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Many people mistakenly think that their teeth are made up of the same materials as their bones. Well, think again! Teeth are actually very different than bones, made up of several layers of tissue and minerals that help protect the teeth and keep them lasting a long time without the worry of serious wear. So while your teeth may look like funny-shaped bones, they are quite different.

While maybe similar to a bone in the way they look and feel, teeth differ in many ways. First and foremost, the anatomy of the bone compared to teeth is very different. The tooth consists of a center, or the pulp, which includes connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. This is the area that will cause a toothache if exposed or if a cavity reaches down to it. Bones, on the other hand, have a center filled with marrow that produces white blood cells, cells that your teeth do not do produce. The blood flowing through bones is made possible by arteries that pass through the bone and to the marrow.
The next layer of the tooth is known as dentin. This is the substance that makes up the majority of the tooth, and protects your teeth from the wear and tear of daily use, including eating, drinking, and harsh temperature changes. Dentin is calcified tissue, and is what helps make your teeth the hardest part of the human body. The only thing harder than dentin is the outer layer of your tooth, which protects the dentin. It’s the shiny white enamel that makes your teeth look so clean and bright. Enamel coats the tooth above the gum, while below your gums, cementum coats the roots and keeps your teeth in place.
Your bones’ outer layers are made of periosteum, which is a dense membrane that coats the outer surface of most bones. Periosteum also contains osteoblasts, which are cells that manufacture new bone growth and repair broken bones. This is something your teeth cannot do, and is a big reason why it’s important to take such good care of your teeth.
Another major difference between bone and teeth is the bone’s flexibility. Most of the bone’s makeup is of the protein collagen. This is a living, growing tissue that allows a bone to withstand pressure, while the calcium that makes up the rest of the bone allows the body to withstand its own weight. Teeth don’t have this kind of flexibility.
While teeth and bones are very different, they do have one obvious similarity: only you are responsible for their well-being. Taking care of both means eating right and taking preventive measures to make sure your body is out of harm. For teeth, this includes brushing and flossing everyday along with regular visits to the dentist for cleanings.
If you have any more questions on the makeup of your teeth or are interested in seeing one of Chicago’s top rated dentists, do not hesitate to call Water Tower Dental at (312) 787-2131.

For the young and old, teeth grinding is a serious concern. Thankfully there are methods to stopping teeth grinding before it gets too serious. For the young, however, this can be harder to do than for an adult. Children have less of a conscious attitude toward health than an adult, who understands the cause and effect of such bad habits. For children, it will take the help of their parent to stop teeth grinding before it becomes a serious health concern.

Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is when the jaw muscles tighten and clench, pushing the teeth together in a way that wears down the enamel of the tooth. The more this happens, the flatter the tooth becomes, and the closer the nerve endings are to being exposed, making the teeth more sensitive.
Almost all cases of teeth grinding happen at night, when the person is asleep, so it can be a hard habit to detect. With children, this is especially hard as they don’t realize why their head might hurt, or why their jaw is sore in the morning, which are two main symptoms of teeth grinding.
The best way one will know if their child is grinding their teeth is by the sound. Much like nails on a chalkboard, the sound of teeth grinding can be excruciating. If you hear a kind of grinding sound coming from your child’s room, you can suspect that they’re grinding their teeth. Often children grind their teeth because the top and bottom teeth are misaligned. They also may grind in response to an earache or teething.
Before heading straight to the dentist, there are ways to help you child relax their jaws and prevent them from teeth grinding without seeking medical attention.

Drinking More Water

Often teeth grinding in children is caused by dehydration. If you have discovered your child grinds their teeth, make sure to have them drink plenty of liquids throughout the day, the most important liquid being water.

Reducing Stress

For both adults and children, stress is a big cause of teeth grinding. For adults, stress can be caused by work or relationship troubles, while for children, it can be more about being scared at night, or having nightmares. To help prevent this, make sure your child isn’t eating too much bad food at night. Junk food with high amounts of sugar and sodium can lead to bad dreams. As well, make them feel comfortable by reading them a book or telling them a story before going to bed. This will help them relax and feel safe throughout the night.
Stress may also be caused by an illness such as an earache. Talking to your child’s pediatrician about ways to reduce pain in the ear and ease your child is recommended.

Relaxing Muscles

When muscles aren’t relaxed, they tend to tighten and clench at night. So it’s important to make sure your child’s muscles are loose, especially the jaw. A good way to loosen all muscles is by doing simple stretches before bed. For the jaw, a rag soaked in warm water and placed along the jawline and against the cheeks will help it become relaxed.

Aligning the Teeth

If the teeth-grinding is due to misaligned teeth, it could be time to seek the help of an orthodontist. Of course, visiting your dentist first for their full opinion is recommended.

Visiting the Dentist

If these practices do not help your child relax their jaw and stop grinding their teeth, you should seek the help of a dental professional. They can provide a mouthguard or other methods to help prohibit your child from grinding their teeth, along with evaluating if any serious damage has occurred due to the grinding.
While teeth grinding can be a serious issue, it is often easily resolved. If you have any more questions or concerns, contact Water Tower Dental. We can help guide you on methods for helping your child stop grinding their teeth and ensure their smiles are bright and healthy.

