Dentist - Bartonsville
Terrery Dental
3180 Rte 611
Fountain Court Suite 14
Bartonsville, PA 18321
570-775-3269
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 Dr. Terrery is now offering mini implant technology to support your removable dentures.Call today to see if you are a candidate. 570-629-1300 |
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MY BLOG
Do you want to give your child something that will benefit them the rest of their life? Then give them the gift of healthy teeth and gums.
Such a gift doesn't come wrapped in a box with a bow on it—you bestow it first by ensuring they receive the utmost in dental care during their formative years. Even more importantly, you instill in them good oral care habits that will protect their dental health for the rest of their lives.
Oral Hygiene 101. Daily hygiene—brushing and flossing to remove disease-causing dental plaque—is the foundation for maintaining a lifetime of optimal dental health. Early on, you'll have to perform these tasks for your child, but the true gift is in teaching them to brush and floss effectively for themselves (and your dentist can help too!).
How's my brushing? There's oral hygiene—and then there's effective oral hygiene. For a quick check, there's a simple test you can teach your child to make sure they're brushing and flossing correctly: Just after they finish, have them rub their tongue all along their teeth. If the teeth feel smooth, they've made the grade! If it feels gritty, though, they'll need to try again. (For better accuracy, you can also purchase a disclosing solution at your local pharmacy that when applied to teeth will reveal any remaining plaque.)
Eating for dental health. Instilling the values of proper nutrition not only promotes your child's overall health, it can also help them have healthier teeth and gums. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus, help build strong teeth and bones. Avoiding processed foods, especially those with added sugar, helps them avoid tooth decay or gum disease.
Mouth protection from injury. As your child grows and becomes more active, they're more at risk for injury to their mouth, teeth or gums. Help them break habits like chewing on hard objects, and insist on them wearing a mouthguard while playing sports. As they enter the teen years, encourage them to avoid “mouth jewelry” that could damage their tooth enamel.
These values and practices are often woven into the fabric of everyday life. They take relatively little time, but they can make a huge impact on your child's oral health future.
If you would like more information on dental care for kids, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “How to Help Your Child Develop the Best Habits for Oral Health.”
Mike Tyson made a splash when he faced off against sharks during the Discovery Channel's Shark Week 2020. But there's bigger news for fans of the former undisputed world heavyweight champion: After a 15-year absence, he will enter the ring again for two exhibition matches in the Fall. However, it's not just Tyson's boxing action that made news during his 20-year career. His teeth have also gotten their fair share of press.
Tyson used to be known for two distinctive gold-capped teeth in the front left side of his mouth. He made headlines when he lost one of the shiny caps—not from a blow by a fellow pugilist but from being headbutted by his pet tiger as Tyson leaned in for a kiss. Tyson's teeth again garnered attention when he had his recognizable gold caps replaced with tooth-colored restorations. But the world champion may be best known, dentally at least, for his trademark tooth gap, or “diastema” in dentist-speak. Several years ago, he had the gap closed in a dental makeover, but he soon regretted the move. After all, the gap was a signature look for him, so he had it put back in.
That's one thing about cosmetic dentistry: With today's advanced technology and techniques, you can choose a dental makeover to suit your individual taste and personality.
An obvious example is teeth whitening. This common cosmetic treatment is not a one-size-fits-all option. You can choose whether you want eye-catching Hollywood white or a more natural shade.
If your teeth have chips or other small imperfections, bonding may be the solution for you. In dental bonding, tooth-colored material is placed on your tooth in layers and then hardened with a special light. The material is matched to your other teeth so the repaired tooth fits right in. This procedure can usually be done in just one office visit.
For moderate flaws or severe discoloration, porcelain veneers can dramatically improve your appearance. These thin, tooth-colored shells cover the front surface of the tooth—the side that shows when you smile. Veneers are custom-crafted for the ideal individualized look.
Dental crowns can restore single teeth or replace missing teeth as part of a dental bridge. Again, they are manufactured to your specifications. With restorations like crowns and veneers, the smallest detail can be replicated to fit in with your natural teeth—even down to the ridges on the tooth's surface.
And if, like Mike Tyson, you have a gap between your teeth that makes your smile unique, there's no reason to give that up if you opt for a smile makeover. Whether you would like a small cosmetic enhancement or are looking for a more dramatic transformation, we can work with you to devise a treatment plan that is right for you.
If you would like more information about smile-enhancing dental treatments, please contact us or schedule a consultation. You can learn more in the Dear Doctor magazine article “Cosmetic Dentistry: A Time for Change.”
Millions of Americans rely on dental insurance to help them better afford dental care. Depending on the benefit package, an insurance policy can be useful in restoring dental health compromised by disease or injury.
But how life-like that restoration may appear is often a secondary concern with many insurance plans. For example, dental insurance will pay for a crown restoration that restores function to a tooth, but not necessarily of the highest aesthetic quality for achieving a truly life-like appearance.
