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STITTSVILLE, ONTARIO- Most can agree a smile void of a few teeth isn’t the best look, but the top reasons to seek tooth replacement aren’t strictly aesthetic. Did you know failing to replace a missing tooth endangers the health of your smile?

Many Canadians have lost one or more teeth due to a dental condition, mouth trauma or years of poor diet or hygiene habits. We at Trillium Dental, a trusted provider of family dentistry in the Stittsville area, urge you to swiftly replace teeth after they are lost. Here are three reasons why we suggest this: Missing a tooth can sometimes lead to sudden pain, swelling, or infection, and in situations like these, visiting an Ottawa emergency dentist as soon as possible can help prevent further complications.

Mesial Drift

Mesial drift refers to the tendency for teeth to shift naturally toward the front of the smile. This occurs because of the forces at play when we chew food. When a tooth is missing, mesial drift elicits the surrounding teeth to dramatically tilt into space where the tooth once existed. As teeth continue to shift, they fall out of proper alignment. Trillium Dental does offer Invisalign to correct certain cases of malocclusion, but we’d prefer that you avoid the problem altogether.

Should a missing tooth cause surrounding teeth to migrate and become misaligned, it affects more than your smile’s appearance. Overlapping, crooked teeth provide the perfect trap and hiding spot for food particles. If missed by the toothbrush and floss, lingering plaque increases your risk of cavities, gum irritation, and bad breath.

Super Eruption

When there’s no opposing force for a tooth (oftentimes a molar) to press against, the supereruption can take place. This occurs when a tooth rises out of its socket toward space where its opposite once existed, leaving a portion of its root exposed and increases sensitivity to, especially hot or cold temperatures.

The phenomenon of super-eruption typically doesn’t occur unless a tooth has been missing for a few years, but you’ll know when it does. A super erupted tooth looks painful and negatively impacts the appearance of your smile.

Gum Disease

When a tooth goes missing, gum disease is more likely to strike in multiple ways. Once a tooth is lost, the portion of the gum which once supported the tooth is left exposed to dangerous bacteria from lingering food particles. Rapid shifts in teeth caused by mesial drift can irritate gums. The gums around the root of a super erupted tooth can also grow inflamed.

Signs of gum disease include swelling, redness around the gum line, sensitivity, bleeding, and gum recession. Gum disease is a bacterial infection shown to elicit a variety general and oral health repercussions, so be sure to promptly seek help if you suspect your gums are infected.

How We Can Help

Our Ottawa dentists can restore your smile using proven treatments, like dental implants and bridges. Our restorative services include the popular “Teeth in a Day” procedure, which grants you a healthy and beautiful smile that’s natural in appearance in literally one day. These solutions are permanent and require the same amount of maintenance as natural teeth.

All procedures are performed by skilled professionals in a relaxing setting. For your comfort, nitrous oxide and oral and IV sedation options are available. It’s our goal to return your smile back to complete health and appearance while you remain at ease.

STITTSVILLE, ONTARIO– Not surprisingly, what you put in your mouth affects your oral health. What you don’t put in your mouth may have an even greater impact.

Have you been skimping on your vegetables lately? Vitamin deficiencies can manifest in your smile. It’s important to incorporate a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Adequate nutrition plays a major role in your dental health as well as your overall wellbeing. Because oral health is not isolated from the rest of the body, evidence of malnutrition can be found in many areas of the mouth, including the teeth, gums, tongue, lips and cheeks.

At Trillium Dental, a provider of family dentistry in Stittsville, we encourage patients to take note of changes in their mouth. It may be your body’s way of signaling it needs more of a particular vitamin or mineral. Check out how nutrient deficiencies may impact your smile:

Vitamin A or C– A weakened immune response, bleeding gums, poor sense of taste and oral yeast infections are signs of a vitamin A or C deficiency. Load up on broccoli, kale, spinach, leafy greens, carrots, strawberries, citrus, papaya, peaches and red peppers.

Vitamin B2– A lack of vitamin B2 in your diet may translate into lips of an unusually red hue, sores around the mouth and an achy tongue. Eat plenty of broccoli, spinach, lentils and almonds.

Vitamin B3– Overall mouth pain, mouth sores and a swollen tip of the tongue could be an indication you need more vitamin B3. Eat more shrimp, lean ground beef, liver, potatoes and avocados.

Vitamin B6– Is your mouth burning and sore, or is your tongue unusually smooth? Add more vitamin B3 into your diet by enjoying broccoli, spinach, tomato juice, watermelon, bananas, chicken breast and white rice.

