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Repairing a chipped tooth is usually not as hard as one would imagine. Through several different processes, depending on the severity of the chipped tooth, a dentist can make your smile look good as new.
It all starts with the chip. While enamel is the strongest mineralized tissue of the body, it can still be broken. You could be eating a hard candy or chewing ice, you could fall or take a blow to the face; whatever it is, it can damage your tooth and require immediate attention.

What To Do If You Chip Your Tooth

Before anything else, you should know what to do right after you chip your tooth:

• First, make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible. Chips and fractures can become a lot worse, either by fracturing more or developing an infection, if left unattended.
• If the tooth causes you pain, use an over the counter pain reliever and rinse your mouth with salt water.
• If the tooth has a sharp edge resulting from the fracture, use gum or a paraffin wax to cover the tooth and protect your gums.
• Avoid hard foods, and if you must eat before your dentist appointment, choose soft foods: smoothies, mashed potatoes, and the like, to avoid biting down on your gums.

Treatment for a Broken Tooth

There are several types of treatment for a chipped tooth, depending on the severity of the fracture. If it’s a small crack or chip, it usually takes one visit to the dentist to solve, while more severe fractures can take several visits.
For small cracks and chips, a procedure called “bonding” is performed. Bonding does not require numbing the tooth. To bond a tooth, the dentist will add a liquid or gel to prepare the tooth for the bonding material. Next, the dentist applies an adhesive and attaches the bonding material. The material is shaped to look like a natural tooth, then dried by applying an ultraviolet light to harden the material.
For larger fractures, a crown can be placed over the teeth. This requires filing down enough of the tooth to then place a cap over it and cement it down. This protects the exposed underside of the tooth while allowing you the ability to chew and smile normally. Crowns involve taking an X-ray and impressions of your teeth for a crown to be made. On a second visit, with a permanent crown made, your dentist will use a composite cement to permanently place the crown over your tooth.
If the fracture of the tooth is so large that it exposes the root or pulp of the tooth (the center which contains nerves and blood vessels), a root canal is needed. This treatment involves removing the remaining pieces of tooth along with the dead pulp. The dentist then cleans out the empty root canal and seals it to avoid infection.
There are many options for chipped, broken, and fractured teeth, but only a medical professional can determine the right solution for you. If you are experiencing pain from a chipped tooth, contact Water Tower Dental, Chicago’s #1 rated dentist office set the path for a better, brighter smile.

Believe it or not, neglecting your teeth and gums can affect the rest of your body, including your heart, blood, and respiratory system. The mouth is the gateway to the body, and as bacteria builds inside the mouth, it can drastically hurt the rest of your body.
The usual culprit for increasing your risk of other diseases is periodontal (or gum) disease. This is when enough food and sugars collect between your teeth and gums to allow bacteria to thrive. The more the bacteria thrives, the more inflamed your gums become. The inflammation of gums can restrict blood flow and cause further complications in the body.

Here are several ways that bad oral hygiene may affect your body.

Increased Risk of Stroke

Studies have shown people with periodontal disease are more likely to develop heart disease. This is due to bacteria and plaque from the gums entering the bloodstream, which contains a clot-promoting protein. As well, inflammation in the mouth causes inflammation in other blood vessels, adding to the risk.

Increased Risk of Diabetes

The relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease seem to be a two way street. Many people with diabetes will have a harder time fighting gum disease because they are more susceptible to infection.
However, inflammation can also weaken the body’s ability to control its blood sugar. This, in turn, gives you a higher risk of diabetes. The good news is that you can work the relationship to your favor: by controlling one of the issues, you can help bring the other under control.

Increased Risk of Dementia

There may be a relationship between gum disease and tooth loss, and your risk of dementia and early stage Alzheimer’s disease. The relationship is due to the infections in the gums that release inflammatory substances that can affect the inflammation of the brain, causing neuronal (brain cell) death.

Increased Risk of Cancer

A study recently showed that men with gum disease had increased chances of developing kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, and blood cancer. Some increased by 50% or more. As well, bad oral hygiene is directly attributed to oral cancers.

Other Potential Risks

Linking periodontal disease with other issues is a relatively new practice. Doctors are making strides in finding more connections that can help people understand the importance of good oral hygiene. Other potential risks being considered include:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Lung Conditions including pneumonia and pulmonary disease
• Obesity

Of course, all of these diseases can be caused by a lot more than just bad oral hygiene. But if keeping your teeth clean, flossing, brushing, and visiting a dentist on a regular basis can help decrease your risk of having these diseases, it seems like a no-brainer that you should take care of your teeth.
If you have any more questions about how to help prevent periodontal disease and keep your teeth under proper care, contact Water Tower Dental today, Chicago’s #1 rated dentist office.

