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Do you have misaligned or crooked teeth? You might have difficulties chewing or practicing routine oral hygiene. Sometimes food particles might get stuck between the teeth and form plaque and tartar. Plaque and tartar accumulation in the teeth might cause tooth decay and gum infections.

To correct the position of your teeth, your dentist might recommend orthodontic treatments such as Invisalign ®. Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment procedure that utilizes clear aligners to move your teeth to the desired position.

What Do Invisalign Treatments Entail?

Initially, people went for conventional braces to move teeth. Dental braces have metal brackets that might be uncomfortable wearing. Therefore, if you need orthodontic treatments that comfortable, aesthetic, and removable, you can consider invisible aligners.

Invisible aligners resemble teeth whitening trays and are suitable for mild to moderate crookedness. Therefore, when you seek invisible aligners treatments, your dentist will examine your teeth to determine their suitability. For some severe cases, your dentist might recommend surgery to align your teeth.

When getting orthodontic treatments such as invisible, the extraction of some teeth might be helpful. After checking your teeth, the dentist will take impressions of your teeth. The dentist will then use the images to make models of the teeth’ movement.

Your dentist or orthodontist will then send the models to Invisalign to create your clear aligners. When your tooth aligners arrive from Invisalign, the dentist will schedule the next dental appointment. During the appointment, the dentist will help you wear the first set of tooth aligners.

For effective results, your dentist will recommend wearing your aligners for at least 20 hours a day. Your dentist might recommend wearing each set of clear aligners for two to three weeks. After two or three weeks, you can change to a new set of aligners.

Unlike dental braces, you don’t have to visit the dentist every week to adjust the wired brackets. The duration of treatment varies depending on the severity of your condition. Therefore, you might wear invisible aligners for one and a half years or more.

Benefits of Invisalign Treatments

Invisalign braces present several benefits. Some of the reasons that make Invisalign treatments a popular choice include:

Time-Saving

When you choose Invisalign to move your teeth, you enjoy time convenience. Unlike braces, you don’t have to make several visits to the dental clinic to have your metal brackets adjusted. After getting your invisible braces at our dental offices in Anchorage, our dentist will recommend follow-up appointments after a month or two to check the progress of your treatments.

Aesthetic

Invisalign braces are virtually invisible. Therefore, when you are wearing your Invisalign braces, a person might not notice unless in close range.

Oral Health

When you have dental braces, cleaning your teeth might be difficult since your brush can reach some sites in your mouth. However, with clear aligners, you can remove them and brush and floss your teeth without barriers. Therefore, you improve your oral health by practicing good oral hygiene.

Enjoying Favorite Foods

When you have invisible aligners, you can enjoy all your favorite foods. Since clear aligners are removable, you can remove them when eating. Therefore, you don’t have to suffer the agony of food getting stuck between your teeth and dental braces.

Taking Care of Your Invisible Aligners

Invisible aligners are plastic. Therefore, they are prone to damage. Some of the factors that might damage your invisible aligners include heat, stains, and pressure. To maintain your aligners in good shape, you can consider the following:

• Remove your clear aligners and rinse them when eating
• After eating, rinse your mouth before putting back your tooth aligners
• Clean your aligners at least daily to prevent staining
• You can consider a deep clean for your teeth aligners regularly
• Avoid subjecting your clear aligners to prevent distortion of their shape

If you have damaged teeth aligners, you should consult your dentist. The dentist will devise a plan to move your teeth despite the damaged clear aligner.

Dentist Near You

Your dentist can offer Invisalign during a smile makeover, or during orthodontia. Therefore, if you are looking for treatments to move your teeth in Anchorage, you can consider our clinic. At Anchorage Dental Arts, you will get orthodontia, which includes Invisalign treatments.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a severe sleep-related disorder characterized by repeated episodes of partial or entire upper airway blockage resulting in arousals from sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common problem affecting nearly 20 percent of Americans report sleep medicine specialists.

If you leave sleep apnea untreated, the condition can adversely impact cardiac and metabolic health, your quality of life, resulting in daytime sleepiness, insomnia, problems concentrating, and depression and anxiety. Obstructive sleep apnea affects people of all ages, including children. Physicians and patients have become aware of sleep apnea and its adverse effects, but over 80 percent of affected patients are undiagnosed.

Getting Diagnosed for Sleep Apnea?

When performing a diagnosis for sleep apnea, your doctor evaluates the signs and symptoms, conducting exams and tests before providing a referral to a sleep medicine specialist for an additional evaluation.

