It’s estimated that over 5 million teeth are damaged or avulsed each year from playing sports, amounting to some $500 million in costs to have such issues repaired. In fact, according to the Journal of the American Dental Association, up to 39 percent of all sports injuries are dental related. When it comes to dental injuries and sports, hockey is likely the first one that comes to mind. Dental injuries are also common in other contact sports like football, but there’s also several other sports like soccer, basketball, baseball/softball, field hockey and lacrosse. In fact, estimates from the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) state that soccer players are even more likely than football players to sustain a dental injury.(Portable X-ray Machine)

However, the good news when it comes to sports and dental injuries is that, for the most part, measures can be taken to significantly decrease the risk. With that being said, here’s a look at some tips to protect your kids’ teeth while they play sports:

Equipment

One of the reasons as to why soccer players are more likely to sustain a dental injury than football players is because face masks and mouth guards are not mandatory in the game. We’ll get to mouth guards in a little bit, but the fact of the matter is that if your child plays a sport and facial protection is either required or recommended, it’s not only important to have them wear it, but it’s important that it fits correctly. Not only will this make the face mask or helmet more comfortable to wear and easier to play while wearing, but it will also ensure that it’s providing the maximum level of protection, not just for your child’s teeth and mouth, but to the entire head area.

Mouth Guards

The AGD states that mouth guards are believed to prevent some 200,000 injuries each year. However, they’re not mandatory in most youth sports. For instance, only about 7 percent of soccer, softball and baseball players wear mouth guards. Basketball players are being increasingly encouraged to wear mouth guards. When it comes to hockey and football, most youth leagues require players to wear both mouth guards and helmets with full face guards. Here’s a look at the different types of mouth guards:

Stock: Lowest cost option that also offers least protection due to limited fit adjustment. It’s better than nothing, but not ideal.

Mouth-Formed: Usually made from acrylic or rubber, these mouth guards are designed to be boiled and then fit to the athlete’s mouth. These offer better protection than the stock option.

Custom: The most expensive but also the best option, a custom-made mouth guard is made by your dentist – cast to fit the patient’s teeth. It fits the most comfortably and also offers the best protection.

Mouth guards are relatively easy to care for. Typically, it’s recommended that they be washed out with cold water and a mouth rinse before and after each use and stored in a perforated container between uses. Mouth guards should occasionally be cleaned out with soap or water.(Teeth Whitening Machine)

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all experience it; the sudden, sharp pain that we can explain running through one of our teeth. We usually ignore it as long as possible before we go to the dentist, which can actually cause the problem to be harder to solve. Toothaches happen to everyone for reasons as small as a canker sore or as serious as gum disease. If you are experiencing severe toothaches or pain, schedule an appointment with a Lifepoint Dental office for emergency dental care today.(Portable X-ray Machine)
Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is the most common cause of toothache. Everyday exposure to harmful substances, such as sugars, acids, and starches, can wear down the enamel on your teeth. If these substances are left on teeth for an extended period of time, they form layers of plaque on teeth which then combines with bacteria to create tooth-eroding acid. While the early stages of tooth decay are fairly common, it is also easy to prevent. Brush and floss your teeth daily and schedule regular teeth cleaning and dental hygiene checkups at Lifepoint Dental in Ames, Ankeny, Des Moines or any of our convenient locations.
Infected Gums or Gum Disease

Swollen gums can be a result of plaque buildup as well. Along with dental hygiene, nutrition also plays a large role in the health of your gums; certain vitamin deficiencies, such as vitamin C, can cause inflammation in the gums. It is important to take the same dietary and food precautions for your gums, as you do your teeth. Brushing your teeth too often or too hard can also lead to gum inflammation and receding gumlines. Other causes might be Gingivitis or Periodontitis. The Lifepoint Dental Dentists can assist you if you think you might be suffering from gum inflammation related to disease.
Abscessed Tooth

An abscessed tooth can occur from a broken or chipped tooth. The opening in the tooth allows for bacteria to slip down into the pulp of the tooth. If you have a broken or abscessed tooth, Lifepoint Dental Partners can help with tooth repair and treatment!
Tooth Fracture

Breaking a tooth is awful, but it happens to the best of us! There are many different types of tooth fracture ranging from minor chips and cracks all the way to split teeth and cracks in the root. To prevent these oral injuries, be sure to wear a mouthguard if you are involved in activities that may involve trauma to the face. Ask your Lifepoint Dental office about their custom sports mouth guards! It is also important to note that good dental hygiene makes teeth stronger and more resistant to breakage. If you do have a tooth break, be sure to contact Lifepoint Dental Partners for any emergency tooth repair needs.
Old or Damaged Fillings

On average, a typical white tooth filling lasts 7-10 years. Just as dental hygiene affects the lifespan of your own teeth, it also affects the lifespan of your dental fillings. Patients who got fillings in their youth or early adulthood may experience a damaged filling in their lifetime. If you have a filling that has fallen out or is damaged, this may cause tooth pain as it leaves the nerve of the tooth exposed. Lifepoint Dental specializes in tooth repair and can fix any of your old or broken fillings.
Repetitive Motions

