Category: Restorative Dentistry

Recovery Tips After Getting a Dental Crown in Reno

Posted on by Dr. Brian Evans

As a dentist in Reno, I regularly provide dental crown recovery tips to help my patients achieve the best possible outcomes after their procedures. Proper aftercare is crucial for ensuring your new crown’s longevity and overall oral health.

Understanding what to expect during the dental crown healing process can help you take better care of your dental restoration. Let me share my professional insights on how to navigate the recovery process successfully, from the moment you leave our office to long-term maintenance of your new crown.

The First 24 Hours: Critical Care Period

The initial hours after getting your crown are particularly important for dental crown recovery. During this time, the adhesive is still setting, and your surrounding tissues are beginning to heal. In my practice, I advise patients to wait at least an hour after the procedure before eating, as the anesthesia may still affect your ability to feel temperature and pressure sensations.

When the numbness subsides, you might experience mild sensitivity around the crowned tooth. This is completely normal and typically resolves within a few days. To manage any discomfort during this initial after-crown placement care period, I recommend:

  • Taking over-the-counter pain relievers if needed, following the recommended dosage 
  • Gently rinsing with warm salt water to soothe the gums 
  • Avoiding extremely hot or cold beverages that might trigger sensitivity 
  • Being extra gentle when brushing around the new crown area

Temporary Crown Care: A Special Consideration

If you’re wearing a temporary dental crown while waiting for your permanent one, additional care is necessary. Based on my experience as a restorative dentist in Reno, I’ve found that following these dental crown recovery tips for temporary crowns is essential:

  • Avoid sticky foods that could potentially dislodge the temporary crown 
  • Chew primarily on the opposite side of your mouth 
  • Clean gently around the temporary crown to prevent it from becoming loose 
  • Skip flossing directly next to the temporary crown – instead, slide the floss out rather than lifting it up

Long-term Care and Maintenance

Once your permanent crown is placed, new crown maintenance becomes vital for its longevity. I’ve observed that crowns can last many years when patients follow proper care protocols. Here are my recommended strategies for long-term success:

Maintain Excellent Oral Hygiene 

  • Brush twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush, being thorough but gentle around the crown 
  • Floss daily, paying special attention to the crown’s margins where it meets your gum line 
  • Consider using an antibacterial mouthwash to help prevent decay around the crown’s edges

Food and Lifestyle Considerations

While your crown is extremely durable, certain habits can affect its lifespan. As part of your dental crown healing process and ongoing care, I recommend:

  • Avoiding extremely hard foods that could potentially damage the crown 
  • Being cautious with very sticky or chewy foods 
  • Refraining from using your teeth as tools (opening packages, biting nails, etc.) 
  • Wearing a night guard if you tend to grind your teeth during sleep

When to Contact Your Dentist

As your dentist in Reno, I want you to feel confident in recognizing the difference between normal healing and potential problems. Contact our office if you experience:

  • Persistent pain lasting more than a week 
  • Significant difficulty when biting down
  •  A feeling that your bite is uneven 
  • Any movement or looseness in the crown 
  • Unusual sensitivity that doesn’t improve with time

Normal symptoms during dental crown recovery typically include:

  • Mild sensitivity to hot and cold for the first few days 
  • Slight tenderness around the gum line 
  • Minor awareness of the crown for the first week

Your Partner in Dental Health

At Wager Evans Dental in Reno, we’re committed to supporting you throughout your dental crown journey, from placement through recovery and beyond. If you’re experiencing any concerns during your recovery or have questions about after-crown placement care, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office.

Schedule a follow-up appointment if you need additional guidance or want to ensure your crown is settling properly. You can reach us at (775) 829-7700 or through our website to book an appointment. We’re here to help you achieve optimal oral health and ensure your crown provides you with years of comfortable, reliable service.

Remember, proper dental crown care during recovery sets the foundation for long-term success with your new crown. By following these dental crown recovery tips and maintaining regular dental check-ups, you can protect your investment and enjoy a healthy, beautiful smile for years to come.

