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What Are Dental Restorations? | Henderson Dentist

Most of us know that in order to maintain a bright and healthy smile, we should visit the dentist every six months for regular checkups and professional cleaning. However, many don’t take into consideration is that they may have to visit their dentist every now and then for treatments that go beyond a routine cleaning. This may involve dental restorations, which are different types of dental treatments for decayed, chipped, cracked, discolored or missing teeth. Here are the more common options:

Fillings. This is the most common type of dental restoration. Teeth with cavities or tooth decay can either be filled with gold, silver amalgam or composite resin fillings.

Crowns. This restoration is essentially a tooth-shaped cap that’s placed over a damaged tooth. It’s done to restore the tooth’s shape and size, strength, appearance, to hold a dental bridge or to cover a dental implant.

Dental bridges. Bridges are false teeth that are fabricated to fill a gap due to one or more missing teeth. They are anchored on either side of the missing tooth by the crowns and cemented into place.

Dental implants. Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. The actual implant is a small post made of metal that’s placed into the jaw bones where the tooth is missing. The implant itself is covered with a replacement tooth.

Dentures. Dentures are removable dental appliances for missing teeth. They’re made out of acrylic resin and metal framing. Complete dentures replace a full set of teeth, either top or bottom, while partial dentures only replace a few missing teeth.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about Dr. Simone’s practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Patrick Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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IV Sedation and Why You Need It | Henderson Dentist

Do you suffer from dental anxiety? Do you cringe at the sound of dental tools? Do you have a terrible gag reflex preventing you from visiting your dentist regularly? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. A lot of people deal with dental anxiety, sensitive gag reflex or just general fear of the dentist. But worry not, sleep dentistry may benefit you greatly. Sleep dentistry includes IV sedation, and IV sedation is used to help relax and put patients at ease during a dental procedure. The following list includes a couple benefits of IV sedation:

  • IV sedations kicks in right as it’s administered, and the drug dosage can be tailored to fit the patient’s needs.
  • A safe maximum level of sedation can be reached with IV sedation, as where with oral or inhalation sedation the results can be unreliable. IV sedation is both highly reliable and highly effective.
  • With IV sedation your gag reflex is likely to lessen in sensitivity. If minimizing the gag reflex is the main objective, your dentist may try inhalation sedation first.
  • You are still conscious with IV sedation making it much safer that general anesthesia.
  • Your recovery time after IV sedation is usually shorter than if you did oral sedation, mostly due to the controlled drug dosage you are given.

Now that you read the five listed benefits of IV sedation maybe you’ll take that visit to your dentist for regular checkups. Remember keeping up with your oral health is very important to your overall health and the only one that can tell you if you’re doing a good job, is a dentist.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about Dr. Simone’s practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Patrick Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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Chocolate Candy Tastes the Best | Henderson Dentist

One of the yummiest treats we have during the holiday season is the chocolate. So, it’s rather apropos that December 28 is the perfect day to enjoy those chocolatey treats. It’s National Chocolate Candy Day – an entire day devoted to the yummiest of confections! Sure, maybe not the greatest thing for our dental health, but who doesn’t love a bit of chocolate?

According to the American Dental Association, we should be brushing two times a day for at least two minutes. After brushing, use dental floss to get in between and hard to reach areas to remove any extra food particles left in between teeth, gently scrubbing the spaces between your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach. Finally, rinse your mouth with an ADA-approved mouthwash to seal the cleanliness in. And in the new year, check in with your dentist to make sure the holiday season hasn’t thrown your dental health off track.

But in the spirit of the season, here are some fun facts about your chocolate candy:

In 1828, Dutch chemist Coenraad Van Houten invented the hydraulic press that makes it possible to remove the cocoa butter from the cacao, producing a powder and making way for the first chocolate confections.

In 1847, cocoa butter, cocoa powder and sugar were combined by British chocolate company J.S. Fry & Sons to produce the first edible chocolate bar.

Whitman’s produced the first box of chocolate.

Hershey Chocolate company designed a specific chocolate bar for the U.S. Army. The D ration bar was included in the emergency rations and in the packs of soldiers when the Allied troops stormed the beach of Normandy on D-Day.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about his practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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Dental Habits You Shouldn’t Have | Henderson Dentist

Before you think about running your toothbrush through the dishwasher or putting it in the microwave to disinfect it, know that it isn’t worth the hassle. We’ve all heard those stories about how much nasty bacteria is harbored in our toothbrushes, but did you know that there is no evidence that anyone has ever gotten sick from their own toothbrush. You can just give your toothbrush a good rinse under regular old tap, let it air-dry and store up right where your toothbrush isn’t touching anyone else’s brush. There are many mistakes we make in our oral care routines that we may not even notice. Let’s take a look at a few mistakes you could be making with your teeth:

Multitasking. We know that it’s easy to find other things to do while we brush our teeth but if you are paying attention to other things, you aren’t paying attention to your teeth. It’s best to give your full attention.

