Among patients, root canal therapy is one of the most commonly and intensely feared dental procedures. Unfortunately, this causes many patients to avoid seeking dental treatment—they’d rather suffer in pain than undergo what they assume to be a painful procedure. The truth is that modern root canals are generally no more painful than standard dental fillings. And what many patients don’t realize, is that a root canal can literally save a tooth that may otherwise be lost.

In order to understand how root canal therapy works, it’s important to understand the structure of a tooth.

The outer surface of the tooth is the white dental enamel. This hard, shiny surface is what many people associate with teeth, and the dental enamel is responsible for protecting the inner layers of the teeth. Because dentin is hard and no very porous, it allows you to chew and eat normally without pain.

Below the layer of enamel, is a layer of a tough substance called dentin. Dentin is another layer of protection, because it is mineralized and hard. However, dentin is more porous than enamel, which means it is more susceptible to infection and decay.

The inner core of the tooth is comprised of the dental pulp. Dental pulp contains tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. The dental pulp feeds the tooth, and it therefore incredibly porous. When the pulp becomes infected it is very painful for the patient, and it can cause the tooth to rot from the inside out, and—if left untreated—ultimately requiring extraction.

A root canal is a necessary procedure, because it can actually save a tooth that is infected all though through the dentin. Our Longmont root canal dentist simply clears out the infected dental pulp and then reseals the tooth with a filling. As you can see this procedure is much preferable to losing a tooth entirely. Give our Longmont root canal office a call for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Lumineers are an increasingly popular cosmetic dentistry option. Our Longmont Lumineers Dental Office can help you transform your smile in just two appointments with versatile Lumineers. Many patients wonder how dental Lumineers can be effective when they are so thin. In reality, Lumineers are so effective precisely because they are thinner than traditional cosmetic options, such as veneers.

So how thin are Lumineers?

Lumineers are approximately 0.2 mm thick, which is about the same width as a contact lens. This makes them easier to apply, and less bulky on the tooth.

Why are Lumineers so thin?

Traditional thicker veneers require the dentist to remove large amounts of healthy tooth structure in order to make the veneers fit. Veneers do deliver stunning results, just as Lumineers do, however they can compromise the structural integrity of a patient’s smile in the process.

The fact that Lumineers are ultra-thin is actually an asset for many patients. Because Lumineers are the width of a contact lens, patients can enjoy:

Minimal tooth destruction: during your Lumineers procedure, your dentist will not have to remove as much healthy material as they would have to with veneers treatment. This maintains the health and strength of your natural teeth.

A removable cosmetic option: Because Lumineers are so thin, they are removable and completely reversible.

Natural-looking results: Lumineers are thin and translucent, which means that they reflect and refract light similarly to natural dental enamel. Lumineers can change the color, size, or shape of your teeth while still appearing naturally radiant.

 Once Lumineers are bonded to natural teeth they are incredibly strong. These thin panels of multi-dimensional porcelain can completely transform your smile in just a few appointments. If you’d like to speak to a Longmont Lumineers dentist, feel free to give us a call at (303) 872-8047.

At our Longmont family dentist office we know that patients want to have a beautiful smile, and fresh breath to accompany their sparkling teeth! If your breath is malodorous, you’ll probably find that you avoid laughing and joining conversations. It’s tough to feel confident when you’re concerned about oral odors.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to keep your breath smelling fresh, and to keep your mouth healthy as well. Too many patients focus on masking bad breath with breath mints, gums, or oral sprays. The key to enjoying fresh breath, however, is to prevent plaque and tartar build-up—this is what causes odorous breath in the first place.

A good oral hygiene routine will help you avoid bad breath. It’s critical that you keep up a regular oral hygiene routine to rid your mouth of plaque and tartar. Along with brushing your teeth at least twice a day, you should floss regularly to clear plaque from between your teeth.

Both plaque and tartar trap bacteria against your dental enamel. As the bacteria feeds off of sugar and starches in your mouth they emit strong odors. The first step to conquering bad breath is to eliminate plaque and tartar.