Many people are reluctant to floss, for one reason or another. However one convinces themselves, the reasons one avoids flossing is probably wrong. There are many myths about flossing that can easily be busted with a simple explanation. These are nine myths that tend to keep people from flossing, but should stop no one.

1. If My Gums Bleed I Should Stop Flossing

This is a big myth that can keep many people from flossing everyday. They think that they are hurting themselves by flossing, causing their gums to bleed. In fact, it’s the opposite. Your gums bleed because the bacteria growing between your teeth have inflamed your gums. If you floss daily and visit a dentist for cleanings, your gums will bleed less and less until the bacteria is cleared out and they stop bleeding altogether.

2. Flossing Will Loosen Fillings

Flossing is necessary with any kind of dental work, including fillings, crowns, veneers, bridges, and more. Dental work becomes necessary when one doesn’t floss enough. Any kind of dental work needs extra care. Flossing everyday is absolutely necessary.

3. I Cannot Floss With Braces

Though it may be harder to floss with braces, it is necessary. With braces, gums are more likely to become inflamed and infected.

4. I Cannot Floss Because My Teeth are Too Close Together

At Water Tower Dental Care, we can attest that we have never had a patient that has had teeth too close together to floss. Of course some teeth are closer than others and it can be difficult to floss. There is specific thinner floss that one can purchase to solve this issue, but from our experience, this is an excuse more than an actual problem.

5. Flossing Takes Too Much Time

Though some people may have busier mornings than others, there is always time to floss. You can floss in the morning, afternoon, or night—any time of the day. Proper flossing should take no more than two to three minutes. If someone doesn’t have two to three minutes to spare in their day, they may have bigger problems to deal with, though we doubt anyone is that busy.

6. A Waterpik Does the Same Job

Many think that a waterpik can take the place of flossing. Though a waterpik is a very useful tool, it cannot do as good of a job as floss. A waterpik should be used in conjunction with flossing, not as a replacement.

7. I Use Mouthwash Instead of Floss

Just like a waterpik, while mouthwash definitely helps, it is adjunct to floss. Mouthwash is better for loosening plaque, killing bacteria, and freshening breath, but it cannot take the place of floss.

8. There’s No Food In My Teeth, So I Don’t Need to Floss

First, food can be hard to detect in the far reaches of your teeth. Unless you have advanced mirror and lighting technologies to see far into the back reaches of your teeth, it is impossible to say if there’s food between your teeth. More importantly, floss does not just remove food from your teeth, it also helps remove plaque that is built up between them. This plaque is what can cause gum disease and cavities. It is the main reason you floss.

9. Flossing Is Not Fun

Though you may not find it fun at first, flossing will become a rewarding and pleasurable experience the more you do it. You will become more used to the process, and it will feel good to make the space between your teeth clean and smooth.

It’s a surprise at how little many people think about their teeth until a true problem arises. Teeth are often ignored and given little care until it’s too late. The best thing a person can do for their teeth is to educate themselves on the proper care as well as their simple structure. Many people don’t even realize they have several different types of teeth. Today, we’d like to help our readers by listing the different types of teeth and how they help you every day.
Each type of tooth in your mouth comes in a slightly different shape to help perform its job within the mouth.

Incisors

The incisors are the eight teeth that line the front center of your mouth. Four on the top and four on the bottom of your mouth. These teeth are primarily used for taking the first bite into food, however many also use them for nail biting and opening packages (two big no no’s). As a child, these are the first teeth that tend to erupt and become exposed. This typically happens when babies are 6-months-old for the first set and between 6 and 8 years of age for the second set.

Canines

You have four canines, one on each side of your incisors. Canines are the sharpest of your teeth. While incisors usually take the first bite of food, canines are the ones to really tear the food apart. Canines appear second in the order of teeth for children, the first set appear around 16 to 20 months with the top canines arriving first. However, the top canines arrive second when the second set grow in, usually between 11 and 12 years of age.

Premolars

Premolars, also known as bicuspids, are used for the chewing and grinding of the foods you eat. Premolars are placed on the side of your mouth, four on each side, two on the top and two on the bottom. Premolars are bigger and thicker than canines and incisors, but are just as susceptible to cavity and decay. Your first and only premolars arrive around the age of 10.

Molars

Molars are the largest of the teeth. They have a flat biting surface and are used primarily for chewing, grinding, and crushing food. The first set of molars come in between 12 and 15 months and are replaced by the permanent premolars (these are known as deciduous molars). The first set of permanent molars appear around the age of 6, and the second set between 11 and 13 years old.

Third Molars

More commonly known as wisdom teeth, these are the last teeth to develop between the ages of 18 and 20. While some people never develop wisdom teeth at all, others need them removed to prevent crowding.
Knowing the different types and uses for your teeth can help you care for them as well as use them properly. For more questions about your teeth type or anything dental related, do not hesitate to contact Water Tower Dental Care, voted Chicago’s number 1 dental office.