Cosmetic Dentistry

Early orthodontics, phase I orthodontics and/or braces can help preteens correct minor crossbites or dental crowding early. Children start getting their first permanent teeth around the age of 6. And parents start noticing smile changes. Usually, there is a natural space between the two upper front teeth as they move into the arch.

Are my teeth becoming crooked? This is a common question that people ask their friends, family, or coworkers when they start noticing a change in their smile or bite. Teeth shift and change in their alignment every minute of the day. However, when the forces of our bite balance one another appropriately, the shifting is hardly noticeable.

A tooth gap also known as a diastema is attractive in many cultures around the world. A tooth gap sometimes runs in families and several family members may have a similar diastema. Many persons identify a tooth gap as a beauty mark. For some people, a tooth gap can be due to a missing tooth, a frenum pull, or sucking a thumb/pacifier later in physical development.

Cavities are a common condition affecting over 91 percent of Americans. Root caries or decay present a form of cavities more prevalent amongst the elderly.  Root caries (cavities) is a condition in which there is decay at or below the gum line.

Dentures have been around since 700 BC in some form and were made of human or animal teeth then. A famous US President, George Washington had dentures that were made with the best material available in the 1700s. Fast forward hundreds of years, dentures are used as an interim treatment option for many people.

It is great news that human beings are living longer than ever. The older population of the world (aged 65 and over) is 8.5 percent of people worldwide and that percentage is set to double by 2050 according to the National Institutes of Health. This means teeth must be able to last longer. And in the many cases, in which they don’t, the alternative options for replacing teeth should be compatible, functional, and esthetically pleasing.