth. It works as a barrier between the top and bottom teeth, preventing them from grinding together.

 

Night guards are custom made and properly fitted to your teeth and your teeth only. At your appointment with Dr. Kattaura, an impression of your teeth will be made. This impression will be sent to a dental laboratory to be constructed. Once you receive your night guard, it can be used for up to ten years.

 

There are other things that can be done to help prevent teeth grinding. Try to refrain from chewing gum or other objects like pens. Alcoholic drinks and caffeine also increase the likelihood of grinding.

 

If you suspect you may be grinding your teeth at night, don’t wait to contact Ardas Family Dental. Our office is located in Parker, CO. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kattaura, visit our website or call 720-459-8420.

 

Preventing Bad Breath

We want all our patients at Ardas Family Dental in Parker to feel confident in their mouth’s beauty. There are lots of cosmetic options available for straighter, whiter teeth, but halitosis can mar a lovely-looking smile. Worse, it could be a sign of a disease, which is why we want our patients to understand why they should take it seriously.

Pathogenic oral bacteria emit a foul odor. This is obvious when they eat food debris lodged in between teeth and build up as tartar, but it is also true when they are hiding in the crevices of the tongue. Bacteria can consume things like nasal drip that you wouldn’t think of as food, which is why brushing and scraping the tongue is so important. Dry mouth will enable bacteria to grow more rapidly and consume debris that isn’t being washed away by saliva, so you may need to ask your doctor about switching away from medications that cause dry mouth as a side effect.

Some conditions make dry mouth or tooth decay likelier. Diabetes impedes the immune system’s function and raises saliva’s sugar content. Acid reflux can cause stomach acid to enter the oral cavity. Foods that commonly trigger acid reflux, such as onions and garlic, also contain the chemicals that enter the lungs through the bloodstream and cause bad breath from there, although that is not a serious health concern. The best way to prevent halitosis is by drinking lots of water and by using a humidifier to keep the mouth moisturized while asleep.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Choosing a Toothbrush

At Ardas Family Dental, we advise our patients to brush twice a day to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. It is important that you use a toothbrush that you’re comfortable using and that is cleaning your teeth effectively. Choosing the right toothbrush can be difficult, which is why we encourage our patients to ask us for advice.  

Our dentists encourage our patients to use a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small-headed brush. Most dental professionals agree that soft-bristled toothbrushes clean your teeth the best and remove bacteria and plaque. The small-headed toothbrushes are more versatile and can reach every part of your teeth and gums.

Regardless of the type of toothbrush you use, as long you’re cleaning for a full two minutes with fluoride toothpaste any toothbrush will do. We recommend to our patients to use an electric toothbrush if they have trouble reaching certain areas of their mouth as they clean more thoroughly.

Don’t forget to change your toothbrush every 3-4 months or when the bristles begin to harden to maximize your brushing.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Infections around Crowns

Ardas Family Dental in Parker carefully monitors the progression of our pediatric patients’ teeth. Misalignments can make flossing and brushing difficult, disrupt the bite, and contribute to a low self-image. But there is an additional risk when a tooth is impacted, meaning it is unable to erupt fully. Such a tooth could become the site of pericoronitis—infection around a crown.

Orthodontic work is usually done when children are between the ages of eleven and fourteen. At that age, they have most of their permanent teeth, but their jaws are still malleable. The wisdom teeth often do not erupt until late adolescence, and there is usually not enough room for them to emerge without disrupting other teeth. The lower ones are especially at risk of becoming impacted part-way, resulting in them being partly covered by a flap of gum tissue called an operculum. The operculum is a trap for food debris and oral bacteria, which will result in inflammation.

There are some easy ways to combat oral infections. A patient could take antibiotics and swish salt water around in their mouth twice a day. But an operculum is very difficult to clean, and infections will likely reoccur as long as it exists. Wisdom tooth extractions are among our routine services at Ardas Family Dental, and when patients visit us regularly, we’ll be able to identify dangerous situations and take care of them before pericoronitis develops.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.