Snoring and sleep apnea are sleep disorders that disrupt your quality of sleep throughout the night. There are two types of sleep apnea; obstructive and central. Both forms of the sleep disorder cause you to lose oxygen flow throughout your body while you’re asleep. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your throat muscles relax, physically blocking your airway. While central sleep apnea is when your brain does not communicate with your muscles to tell them to breathe. Because the disorder occurs while you’re asleep, it can be difficult to diagnose. Often times, your dentist will recommend undergoing a sleep study to help better understand what is happening during your sleep cycle. (more…)
What Can An Oral Biopsy Tell Us?
A big part of preventive dentistry is how often you visit your dentist. Throughout these visits, your dentist will look for any visible signs of oral cancer, disease, or damage in your mouth. Periodically, they’ll recommend an x-ray scan that will help them to see anything they’re unable to with their naked eye. If your dentist sees anything that looks suspicious, or like it could be oral cancer, chances are they’ll suggest taking an oral biopsy in order to learn more about what’s going on inside your mouth. What can an oral biopsy tell us? (more…)
Are Your Gums Bleeding?
Often times, when blood is drawn from your gum line when you brush your teeth, it can be a sign of a larger problem. Your gums shouldn’t be bleeding just from the act of you brushing or flossing your teeth. Many patients ignore this first warning sign and wait too long before they have their dentist look at their soft tissue. Are your gums bleeding? This could probably mean that you have gingivitis (the early stages of gum disease) or periodontitis itself. Don’t worry too much, yet, your dentist may be able to help clean out the bacteria that is causing the infection. (more…)
How Are Sleep Disorders Diagnosed?
Sleep disorders like sleep apnea or sleep bruxism can be difficult to diagnose because the patient is usually unaware of the condition. There are signs that issues throughout the sleep cycle may be occurring, however, but they vary depending on the condition. How are sleep disorders diagnosed? If you believe you’re having trouble throughout the night, your dentist may recommend undergoing a sleep study to determine if you have a disorder. Throughout the study, your body will be attached to machines that are monitoring things like the oxygen levels in your blood and your heart rate. (more…)
How Do You Check For Oral Cancer?
Visiting your dentist throughout the year is crucial to your oral health – and not just because they professionally clean your teeth. When your dentist looks inside your mouth, they’re looking for things like infections or signs of oral cancer. How do you check for oral cancer? The exam your dentist performs is easy and quick – you won’t feel any pain. Besides visually examining your mouth, your dentist will feel your neck, jaw, and floor of your mouth with their hands to feel for any lumps or sensitivities. (more…)
What Causes Gum Disease?
Gum disease (also known as periodontitis) can negatively affect your oral health if left untreated. As with many other illnesses, the earlier you can catch the disease, the easier it will be to treat. Your dentist may recommend several different treatments depending on the severity of your condition. What causes gum disease? Bacteria, known as plaque, becomes a hard substance (tartar) if left on your tooth for too long. Tartar can only be professionally removed, it’s too tough for toothbrushes or floss that you would use at home. Unfortunately, the tartar attacks your gum tissue, teeth, and bone density, causing gum disease. (more…)
Why Do You Need To Qualify For Dental Implants?
If you’re missing teeth and looking at dental implants for restoration – you may have questions about “qualifying.” There are certain standards you must meet in order to receive these new “teeth.”Why do you need to qualify for dental implants? Implants require healthy gum tissue and enough bone density because they rely on these for stability. You may have heard that these new “teeth” are permanent – this is true, as they fuse directly with your bone after installation, given there’s enough bone to hold onto. If there isn’t, your implant could simply fall out. (more…)
How Are Wisdom Teeth Detected?
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, typically erupt in our late teens and early twenties. However, your dentist usually monitors them for years prior to determine when they should be removed. How are wisdom teeth detected? Typically, your dentist will recommend that you get an x-ray of your mouth every year or so. Through these x-rays, they’re able to detect many conditions that they cannot see with the naked eye. Wisdom teeth are just one of the several things your dentist may monitor through x-rays. If they are coming in misaligned or become impacted, you may have to get these teeth extracted. (more…)
Are You Tired Of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that disrupts your sleep cycle by restricting air flow. Patients who suffer from sleep disorders are known to snore loudly and wake often throughout the night. This often leads to exhaustion and extreme sleepiness throughout the day. Are you tired of sleep apnea? There are several treatment options so you can be able to get a full nights rest, but your dentist will have to monitor the severity of your condition first. Diagnosing sleep disorders is done through a sleep study – in this case, you would sleep while machines monitor your oxygen levels throughout your body. (more…)
Are You Ready For The Holidays?
Are you all done shopping for the holidays? Completely worn out and ready to relax with your family? We don’t blame you – shopping can get exhausting! This week, try something new and take your family out for a night full of fun holiday cheer to celebrate the upcoming holidays. Perhaps it’s time for a new tradition, California is such a wonderful place in the winter! Squeeze in some last-minute shopping around town or take your kiddos out to see the lights this week before the holiday comes and goes! Let’s take a look at what is going on around the beautiful city of Cerritos, California this week. (more…)
