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If you have teeth that have been damaged or are worn down before their time, composite or porcelain veneers might be just what you need to feel good about your smile again. Dental veneers are used to protect teeth that have experienced trauma or simply to improve their appearance. Veneers are placed directly over the surface of the tooth and give you and your cosmetic dentist additional options beyond crowns.

Veneers are generally fabricated from one of two different types of materials: porcelain or composite. A veneer made of porcelain must be created in a lab by an experienced dental technician and then applied to the tooth by the patient’s dentist. On the other hand, cosmetic dentists can directly place a composite veneer in the patient’s mouth by building it up on the tooth’s surface. However, some believe composite veneers are less durable and more prone to stains than porcelain.

Explanations for this aggravating but difficult to control phenomenon are as varied as the suggestions for how to stop snoring. It seems that everyone’s got a different theory on what leads to snoring; thus, everyone’s also got a different snoring cure.

Here’s what most medical professionals seem to agree causes snoring, however: when we sleep, the muscles in our breathing passages relax and become narrower, making it difficult for air to pass through like it does when we are awake and our muscles are engaged. However, we still require the same amount of air, even when we’re sleeping, so to compensate, air intake speed increases. This puts pressure on the throat and vibrates the respiratory structure. The vibration noise is what is known as snoring, and it can range from mild to as loud as a jackhammer.

Certain factors can cause blocked airways. Obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle can produce snoring, as excess weight can hinder breathing. Alcohol consumption just before bed may also be a culprit because the muscles become extremely relaxed. Some people, however, are just prone to snoring because of the way their uvula and soft palate are naturally shaped.

To combat the problem, a variety of snoring remedies have emerged over the years. They differ in terms of technology and application, but almost all remedies are designed to remove blockage of the breathing passage.

Toronto is a center for cosmetic dentistry, so it isn’t surprising that more and more locals are interested in pursuing procedures that brighten, whiten, and straighten teeth. Currently, porcelain veneers in Toronto are especially popular. Veneers look like natural tooth enamel. Veneers are glossy and can be colored to match existing teeth. More importantly, they are translucent just like real teeth. When light strikes the surface of a natural tooth, it penetrates—the same thing happens with veneers, which is the reason that they look superior to other types of tooth applications. For this reason, patients who get veneers have natural-looking smiles. This is pleasantly ironic, considering that natural teeth often reflect years of damage, staining, and even alignment in teeth.

Veneers are not used solely for coloration—though they can help some patients whose natural tooth color is resistant to procedures like laser teeth whitening. Every individual’s teeth have a natural tint that ranges from yellowish to grayish. Those who have teeth with a slightly grayish tint often find that tooth whitening isn’t effective. For these individuals, veneers can give teeth a lasting pearly color.

Veneers are frequently used to repair cracked or chipped teeth. Each veneer is made for a custom fit, and because they look so similar to real teeth, many patients prefer to have a veneer versus a filling.

Finally, veneers can sometimes be used to correct misalignment. The upside to this is that getting veneers is much easier and quicker than orthodontics. The downsides include the fact that veneers cannot correct all misalignment issues. Also, the original teeth must be filed, and it can be difficult to properly clean the veneers if teeth are still crooked when the veneers are in place.

While porcelain veneers can’t solve every problem, they have helped many patients feel better about their teeth, smile, and overall appearance! Patients can get veneers placed at any cosmetic dentist office, such as “Style by Jury” dentists Dr. Andrew Charkiw and Dr. Armaghan Afsar. The procedure is a relatively simple one, and one that many patients feels drastically improves their appearance and confidence.

Orthodontics is the study and treatment of improper bites or “malocclusions.” Orthodontics align teeth, which enhances their appearance but also corrects an improper bite. When combined with cosmetic procedures like laser teeth whitening, orthodontics can transform a plain or unattractive smile into a glamorous one. Innovations in orthodontics leave patients with more choices than ever before. The following applications are available to patients who need to correct tooth alignment:

Metal Braces: Metal braces are the most traditional means of correcting alignment, and contemporary applications are completely different than their thick, uncomfortable predecessors! Contemporary metal braces are thin, sleek, and more quickly removed than those worn in prior decades. These can be used to correct the broadest range of alignment issues.

Ceramic Braces: Ceramic braces match metal braces in form—but their coloration and texture look similar to teeth, so they are harder to detect. Ceramic is strong, but not as tough as metal; therefore, these braces, while more attractive, are slightly less durable than metal braces.

Veneers: In some cases, porcelain veneers, or adhesions, can help correct alignment, but veneers are not sufficient to address most alignment issues. See the difference veneers can make on shows like the popular makeover series “Style by Jury.”

