periodontist

VALENTINE’S DAY IS THE PERFECT time to look and feel your very best. Nothing will make you feel happier and more confident than a gorgeous new smile!

If you are an adult, your Valentine’s smile makeover may require comprehensive dental care. Here is your smile makeover action plan!

Love Your Gums, Love Your Smile

First, see a periodontist for a thorough soft tissue evaluation of your gums and bones around your teeth. Your periodontist will get your teeth ready for orthodontic treatment. To find a periodontist near you, visit the American Academy of Perodontology at www.perio.org.

Love Your Face, Love Your Bite

An orthodontist will put your teeth in the correct position for the best smile makeover possible. Teeth will need to be spaced correctly for a cosmetic result and your bite will need to be correct for dental health and tooth stability. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Love Your Teeth, Love Your Smile

Finally, a cosmetic or general dentist will need to complete your final tooth treatment of either crowns or veneers as desired. To find a dentist with interest in dental cosmetics visit the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry at www.aacd.com.

This case was treated by orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Gorczyca Orthodontics, Antioch, CA. Find us at www.clubbraces.com or call us at (925) 757-9000 to begin your Valentine's Day smile makeover.

Love is in the air. Happiness is your beautiful new smile!

WE MAY FEEL the dropping temperature in our toes, but we shouldn’t be feeling it in our teeth! Some of us experience a shock of pain as we breathe in the crisp air or sip some hot chocolate. Tooth sensitivity tends to manifest in temperature extremes, so we notice it more during the winter season.

Sensitivity Is A Cry For Help

Tooth sensitivity is fairly common, but that’s no reason to ignore it! Tooth sensitivity could be your mouth’s signal that something is wrong — you may need to see a periodontist or an endodontist. For the most part, solutions are simple. And, as with most dental problems, sensitivity is best dealt with early on. In some cases, tooth sensitivity can be reduced by using a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth such as Sensodyne. This is available in your local grocery store or drug store.

Some Causes of Sensitivity Can Lead To More Severe Problems

Healthy teeth are guarded from extreme temperatures by the tooth’s enamel layer and by the gums. Sensitive teeth may signal receding gums as a result of gum disease or over-brushing. Sensitivity could also be caused by damaged enamel from a cracked tooth, acid erosion, decay, or demineralization due to improper oral health care while wearing braces.

We Can Help You Find A Solution

Whatever the cause of your sensitive teeth this season, it’s important to get it checked out by an orthodontic professional. We can help you determine the cause, and find a solution. It may be a simple change in your dental care regime. Other times, a dental procedure can relieve your discomfort.

No One Should Suffer From Tooth Pain

We believe that no one should suffer from dental problems without hope of a solution. Please talk to us if you ever have questions about your dental and orthodontic health. We consider it an honor to be your trusted health partner, and to keep your teeth healthy for life.

Let us help you with your teeth in any weather. Your smile is our inspiration.

Top image by Flickr user Jason Ippolito used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

THE FRENUM, A THICK piece of tissue often found between the upper front teeth, may be responsible for your front tooth space. Your upper lip might even be attached with your thick frenum. This may be preventing you from smiling as big as you would like.

The Solution Is Simple

A thick frenum can be removed by laser or periodontal surgery. This procedure, called a frenectomy, is usually done by a periodontist (a gum and soft tissue dental specialist). Removal of your frenum is painless and relatively inexpensive. With a frenectomy and orthodontic treatment by braces or Invisalign, your orthodontic space can be held closed for a lifetime.

Keeping That Gap Closed

Following frenectomy, tooth space is held closed with either a removable or nonremovable retainer. With the aid of a bonded lingual retainer (inside tooth wire) your upper tooth space (diastema) may be gone forever.

Come visit us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California and let us help you be free of your frenum. Call us at 925-757-9000 for a free orthodontic exam. Visit us at www.clubbraces.com.

Be free of your frenum and enjoy the smile of your dreams!

Top image by Flickr user Andy Eick used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

CONGRATULATIONS! You're pregnant!

If you are wearing braces, let your orthodontist know as soon as possible your happy family news.

Your orthodontic treatment will continue while you are pregnant with a few special considerations.

Considerations for Dental and Orthodontic X-rays

Your orthodontist will elect not to do X-ray (radiographs) while you are pregnant. Please let all dental and medical professionals know when you are pregnant and restrain from having X-rays taken.

Pregnancy and Gingivitis

Due to the increased levels of your hormones, your gums are more susceptible to gingivitis. You may have "pregnancy gingivitis" if your gums become puffy and you are pregnant. Your gums may bleed when you brush and appear red. This is due to pregnancy gingivitis which affects up to 70% of pregnant women.

Pregnancy does not cause pregnancy gingivitis. The altered tissue metabolism of pregnancy accentuates the response to local irritants. For this reason, it is of utmost importance for your oral hygiene to be excellent during pregnancy for your to avoid the pregancy gingivitis condition.

If you have symptoms of pregnancy gingivitis, your orthodontist may recommend additional cleanings with your dental hygienist. These are best done with the orthodontic arch wires removed. If you have gingival enlargements of your gums, your orthodontist may also send you to your dentist or a periodontist for additional specialty gum care. Our goal is for you to have minimal gingival inflammation during pregnancy with no infections of your teeth or gums.

Your teeth may also feel lose during pregnancy if you have pregnancy gingivitis. Your orthodontist may recommend that your teeth be moved more slowly or not at all during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Pregnancy gingivitis can be minimized or prevented by excellent oral hygiene from the beginning to the end of your pregnancy.

If You Have Questions, Let Us Know!

If you have questions about orthodontics or pregnancy gingivitis, visit us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California. Find us at www.clubbraces.com.

Your body may feel hot during pregnancy as well. Due to your hormonal changes, your taste buds may have the constant urge to eat ice cream. Eat up and enjoy this special time. Come see us for braces when your pregnancy is over and be sure to bring your baby for an initial orthodontic exam at 7 years old.

A BEAUTIFUL SMILE reveals gorgeous upper front teeth with ideal proportions. With gummy smile, excessive gum tissue makes upper front teeth look short.

Reveal Your Full Smile With A Gingivectomy

The shape of these teeth appears square or like a sizeways rectangle, rather than the normal 80% width to height ratio.

Gingivectomy is a procedure that can be used to restore ideal tooth height where gums are excessive. Removal of excessive gums can be done by laser, quickly and comfortably, for a beautiful result.

Gingivectomy eliminates gummy smile with or without braces. In children, teeth may appear square from incomplete tooth eruption. In adults, teeth may appear short from either excessive gum tissue or extreme tooth wear.

Keep Your Beautiful Smile For A Lifetime!

Your orthodontist, periodontist, or general dentist can answer your questions about short teeth and gummy smile. To find an orthodontist near you, visit www.mylifemysmile.org or call Gorczyca Orthodontics (925) 757-9000 in Antioch, California for a complimentary consultation and smile analysis.

Let everyone see your beautiful teeth by eliminating your extra gums. Here's to your gorgeous new smile.