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Looking At Several Reasons Why A Dentist Might Be Needed

by Maple Grove Dentistry

Maintaining a great dental hygiene routine will prevent you from suffering with various dental problems, and it may even increase your self-esteem and confidence. Studies have shown that people who have radiant, healthy smiles have a tendency to be happier that those who don’t. Dental checkups are crucial in detecting dental problems early—before they intensify and become complicated and expensive to treat. Following, you will find some reasons that you need to see a dentist right away.

Contact our Boise dental office today at 208-853-2221.

When you’re brushing your teeth, make sure to make use of the right type of bristles. Dentists typically recommend soft bristles because hard bristles can do harm to your gums. A good dentist can also help you decide the proper toothpaste for your family, depending on the toothpaste’s ingredients. If you’re wanting to keep your teeth healthy and strong, the suggestions that follow can certainly help you with that.

If you receive proper advice, you will understand how to conduct your daily dental care. Oral health is incredibly important and growing children and adults need advice on it. It’s crucial to know the best way to brush and floss your teeth. An excellent dentist will accord you proper advice on tooth decay avoidance and for continuing proper dental care.

Be certain to regularly visit your dentist, so that you could prevent all kinds of dental issues from arising. In the event that you have issues with your dental health, your overall health can be negatively affected. Regular dentist visits will help to detect issues early on and assist with the treatment process progressing much quicker. Good, experienced dentists are very good at offering advice on proper dental hygiene.

During a routine dental examination you could expect the dentist to examine your gums, your teeth, and also the surrounding tissues. They will look for indications of decaying teeth, loose teeth, and diseases of the gum. The dentist is also looking for chipped, broken, or otherwise damaged teeth and checking your tongue for just about any indications of abnormality. When you have any dental appliances or fillings, those may also be investigated to guarantee that they’re in good condition.

Dentists who professionally practice cosmetic dentistry will take the time to ask questions about just what the patient wants from the procedure and what their general lifestyle entails. They are going to give additional advice if there is going to be any on going care needed besides the regular hygiene actions. This is all imperative to make certain that the things they will suggest will please the patient, meet their budget and satisfy the expectations of the long term effects of the operation.

Contact our Boise dental office today at 208-853-2221.
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Repairing A Broken, Chipped, Or Malformed Tooth

by BlogDental Crowns

End The Embarrassment Of A Single Unsightly Tooth

Have you ever thought, “I love my smile, but I hate that one tooth!”

Having one problem tooth can make you feel like your years of dental visits and good hygiene don’t mean a thing. All people see is that one bad tooth that calls attention to itself.

If this is a problem you are familiar with, we have good news. A damaged or malformed tooth does not have to stay that way. There are easy, fast solutions available that can quickly make your smile more symmetrical and attractive.

Chipped And Broken Teeth

As we age, tooth enamel becomes more brittle. Biting and chewing on hard foods that once were no problem may unexpectedly break a tooth and hit you with a case of dental anxiety: Are all my teeth going to start breaking? Am I starting to fall apart? Is this how it starts? Am I on a fast road to dentures?

Panic attacks aside, having a broken or chipped tooth is bad for many reasons. It can detract from your confidence in your appearance and in your ability to bite and chew your food. It can also weaken the tooth and make it more vulnerable to decay and infection. Teeth suddenly breaking may feel like a serious catastrophe, but it’s actually very common for adults to sustain this type of damage. In many cases, the tooth can be restored with a dental crown. These tooth-shaped protective caps give you a durable artificial tooth that will harmonize with your smile and give you a reliable biting or chewing surface for years to come. Crowns are typically made of strong dental porcelain, metal, or porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM). Unlike your natural teeth, crowns do not stain like natural enamel, nor are they susceptible to cavities.

Porcelain veneers are another option for correcting a damaged tooth. These ultra-thin ceramic shells fit over the front of a tooth, to create a brand-new surface for the world to see. They are every bit as durable as dental crowns, but do not encircle the whole tooth.

When you come to Maple Grove Dentistry, Dr. Russell Jensen will examine your tooth and suggest one of these treatments, based on the condition of the tooth and the extent of the damage.

