- 4771 ROUTE 71, OSWEGO, IL 60543
- (630) 554-8600
Multiple times a week if not daily, we may be likely to come across posts, articles and commercials about maintaining our physical and mental health. They remind us of the importance of eating, taking or doing something to preserve and care for our bodies and brains.
We might also see some messages about dental hygiene, such as choice of toothpaste, mouth rinse and tooth whitener. Some of them will mention the relevance of good hygiene. Yet all the while, we might still not be fully aware of just how valuable oral health is to our overall wellness.
Consider these facts about oral health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Oral health is essential to general health and well-being.
Oral disease can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking and learning. It can also affect social interaction and employment potential.
The three oral conditions that most affect overall health and quality of life are cavities, severe gum disease and severe tooth loss.
By age 8, over half of children (52%) have had a cavity in their primary (baby) teeth.
One in 4 adults aged 20 to 64 currently has cavities.
Medical-dental integration between oral health and chronic disease prevention programs benefits patients and saves money.
By contributing to our physical health, good oral health also supports greater mental health. With dentistry’s current cosmetic capabilities, thorough oral care further can help form an even more radiant smile and personal presentation. As we know, that can boost our mental health as well as spread a positive glow to other people.
As we focus on a greater quality of life and perhaps a longer lifespan in Oswego, Yorkville, Boulder Hill, Plainfield, Montgomery, Aurora and North Aurora (IL), we can be increasingly mindful of how to care for our teeth from simple cleaning to full mouth reconstruction.
We might not always be thinking of it, but our mouth is swarmed with bacteria. Many of them tend to be harmless, but if left to propagate they can cause bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease.
Certain bacteria also can travel deeper into our digestive and respiratory tracts, where they can further multiply and develop into problems, advancing as far as heart disease, diabetes and preterm labor.
Maintaining a daily regimen of brushing and flossing helps keep our mouth fresh and clean as well as free from damaging levels of bacterial growth. At the same time, personal hygiene alone may not fully ward off tooth and gum problems. For example, plaque and tartar can build around our gum lines even when we’re diligent brushers and flossers.
For this reason, it’s important to have our teeth cleaned and inspected by a trained dental professional every six months. These regular cleanings and exams also can help ensure that any signs of oral cancer are spotted at their earliest possible stage, which can be lifesaving.
Beyond dental hygiene, exams and cleanings, oral health can be properly maintained by having existing tooth and gum problems treated and repaired by specialized dentists.
Tooth repair and strengthening can stop a problem from advancing in the mouth while also contributing to a greater personal profile. The following are solutions for decayed teeth for patients in Oswego, Yorkville, Boulder Hill, Plainfield, Montgomery, Aurora and North Aurora.
Fillings. Modern dentistry now allows for the use of tooth-colored (or composite resin) fillings to restore teeth that had once been treated with silver amalgam fillings. Composite fillings look and feel more natural than silver fillings while also being just as durable because of advances in polymer resin technology.
Crowns. Porcelain crowns are ceramic restorations that cover the tooth’s full chewing area. They are usually placed on teeth that are too badly decayed to be repaired with a basic filling. Today’s porcelain materials allow a dental technician to create truly artful replacement teeth that are indistinguishable from natural teeth.
Some crowns might also be full-cast gold blended with small amounts of other elements for greater substance and durability. Gold crowns are most commonly used for molar (back) teeth, particularly for patients who grind their teeth or have very strong bites.
Endodontics (root canal). The inner tooth includes a soft tissue called the pulp, which contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues that support the tooth root as it develops. A fully developed tooth can survive without the pulp because it can be fed by surrounding tissues.
A root canal involves the removal of inflamed or infected pulp. The side of the tooth is cleaned and disinfected, and then it is filled and sealed with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha. Afterwards, the tooth is restored with a protective crown or filling. This allows the tooth to continue functioning like any other tooth.
As we’ve been touching on, we depend on our teeth for a lot, including the vital functions of chewing and biting, as well as protecting our physical health in Oswego, Yorkville, Boulder Hill, Plainfield, Montgomery, Aurora and North Aurora .
We also greatly rely on our teeth for forming words during speech and maintaining our face shape and jawbone. If the condition of our teeth worsens or we begin to lose teeth, chewing, biting, speaking and smiling all become compromised.
The good news is that modern dentistry provides different methods and technologies for repairing and even reconstructing the mouth as needed for straight, strong, attractive and functioning teeth.
Porcelain veneers. Thin shells of porcelain bond onto individual teeth to change the shape or color of them. Because they require very minimal tooth reduction before placement, they are considered more conservative than porcelain crowns. For many patients, this is the ideal method of improving their front teeth’s appearance.
Dentures. Dentures are appliances that take the place of missing teeth. Partial dentures replace some of the missing teeth in an arch, while full dentures replace all of the teeth. Dentures can be held in place in different ways. When properly fitted and made, they can achieve superb chewing as well as an engaging smile.
Implants. Small titanium fixtures are placed in the bone of the upper or lower jaw, where they bond with the bone and act as an anchor for replacement teeth. Dental implants can replace a single lost tooth or many missing teeth.
Enamel reshaping. In some cases, treatments such as porcelain veneers, crowns or tooth-colored fillings might not be necessary for restoring teeth. Some teeth can be returned to their original, natural beauty through tooth reshaping, a selective sanding and polishing process that is painless, quick and relatively inexpensive.
Clear Correct trays. If you’re a good candidate for clear aligners, your dentist will take photos and x-rays, use a scanner or impressions to capture the shape of your teeth and submit your prescription to ClearCorrect. A series of aligners will then be customized to apply pressure to the teeth you want to move. Your dentist will monitor your progress and provide you with new sets of aligners as needed.
Oswego Dental Group serves Oswego, Yorkville, Boulder Hill, Plainfield, Montgomery, Aurora and North Aurora (IL) with complete dental services for oral health that supports overall well-being as well as the tooth functions you depend on. To discuss your oral health and presentation or to schedule a dental consultation, call us today at (630) 554-8600!