It should not come as a surprise to you that thousands of people globally struggle with dental anxiety or phobia. This is because you probably know someone in your family or a colleague at work who goes frantic whenever they have to visit the dentist.

If not so, you battle with dental anxiety, and the thought of seeing the dentist always sends chills down your spine. Dental anxiety and phobia are not a foreign concept; if anything, our dentist in Lincoln, NE, has vast experience dealing and handling several of our long term patients who suffer from dental anxiety.

Dental anxiety can negatively impact the oral health of an individual. This is because the fear they experience during dental visits can keep them from visiting the dentist altogether.

Patients who suffer from dental anxiety or phobia tend to put off dental appointments and only come in to see the dentist when a dental issue has festered into a full-blown condition.

Dental conditions that have been unresolved for long periods take a toll on an individual’s overall well-being and require a patient to spend more time and money at our dentist’s office.

The good news is that if you suffer from dental anxiety or phobia, you no longer have to avoid your dental appointments. Our excellent dentist Dr. Brion Dalton encourages all our patients who have dental fears and phobias to embrace sedation dentistry.

Sedation Dentistry, In a Nutshell: Is It Safe?

Sedation dentistry can sound like a scary concept, particularly if you have never undergone it before. Sedation has enabled several of our patients to manage their dental anxiety or phobia and attain better oral health.

The perception most people have about sedation is what makes them afraid to undergo it. Sedation does not always have to render you unconscious. There several options available, and our dentist can help you settle on a choice that works best for you and the dental procedure you are undergoing.

Why shouldn’t you get afraid? Because it is perfectly safe, especially since our dentist is certified to issue sedation. Our dental team also has an accredited anesthesiologist on-call always to handle our sedation procedures.

The Different Forms of Sedation

Different forms of sedation can be applied during various dental procedures. Knowing what options are available can help you narrow down on a choice you think will work best for you, and eradicate any unnecessary fear of sedation.

They include:

• Inhalation Sedation

This involves using laughing gas to induce conscious sedation. The gas is administered via a gas mask and will ensure you stay calm and relaxed during your dental procedure.

With this sedation, our patients are aware of their surroundings but calm and relaxed enough to sit through their entire procedure.

• Oral Sedation

This form of sedation involves the use of anti-anxiety drugs, which will be issued a few minutes before your dental procedure commences. These drugs will ensure you stay calm and relaxed during the process.

This is also a form of conscious sedation; however, the drugs may elicit some drowsiness and amnesia, and you may need help getting home after the procedure.

• Deep / IV sedation

This form of sedation involves the use of general anesthesia administered intravenously. During this sedation, you will be unconscious and unresponsive for your procedure’s entire duration and will not have any recollection or memory of the process afterward.

This sedation should strictly be issued by a certified dentist or trained anesthesiologist because your vitals will need to be closely monitored during sedation.

This is an excellent sedation option for you if you have a dental phobia or if you need to undergo several invasive dental procedures in one dental visit.

Benefits of Sedation

There are several benefits of opting for sedation dentistry, particularly if you have dental phobia or anxiety. These benefits include:

• It allows our dentist to work faster and better

Patients who have dental anxiety or phobia cannot stay calm and relaxed during dental procedures, which makes working on them an uphill task for our dentist. Sedation helps ensure that these patients remain calm enough during operations, allowing our dentist to work on them faster and deliver top-notch services.

• Eradicates pain

Sedation helps guarantee that our patients will receive pain-free dental procedures. This is because, under sedation, the brain does not register any pain, allowing our patients, particularly those undergoing invasive dental procedures, to enjoy their dental experience.

• Relieves anxiety

This has to be the leading reason why most people opt for sedation during dental procedures. Sedation helps alleviate any anxiety or fear patients have, allowing them to go through dental procedures calmly.

This means that our patients who suffer from dental anxiety or phobia can still receive dental treatments.

• Amnesia

This is important in patients who have dental anxiety. The amnesia rules out the possibility of their fear developing into full-blown phobia because they have no recollection of the procedure afterward.

At Lincoln Dental Associates, you are in good hands. Contact us today for a stress-free and safe dental experience.

Are you affected by facial and tooth pain on or close to the jaw area? It is an indicator that you are affected by a temporomandibular joint disorder. Many factors can cause facial pain making it essential to identify TMJ symptoms before seeking medical attention.

You can begin frantically searching for information online to determine if you are affected by a TMJ disorder. Still, we suggest you read the guidelines in this blog to understand what the disorder is and the symptoms it can burden you with. TMJ treatment is undoubtedly available if you are affected by this particular problem.

