Restoring your teeth not only has positive impacts on your appearance but also lets you enjoy meals with confidence. At King Smile Dentistry, we have helped many patients with dentures in Happy Valley, Oregon. We always provide them with tips for eating with new dentures, and we’re going to offer them here as well.

It takes a little while for most denture wearers to get used to them as mouth, jaw, and facial muscles adapt. You’re going to want to start slowly by eating soft foods and minimizing chewing. Be careful with hot foods because the dentures will insulate your mouth, and you won’t be able to judge temperature as readily as before.

Once you feel confident about eating solid foods, make sure to cut them into small pieces. Chew slowly on both sides to keep your dentures stable. Take small bites and drink with your meals to make food easier to chew and swallow. Avoid sticky foods like taffy, peanut butter, and caramel.

When you’ve completely adjusted to your dental work, you can eat pretty much whatever you like, but we still suggest that you take care with some foods. It’s a good idea to be cautious with things like corn on the cob, popcorn, raw vegetables, whole nuts, crusty bread, and stringy meats.

A slow and steady pace will set you on the road to long-term success with your new dentures.

When it comes to your smile, quality care can make a lifelong difference. Whether you’re concerned about looking great or avoiding cavities, you need to be confident that your dentist in Happy Valley, Oregon, is up to the task of protecting your teeth. For many people, picking between one office and another is difficult — it’s easy to feel like they’re all the same until it’s too late.

Fortunately, there are a few key signs that set exceptional dentists apart from the crowd. A few things to look for include:

Proven Expertise — Any practicing dentist should have basic credentials, but dentists that go the extra mile in education and experience can provide more tailored care. Ask about specialties, awards, and additional certifications that can lend confidence to your visit.

Powerful Technology — A great dentist is always the first priority, but the latest-generation equipment can greatly improve your experience. Everything from treatment options on the table to potential recovery times can vary wildly depending on how advanced an office’s technology is, so it’s always worth investigating.

Patient Satisfaction — Few things can replace a good track record when it comes to evaluating an office’s performance. That doesn’t mean that newer offices with fewer reviews are worse by default, but happy patients are your best source of information when it comes to understanding the quality of a dentist’s full care experience. It’s also worth browsing any negative reviews to see the reason for the frustration and any steps taken to resolve the situation.

We can lose our teeth for various reasons, including trauma, tooth disease, or dental crowding. If you’re scheduled for tooth removal in Happy Valley, Oregon, you can expect a step-by-step process while in the dentist’s chair.

Numbing

Your dentist will inject the area surrounding the tooth and gums with an anesthetic agent to prevent any pain. They’ll then double-check that you can’t feel anything.

Extraction

Once numb, the dentist will use special tools to remove the tooth by rocking it back and forth to access the ligament. This process is painless, but you will feel a degree of pressure as they work the tooth loose.

Closing

Once removed, the hole is cleaned and packed with gauze. Depending on the tooth, the dentist may stitch the site closed. Packing minimizes bleeding and prevents debris from causing infections in the open socket.

Compression

Tooth removal results in a large hole in your jaw, so compression slows bleeding and reduces swelling. You’ll need to bite down on a piece of gauze, which will help minimize bleeding.

Post-Extraction Care

Once the troublesome tooth is gone, you must prevent infection and reduce inflammation. You’ll be prescribed pain medication and anti-inflammatories and given instructions on cleaning the tooth removal site.

Should you notice worrying signs like excessive swelling or continual bleeding, call your dentist immediately. Never take chances with your health.

A smile is a major feature we should all take pride in, but it can be the object of insecurity for some people. That’s why the option to undergo cosmetic dental bonding in Happy Valley is an option many people are choosing. But what exactly is it? Whether you have a damaged tooth, a gap, or stains that won’t go away, this procedure can help give you that dream smile you’ve always wanted. Although your smile is beautiful no matter what, feeling confident in your own skin is what matters most.

There’s little to no preparation needed for cosmetic dental bonding, which is good news for anyone that has dentist jitters. The procedure is pretty quick and easy, too: the surface of your tooth is roughened so that the resin will stick more easily. After the resin is applied, the dentist will use a UVA light to harden it after smoothing. Each tooth takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how many repairs are needed. The aftercare requires you to take some pain medication as you might feel a little pain or sensitivity, especially if some enamel was removed.

Cosmetic dental bonding is the most cost-effective way to make your smile the best it can be. Contact King Smile Dentistry to learn more about their dental services.

Family dentistry addresses oral health at every stage of life. Children and adults have different dental needs, and qualified family dentists deliver holistic oral care from baby teeth to permanent teeth. There are certain advantages to choosing family dental care in Happy Valley, Oregon, such as how a family dentist puts emphasis on the specific needs of children of all ages within your family.

Family dentists have a friendly, gentle approach so children can develop positive associations with regular dental visits and build healthy oral hygiene habits for life. In addition to that, there are more great benefits to having a family dentist:

Convenience

Specialists in family dental care are equipped to provide treatment to patients of all ages so that you will not have to drive to several dental clinics for each family member to receive regular dental checkups and care.

Prevention

A family dentist will give advice on how to avoid both severe and general problems like tooth decay for adults and children. They also apply sealant and fluoride protection for the teeth.

