CEREC, which stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, is computer-aided design and manufacturing technology that lets us design, build and place a permanent ceramic restoration in a single office visit. That includes crowns, veneers, inlays and onlays, all finished and bonded before you leave the chair. What CEREC replaces is the older route: a […]
Blog
Sleep Apnea vs Snoring: What’s the Difference
Snoring is the sound of air vibrating through relaxed throat tissue. Sleep apnea is a medical disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. One is a noise. The other is a breathing failure that happens to make noise most of the time. The two separate along four lines: breathing pattern, with air moving […]
Dental Appliances for Sleep Apnea: Do They Work
Yes, dental appliances work for obstructive sleep apnea. They reposition the lower jaw or the tongue forward to keep the airway open during sleep, which stops the soft tissue at the back of the throat from collapsing and blocking airflow. They work best for people with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and for people who […]
How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Oral Health
Sleep apnea affects your oral health through three pathways: chronic mouth breathing, unconscious teeth grinding, and the physiological stress of repeated oxygen drops during sleep. Those three pathways produce dry mouth, faster tooth decay, enamel erosion, worn and cracked teeth, jaw joint pain, gum disease, a scalloped tongue, and changes to jaw growth in children. Below […]
How Much Does TMJ Treatment Cost
TMJ treatment costs $200 to over $50,000, and where you land inside that range depends almost entirely on how invasive the treatment is. Self-care and a basic appliance sit at the bottom. Custom splints and bite work sit in the middle. Neuromuscular orthotics and jaw surgery sit at the top. Most patients never travel past […]
Dentures vs Dental Implants: Which Is Better?
Dental implants are generally better for long-term stability and jawbone health, while dentures are the faster, non-surgical alternative. Neither option is universally better, because the right choice depends on your jaw, your health and your lifestyle. Tooth loss is common enough that most people eventually face this decision. The American College of Prosthodontists reports that 120 […]
Signs You May Have TMJ Disorder
You may have a TMJ disorder if you notice pain in the jaw, clicking or popping sounds that come with discomfort, or trouble opening and closing your mouth normally. Those three signs are the ones worth watching. Everyone has temporomandibular joints, one on each side of the head, and having them is not a condition. […]
Is Sedation Dentistry Safe
Dental sedation is safe for healthy patients when it is given by a trained and qualified professional. It carries minor, manageable side effects, and those effects increase with deeper levels of sedation and with underlying health conditions. Safety is not something sedation simply has. It is produced by three specific things your dentist does: screening your […]
What Is TMJ and How Is It Treated?
TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint, the hinge on each side of your head that connects your lower jaw to your skull. Most people use the term differently in everyday conversation, saying they “have TMJ” when they mean they have a TMJ disorder, shortened to TMD. A TMJ disorder causes pain in the jaw and […]
Types of Dental Sedation: Which One Is Right for You
Choosing the right dental sedation depends on your anxiety level, your medical history and how complex your procedure is. The four types are nitrous oxide, oral sedation, intravenous sedation and general anesthesia, and they sit in order from lightest to deepest. Most people only need the lightest option on that list. Below we compare all four […]