TMJ Disorders — What Are They?

TMJ is a phrase used to refer to a condition affecting the temporomandibular joint. The issue arises when the hinge connecting your jaw to your skull stops functioning as required. The temporomandibular joint is essential in our body and is vital for moving your jaw forward, backward, or sideways. Any issue preventing the movement is categorized as a TMJ disorder.

If you are affected by TMJ disorder, you may feel your jaw is clicking, popping, or is locked. The precise reasons for the disease are challenging to determine. Some experts associate the condition with bruxism or genetics, but the problem is generally temporary and can quickly be relieved with home remedies and over-the-counter medications. Surgery is considered a last resort when conservative methods to treat the condition have failed.

The Causes of TMJ Disorders

The ADA believes approximately 15 percent of Americans experience facial pain of some type. The pain may include headaches, earaches, or jaw pain. TMJ disorders affect women more than men and are also common in people between the ages of 20 to 40. The discomfort caused by TMJ disorders can either be temporary or the last for many years. As the precise reasons for the disease are challenging to determine, dentists link the symptoms to problems with the jaw muscles or joints. Some of the reasons for TMJ disorders include rheumatoid arthritis, clenching and grinding of the teeth, injuries to the head, neck, or jaw, and others.

Natural Remedies for TMJ Disorders

The TMJ specialist recommends natural remedies to treat TMJ disorders by having a strict diet and mineral supplements. The following diet recommendations prove helpful for relieving TMJ disorders.

• Easy to chew foods, soups, stews, smoothies, or cooked vegetables.
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in wild fish helps to relieve inflammation and pain.
• Having smaller meals is a recommended TMJ therapy because it helps to stabilize blood sugar. Grinding of the teeth is a common occurrence when your blood sugar fluctuates.
• Having foods rich in magnesium also relieves the tension in the muscles to promote relaxation.

What Are Your Options If You Are Diagnosed with a TMJ Disorder?

Your options to relieve the pain experienced from TMJ disorders will depend upon the dental evaluation conducted by Lincoln Dental Associates. The treatments offered could be different and include:

• Medications, such as anti-inflammatories and pain relievers.
• Muscle relaxants for a couple of days or weeks to relieve the pain from the TMJ disorder.
• Tricyclic antidepressants, which are commonly used for depression, are also proving useful for relieving pain.

TMJ disorders can also be treated with non-drug therapies which include:

• Physical therapy in the form of exercises for stretching and strengthening the muscles of the jaw.
• The dentist in Lincoln, NE, also recommends occlusal appliances to treat jaw pain by inserting an oral splint over the patient’s teeth.
• Counseling is also used to educate patients as an effective preventive measure. Patients are recommended to avoid behaviors that can aggravate the pain from TMJ disorders like biting their fingernails, leaning on their chin, and clenching or grinding their teeth.

Surgical procedures are recommended as a last resort, which may include arthroscopic surgery to insert a thin tube into the joint space. In extreme conditions, open joint surgery may also become necessary to treat the disease of TMJ disorders.

Disorders of the temporomandibular joint will not hamper your ability to function normally in your everyday activities. Still, they can frustrate you by persistently causing pain and discomfort when eating, talking, or moving your jaw. Therefore obtaining treatment for the condition is better than ignoring it to relieve the trouble you are facing.

When you think about beautifying your smile, endodontics is not a procedure that comes to mind. The fact that endodontics has been popularized as a restorative procedure in dentistry, it hardly comes to mind that there is a place for this treatment in your smile.

Achieving a beautiful smile is something that can help increase your self-confidence and boost the quality of your life. While cosmetic procedures are great, read on to understand the role of endodontics in smile beautification.

What Is Endodontics?

It is a dental procedure that involves root canal therapy to repair and restore damaged teeth. On most occasions, it is known as root canal treatment. Most of the patients that come to Lincoln Dental Associates for endodontic treatment suffer from dental decay.

The Process of endodontics involves removing the damaged part of your teeth, to save your natural tooth. This is founded on the idea that teeth are supposed to last you a lifetime, and therefore, if they can be saved, they should be.

How Does Endodontics Work?

