Upper front teeth normally are 20% longer than they are wide. If this length to width ratio is closer to 1:1, the teeth will appear short or boxy and can make the smile appear unbalanced and not symmetrical. The appearance of short teeth is caused mainly by heavy wear, how the gum lays over the… Read more »
Do you clench your teeth for no apparent reason? Many people perform this action subconsciously. Some may do it during stressful situations, while others may only do it during their sleep. Teeth clenching can have detrimental effects on your teeth. Your overall health can also be severely impacted. Breaking the habit while awake is not nearly… Read more »
Are you wearing the enamel off of your front teeth? As teeth get thin from enamel loss, they become translucent. Translucent teeth appear thin around the edges and are white grey in color. Once the outer enamel layers begin to thin, the teeth are more susceptible to injury. There are various explanations for why the teeth… Read more »
As time passes, some dental wear and tear can inevitably happen. As strong as our teeth can be, they still have a difficult job, and regularly experience biting and chewing pressure. What you should be wary of is the effect that poor dental care and habits like teeth grinding can do to your smile. If… Read more »
Healthy teeth are incredibly strong, and the enamel that protects them is the most resilient substance your body produces. Nevertheless, undue pressure or accidental trauma can still wear down or crack a tooth, and when that happens, repairing it is a time-sensitive process. As you continue to bite and chew, the crack will grow worse… Read more »
Smile improvement is something that most of us consider at some point in our lives. With today’s advanced techniques and dental technologies, more people can enjoy cosmetic dentistry when they have bruxism. However, some things can affect your smile’s appearance without you realizing it or can impact the success of your cosmetic dental treatment. For… Read more »
Cosmetic dental bonding is a simple and common way to improve the look of your front teeth. Bonding is typically used to close spaces between natural teeth, replace worn enamel, re-shape crooked or misaligned teeth, repair broken teeth, and cover stains that tooth whitening treatments cannot remove. While white fillings work well and look great,… Read more »
There is no secret, one time trick to keep your teeth healthy for life. A healthy mouth requires a lifetime commitment of routine care to protect your teeth and gums. What many people don’t realize, however, is that teeth also have their own protection. A protective layer that keeps the vulnerable inner tooth from being… Read more »
The symptoms of a broken tooth are sometimes difficult to distinguish from symptoms of other dental health issues. For instance, like bruxism or TMJ disorder, cracked tooth syndrome causes sensitivity to extreme temperatures. For example, eating ice cream, or drinking hot coffee may produce an aching sensation in your teeth. In severe cases, breathing hot… Read more »
You may have more options for improving your smile’s appearance than you realize, and in many cases, those options are as minimally invasive as they are effective. For instance, with bonding, your dentist can successfully improve a number of different smile issues without having to permanently change your tooth structure. Today, we take a look… Read more »
At some point in your life, you may be faced with treating cavities by your dentist. As a product of tooth decay, which results from harmful oral bacteria, cavities are holes in your teeth that continue to grow larger until your dentist treats them. The good news is that, despite being one of the most… Read more »
Are you unhappy with your smile, but you’ve put off seeing your dentist because you think improving your teeth is either unaffordable, or will take too long to see results? Did you know that tooth bonding can be a quick way to resolve many issues, such as chipped, stained or disproportionally small front teeth? Through… Read more »
Bruxing, the grinding and clenching of your teeth due to stress, tension, worry, or a number of other reasons can probably be considered a nervous habit if that is why you do it, but another nervous habit that can destroy your teeth is nail biting. Not only is nail biting unsanitary, but it can be… Read more »
If you have a damaged tooth via accident or decay, there are many treatment options available to save it. There are minimally invasive and more invasive options depending on the case. Extreme decay and accident would probably require a more invasive treatment. In today’s blog, Dr. Fondriest discusses one option: Porcelain on Metal Crowns. What are… Read more »
Sometimes the answer to that question is yes, regardless of all of the dental treatments available today. The most common tooth extraction is wisdom tooth removal, but other reasons for tooth extraction include tooth trauma, crowding, and disease. Your dentist will consider all options available before settling on tooth extraction as the treatment of choice…. Read more »
What are the risks of constant clenching? Your teeth resist stress every day by biting and chewing your food. For some people, that pressure is multiplied by constant clenching and grinding. The habit of clenching your teeth may not produce any symptoms. Or it in combination with bruxism may wear down your teeth enough to… Read more »