A physical examination is also conducted by your doctor examining the back of your throat, mouth, and nose. The doctor also checks your blood pressure and measures your neck besides waist circumference.

Additional evaluations are conducted by the sleep medicine specialist when diagnosing your condition to determine its severity and plan your treatment.

Testing for Sleep Apnea

When testing for obstructive sleep apnea, the sleep medicine specialist recommends the polysomnography test in a sleep clinic. You must endure an uncomfortable night at the clinic after being hooked up to instruments to monitor your heart, brain, and lung activity besides oxygen levels and breathing patterns.

Advances in the diagnosis of sleep apnea now make available home sleep apnea testing similar to the polysomnography test. However, the home sleep apnea test requires you to wear a device on your wrist when sleeping and is not uncomfortable like instruments in the sleep clinic. The home test measures airflow, breathing patterns, and blood oxygen levels, and snoring intensity.

You may also receive a referral to an ENT specialist to rule out any anatomic blockages in your throat and nose.

After confirming that you are affected by obstructive sleep apnea, the sleep medicine specialist refers you back to your doctor for treatment.

What Kind of Treatment Options Are Available for Sleep Apnea?

In some cases, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes if you are affected by mild obstructive sleep apnea. The changes suggested are the following:

• You are recommended to lose weight if you are obese.
• Regular exercise is also recommended for you by the medical professional.
• You are advised not to sleep on your back but your sides for relief from sleep apnea.
• Recommendations to consume alcohol moderately and to quit smoking are also suggested by your medical professional.

If lifestyle changes don’t improve your sleep pattern, the medical professional recommend other treatments to open up the blocked airway.

If you are consulting your doctor, the medical professional recommends the CPAP device, considered the gold standard for treating sleep apnea. Unfortunately, the device is uncomfortable and makes it challenging for you to adhere to its requirements. You must wear a mask on your face when you sleep to reduce the sleep disruptions because the device delivers air pressure through a piece fitting over your nose and mouth when sleeping.

If you think you cannot adhere to the requirements of the CPAP device, an alternative is also available from the dentist in Anchorage, AK. Dentists are pioneers of oral Appliances to treat sleep apnea. The said devices are an excellent alternative for many people with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

Contacting Alaska dental arts for the oral device will provide you relief from the problem affecting you. The machines reduce your daytime sleepiness and improve your quality of life.

Oral Appliances pioneered by dentists aim to keep your throat open by pushing your lower jaw in a forward position. Some Appliances hold your tongue in a different place. If you want to explore this option, you must contact the dentist in Anchorage experienced in dental sleep medicine Appliances. The dentist customizes your oral device specifically for your mouth to ensure your experience no discomfort when placing it in your mouth.

Treating sleep apnea may seem challenging or even prompt you to ignore the condition. However, instead of exposing yourselves to various risks associated with sleep apnea, you must seek treatment for this sleep-related disorder from dentists providing an appropriate remedy for your condition.

Gum infections are just as detrimental to dental health as tooth decay. When left untreated, gum infections can worsen, spreading to the underlying bone structures, causing tooth loss and other systemic conditions.

If you are affected by periodontal disease, teeth scaling and root planing provides acceptable long-term solutions when implemented in the earliest stages. When performing this procedure, the dentist in Anchorage may use handheld or ultrasonic tools for plaque and tartar removal besides any biofilm accumulated around below gum line to create a new surface allowing the gums to adhere snugly. After a couple of treatments, you will experience a reduction in inflammation, redness, bleeding gums when brushing or flossing, and ease when chewing. However, undergoing scaling and root planing is not the end of the procedure. You must continue maintaining appropriate dental hygiene at home if you wish to inhibit the progress of gum infections.

This article provides some tips for caring for your mouth after treatment from a periodontist to help preserve your dental health in appropriate condition. Please continue reading about the guidance we provide to care for your mouth after obtaining scaling and root planing.

Brushing Gently

After the scaling treatment, you may experience sensitivity and some bleeding, which is quite natural. You can brush your teeth using a soft-bristled toothbrush in gentle circular strokes. You must patiently brush your teeth, moving slowly and deliberately. The bleeding and discomfort start to subside three to five days after your last visit to the dentist. However, it doesn’t mean you can begin brushing aggressively but must stick to the soft toothbrush and continue brushing gently to succeed in plaque removal.

Wax Coated Floss Serves You Better

Flossing your teeth at least twice a day is essential to remove plaque trapped in gaps between teeth. You will find it convenient to use wax-coated floss because of the regular variety and cause additional bleeding. You can expand your flossing routine by indulging in it after every meal or snack when food particles become trapped between your teeth. Flossing may seem uncomfortable after initial treatment, but you can find tools to clean the gap between teeth.