The process of root canal treatment happens in several stages. They include:

• Local anesthesia – this will numb you from the discomfort of the procedure. Besides, if you are needing the treatment, chances are that you are already in pain due to the infection and damage.
• Drilling – this creates a small hole on your tooth, creating access to the insides thereof.
• Removing the pulp and infection – the contents of the pulp, that is, nerve endings, blood vessels, and other soft tissues are sucked out. The reason is that this area has incurred damage which would explain the severe toothaches you have had. While at it, the endodontist will also remove all the infection in your tooth including any abscess.
• Filling and sealing – since some room has been created by removing part of your tooth, a filling is necessary. A dental filling will often get the job done. However, sometimes a dental crown will be placed over the tooth to hold everything in place.

Perks of Endodontic Treatment

Dr. Brion Dalton spends a lot of time, saving teeth through endodontic procedures, intending to achieve healthier mouths. In the long-run, there are advantages to endodontic treatment, even cosmetic ones. They include:

• A healthy mouth is a beautiful smile – when you do not have bad mouth odor or infection you want to hide from people, you have a healthy mouth. Whenever you are feeling healthy, your confidence shoots up, and you can exude the confidence from within.
• The pain will kill your smile – unless you kill the pain caused by an infection in the nerves of your teeth, that pain will come to destroy your smile.
• Dental fillings and dental crowns have cosmetic advantages – after a root canal procedure, the attending dentist may put a dental filling or a dental crown. For any of the two oral devices, you can choose a tooth-colored material, to match the color of your natural teeth. This will bring about consistency in your smile, without any discoloration from dental decay.
• A beautiful smile comes from within – when you are not feeling your best, no amount of makeup can make you feel beautiful. The same applies to teeth. Your smile is as beautiful as you feel. Treating and repairing damage in your teeth through a root canal can help your channel your inner beauty through your smile.
• Long-term success – most cosmetic procedures cover up the flaws in your mouth. The only problem with this is that the perfection in your smile is short-lived. After a couple of years, you will still have a problematic smile. On the contrary, endodontics sorts out the root problem in your teeth, giving you longer-lasting results to share your beautiful smile with the world.
• Healthy gums equal a beautiful smile – you may not know is yet but the health of your gums is at risk when your teeth are damaged. The infection in your tooth gradually progresses to other parts of your oral cavity, including the gum tissue. If endodontics is not performed, you will start encountering problems like gum recession. This will compromise the beauty of your smile.

Father’s Day is an important time to appreciate the father figures in your life. Taking away from them is not the best kind of honor to accord to the men in your life. This means that even with your dental appointments, you should try to make time for your father. This, however, does not imply that you completely ignore your dental health. There is a way to go through with your dental treatment, and still make time to spend with your father on this Father’s Day. Have you heard of same-day treatments? Read on for more about the treatment and whether or not you should try them.

More About Same-Day Treatments

Same-day dental solutions feature immediate treatment options for patients who do not want to spend more time without a solution. The idea is to get through your dental treatment on the same day. This saves you a lot of time that you would have otherwise spent walking in and out of the dental facility. Dr. Brion Dalton recommends this kind of treatment to patients who have busy schedules and have to get back to their normal life routines as soon as possible.

That said, same-day treatments maybe your best option for getting your treatment and still celebrating Father’s Day with your family. One important factor to bear in mind is that some procedures can be conducted on the same day, but others cannot. Figuring out this should not trouble you since the dentist should guide you on the details of your treatment.

Dental Implants on Same-day Processes

Tooth replacement is an important service in dentistry that ensures that no patients have to live another day without teeth. while dentures are very convenient for full-mouth restorations, one may wonder about how a single or two teeth can be replaced. Thankfully, modern dentistry has introduced oral implants that are very reliable in replacing the missing tooth. The question that lingers is whether the procedure can be performed in one dental visit.

The implantation procedure involves a minor surgery, where the dentist must cut through your gums and drill your jawbone. This is the only way to successfully install an oral implant. Can this be done on the same day?

One main consideration is that the dental clinician must be qualified for conducting such a procedure successfully. Besides, you must ask the question, are you the right patient for it? Certain conditions have to be right before you undergo this procedure. Some of the things to take care of before your procedure include:

1. Healthy bone tissue
2. Healthy gum tissue
3. Free from in-going medication
4. Tooth extraction procedure – it is possible to place an implant on same-day processes if you have a tooth extracted at that time. This way, your tooth is removed and an implant is placed on immediately.

