When Fillings Become a Problem

At Bear Creek Dental, we work diligently to remove decay from our patients’ teeth and supply them with high-quality fillings. For many people, fillings are the first form of dental restoration they become acquainted with during childhood, and our naturally-colored options allow us to repair the aesthetics of their smile as well as their health. However, fillings are not truly permanent, and it is important for patients to recognize when something is wrong with one.

Although fillings and bonding are usually placed with the utmost care, it is possible for a high filling to interfere with the patient’s bite. If this happens, the filling will have to be removed. Furthermore, while the teeth are always sensitive after decayed material is removed, fillings should not cause a great deal of pain more than two days after their placement. If they do, they may be misshapen.

The bonding holding fillings in place has a lifespan of about ten years. After this, it will start to crack, providing bacteria with a home they cannot be brushed out of. To prevent further decay, the fillings will have to be replaced. By maintaining regular appointments, patients can get old fillings replaced before experiencing more decay.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.

 

Dental Bonding

If you have teeth that are chipped, cracked, or fractured, then you may benefit from dental bonding. Dental bonding is a service that we provide at Bear Creek Dental to repair and restore teeth that have aesthetic damage. Once you chip your tooth’s enamel on a hard piece of food or crack it due to dental trauma, it’s gone forever. Fortunately, dental bonding can make it appear and feel as good as new.

Dental bonding is a tooth-colored composite resin that your dentist mixes together to match the color of your natural tooth. The procedure itself only lasts about 30 minutes and allows you to leave the office with a brand new repaired tooth. Food and beverages such as coffee, tea, and wine can stain the resin, so it’s important to maintain a rigorous oral hygiene routine to keep the bonding white.

If you have questions or concerns regarding cosmetic dental services, please give us a call. To learn more about dental health as well as services we provide here at the practice, visit www.bearcreekdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors in Grand Prairie AB, call 1-780-539-0404.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

From the moment a child’s first tooth emerges, preventive care is important. At Bear Creek Dental in Grande Prairie, we want all our patients to be set up for a lifetime of good oral health, which is why parents should beware of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay.

When babies drink milk or formula from bottles, sugary residue tends to accumulate on the fronts of their incisors. The phrase Baby Bottle Tooth Decay describes decay in this location. While many people understand that too much sugar is dangerous for teeth, they often don’t realize that it’s the amount of time teeth are exposed to sugar which is the main determining factor in whether decay will occur. Babies are dependent on others to brush their teeth for them, and if they aren’t given water to drink in between swigs from the milk bottle, it may be hours before the residue is washed away.

The risk of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay can be reduced by limiting children's time with a milk bottle and by supplying them with water. Children should transition to drinking from cups around the time of their first birthday and not be given more sugary drinks, such as juice, until then.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.

 

Intrinsic Stains

We provide top-quality cosmetic care at Bear Creek Dental in Grande Prairie. Whitening is an enormously popular service which has helped people to remove a lifetime of stains from the surfaces of their teeth. But a certain kind of stain, called an intrinsic stain, may be too deep for whitening and require a different approach.

Intrinsic stains have two causes: exposure to dark molecules during the tooth’s formation and infection. The first cause is harmless; it usually results from tetracycline antibiotics or too much fluoride and an affected tooth can simply be covered with a veneer or bonding. However, an infection is dangerous as well as painful. It must be treated with a root canal or else it will spread, causing an abscess, or even sepsis. Once the root canal is complete, the tooth may be able to receive a veneer or need to have its crown replaced. Our artificial crowns are colored to look like natural teeth and are resilient, ensuring that our patients will have shiny, working smiles even if they suffer from the nastiest of intrinsic stains.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.

 

Dry Sockets

We strive to save patients’ teeth at Bear Creek Dental, but when extractions are necessary, we do them safely and efficiently. Tooth removal is a routine procedure; however, there are rare cases in which patients can suffer a dry socket. This is more likely when the extraction required incisions into the gum line.

Before extracting teeth, we will need patients to provide us with a list of all the medications they are on. We do this because we are counting on the blood to form a clot after the tooth is removed and there are medications which interfere with clotting. A clot will seal off the empty socket, preventing it from drying out and becoming infected. But a successful clot could still be torn loose by suction or dissolved, which is why we also tell patients to avoid sipping through straws and smoking during their recoveries.

While it is normal for the extraction site to be sore for a few days after the surgery, patients should make an emergency appointment if they are in severe pain. We can medicate a dry socket with antibiotics and moisturizers to get the healing process back on track.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.

 

Bruxism

Do you wake up in the morning and struggle to brush your teeth because you can barely open your jaw? When jaw muscles tighten during sleep, this is usually due to a condition called bruxism. Bruxism occurs when teeth clench or grind together during the day or throughout the night. To treat this condition, our doctors at Bear Creek Dental may suggest a night guard.

Bruxism can be attributed to stress, anxiety, frustration, and anger, or it can simply occur from a misaligned bite. Misaligned bites are usually treated with orthodontics, but an alternative treatment is a night guard to alleviate pressure on the jaw. If you notice your jaw muscles contracting, a grinding sound that disturbs your partner during sleep, or long-lasting facial pain, schedule a consultation with us today.

If you have questions or concerns regarding bruxism, please give us a call. To learn more about dental health as well as services we provide here at the practice, visit www.bearcreekdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors in Grand Prairie AB, call 1-780-539-0404.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)

Most of us may notice a clicking or a popping sound when we chew, but we don’t realize where it’s coming from. The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects the jaw to the temporal bones of the skull which are located in front of each ear. Without this joint, we wouldn’t be able to speak, eat, or yawn. When this joint becomes inflamed, our doctors at Bear Creek Dental can treat the problem.

Temporomandibular joint disorder is a name for a combination of symptoms that arise with inflammation in the temporomandibular joint. Though there is no documented cause for these conditions, speculations include teeth clenching, arthritis in the joint, and/or stress. If you are experiencing these symptoms, treatment options may include a mouth guard or a night guard to wear during sleep to alleviate pressure on the jaw muscles.

If you have questions or concerns regarding facial pain, please give us a call. To learn more about dental health as well as services we provide here at the practice, visit www.bearcreekdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors in Grand Prairie AB, call 1-780-539-0404.