Saltwater Helps to Soothe Gums

After you have on your root planing, your teeth become sensitive to sweet and tacky foods besides hot and cold temperatures. You can soothe your gums using a mild saltwater rinse, especially after a heavy meal. Debris in your mouth is conveniently freed up without the need for brushing. The rinse alleviates any inflammation and redness you may notice.

Limit Snacking

If you want to maintain proper oral hygiene, you must ensure you have a balanced diet and eating plan. Whenever you have any beverages other than water, your mouth is exposed to substances that alter its pH level and create an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive.

You can continue having your regular diet but must limit snacking to just a couple of times during the day. Please ensure that you rinse your mouth thoroughly after having any foods or beverages, especially during the initial few days after your treatment from the periodontist.

Do Not Neglect Dental Appointments

Neglecting dental appointments is why you developed gum infections in the first place. You are allowed plaque buildup on your teeth to harden to tartar and expand below the gum line. Therefore you must ensure you schedule regular dental appointments after the initial procedure. Your dentist may recommend more frequent meetings to ensure your condition does not progress beyond the initial stages.

Regular exams and cleanings help to prevent plaque and tartar buildup and ensure long-term post-treatment success. If you want a second opportunity to maintain healthy gums, the scaling treatment offers you one on a platter. However, without adequate self-care, you allow your condition to revert back and perhaps permit gum disease to progress to severe periodontitis.

You must not fear this treatment that helps you to overcome infection in your mouth with the potential to cause bone and tooth loss. Gum infections also leave you with lousy breath making everyone shun you. All you need to do is maintain appropriate dental hygiene practices brushing twice daily, flossing after every meal, having a nutritious diet, limiting snacking, and scheduling dental appointments recommended by your dentist for exams and cleanings. Following the tips suggested is not challenging but helps you preserve your dental health and your mouth in acceptable condition.

When you have infections in the tissues surrounding your teeth and gums, the condition is called gum disease. This infection is the foremost cause of tooth loss amongst grown-ups in the United States. Gum disease is often not painful, and if you are affected by this condition, you may not realize the same.

Gum disease is also called periodontal disease and results from plaque buildup on your teeth, forming continuously. You may notice some early warning signs of gum disease, including bleeding gums, receding gums, persistent foul taste or lousy breath, your permanent natural teeth separating or loosening, variations in how your teeth fit together when biting, and other problems.

The risks of gum disease are enhanced by improper oral hygiene, smoking or chewing tobacco, genetics, diabetes, pregnancy, challenges keeping crooked teeth clean, and some medications. Suppose you observe any of the symptoms in your mouth. In that case, you mustn’t delay a visit to the dentist in Anchorage because receiving gum therapy early significantly enhances the chances of a successful outcome.

Why Must You Seek Treatment for Gum Disease Early?

As mentioned earlier, seeking treatment for gum disease in its earliest stages is the best because it is a reversible condition. Professional cleaning is all that is needed from a qualified dentist besides proper home care to eliminate the problem from your mouth.

If you let gum disease progress to chronic periodontitis, delaying treatment triggers bone and tissue loss to increase the severity of the condition. If your state has progressed to this stage, your tooth begins moving around in the mouth, making tooth loss an eventuality. However, if you get gum therapy early, you can preserve your affected teeth without needing replacement solutions of any kind.

Periodontal disease and systemic diseases are interlinked, and researchers are trying to establish the precise reasons for the linkage. The bacteria from gum disease spreads to the bloodstream to cause many other health concerns like diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and respiratory disorders.

Various Stages of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease starts in various stages. They are as follows:

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the mildest variation among different types of periodontal disease. This is the stage when you experience swollen, red, and bleeding gums. You may not experience any specific discomfort, but an experienced dental professional can reverse the condition and advice proper homecare methods.

Chronic Periodontitis

Chronic periodontitis causes inflamed tissues around the teeth, accompanied by progressive bone loss. Gum recession and pocket formation are common characteristics of this condition. This is a commonly occurring variety of periodontitis in adults, although age should not be considered a limiting factor.

Aggressive Periodontitis

Even clinically healthy patients can develop aggressive periodontitis, and the standard features of this condition are bone destruction, rapid gum recession, and the familiar aggregation. Periodontitis from an early age is associated with systemic diseases like diabetes.

What Is the Treatment Offered for Periodontal Disease?

