The Benefits of Lumineers

If you’re unhappy with the appearance of your teeth, Dr. Roopi Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO provides Lumineers to help you achieve the smile you desire.

 

4 Benefits of Lumineers

 

Lumineers are an effective way to fix the appearance of your teeth in Parker, CO. They are best suited for minor imperfections, such as stains or small gaps. Lumineers are a very thin brand of veneers that provide the following benefits over traditional solutions.

 

Fast and Simple Fix

 

There is no long, drawn-out process with Lumineers. It typically takes no more than two visits to have your new smile in place. You will go in for your first appointment with Dr. Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental to have x-rays and impressions made. Once the Lumineers have been designed, you’ll go back in for placement.

 

No Long-Lasting Effects

 

Traditional veneers and crowns require the removal of some tooth enamel to fit them properly. Unfortunately, this is an irreversible process, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. If the veneers or crowns fall out or get damaged, you’ll have to get a new solution in place quickly. Lumineers are very durable but thin, so they can fit on top of your teeth without any alterations. If they fall out or you decide you no longer want them, you don’t have to replace them.

 

No Recovery Time

 

As there is some alteration with traditional veneers and crowns, patients can sometimes be uncomfortable. Though it does not require a great deal of recovery time, the sensitivity can take some time to get back to normal. With Lumineers, there are no alterations and, therefore, typically no discomfort.

 

No Temporary Solutions Necessary

 

As tooth enamel is shaved down with traditional veneers and crowns, patients typically have to wear temporary solutions while the lab creates the permanent ones. This can sometimes be uncomfortable, and they typically break or fall out easily. With Lumineers, nothing is shaved off, so there is no need for a temporary solution.

 

You don’t have to live with imperfect teeth. Call (720) 459-8420 to make an appointment with Dr. Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO to discuss how Lumineers can benefit you.

 

What is an Apicoectomy?

If your tooth has been bothering you for a long time, and you had a root canal procedure that was unsuccessful at getting to the 'root' of the problem, you may need a minor surgery called an apicoectomy, also known as root-end surgery. Dr. Roopi Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO performs the apicoectomy procedure as well as general dentistry services.

 

What is an Apicoectomy?

 

An apicoectomy may be recommended if you have already undergone standard root canal treatment and it hasn't seemed to fix the problem. This is because there is lingering inflammation or infection continuing to affect your tooth. When root canal treatment fails to provide proper relief, an apicoectomy may be in order. This procedure treats the tooth more aggressively than a root canal by removing the tip of the root of the tooth.

 

The root canal treatment procedure accesses the root through the crown of the tooth, whereas apicoectomy is targeted at the root of the tooth. The crown of the tooth refers to the part of the tooth you can see and use to chew food. In an apicoectomy, the tip of the root of the tooth is removed, and then sealed and filled in to prevent further decay and infection from affecting the tooth.

 

How Do I Know if I Need This Procedure?

 

An apicoectomy is usually only considered when a root canal treatment has already been performed and failed to remove all of the infection. If you continue to have pain or another infection develops months or years down the road, an apicoectomy may be recommended by your dentist.

 

Procedure and Recovery

 

The procedure is rather simple and not to be feared. While it is a serious procedure, it should not cause excessive anxiety. When Dr. Roopi Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO performs an apicoectomy, she takes great care with making you feel comfortable. The procedure begins by administering a local anaesthetic, then an incision is made in your gum to expose the infection and root of the tooth. The tip of the root will be removed and the root canal sealed. The gums that were separated to access the root of your tooth are then sutured back into place.

 

You may be prescribed antibiotics and painkillers that will help with swelling and pain. Usually, no more than a day or two of downtime is needed after this procedure. After about a week, you may need to come back to the office to have the sutures removed if dissolvable sutures were not used.

 

Dr. Roopi Kattaura performs the apicoectomy procedure at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO. Call us for more information about this procedure at (720) 459-8420.

 

Pericoronitis and Extractions at Ardas Family Dental

Wisdom tooth extractions are one of our specialties at Ardas Family Dental in Parker. Although no kind of surgery should be undertaken lightly, wisdom tooth removal is often necessary to prevent future oral health problems, including ones that can be painful and put a patient at risk for more severe infections. One of the most common problems that can be avoided through wisdom tooth removal is pericoronitis. However, there may be instances in which a different kind of treatment for pericoronitis is more appropriate, so we want our patients to understand why it’s important to address and what their treatment options may include.

Wisdom teeth, particularly the ones in the lower jaw, are often unable to fully erupt. They are the last teeth to emerge, and often do so after the other teeth have undergone orthodontic therapy. (People can get braces for minor adjustments at any age, but by mid-adolescence, the jaws have solidified enough that orthodontics are no longer effective for major interventions.) The wisdom teeth commonly get stuck partially-emerged, with a flap of gum tissue called an operculum covering the remainder of the crown. Bacteria can easily get caught under the operculum, causing infections and inflammation. In the worst cases, the infection may spread to the neck, and patients will often experience soreness in their jaws and foul-tasting discharge.

It is possible to cut away an operculum, but it may grow back. Additionally, the impacted wisdom tooth may continue to cause soreness and be difficult to clean. Removing the tooth would solve both these problems. Extracting it may require an incision into the gum tissue or for the tooth to be sectioned, but patients usually recover well and are able to eat and speak normally within a few weeks. If an impacted wisdom tooth is caught early, it may be possible to guide it into place with orthodontics, but for older patients, extraction is usually recommended.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Bonding in Parker, CO

As a general dental practice, we at Ardas Family Dental in Parker provide restorations to people of all ages with a wide range of needs. If a patient is missing a tooth or needs one extracted, we can provide replacements that are not only durable, but which preserve the mouth’s aesthetic by matching the other teeth’s color. But most restorations don’t require as much intervention as replacing an entire crown or tooth root. Among the most common kinds of restorations is bonding, which can be done in a single visit for patients suffering from minor chips and imperfections.

