Same-day Crowns: What you need to know

Same-day Crowns: What you need to know

Everyone wants to get the best dental care possible, and sometimes, you need it in a hurry. When it comes to the installation of crowns, the method used over the years has been a time-consuming procedure. Considering how busy the world has become, it has been inconvenient for most people. Thanks to technology that brought the emergence of same-day crowns. You can restore your smile and return to your daily activities. Here is what you should know about same-day crowns:

WHAT ARE SAME-DAY CROWNS?

Same-day crowns also referred to as single-visit crowns, are a type of dental crown made to fit the patient in a single appointment. Thanks to state-of-the-art E4D dentistry, the dentist can make fast crown impressions and CEREC technology for accurate and fast crown formation.

WHAT ARE SAME-DAY CROWNS MADE OF?

Same-day crowns are made through CEREC technology which stands for Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramics. These crowns are custom milled from ceramic solid blocks using a machine. The dentist chooses the color of the ceramic according to the color of the existing teeth to achieve a natural look.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAME-DAY CROWNS AND TRADITIONAL CROWNS

Time and convenience

Same-day crowns help save time and are more convenient, as dentists use CEREC technology to fabricate crowns quickly. You don’t have to wait several weeks for lab-made crowns while using temporary ones. With same-day crowns, you can save time and return to work and other daily activities.

For traditional crowns, you need an appointment and a series of other visits. In your first appointment, the dentist will get the impression of your teeth, so present it to the lab for crown making. The process in the dental lab takes several weeks, which can be inconvenient to people who are in a hurry or require an emergency.

Material used

Same-day crowns are made of ceramic. But the traditional crowns can be a combination of metal, ceramic, porcelain, and porcelain fused to metal. The materials used in traditional crowns, such as metal, make them more durable than same-day crowns.

Temporary crowns

If you choose same-day crowns, you’ll not require temporary crowns, as the crown will be fully installed during the first visit. However, for traditional crowns, you’ll require temporary crowns as you wait for the lab to complete the process of making your permanent crown.

Temporary crowns tend to cause discomfort, especially when they move from their installation position. Also, some don’t fit accurately, which leaves gaps for food to rest, leading to tooth decay.

Attention to detail

Same-day crowns are pleasing and accurately positioned to the eye. But if you need a crown that looks similar to other teeth, a traditional crown made of porcelain is the best fit. This is because an expert hand-crafted traditional crown in the lab, so it can look more natural than same-day crowns.

Strength

Traditional crowns are stronger than same-day crowns due to their make.  They are made using more durable materials, making them less prone to wear and tear, such as porcelain and metal. Despite the strength, traditional crowns aren’t aesthetically attractive compared to ceramic, especially for the front teeth.

BOTTOM LINE

Same-day crowns can be so convenient if you have a dental emergency. You don’t even have to wait until the next day! If you’re ever in need of an emergency crown, be sure to speak with your dentist right away. He or she can assess your situation and determine whether a same-day crown is right for you. At Briargate dental center, we offer same-day crown services with advanced technology to ensure your crown restores your smile perfectly. If you have any questions, contact us or schedule an appointment today.

How to Find an Emergency Dentist

How to Find an Emergency Dentist

Are you experiencing a sudden onset of pain in your mouth or a cracked tooth keeping you up all night? Many will try to alleviate these kinds of dental emergencies on their own with home remedies, but why suffer when finding after-hours dental care is easy if you know where to look?

A Dental emergency can leave a patient feeling anxious depending on the severity of the emergency. The last thing you want to think about is where to find the best emergency dentist in your area when you have tooth pain. Skip the home remedies and seek immediate attention to avoid future dental issues.

Dealing With A Non-Life Threatening Dental Emergency

TMJ Theray colorado springsThe first thing to consider when dealing with any kind of dental emergency is how severe the issue is. Dental emergencies can range from a painful cavity that will keep you up all night to a broken crown or molar that needs emergency repair.

If your dental emergency is life-threatening you should call 911 right away, rather than a dentist. For everything else, an emergency dentist is a good place to start.

People visit an emergency dentist for many reasons:

Colorado Springs Emergency Dentist

The city of Colorado Springs is like any other city when it comes to connecting with a dentist for emergency dental care. Most people will Google a dentist when dental emergencies occur or contact their insurance carrier however this can lead to confusion as to not knowing who is a good urgent care dentist and who is the best emergency dentist.

awards updatedWhen you contact an emergency dentist you will want to ask a few questions:

  • Does the dentist accept your insurance?
  • Can you be seen in an efficient manner?
  • Does the dentist specialize in the injury or issue you are experiencing?
  • Is the emergency life-threatening?
  • Is your jaw, gumline, or teeth fractured?
  • Lost a crown or filling because of an accident?
  • Do you have a tooth abscess?
  • Do you have a serious tooth infection?
  • Are you experiencing a root canal issue or abscess gums?