Nonsurgical periodontal treatment to control bacterial growth is initially offered by dentists who try to limit the damages caused by this condition. The treatment options include home care, proper brushing, and flossing, having a nutritious diet, among others. The most common treatments provided in the early stages are scaling and root planing, which allows the dentist to eliminate plaque and tartar buildup on the teeth and below the gum line.

Brushing and flossing are equally important to eliminate plaque from your teeth. Flossing even helps to remove plaque from between the teeth and below the gum line. You can use specialized interdental brushes recommended by your dentist as part of your treatment for gum disease. If you want to make brushing more effective, you can use electric toothbrushes with smaller heads that make brushing efficient to remove plaque than a standard toothbrush.

Merely concentrating on homecare will not help to overcome gum disease. You must visit your dentist every six months for a professional cleaning where any plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth is eliminated to ensure you are not affected by gum disease.

If you have severe gum recession causing pockets between your teeth and gums, your dentist performs gum grafting, which entails lifting your gums to remove tartar. After the removal, your gums are stitched back in place to allow the tissue to fit tightly around your tooth. Gum flap surgery helps to reduce the pocket size where bacteria from gum disease generally accumulate.

Saving teeth from periodontal disease is possible if you detect the signs and symptoms early or regularly visit your dentist for cleanings and exams. Let the condition progress unhindered, and tooth loss should be considered as an eventuality.

When you have missing teeth because of infection, decay, or injuries, losing teeth leaves an ungainly gap in your smile. You may think having a dental implant by contacting an oral surgeon is the only method you can bridge the gaps between your teeth. However, if you don’t have sufficient jawbone, you require a bone graft before dental implants are placed in your jawbone. Rather than opt for intensive therapy, why not consider bridging the gap with a dental bridge?

Bridges are permanent restorations to replace one or more missing teeth in your mouth. Bridges mimic the appearance, shape, and functionality of a natural tooth and are custom-designed for every patient.

Porcelain is the material used to fabricate the bridges attached to a metal structure for support. Other varieties available are made from ceramic and other materials that are similar in appearance. Before placing bridges on your teeth, dentists remove some tooth structure from the abutment teeth. The teeth supporting the bridge on both sides of the gap created are known as abutment teeth. Removal of the tooth structure is the same regardless of whether you want bridges for your front or back teeth.

When Do Bridges Become Necessary?

Dentists recommend bridges over implants if you already have dental crowns on the supporting teeth. Bridges are also recommended if you cannot get implants for the reasons described above. Bridges become necessary after tooth loss or extraction because of the following reasons:

• Severe tooth decay.
• Periodontal disease.
• Aging.
• Medications.
• Trauma or injury.

What Are the Benefits and Downsides of Bridges?

Benefits

Bridges are quicker to place and don’t require invasive surgery unless you prefer implant-supported bridges. The recovery time from the procedure is faster, and bridges are more affordable than dental implants.

Downsides

Bridges have their downsides because they don’t appear as natural as dental implants and must be replaced every 5 to 10 years. Bridges are prone to fractures and decay and can damage the surrounding natural teeth.

Types of Bridges Available for You

Four types of bridges are available, and the dentist you approach to close the gaps between your smile will recommend an appropriate solution for your needs. The four varieties are traditional bridges, Maryland bridges, cantilever bridges, and implant-supported bridges.

Traditional bridges are the most popular and consist of ceramic or porcelain fused to the metal, having one artificial tooth in between, known as a Pontic, and a dental crown in place on both sides of the gap. When placing traditional bridges, your dentist files down the two adjacent teeth next to the artificial tooth. The filing down ensures appropriate fitting for the two dental crowns. Conventional bridges are durable and last for a long time with proper dental care. Traditional bridges are a suitable solution for restoring posterior teeth like molars and premolars.

You are offered cantilever bridges that are similar to traditional bridges but only require one natural tooth next to the gap created by the missing tooth. Cantilever bridges are appropriate for replacing front teeth but are not durable enough to support back teeth.

Implant-supported bridges are the most durable and require placement of dental implants into your jawbone. This variety is useful if you have at least three missing teeth in a row.

The Bridge Placement Procedure

During your first appointment, the Anchorage dentist administers local anesthesia to ensure comfort and relief from pain during the procedure. After that, the dentist shapes and files the abutment teeth. The filing removes all enamel and any additional tooth structure to create sufficient space for the other tooth. Impressions of your teeth are taken and sent to the dental laboratory to fabricate your custom bridge. A temporary bridge is placed on your teeth for protection until the dental laboratory returns the permanent restoration.