Step-by-Step Dental Crown Procedure Guide from Your Reno Dentist

Posted on by Dr. Brian Evans

As a dentist in Reno, I frequently encounter patients who feel anxious about getting a dental crown simply because they don’t fully understand the dental crown procedure steps. Today, I’d like to walk you through exactly what happens during a crown procedure, drawing from my years of experience at my practice, Wager Evans Dental, in helping patients achieve healthy, beautiful smiles.

Understanding the dental crown treatment process is essential for feeling confident about your procedure. Let me guide you through each stage, from your initial consultation to the final placement of your permanent crown, explaining what you can expect at every step.

Initial Consultation and Examination

The dental crown procedure steps begin with a thorough consultation at our Reno dental office. During this visit, I will carefully examine your tooth structure, surrounding tissues, and overall oral health. Using digital X-rays and intraoral cameras, I can show you exactly why a crown is necessary and what we aim to achieve with the treatment.

We’ll discuss your options for crown materials, which might include porcelain, ceramic, or metal alloys, depending on the location of the tooth and your specific needs. I’ll take time to explain the benefits and considerations of each material, ensuring you’re fully informed to make the best decision for your situation.

Preparation Appointment: Creating the Foundation

The next phase of the dental crown treatment involves preparing your natural tooth to receive the crown. This appointment typically takes about 90 minutes, and I ensure my patients are completely comfortable throughout the process. Here’s what happens during this crucial stage:

First, I carefully numb the area using local anesthesia. Many of my patients are surprised by how comfortable this process is when performed with modern techniques. Once you’re fully numb, I begin reshaping your tooth to create the perfect foundation for your new crown. This involves removing any decay and building up the core of the tooth if necessary.

After the tooth preparation, I take highly detailed impressions. These precise measurements ensure your permanent crown will fit perfectly with minimal, if any, adjustment. The dental crown procedure steps at this stage are crucial for achieving optimal results, as the accuracy of these impressions determines how well your final crown will fit.

Before you leave this appointment, I place a temporary crown to protect your prepared tooth. This temporary restoration allows you to maintain normal function while your permanent crown is being crafted at our trusted dental laboratory.

Final Crown Placement: The Culmination

When your permanent crown returns from the laboratory (typically in about two weeks), you’ll return to our Reno dental office for the final phase of the crown process. This appointment is usually shorter, lasting about 45 minutes.

I’ll begin by removing your temporary crown and thoroughly cleaning the prepared tooth. Then comes the exciting moment of trying in your new permanent crown. I always meticulously check several factors:

  • The fit against your natural tooth structure 
  • How it contacts neighboring teeth 
  • Your bite alignment when you close your teeth together 
  • The color match with your surrounding teeth 
  • The overall appearance and your satisfaction with the result

If any adjustments are needed, I’ll make them right there to ensure perfect comfort and function. Once we’re both satisfied with every aspect of the fit, I will permanently cement the crown in place using strong dental adhesive.

Aftercare and Maintenance

The final step in the dental crown procedure steps involves providing detailed aftercare instructions. While your new crown is designed to function just like a natural tooth, proper care ensures its longevity. I advise my patients about the best practices for maintaining their new crown, including:

  • Maintaining excellent oral hygiene with regular brushing and flossing 
  • Being mindful of very hard foods that could potentially damage the crown 
  • Continuing regular dental check-ups to monitor the crown’s condition

Your Next Steps

If you’re considering a dental crown or have been told you need one, I invite you to experience our comprehensive approach to dental crown treatment in Reno. Our team is committed to making your crown procedure comfortable, efficient, and long-lasting.

Contact our office at (775) 829-7700 to schedule your consultation. During our meeting, we can discuss your specific needs, answer any questions about the dental crown procedure steps, and create a customized treatment plan for your situation. We’re here to help you achieve optimal oral health with the highest standard of dental care available in Reno.

