April 2013 - Darlene Sand Wall DMD

sleeping child, grinding teeth, bruxism, Darlene Sand Wall DMD, dentistry

Dental Care

Erlanger Dentist: Kids’ Teeth Grinding Is Common

Walking past your child’s bedroom late at night, have you poked your head through the door and heard what sounded like a saw cutting wood. Taking a closer look, you may have seen your child’s jaw sliding back and forth, grinding his or her top and bottom teeth together. A sight like this one is not easy to forget, especially when the teeth in question belong to the smile you adore so much. However, before you get too panicky, you may be interested to know that in the majority of cases, teeth grinding (bruxism) is not treated in children. Below, your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Darlene Henry, explains why.

Bruxism in Children

A recent study showed that 38 percent of children grind their teeth. Yet very few of them receive treatment for their bruxism. This lack of treatment may seem like an oversight, but rest assured that it is not. Many children grind their teeth between the ages of three and six. However, because bruxism often ceases around age six, treatment isn’t often necessary. At this age, the threat of damage is not significant enough to warrant treatment.

Treatment for Bruxism

In a few cases, treatment may become necessary for bruxism in kids. Pay attention to your child, and keep an eye out for any recurring sensitivities in teeth. Sensitive teeth may be the result of bruxism, but they could just as easily be a fleeting sensitivity or the result of tooth decay. However, if you notice recurring sensitivities, contact your Erlanger children’s dentist, Dr. Henry, for dental assistance. Also keep an eye out for a sore jaw as jaw soreness can point to problems with the temporomandibular joint (jaw joint).

Bruxism in Older Children and Adults

A bruxism habit that does not fade away during childhood requires treatment. As the forces of grinding become greater, teeth are at an increased risk of cracking, chipping, or breaking. However, teeth can be protected by wearing a sleep guard prescribed by your Erlanger dentist.

Schedule a Visit with Your Erlanger Children’s Dentist

When was your child’s last dental visit? If it was more than six months ago, the time has come for another checkup. Contact our 41018 dentist office at 859-344-8500 today to schedule an appointment with your Erlanger children’s dentist, Dr. Henry. We serve patients from Erlanger, Cincinnati, Crestview Hills, Fort Mitchell, Florence, Union, Independence, and Taylor Mill.

dentures, dental implants, Darlene Sand Wall DMD, dentistry

Dental Care

Erlanger Dentist Answers Your Most Frequently Asked Questions about Dentures

Do you need dentures to replace your missing teeth? Are you hesitant to get them because of the horror stories you’ve heard about embarrassing slips and slurred speech? If so, nothing will put your mind at ease quite like information. Here to provide you with that information is your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Darlene Henry. She answers your most frequently asked questions about dentures.

Why do dentures slip?

Dentures slip when they do not fit properly. Dentures rely on suction to remain in place, and that suction will not hold if the fit is improper. Instead, ill-fitting dentures will slide around the mouth, irritating the gums as well as the wearer. However, your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Henry, carefully considers the entire mouth of each patient when she fits dentures, resulting in a better, more precise fit.

Why do some dentures wearers slur their speech?

Again, the cause is an improper fit. When dentures are moving around the mouth, the facial muscles attempt to compensate for the improper fit by trying to keep them in one place. Unfortunately, this muscular effort causes mumbling and slurring.

Can dentures be held in place with dental implants?

Absolutely, providing the patient has adequate bone available. In cases in which a patient does not have adequate bone availability, he or she may be eligible for bone grafting. Once it has been determined that there is enough quality bone available, the dental implants are placed into the jawbone. Once in position, they fuse with the bone, providing a stable base to which your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Henry, can attach the dentures. Patients with implant-supported dentures can enjoy dentures that will not slip. The dentures will also feel more natural as they are supported by the jaw rather than the gums.

Schedule a Visit with Your Erlanger Dentist

Are you missing your teeth? Don’t let tooth loss ruin the quality of your life. Contact our 41018 dentist office at 859-344-8500 today to schedule an appointment with your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Henry. We serve patients from Erlanger, Cincinnati, Crestview Hills, Fort Mitchell, Florence, Union, Independence, and Taylor Mill.