Your retainer. We get it – you’ve had to endure wearing braces. It’s time to celebrate. If you stop wearing your retainer regularly your perfect teeth will eventually start to shift. Be sure to wear your retainer.

Overcleaning your toothbrush. No tricks necessary. Make sure to give your toothbrush a good rinse with regular old tap water, let air-dry and store standing upright where it’s not touching anything.

Storing a wet toothbrush. It’s very important to store your toothbrush somewhere sanitary before you pack it away with any other luggage, and it’s equally as important to unpack it when arriving to your destination.

Skipping dental appointments. Some people suffer from dental anxiety which leads them to not going to the dentist. If you visit your dentist every six months for checkups, you’re less likely to run into dental problems.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about his practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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When Your Teeth Are Too White | Henderson Dentist

We all want one of those room-lighting Hollywood smiles all of the celebrities have. So, we buy the toothpastes, whitening kits and professional treatments. After all, our smile is the first feature a stranger sees – it is important to make it look the best it can. But have you ever thought about the converse of this topic? Can your teeth ever be too white? There are quite a few ways to brighten your smile, making it difficult to dispute the saying. In fact, the most widely used oral products today are whitening strips and tray-based over the counter whitening kits. While tooth whitening can be a safe and effective technique, some individuals are going above the recommendations of their dentists. Therein lies the problem…

Individuals who overdo whitening techniques have noticeably Snow White teeth that oftentimes look unnatural. Some individuals get to the point where their teeth begin to inhibit transparent figures. Overuse of whitening products will cause major tooth sensitivity and leave patients more prone to needing root canal treatments. You may be surprised to know that if you over-whiten your teeth, you are essentially wearing down your enamel and that enamel is naturally tinged in yellow, so you are making your teeth yellow by overdoing the whitening.

Don’t worry – there is hope. If you are looking for a safer, more effective form of teeth whitening, consult your dentist. They will give you an overview of certain procedures and even offer some over the counter techniques that may be used, however only if used correctly.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about his practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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Five Foods Your Teeth Want You to Avoid | Henderson Dentist

There are plenty of rules we have in order to keep our mouths healthy. We practice good oral hygiene on the daily, we see our dental professional twice a year, and we stay away from bad habits that can wreak havoc on our mouth. But there is one more thing we can do in order to maintain a healthy mouth – adjust our diets. These are the top five most harmful foods for your smile. Eat them in moderation and you should be just fine.

Refined carbohydrates. Food likes white bread, chips, pasta or crackers are processed sugars when broken down. When these sugars mix with bacteria, they create lactic acid, which is an acid that very hard on your tooth enamel.

Candy. Sticky candies are the worst for your teeth. When sucking on a hard candy, it exposes your teeth to sugar and damaging acids for a longer period of time, while sticky candy allows the sugars to stick to your teeth.

Dried fruit. Not many people would suspect that dried fruit would be hard on their teeth, but the chewy texture makes it easy for the fruit to stick to your teeth, giving it plenty of time to damage them.

Citrus fruit. Although citrus foods are healthy and packed with vitamin C, they can also damage your teeth. Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and grapefruit are high in enamel damaging acids and sugars as well.

Carbonated drinks. Not only are drinks like soda and diet soda loaded with sugar, they contain carbonation and phosphorous that wear away tooth enamel. For example, a cola beverage has around 10 teaspoons of sugar.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about his practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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The ABCs of Dental Fillings | Henderson Dentist

In the past, we only had the traditional metal fillings. They were not only durable, but they were also quite obvious to others. Today, you have more discrete options available. In fact, you have lots of things to consider when choosing which is best for you and vary depending on the patient’s health, where and how the filling is placed, the amount of chewing pressure the tooth will have to bear, components of the filling material and the number of visits needed to prepare and accommodate the tooth. Some of the choices include amalgam, composite and ionomers. Let’s break them all down…

Amalgam fillings are very durable, easy to use, and inexpensive when compared to other materials. Since amalgam fillings can sustain very heavy chewing loads, they are usually used to restore molars. Some of the disadvantages of amalgam fillings are that the silver tone is not as natural looking, possible short-term sensitivity, and more tooth structure is removed to conform the filling.

Composite fillings are made out of a mixture of glass or quartz and resin, this mix produces a tooth colored filling. Composite fillings are durable and provide good resistance against fracture in small to medium restorations where there is moderate chewing pressure. Because less tooth structure is removed when using a composite, a smaller filling can be used than one using amalgam.

