If your teeth are crooked, yellow, undersized, oversized, or otherwise just plain unattractive, you may put off visiting a cosmetic dentist simply because you assume treatment will be time-consuming, painful, and expensive. In truth, a cosmetic dentist may have more options for straightening or otherwise fixing your teeth than you realize. These treatments may also be more affordable than you know, so that even if insurance doesn't cover treatment, you may still be able to have a dazzling, pearly smile.

For many people, dentures offer a new way of life. A portion of the population has lost all of their teeth and been given a complete set as replacement. A larger percentage, however, enjoys the use of partial dentures to replace several teeth they may have lost due to decay. Yet while dentures give you all your functionality and aesthetic appeal again, they do need special care. If this experience is new to you, what are the key care techniques to remember?

People often consider that gum disease and periodontitis are conditions that only affect older people and only if they'd been negligent in caring for their teeth, over time. However, this isn't the case and gum disease can manifest itself in children at a relatively young age. What do you need to be on the lookout for and how can you avoid this development? The Different Stages There are various different stages of gum disease, and the initial level is known as chronic gingivitis.

Tobacco is usually smoked, but many people still chew it instead. When tobacco is chewed, the nicotine is absorbed through the tissue of the mouth rather than through the lungs. Many people still believe that this method is safer than smoking. Unfortunately, chewing tobacco is still incredibly harmful to your health, and it can be particularly damaging to your mouth. Here are just four oral-health issues that come along with chewing tobacco.

Dental care and techniques have certainly improved over the generations. When you were younger your dentist may have chosen to pull teeth without considering an option for replacement. Today, however, replacement will be a primary consideration whenever talking about extraction in order to protect surrounding teeth and improve functionality and appearance. If you have some "gaps" that you want to address, perhaps you can consider removable partial dentures as an option.

As kids reach their toddler years, they start to become more independent. They develop the skills to start to do some things for themselves and the will to take on some control over their lives. Some parents find that their children start to want to brush their own teeth at this age. What are the pros and cons of letting toddlers brush their own teeth and should you let your child take on daily brushing for themselves?

Many dentists in Australia use nitrous oxide. Also called happy gas or laughing gas, this gas has been popular for years, and, if you haven't used it during a dental procedure, you may be wondering if you should try it. Here's a look at the benefits of nitrous oxide: 1. Nitrous oxide reduces pain and anxiety. When you have dental work done, the dentist applies a local anesthetic, typically Novocain, to the place where he or she is going to be doing the work.

At the early stages, periodontal disease usually manifests itself as gum disease. Unfortunately, many patients do not pay enough attention to the early warning signs of gum disease until they find themselves dealing with the advanced stages of the disease (periodontal disease). When someone catches the periodontal disease, the bacteria that attacked their gums now embark on causing harm to the jawbone on which teeth are anchored. As the jawbone erodes due to the disease, teeth become loose, and then get lost.

Although wearing braces can be necessary in order to straighten crooked or misaligned teeth, you can feel very self-conscious at first, as if everyone's just staring at your braces!  Although Invisalign braces are specially designed to be very discreet and barely noticeable, you might still appreciate some top tips on how to make them completely invisible. Hollywood smile Even well-designed and conceived braces like Invisalign can become a food trap, drawing unwanted attention to your teeth.

With spring on the way, you may be dusting off your tennis racket or looking to invest in a new pair of running shoes in preparation of exercising outside again. Taking part in sports or other exercise is good for your body, helping you to build muscle and improve circulation. However, it may surprise you that one area where exercise could, in fact, be having a negative impact is your dental health.