Vitamin B12– A shortage of vitamin B12 can show in various ways. Foul breath, mouth sores, fissures on a bright red tongue, dry mouth, impaired taste, bleeding and numbness all point to a vitamin B12 deficiency. Consume foods like poultry, meats, fish, shellfish, eggs and milk.

Vitamin D– Sufficient vitamin D is vital to enjoying good oral health. Some research even suggests vitamin D is more effective at preventing cavities than fluoride. Eat eggs, fatty fish, fortified milk and liver to reduce your chances of experiencing oral yeast infections, tooth softening and increased bleeding in the gums.

Calcium– Calcium promotes strong bones, so it’s no surprise that a lack of it may cause loose teeth, softened teeth and bleeding gums. Try adding more cheese, milk, yogurt, salmon and spinach into your diet.

Magnesium– If your gum tissue is inflamed, eat more artichokes, halibut, green beans, cashews, sunflower seeds, spinach and broccoli for added magnesium.

Zinc– A zinc deficiency can equate to dry mouth, increased vulnerability to gum disease, a numb tongue and a weakened sense of taste. Stock up on spinach, lentils, peas, tomato juice, lean ground beef, lean sirloin steak, plain yogurt and Swiss cheese.

Sometimes, you can have too much of a good thing. It’s important to follow the recommended servings of each food group to ensure you aren’t consuming too much of a particular nutrient. Taking a daily vitamin supplement may be more convenient and easier to measure your intake. Consult with your doctor if you have special dietary needs.

We encourage you to fuel with the right foods to nourish your smile and body. If you spot sudden and unusual changes in your mouth, contact us. Your smile is a window into your general health. Our team of talented dentists can detect and alert you of serious health issues that may extend outside of dentistry.

In addition to keeping tabs on your dental health and overall wellbeing, our Stittsville area cosmetic dentists provide a broad scope of dental solutions, including Invisalign, dental implants and teeth whitening, in the Ottawa, Nepean, Kanata and Orleans areas. Call us to learn more.

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ORLEANS AND OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Tobacco use have been linked to many diseases, including lung cancer, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, leukemia, cervical cancer and high cholesterol. It’s evident that smoking cigarettes affect numerous aspects of your health.

But how do tobacco products affect your oral health? We’ve got some answers for you.

You Could Lose Teeth

There are sometimes you’re prepared to lose teeth, like when you’re a young child or when you’re having your wisdom teeth removed. You shouldn’t worry about losing teeth when you’re an adult. Tobacco use increases your chances of losing teeth prematurely. The Centers for Disease Control reports that 41.3 percent of smokers older than 65 have missing teeth, while only 20 percent of nonsmokers older than 65 are toothless.

In Orleans, dental implants could help replace missing teeth. But smoking could even jeopardize this procedure, which brings us to our next point.

Your Mouth Will Be Weaker

Patients who smoke experience longer recovery times than nonsmokers. Smoking can make your healing time after the removal of wisdom teeth longer and more painful.

“Following periodontal treatment or any type of oral surgery, the chemicals in tobacco can slow down the healing process and make the treatment results less predictable,” the American Academy of Periodontology reports.

Smokers have more difficult recoveries after periodontal treatment than nonsmokers and even former smokers. The silver lining here is that you can quit smoking before attempting periodontal disease treatment to strengthen your mouth and gums. Patients who use tobacco also have higher risks of getting white sores in their mouths, called leukoplakia.

Your Senses Will Suffer

Tobacco use will hinder two of your five precious senses: taste and smell. Taste and smell are very closely related, and they both are dulled from tobacco use. Smoking can make your favorite food taste like cardboard. Or, put another way, after you quit smoking, those beloved tastes in your favorite meal will only get better and better. The Canadian Lung Association published a telling chart that shows the effects of kicking the habit over time. Your perceptions of taste and smell should improve after just 48 hours of quitting cigarettes according to the CLA.

Your Smile Will Be Less Attractive

Lighting up may seem cool, but causing stains on your own teeth isn’t. Tobacco users are sometimes given away by the color of their teeth. Cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco leave brown stains on teeth. These stains penetrate deep into your teeth, and they are difficult to remove. In Stittsville, cosmetic dentistry and tooth whitening can help improve tooth discoloration caused by tobacco, but if you keep smoking you risk negating all that great dental work. You’ll also experience more bad breath than nonsmokers.

