Health Maintaining

With the New Year beginning, no one wants to begin their year with gaps in their smile. Tooth loss can occur for various reasons including neglecting your teeth and gums with a poor diet and poor oral hygiene, while athletes are more prone to lose teeth, as well, because they experience trauma and more contact. Tooth loss can have a substantial impact on a person’s self-esteem due to the aesthetic implications. In addition, it can also cause bite problems and difficulties eating if not treated correctly and immediately. Dental implants require diligent oral hygiene to ensure they last a long time, but with proper care, can bring you your most natural and beautiful smile yet.

Upper Jaw Implants

There are instances in which you may not be able to comfortably wear an upper denture because of pain or a persistent feeling of gagging. For those who are exhibiting difficulties with the transition from their own teeth to an upper denture, implants may be the proper solution. Dental implants are small titanium cylinders that are surgically inserted into the bone of the jaw to replace the roots of your missing teeth. Bone in your upper jaw is continually lost when teeth have been lost. When implants are used, they help to stabilize the bone.

Lower Jaw Implants

When you lose teeth in your lower jaw, the bone continually recedes. There are nerves that pass through the holes in the jaw that can end up on the surface of your bone, which cause a great deal of pain when you bite down. It is usually possible to place implants into your lower jaw. This is performed by connecting the implants with a bar, which helps to keep the denture from rocking and shifting. A denture can still be removed for easy access and at-home cleaning of the implants and bar. The support of the implants will help to keep the pressure off the bone and nerves, in addition to stopping bone loss in the jaw that continues once the teeth have been lost.

What are the Benefits of Implants?

Crafted of biocompatible materials, which are securely placed into the jawbone, implants offer durability for long lasting functionality. They are designed to replicate the look and feel of your natural teeth while restoring full functionality and preventing tooth decay and bone loss.

Since implants are securely attached, you gain confidence to eat what you like, speak clearly and freedom from embarrassment. Other benefits of implants include:

* Improved Appearance: Dental implants look and feel just like your own teeth.
* Improved Comfort: Implants are securely anchored, so there is no slipping as there is with dentures. This eliminates some of the key inconveniences of dentures, including poor fit, gum irritation, and pain.
* Improved Health: Dental implants can help prevent deterioration of the jawbone caused by loss of teeth, so your face retains its natural shape.
* Durability: Implants are strong and can last a lifetime with proper care.
* Convenience: Unlike dentures, dental implants are permanent, eliminating the inconvenience of removing your dentures. With implants, you can brush and care for your teeth just as you would your natural teeth.

Visit your dentist for a proper consultation for replacement of your missing teeth. Remember, dental implants are not for everyone, but with proper consultation and diagnosis from your Madison dentist, a treatment will be created.

Biking is an excellent way to get your workout in while also taking some of the pressure off your feet. That is, if you do it right. If you bike the wrong way, it can also injure your feet as with other activities. Since the invention of the bicycle in the early 1900′s, cycling has been a favorite form of recreation and sport in the U.S. Today, more than 100 million Americans enjoy bicycling, either for recreation or, increasingly, for commuting to work each day. While a great workout is important for most of the body, your feet play a vital role in cycling.

Your feet are responsible for the transfer of energy from the body to the pedals, which make the bicycle more. Keeping alignment between your hips, knees, and feet is the most efficient way to operate a bicycle. If you lack proper body alignment and over activity, you may experience common foot problems related to biking: Achilles tendonitis, Sesamoiditis, shin splints, and foot numbness or pain.

Understanding Shin Splints

Pain on the front lower part of the leg is a common complaint of people who have shin splints and some may even have swelling as well. When you first notice the pain, it may just be at the start of your workout and feel like a dull ache or soreness. If left untreated, the pain can become sharper and last until you stop exercising. In some severe cases, the pain can continue even after you finish your workout.

