Blog - Bingham Farms Dentist

Porcelain Veneers: Separating Myths from Facts

If you’re unhappy with your smile, porcelain veneers might be a solution that you’re considering. These thin shells are placed over your teeth to make them whiter, straighter, and more appealing. Here are some facts that address some of the myths about porcelain veneers to help you make a better choice.

Myth: Large portions of your teeth must be removed when applying veneers.
Fact: Only a very small layer of your teeth needs to be removed so that veneers can be bonded onto them. The amount removed is usually as thin as a contact lens.

Myth: Porcelain veneers do not look natural.
Fact: When properly attached to your teeth, veneers become part of your mouth structure and are virtually indistinguishable from your real teeth. They also feel like your natural teeth.

Myth: Getting veneers is very painful.
Fact: Preparing your teeth for veneers is not painful because the dentist usually uses a topical anesthetic to relieve any discomfort. Having a model made of your mouth and then having the veneers bonded to your teeth are painless steps in the process. You might experience increased sensitivity to hot and cold foods initially after getting veneers, but that sensation dissipates within a few days.

Myth: Veneers are so expensive that only the rich can afford them.
Fact: Many dentists offer porcelain veneers, so the costs have decreased as popularity has increased. Dental veneers are not just for celebrities.


Take the first step towards optimal oral hygiene. Reserve your dental appointment at our Bingham Farms dental office now and experience personalized care.

Dental Implants: The Advanced Solution for Tooth Replacement

When you don’t have a full smile, your self-esteem and oral health decline. Implant restorations offer a solid solution for patients who have lost teeth. Designed to look and feel like your natural teeth, dental implants will rejuvenate an incomplete smile. Dental implants allow you to eat the foods you love, speak clearly, and laugh with confidence.

Constructed from biocompatible titanium, a dental implant is a small metal post surgically inserted into your jawbone. The implant creates an artificial tooth root. Eventually, a permanent crown is placed on the post, restoring the function and appearance of your smile.

Although you can replace missing teeth with dentures or crown and bridgework, dental implants offer several advantages, including:

  • Durability
  • Longevity
  • Natural Appearance
  • Stability

Before suggesting dental implants, your dentist will evaluate your mouth and oral health to make sure you are a good candidate for implants. If you don’t have sufficient bone structure to support the implants, your dentist may suggest a bone graft. In most cases, dental implants have a 95 to 98 percent success rate.

With implant therapy, an oral surgeon or prosthodontist will position one metal post in each empty socket. Implants can replace one or more missing teeth. Once your mouth heals and bone fuses with the biocompatible post, your dentist will attach a lifelike prosthetic crown. Care for the implants as you would your natural teeth, brushing twice daily, flossing frequently, and visiting the dentist for routine checkups.

We offer dental implants in Bingham Farms.

The Smile-Enhancing Benefits of Dentures

If you have been living with a mouth full of badly decayed teeth, infected gums, or painful tooth infections, your dentist may have discussed how dentures can transform your smile. While no one looks forward to extracting all of their teeth, if your natural teeth have been a source of pain and embarrassment for years, having a beautiful new set of dentures could genuinely change your life.

Dentures are highly natural-looking replacements for an entire mouth of missing teeth and gum tissue. Unlike dental crowns or dental bridges that are permanently affixed, dentures are removable and can be thoroughly cleaned daily.

Badly decayed teeth and other oral issues often lead to chronic pain that radiates from the mouth to the face, head, and neck. This discomfort can disrupt your life, leaving you irritable, moody, and withdrawn. Pain medications might make you feel groggy or unsteady, impacting your interactions and daily activities. Once the problematic teeth are removed and underlying infections treated, the relief can be transformative. The absence of persistent pain will feel like a weight lifted, allowing you to experience life without discomfort.

Years of poor oral health might have left you self-conscious about smiling, hesitant to speak publicly, or uncomfortable eating and drinking in social settings. You may have avoided friends, family, or new relationships altogether. After replacing your damaged teeth with dentures, you will rediscover confidence and joy. The bright, flawless smile reflected in the mirror might remind you of a movie star’s grin, but it’s all yours. With your new dentures, you can embrace life with renewed assurance.

Ready to transform your smile? Schedule your appointment today at our Bingham Farms dental office.

Root Canal Treatment: What You Need to Know

There are many misconceptions about root canal treatment. This process is recommended when your tooth pulp is infected or damaged, and the treatment is needed to save your tooth. The damaged pulp is removed from your tooth and filled with a material that prevents future infections. A crown is often recommended to be placed over the tooth to complete the procedure and preserve the tooth. If your dentist recommends this treatment for you, it may save you some worry if you know the truth about the procedure.