Benefits of Same-day Processes

At Lincoln Dental Associates, we encounter many patients who are concerned about the success of same-day procedures. Ideally, if you are on the fence about getting same-day procedures, perhaps considering the benefits thereof will help you make the right decision for you. Some benefits of same-day processes include the following:

1. Fast results – when you think about going an extra day without a tooth, it can be overwhelming. In that case, you should consider same-day procedures. They have fast results since everything is done within one dental visit.
2. Convenience – these procedures are convenient for anyone who has the dire need to resume normal activities of the day.
3. Lesser downtime – as compared to getting single procedures done at a time, same-day processes have lesser downtime. Your body will do all the healing at the same time, without going through the same on a different dental session.
4. Cosmetic advantage – same-day treatments mean that you do not have to compromise your smile. In the case of a missing tooth, you can have it replaced, and your smile restored.
5. Prevent progression – the problem with waiting before you get treatment is that you create ample room for the problem to progress.
6. Full mouth functionality – the only way your mouth will be fully functional after a dental tragedy is with same-day treatments. This way, your chewing, and talking will resume to normalcy. No one even has to know about your initial dental problem.

Mother’s Day is not far away and if you are planning to surprise your mother with a gift what would be better than offering her a smile makeover that would leave her smiling graciously throughout the year? If you have not considered this option we suggest you search for the best dentist around you in the field of cosmetic dentistry. The words dentist cosmetic should not confuse you into believing this is just a temporary makeover just for Mother’s Day and will not have any value thereafter.

You must attempt to understand that cosmetic dentistry has different products and procedures that can improve the lives of people with their help. If your mother needs teeth whitening or dental veneers, inlays and Onlays or dental bonding or any other procedure you can rest assured a smile makeover will improve her life by the gift you provide. Still, confused about what is a smile makeover? Let us give you more information about this subject.

Cosmetic Dentistry — What Is It?

The word cosmetic may appear misleading to you because it may suggest that the treatments being offered are simply superficial and cannot help you in any other way. It would be understandable if you believe having whiter teeth will not make chewing better for your mother. However, it is also true that your mother will have a great smile after the whitening treatment that will make you feel look better because you made the right choice and gave her a smile makeover. If your mother has a chipped tooth it may not be concerning you or her immediately but the problem can easily be solved by dental bonding because it can improve the way she appears. You cannot think in just cosmetic terms but must also consider the other aspects and benefits of cosmetic dentistry.

What Else Can a Smile Makeover Do for Your Mother?

A smile makeover can do many things but the most important among them for your mother would be:

Improved Appearance

Looking better is beneficial even for your mother because it will make her feel better about herself. It will improve the way she interacts with you and others to believe her self-worth is better. If she has stained and discolored teeth that are preventing her from smiling it makes sense to give her dental veneers or teeth whitening to solve the problem. She will have the ability to show you her full smile when she meets you on Mother’s Day.

Improved Self-Confidence

It is difficult to measure the benefits of improved self-confidence because our self-esteem impacts our lives from our personal relationships or even professional careers. Your mother could be smiling from the inside but be unable to reflect the smile from the outside as well. The treatments of cosmetic dentistry such as dental bonding can improve the appearance of chipped and cracked teeth which can improve self-confidence as well.

Improved Chewing Ability

Missing a single tooth makes it difficult to chew certain types of foods but missing several teeth can impact the way we eat. An uneven bite may be preventing your mother from chewing properly and making digestion difficult. It could be the reason for her refusal to join you for dinner on Mother’s Day. Cosmetic dentistry treatments like inlays and Onlays can help to strengthen her bite and improve her ability to chew food.

Improvement in Dental Health

Cosmetic dentistry will not only improve her appearance but also protect against dental issues that may be forthcoming. Restorations like dental crowns can prevent damaged teeth from additional deterioration. Dental implants can inhibit damages to the gums and bone. A smile makeover with proper dental hygiene and regular checkups can improve overall oral health.

Better Financial Outlook

Avoiding future problems is the goal of preventive dentistry but we can also avoid expensive dental treatment that can help to save money. Lincoln Dental Associates can provide dental implants that can not just protect the gums and bone but also prevent the teeth from shifting. When these problems are left unchecked they may lead to an aggravated condition that will need invasive treatments.

It is suggested that you do not waste your money on gifts that are not valuable in these difficult times but schedule a consultation with Dr. Brion Dalton to give your mother an invaluable gift on Mother’s Day she will cherish for the rest of her life.

If you are afraid of dental clinics, you are not alone. Approximately 30 million American adults actively avoid visiting the dentist out of fear and anxiety, and understandably so. In the past, most dental procedures were painful and caused a lot of discomforts. However, today we have sedation dentistry that helps you stay calm and relaxed during dental procedures.

Sedation dentistry uses medication to relax people with severe anxiety and makes the dental clinic easy to cope with. Are you still in doubt about dental sedation? Here are four reasons to convince you otherwise.