Along with brushing and flossing you can include and antimicrobial rinse in your oral hygiene routine. These rinses kill bacteria, and they are especially effective at reaching places patients may miss brushing and flossing. It’s important to note, however, that antimicrobial rinses should be used in conjunction with brushing and flossing and not in place of them.

Because bacteria feeds on sugars and carbohydrates, you may find that your breath smells worse after you consume foods high in starches and sugars. An additional tip for beating bad breath is to avoid these harmful substances, and to at least rinse your mouth quickly after consuming them.

If you’re struggling to keep your breath smelling fresh, you can always talk to our Longmont general dentist for more dental hygiene tips. Give us a call at (303) 872-8047.

When a patient loses a tooth, either from infection or accident, he or she needs a tooth replacement treatment quickly. It is equally important, however, that the tooth replacement option you choose be durable and long lasting. Dental implants are a stable, permanent tooth loss solution—they are surgically embedded within the jawbone to ensure a long-lasting restoration.

Dental implants are designed to be permanent, immovable replacement teeth. Unlike dentures and bridges, patients do not remove dental implants for cleaning or dental maintenance. Rather, patients care for dental implants the same way they care for their natural teeth, with regular brushing and flossing.

With proper care dental implants can last for decades. However, there are some common threats to the health and longevity of your dental implant. Here are some common problems for which to be on the lookout:

Bruxism: patients who grind or clench their teeth may put unnecessary strain on their implants, causing them to wear down prematurely. Many patients don’t even realize that they are grinding their teeth, because they do it in their sleep. If you wake up with jaw soreness or tooth pain this may be an indication that you’re suffering from bruxism.

Chewing Hard Foods: Chewing hard foods, like hard candies or ice, is hard on your natural teeth and your dental restorations. If you regularly chomp on hard candy or ice, you risk chipping or cracking your crowns.

Using Tobacco Products: Tobacco, both chewing and smoking, will cause your teeth and your restorations to discolor. Dental implants as well as natural enamel can take on a dark, dingy, and stained appearance from habitual tobacco use.

Dental implants are a useful and long-lasting tooth replacement option, and with proper care they can keep you smiling for years to come. Before you choose dental implants, take the time to minimize bad dental habits and treat bruxism. Our Longmont dental implant office can help you understand how the treatment process works and what your treatment would entail. Give us a call at 303-872-8047.

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and seen an old or dark looking teeth smiling back at you, you know how important white, bright teeth are to your appearance. As cosmetic dentistry becomes more accessible and wide spread, more patients than ever are taking advantage of teeth whitening options to turn back the clock on their aging teeth. Teeth bleaching treatments can either be administered at home by the consumer or in the dentist’s office a dental professional. These two types of treatment are not created equal—the formulations, expected results, and treatment processes are different, respectively.

Professional whitening treatments are administered in our Longmont cosmetic dental office. These treatments are peroxide formulations to actually bleach dental enamel—drastically whitening the appearance of teeth. Professional whitening treatments are:

• More effective than over the counter products because the whitening formulation contains a greater concentration of whitening agent.
• Faster than over the counter products—most patients see significant results in just one or two visits.
• More predictable than over the counter products. Working with a dental professional, you can better control the level and quality of whitening achieved.

Home whitening treatments, on the other hand are:

• Less expensive than professional whitening treatments, because they are less effective and take weeks or even months to achieve full results.
• More of a risk, because you cannot closely control the process you may end up with uneven enamel whitening, dental sensitivity, or gum irritation.

Before embarking on cosmetic whitening, it’s important to consult with a dental professional to ensure optimal results. Professional whitening treatments allow you to better control your results, avoid sensitivity, and optimize bleaching to enhance your overall smile. If you’d like to speak to a Longmont cosmetic dentist about your teeth whitening options, give as a call at (303) 872-8047.

