Saliva is one of your body's natural defenses against plaque because it acts to rinse your mouth of cavity-causing bacteria and other harmful materials. Dry mouth (also called Xerostomia) is a fairly common condition that is caused by diminished saliva production. People with medical conditions, such

If caught early, gingivitis can be treated fairly easily and effectively. A small mirror and a probing tool is used to spot bleeding gums. The more spots that bleed, the more likely your gum disease is severe. Hard mineral deposits (tartar) above and below the gum line are a problem area that is usually

Early interceptive orthodontic treatment usually starts before the eruption of the permanent teeth or when the child has very few permanent teeth present. The goal at our office is to guide the growth of the upper and/or lower jaw to make adequate space for the eruption of all the permanent teeth. We

Deep Bite Do the upper teeth completely hide the lower teeth when you bite down, or does your child bite on the roof of their mouth? Open Bite Do the upper and lower teeth not meet in the front when your child bites together? Overjet Do the upper front teeth seem to be more noticeable

Endodontic disorders are generally diseases or injuries that affect the root tip or nerve of the tooth and the structures called the pulp chamber, pulp, and root canal of the tooth. In many cases, it is caused by severe decay or injury that causes an abscess or infection in the tissue below the tooth,

In some cases, your root canals are unusually narrow or blocked (sometimes by calcium deposits or other debris), making a repeated root canal procedure ineffective. In other cases, a root canal procedure may fail or an infection recurs after a long period of time. In these cases, endodontic surgery may

Many people inherit the problem of excessive or uneven gums. An aesthetic surgical procedure called a gum lift can be used to correct this problem.

In most cases, a tooth may need to be pulled when other less radical procedures, such as amalgams or restoration, make it impossible or imprudent to save your child's original tooth. Advanced anesthetic techniques today greatly minimize discomfort associated with a tooth extraction. First, the area

Facelifts are performed to minimize prominent folds of skin near the chin, jaw line or neck. The procedures involve tightening (and, in some cases, removing excess) facial skin and muscles. In some procedures, fat deposits beneath the chin and neck are reduced, allowing the skin to reposition itself.

Fat deposits, aging, or hereditary factors are some of the culprits that cause double chins, saggy jowls, or rounded faces. These deposits can be removed by a process called facial liposuction. The process involves removing fat deposits through a small tube inserted through small incisions along the

Facial pain afflicts about 15 percent of the American population. People with facial pain suffer from such things as headaches, earaches, neck pain, and jaw tenderness. It can be caused by a wide array of factors, including sinus problems, an infected or impacted tooth, or other problems with the jaw

Many people think of facial reconstruction only being performed on individuals involved in traumatic accidents or fires. Although these individuals benefit significantly from facial reconstruction, there are other conditions that may necessitate such a procedure, including tumor removal, or correcting

Facial scarring is often caused by chronic acne, chicken pox, and facial trauma in general. A process called dermabrasion can minimize the scarring by using an abrasive device to mildly "sand" the skin to a smoother texture. Tattoos, wrinkles, age spots, and certain types of skin lesions can also be

Chemical peels are procedures that are sometimes used to restore skin that has become damaged by acne or wrinkled by age or other factors. Conditions such as dark facial pigments and keratoses (thick, rough, reddish growths), as well as freckles and age spots, also can sometimes be removed by a chemical

Frequently asked questions: dental fillings Are dental amalgams safe? Is it possible to have an allergic reaction to amalgam? Is it true that dental amalgams have been banned in other countries? Is there a filling material that matches tooth color? If my tooth doesn't hurt and my filling is still in

There are three basic kinds of fillings used to restore teeth after decay is removed: amalgams, composites and stainless steel crowns. Amalgams Most dental amalgams are silver in color and are made from a mixture of mercury and an alloy of silver, tin, and copper. Mercury makes up about 45-50 percent