You Have Higher Risks of Gum Disease and Cancer

Cigarette smokers build up more bacteria on their teeth, which means a higher risk of developing plaque and then gum disease. When plaque hardens, it becomes calculus. Calculus can only be removed from your teeth from a professional cleaning, which is one of the many reasons it’s important to keep regular dental appointments. Calculus that isn’t removed stays put, eating away your gum tissues. Eventually, your gums will pull away from your teeth and create small pockets. These pockets harbor bacteria that can ultimately eat away at your bones. Your dentist will be able to evaluate your mouth for early signs of gum disease. Your periodontist will suggest treatments to eradicate the bacteria and preserve your teeth and gums.

Tobacco contains chemicals that are known to cause cancer, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute and Kanata dentistry experts. Known carcinogens in tobacco include arsenic, vinyl chloride, cadmium, benzene and ethylene oxide. A few other harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke include ammonia, butane, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, lead, and acetone. Ammonia is commonly used in cleaning supplies. Butane is also called lighter fluid. Hydrogen cyanide is used as gas chamber poison. You probably know formaldehyde is used to embalm dead bodies. You get the picture.

The CLA reports 20 percent of Canadian teenagers are smokers. Smoking kills more than 45,000 people each year in Canada alone. Tobacco use can cause cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, jawbone loss and staining. If you or a loved one wants to quit smoking, refer to these helpful resources from Health Canada.

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You brush. You floss. You use over-the-counter products and follow the directions exactly. Why, then, are your teeth still dull and discolored? For most adults, at home care simply isn’t enough to whiten teeth. Trillium Dental offers both in-office and take-home teeth whitening for bright, beautiful smiles!

ZOOM! WHITENING

Patients at any of the Trillium Dental locations can have their teeth whitened up to nine shades with Zoom!® in-office whitening treatments. The Zoom! process takes about an hour, during which a special gel is applied to your teeth in three 15-minute sessions. During these sessions, the special Zoom! light is focused onto your teeth, breaking up stains and discoloration. The entire process takes approximately an hour, after which you go home with a beautiful white smile.

TAKE-HOME WHITENING

Prefer your sofa and a good book to the dental chair, but still want whiter teeth? Patients at Trillium Dental can also opt for take-home whitening kits. These are also very effective for whitening your teeth and produce dramatic results within a few weeks.

It’s common for adults to think of tooth alignment as a teen issue. You might think wearing braces as a 30-, 40- or even 50-year-old is undesirable, but traditional braces aren’t your only option for alignment. Straighter teeth will improve your self-esteem and your dental health, and it’s probably not too late to flash a picture perfect smile.

Kanata dentistry professionals Drs. David Bartos and Mark Northcott can straighten healthy teeth at almost any age with Invisalign. Invisalign can correct a variety of aesthetic and bite issues, and you can schedule an appointment with our Ottawa family dentistry office to see if you’re a good candidate for Invisalign treatment.

Invisalign v. Traditional Braces

Invisalign and traditional metal braces do a good job of aligning your teeth, but the treatment experiences can vary greatly. Invisalign aligners are made of clear, smooth plastic, similar to clear retainers used at some orthodontic offices. Treatment length is largely dependent on the severity of your case. Generally Invisalign patients finish treatment faster than traditional orthodontic patients, and Invisalign patients don’t need to come in for visits as often as those with metal braces.

The main and most obvious difference between Invisalign and traditional braces is the ability to remove aligners. Invisalign allows you to straighten your teeth while you live your life. You can take them out to enjoy a delicious meal or to wow a potential partner. You can also clean your teeth and gums easily. Traditional metal braces contain brackets, wires and sometimes even springs that can inhibit your brushing and flossing. These crevices created by braces can also trap pieces of the food you’ve eaten, and those food particles can harbor bacteria and decay.

Your Invisalign Treatment

The road to Kanata Invisalign treatment is simple and painless. First, you meet with a certified Invisalign provider such as Dr. Bartos or Dr. Northcott. You can begin treatment once you’ve been deemed a good Invisalign candidate. At that time your doctor will take impressions, photos and X-rays of your teeth to generate a 3-D replication of your smile. This specialized software will show you how your teeth will gradually move throughout your treatment.

You will receive your complete aligner set at the start of treatment, and you’ll be in charge of switching to a new set every few weeks. This control allows you to see your doctor less often, and you’ll be encouraged to see your teeth moved easily into place. Most Invisalign patients see their dentist about every six weeks to ensure the process is going smoothly.

Better Oral Health for Better Overall Health

Straight teeth are easier to keep clean, which means you’ll be less likely to develop cavities and gum disease in the future. Bacteria left in the mouth can lead to many health issues, including gum disease, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Our oral health affects the rest of our bodies; therefore a healthy mouth leads to a healthier body.