Don’t let concerns about the crown procedure prevent you from getting the dental care you need. With modern techniques and our experienced team, getting a crown can be a smooth, comfortable process that significantly improves your oral health and smile confidence.

How Aging Affects Dental Health

Posted on by Dr. Brian Evans

Our bodies undergo various changes as we age, and our dental health is no exception. Understanding these changes is crucial for maintaining a healthy smile throughout your golden years. While your dentist in Reno will always provide personalized dental care no matter your age, some tips can help protect your oral health and mitigate common age-related dental issues.

Understanding the Impact of Aging on Your Teeth and Gums

Aging can significantly impact the health of your teeth and gums. Here are some key ways your dental health might change as you get older:

  • Tooth Wear and Sensitivity: Years of eating and chewing can wear down the enamel, making teeth more susceptible to decay and causing sensitivity.
  • Gum Recession: Gums may recede over time, exposing more of the tooth and roots to potential decay and sensitivity.
  • Dry Mouth: Many seniors experience reduced saliva flow due to medications or health conditions, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Common Dental Health Concerns for Seniors

Several dental issues are more prevalent in older adults. Awareness and early management can help maintain your dental health and overall well-being. Some common dental health concerns in seniors include: 

  • Tooth Decay and Cavities

Decay can occur on the surfaces of teeth, that has never been a problem before. It also commonly occurs around older fillings.

  • Gum Disease

This is caused by plaque buildup and can lead to swollen, bleeding gums and, in severe cases, tooth loss.

  • Tooth Loss

Losing teeth can affect your ability to eat and speak properly and lead to bone loss in your jaw.

How Senior Dental Care Can Help

Senior dental care in Reno is designed to tackle these unique challenges. Some ways we can help protect your teeth include: 

  • Regular Dental Checkups: These help monitor the health of your teeth and gums and catch issues early.
  • Professional Cleanings: To manage plaque buildup and prevent gum disease.
  • Restorative Dentistry Services: Such as fillings, dental implants, crowns, or bridges which restore functionality and aesthetics to your smile.

If you’re experiencing any dental issues or it’s time for your regular checkup, schedule an appointment with your dentist. Early intervention is key to managing the dental challenges that come with aging. Whether it’s preventive care, restorative dentistry treatment, or even cosmetic procedures to enhance your smile, we are here to help every step of the way.

Being proactive about your dental health allows you to enjoy a functional and radiant smile at any age. Remember, managing your oral health is crucial to maintaining your overall health, especially as you grow older. 

If you are looking for a dentist in Reno who offers senior dental care, please contact our office to schedule an appointment. Together, we can work towards keeping your smile bright and healthy through the years.

What Are Common Restorative Dentistry Procedures?

Posted on by Dr. Brian Evans

Restorative dentistry plays a crucial role in enhancing both the functionality and aesthetics of a smile. Procedures that are considered restorative dentistry can range from repairing damaged teeth to restoring missing ones, but all of these procedures are essential for maintaining oral health and improving quality of life. 

Understanding Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry encompasses a range of procedures aimed at repairing and replacing damaged or missing teeth. Whether due to decay, trauma, or natural wear and tear, teeth can become compromised over time, affecting both oral health and self-confidence. A skilled restorative dentist in Reno specializes in restoring teeth to their optimal function and appearance, utilizing advanced techniques and materials to achieve lasting results.

Common Restorative Procedures

Some of the procedures that fall under the category of restorative dentistry include: 

  • Dental Fillings

Among the most common restorative procedures, dental fillings are used to repair cavities caused by tooth decay. Traditional amalgam fillings and modern composite resins offer durable and aesthetically pleasing solutions for restoring the structure of decayed teeth.

  • Dentures 

Complete or partial dentures are removable prosthetic devices used to replace multiple missing teeth. Custom-fitted to the patient’s mouth, dentures restore both function and aesthetics, allowing individuals to eat, speak, and smile with confidence.

