Teeth Whitening
NiteWhite/DayWhite ACP
Teeth whitening is a simple way to enhance your appearance and increase your confidence. To brighten your smile, Dr. Wilmer trusts the NiteWhite® Teeth Whitening System. It safely bleaches your tooth enamel while you sleep to lighten stains caused by coffee, wine, food, tobacco, aging and other lifestyle factors. The NiteWhite® Teeth Whitening System consists of custom fitted trays and a bleaching gel available in mint, cherry, or melon flavor. Over-the-counter whitening toothpastes are good for cleaning but not so great for achieving whiter teeth. NiteWhite is a fast, safe and effective way to brighten up your appearance like only a nice white smile can. You just load the trays with bleach before bed and wake up with a brighter smile! So the hardest part about teeth whitening is deciding – mint, cherry, or melon?
TOPComposite Fillings
Having a cavity is bad enough. So why make it worse with obvious shiny fillings? Tooth colored fillings, as an alternative to older silver-colored amalgam fillings, are safer and a much more attractive way to patch up your cavity. Dentists now commonly use fillings that they can match perfectly to the color of your teeth, making them virtually invisible. You may even want to consider having your dentist replace your old shiny amalgam fillings with more natural-looking tooth-colored fillings. You’ll be able to open your mouth with confidence, knowing no one can point out where you’ve had a cavity!
TOPCrowns and Bridges
Crowns and bridges, which are prosthetic devices permanently affixed to nearby teeth or implants, are used by dentists to protect or replace weakened or missing teeth.
Crowns essentially cap a tooth with materials that help to strengthen and protect the damaged tooth. Since they can be matched to the color of your teeth, crowns are also often used to improve the appearance of teeth and dental implants. The weakened tooth or implant is prepared by the dentist to hold a crown and then a mold is taken. From the mold, the custom crown is created and the dentist places it firmly in place on top of the tooth, usually with the help of dental cement.
Bridges are basically individual tooth dentures. They are formed to replace teeth that are missing because of accident or needed extraction and are typically affixed to surrounding teeth or implants. Not only are bridges important for aesthetic purposes, but failure to replace a missing tooth can negatively affect the teeth on either side of the gap. The mouth is a system and teeth serve to keep each other in place. Without neighboring teeth to serve as a boundary, teeth may shift or rotate. Such movement can cause gum problems, TMJ issues or dental misalignment.
Dental hygiene is always important, but more so if you have crowns and/or bridges. Poor care can reduce the longevity of your crown or bridge if the areas they are affixed to deteriorate due to poor health. Brush at least twice daily and make sure to keep your regular dental appointments for cleaning and check-up.
TOPDental Veneers
There are few things that can enhance a person’s appearance like a beautiful smile can. Dental veneers or porcelain veneers are a great way to improve the beauty of your smile. Also called porcelain laminates, they are ultra thin sheets of porcelain that are bonded to the front of teeth to create a more pleasing aesthetic appearance. Very few of us are born with perfect teeth, and even those who are cannot be immune to the effects of time and wear. People often turn to veneers to conceal imperfections such as chips, discoloration or less than perfect alignment. Dental veneers are a relatively simple and painless way to achieve the smile you’ve always wanted.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are an alternative to bridges that dentists use to replace missing teeth. Whereas bridges sit on the gum line to replace the top of a tooth, implants extend further and replace the actual tooth root. Because it extends down into the gums, dental implants look and feel more like your natural tooth. They are often covered by natural looking crowns matched to the color of your teeth. One advantage of dental implants over bridges is that implants stand on their own and do not require any work to the adjacent teeth.
TOPRoot Canal Therapy
When a tooth becomes decayed and badly infected, dentists often use a procedure called a root canal to save the damaged tooth. Left untreated, a damaged tooth can cause painful abscesses. During a root canal, a dentist basically removes the nerve and the pulp of the tooth to clean out the infection and stop the pain. The tooth is then thoroughly cleaned and sealed to ward off further problems.
Teeth that need a root canal do not always display obvious symptoms, but there are some warning signs to look for. Consult your dentist if you experience an intense and persistent toothache, painful gum swelling, lingering sensitivity to heat or cold, or darkening of the tooth.
Root canals have a reputation for being painful, although it’s not completely warranted. Either the reputation was earned before the age of modern dentistry, or it references the pain and discomfort a person experiences prior to receiving treatment. So don’t listen to the rumors, and if you’re told you need a root canal, don’t worry! We are in the age of modern dentistry and for the average patient, the pain caused by a root canal is minimal and any minor soreness is nothing compared to what you will feel if you avoid a needed root canal.
TOPWisdom Teeth Removal
Based on their name, wisdom teeth sound like a great thing to have, but they can actually be quite troublesome. Wisdom teeth can cause uncomfortable crowding of the back teeth and painful swollen red gums. Because wisdom teeth are difficult to clean, they are more prone to tooth decay. In addition wisdom teeth can become affixed to the jaw bone which is known as impaction. The best way to avoid problems caused by wisdom teeth is to have them removed by a qualified dentist.
TOPOral Cancer Detection
ViziLite® Plus oral lesion identification and marking system
The newest tool in the fight against oral disease is the ViziLite® Plus oral lesion identification and marking system.
ViziLite Plus makes oral screening more comprehensive than ever before and is indicated for use in individuals at increased risk of oral cancer. If ViziLite reveals an abnormality, TBlue can be used to mark suspicious lesions for further evaluation.
About Oral Cancer
Most people are surprised to learn that one American dies every hour from oral cancer; a death rate that has remained virtually unchanged for more than 40 years. In fact, recent statistics published by the American Cancer Society indicate that while the incidence and death rates for cancers overall has decreased, the incidence of oral cancer has increased by 5.5% and the death rate has increased by 1.5%
Oral cancer is far too often discovered in late stage development, the primary reason for the consistently high death rate. Oral cancer treatment often results in disfiguring effects on patients, and can seriously compromise their quality of life. Early detection and diagnosis can make a tremendous difference in life expectancy; oral cancer is 90% curable when found in its early stages. Unfortunately, 70% of oral cancers are diagnosed in the late stages, III and IV, leading to a five-year survival rate of 57%.
THE DEADLY STATISTICS
- Every hour of every day, one American dies of oral cancer.
- The mortality rate associated with oral cancer has not improved significantly in the last 40 years.
- The death rate in the United States for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin's disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney, or ovary.
- More than 30,000 Americans will receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year. In five years, only 57% will still be alive.
- 25% of oral cancer victims do not use tobacco or alcohol and have no other lifestyle risk factors.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The following links are intended for those who have been diagnosed with oral cancer and are seeking information and support resources.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has written this booklet to help people with oral cancer and their families and friends better understand this disease. The link below describes symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. It also has information about rehabilitation and about sources of support to help patients cope with oral cancer.
http://www.medhelp.org/NIHlib/GF-458.html
Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC) is a patient-directed, self-help organization dedicated to meeting the needs of oral and head and neck cancer patients.
http://spohnc.org
The Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation
http://www.yulbrynnerfoundation.org
Cancer Terminology Dictionary
A comprehensive dictionary of terms which will assist you in understanding terms that your doctors may use in relationship to cancer. Part of the National Cancer Institute website.
http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/
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