If you’ve sustained an injury to the face or mouth, habitually grind your teeth, or cracked or fractured a tooth from trauma or for any other reason, it might immediately become sensitive. The toothache can warn you that your tooth is in danger and prompt you to seek appropriate treatment. However, not all tooth cracks… Read more »
Normally, you shouldn’t have tooth sensitivity other than the pressures of biting and chewing. The outer layer of your teeth, called enamel, is the most resilient substance your body produces. It is designed to seal off and protect the inner parts of your teeth. Teeth roots, which aren’t covered by tooth enamel, are protected by… Read more »
Even when patients diligently brush and floss their teeth, certain habits like tooth gnashing can cause significant dental problems. For example, habitually gnashing teeth can wear down a tooth’s natural defenses, leading to a host of dental problems that can destroy your smile. Clinically known as bruxism, habitual teeth grinding is more common than many… Read more »
A number of factors can cause a tooth to chip. For example, eating something too hard or suffering with dental trauma can lead to a damaged tooth. Regardless of the cause, though, a dentist can typically repair the tooth. To help his patients understand how a chipped tooth is treated, Dr. James Fondriest shares this… Read more »
Unconscious teeth grinding or rubbing the teeth together is very common. It is thought that about 50% of us grind to some degree. Though commonly referred to as a habit, the truth is that sleep bruxism is a chronic condition, and patients who experience it often can’t stop even if they want to. The good… Read more »
Did you know that our tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body? Our teeth are meant to withstand bite force, bacteria, and trauma. Unfortunately, our teeth can still become cracked or chipped. At Lake Forest Dental Arts, we can repair and restore a damaged tooth. In today’s blog, your Chicago Cosmetic… Read more »
A fractured tooth can occur out of nowhere. Whether it’s the result of an unexpected blow to the mouth or gradual wear to the tooth, a fractured tooth can be a very serious shock. Thus, it is good to have a plan of action should such a situation occur. Read below as Dr. James Fondriest,… Read more »
A tooth cap or dental crown is often recommended to restore damaged teeth. Teeth caps can repair your teeth and improve your smile. These modern dental restorations are designed specifically to mimic the size, shape, appearance, and function of healthy, natural teeth. When the visible portion of a tooth is damaged, then a dental cap… Read more »
We all want strong, confident smiles, but after a lifetime of use, our teeth are sometimes left cracked, chipped, or broken. This does not preclude the possibility of getting a beautiful smile. Dr. Fondriest can repair damage and roll back the clock on your teeth with lifelike crowns.
Our teeth handle a great deal of abuse from masticating hard foods to erosion by acid producing bacteria. If you damage teeth through eating habits and poor dental care, and a filling, onlay, or inlay can’t correct the damaged tooth structure, you may need a crown. Do you know the procedure for placing a crown?… Read more »
When you eat something that disagrees with your stomach, you might experience heartburn. Episodes of heartburn can become uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Chronic heartburn can eventually hurt the esophagus. Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD affects teeth. In this article, Dr. James Fondriest, explains GERD and how to protect teeth from stomach acid. What is GERD… Read more »
TMJ refers to the tempromandibular joints that lay in either side of your face, where the jaw connects to the skull. Nestled within the joint is a cartilage disc that allows for full articulation of the jaw. Healthy TMJ function lets you to open and close your jaw with a smooth gliding motion. Any disruption… Read more »
If you’re vigilant about your dental hygiene and see your Chicago dentist twice a year for cleanings and checkups, you’re handling your oral care well. You should experience relatively few dental problems. However, dental issues occasionally arise, despite the best habits. If you experience any of the symptoms discussed below, make an appointment with Dr…. Read more »
If you’ve noticed small lines on your teeth, you may have what dentists call craze lines. These web looking imperfections should not be confused with a truly fractured tooth, which is painful. Craze lines are merely hairline cracks in tooth enamel. Though these lines on teeth are cosmetically displeasing, they are not particularly harmful to… Read more »
Dental cavities are common. Even individuals who practice impeccable oral hygiene can still develop tooth decay. Left untreated, this condition can lead to discomfort and other serious long term problems. Fortunately, there are several treatments available to address the issue, including fillings, crowns, and other custom invisible dental restorations. In this article, we will discuss… Read more »
Are your teeth worn down as a result of bruxism? If you have issues with bruxism (also called nighttime grinding) your dentist may have given you a bite guard to wear at night. However your dentist may not have the ability required to repair the effects of bruxism. Dr. James Fondriest, a cosmetic dentist, can… Read more »