If you are a compulsive gum or ice chewer, you may be at risk of toothache. You may also experience jaw or tooth ache if you grind your teeth. These repetitive motions wear down the outer protective layer of your teeth and can cause mild to severe tooth pain. It is important to talk to your dental care provider about how to vary your routine and create healthy dental habits to prevent these from wearing down your gums or tooth enamel.
Lifepoint Dental Care: Your Central Iowa Family Dentist

If you are experiencing any kind of toothache or mouth pain, be sure to check out Lifepoint Dental for your family dentist. Lifepoint Dental has six different dental offices including West Des Moines, Ankeny, Marshalltown, Cedar Rapids, Ames and St. Charles, Missouri. Please contact us today to make an appointment and get your best smile back.(Teeth Whitening Machine)

Do you have bad breath? Don’t feel alone, over 4o million Americans alone suffer from bad breath. Bad breath or halitosis, can cause many to shy away from social activities, be anxious about meeting new people, and just mentally inhibit your every day interactions with people in general. This doesn’t have to be the case though. There are many ways to fix or manage bad breath so that it doesn’t take over your social life. Here is a list of 9 tips that you can do to help fix or manage your bad breath right away.（dental air compressor）
1. Brush and Floss more Often

I know I know. This seems to be all us dentists want to talk aout, “now be sure to floss everyday and brush after all meals.” Yes, we can sound like broken records at times but there is a reason for all of this repetition, it works! Like anything, it’s human nature to want to look for the shortcut, or to lie to ourselves that these simple everyday dental hygiene habits really don’t matter that much. But they most certainly do. If you do anything on this list, please make sure that this is the one thing that you make a permanent change with in your life. You’ll be very thankful when you get older and don’t have all of these dentist bills that others do not to mention keeping your original teeth!
2. Scrape or Brush your Tongue

Your tongue can be a breeding ground and safe harbor for tons of foul smelling bacteria. This bacteria needs to be removed on a daily basis just as it needs to be removed from your teeth and from in-between your teeth, otherwise bad breath is the by product of not doing so. You can accomplish this task easily enough with your toothbrush, but if you find your toothbrush to big or awkward to get back there effectively, then you can pick up a tongue scraper at most drug stores. Regardless of how you do this, be sure to add tongue scraping to your everyday routine and say bye bye to bad breath once and for all!
3. Avoid Foods that may Sour your Breath

Foods such as onions or garlic can stay on your breath for hours after you eat them even if you do brush after eating them. The reason being is that these foods travel into your bloodstream and lungs to where every time that you breath you will be breathing the remnant odors of these foods too. So try to avoid foods like these within a few hours of any social occasion.
4. Stop Smoking

I think we all know that smoking leaves one of the worst breath odors around, and that quitting will thus eliminate this constant source of bad breath. So kick the habit already and enjoy good breath again as that is just one of the many many benefits to kicking the bad habit or smoking.
5. Rinse your Mouth Regularly

Do you use mouthwash as a part of your everyday dental hygiene routine? If you don’t then don’t feel bad, as easy as rinsing is most people don’t do it. If you rinse with a mouthwash like Listerine before brushing, then it will  give you a “pre-wash” if you will, loosening up plaque and killing bacteria before your toothbrush ever even gets going. This will allow for an overall better cleaning of your teeth and mouth and therefore better breath on a daily basis.
6. Chew Gum Instead of Using Mints

Eating mints, or other sugar based candies, will help to promote the growth of bad breath causing bacteria in your mouth. Instead, try chewing sugarless gum as this will help to stimulate the saliva glands to produce saliva which acts as the moths natural defense against bad breath causing bacteria.
7. Keep your Gums Healthy

Gum disease or periodontal disease can be a huge contributing source of bad breath. What happens is pockets of bacteria get caught up in the areas of the gums where they border the teeth. This is usually caused by a lack of proper daily dental hygiene habits, especially a lack of flossing. This bacteria can really cause a foul odor to come from your mouth, or bad breath. So get your gum disease under control and you will also reap huge benefits in the bad breath department as well.
8. Look Out for Dry Mouth

Since saliva is your #1 natural defense against bad breath causing bacteria in your mouth it’s important to always keep the saliva faucet turned on. To do this just simply be sure to not let your mouth ever go dry. Whether you drink water or chew gum it’s important to keep your #1 line of defense against bad breath fighting on your behalf as mush as possible.（Dental Implant Equipment）

In some instances bad breath can be a cause of something else such as a sinus infection, post nasal drip, diabetes, or even liver or kidney disease. If you feel like you have tried everything there is to do and you still don’t have any positive results, then you may want to consult your doctor to see if some of these other health issues may be the root cause. We hope these tips can help to get you on the right track to fixing your bad breath and helping you to live an all around better quality of life starting now!