Malformed Teeth

Teeth that naturally look a little different from their peers offer their own unique frustrations. The tooth may be too short, have an unusually ridged edge, or may be significantly smaller than your other teeth. Individual teeth can also appear to be a darker color than your other teeth. In all these cases, a dental crown or porcelain veneer can be crafted to match the surrounding teeth and hide the natural appearance of the malformed tooth.

About Dental Crowns And Veneers

Dental crowns and porcelain veneers are considered a permanent treatment for teeth. In order to be permanently affixed to your tooth, a small amount of enamel must be resurfaced. This means that once you get a crown or veneer, you won’t be able to go back to not having one, as the treated enamel may be sensitive and will be more vulnerable to damage.

Crowns and veneers typically take two dental appointments. At the first appointment, Dr. Jensen will conduct the examination, take x-rays, and resurface the tooth enamel. He will also take a dental impression, which will be used to create the restoration in an off-site laboratory. A temporary crown or veneer will be affixed to the tooth before you go home. After one-to-two weeks, the permanent crown or veneer will be ready and we will call you in for the second appointment.

You Can Fix That Tooth!

If you have a broken, chipped, or malformed tooth, you may feel like hiding your smile—but that’s no way to live. Your smile is the most basic way you reach out to others in the world; it tells people you are open, friendly, and ready to interact. When you are embarrassed about an aspect of your smile, you might spend a lot of effort trying to hide the problem, but we want you to know that am easy solution is in reach.

To make an appointment at Maple Grove Dentistry, call 208-853-2221 to reach our Boise, ID dental office.

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Dental Office Teeth Whitening Trumps Store Bought Products Every Time

by Blog

Your smile is the first thing that others notice about you; it’s an important part of making a first impression. Perhaps you want to look your best for a job interview or blind date, or just look great in your sister’s wedding photos. Whatever the reason, a bright and beautiful smile is a key component in making the best first impression possible. Rows of teeth whitening products line the shelves at your local grocery store, but to achieve the your best smile, you should seek out Dr. Russell Jensen’s help.

We’re ready to help you make the best first impression possible. Schedule your professional teeth whitening appointment with Dr. Jensen by calling our Boise, ID office. Call 208-853-2221 today or visit us online.

Store-Bought Whitening Products

Our teeth can stain for several reasons, but the greatest contributor to discolored smile is food and drinks. A great rule of thumb to go by is this: if the food or drink can stain your carpet, it can just as easily stain your smile. This includes things like wine, coffee, tea, and dark colored berries. It’s no secret that to maintain radiant, healthy smiles we need to brush our teeth twice a day and floss regularly. But your daily dental routine shouldn’t stop there. Store bought teeth whitening products can enhance your smile and there are tons of options out there. You can choose between various brands of whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes, you can even choose between varieties of flavors if minty fresh just doesn’t appeal to you. There are also whitening gels and strips that can be applied to the surface of your teeth, to brighten the appearance of your smile.

Over time, however, the use of store bought whitening gels and strips can wear down the enamel on your teeth if you use them non-stop, so it’s important to be cautious when you use these products. You should never use them longer than the recommendation states on the box. Tooth enamel is what protects our teeth, and long-term use of whitening products can weaken its protective qualities. It’s fine to work on the color of your smile at home, but for faster results that reach those deeply embedded stains, you should consider dentist-provided treatments. Dr. Jensen knows the how important first impressions can be and he’s ready to help you impress others by giving you the polished smile that you’ve always wanted.

The Benefits Of Professional Teeth Whitening

Professional treatments are better able to reach the stains that can’t be eliminated using only store bought products. Dr. Johnson’s whitening treatments use a stronger whitening agent, which contains a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide. These prescription strength products release oxygen into your teeth to break up the chemical bonds of the stains, and work much faster than store-bought products. In-office treatments are more efficient at breaking down chemical makeup of pigment stains, which means faster whitening and less risk of harming enamel.

Another benefit of dentist-provided whitening treatments is that they use customized trays to deliver the whitening gel, which fit your teeth much better than the one-size-fits-all trays and strips available at drugstores. This makes the gel more efficient at breaking down stains, since less saliva will transfer to the trays and dilute the ingredients. It also reduces the chances of the gel transferring to your gums, which can cause sensitivity. If you experience a burning sensation in the teeth and gums using store-bought whitening products, you may be pleased to know that Dr. Jensen’s treatments are far less likely to have this effect.

