Maintaining healthy dental habits is the best way to ensure that your teeth remain strong and healthy throughout your life. At Reston Serenity Smiles, we help our patients follow a consistent, thorough and effective dental care plan to keep their smiles bright and perfect.

Taking Care of Your Teeth at Home

At-home care is vital for maintaining excellent oral hygiene and dental health. Daily brushing and flossing are the most effective ways to prevent decay and gum disease that can lead to tooth loss in the long term. Your dentist can help you determine what type of brush and floss are best for you. If you have mobility issues or particularly sensitive teeth, for example, different tools might work better to ensure you keep your teeth thoroughly clean and maintain the health of your gums.

It is also important to take measures to prevent injury. For example, if you play contact sports of any kind, you should wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth and jaws from injury. You should also be prepared for a dental emergency so that your teeth can be treated immediately for the best results and most thorough recovery.

Regular Care at Your Dentist’s Office

In addition to thorough, everyday care at home, you should visit your dental office at least twice a year. Your dentist will thoroughly evaluate your teeth, gums, and other oral tissues. He or she will also provide an oral cancer screening and take X-rays to find structural problems or decay that is not immediately visible on the surfaces of the teeth.

Though it might be tempting to skip the occasional dentist appointment, it’s very important to keep your visits regular and up-to-date. Regular visits help the dentist keep track of any existing problems and determine if they are worsening so treatment can be recommended immediately.

Combining diligent at-home care with regular office visits will ensure your teeth and gums stay healthy for many years to come. If you are due for a dental check-up, call our caring team at the office of Dr. Hoda Kazemifar for an appointment.

Whitening toothpaste is a popular option for people wishing to remove minor stains from their teeth or to simply give their smile a brighter look. This type of toothpaste usually uses mildly abrasive ingredients, such as baking soda, to gently remove stains from the tooth surfaces. Others have peroxide, which is the same ingredient used in professional whitening treatment. Peroxide bleaches the tooth surfaces, and is also a major ingredient in over-the-counter whiteners.

Use the toothpaste regularly for the best possible results. However, if your teeth are severely stained, toothpaste might not give you the results you want. In this case, you should talk to your dentist about professional teeth whitening.

Whitening from Your Dentist

The most effective approach to whitening treatment is that provided by your dentist. Cosmetic dentists usually offer whitening services that can be performed in the dentist’s office or at home, depending upon your specific needs.

Treatment in the dentist’s office takes about an hour and can lighten your teeth as much as ten shades. Your cosmetic dentist paints a whitening agent onto the surfaces of your teeth, then allows it to sit and do its work for about twenty minutes. Some whitening agents must be activated with a special light. The whitener is removed and re-applied twice more to complete the treatment. Results are visible as soon as you leave the office, but will become more obvious over the next several days. Your teeth will look much whiter, and you can be proud of your smile again.

To pursue a brighter smile, contact our office and friendly team of specialists and schedule an appointment or consultation today!

Root canal therapy retains a bad reputation as a difficult and uncomfortable procedure, but in reality, it is similar in many ways to having a tooth filled. It can also be the only way to save a tooth that would otherwise need to be extracted.

What Is Root Canal Therapy?

The root canal is the name for the space inside the tooth where the tooth pulp and the nerve are found. When these nerve-rich, sensitive tissues become inflamed or infected, root canal therapy may be necessary in order to keep the tooth. To perform this treatment, your dentist or periodontist uses special tools to remove the infected tissue from the tooth interior. The cavity is then sterilized and filled with a special gel. To ensure the tooth remains usable, it is treated with a crown.

Treating a tooth in this way prevents the infection from spreading out of the tooth and into adjacent areas. An untreated infection in the tooth can spread into the jaw or facial bones. It can even move into the sinus cavities and, in very serious situations, can affect the brain. With proper treatment, the infection can be eliminated, protecting you from serious side effects.

Why Is Root Canal Therapy Necessary?