1. Sedation Reduces Gag Reflex

A gag reflex is triggered when your body shields you from swallowing something foreign. Though it is a normal occurrence, the gag reflex can be problematic during a dental procedure especially when the dentist needs to access your cavity. With sedation dentistry, the dentist can reduce its effects and enable them to perform the dental procedure. Sedation dentistry paralyzes your spasms or gag reflex making you more comfortable.

2. You Will Not Be Unconscious Unless Necessary

One misconception about sedation dentistry is that you will be unconscious. But, the truth is, we don’t give you deep sedation unless the situation calls for it. Dr. Brion Dalton will discuss the different types of sedation dentistry and which is suitable for you. The several options available include:

• Oral sedation can be mild or moderate depending on your dental condition. The dentist will give an oral pill an hour before the procedure to relax you. He may also recommend you take one the night before the procedure to give you a restful sleep.
• Nitrous oxide or laughing gas is the common type of sedation dentistry we use. The gas will be administered using a face mask and it gives the dentist the chance to regulate the dose. Plus, you will be able to recover within minutes after the mask is taken off. Laughing gas has minimal side effects and is ideal for children too.
• IV sedation is ideal for moderate to severe dental procedures such as wisdom teeth extractions. The medication is given via the veins to relax you, but not cause you to sleep. With IV sedation, you will be awake, but less aware of the procedure.
• Deep or general anesthesia is also known as sleep dentistry as you will be unconscious during the dental procedure. The sedation is ideal for people with severe anxiety and gag reflux. On the downside, it will take time to awaken, and the dentist will give medication to reverse the effects of the anesthesia.

Take note; the dentist will still give local anesthesia to numb the area and reduce the discomfort regardless of the type of sedation used.

3. Sedation Saves Time

Sedation allows our dentist to perform several dental procedures at once thus saving time. While you are under sedation, the dentist can perform a professional cleaning, whitening, root canal (if needed) or extraction. Some of the dental procedures require multiple dental procedures, but with deep sedation, the dentist can perform the treatment in one visit.

4. Sedation Dentistry has No Major Side Effects

Sedation dentistry is safe and has minimal side effects. The dentist will first assess your dental condition to determine if your eligible for the sedation dentistry. You are a candidate for dental sedation if:

• You have a severe gag reflex
• Tooth sensitivity
• Low threshold of pain

It is, however, important to ensure you get sedation done by a qualified dentist. Most dental clinics can give moderate anesthesia or nitrous oxide. However, IV and deep sedation should be administered by a licensed oral surgeon. At Lincoln Dental Associates, we are licensed to give different types of sedation dentistry.

Take Away

Sedation dentistry offers great benefits such as no anxiety or recollection of the procedure done. It helps you relax and as well as stay still during your treatment. Don’t shy away from your dental checkup because of fear or anxiety, our dental team will ensure you are comfortable and relaxed.

You can consider yourself fortunate if you are looking for straighter teeth without having braces in your mouth because one of the most effective methods of straightening teeth in a non-invasive method is Invisalign. You may have heard about Invisalign but may have questions in your mind about whether it is effective to correct the orthodontic problems in your mouth, is it painful like braces, and many others. However, if you want to smile beautifully when celebrating women’s day Invisalign is the best option for you because the clear aligners will be virtually invisible in your mouth.

Are you still wondering why it’s good for you despite having heard many myths about it? We suggest you continue reading this article to clarify any doubts you have to consider Invisalign treatment options before women’s day arrives.

The Benefits of Invisalign Explained

When compared to traditional braces Invisalign is significantly more comfortable. Traditional braces can irritate the inside of your mouth to cause painful chafing. Invisalign offers you clear aligners that are smooth and comfortable to give you the results you are always desiring.

Maintaining proper oral hygiene habits becomes easier with Invisalign because they are unlike braces that require hard work to clean your teeth to reach the crevices and spaces between them. Invisalign trays can be removed and cleaned even as you continue maintaining your regular oral hygiene routine without a break.

You will not be restricted from having any foods you love and the only restriction placed upon you would be to remove the clear aligners before having anything but water. Braces prevent you from having sticky, chewy, and crunchy foods. With Invisalign, you simply remove the aligners, have the foods and beverages you love before placing the aligners in your mouth after completing your oral hygiene routine.

Perhaps the greatest benefit offered by Invisalign is an instant smile hiding all the imperfections in your mouth and allowing you to celebrate women’s day the way you like and not the way traditional braces would have dictated.