So your first question may be: what in the heck is a dental crown? Well, a dental crown is something that you put on your most dominant, or “king tooth” as we call it. JUST KIDDING! What a dental crown really is a “cap” that completely covers an existing tooth in order to restore the tooth’s shape, size, strength and overall appearance. Once cemented in place, a cap or crown (these terms are interchangeable) completely covers the visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.
Why Might you Need a Dental Crown?(Autoclave Sterilizer)

Dental crowns are needed  for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons may be:

To protect or restore an already weak or broken tooth from weakening or breaking further
To support and cover a tooth which has a large filling when there is little tooth left
For cosmetic purposes, such as covering a severely discolored tooth
Sometimes they are used to hold a dental bridge in place
or to cover a dental implant

There are also many other reasons why a dental crown might be used, but these are some of the more common.
The Dental Crown Process

The process for getting a dental crown is a two visit process generally.
The First Visit

During your first visit the main goal is to prepare the tooth for the crown by doing a thorough examination of the subject tooth area. During this first visit, we may take a few X-rays to check the roots of the subject tooth and surrounding bone. If the tooth has extensive decay or if there is a risk of infection or injury to the tooth’s pulp, then a root canal treatment may first be performed. Before the process of making a crown begins, the tooth and gum tissue around the subject tooth will be anesthetized (made numb). After that, the tooth receiving the crown will be filed down along the chewing surface and sides to make room for the crown. However, if a good portion of the tooth is missing due to decay or damage, a filling material may be used in order to “build up” the tooth to support the crown.

After reshaping the tooth, a paste or putty will be used to make an impression of the tooth to in order to receive the crown. This impression is then sent off to a lab where it usually takes anywhere from 2-4 weeks for the dental crown to come back. However, in the mean time, you will be given a temporary crown which will help to protect the tooth from weakening any further even while your permanent crown is being made.
The Second Visit

This visit is a fairly easy one. Once the crown has come in, you will come in for your second visit which will be when the permanent crown is actually placed on the tooth. If the crown comes back with the correct size, shape, and color; we will then place a local anesthetic on and around the subject tooth area and then permanently cement your new crown into place.
How Long do Dental Crowns Last?

On the average, a dental crown will last between five and fifteen years. The large time variance depends on many factors such as how good your daily oral hygiene habits are, and if you have any other bad habits such as teeth grinding, chewing ice, opening bottles with your teeth, etc..
The Cost of a Dental Crown

Costs of crowns vary depending on what part of the country you live in and on the type of crown is selected. For example, porcelain crowns are typically more expensive than gold crowns, which are typically more expensive than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. Generally, crowns can range in cost from $500 to $900 or more per crown. A portion of the cost of crowns is generally covered by insurance. To be certain, check with your dental insurance company first. If you don’t have insurance ask us about our dental financing options.(dental laboratory equipment)

Periodontal (gum) disease is the most likely cause of a loose, permanent tooth. This progressive infection causes damage to the gums and bone tissues that hold teeth in place, leading to looseness and ultimately tooth loss.(oilless air compressor)

Gum disease, however, isn’t the only cause: although not as common, excessive biting forces over time may also lead to loose teeth. The excessive force stretches the periodontal ligaments that hold teeth in place, causing the teeth to become loose.

This condition is called occlusal trauma. In its primary form, the patient habitually grinds or clenches their teeth, or bites or chews on hard objects like pencils or nails. Generating 20-30 times the normal biting force, these habits can cause considerable damage. It can also be a factor when gum disease is present — supporting bone becomes so weakened by the disease, even normal biting forces can cause mobility.

If you recognize the early signs of grinding or clenching, particularly jaw soreness in the morning (since many instances of teeth grinding occur while we sleep), it’s important to seek treatment before teeth become loose. The symptoms are usually treated directly with muscle relaxants, an occlusal guard worn to soften the force when teeth bite down, or stress management, a major trigger for teeth grinding. The sooner you address the habit, the more likely you’ll avoid its consequences.

If, however, you’re already noticing a loose tooth, treatment must then focus on preserving the tooth. Initially, the tooth may need to be splinted, physically joined to adjacent teeth to hold it in place while damaged tissues heal. In some cases, minute amounts of enamel may need to be removed from the tooth’s biting surfaces to help the tooth better absorb biting forces. Other treatments, including orthodontics and gum disease treatment, may also be included in your treatment plan.

If you notice a loose tooth, it’s critical you contact us as soon as possible for an evaluation — if you delay you increase the chances of eventually losing it. The earlier you address it, the better your chances of preserving your tooth.(electronic apex locator)

The first thing you need to do is sterilize your dental handpiece. This ensures a clean, safe repair.（Portable X-ray Machine）

Then you can visit my website, download the handpiece repair form and shipping label and print them out.

Fill out the repair form completely, and please give as much detail as possible about the problems you are experiencing with your handpiece. Make a copy of your completed repair form so you can refer back to it, if needed.

Make sure to leave your handpiece in the sterilization pouch and box up your handpiece. Please include the dental handpiece repair form in the box with the handpiece, so I can identify the owner of the handpiece as well as the problems you are experiencing. Put the shipping label on the box and send it to me from your local post office. I recommend insuring your package.

…and those are the steps to get your dental handpiece prepared for the repair. You can expect a 24 to 48 hour turnaround for high speeds, 7 to 10 days for electric and low speed handpieces. As always, feel free to call me at 800-569-5245 with any questions. Thank you.（Teeth Whitening Machine）