A second appointment is necessary for the bridge placement after the dental laboratory returns the permanent restoration. During this time, the dentist removes the temporary bridge, cleans your teeth, and also takes x-rays of the restoration to ensure it fits perfectly. Finally, the bridge and teeth are bonded together using dental cement.

Caring for Your Dental Restorations

Bridges and dental crown aftercare routine is similar. However, you must be extra careful with your oral hygiene after a permanent placement bridge. The location of the artificial tooth is challenging to clean and can accumulate plaque quickly. However, follow the dentist’s instructions and brush at least twice a day, floss once daily, ensuring you clean beneath the bridge, and visit your dentist regularly for exams and cleanings. You should have your restorations for at least a decade, allowing you to smile without displaying the gaps in your mouth.

The most common cause of tooth loss globally is periodontal disease, which is a biofilm mediated chronic infectious disease. The WHO has reported that bleeding gums and tartar are results of not maintaining good oral hygiene. Gum disease usually begins as gingivitis before progressing to periodontitis. The condition is prevalent in adults from most parts of the world, but the advanced periodontal disease affects about 10 to 15 percent of the adult population.

How Is Periodontitis Treated?

The treatment for periodontitis is primarily directed towards reducing pathogens embedded in the biofilm of the sub- gingiva. Non-surgical periodontal therapy has proven as a sufficient remedy to improve pocket depths below 6 mm. If treatment is needed for deeper pockets over 6 mm, surgery produces more significant depth reduction and gain from clinical attachment. Chronic periodontal disease is successfully treated by NSPT to maintain adequate plaque control.

What Are the Risk Factors Associated with Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal Disease has more than one risk factor associated with its initiation and progress. The risk factors associated are microbial and host-related, besides environmental and acquired factors. The presence of poor oral hygiene, persistent stress, uncontrolled diabetes, and habits like smoking or genetic susceptibility are also some of the risk factors that can influence periodontal therapy’s long-term outcomes. Evaluating these factors and developing therapeutic strategies to modify them becomes an integral part of NS PT.

The Complications of Not Receiving Periodontal Therapy

Periodontal disease begins as a painless condition of the gums and is known as gingivitis in the initial stages. The infection is entirely preventable by maintaining excellent oral hygiene. It progresses to periodontal disease only after people neglect dental health and visit their dentist every six months for exams and cleanings.

Dentists detect periodontal disease in its earliest stages and can begin preventive treatments to overcome this condition. However, if left untreated and allowed to progress, periodontal disease can affect the jawbone to cause tooth loss eventually. The bacteria from plaque and tartar buildup can enter the bloodstream to cause strokes, heart disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. As can be seen, periodontal disease can cause several complications if proper therapy from an experienced dentist is not obtained in the early stages.

What Kind of Periodontal Care Is Recommended by Dentists?

The Anchorage dentist recommends maintaining excellent oral hygiene, and practicing the following is the best periodontal care for people affected by this issue. Patients are recommended:

• Brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes each with fluoride toothpaste.
• Flossing at least once a day, paying particular attention to floss between the teeth and remove any plaque buildup untouched when brushing.
• Using an antibacterial mouthwash to rinse the mouth.
• Visiting the dentist for six-monthly checkups and cleanings help remove plaque and tartar buildup to eliminate periodontitis.

People affected by advanced periodontitis and have deep pockets on their gums are recommended flap surgery, which improves the situation.

Mechanical non-surgical and surgical therapy continue to dominate treatment approaches for periodontal treatment. However, its deficiencies to entirely eliminate periodontal pathogens from the soft and hard tissues within the niches in the oral cavity continue to pose challenges because the pathogens can lead to reinfection. To overcome these challenges in conventional periodontal therapy, the use of other agents to systemically, locally, or topically eliminate the pathogens has become an indispensable treatment modality. Newer approaches are focusing on how to effectively modulate the responses of the host to lessen the degree of tissue destruction and help periodontal tissue to regenerate to a healthy state.

Antibiotics are also provided to deal with progressive periodontitis and suppress the pathogens, especially in the deep pockets or residing within the periodontal tissues where mechanical therapies are proving ineffective. Specific pathogens are reported as challenging to eradicate with non-surgical treatments, and therefore dentists must use systemic antimicrobial therapy for efficient management of periodontal conditions. The conditions may include severe or acute infections, recurrent and refractory cases.

This information should make people realize it is beneficial to prevent periodontitis from progress by maintaining good oral hygiene and visiting their dentist regularly for checkups and exams. However, people already affected by this issue can also benefit from periodontal therapy offered by experienced dentists by attending frequent dental appointments to avoid the potential risks associated with this condition.