The Process to Have Invisalign Clear Aligners in Your Mouth

Invisalign clear aligners are not similar to mouth guards that you can purchase from a supermarket or drugstore. You need to search for and find a dentist you are comfortable working with meaning he or she is experienced and puts you at ease. Visiting a dentist trained by Invisalign will give you better results even before the big day arrives. Therefore you should schedule an appointment to get an idea about the treatment.

During the treatment, the dentist chosen by you will use a digital scanner to create a 3D image of your teeth and mouth without relying on a physical impression like it is normally done for braces. After the imaging, the dentist will provide you information about how long you will need Invisalign and the results you can expect on the treatment.

Following your appointment for the imaging, your dentist will have your custom aligners developed to fit perfectly on your teeth. As mentioned earlier the aligners are virtually invisible and will not be noticed by anyone. The aligners must be worn for about 22 to 24 every day if you wish to achieve the goal of the treatment within the timespan specified. You are free to remove the aligners when eating or performing your regular dental hygiene habits. However, they need to be replaced immediately after because self-discipline with the aligners is basically essential. Unlike braces that are attached to your teeth and cannot be removed unless you visit an orthodontist Invisalign offers you the freedom to remove them whenever needed with the rider that you replace them as soon as possible.

Why Consider Invisalign Clear Aligners before Women’s Day?

Women’s Day is the time when you can expect to meet a lot of your friends and even go out for the evening to have a gala time. Trying to hide your smile on such occasions may be easy just by covering your teeth but how would it feel if you had an invisible cover on your teeth that secretly was doing the job of hiding the imperfections in your mouth? The fact that Invisalign provides you the ability to smile instantly unlike braces is the reason why you should consider Invisalign before March 8, 2020.

If you are convinced with this discussion we suggest you visit Dr. Brion Dalton at Lincoln Dental Associates for an evaluation and to get the instant smile you want right now.

We’re just starting a new year,  and it’s the time when many people reflect on their past year and commit to resolutions to make the next one better. Though many people choose to lose weight by dieting and exercising, take new adventures, start a new hobby, and some even look to improve their oral health.

Looking back at the beginning of 2020, dental trends illustrated the greater use of technology to provide more cost-efficient, quicker, and effective dental treatment. This was especially apparent in cosmetic and restorative dentistry. At Lincoln Dental Associates, we too like to look back over the past year at the various dental trends so that we can harness and utilize the latest, most advanced dental technology to better serve our patients.

Here is a review of some of the dental trends of 2020:

More Financing Options

While most Americans have dental insurance through their employer, a government program, or through getting their own private insurance, a good portion of Americans don’t have any dental insurance. Without dental insurance, dental costs can be financially straining. As a result, patients without insurance avoid necessary, regular dental checkups and cleanings. Even when something is wrong, uninsured patients only see a dentist only when they are in extreme discomfort or when there is an emergency. Many times it is too late to treat the issue without expensive, extensive dental work.

More and more dentists have recognized the devastating effects infrequent dental office check-ups and prevention can be on a patient’s oral health. To encourage those without dental insurance to pay them a much-needed visit, many dental offices now offer flexible financing options that make their dental services affordable to their self-paying patients. Knowing that dental care is affordable, the hope is that more patients will take their oral health seriously and have their teeth and gums checked out by a dentist.

Use of Online Solutions

If your dentist’s office still uses paper health records, they are not alone. Dental and medical offices are notorious for being behind other industries when it comes to utilizing paperless business solutions. This mostly has to do with the high level of confidential patient information that is handled. More and more online business solutions such as cloud storage and email are becoming secure enough to satisfy the strict HIPAA regulations. In turn, more dental offices are embracing paperless online solutions. Cloud storage is not only more secure, but it gives dental staff convenient, immediate access to records while also eliminating unnecessary paper in the environment.

Online scheduling is another online solution being used more and more by dental offices. It is speculated that the days of mailed appointment reminders will soon be over as patients can schedule their appointments on their phone or computer.

Use of Digital Technology

The use of lasers, cone beams, and imaging machines like CAD/CAM has been used by dentists for a few years now. While the use of this imaging technology to taking impressions of teeth isn’t new, its use has continued to grow in 2020.

The need to cut overhead costs as well as meet the demands of patients for quick acquisition of dental appliances like implants, crowns, dentures, and veneers have fueled this increase of digital technologies in dentistry.