A root canal treatment is necessary to treat infection in the tooth’s interior. This can occur under a variety of circumstances, the most common of which are:

• Severe decay
• Trauma to the tooth
• Severe tooth damage

This type of treatment can become necessary when a tooth is broken in an accident or fall. It can also be necessary if a tooth that has already been filled or crowned develops additional damage, such as cracks, that lets bacteria into the tooth’s interior. A seriously damaged tooth that might otherwise have to be extracted, can be preserved and will remain usable with root canal therapy. You will be able to bite and chew normally after your tooth has been treated.

Call our office at 603-882-2575 to speak with one of our dental specialists about your root canal therapy options.

Gum disease is a common problem and one of the major causes of tooth loss. Regular, diligent brushing and flossing can help prevent it from developing. If you see any symptoms of gum disease, you should consult with your dentist as soon as possible so it can be treated promptly.

Do I Have Gum Disease?

Many people who have minor gum problems are not aware of it because the symptoms can be very subtle. Upon visiting your dentist, the specialist will examine your gums and look for any symptoms of inflammation or even more advanced problems.

Major symptoms of gum disease include:

• Red or shiny gums
• Bleeding from the gums when you brush your teeth
• Swelling in the gum tissue
• Pockets around the teeth

Pockets around the teeth are measured by your dental hygienist at each checkup. If pockets are more than one or two millimeters deep, you might require treatment. Pockets four or five millimeters deep are a sign of more serious problems and will definitely require some type of intervention.

Treatment for Gum Disease

The treatment you receive for gum disease depends upon how serious it is. If you have gingivitis, this is a relatively minor inflammation and can be treated with more diligent brushing, flossing, cleaning, and possibly using a special toothpaste or a topical treatment. As the inflammation becomes more serious and develops into infection, treatment becomes more complex and invasive. This can include deep cleaning, root planing and scaling, or even surgery. Surgery could require the dentist to remove the infected tissue and repair it with a gum graft.

The best way to prevent gum disease is to brush and floss regularly and thoroughly. It’s also very important to visit your dentist regularly, as some of the symptoms are more easily spotted by your dentist. The sooner gum disease is diagnosed, the easier it will be to treat it and put your mouth back on the road to good health.

Do you think you’re suffering from gum disease? Call our office today to schedule a consultation with one of our caring specialists today.

Dental crowns are a treatment used in tooth restoration. They are occasionally used for cosmetic purposes, but this usage is much less common today than it has been in the past. A crown can be used to restore or protect a tooth or to anchor a bridge for tooth replacement.

When Are Dental Crowns Used?

Crowns are most often used to repair teeth that have been damaged and cannot be restored with tooth replacement. Sometimes this repair helps prevent extraction of the tooth. Some circumstances under which crowns are used for include:

• A tooth that has been broken off
• A tooth that has cracked
• A tooth that needs additional restoration after being filled
• A tooth that has received a root canal treatment
• Anchorage for a crown and bridge tooth replacement

Crowns are placed in two stages. First, the tooth must be prepared for the crown, which usually involves reshaping the tooth. If a tooth has been broken off, other measures might need to be taken to create enough room to anchor the crown.

Benefits of Crowns

Crowns have the benefit of protecting the tooth and keeping it strong so it can withstand the pressure of chewing and biting. They are available in several varieties depending upon where the crown is placed and how much pressure it needs to withstand. If a crown is placed on a front tooth, it is usually constructed of porcelain so it looks natural. Crowns placed on molars are usually metal or metal bonded with porcelain.

The crown also plays a major role in restoring a tooth after root canal treatment. Generally, teeth that receive this treatment would otherwise have to be extracted. The crown helps strengthen the tooth after its internal structures—the pulp and the tooth nerve—have been removed to eliminate infection. After treatment with a root canal and a crown, the tooth is once again functional and strong.

If you would like more information on what treatment options Nashua Family Dentistry has for you, call our office to make an appointment.