Our Longmont family dental office is committed to helping our adult and pediatric patients maintain healthy smiles. The best way to prevent cavities is to combine diligent at-home care with professional cleanings at least twice a year. Brushing and flossing at least twice a day fights cavities and prevents bad breath in between professional cleanings. Establishing good brushing habits early in life can help children get into a good oral hygiene routine. Follow these simple tips to help your children establish healthy habits.

Use an appropriately sized toothbrush

It is important that the head of your toothbrush is able to move easily in the mouth, and reach the back molars. Often times children are using toothbrushes that are too large to clean their back teeth, where they may consequently develop cavities. Also avoid stiff or abrasive bristles. These bristles can wear down dental enamel and aggravate gum tissue.

Use efficient brushing technique

Teach your children to brush their teeth in small circular motions. For the tops of teeth use a back and forth motion to reach inside the nooks and crannies of dental enamel. Make sure to brush the front, back, and top of teeth. Have your child imagine his or her mouth divided into four parts—top right, top left, bottom right, bottom left. They should spend approximately 30 seconds brushing each of these quadrants.

And remember, brushing isn’t just for teeth

Every time your brush, remember to pay attention to your tongue and surrounding oral tissue. Thoroughly cleaning these areas is especially important for preventing bad breath. Brush your tongue by moving your toothbrush back on forth on the surface, sides, and bottom of the tongue.

These are great habits to instill in your children, and they may also serve as good reminders for many adults! As always if you’d like to speak to a Longmont family dentist you can give us a call at (303) 872-8047.

At our Longmont Cosmetic Dental Office we’re always trying to help patients achieve a smile that works with their cosmetic goals, budget, and timeline. Many patients want to rejuvenate their smile for a specific event, for example a wedding or a reunion. These patients often do not want to wait through months or years of orthodontics to get the Hollywood they’ve been dreaming of. Snap on Smile is an ideal option for patients wanting to achieve a complete smile transformation quickly.

Snap on Smile is made of durable and natural-looking resin. It fits completely over a patient’s smile, totally resurfacing the appearance of damaged or less than ideal enamel. Commonly Snap on Smile is used to cover misaligned teeth, large gaps between teeth, dull or damaged dental enamel, and narrow smiles. Snap on smile is removable, so patients can use it in the interim between dental treatments, or as a primary cosmetic treatment option.

So Why Do Patients Choose Snap on Smile?

The primary benefit of Snap on Smile is that this treatment option does not take long to complete. While conventional orthodontic treatments can take months or years, Snap on Smile takes only two appointments to completely transform a patient’s smile. After our Longmont cosmetic dentist takes an impression of your teeth, your Snap on Smile appliance will be crafted to custom-fit your existing smile and give your teeth a new, purposefully designed appearance. Some patients choose to wear Snap on Smile for important events, because they are not yet ready to invest time or money into lengthy dental treatment.

Snap on Smile is an effective, efficient cosmetic treatment that can correct a number of aesthetic problems. Give us a call if you’d like to learn more about cosmetic dentistry or Snap on Smile treatments. We’re here to help!

Modern cosmetic dentistry is able to transform teeth far beyond what has previously possible. Beyond teeth whitening treatments and orthodontics, our Longmont Lumineers dentist is able to reshape the appearance of teeth to make them proportional to the rest of the smile.

Lumineers are thin layers of porcelain that are applied over dental enamel to resurface the appearance of teeth. They can be custom shaped and shaded to enhance a patient’s smile. Lumineers are incredibly versatile because they can correct a number of cosmetic problems at once, and they can literally reshape the appearance of your smile.

Some patients have teeth that appear out of proportion with the rest of their smile. Some common complaints that we hear from patients are that some of their teeth are too short or too long. Additionally, some patients may have suffered dental trauma that changed the shape and alignment of their teeth. Other people have uneven edges to their dental enamel or pitted tooth surfaces.