Online Marketing and Reviews

Another area where dentistry has not fully utilized until recently is online marketing. Many dental offices are small, being staffed by one or two dentists, a few dental assistants/hygienists, and a receptionist. With a small staff, they can easily get busy. Traditionally, dental offices didn’t invest in advertising as patients would just go to the nearest dentist and provide free word-of-mouth advertising and recommendations to their friends and family.

Marketing and reviews are still important for any dental practice. The only difference is that today everything is online. Patients still recommend (or complain) about a dentist to others, but they do so in the form of online reviews. Like with many other businesses, prospective, first-time patients will read online reviews about a dental office when making a decision about which dentist to go to. Additionally, the number of dental offices means patients can shop around and even go to an office farther away if it invests more in its online marketing and online review management.

2020 saw more dentists (like us) utilize online marketing and invest more into managing their online reviews as a way to attract and maintain patients and by differing themselves from other dental offices.

3D Printing

3D printing has traditionally been used in dental labs to create orthodontic devices for patients. In the last few years, especially in 2020, 3D printing technology can have been utilized to build oral devices for implantology, prosthetics, general dentistry, and sleep apnea. As 3D printers become more commonplace, expect to see even more 3D printing dental applications in the near future.

Group Practices

The higher costs of advanced dental technology and the high, steady demand for dentists have made group practices grow in popularity in 2020. Instead of one dentist owning and running his or her own practice, a small group of dentists works together in the same office, splitting the costs and profits. This option is becoming increasingly popular among recently graduated dental students who are looking for immediate employment and older, soon-to-retire dentists who may desire to work part-time hours.

There were quite a few dental trends in 2020, with the vast majority of them geared towards providing a better experience for the patient. Though 2020 is winding down, there is still time for you to schedule your end-of-the-year dental check-up and cleaning, utilize the remainder of your dental health insurance benefits and experience a more pleasant dental office experience. Contact us at Lincoln Dental Associates today to schedule an appointment.

Valentine’s Day is an occasion when you will be meeting with friends and having a good time while also giving the bacteria on your teeth plenty to rejoice as you would be feeding them with chocolates and other sugary stuff. You will not have the time to brush and floss immediately until the bacteria has laid the grounds for a big battle in your mouth with support coming from plaque. You will be in for big trouble unless you consider preventive dentistry immediately after Valentine’s Day and call your dentist appointment for exams and cleanings.

Preventive dentistry simply means caring for your teeth to keep them healthy for avoiding cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and many other conditions. Preventive dentistry also includes daily brushing and flossing and dental cleaning from a professional dentist at regular intervals. The time after Valentine must be considered appropriate even if you have had a dental exam a month ago because you would have created a fertile ground for the bacteria to begin working in right Ernst.

How Does Preventive Dentistry Help You?

Preventive Dentistry helps you by preventing dental problems from appearing in your mouth. If you’re following proper dental hygiene practices you can avoid or lessen the effects of gingivitis, enamel loss, cavities, and periodontitis. You must understand that everyone can benefit from preventive dentistry including children because it allows their newly developing permanent teeth to erupt strong and healthy. Dental sealants and topical fluoride treatments help children prevent decay in their teeth. If you are a senior citizen can benefit from preventive dentistry because it helps you to retain your natural teeth.

The Benefits of Preventive Dentistry Explained

Good dental hygiene can greatly reduce your risk of developing cavities, periodontitis, gingivitis, and other dental problems. This can also reduce your risk of secondary problems that are caused by poor oral health. Some health problems that are linked to poor oral health include diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. These conditions can damage your overall health situation greatly than a simple dental exam or cleaning at your dentist immediately after Valentine’s Day.

Are you aware that good preventive health can also result in savings in your account? That is apart from reducing your risk to other health issues mentioned above. The costs associated with poor oral hygiene can quickly add up even if you have dental insurance. Preventive dentistry will not completely eliminate the need for fillings, dental implants, or root canals but they can certainly push these expensive treatments behind by some distance.

Preventive Dentistry Practices from Home

Your dentist would have advised practicing preventive dentistry at home regularly by:

