Scaling and Root Planing

If you have an aggressive form of periodontal disease, this puts the gums at risk for becoming inflamed and sensitive and the teeth at risk for falling out.  Our doctors at Downtown Dental LLC encourage patients to schedule routine dental visits to prevent periodontal disease that harms the oral cavity. When periodontal disease becomes severe, scaling and root planing will be necessary to restore periodontal health.

Root planing and scaling are done when gums have either started to pull away from the teeth or the roots of the teeth have hard mineral deposits (tartar) on them. Dental scaling occurs with manual hand instruments, ultrasonic instruments or both. Our doctor will start the procedure with a thorough examination of your mouth. Next, an ultrasonic scaling device will be used to eliminate the plaque bacteria with sonic vibrations. Because this may cause gum sensitivity, we are happy to discuss sedation options that will make the patient more comfortable.

If you have questions or concerns regarding periodontal disease or scaling and root planing, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.downtown-dental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Downtown Dental LLC in Chicago, IL, call 312-782-8862. 

Types of Bridges

Chicago’s Downtown Dental offices are home to many dentists who are experienced providers of tooth restorations. One of the oldest and most reliable forms of restoration is the dental bridge, but there have been several improvements in it recently that present patients with more options.

A bridge is a series of artificial crowns that can be used to restore multiple teeth. The type of bridge most familiar to patients is one with a pontic crown suspended between two crowns that were cemented over reshaped natural teeth. This type of restoration allowed patients to retain the natural roots of the reshaped teeth, but it was developed at a time when dentists assumed all teeth would eventually need to be replaced. Modern dentists are more reluctant to reshape or extract natural teeth when they are healthy, making this kind of bridge less desirable for people without widespread decay.

In recent times, dentists have developed removable partial dentures with gaps to fit around healthy teeth. Removable bridges are easy to keep clean, but they need to be reshaped if the natural tooth shifts position, and they may still require nearby teeth to be slightly reshaped so the denture can clasp onto them. If the patient has sufficient jaw tissue, it is also possible for us to use implants to directly secure a dental bridge or partial denture to the patient’s jaw bone.

Downtown Dental LLC operates its Loop office at 25 E Washington St, Suite 1921, Chicago, Illinois, 60602. Call 312-782-8862. The River North office is at 676 N Michigan Ave, Suite #3500, Chicago, IL, 60611. Call 312-274-3333. Visit Downtown Dental online.

 

Types of Teeth

The Downtown Dental offices in Chicago want our patients to feel included and confident in their oral health decisions. Different types of teeth serve distinct functions and encounter specific problems, so patients should be aware of the terms dentists use to describe them.

Typically, children grow twenty teeth and adults grow thirty-two, which are evenly distributed between the jaws. Most adults have had a few teeth removed. The four flat teeth in the front of each jaw are called incisors. They are the first teeth to emerge in children and are the most important for forming speech. To the sides of the incisors are a single pair of cuspids, which are also called canines or eyeteeth. They are sharp and used for piercing. Due to their location at the transition from the front of the jaw to its sides, these teeth are especially important for jaw stability.

The teeth on the sides of the mouth are wide and used for chewing. They are made up of raised cusps with indentations in between. Per jaw, adults have two pairs of premolars, which have a single root. Behind them are three pairs of molars, including the wisdom teeth, which are furthest in back. Lower molars have two roots, while upper molars have three.

Downtown Dental LLC operates its Loop office at 25 E Washington St, Suite 1921, Chicago, Illinois, 60602. Call 312-782-8862. The River North office is at 676 N Michigan Ave, Suite #3500, Chicago, IL, 60611. Call 312-274-3333. Visit Downtown Dental online.

 

Mouth Guards

If you play contact sports, such as baseball, basketball, and hockey, our doctors at Downtown Dental LLC hope that you’re wearing a mouth guard. Imagine what it would be like if you suddenly lost one or two of your front teeth. Your smile, speech, and chewing abilities would all be affected. Mouth guards, also called mouth protectors, help cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your lips, tongue, face, or jaw. We provide patients with custom-made mouth guards to best suit their needs.

For the highest level of comfort and protection, you should visit Downtown Dental LLC for a custom mouth guard fitting. A custom mouth guard is created specifically for the optimal protection of your mouth and your mouth only. The thinness of the custom mouth guard also allows for easy breathing and easy communication, which is important when you’re calling shots on the field or the court.

If you have questions or concerns about mouthguards, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.downtown-dental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Downtown Dental LLC in Chicago, IL, call 312-782-8862. 

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Parents may not realize, but giving an infant a sugary drink at nap or nighttime is harmful because, during sleep, the flow of saliva decreases, allowing the sugary liquids to linger on the child’s teeth for an extended period of time. This can lead to baby bottle tooth decay and our doctors at Downtown Dental LLC would like you to know the dangers of this condition.

Baby teeth are placeholders for permanent teeth, so it is important to keep their gums healthy from birth. If teeth are infected or lost too early due to baby bottle tooth decay, your child may develop poor eating habits, speech problems, crooked teeth, and perhaps damaged adult teeth. Baby bottle tooth decay is caused by the frequent and long-term exposure of a child’s teeth to liquids containing sugars. This is why it’s important to clean your infant’s gums with a warm washcloth after each feeding.

If you have questions or concerns about pediatric dentistry, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.downtown-dental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Downtown Dental LLC in Chicago, IL, call 312-782-8862.