Month: January 2019

You may notice your teeth are not perfectly straight, and are wondering at what point you will need braces. Braces are fixed appliances that align or straighten teeth by using pressure to slowly move them into place. Over time, the wire is tightened and this moves the teeth into place. Braces are the most common option used today.  We do have other options available such as Invisalign.

Signs you may need braces:

• Your teeth look overcrowded and crooked.

• Your baby teeth are lost early and your adult teeth have come in.

• You have difficulty chewing food or bite the side of your cheek.

• Your jaw bothers you, or you notice a sound when moving your jaw around.

Usually braces are recommended between the ages of 10 and 14, but many adults also choose to get braces later in life if they are unhappy with their smile. At Fraser Family we will provide you with an orthodontic consultation to discuss all of your options, and come up with an individualized treatment plan.  We will use diagnostic techniques to determine your plan such as making a mold of your teeth, taking photographs, and x-rays.

We also offer aligners as an alternative to traditional braces. Invisalign is a product where mouth trays are custom made to be worn over time in a specific sequence to move your teeth into place.

After your braces have come off, we will recommend either removable or permanent retainers to keep your teeth in place and avoid future issues.

If you are interested in braces and all of our options, call or email Fraser Family today to schedule your orthodontic consultation.

You may notice your gums are receding, or you may have been recommended by our office to have a pocket reduction procedure. When gums become loose and no longer fit tightly around our teeth, bacteria and plaque can collect in these pockets and cause real damage.

At this point, normal brushing and flossing cannot reach the bacteria in the pockets, and professional help is required. If you leave the gums untreated, teeth can become loose and eventually you will lose your natural teeth.  It is important to make regularly scheduled appointments with our office, so we can monitor your teeth and gums, and address any future issues.

At Fraser Family we have a few options to reduce pockets around our teeth. Local anesthesia is used, and the gums are numbed to prevent pain and keep the patient comfortable.

Gum pocket reduction surgery procedures available:

• Gingival Flap Surgery: The gum tissue is folded back, and we remove the diseased bacteria. We then secure the tissue back into place, and may smooth certain areas to prevent bacteria from entering in the future.

• Gingivectomy: We remove any overgrown tissue by cutting it away, so patients can clean their teeth easier and keep bacteria from collecting.

• Gingivoplasty: This procedure reshapes gum tissue around the teeth. If needed, grafts are used and stitched into place where the gums have receded. Usually the graft is taken from the patient’s roof of the mouth.

Depending on each patient’s case, and severity of the gum pockets, we will recommend the best gum procedure. Our team at Fraser Family will meet with each patient to go over all options, and provide the best solution and plan. We can help you reduce the pockets in you gums, and our procedures will allow you to brush and clean your teeth at home preventing future bacteria from collecting.

Don’t hesitate to call our office and schedule your appointment if you have concerns about your gums, or you have been recommended for a gum pocket reduction procedure.  Dr. Kashyap Vora has over 21 years of experience in the dental industry. Our team is here to help provide the best care for our patients.

Call or email Fraser Family today to schedule your appointment, and see how we can help with our pocket reduction gum procedures.

Your gums should fit nice and snug around your teeth so there is no room for bacteria to enter, or plaque to accumulate. Periodontal disease is when the tissue and bone are destroyed. This causes pockets to form around your teeth. If you do not address the issue, the pockets can become deeper, and leave space for bacteria to live. The pockets will progressively get worse as the bacteria collects, and eventually you may lose too much bone and the teeth will be lost.

Symptoms you may notice:

• Loose teeth or pain while chewing.
• Swollen or bleeding gums.
• Bad breath.
• Gums that are pulling away or receding from teeth.

To help with periodontal disease and pockets, there is a procedure called pocket reduction. Usually we will recommend this to our patients if regular brushing and flossing at home cannot clean the pockets appropriately.

At Fraser Family we will evaluate your gums and measure the depth of your pockets to determine if you are a good candidate for a pocket reduction procedure.

Pocket Reduction Procedures available:

• Gingival Flap Surgery: The gum tissue is folded back, and we remove the diseased bacteria. We then secure the tissue back into place, and may smooth certain areas to prevent bacteria from entering in the future.

• Gingivectomy: We remove any overgrown tissue, so patients can clean their teeth easier and keep bacteria from collecting.

• Gingivoplasty: This procedure reshapes gum tissue around the teeth. If needed, grafts are used and stitched into place where the gums have receded. Usually the graft is taken from the patient’s roof of the mouth.

Our office will numb your gums to prevent pain and use local anesthesia. Patients may feel mild pain after the procedure, and we will recommend taking over the counter pain medication.  You may notice some swelling and this is normal.  We recommend treating the swelling with ice. If you notice any persistent pain, or severe swelling please contact our office immediately.

It is important to address periodontal disease if you notice any symptoms, and schedule regular dental appointments in our office. If left untreated, you can lose your healthy teeth. We recommend to keep up with a good at home oral hygiene routine to help maintain your gum health, and keep bacteria out. Keeping your teeth and gums clean will prevent periodontal disease. Even with good oral hygiene, there is a chance that periodontal disease can reoccur.

Call or email Fraser Family today to set up your appointment and learn more about our pocket reduction procedures.