At times an emergency requires you to visit a dentist that might cost more or doesn’t accept your insurance. If you can stand to wait and call around you may save money by using an in-network dental office but this is sometimes not ideal depending on your emergency.

You will also want to know how long it will take to be seen. There is nothing worse than sitting around with oral discomfort or jarring pain. Get an estimate of time so you can make a good decision on choosing the right emergency dental office for you.

Lastly, is your injury unique? Most injuries are, but you will want to know if the dentist who will be working with you specializes in your type of dental emergency. Obviously, if you are an adult, visiting a pediatric dentist for an emergency is not ideal but could work in a pinch.

Briargate Dental Center Offers Professional Emergency Dental Care

dentistWhether you are a new patient or a current patient, Briargate Dental Center in Colorado Springs offers the best emergency dental care in the city. Our experienced dentists specialize in many common dental emergencies. We offer same-day appointments as well as after-hours care in the event that you suffer a dental emergency during non-business hours.

If you happen to live in or visit Colorado Springs during a dental emergency and need dental care, the Briargate Dental Center for urgent dental care is only a phone call away for an emergency appointment.

BDC welcomes dental insurance from many providers and is here for your urgent dental needs. Our emergency dentist has been voted “Top Dentist in Colorado Springs” by Colorado Style Magazine. We take great care when it comes to your comfort and oral health.

Any emergency dentist should have access to the latest dental technologies as well as offer convenient care, which at Briargate Dental Center, we take great pride in.

Emergency Dental Services in Colorado Springs

The professional dentists at Briargate Dental Center provide the best emergency dental care in Colorado Springs, CO. In business for over a decade, we have a history of excellent emergency dental care.

Our emergency dental care solutions have helped many patients in successful treatment by alleviating the pain associated with the emergency as well as further treatment plans to stabilize and resolve the dental issue.

Equipped with the latest technology and the latest education is what makes Briargate Dental Center the 24/7 dentist that Colorado Springs counts on.

Give us a call if you are experiencing a dental emergency and our staff will guide you through the process so you only have to worry about getting better.

Kids and Teeth: Establishing Oral Care Early On

Kids and Teeth: Establishing Oral Care Early On

Children do not know how to brush their teeth or hold a brush so it is vital to teach your children about proper oral care. Kids Brushing their teeth is something they should learn and practice from early on for them to keep the teeth and gums healthy. As a parent, you understand that it’s a battle with your child to maintain their hygiene, especially brushing their teeth.

Not only do you want your children to keep their teeth clean for health reasons, but healthy teeth will help you avoid expensive trips to your Colorado Springs Dentist due to teeth problems. Also, good oral hygiene is one of the factors for the strong health of the kids. Protecting their teeth, mouth, and gums early on will lead to better health as they grow into adulthood. Establishing oral care for your kids early on is essential, but many parents find it hard to do.

child dental patient

According to CDC.gov:

  • More than half of children aged 6 to 8 have had a cavity in at least one of their baby (primary) teeth.
  • More than half of adolescents aged 12 to 19 have had a cavity in at least one of their permanent teeth.
  • Children aged 5 to 19 years from low-income families are twice as likely (25%) to have cavities, compared with children from higher-income households (11%).

But the good news is that cavities are preventable. Fluoride varnish can prevent about one-third (33%) of cavities in the primary (baby) teeth.3 Children living in communities with fluoridated tap water have fewer cavities than children whose water is not fluoridated.4 Similarly, children who brush daily with fluoride toothpaste will have fewer cavities.5

This article discusses fun tips you can follow to establish a solid oral care culture for your kids.

Tips on Teaching Kids About Brushing

  • Brush your teeth together

One of the ways you can instill strong dental hygiene practices in your child is by brushing your teeth together. Parents should make brushing time fun and turn it into bonding time with their kids. You can ask them to follow what you do; as a result, they will enjoy it and learn how to do it correctly. This method will ensure they brush for the recommended time under your supervision.

  • Make it a routine from an early age.

For the kids to know how to brush their teeth properly, let them do it from an early age. Doing it every day from an early age instills a routine, and they will become comfortable doing it regularly.

The parents should work together and teach them the importance of brushing their teeth daily. Also, teach them the effects of not doing it, like the formation of cavities on the teeth, bad breath, and tooth decay. This makes them willing to do it rather than experience the effects of avoiding it.