Shin splints usually involve small tears in the leg muscles where they are attached to the shinbone. There are two types of shin splints: anterior and posterior shin splints. The pain usually develops gradually without a history of trauma and might begin as a dull ache or pain along the front or inside of the shin after running or even walking.

What About Sesamoiditis?

Sesamoiditis is a painful inflammation of the sesamoids apparatus, located in the forefoot. This is a common condition and usually affects physically active young people. Causing constant foot pain and occurring with or aggravated by movement of the big toe, it may be accompanied by swelling throughout the bottom of the forefoot.

Typically, Sesamoiditis can be distinguished from other conditions that cause pain in the forefoot by its gradual onset. The pain usually begins as a mild ache and increases gradually if the aggravating activity is continued. Your mild ache may eventually lead to intense throbbing with the constant activity.

In most cases, Sesamoiditis causes little to no bruising or redness. With pain and swelling, your ability to use the first metatarsophalangeal joint to flex upward or downward will be limited due to a loss of range of motion in the big toe and difficulty walking.

How to Protect Your Feet While Biking

For the casual or recreational cyclist, a typical athletic shoe used for running, walking, or cross training is acceptable for biking. Be sure that the sole of the shoe is firm and not worn down that that it can properly grip the pedal to avoid slipping. If you are a more serious cyclist, proper shoes are the most important piece of cycling equipment (besides the bike itself). Cycling shoes should have a stiff sole and fit snugly around the bridge of your foot and heel. The more stable and less movement inside the shoe, the more power can be transferred through the entire foot to the pedal.

Additional cycling tips include:
* Carefully choose the shoes you will wear while cycling
* Make sure your bike fits properly
* Warm up properly
* Condition yourself safely in the off season
* To stop pain before it begins, stretch major muscle groups used in cycling
* Ensure the seat is at the proper height when knees are slightly flexed

Talk to your Middletown podiatrist today for more information on how to protect your feet while bicycling-whether recreationally, professionally or to simply get to and from work.

Whether caused by years of decay or a quick injury to your face, losing one of your teeth can be a very stressful event. However, thanks to years of advances in dental technologies, your dentist has the capability of replacing your missing tooth and fully repairing your smile. Today, there are a few different effective methods for tooth replacement. If you are in need of a tooth replacement procedure, don’t hesitate to visit your Cape Coral dentist as soon as you can to receive treatment.

Dental Implants

The most permanent method available to replace a missing tooth is the installation of a dental implant. Implants are replacement tooth roots that are installed into the bone socket of a missing tooth and directly attached to your jawbone. Once a dental implant is put in, it will act as an anchor a replacement crown. After attaching the titanium implant to your jawbone, you will need to wait between six and twelve weeks for your gums to heal around the implant. After this, your dentist will take an impression of the area and to create a crown that will fit in perfectly with your bite. When the crown is ready, your dentist will attach it to a small connector post that is attached to your implant. After the process is completed, a dental implant will function as a part of your mouth and can last as long as 25 years or in some cases an entire lifetime.

Dental Bridges

Another popular method for replacing a missing tooth is to have your dentist install a dental bridge. A dental bridge is an artificial replacement tooth that is held in place on either side by dental crowns. To put a bridge in, your dentist will begin by anesthetizing your teeth and filing down the two teeth that will receive crowns. He or she will then take an impression of the area in order to fashion a bridge that will fit perfectly in your mouth. Once it arrives from a dental lab, your dentist will then permanently cement it into place.

Dentures

If you have lost most or all of your teeth, your dentist may decide that a set of dentures is your best option. If you still have a significant amount of teeth remaining, your dentist will be able to create a partial set of dentures for you. Partial dentures still allow you to keep your natural teeth while filling in the gaps with artificial ones. If all your teeth or almost all of them have been lost, your dentist will probably give you a complete set of removable dentures to wear. Modern techniques allow for your dentures to have a very natural tooth appearance so others will not be able to tell that your teeth are not your own.

To learn more about options to deal with tooth loss or to schedule an appointment, contact your dentist in Cape Coral today.