Neither store-bought products or professional teeth whitening will leave you with a permanently stain-free smile. It’s recommended that you come in every few months for touch-up treatments to maintain your radiant smile. Dr. Jensen may also provide you with a take home whitening kit in between your professional appointments. This kit will give you the ability to work on your smile at home, along with your regular oral hygiene routine.

Are you ready to take the next step toward reaching your dream smile? Call our Boise, ID office to schedule your teeth whitening appointment with Dr. Jensen. Call 208-853-2221 today or visit us online.

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Realign Your Smile With Invisalign

by Blog

Does your smile look crooked or busy? Do your teeth overlap? Maybe you had braces as a child, but over time your teeth have become crowded again. If this sounds like you, Invisalign® clear braces can give you the smile you’ve always wanted.

Call our Boise, Idaho dental office at 208-853-2221 to learn more about Invisalign or set up an appointment with Dr. Russ Jensen.

An Alternative To Braces

In the past, the only way to straighten your teeth was with bracket-and-wire braces. They took 2 years or longer to correct your alignment, and came with several unpleasant limitations. Wearing braces meant you had to avoid certain foods, visit the orthodontist every month for painful wire tightening, and your appearance was constantly altered by “metal mouth.” Bracket-and-wire braces also had a habit of irritating your inner cheeks or lips, requiring you to use lumps of wax to protect your soft tissues from protruding sharp metal. What a mess!

Furthermore, braces are indelibly associated with early adolescence. No grown adult wants to draw attention to his or her smile with the orthodontics most commonly associated with childhood. Many people simply feel that a misaligned bite and crooked smile are preferable to looking (and feeling) like an eleven-year-old again!

But now there is a more convenient option in Invisalign. Unlike traditional braces, this system is discreet, convenient, fast, and easy to keep clean.

The clear acrylic aligners are nearly invisible during most professional and social interactions. Even when they are noticed, they do not detract from the uniformity of your smile the way conventional braces can. Invisalign is an excellent choice for any adults who want to straighten their teeth while maintaining a normal appearance and lifestyle.

Benefits Of Invisalign

  • Discreet Appearance – Clear acrylic aligners are less visible and distracting than metal braces.
  • Convenience – Aligners are easily removed for eating and cleaning, no monthly dental appointments are needed.
  • Faster Results – Treatment takes only 12-18 months, compared to the 24 months needed for braces.
  • Easy to Clean – No food will get stuck in the aligners, and no special tools are needed to brush and floss your teeth.

How Invisalign Works

All orthodontics are based on the fact that teeth can be manipulated to shift their placement when gentle, incremental pressure is applied. Our teeth may feel permanently rooted in place, but the truth is that they can easily be coaxed to move into a new alignment. With braces, the wires are tightened once a month, but with Invisalign, more frequent replacement of aligners means the shifting will be more gradual (and cause less sensitivity). You will only need to come back to the office once every six weeks to check that you are progressing according to plan

With Invisalign, a dental impression is taken from your mouth, and a digital model of your ideal smile is then drafted. From there, a series of customized aligner trays is crafted to get your teeth from point A to point B in miniscule increments. If the aligners are worn for the recommended period of time each day, you will be ready for a new aligner every two weeks. Many patients actually finish treatment within 12 months.

Who Is A Good Candidate For Invisalign?

Any adults or older teens who are presently in a good state of oral health can undertake Invisalign treatment. If a dental evaluation reveals that you need treatment for tooth decay or gum disease we can create a treatment plan that will restore you to good oral health before you start Invisalign.

Another requirement is that you must be motivated to correct your alignment and improve your smile. Invisalign requires devoted compliance. The aligners must be worn 20-22 hours per day in order for the treatment plan to work—so there can be no “cheating.” If the aligners are not worn enough, this can disrupt whole series of aligners and a new dental impression may need to be made and new aligners crafted.

Are you ready for a more even, uniform smile? With Invisalign, it can be yours in as little as one year! Call our Boise, Idaho dental office today at 208-853-2221 for an Invisalign consultation with Dr. Russ Jensen.