If you’ve ever noticed your own or your friend’s teeth appearing short and stubby, it may be from an excessive amount of gum tissue in the mouth. Heath-wise, an excess of gums is not good or bad, it simply is. Aesthetically, however, many people can feel self-conscious with the look of their smile. It can often make a person look as if they never lost their baby teeth, with their pearly whites looking too small for their mouth. A solution to remove excess gums from the mouth is by laser gum recontouring. This simple procedure can push back the amount of gums over the teeth and give a person an excellent smile.

Why Choose Laser Gum Recontouring?

Many people find laser gum recontouring a simple way to relieve themselves from a gummy smile. This happens when a smile shows more gum than teeth. Often, this is caused by excess of gums, however it can also be caused by hyperactivity of the muscle that controls lip movement, or a misaligned bite. If it is caused by over-excess of gums, laser recontouring is the option that can help turn that gummy smile into a perfect smile.
It’s good to know that overcrowding of gums is not an unhealthy issue. The only time laser gum recontouring is recommended is when the gums are healthy enough to withstand the push back. Excess gums that are unhealthy gums are often caused by other issues, such as inflamed gums from bacteria or periodontal disease. At which point, other dental procedures and options are available.
For healthy gums that are overcrowding the teeth and creating a gummy smile, laser recontouring is the solution.

How Does Laser Gum Recontouring Work?

While laser gum recontouring may sound scary, it’s much safer and more efficient than the old way of recontouring, which included a scalpel and a long recovery time. Using a precise diode laser, the procedure is virtually painless. The process begins by using an anesthetic to numb the mouth. The dentist then uses the diode laser at specific points of the gums. The heat of the laser vaporizes the excess gum tissue instantly without any type of burning sensation. As well, as the laser removes the excess gums, it also seals the remaining tissue which prohibits bleeding and chance of infection.
Recovery from laser recontouring is quite simple. Depending on the amount of tissue removed, there will be a few days of swelling and discomfort. Often, the patient will eat softer foods for a few days as the healing process continues. However, for the most part, recovery is quick and results are immediate.
If you have questions about laser gum recontouring or are interested in the procedure for yourself, do no hesitate to contact Water Tower Dental. We can schedule an appointment to look at your gums and decide on a proper procedure to put your smile on the path to perfection. If that includes laser gum recontouring, we will walk you through the steps of the procedure and make certain that you are comfortable and ready for a great smile.
 

Many people have serious phobias of doctors and dentists. Often it comes from past experiences that might not have gone over so well. Other times the fear lacks reason. Either way, there are ways to overcome the fear of the dentist so you can commit yourself to appointments and make sure your teeth are in great health.

The first step to overcoming your fear is to understand that it is a common issue. Popular culture often eludes and overcompensates the actual job of a dentist, giving him or her a crazed look and pliers too big for your mouth. It’s the wrong image of what are actually, caring and gentle doctors that want to help and make you feel comfortable in the dentist’s chair. Once you lose that mentality and understand that a dentist will be as gentle as possible, then you can already start to feel a little safer. Here are eight tips to help make visiting the dentist relaxing and lose your fear of the dentist.

Make an Appointment at a Stress-Free Time

Stress is a major factor that can make your fear of the dentist escalate. Find a date for an appointment that isn’t surrounded with other stressful activities. Consider taking the day off of work, or scheduling around a slower time of the month. Making an appointment during the holiday season or a day before you leave for a European vacation is not the best time for your stress and fear.

Don’t Arrive Too Early

Sitting in a crowded waiting room listening to ominous sounds coming from the dentist’s chair will not help your fear. Try to arrive close to the time of your appointment so you don’t need to spend as much time waiting. It can also help to bring a friend or loved one with you that can sit with you in the waiting room and offer their support.

Have a Conversation With Your Dentist

The best way to alleviate the fear of an “evil” dentist is to talk to them and trust them. This doesn’t need to include a step by step breakdown of what the dentist will be doing to your teeth, but rather, a casual conversation about your day, catching up on a story or two to help you feel comfortable. As well, don’t feel shy about telling your dentist that you have some fears about sitting in the dentist’s chair. Your doctor should be able to help you relax and reassure you that there is nothing to fear.

Bring a Stress Ball

This is a simple way to alleviate fear once you sit down. Squeezing on a stress ball will release your stress and keep you from concentrating too hard on the dentist’s actions.

Bring Headphones

Consider listening to music while in the dentist’s chair. Bring headphones and put on music that relaxes you. This will help keep your mind off of what’s happening.

Practice Meditation Techniques

It helps to practice the techniques that make meditation so relaxing. This includes deep-breathing exercises, clearing the mind, keeping your eyes closed, and focusing on positive energy. This will be especially helpful if you practice beforehand.

Discuss the Procedures With Your Doctor

If you can handle it, talk to your doctor about what exactly is going to happen during the procedure that is being performed. Often, the mind can exaggerate the intensity of the procedure and make it much worse than it actually is.

Talk to Your Dentist About Sedation

If the methods above don’t work for you and you still need a way of coping with the dentist, you can talk to your dentist about sedation techniques that will keep you from feeling anything during your visit. Unless your visit includes a serious surgery, we suggest avoiding this method, as it’s not a long-lasting solution.
Most importantly, it is best to understand that there is nothing to fear about the dentist. At Water Tower Dental Care, our dentists and technicians are caring and highly-trained professionals using the most current and safest technologies available. One visit to our offices and you’ll see, there’s nothing to be worried about. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact Water Tower Dental, voted Chicago’s #1 Dentistry.