To be sure, not all dental crowns are the same. Some are all metal, usually gold or silver. Some are “hybrids,” made of an interior metal shell with an outer fused porcelain shell (porcelain-fused-to-metal or PFM). In recent years all -ceramic crowns made of stronger life-like ceramics have become the most popular.
The type of crown used will depend a great deal on the type and location of the tooth. Teeth on the back of the jaw that encounter greater biting forces and are not as noticeable in the smile may do better with a metal or PFM crown. Visible side and front teeth are more likely candidates for all-ceramic. Your dentist will give you your best options as it pertains to your dental needs and appearance.
There's also a difference in crown workmanship. Dental laboratories now use milling machinery that sculpts a crown from a single block of material. Although some final handwork by skilled technicians is still necessary, milling has streamlined the process—and the cost—for producing a crown of high functioning quality.
But crowns that achieve the most natural smile appearance require more in the way of artistic craftsmanship. This in turn can increase the crown's price—beyond what many dental policies agree to cover. You may then be faced with a decision: an insurance-covered functional crown with an acceptable level of life-likeness or a more life-like crown for which you may have to pay more out-of-pocket.
Your dentist can advise you on your best options for a crown restoration, also factoring in what your insurance will cover. Ultimately, though, you'll have to weigh the kind of smile you desire with your dental situation and finances.
If you would like more information on dental crown restorations, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Porcelain Dental Crowns.”
You're more apt to lose teeth because of periodontal (gum) disease and tooth decay than any other cause. But neither of these bacterial diseases have to happen: You can prevent them through daily brushing and flossing and twice-a-year dental cleanings.
But that's not all: You can also boost your dental care practices by eating foods that strengthen and protect teeth. On the other hand, a poor diet could reduce the effectiveness of your oral hygiene practices in preventing tooth decay or gum disease.
A diet that might lead to the latter is often high in refined sugar (sucrose), often added to processed foods and snacks to improve taste. But sucrose is also a top food source for oral bacteria, increasing their numbers when it's readily available. A higher bacterial population greatly increases your risk for tooth decay or gum disease.
On the other hand, certain foods benefit your overall dental health. Fresh fruits and vegetables, for example, are filled with nutrients and minerals like vitamin D or calcium that strengthen teeth against disease. And although they can also contain natural sugars, these don't pose the same problems as added sucrose due to the plant fiber you consume with them.
Dairy foods can also help you maintain healthy teeth and gums. Milk and cheese contain minerals like calcium and phosphorus, and a protein called casein, all of which strengthen teeth against decay. The enzymes in cheese stimulate saliva, which in turn neutralizes mouth acid and prevent it from harming enamel.
Some foods are also natural sources of fluoride, a mineral that strengthens tooth enamel. One example is black tea, which also, along with green tea, contains antioxidants that protect against cancer.
The best strategy for “tooth-friendly” nutrition is to pursue a diet that's high in fiber-rich natural foods and low in sugar-added processed foods. In practice, you'll want most of your diet to consist of fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy food, while minimizing foods with added sugar.
Following this kind of diet will certainly benefit your overall health. But it will also make it easier for you to prevent dental disease and keep your teeth and gums healthy.
If you would like more information on how nutrition can boost your dental health, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Nutrition & Oral Health.”
Dentures have come a long way since George Washington's time. Today, they're more comfortable, more secure and more lifelike than our first president's famous hippopotamus ivory appliance.
But one thing hasn't changed: Dentures still require regular care and cleaning. And one of the best things you can do for both your dentures and your health is to take them out at night when you go to bed.
Modern dentures are often so comfortable to wear, it's easy to forget you have them in your mouth. But setting a daily habit of taking them out when you turn in for the night will help you avoid a few potential problems.
For one, wearing dentures 24/7 can increase your risk for both oral and general diseases. Constant denture wear can cause greater accumulations of dental plaque, a thin biofilm responsible for gum disease and inflammation. The increase in bacteria could also make you more susceptible to pneumonia and other diseases.
Wearing your dentures non-stop can also worsen bone loss, a common problem associated with dentures. Normally, the biting forces generated when we chew stimulate bone growth in the jaw. A person loses much of this stimulation when they lose teeth, resulting in gradual bone loss.
Dentures can't replace this lost stimulation, and the pressure they exert on the jaw's bony ridges they rest upon can accelerate the process of bone loss. In time, any bone loss could affect the denture's fit as the bone beneath them gradually shrinks. By taking them out at night, you can help slow the pace of bone loss.
In addition to giving them and your mouth a rest at night, be sure you're also keeping your dentures clean: Take them out and rinse them off after meals and brush them with a small amount of antibacterial soap (not toothpaste) at least once a day. And don't forget to brush your gums and tongue every day with a soft toothbrush (different from your denture brush) to further reduce dental plaque.
If you would like more information on denture care, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Sleeping in Dentures.”
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