A smile makeover is a term that refers to a combination of cosmetic dentistry procedures that address various issues with your smile. The procedures chosen depend upon your personal goals and what you’d like your teeth to look like after treatment. Your dentist can help assemble a personalized treatment schedule to give you the smile you’ve always wanted.

Options for a Smile Makeover

If you wish to have a smile makeover, the first thing you’ll do is consult with your dentist. You’ll talk about what you’d like to change about your smile and then discuss what the most effective approach would be to accomplish those goals. Some of the procedures often included in a smile makeover are:

• Teeth whitening
• Porcelain veneers
• Inlays or onlays
• Tooth-colored crowns or fillings
• Invisalign
• Gum Contouring
• Dental implants

These procedures can correct problems ranging from minor stains to missing teeth, giving you a smile you can be proud of.

After you’ve decided how your makeover will proceed, you’ll schedule appointments. Another advantage to this approach is that you can often combine two or more procedures into one visit to your dentist, reducing the time it takes to create your perfect smile.

Why Get a Smile Makeover?

Your smile is one of the most important tools you have to make a first impression. If you don’t feel confident about your teeth, it can have a negative impact on how you present yourself to people. It can also affect your quality of life if you are constantly self-conscious or nervous about showing your smile.

A smile makeover can eliminate this problem, giving you a smile you’re happy to show off. Whether you have missing teeth, severe staining, misaligned teeth or gaps, a smile makeover could be the answer to your best smile yet.

Call our office and talk to one of our dental specialists today to find out how a smile makeover can help.

Orthodontics is treatment to move your teeth into the right position, but the treatments used can present a challenge to maintaining your everyday oral hygiene. If you are wearing braces, flossing is not only possible, but it’s important to maintain the health of your teeth. Your orthodontist and your dentist can provide you with tools that will help you floss and brush effectively even with braces.

Flossing with Braces

Having metal braces and rubber bands on your teeth can make it difficult to floss between them. However, it’s vital that you brush and floss regularly during your orthodontic treatment. The extra surfaces created by braces create more places for food particles and plaque to cling, making it more likely that you’ll experience tooth decay if you aren’t careful to take good care of your teeth.

Your orthodontist or dentist can help. There are special tools you can use that make it easier to thread floss between your teeth, and that can help with the special needs of brushing while wearing braces. You should also carry a travel brush with you so you can brush after every meal to prevent plaque build-up. The better you take care of your teeth, the better your final results will be.

Other Care Considerations while Wearing Braces

Your orthodontist will provide instructions regarding how to take care of your braces. If wires break, you might need to make an appointment to have them repaired. If the wires irritate your lips or tongue, you can use wax to protect the soft tissues from the sharp edges.

While you’re wearing braces, you’ll need to be sure to visit the dentist regularly. If you do develop a cavity under or around your orthodontic appliances, your dentist will be able to find them and treat them before they can become serious. He can also monitor your gums for any signs of gingivitis or gum disease. This way, you can be sure to keep your mouth and teeth healthy even while you are on the way to your perfect smile.

Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment that helps move your teeth into the appropriate position. Unlike braces, it uses clear plastic trays that are virtually invisible. You must wear these trays at least twenty-two hours every day for the best possible results.

Wearing Invisalign Trays

Invisalign trays are custom-made to fit your teeth, so they fit comfortably in your mouth. Each tray in the full series moves your teeth a small amount until, after all the incremental changes, your teeth reach the correct alignment. For the best results from your treatment, you should follow certain guidelines, including:

Do not take the trays out for more than about two hours each day

Wear the trays at night as well as in the daytime

Clean the trays at least once or twice a day

Don’t wear the trays while drinking hot beverages

Avoid foods or beverages that could stain the trays

Following these instructions will help ensure your trays remain clean and do not become warped. At the end of your treatment, you’ll have the perfect smile you’ve always wanted.