Invisalign: This is a modern application involving clear aligners that fit over the teeth and can be removed for eating and brushing. This application corrects many but not all alignment issues.

With so many choices to correct alignment, there is no reason to have crooked teeth—especially if they cause issues in eating, sleeping, comfort, or the appearance of your smile. Individuals who are interested in straightening their teeth can visit a local cosmetic dentist and explore each option. For porcelain veneers Toronto residents count on the experienced dentists at Toronto Smile Makeovers.

Healthy and well-contoured gums are important to both the look and health of teeth. Often patients are unaware of how dramatically a gum lift can influence oral health or the appearance of a smile. Laser gum treatments are commonly used to eliminate gum disease in early stages, and the procedure is also more and more widely used in cosmetic dentistry to enhance a patient’s smile.

Many patients unknowingly suffer from gum disease. Even when they become aware of a problem, patients sometimes avoid seeking treatment anticipating discomfort or treatment that could require an extended recovery period. These days, many dentists offer laser gum treatment, which minimizes bleeding, swelling, and the recovery period after the procedure. The dentist uses a laser to clear away affected tissue and bacteria from the gum pocket. In local offices, dentists Toronto residents visit may recommend this procedure to treat conditions like gingivitis in early stages. (Gum disease is more difficult to treat using laser surgery in later stages.)

Many individuals benefit both health wise and aesthetically from this procedure. Cosmetic dentistry Toronto specialists Dr. Afsar and Dr. Charkiw perform this procedure on many patients and display before and after photographs on their website at www.TorontoSmileMakeovers.com.

When it comes to medical records, health care facilities and practices have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety and preservation of all medical records, whether they are in paper or EHR format. Data protection legislation states that a record’s custodian and creator has the legal responsibility and is considered the owner of the physical medical records. This includes tracings and films from diagnostic tests such as MRI, X-Ray, PRT, CT, and more. However, the information in these records is technically the property of the patient. They have the right to obtain copies of their records as well as to see the originals according to the law. Those responsible for maintaining the records must make sure that all electronic medical record software, hardware, and media remains viable, is securely backed up, and is protected from the effects of degradation. As media does degrade over time, transferring the data to ensure its preservation is essential.

Patients often assume that a dental implant is stronger than a natural tooth—actually, the opposite is true. The implant sticks to bone, so in many ways it looks and feels like a natural tooth. However, an implant is NOT as strong as a natural tooth. Therefore, patients need to take extra care as they clean and care for dental implants. Canada and the United States have both seen a dramatic increase in dental implant procedures over recent years, so dentists understandably want to spread the word on how to properly care for dental implants:

• Brush and floss the implant regularly and carefully. Be gentle, and be sure to brush all sides of the tooth.
• Floss carefully at least once per day. Be especially gentle where the implant meets the gum.
• Get regular cleanings and check-ups to keep natural teeth in top condition, and to detect any early signs of gum disease. Problems with false teeth might require a visit to a prosthodontist, which your dentist can recommend.

The field of cosmetic dentistry has made it possible to forego uncomfortable dentures and other prior methods patients prefer to avoid. For this reason, all over Canada, including in the city of Toronto, dental implants have increased markedly. Dentists who perform these procedures want to be sure patients get the most out of their tooth replacements with proper care and regular check-ups. Those who do can see the difference!

With almost no corner of the U.S. untouched by substance dependency and/or abuse, a new form of opioid dependence treatment called Suboxone may be gaining momentum in South Carolina, according to recent reporting from The Post and Courier.

In broad geographic terms, the South suffers from a lower percentage of substance abuse and dependence (8.7%) than the Midwest, West, or the Northeast (10%, 9.2%, and 8.1% respectively), according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). However, an estimated 31,000 people in South Carolina have used heroin and 439,000 have reported illicit use of pain pills. Anecdotal evidence from Suboxone users and prescribers in the state suggests that some South Carolina communities have warmed to the drug’s effects. Of Suboxone, Dr. Sarah Book, an addiction expert at Medical University of South Carolina, said, “This drug is like no other drug I’ve prescribed. It changes lives.”

Echoing Book, doctors and researchers around the country have had similar praise for the FDA-approved drug, which has been available since 2003. Dr. Claude Curran, a Fall River psychiatrist, told The Boston Globe in 2006 that the medication “has the potential to wipe out at least 50% of the national demand for heroin.”

Buprenorphine, the primary active compound in Suboxone, works similarly to full opioid agonist such as heroin, methadone, morphine, and oxycodone but to less effect. In addition, naloxone, another component of the medication, reverses overdoses of opioids. As Suboxone gains ground in South Carolina and other states, it may prove to be the long-awaited answer to substance dependency and abuse.