Are Getting Dental X-rays Always Important? Fort Smith Dentist, Dr. Lopez Thinks So!

There are so many things to worry about in this day and age! Are you eating healthy foods, getting enough exercise, or watching your weight? Will certain medications cause side effects; are you eating too much sugar, or drinking too much caffeine? The list goes on and on, and it’s enough to make you crazy! Here is one less thing for you to worry about. Your Fort Smith dentist, Dr. Gilbert Lopez wants to ease your mind about dental x-rays and assure you that they’re perfectly safe.

Fort Smith, AR dentures replace teeth for a better life

Your Fort Smith, AR dentist, Dr. Gilbert Lopez, wants to improve your life. Learn how dentures replace missing teeth for a healthy, confident smile.

When people lose teeth due to decay, accident or gum disease, smile gaps cause problems with eating, speaking and of course, appearance. Dr. Gilbert Lopez, Fort Smith, AR dentist, presents natural-looking and functioning solutions through modern denture choices.

Are You Looking for Porcelain Veneers in Fort Smith AR? Visit New Smile Dental.

Heading out for an evening of wine tasting in Arkansas’s wine country is one of your favorite past times. On this evening, however you’re feeling a bit nervous because you’ll be surrounded at the winery by at least fifty of your coworkers. Your company is providing an evening out and you’re expected to speak to the group. You’re considering coming down with a sudden illness because speaking in front of people terrifies you. Because your teeth are stained and chipped, on a daily basis you hardly speak to any coworkers at all, let alone a group of them. Porcelain veneers in Fort Smith, AR may be just the solution you’ve been looking for.

Things you didn’t know about Fort Smith, AR dentures

How to replace failing teeth is an important decision. Read 10 things you didn’t know about dentures from Fort Smith, AR general dentist, Dr. Gilbert Lopez.

According to the Centers for Disease control in Atlanta, 25 percent of American adults  over 60 are missing all of their natural teeth. Replacement is not simply a cosmetic issue, but a health and self-esteem concern, too. Fort Smith, AR dentures, crafted by Dr. Gilbert Lopez, conquer many of the consequences of gapped smiles.

Fort Smith, AR porcelain crowns restore problem

Decay, fractures, fillings--these, and other factors, compromise tooth structure. Fort Smith, AR patients get beautiful porcelain crowns at New Smith Dental.

When a tooth is so compromised it cannot be restored with fillings or cosmetic dental services, porcelain crowns from Gilbert Lopez DDS at New Smile Dental rescue smiles. They bring durability, health and great aesthetics to smiles in the the Fort Smith, AR area.

Fort Smith AR dentures from New Smile Dental change lives

Life without a complete smile is a struggle. Poor chewing, pain, and compromised personal appearance result  when teeth succumb to decay, accident or gum disease. In his Fort Smith AR practice, Gilbert Lopez DDS of New Smile Dental creates dentures that give life back to incomplete smiles.

Types of Fort Smith AR dentures

Basically, there are 2 kinds of dentures--partial and full. Both are created from lifelike tooth- and gum-colored acrylic and frequently contain metal framework.

Dr. Lopez places a partial denture when the patient has one or more natural teeth. These teeth anchor the prosthetic made up of new teeth mounted on a frame with clasps. Dr. Lopez places a complete denture when the upper or lower arch or both are edentulous (missing all teeth).

Complete dentures may be conventional or immediate. The dentist places the conventional dentures after remaining teeth are extracted and gums heal. The patient does not receive his replacement teeth for 4 to 6 weeks after extraction.

The dentist places an immediate denture right after he removes remaining natural teeth. The immediate denture helps control bleeding and provides a complete smile right away. However, as gums and bones heal, they shrink. So, the immediate denture requires relining and refitting as time goes by.

The advantages of dentures 

Dentures restore smiles to full function and appearance. Patients eat and speak normally, they have a full set of attractive teeth, and facial muscles are supported and more youthful looking. Quality dentures created by your Fort Smith AR dentist at New Smile Dental last for years with regular hygiene at home and professional care from Dr. Lopez and his team.

How Dr. Lopez creates and places dentures

In an initial consultation, Dr. Lopez takes x-rays and dental impressions to determine how a denture should look. He offers the patient viable options and formulates a treatment plan. The dentist sends his instructions, the impressions and imaging to a dental lab where a skilled technician crafts the denture.

During a subsequent appointment, Dr. Lopez “tries-in” the prosthetic, checking fit, bite and appearance. The appliance may return to the lab for reworking if necessary. When fit and other factors are exactly right, the patient leaves with his denture in place.

Life with dentures

Patients find they adjust to quality dentures quickly. Slight slurring of speech resolves, and facial muscles learn the proper way to bite and chew. Individuals enjoy their renewed facial aesthetics, and find they laugh and smile confidently.

Find out more

Dr. Lopez and his staff take great pleasure in crafting new smiles. If you are contemplating dentures, don’t wait. Contact New Smile Dental to explore how dentures can benefit your personal appearance and health.

What happens at a routine dental exam?

Patients of all ages should see their Fort Smith general dentist every 6 months or more frequently if oral or systemic health warrants. Dr. Lopez and his team firmly believe that regular check-ups and professional cleanings at New Smile Dental prevent decay and gum disease from ruining tooth enamel and destroying gum tissue and underlying bone.

Additionally, Dr. Lopez checks checks every patient’s mouth for signs of oral cancer--a sometimes hidden, but nonetheless,  potentially deadly malady that strikes more than 45,000 American adults annually. Caught early, oral cancer can be successfully treated.

Further, a thorough dental exam includes:

• assessment of TMJ (temporomandibular joint) dysfunction
• check for bite problems (orthodontic screening)
• assessment of existing dental work such as fillings, crowns, and bridges
• check for dental decay
• probing of gum pockets to check for gingivitis and more advanced periodontitis
• visual inspection for signs of oral cancer
• low radiation digital x-rays, if needed, to check for hidden decay and look at bone and root structure

Finally, a skilled, friendly hygienist cleans a patient’s teeth during a 6-month appointment with your Fort Smith general dentist. She carefully removes the sticky plaque and hard tartar that build-up in the tight spaces between teeth and under the gum line. This is biofilm that at-home brushing and flossing just cannot reach. Yet, it holds oral bacteria that secrete enamel-damaging acids and that infect the gum tissue. When teeth and gums are free of plaque and tartar, they thrive and are less prone to serious dental issues.

Research also shows that oral health and overall health are linked, and in fact, what a general dentist sees in a patient’s mouth can indicate what’s happening elsewhere in the body. Periodontal disease correlates with:

• diabetes
• stroke
• heart attack
• Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia
• rheumatoid arthritis
• low birth weight infants
• pregnancy complications

A comprehensive treatment plan ensures future health

Dr. Lopez addresses immediate needs and also cosmetic goals each patient has. He devises an individualized treatment plan. This can include necessary restorations such as gum disease therapy or fillings and aesthetic treatments such as teeth whitening and porcelain veneers.

Preventive dentistry is necessary dentistry

 

A word to the wise: keep on brushing and flossing every day, but also schedule a dental exam and cleaning with Dr. Gilbert Lopez. His expertise and gentle, thorough care will keep you smiling and healthy no matter what your age. Contact his professional team today.