Dental Implants

If you have teeth missing or are in need of an extraction due to decay, disease or injury, dental implants provide an attractive and long-lasting solution for filling the gaps in your smile. While bridges and dentures can also solve the problem of missing teeth, these alternatives either require alteration to the teeth adjacent to the gap or are not permanent fixtures in the mouth. At our office in Vancouver, WA, Dr. Geetika Chawla uses dental implant restorations to help you achieve a complete smile that you can be proud of.

The implant process can take between three to six months to complete, and the first step is to implant a titanium screw in the jawbone through an incision in the gums. This screw serves as your replacement tooth root and keeps your jaw from deteriorating or changing shape. Once the screw is in place, the gums are sutured and the bone is left to heal around the implant. The healing process is called osseointegration, and while it takes place over the next several months, you may receive a temporary crown for easier speaking and eating.

Once the jaw has healed, an abutment will be placed on top of the implant to serve as the foundation on which your permanent crown will be fixed. The tooth restoration is then custom made for your mouth and is either screwed or cemented in place so that you may enjoy a complete smile that both looks and feels natural.

To schedule an appointment at Radiance Dental, call (360) 369-6420. For more information, visit www.RadianceDentalNW.com.

What to do about Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that affects the way you breathe while sleeping, causing your breath to become interrupted for 10 to 20 seconds at a time and jolting you out of your natural sleep rhythm multiple times a night. As a result, your energy, mental acuity and productivity can suffer. Over time, sleep apnea can even lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and weight gain.

At Radiance Dental, instead of using the CPAP, we use the Elastic Mandibular Advancement (EMA) appliance to non-invasively treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The EMA appliance fits over the patient’s teeth and is designed to both advance the mandible (lower jaw) forward and to open the patient’s bite to allow for less restricted airflow during sleep. By increasing airflow and preventing snoring and symptoms of sleep apnea, the appliance promotes deeper and more restful sleep, and because it doesn’t interfere with breathing through the mouth, you can still use the appliance safely with congested nasal passages.

If you believe you have sleep apnea, call (360) 369-6420 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Geetika Chawla. For more information about the Camas, WA dentist, visit www.RadianceDentalNW.com.

A Healthy Smile is a Beautiful Smile

Regular checkups and dental cleanings are a part of any good oral hygiene routine, and at Radiance Dental we provide dental care services of the highest quality to ensure that our patients’ smiles stay healthy year after year.

A soft and sticky film of bacteria, plaque can build up on your teeth despite regular brushing and flossing. Because teeth are constantly bathed in saliva, which contains calcium and other substances to strengthen and protect teeth, tartar or calcium deposits can also build up over time. Dental cleanings work to remove both plaque and tartar from the teeth. If it is not removed and is allowed to accumulate, bacteria will be provided a perfect environment and thrive on the gums and teeth, which can cause cavities, infection and gum disease.

While good for maintaining oral health between dentist visits, at-home brushing and cleaning are not enough to make sure teeth stay clean; regular dental cleanings are required. We will clean and polish your teeth, leaving the surface clean and smooth. The smoother the teeth, the more difficult it is for bacteria to stick to them and the more effective at-home brushing will be.

We recommend checkups and dental cleanings every six months for optimum oral health. To schedule an appointment in Camas, WA, call (360) 369-6420. For more information, visit www.RadianceDentalNW.com.

Suffering from TMJ Disorder

TMJ is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your mandible (lower jaw) to your skull at the temporal bone. While many call disorders associated with this joint, TMJ, those disorder are more appropriately called TMD (temporomandibular disorder), and TMD can have symptoms that range from teeth grinding and headaches to trouble chewing and pain when opening and closing your mouth. TMD not only an annoying disorder; it is also a destructive one and can cause serious damage to your teeth if left untreated. Here at Radiance Dental, Dr. Geetika Chawla can determine if you suffer from TMD and offer ways to treat the disorder.

The TMJ controls an assortment of jaw functions, including chewing, so if you’re chewing muscles or the joint itself is in pain, it is possible that you have TMD. TMD is often caused by stress, which leads to unconscious clenching and teeth grinding while awake and asleep. TMD’s symptoms include pain, trouble chewing, lock jaw, headaches or ear pain and a popping or clicking sound when opening your mouth. However, these symptoms may be indicative of other health problems as well, so it is important to see a medical professional for a diagnosis.

Grinding your teeth is an especially worrisome TMD-associated behavior since it can lead to further problems with your mouth. If your teeth grinding is left unaddressed, you will cause serious wear to the enamel of your teeth and expose the dentin, which will make your teeth more sensitive to heat and cold and more susceptible to decay. However, you can work with Dr. Chawla to relieve symptoms with mouthguards or nightguards.

If you think that you might be suffering from TMD or teeth grinding in Camas, WA, schedule an appointment with our office by calling (360) 369-6420. For more information, visit www.RadianceDentalNW.com.