Dental bonding is done when a small amount of the tooth’s enamel has been chipped, or when a tooth has a small crack or stain or its surface area needs to be increased. It may be provided as an alternative to veneers if a patient wants their teeth to look longer or close small gaps between them. After the teeth have been cleaned, we will apply an etching acid to the ones undergoing bonding to increase their surface area. The bonding material is applied as a soft resin and shaped with tools called burnishers. It is then hardened with a blue light and polished.

The process of applying bonding to a single tooth usually takes an hour or less. It may not even require anesthetic, if the patient doesn’t have an exposed nerve or decay. Bonding is also sometimes done in conjunction with periodontal treatment if a patient’s gums have receded to expose their sensitive tooth roots. However, once the bonding is solidified, a patient may take care of it through regular brushing and flossing and expect it to last for as long as ten years.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Acid Reflux in Parker, CO

If your teeth are sensitive, it means something is wrong with them and you should get them examined. Ardas Family Dental in Parker provides treatments for a wide range of dental problems, and we believe everybody is entitled to comfortable, functional teeth. There are several potential contributors to tooth sensitivity, including bacterial infection and nighttime jaw clenching. But if you’re older or a smoker, one source of toothaches to consider is acid reflux.

The powerful acid in our stomach is sealed off from the esophagus by a sphincter. Normally, this sphincter only opens to admit food into the stomach, but there are times when it can get stuck open or open in response to swallowing or upheaval in the stomach. When that happens, acidic gas bubbles up, causing chemical damage to the esophagus and the painful sensation we call heartburn. Although enamel is much harder than esophageal lining, if acid is frequently entering the back of the mouth, it can slowly dissolve enamel, starting with the upper back teeth. This would ultimately leave teeth with less shielding for their nerves.

Acid reflux is more likely to occur in people who smoke, consume alcohol, or who eat foods such as red meat, onions and garlic, chocolate, or citrus fruits, particularly in large quantities before bed. Preventing acid reflux would usually require a change in lifestyle, although a gastrologist may be able to provide medication. A dentist may be able to recognize acid reflux by the distinctive pattern of wear it leaves. If acid reflux is suspected, patients may benefit from the application of sealants and fluoride treatments for more shielding, and from chewing artificial gum to stimulate the production of more saliva, diluting the acid.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Mouthguards at Ardas Family Dental

Taking care of your teeth means more than daily maintenance. Brushing and flossing are important, but so is protecting your teeth from the sort of injuries that could leave them chipped, cracked, or broken off. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we provide a wide variety of restorations for people whose teeth are in all sorts of condition, but we also want our restorations to last and for patients to avoid needing emergency care. One of the most simple things everyone can do to protect themselves is to use a mouthguard, so we wanted to explain a bit about them and how to choose the one that’s most appropriate for your needs.

The American Dental Association classifies mouthguards by three types: stock, mouth-formed, and custom-made. Stock mouthguards are those which are purchased pre-shaped and cannot be reshaped. They provide better protection than using nothing, but are not as good as a mouthguard that fits a specific wearer. Mouth-formed mouthguards are those which can be boiled to soften them and then reshaped around a wearer’s teeth. They are often used for children and teenagers, whose teeth are rapidly shifting. Shaping a mouthguard on someone with fixed orthodontics may require a dentist’s supervision, but is essential for protecting an athlete undergoing orthodontic therapy from the risk of broken wires or brackets.

Customized mouthguards are those which are shaped specifically for a patient based on an impression of their teeth. They are made from the most sturdy material and provide the best protection. Mouthguards of all sorts need to be cleaned regularly, as do their cases, and they shouldn’t be exposed to high temperatures that might warp their shape. But when used properly, mouthguards can reduce dental injuries by forty percent, and are particularly beneficial to people playing contact sports.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Treating Loose Fillings at Ardas Family Dental

Fillings are one of the less invasive ways of repairing a broken or decayed tooth. But they do eventually break down, and when they do, they need to be replaced as quickly as possible. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we strongly encourage our patients to maintain regular dental appointments so we can repair fillings before they come loose. But even if they do, a filling could still come loose due to an accident, so we want our patients to understand the warning signs and dangers of filling failure.

Loose fillings are usually painful and can be easily identified by the patient. But one warning sign you might not know to look out for is a steady trickle of saliva coming from the filling. This is caused by the seal holding the filling in place breaking down and saliva pooling into the crevices. If you are in pain, you may want to apply an over-the-counter topical gel, or hold a cold compress to your face. A failing filling is a dental emergency and you can call us to request it be replaced as soon as possible. The longer it goes untreated, the more likely it is to become infected, since you won’t be able to brush bacteria out of the crevices in the seal.

Replacing a filling is usually a simple matter, and may be planned for during regular dental examinations. Typically, fillings are expected to last for ten years, although they may have to be replaced sooner if they are large and subjected to a great deal of stress. The sealants holding them in place are less durable than natural enamel, and forces such as chewing and night-time jaw clenching take more of a toll on them. If replacing a large filling frequently is troublesome for you, you may want to consider a sturdier replacement, such as an artificial crown.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.