• Brushing your teeth twice every day with fluoride toothpaste approved by the ADA and replace your toothbrush every three months or soon as the bristles began to fray. He or she would also have advised to toothbrush or tongue to remove the bacteria from your mouth and to help freshen your breath.
• Every day flossing would also have been recommended to clean the tight spaces between your teeth. Separate recommendations would have been made for people with braces to use floss threaders between metal brackets. Flossing correctly to benefit most from the exercise would also have been suggested and if you are lacking in this direction you should be using the preventive dentistry appointment with your dentist to request for a professional demonstration in flossing.
• Visiting your dentist at least once a year for a dental exam and cleaning should also be a requirement that you cannot miss. If you are at a high risk of dental problems these frequent dental visits are more likely to benefit you than cause you any harm. Dental cleanings allow dentists like Dr. Brion Dalton from Lincoln dental associates to identify problems in your mouth to take care of them right away. If you are covered by dental insurance make an attempt to understand the coverage you have. Preventive dental visits are covered by many insurance companies for two visits every year.
• Having a balanced diet will also help you to protect your teeth by providing them with the nutrients they need. However, as it is just after Valentines your teeth would have received adequate sugar and the nutrients needed to begin creating cavities in your mouth. The best way for you to avoid this phenomenon is to contact your dentist and schedule an appointment for preventive dentistry right away.

A pathological inflammatory condition of the gums and periodontal tissues surrounding the is known as periodontal disease. This condition is common among many people most of whom are not aware of what it is. This is a condition that is entirely preventable and treatable as well and people suffering from this problem are suggested to obtain periodontal care rather than ignore the condition.

The condition of periodontitis is a serious infection of the gums that not only damage the gum tissue but also destroys the bone which supports the teeth. The condition can cause the teeth to loosen and fall off.

As mentioned earlier the condition is entirely preventable despite being common among many people. It is frequently the effect of scanty oral hygiene. People are generally ignoring brushing twice a day, flossing and visiting the dentist regularly for checkups and exams. People are making this condition that can be prevented easily one that needs plenty of attention simply because they are unwilling to learn the signs of identifying this disease.

The Signs and Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

Healthy gums are normally firm and pink in color and fit tightly around the teeth. When people observe the onset of periodontitis they will begin to notice:

• Swollen or puffy gums.
• Tender gums when touched.
• Bleeding gums.
• Bright red, dusky red or purplish gums.
• Gums that recede from the teeth making the teeth appear longer than they should normally do.
• New gaps developing between the teeth.
• Pus between the teeth and gums.
• Loose teeth.
• Bad breath.
• Painful chewing and a difference in the way the teeth fit together.

When To Visit a Dentist for an Evaluation?

If you haven’t been following your dentist’s recommended schedule for regular checkups and observe the signs of periodontitis it is suggested that you make an appointment with your dentist at the earliest. The sooner you obtain periodontal care the better it will be for you for reversing the damage caused by this condition.

The Causes of Periodontitis

The onset of periodontitis begins with plaque which is a sticky film full of bacteria. When it is left untreated plaque can eventually advance to the condition of periodontitis.

The plaque begins to form in your mouth when it interacts with the starches and sugars in the food you have with bacteria that can be found in the mouth by the hundreds. Brushing and flossing your teeth can remove plaque but it can begin forming again.

When plaque remains on your teeth longer than necessary it can harden into tartar which is more difficult to remove and is full of bacteria. The longer plaque and tartar and on your teeth the higher damage they can create. Brushing and flossing will not help to eradicate the partnership between these two and therefore you will need a professional dental cleaning for the removal.

The mildest form of periodontal disease is caused by gingivitis which is in turn caused by plaque. Gingivitis irritates and inflames the part of the gum around your teeth. However, gingivitis can be reversed with good oral care at home.

Periodontitis is caused by ongoing gum inflammation which eventually causes pockets to form between your gums and teeth and fill them with plaque, tartar, and bacteria. These pockets become deeper with time and populated with more bacteria. Left untreated the deep infections cause loss of tissue and bone eventually to make you lose one or more teeth. It can also put a strain on your immune system if the inflammation is ongoing and chronic.

How to Manage the Condition of Periodontitis?

As you already have periodontitis the best way to manage the condition is to understand what the dentist suggests. He or she would have provided you with suggestions to follow a program of good oral hygiene and continue the practice consistently throughout your life.

Good oral hygiene requires you to brush your teeth for two minutes each at least twice a day in the morning and before going to bed. Flossing at least once a day is also a requirement. The time of the flossing does not matter as long as you do it before or after brushing but flossing before you brush can help you to clean away any loosened particles as well as bacteria.

Lincoln Dental Associates recommend regular dental visits for cleanings and checkups twice a year. You may need professional cleanings more frequently if you are exhibiting risk factors that can increase your chances of developing periodontitis. These factors include having a dry mouth, smoking, and taking certain medications that could be contributing to the condition.

Periodontitis can not only make you lose your teeth but can also enter your bloodstream to affect your heart and lungs along with other parts of your body. Therefore it is extremely important for you to follow what the dentist suggests if you are a victim of periodontitis.