Treatments

Family dental care also takes care of dental problems such as overcrowding and misalignment. A dedicated family dental practice will discuss their many treatment options with you and your family members and develop a treatment plan that fits the specific family member’s needs and circumstances.

Education and Updates

Family dentists will also instruct all family members about daily oral care, toothpaste selection, diet, and other considerations to provide the best oral care. They will give updates about the family’s oral health and the latest dentistry practices that can help the entire family’s general oral health.

Parents should value dental hygiene in their children for the same reasons we value it in ourselves. Regularly brushing and flossing our teeth keeps our mouths clean and helps prevent tooth decay. This is why early age dental care in Happy Valley, Oregon, should be a priority. It helps when dental care habits are developed early. Good dental habits last a lifetime, and while it’s true that it’s never too late to learn, your dentist will confirm that the best time to do so is when we’re young.

If we help our children develop good dental care habits, it is likely that they will keep them later in life. Certainly, it is easier for children to develop new habits than an adult. Developing good early age dental care habits in childhood pays dividends down the road, both in terms of having healthy teeth and gums and avoiding difficult dental work.

There’s one major way to prepare our children for a lifetime of dental wellness, and that’s to lead by example. If our children see us brushing our teeth every day, as parents, then they’ll do the same. Similarly, if we avoid sugary drinks like soda and eat and drink a healthy diet, it will be easier to convince our children to do the same.

Tooth loss is a struggle for anyone. From older adults dealing with the natural impacts of aging to younger patients whose smiles suffer from disease or injury, it’s never easy to cope with gaps in your oral health. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with missing teeth forever. Your dentist can help you restore your smile with partial dentures in Happy Valley, OR.

These unobtrusive oral prosthetics are custom-crafted for each patient. They let you enjoy a comparable look, feel, and functional use to your natural teeth. Partial options are also less expensive than complete denture sets, making them ideal for people who only need to fill in between healthy teeth.

The results are all but indistinguishable from your original smile, and may even improve your overall comfort with how your teeth look. To know for sure if they’re the right option for you, though, you’ll need an in-depth conversation with dental professionals you can trust. At King Smile Dentistry, we offer partials, implants, and other solutions to enhance patient smiles. If you want to know more about your options, you can reach out to our office to schedule an exam and consultation.

If you have missing teeth, it can definitely cause some frustrating problems, including eating difficulties, speech issues, and cosmetic concerns. If you have multiple missing teeth in the same area of your mouth, it’s particularly bothersome, but partial dentures in Happy Valley, Oregon, can offer a satisfying solution.

Typically made from metal or plastic, partial dentures are anchored to your existing teeth with metal clasps to fill the gap and help you regain the full functionality of your mouth. Partial dentures are an alternative to dental bridges or implants, and also offer the appearance of real teeth.

How Are Partial Dentures Made?

If you are interested in getting partial dentures, the first step is a thorough dental exam. Your dentist will look for any problems that could interfere with your ability to wear partial dentures comfortably. Your dentist will place a loose denture base and wax teeth rims in your mouth and adjust them until they fit your teeth precisely. These will be used as a model for your real dentures.

When the first version of your dentures returns from the manufacturers, your dentist will fit them in your mouth and take measurements before sending them back to the manufacturer to make adjustments for your final set of partial dentures. Your dentist will also need to adjust them periodically over the next few months.

There are simple things in life that play a very major role, and tooth brushing is a prime example. It’s not a difficult skill to master, but it’s a significant one with far-reaching impacts. Those impacts can be either positive in the form of robust dental health, or negative in the form of tooth decay.

At King Smile Dentistry, it is our goal for everyone to have beautiful smiles with healthy teeth and gums. That’s why we are posting proper tooth brushing techniques in Happy Valley, Oregon, and beyond. We’re going to break it down into a few steps.

Step 1: Place your brush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line.

Step 2: Gently move your brush back and forth with short strokes. Clean all surfaces of your teeth. Remember, you want to don’t want to brush hard; you want to brush well.

Step 3: Tilt your brush vertically and use up-and-down strokes to clean the inside surface of front teeth.

Step 4: Brush your tongue, too. This removes bacteria and gives you fresh breath.

If you follow these proper tooth brushing techniques in Happy Valley, Oregon, and visit your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings, you will benefit by having healthy teeth and gums and a wonderful smile.

If your question is, “Should I get dental implants?” and your answer is, “Yes,” you need to learn about the various types of dental implants in Happy Valley, Oregon. Then, you can see which is best for you.

There are several different ones, and at King Smile Dentistry, we are going to look at your options so that you can make an informed decision with your dentist. Before we go any further, let’s define what implants are to ensure there’s no confusion. Implants are titanium posts affixed to the jawbone to anchor the replacement teeth.

There are three main types of dental implants in Happy Valley, Oregon, and elsewhere. They are endosteal, subperiosteal, and zygomatic.

Endosteal implants are the most common. They are screw-like posts inserted into the jaw. Once the jawbone heals, the new teeth are mounted onto the posts.

Subperiosteal implants are also popular. These implants rest on top of the jawbone underneath the gum. In this procedure, a metal framework with posts attached is inserted under the gum. The teeth are mounted onto the posts. This is appropriate for those who do not have enough jawbone for implants.

Zygomatic implants are the other type we want to address. This complicated procedure has the implant placed in the patient’s cheekbone rather than jawbone. It is also an option for patients who do not have enough jawbone.