Choosing Invisalign

Invisalign is a popular choice for adults who require orthodontics. They offer several advantages over traditional braces, including:

They are virtually invisible

They are more comfortable

They are removable

Although you should not remove them often or for long periods of time, being able to see the progress of your treatment is a definite plus. You can also take them out occasionally for special occasions. However, you should always wear them through the night. Because they’re custom-made, they shouldn’t bother you or interfere with your breathing in any way.

As with traditional braces, you might experience some discomfort when you begin treatment. You might also feel some achiness each time you change trays, which occurs about every two weeks. This is because your teeth are shifting. In most cases, over-the-counter medication is sufficient to alleviate this issue. If you have any problems with your trays as treatment progresses, be sure to discuss them with your orthodontist.

Braces for adults have become quite common as people decide they’re unhappy with the way their teeth look or discover they could benefit from teeth that are more properly aligned. If you are an adult, there are several options available for orthodontic treatment.

Braces for Adults

Braces are traditionally a sort of rite of passage for adolescents. Most people are treated in their late teens, as permanent teeth have all emerged and it’s possible to see how teeth should be shifted for an optimal alignment and bite. However, it’s becoming more common for adults to have braces to correct alignment problems when teeth have either moved out of position over time, or because they did not receive orthodontic treatment earlier in life and are now experiencing issues related to malocclusion.

Braces for adults generally work exactly the same way as braces for adolescents. There are more options available now aside from traditional metal braces and bands, so adults can choose the kind of braces they feel will best meet their needs and lifestyle. These additional options can help adults be more comfortable with choosing much-needed orthodontic treatment.

Types of Braces for Adults

Many adults who choose braces prefer an approach that isn’t as visible as traditional metal brackets and bands. Fortunately, there are several approaches available that can provide excellent results but that are less detrimental to your appearance. Some of these are:

Porcelain braces. The brackets are made of tooth-colored porcelain instead of metal.

Lingual braces. The brackets are placed on the backs of the teeth.

Aligner trays. Clear plastic trays gradually move the teeth into position.

If you need to have braces as an adult, talk to your orthodontist about these options. Some might work better than others for your specific issues; your orthodontist can determine what approach will provide you with the best results. For example, if you have severe misalignment or a crossbite, traditional braces might be a better choice than lingual braces or aligner trays.

If you have issues with the nerve tissue in your tooth, you can experience extreme discomfort and sensitivity. Often a root canal treatment is necessary to correct the problem and allow you to keep the tooth rather than having it extracted.

The Root Canal

Inside each tooth lies the root canal, a space filled not with hard enamel or softer dentin, but with nerve, vascular, and connective tissue. This soft tissue provides the tooth with a blood supply and the ability to sense temperature and pressure. It also houses cells that help replenish the dentin. A subgroup of dentists, called endodontists, specialize in treating this part of the tooth.

Under normal conditions, the root canal is protected by the harder tissues that make up the tooth’s exterior. However, if the enamel and dentin are compromised, the pulp can become infected. It can also be damaged due to trauma. In these cases, root canal treatment might be necessary. This treatment is commonly used to treat:

Severe decay that allows infection into the pulp

Teeth that have broken off, exposing the pulp

Teeth with nerves that have been damaged due to trauma

Root Canal Treatment and How It Works

Root canal treatment is usually performed by an endodontist. The pulp is removed with tools called files, which come in various sizes to reach all areas of the root canal. The files are inserted through a hole drilled in the tooth. All the pulp is removed, and the interior of the root canal is smoothed with the files. It’s then filled with a sterile substance that helps keep the tooth intact.

After root canal treatment, teeth are treated with crowns so they can withstand the everyday stress of biting and chewing. This is one of the common applications of crowns in modern dentistry, the other being to anchor bridges that provide replacement teeth when one or two teeth have been extracted. With root canal treatment, though, you can often avoid having your teeth replaced with bridges. After treatment, your tooth is functional, and should last for many years.