  • Allow them to pick their favorite toothbrush and paste.

When you want to buy a toothbrush or paste for your child, take them to the store and allow them to pick their favorite ones. With so many color patterns and designs, let them choose different colors that they can choose whenever they want. Also, make sure you buy different flavors since some aren’t enjoyable for them when brushing. This will make the process enjoyable when choosing the brushes and paste they like.

brushing teeth

  • Compliment their brushing skills every time.

When parents compliment a child whenever they do something good, it usually motivates them and boosts their morale. As a parent, it is recommended that you always complement your brushing skills and encourage them to do it every day. It is a great way to establish a strong oral care culture that will follow throughout their lives.

  • Let them play pretend on stuffed dolls.

If the children have stuffed animals or dolls, let them practice brushing their teeth on them. It would be best if you showed them how to do it on their toys using the proper technique. They will master the proper methods to do it and replicate the process when brushing their teeth.

  • Use correct tools

Kids will enjoy brushing their teeth if you use the correct kids’ brush and kids’ toothpaste. There will be less struggle if they use A toothbrush that is easy to handle and maneuver and a tooth that tastes good for them. You can allow them to use a toothbrush with a timer to alert them whenever they brush for 2 minutes.

Bottom line

Establishing routine oral care for your kids should not be a problem for you as a parent. When your kids develop their teeth, it’s essential to have regular visits to the dentist for them to have good dental hygiene. Contact us at Briargate Dental to book an appointment or get help in creating oral care for your child.

What Should Follow After a Tooth Extraction?

What Should Follow After a Tooth Extraction?

Since most people will experience some sort of tooth extraction in their lifetime, it’s essential to know what to expect and how to prepare. This article will cover the basics of tooth extractions, including what happens after the procedure and how to care for your wound and manage any discomfort you may experience. We hope this information helps make your experience as smooth as possible and helps to avoid further visits to the dentist in your area.

Caring for a Tooth Extraction

After tooth extraction, it’s essential to care for the extraction site properly. This will help ensure that the area heals properly and doesn’t become infected. Here are some tips for caring for your extraction site:

  • Brush your teeth gently with a soft toothbrush. Avoid brushing near the extraction site.
  • Rinse your mouth with warm salt water or an antiseptic mouthwash immediately after the procedure. Do this several times a day, especially after meals, to keep the area clean and free from infection. This helps reduce inflammation.
  • Avoid Spit tobacco, alcohol, and carbonated beverages for at least 24 hours.
  • Take over-the-counter pain medication as needed to help with discomfort. Ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) are typically effective.
  • Apply ice to the outside of your cheek for 20 minutes to reduce swelling. Repeat as needed, but do not put ice directly on your skin.
  • Avoid drinking through a straw, smoking, and eating crunchy or hard foods for at least 24 hours after the extraction. They can dislodge the blood clot that forms in the socket leading to delayed healing.

The Mouth’s Alignment

It is also essential to be aware of how your tooth extraction might affect the alignment of your teeth. If you have had a back tooth (molar) extracted, there is a chance that the teeth adjacent to the empty space may shift into the open space. This can cause problems with chewing and may also affect your appearance.

Your dentist may place a dental appliance called a space maintainer in the empty space to prevent the missing tooth to cause poor alignment. The space maintainer is a custom-made device that helps keep the teeth in their proper position until the permanent tooth erupts.

When sleeping, prop your head up with pillows to keep your head elevated and reduce swelling.

Signs of healing: In the first few days after an extraction, it’s normal to have some bleeding and swelling. The bleeding should gradually lessen, and the swelling should go down after a few days. Other signs that the extraction site is healing properly include:

  • A decrease in bleeding
  • The formation of a blood clot in the empty socket
  • Reduced pain and discomfort

When to Call Your Dentist

It is normal to experience some swelling, bruising, and bleeding after tooth extraction. However, if you experience any of the following, you should contact your dentist:

  1. If you have increasing pain that is not relieved by over-the-counter medication
  2. If you have a fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit
  3. If you cannot control bleeding by biting on gauze
  4. If you notice any foul smells or drainage from the extraction site
  5. If you develop new symptoms like numbness, tingling, or swelling beyond the original extraction site

4 Crucial Post-Extraction Tips

1. Watch for signs of infection:

If you have severe pain, bleeding that doesn’t stop, or pus coming from the extraction site, call your dentist right away. These symptoms may intensify or cause you to develop a fever, which could indicate an infection.