Ideally your bite, or the way your teeth fit together, will be harmonious. A disrupted bite can hurt your temporomandibular joint and cause unwanted stress in your jaw. These TMJ issues can cause pain, decreased jaw mobility, headaches, neck pain and earaches. Discordant bites, such as overbites and underbites, can wear down the enamel on your teeth. These problematic bites also put stress on your TMJ and disrupt normal jaw function. Your chewing and digestion could also be hindered by overbites, underbites and crossbites. Open bites, which occur when the top and bottom teeth don’t touch, can make it hard for you to eat, and they can also contribute to speech impediments. Many times Invisalign can correct these issues and improve your jaw function.

You no longer need to be embarrassed about crooked, crowded or overly spaced teeth. Contact our office today for an Invisalign consultation. Trillium Dental also offers Kanata cosmetic dentistry procedures such as teeth whitening in Ottawa, dental veneers, bonding and gum contouring.

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At Trillium Dental, we strive to make routine dental appointments as simple and convenient as possible. Our staff is friendly and our offices are designed with your comfort in mind. With this said, there are five easy things you can do to ensure your visit with us is as smooth and relaxing as possible.

Thoroughly brush your teeth and floss.
We are staffed with a skilled team of trained dental hygienists who use professional tools to remove stubborn plaque and tarter. However, a smile that’s freshly cleaned by you streamlines your appointment by reducing the hygiene portion of the visit. When there’s less food debris for hygienists to remove, they can quickly address issues you cannot, like stubborn plaque and tartar buildup and administering professional-strength fluoride treatments.

Of course, we encourage you to implement a diligent dental hygiene routine long before your appointment with us!

Have payment information prepared.
Our Ottawa area dentists want you to focus on your dental health during your visit, not stressing about insurance policies or what payment methods we accept. We encourage patients to get acquainted with our guidelines prior to their appointment. To learn more about our financial policies, visit our patient page.

Arrive early.  
While we prefer our patients to keep things on schedule by arriving on time, our reason for this tip isn’t to avoid tardiness. Patients who are scurrying to make their appointment are often frustrated, frazzled and anxious. Arriving a few minutes early will help you relax and give you plenty of time to carefully complete important paperwork, if necessary. It’s our goal to maintain a calm and anxiety-free office environment for everyone to enjoy.

Explain dental problems.
Being open with our dentists about dental problems will help us better determine an optimal diagnosis and treatment. If there are any new developments in your teeth, gums or jaw since your last visit, it’s important to let us know. If alerted to a problem, your dentist will be able to resolve it before it becomes more problematic and requires further treatment.

It’s also beneficial to be honest about your overall health when filling out our medical history form at your first appointment. General and dental health are closely linked. Providing important details about your history will give us added insight about your dental health.

Be honest about anxieties.
At Trillium Dental, we desire for you to feel comfortable in the dentist’s chair. That’s why we incorporate advanced dental technologies and personalized treatments into daily practice. If you feel anxious about a treatment, let our dentists and hygienists know. We will consider your fears when determining the best course of treatment.

Industry advances have made dentistry more comfortable than ever before. There’s nothing to be scared of. However, we offer multiple sedation options for the comfort of our patients.

Trillium Dental is a provider of comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry services in the Ottawa area, including Invisalign, teeth whitening and dental implants. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!

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You want a smile that exudes confidence, not one that’s stained, cracked, or chipped. That’s why Trillium Dental offers porcelain veneers.

With cosmetic dentistry and porcelain veneers, you can easily give your smile the dazzling makeover you’ve been dreaming of. And, if properly cared for, you can look forward to enjoying the results for years to come. All it takes is two to three visits to one of our five Trillium Dental offices.

Restore Your Self-Confidence with a Restored Smile

Your smile makeover begins with a simple conversation between you and one of our dentists. We’ll ask you what you like about your smile, what you don’t like, and how you’d like your finished smile to look.

Then, using aspects of your appearance—like your facial features, the shade and shape of your teeth, and even your eye and hair color—we’ll draw up a plan and make an impression of your mouth.

It takes about two weeks for our lab to make your veneers. During that time you’ll wear a temporary set until your finished ones are back from our lab. Once they’re in, all we have to do is switch your temporary veneers out for your permanent ones, and then you can go back to your regular schedule with your more confident smile in place.

Schedule Your First Appointment Today

Our dentists want to give your smile the makeover it deserves. To schedule your first appointment, just call one of our offices today. We have locations in Ottawa, Downtown, Nepean, Orleans, Carp, Kanata, and Stittsville.

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