Family Dentistry and Dental Specialists Group

Ah, root canals. They are probably the most dreadful procedure in dentistry; however, it has been due to misconceptions since our root canal therapy in Kissimmee is easy and fast. What is a Root Canal? A root canal is a dental procedure where a doctor removes the pulp of a dental piece due to infection. When dental caries reaches the nerve in a permanent tooth, you should look for root canal therapy near you before it affects other tissues. What to Expect from the Procedure? First, our dentist in Kissimmee will take an x-ray of your dental piece to evaluate how severe the cavity is. They will also perform some vitality tests, like applying extreme cold to the tooth. Once they determine you need a root canal, they will add a local anesthetic. Even if the tooth has no vitality, it is best to anesthetize. They will place a clamp around the tooth, which is uncomfortable (but your doctor already administered numb medication), which will hold a rubber dam. The rubber dam is essential in den...

Dentures are a dental prosthetic designed to replace missing teeth. They are a structure that includes artificial teeth and gums that are designed to resemble natural teeth and gums and to replace the function of your original teeth. If you are investigating the appropriateness of dentures as a solution for your tooth loss, you probably have many questions. Researching all of the available options and asking a dentist near you to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each option is an excellent idea. The goal of this article is to briefly introduce the five main types of dentures to help you to understand and choose between your options. What are dentures made of? The artificial teeth in today’s dentures in Kissimmee are mainly made out of hard resin materials, unlike dentures in the past that were mainly made from porcelain or plastic materials. The “gums” that frame the artificial teeth in dentures are made of similar resin materials, or more flexible polymers designed to fit s...

Retainers are customized dental appliances worn over teeth to move teeth into desired positions (active retainers) or hold them in their perfect position (passive retainers). An example of active retainers in Kissimmee is the clear aligners that the Invisalign process uses to straighten teeth without traditional braces. Even after completing an Invisalign treatment plan, though, orthodontists near you recommend that you wear a passive retainer to hold your teeth in their ideal position going forward. That passive retainer works to oppose the natural tendency of your teeth to gradually return to their former position. Our staff has all the information needed to answer all your questions about orthodontic treatment, including active retainers like those used with Invisalign. This article, though, is to introduce the three different kinds of passive retainers available from orthodontists near you to preserve your (newly?) perfect smile. There are three main types of retainers: permanent, ...

Treating cavities requires the dentist near you to remove the decayed part of the tooth and then fill the area where the decayed substance was removed. Fillings can also be used to treat worn-out, broken, or cracked teeth. Types of Filling Materials At Family Dentistry and Dental Specialists Group, we have several composite fillings in Orlando available for your use. Factors that may determine the kind of filling we will use are; extent and location of the decay, the cost of filling material against your insurance coverage, and your dentist's recommendation. The dental fillings include: 1. Cast Gold Fillings Advantages They are durable. Usually, they last up to 10 to 15 years and even more. They are strong and can withstand chewing stress. They are beautiful and very aesthetically pleasing. Disadvantages It costs about 10 times more than the cost of silver amalgam fillings. It requires at least two office visits to complete them. Some patients prefer fillings that match the rest ...

You have probably heard that teeth move. Although dental pieces are not the ones that shift, the ligaments that keep them in place do. When you have gaps in your mouth, teeth shift towards space, looking for contact. For example, when you lose a tooth, one of the main concerns is that teeth move towards the space where the lost tooth was. Also, the antagonist tooth (the dental piece in the opposite maxilla) extrudes. It is due to these reasons that extracting a tooth is the last option. Our dentist in Orlando will try to save them before pulling them out, and if there is no other option left, you must undergo prosthetic treatment to replace them. Teeth Move After Your Orthodontic Treatment If you underwent orthodontic treatment with a dentist in Kissimmee, you are probably wearing retainers. We offer retainers in Orlando to keep the beautiful smiles of our patients who finished their orthodontic treatment. Teeth have memory. If you have had dental misalignments for years and bite on a ...

If you listened to your parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents — and maybe older siblings and babysitters — while you were growing up, you probably know by now that the keys to good oral health for a lifetime are brushing and flossing. They were right, but there’s a bit more to it. Here, in addition to seeing your dentist for dental cleaning near you, is how to keep your teeth, mouth and gums healthy at every stage of your life. Bacteria and your mouth Bacteria in our mouth recycle what we eat and drink by consuming the sugars in our food. Bacteria especially like sugary foods and starches — contained in pasta, bread, and cereals, for example — that are easily converted to sugar. Many bacteria are essential to our health, but it’s the byproduct of their activity that causes problems for our teeth. When bacteria consume sugars, they produce a biofilm as a waste product. We know that biofilm as dental plaque.  Dental plaque produces acids that degrade tooth enamel which results in c...

Many people think that the only cause for losing a tooth is a cavity; however, it is a misconception because many problems can lead you to lose one or multiple dental pieces. Among them, you can find periodontal disease. Our periodontics dentist in Kissimmee will tell you all there is to know about it and how you may prevent it. What is Periodontal Disease? Periodontal disease in Orlando is an infection of the tissues that support your dentition, such as the gums in early stages and the bone in more severe ones. Stages of Periodontal Disease There are three. Let’s check them out: Gingivitis Gingivitis is the first stage of this condition. It consists of the inflammation of the gums due to the accumulation of dental plaque. The signs that you are suffering from gingivitis are the following: - Red gums - Swollen gums - Bleeding gums (especially when brushing your teeth) - Tenderness in your mouth Even though many individuals get scared when they bleed during the brushing, it is reversib...

When you consider some of the common chronic medical conditions that children suffer, what do you think of? Obesity? Autism? Asthma? ADHD? All of those are common and important medical conditions that parents are rightfully concerned about across the country. But what about cavities?  Cavities — also called childhood caries or tooth decay — are one of the most common chronic diseases affecting American children. Just how common? According to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five kids between the age of five and 11 have at least one untreated decayed tooth. Kids between the age of five and 19 were twice as likely to have cavities than kids from higher-income households. These facts are more important than you might realize. Cavities cause pain and infections that can interfere with your kids eating, speaking, learning and playing. One October 2016 study found that children with poor oral health also did more poorly at school and missed more class...

                      Invisalign is one of the most well known and marketed cosmetic and orthodontic dentistry solutions available on the market today. Millions of people all over the world have achieved their goal of straighter teeth quickly and comfortably with Invisalign’s clear and removable aligners. Popular as Invisalign is, though, we know many people have many questions. Here are answers to some of the most common questions we receive.  Do you wear aligners 24/7? No. This is one of the biggest ways that Invisalign differs from old school braces. You’ll take your aligners out to eat and drink (anything other than cool water), to brush and floss, and for the occasional selfie or intimate moment. Keep in mind, though, that your treatment plan and schedule is based on you wearing the aligners for 22 hours daily. Your aligners only work when you’re wearing them. If you leave them out for too long, it’ll take you longer to ac...