2. Keep your mouth clean:

Be sure to brush and floss your teeth regularly, even around the extraction site. This will assist in keeping the area clean and preventing infection.

tooth extractions and when to brush3. Eat soft foods:

For the first few days after an extraction, stick to soft foods like soup, pudding, and mashed potatoes. Avoid hard or crunchy foods that could irritate the extraction site.

4. See your dentist for follow-up appointments:

Your dentist will likely schedule a follow-up appointment 1-2 weeks after tooth extraction to ensure the extraction site is healing properly. They will check on the healing process at this appointment and remove any stitches if necessary.

They may also give you additional instructions on caring for the extraction site as it continues to heal.

Bottom Line

When caring for tooth extraction, following your dentist’s post-operative instructions is of utmost importance—taking care of yourself in the days and weeks after your extraction can ensure that the healing process goes as smoothly as possible. The tips above can help ensure that your tooth extraction heals appropriately and doesn’t become infected.

If you have any questions or concerns about your recovery, or if you’re experiencing any dental problems, don’t hesitate to call us here at Briargate Dental. We’re always happy to help and we’ll guide you through every step of the way! Thank you for choosing Briargate Dental!

The Importance of Replacing Missing Teeth

The Importance of Replacing Missing Teeth

Missing teeth are common and come from several causes. Many people think that a missing natural tooth is only about appearance, but it’s also about caring for your other existing teeth and overall mouth and dental health.

Teeth Can Shift Around Other Missing Teeth

For those that aren’t dentists, we tend to think of teeth as rooted in place, and, while this is true, it’s not quite as firm as we think. According to the American College of Prosthodontists, “More than 36 million Americans do not have any teeth, and 120 million people in the U.S. are missing at least one tooth.” and this number is expected to rise over the next 20 years.

So What should you do if you are missing a tooth? Call your dentist!

Missing teeth happen from decay, gum disease, injury, cancer, or simply wear and tear. Because tendons and nerves keep your teeth in place, your teeth can move. This is especially true when extra space appears in your mouth, such as when it happens with a missing tooth.

This gives other teeth the opportunity to shift over time slowly and discreetly which leaves teeth crooked or with gaps between them.

Another consequence of not replacing a missing tooth is a super-eruption. This happens when the natural tooth opposite your missing tooth grows out of its original position because that tooth no longer has resistance from the missing teeth.

Poor oral hygiene is an unintended consequence that happens when your teeth shift and can require gum disease treatment. Moving teeth create new crevices for plaque and bacteria to grow in and this leads to more damage to your teeth, like cavities and gum disease.

Replacing a missing ToothThe Mouth’s Alignment

Occlusion is the way your teeth fit together and a missing tooth can affect your alignment and spacing. Those ridges and cusps on the top of your teeth fit together like a puzzle, and missing teeth can change the way your teeth interact. When your occlusion changes, this leads to changes in pressure and bite force that can damage the surrounding teeth, leading to cracks and breaks.

With changes to your occlusion and thus your bite, comes changes to how your mouth chews food.

Missing teeth can cause changes in chewing that affect how easy it is to bite and chew and also changes the way we digest our food.

Poor digestion has far-reaching consequences for your gut and overall health and the fact that a missing tooth can achieve this, is reason alone to look into a dental solution.

Those gaps and crooked teeth mean your smile changes too. A nice smile comes with straighter, whiter teeth, which means a crooked, gappy smile doesn’t look so good.

This has negative effects on our confidence and on how others perceive us.

smiling while taking care of teethConfidence in Your Smile

Never underestimate the importance of a healthy smile. Smiling has several benefits, including increasing confidence, making you more approachable, making others happy, and making you look younger.

We can’t help but judge others based on the state of their teeth. Discolored teeth make us think of smoking or not brushing, chipped and broken teeth make us think of poor oral care, and bad breath is generally an unpleasant experience linked to both bad habits and bad hygiene. Because of this, the impression we make on people when we first meet them is affected by how our teeth look.

The consequences of failing to replace missing teeth mean that people might form negative opinions of who we are and how we take care of ourselves.

Current research shows that a healthy smile gives us a healthier outlook on life. This is in part because people who don’t go to the dentist are more likely to struggle with gum disease and other oral health problems.

Research also shows a connection between poor oral health and poor overall health. How we take care of our teeth is a good sign of how we take care of our body and mind.

How We Can Help

Briargate Dental Center dentists value the benefits of a healthy smile. Treatment options for missing teeth include dental implants, bridges, and partial dentures.

We’re happy to provide you with these options and more. Contact us today or call (719) 598-1293 for more information about our dental services and to make an appointment.