Ionomers, on the other hand, are made out of a mixture of acrylic acids and fine glass powders. Ionomers are usually utilized to fill cavities on the root surfaces of teeth or in small fillings that do not require any chewing resistance since they have low protection against fractures.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about his practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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End of Year, End of Bad Habits | Henderson Dentist

Now that we are hearing all about the effects of vaping coming to the surface, it is safe to say that all smoking is going to be an issue to our health. And knowing this information should be enough incentive to think about finally quitting for good. It’s a struggle, but isn’t that what the new year is for? So, as we prepare to say goodbye to our tobacco addiction, here are some fun facts to make sure you realize that quitting will be the best thing you could possibly do for yourself.

Smoking’s effect on oral health includes bad breath, stained teeth and tongue, and a dulled sense of taste and smell, according to the American Dental Association (ADA) Mouth Healthy site. Because the immune system is affected, however, smokers often have weaker defenses against infections like gum disease and experience slower healing times. Oral cancer is another huge consideration, and it can spread to the lips, tongue, mouth and wthroat as long as tobacco is consumed. Salivary glands and tonsils are common sites of oral cancer.

Although it may be tempting to quit smoking cold turkey, quitting can be challenging. Because of the addictive ingredients in tobacco products, there are methods to help you stop using tobacco over time, and for good.

Once you’ve made initial steps toward trying to quit, it is vastly important to improve your oral hygiene with regular brushing and flossing. Alongside a new oral care routine, it is strongly advised for smokers to get a professional cleaning, which follows the removal of plaque and tartar with a thorough polishing that is conducted by the dental hygienist.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about his practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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Your Mouth Hates These Foods | Henderson Dentist

As we wind up another fun-filled summer, we have to change our summertime fun into a much busier autumn schedule. While we begin to start focusing on school schedules and meetings, we should also take some time to reassess our dental routines. We all become lax during the summer, but it can’t last all year ‘round. We all know that brushing and flossing is vital to the health of our teeth. But there are also foods that are doing some major damage. The following list includes the top five foods that damage your smile:

Refined carbohydrates. Food likes white bread, chips, pasta or crackers turn into sugars. When these sugars mix with bacteria that’s found in the mouth, they create a lactic acid, which is very hard on your tooth enamel. They also stick to the grooves of your teeth, giving the food more time to build up acid.

Candy. Long lasting and sticky candies are the worst sort of candy for your teeth. Hard candy exposes your teeth to sugar and damaging acids, sticky candy is more prone to adhere to teeth.

Dried fruit. Not unhealthy, but dried fruits such as apricots, prunes and pineapple can be just as damaging as candy. Not only are they sweet, but they stick to your teeth.

Citrus. Although citrus foods are healthy and packed with vitamin C, they can also damage your teeth. Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and grapefruit are high in enamel-damaging acids and sugars.

Carbonated drinks. Not only are drinks like soda and diet soda loaded with sugar, they contain carbonation and phosphorous that wear away tooth enamel.

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about his practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.

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Prevention Is Key to Keeping Away Gum Disease | Henderson Dentist

Dental treatmentDid you know it only takes 24 hours for plaque that is not removed from your teeth to turn into calculus (tartar)? Daily home cleaning helps control plaque and tartar formation, but those hard to reach areas will always need special attention. This is why we need to visit the dentist regularly – a checkup and a good cleaning.

At these cleaning appointments, the pocket depths will be carefully checked to ensure that they are healthy. Plaque and calculus that are difficult for you to remove on a daily basis will be removed from above and below the gum line. Unsure what to expect? Here is a quick rundown of the steps your dentist will take to keep your smile healthy:

Examination of diagnostic X-rays (radiographs). Essential for detection of decay, tumors, cysts, and bone loss. X-rays also help determine tooth and root positions.

Examination of existing restorations. Check current fillings, crowns, etc.

Examination of tooth decay. Check all tooth surfaces for decay.

Oral cancer screening. Check the face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, cheek tissues, and gums for any signs of oral cancer.

Oral hygiene recommendations. Review and recommend oral hygiene aids as needed (electric toothbrushes, special periodontal brushes, fluorides, rinses, etc.).

Teeth polishing. Remove stain and plaque that is not otherwise removed during tooth brushing and scaling.

Good oral hygiene practices and periodontal cleanings are essential in maintaining dental health and keeping periodontal disease under control! Remember that prevention is the best treatment, so if you feel you need help preventing periodontal disease, do not hesitate to contact your dental professional for advice. They’re the experts!

Schedule an appointment today 702-735-2755. Learn more about his practice and see the beautiful smiles he has created by visiting his website at www.patricksimonedds.com.

Dr. Simone proudly serves patients from Henderson and all surrounding areas.