In the past these cosmetic issues would not have been easily treated. Now, however, with porcelain Lumineers patients can have a seamless, balanced looking smile in only one or two appointments. Lumineers are applied over existing dental enamel, and they require very little destruction or filing down of tooth structure. Consequently they can be placed fairly quickly and without considerable discomfort.

Dental Lumineers make it possible to transform the structure of your smile—with this novel cosmetic tool we can achieve a complete smile makeover. If you’ve been unhappy with the shape or size of some of your teeth, Lumineers may be the solution for you. If you’d like to speak to a Longmont Lumineers dentist about your cosmetic options give us a call at (303) 872-8047.

You work hard to keep your smile sparkling, white, and clean. You brush and floss every day, and perhaps you use additional products such as mouthwash and teeth whitening products. When it comes time for you regular dental cleaning, you find yourself wondering, “do I really need to do this? I feel fine, and my teeth are looking pretty good, too!” You know how well you take care of your smile everyday, what you may not know, however, is that no matter how diligent you are with at-home dental care, professional cleanings are still necessary to maintain a healthy, beautiful smile.

A dentist and dental hygienist will help you avoid long-term health problems, cavities, and gum disease, because:

We Can See Things You Can’t

If you’ve ever tried to get a piece of food out of your teeth, you know how difficult it can be to see all the way into your it’s much easier for a dental professional to search for signs of cavities, plaque build-up, and signs of oral cancer. Plus, we’re trained specifically to recognize common signs of dental disease including lumps, and patchy tissue associated with oral cancer. There are certain things you just can’t effectively assess yourself, and that’s why professional cleanings are so important.

We’re Using Professional Technology

Every day when you brush and floss you’re eliminating some plaque build-up from the surface of your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that develops on dental enamel throughout the day. Eventually, however, dental plaque hardens into something called tartar or calculus. This mineralized bacterial layer adheres to the surface of a tooth, collecting more bacteria and contributing to dental cavities, gum disease, and inflammatory disorders. Calculus is so tough that it can only be removed with professional cleaning tool—brushing and flossing along just wont work. Additionally, our Longmont family dental office uses X-ray technology to diagnose dental decay inside and between teeth.

Don’t put your health at risk by avoiding professional dental cleanings. A combination of at-home care and semi-annual professional cleanings is the proven way to reduce your risk of dental decay and disease. Call (303) 872-8047 for more information or to speak to a Longmont family dentist.

In our Longmont Cosmetic Dentistry Office we hear the same complaint again and again, “No matter what I do, I just can’t get my teeth to look really white again!” Many patients are interested in whitening and refreshing their smiles because, let’s face it; your smile is the first thing that people notice about you! When you have sparkling teeth you look and feel better.

Unfortunately, as many of our patients reported, as we age our teeth change—often becoming darker and duller in appearance. This is to some extent an inevitable occurrence, because time and environmental factors alter dental enamel as we go through our daily lives.

Most patients are aware the certain foods and drinks can stain dental enamel. Some common culprits are wine, cola, coffee, tea, and tobacco. Additionally foods such as berries and chocolate may discolor enamel. These stains compound over time, becoming more difficult to whiten effectively.

What many patients don’t know is that in addition to staining, changes in the structure and density of dental enamel can also make your smile appear darker or yellower. The bright, white layer of dental enamel that young people enjoy gradually thins and becomes more see-through as we age. Under the dental enamel is a darker and yellow layer of a substance called dentin. Consequently, as dental enamel becomes thinner, more dentin is visible under the enamel—making teeth appear discolored.

While we cannot control these natural changes, thanks to modern cosmetic dentistry we can refresh the appearance of a patient’s smile using innovative treatment options. Some patients will be able to whiten their smiles with professional teeth bleaching treatments. Other patients with more extensive staining or discoloration may benefit from enamel resurfacing solutions like Lumineers. The important thing to know is that if you find yourself saying, “my teeth never look white!” you have options! To talk to a Longmont cosmetic dentist about teeth whitening options, give us a call at (303) 872-8047.