Crown lengthening is when excess gum and bone tissue are reshaped, allowing the natural tooth to be more exposed above the gum line. This helps the gums to wrap around the tooth and keep bacteria out. This procedure also allows a crown to fit snug over a tooth. Crown lengthening can be done for cosmetic reasons or health reasons. Local anesthesia is used, and the procedure is outpatient, allowing you to go home afterwards.

To determine if you are a good candidate for crown lengthening, we will meet with you to go over your concerns and look at your x-rays. Our team will discuss what we see and determine a course of action. We want our patients to be in good overall health with no medical conditions that would pose a risk for oral surgery.

Reasons for crown lengthening:

• If you have aesthetic issues with your teeth, they seem too small, or you are just not happy with your smile, then crown lengthening may help.

• If you notice your gums are prominent, and want more of your natural teeth to be exposed. Crown lengthening can rid you of that gummy type of smile.

• If your tooth is fractured, cracked, or there is decay and you require a crown, you are a good candidate for crown lengthening. The procedure will allow more of the crown and root to be exposed and this will help the crown fit better over the natural tooth, and increase stability.

Understanding the recovery afterwards is important before you have any crown lengthening procedure. Our skilled team at Fraser Family will go over our aftercare recommendations, so you can heal quickly at home.  On average, the recovery process takes three months.  Strenuous exercise or lifting heavy objects should be avoided for the first few days. Over the counter pain relievers or prescription antibiotics should be taken if necessary.

Crown lengthening can make your smile look great again.  Contact Fraser Family today to discuss your options, and how crown lengthening can benefit you.

Crowns are caps that are fit over a natural tooth. They look natural and are aesthetically pleasing. If you have been recommended for a crown, your tooth may be cracked or broken. Crowns are used with many dental procedures, and they must be fit perfectly to an existing tooth.

When crown lengthening is done, excess gum and bone tissue are reshaped. This exposes the natural tooth, allowing it to be more visible above the gum line. Crown lengthening helps the gum to wrap around the tooth keeping unwanted bacteria that can lead to infection away. The procedure allows a crown to firmly affix to a tooth.

Reasons you may need crown lengthening:

• To correct a gummy type smile

• To expose more of the natural tooth, if your teeth seem small.

• To help with dental hygiene, and prevent the gums from crowding around your teeth.

• A tooth is cracked or damaged, and crown lengthening allows the doctor to get better access to the tooth so the crown can fit well.

At Fraser Family, we will meet with each patient to review x-rays, and go over all the expectations of crown lengthening. The procedure is outpatient, and the time varies per patient depending on how many teeth are involved, and if the tissue and bone need to be removed. Local anesthesia is used to keep our patients relaxed and pain free.

The recovery process usually takes approximately three months. We recommend avoiding any strenuous exercise or activity for the first few days after the procedure. Also, we recommend taking over the counter pain relievers or prescribed antibiotics if necessary.

Overall, crown lengthening is one of the most common dental procedures done today. At Fraser Family our patients are in good hands with excellent care. We will make sure you have an outstanding experience, and our team can help answer any questions you may have along the way. Our goal is to keep your teeth and gums healthy so you can enjoy that beautiful smile for years.

If you are interested in finding more about our crown lengthening procedure, please call or email Fraser Family to schedule your appointment.

If you have had your wisdom teeth extracted in our office, it is important to know what to expect after the procedure. Removable stiches are used, and these will dissolve after a week after the procedure. Gauze is also provided to help soak up any fluids after the procedure. We will provide our patients with guidelines, and discuss how to care for your mouth after your wisdom teeth have been extracted. It is important to pay attention to any signs of infection, pain or swelling that does not go away.

Recommendations for care after wisdom tooth removal:

• • • Keep the gauze in place after the procedure for a half hour to an hour, to ensure any fluid is soaked up.
  • • Stiches are used around the area and will dissolve usually after one week post-surgery.
  • • Avoid any harsh rinsing or touching around the area.
  • • Take any prescribed pain medications or antibiotics after the procedure as soon as you feel any discomfort.
  • • Restrict any activities and take it easy after the procedure. Normal activity can resume after you feel comfortable.
  • • Ice may be used on the side of the mouth where the procedure took place. Some swelling is normal, but this will subside as the area heals.
  • •  You may notice bleeding after the surgery, but this can be controlled by rinsing the mouth gently or using gauze pads to soak up any fluid or blood.
  • • Avoid any exercise after the procedure so the area can begin to heal.
  • • Swelling is common after the procedure, and you may even have mild bruising a few days after. This is normal and can be treated by icing the area.
  • • Follow a liquid diet or eat very soft foods, and avoid using a straw. Using a straw can cause the blood clot around the area to dislodge.
  • • Stay hydrated after the procedure. This will help you feel the best while recovering.
  • • Use good oral hygiene by brushing and rinsing gently. Rinsing with salt water can be done each day to help the healing process.
  • • You may have nausea or vomiting from the anesthesia, and this is a common side effect. This nausea should subside after a few hours.
  • • Patients may experience a sore throat or stiffness feeling. This is normal after the procedure, and should go away.

Our team will guide our patients with any questions or concerns they have during the healing process. We will go over all of the above recommendations for care at home after the procedure. If you experience any fever, sudden numbness, or pain that will not go away please call our office, and we can take appropriate action to help you.

Overall the wisdom tooth extraction process is simple, and can be done in our office within approximately 45 minutes. If you are interested in finding out more about our wisdom tooth extraction services, please call or email Fraser Family today to schedule your appointment.