  • Dental Implants

As a modern alternative to replace missing teeth, dental implants provide a long-term solution. Surgically implanted into the jawbone, implants serve as sturdy anchors for dental crowns, bridges, or dentures, offering unparalleled stability and durability.

  • Root Canal Therapy

When infection or damage reaches the inner pulp of a tooth, root canal therapy becomes necessary to save the tooth from extraction. This procedure involves removing infected tissue, disinfecting the root canal, and sealing it, usually with the help of a dental crown, to prevent further infection, effectively preserving the natural tooth structure.

  • Dental Crowns

When a tooth is severely damaged or weakened, a dental crown provides a protective covering that restores its shape, strength, and appearance. Made from porcelain, ceramic, or metal alloys, crowns are custom-designed to blend seamlessly with the natural teeth, offering both functionality and aesthetics.

  • Dental Bridges

For individuals with one or more missing teeth, dental bridges offer a fixed solution for restoring their smile. A bridge consists of artificial teeth anchored to adjacent natural teeth or dental implants, effectively “bridging” the gap and restoring proper bite function.

The Role of Dental Bridges and Crowns

Dental bridges and crowns in Reno play a vital role in restorative dentistry, offering patients reliable solutions for damaged or missing teeth. They are often considered the in-between option when a filling won’t be enough and removing the tooth for an implant is too much. Whether restoring a single tooth with a crown or filling a gap with a bridge, these procedures are tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual. 

Restorative dentistry in Reno encompasses a diverse range of procedures that are designed to repair, replace, and enhance natural teeth. From basic fillings to advanced dental implants, and everything in between, these techniques are instrumental in restoring smiles and improving the quality of life for countless individuals.

Don’t Let Stress Damage Your Teeth

Posted on by Dr. Brian Evans

The past year or so has been… interesting, to say the least. With lockdowns, working from home, schooling from home, and everything in between, it’s only normal to feel more stressed than usual. But during these times of increased stress, it’s more important than ever to take care of your health. After all, stress can put us at increased risk for health problems such as heart disease, gastrointestinal issues, and a less effective immune system. But that’s not all. Stress can also put your oral health at risk and require a visit to your dentist in Reno. 

How Stress Relates to Oral Health

There was an article published in the New York Times that details one dentist’s experience with seeing an increase in patients with dental damage during the pandemic. Now, while a pandemic is certainly a good reason to stress, there are other everyday stressors that can also cause problems with your oral health, with or without a pandemic. 

Teeth Clenching & Grinding – When we become stressed, we may notice an increased heart rate or feelings of anxiety. But what we may not notice, at least not right away, is how we clench our teeth together tightly or grind them back and forth against each other. But these two habits that often occur subconsciously can cause some serious problems in your mouth. Repeatedly clenching or grinding your teeth can cause teeth to chip, break, or crack, requiring restorative dentistry treatment from your dentist in Reno. What’s more, that repetitive movement and pressure of clenching and grinding your teeth can put excessive stress on the jaw joint. Over time, this can cause TMD (temporomandibular disorder), a painful condition that causes jaw popping, jaw pain, or clicking of the jaw. 

Gum Disease – High stress levels may also increase the risk of developing gum disease. Gum disease is a serious infection in the mouth that can lead to tooth loss and other problems throughout the body including heart disease, kidney disease, and even some cancers. Gum disease can be treated and reversed if caught early, but in its more advanced stages, it becomes irreversible. Gum disease is usually the result of poor oral hygiene, but stress can also put you at risk for this concerning problem. If you notice signs of gum disease including red swollen gums, bleeding when your brush or floss, or chronic bad breath, schedule an appointment with your dentist in Reno. 

Canker Sores – We’re all pretty familiar with canker sores — those painful lip sores that seem to pop up from nowhere. While there is no concrete cause behind these pesky pimple-like sores, research conducted by the Academy of General Dentistry suggests a possible correlation between stress and the development of canker sores. Even though these sores can be painful, they’re not contagious and should go away on their own. 