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Dental Care

Erlanger Dentist Explains How Dental Implants Improve Jawbone Health

If you have lost a tooth, you may be familiar with dental implants. You probably know that they provide stable and convincing restorations that you can treat just like natural teeth. You may also know that they can prevent a condition called the domino effect (further tooth loss), which sometimes occurs as the result of a lost tooth. But did you know that dental implants can improve the health of your jaw following a lost tooth? Your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Darlene Henry, explain how dental implants stimulate the jawbone below.

Tooth Loss and the Jawbone

Following a lost tooth, further tooth loss is not the only complication that may arise. The jawbone may also see a reduction in density. However, both of these problems share a common cause: malnutrition. When a tooth’s root leaves the jaw, the body no longer recognizes the presence of a living tooth, prompting it to cease nutrition of the area. Unfortunately, the lack of nutrients can also affect nearby teeth and the jawbone, resulting in complications.

Dental Implants and the Jawbone

Dental implants intervene on behalf of teeth and the jawbone because the body recognizes the presence of the implant’s post in the jawbone as a tooth’s root. Accordingly, it resumes the flow of nutrients, solving the problem of malnutrition. However, dental implants do even more to promote a healthy jaw. They also stimulate bone cells, which respond to the pressure of biting and chewing. When a tooth falls out, the bone cells do not receive the pressure, and the jawbone often loses density. The presence of the implant’s post in the jaw allows the transmission of pressure, and bone cells can once again receive stimulation, prompting greater bone density.

Dental Implants in Erlanger

Do you have a missing tooth? Dental implants can replace it and encourage a healthy jawbone. Schedule an appointment with your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Henry, today by calling our 41018 dentist office at 859-344-8500. We serve patients from Erlanger, Cincinnati, Crestview Hills, Fort Mitchell, Florence, Union, Independence, and Taylor Mill.

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Dental Care

Erlanger Dentist Has Treatment for Snoring

It can be disastrous trying to sleep next to a snorer. No matter how hard you try to get to sleep, the loud and obnoxious snores won’t let you. You may secure some temporary relief by prodding the snorer awake or rolling him or her over, but within a few minutes, without fail, the orchestra of saws will start up again.

It can be very difficult not to let such frustrations creep into a relationship, and work and home lives may suffer as your fuse grows shorter and shorter as you become more and more sleep deprived. But what can you do short of finding new sleeping arrangements? Your Erlangerdentist, Dr. Darlene Henry, discusses the causes of those nighttime symphonies and what kind of treatment can stop snoring.

Snoring on an Anatomical Level

The vibration of soft tissues in the throat is responsible for the sound we associate with snoring. As the body relaxes at night, so do the throat’s tissues. When a sleeper lies on his or her back, gravity pulls the tissues into the airway, causing them to vibrate as air flows past them. If you roll the sleeper over, snoring may lessen or stop temporarily because gravity no longer pulls the tissues into the airway.

Treatment for Snoring

In order to treat snoring, your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Henry, may prescribe an oral appliance called a sleep guard for nighttime wear. The sleep guard can help stop snoring because it pushes the lower jaw forward, which opens the airway and keeps it clear even as the body relaxes into sleep. Another benefit of the sleep guard is that it protects teeth from bruxism (teeth grinding), which often occurs in snorers during the night.

Schedule a Visit with Your Erlanger Dentist

Is your spouse’s snoring driving you mad? Are you ready for him or her to stop snoring so that you can finally get some good rest? Set up an appointment or a consultation with your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Henry, today by calling our 41018 dentist office at 859-344-8500. We serve patients from Erlanger, Cincinnati, Crestview Hills, Fort Mitchell, Florence, Union, Independence, and Taylor Mill.

Erlanger Dentist: Kids’ Teeth Grinding Is Common

Bruxism in Children

Treatment for Bruxism

Bruxism in Older Children and Adults

Schedule a Visit with Your Erlanger Children’s Dentist

Erlanger Dentist Answers Your Most Frequently Asked Questions about Dentures

Why do dentures slip?

Why do some dentures wearers slur their speech?

Can dentures be held in place with dental implants?

Schedule a Visit with Your Erlanger Dentist

Erlanger Dentist Explains How Dental Implants Improve Jawbone Health

Tooth Loss and the Jawbone

Dental Implants and the Jawbone

Dental Implants in Erlanger

Erlanger Dentist Has Treatment for Snoring

Snoring on an Anatomical Level

Treatment for Snoring

Schedule a Visit with Your Erlanger Dentist

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