Kern Family Dentistry Blog

Facial pain can be alarming, especially when it’s caused by a dental emergency. Your teeth, gums, and jaw are all connected, so what hurts one can affect them all! This can make self-diagnosis of your facial pain difficult, especially when you’re dealing with discomfort. If you need a little help figuring out what might be happening, continue reading. You’ll learn about several dental emergencies that could be causing your pain.

Have you heard that porcelain veneers can’t develop cavities? This dental cosmetic treatment is often advertised as being highly aesthetic and durable, so it wouldn’t be too crazy of an assumption. In fact, it’s not entirely wrong! However, after receiving your porcelain veneers, you will still have to worry about cavities. Keep reading to learn why good oral hygiene practices are vital for your teeth and your veneers.

Many people want a whiter smile, and teeth whitening is a popular method to achieve it. However, if you have dental implants and are thinking about whitening, you might wonder if it will work. Unfortunately, traditional whitening treatments don’t affect implants, as they only work on natural teeth. This means your implants won’t change color along with your natural teeth. But don’t worry, there are other options. Read on to learn more about these alternatives.

While dentures have allowed many people to restore their smiles after extensive tooth loss, people usually associate them with senior citizens in particular. While seniors are more likely to wear dentures on average because tooth loss becomes more likely with age, many younger adults have used them to restore their smiles with comfortable and lifelike artificial teeth. Here’s why dentures might be a great idea for a younger patient with extensive tooth loss.

The holiday season is here and you’re probably busy mingling at various parties and finding just the right gift for that special someone. This time of year can bring plenty of joy, but for many, it comes with equal amounts of stress. Unfortunately, when you’re under added pressure your teeth suffer, too. Even if you practice proper preventative dental care, you’re still at risk of developing certain conditions. Keep reading to learn 3 ways end-of-the-year anxiety impacts your smile, and how your dentist can help.

What are you thankful for? Friends, family, food? What about your oral health? Your teeth do a lot more than shine in your mouth, they’re an essential part of digestion and socialization. If you’ve never considered what your teeth do for you, perhaps Thanksgiving is a perfect time to reflect.

If you want to learn how your teeth help you in a variety of ways, continue reading. By the end of this blog, you should have a newfound appreciation for your teeth!

A dental crown can restore a damaged tooth to its original function and appearance after injury, decay, or a dental procedure like a root canal. They are customized to fit the needs of individual patients and can be applied in as few as one appointment. However, they don’t last forever and will eventually need to be replaced. Here’s how long your dental crown can last and how you can make sure it does so for as long as possible.

Dental crowns have been used for generations because of their versatility and effectiveness. Nowadays, crowns are made of all-ceramic materials to blend in with your real teeth. If your dentist has recommended a restoration, it’s normal to have concerns about the road ahead. Here’s what you can expect as your dentist prepares your tooth for a crown.

(more…)

Teeth are supposed to last for a lifetime, but 120 million Americans have lost at least one tooth. Traditionally, a fixed bridge is used to treat one or more lost teeth in a row. Although bridges have been used for decades, there’s another solution to treat tooth loss. Dental implants are the most successful method of replacing lost teeth, but is it too late to get them if you already have a bridge? No! You can replace your old restoration using the next best thing to your real teeth.

(more…)

There’s no better way to beat the summer heat than with a dip in the pool, which is why every public swimming hole you’re likely to visit this time of year is absolutely packed. Swimming is great exercise, and can be fun for every member of the family.

However, if you swim often—or even as a sport—you may be a little bit concerned about how that could affect your teeth. As it turns out, there are some things worth thinking about. Here are some potential oral health hazards that can come with swimming.