Lower Stress, Protect Your Health

Whenever you’re feeling stressed out, it’s important to try some stress-reducing activities to ease your mind and protect your oral and overall health. Some things you can try include:

  • Sleeping. Aim to get 8 hours of sleep a night to refresh your mind and body. 
  • Exercising. A quick sweat session can release feel-good hormones called endorphins and lower stress. 
  • Meditating. There’s a ton of value in simply taking a few quiet minutes to just breathe. Focusing on your breath can lower your heart rate and make you feel more relaxed. 

Now more than ever, it’s important to do everything we can to manage stress to keep ourselves healthy. So get some sleep, get sweaty, and breathe it out.

Does A Chipped Tooth Need Cosmetic Or Restorative Work?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Your chipped tooth may be unpleasant to look at, but is the problem also a threat to your oral health? Relatively minor dental injuries can lead to some confusion. While you may be aware of its effects on your smile, it can be hard to know how much damage a relatively small chip has done to your tooth. Your Reno, NV dentist’s office can provide an examination, and determine what course of action is appropriate. They can let you know if a tooth is only in need of cosmetic dental work, or if the damage needs to be addressed through restorative dental treatment.  Continue reading “Does A Chipped Tooth Need Cosmetic Or Restorative Work?” →

Did You Know You Could Have A Tooth-Colored Filling?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

The right materials can make a big difference in just about any setting. When it comes to restorative dental work, having the right material for your dental filling makes it possible to preserve the appearance of your tooth. Because your Reno, NV dentist’s office provides composite resin fillings, you can have expert cavity care without worrying what your restoration will do to your smile. You can also look forward to an impressive degree of support, as composite resin actually bonds directly with your enamel. This means that in addition to looking more like your natural tooth, your filling will enjoy more support, and you can have fewer concerns about your filling shifting, or loosening. Continue reading “Did You Know You Could Have A Tooth-Colored Filling?” →

How Can You Tell If A Toothache Will Call For A Root Canal?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Your tooth hurts when you try to put pressure on it. You feel uncomfortable when it is exposed to heat, or cold. You may even feel persistent pain throughout your day. When you have some, or all, of these problems, what can your Reno, NV dentist’s office do to help? Many people who experience chronic pain or sensitivity in their tooth are experiencing the effects of an infection, which will require a root canal treatment. This restorative dental procedure offers important help in your fight against advanced cavities and infections. Without care, your tooth’s condition can continue to worsen until you have to have it removed! An infection also creates a risk because it can spread through the root of your tooth, and continue to do harm. Continue reading “How Can You Tell If A Toothache Will Call For A Root Canal?” →

Should I Have An Old Dental Crown Replaced?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Are you concerned with an older dental crown that feels less secure, or seems to offer less support? It is important to remember that crowns are expected to offer protection for a tooth against future dental troubles, while also absorbing biting and chewing pressures. Both of these qualities contribute to your overall oral health – an infection in a tooth can lead to obvious concerns, and a compromised bite can create unexpected difficulties. Let your Reno, NV dentist know if you think your older crown might need to be replaced. You can receive a modern dental crown that provides excellent support, and you can look forward to the cosmetic benefits that come with a modern, life-like crown made from ceramic.  Continue reading “Should I Have An Old Dental Crown Replaced?” →

Do You Know How Harmful A Cavity Can Be To A Tooth?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Are you doing enough to make sure that your teeth are completely safe from cavities? Tooth decay poses a real threat to your oral health, and if a problem goes without treatment, you can suffer some unpleasant complications. Did you know that a cavity will eventually do irreparable harm if it is not treated? Did you know that a cavity can make it possible for bacteria to spread into your jawbone, and affect other teeth? Your oral health care affects your appearance, and it can impact your overall well-being. Your Reno, NV dentist is ready to help if you need restorative dental care, and we welcome patients looking to enjoy preventive care.  Continue reading “Do You Know How Harmful A Cavity Can Be To A Tooth?” →