Truth about the pain
Root canal treatment has advanced over the years, making it much less painful than its previous reputation. Anesthesia is used during the procedure, and most patients say it is no worse than getting a filling.

Truth about office visits
The procedure can usually be completed in just one or two office visits. Several factors impact the number of appointments, such as the extent of infection, complexity of the procedure, and need for referral to a different health care professional. Your dentist will be able to advise how many office visits are needed for your treatment.

Truth about symptoms
Your tooth does not absolutely have to be painful to indicate the need for a root canal. A dentist may diagnose a serious problem even when you don’t feel discomfort. That’s one reason regular checkups are important, so that issues can be caught.

Truth about cause
It is a myth that root canal treatment is caused by illnesses like heart disease, arthritis, or kidney disease. Medical research has proven these long-time myths to be untrue.

Truth about success
The benefits of root canal treatment can last a long time, even permanently. Sometimes patients experience broken teeth after treatment, but dentists attribute this to failure in the restoration or tooth construction instead of the root canal treatment itself. Patients who do not opt to get crowns tend to experience tooth breakage more often.


Are dental issues holding you back? Take control of your oral health by booking an appointment with our experienced team at our Bingham Farms dental office.

When Should Removable Prosthodontics Be Considered?

If your teeth are badly damaged from decay or facial trauma, or if you have several missing teeth, your dentist may recommend removable prosthodontics to solve your dental problems. Periodontitis (advanced gum disease), bone loss, or serious tooth decay can make you a poor candidate for restorative options such as dental crowns, dental bridges, or dental implants. Removable prosthodontics can restore your smile so that it looks and functions as it should, while also boosting your confidence as you eat, smile, and laugh.

Just hearing the word “dentures” might give you pause, reminding you of your older relatives, but advancements in dental restorative therapies now allow your dentist to craft a removable prosthodontic that not only looks but also feels like your natural smile.

Types of Removable Prosthodontics:

Partial Dentures:
Partial dentures correct gaps when only a few of your natural teeth are missing. A partial denture may be the best choice if your remaining teeth aren’t strong enough to support a dental bridge.

Overdentures:
Overdentures provide restorations when one or more of your natural teeth are in place in an arch – typically two teeth for a bottom overdenture and four teeth for an upper overdenture.

Immediate Dentures:
Immediate dentures are placed immediately after an extraction, allowing the bone and gums to heal while preventing adjacent teeth from collapsing into the empty space and affecting your bite.

Complete Dentures:
Complete dentures are designed for edentulous patients (patients with no teeth at all) and replace all of the teeth in one or both arches of your mouth, restoring your smile and your ability to eat and speak clearly.

Because of advancements in materials and techniques, many dentures today are so lifelike that they can be mistaken for natural teeth. Only you – and your prosthodontist – will know your secret. Talk to your prosthodontist today to see what removable prosthodontics can do for you. Don’t wait to start enjoying your life with your new, healthy smile.

Ready to transform your smile? Schedule your appointment today at our Bingham Farms dental office.

Replacing a Single Tooth with a Dental Implant: A Permanent Solution

Are you or someone in your family missing a single tooth due to an accident, infection, or fracture? If you are missing a single tooth for any reason, a single tooth dental implant can replace both the natural tooth and its root. The best, long-term option for restoring a single missing tooth is a dental implant fitted with a crown.

To place the implant, a small titanium post is inserted into the jawbone. This anchor provides a “root” for the placement of the implant that looks, feels, and functions like a natural tooth. These “anchors” are extremely compatible with bone and attach to the jawbone and gums to become a base for the crown. A temporary tooth can be placed while the dental implant integrates with your natural bone to form a foundation for a crown. Once the implant has fused to the bone, the final step in the treatment is the placement of the permanent crown onto the dental implant.

One of the advantages of a dental implant is that it allows you to replace a single tooth without sacrificing the health of neighboring teeth. Other treatments, such as bridges, require the adjacent teeth to be ground down to support the appliance. Grinding down the teeth damages tooth enamel and structure. Also, a single implant can be more aesthetically pleasing and easier to keep clean than a bridge.

It is of vital importance to replace even one missing tooth, as leaving it untreated can cause bone loss, compromised chewing ability, as well as an unattractive smile. If you have one missing tooth, or a tooth that needs to be removed due to damage or decay, the best and most natural option is a single tooth dental implant.

We offer single tooth dental implants in Bingham Farms.