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Best Care Practices for Long Lasting Porcelain Veneers | Tyngsboro Dentist

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The longevity of your veneers can vary depending on how they are cared for. Here are some best practices for maintaining your veneers for years to come.

Avoid Unnecessary Force- Nail biting, chewing ice and forceful brushing can break or dislodge a veneer; they can also be the reason your dentist recommended veneers to begin with. It’s important to make an effort to avoid these habits for the longevity of your veneers.

Good Oral Hygiene- Maintaining good oral hygiene such as regular brushing, flossing and incorporating a mouthwash is great for your natural teeth and veneers. Veneers are placed along the gemlike to retain the appearance of being natural, so it’s important to keep your oral hygiene up to avoid a receding gemlike that may expose the veneer.

Limit Staining- Porcelain is a material that resists stains, but the dental cement used to keep them in place unfortunately is not. Coffee, tobacco, wine and any other food and beverage that may stain your teeth will stain the cement over time. Eventually, if not properly cared for along the way, the cement will become discolored and look odd against your veneers – or even start to make your veneers look discolored by association.

Stop Clenching and Grinding- This bad habit is a great way to chip or break your veneers over time. Bruxism, or the grinding of teeth at night, can be avoided by incorporating a night guard when you sleep. Reducing stress or finding alternative means to clenching your teeth will also go a long way in maintaining your new pearly whites.

To learn more about our practice or view the beautiful smiles Dr. Yankowskas has created, visit us online at www.tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. Yankowskas proudly serves patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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Dental Implants and Bridges | Tyngsboro Dentist

Tooth loss can be a result of dental trauma, advanced gum disease, or deterioration of the underlying bone over time. If you have experienced dental trauma, it’s important to see your dentist sooner than later to assess surrounding teeth and gums. Either way, a cosmetic dentist may present two replacement options to consider; a fixed dental bridge or an implant. It’s important to understand what these options entail in order to make the best decision for you.

Dental Bridges

A dental bridge can actually be thought of as a bridge. An artificial tooth (or teeth) is fixed to crowns on adjacent teeth on either end that attaches to healthy teeth, acting as the support posts if you will. The caveat to this solution is that if the tooth root is not replaced the bone may not get the stimulation it needs to remain healthy. Missing tooth roots could cause resorption, which causes the bone to lose density and shrink over time. Ultimately, this can cause one’s face to have a prematurely aged appearance.

Implants

Dental implants require a more extensive procedure, but restore the entire tooth structure rather than simply fill in the gap. Simply put, implants work by inserting a base into the jawbone into which a post with a crown on top can be placed. Implants provide stability and stimulation to the underlying bone which helps prevent resorption while looking and feeling like a natural tooth. 

Your dentist will review these procedures, benefits, and risks with you as you navigate your particular circumstances. While these are typically recommended, your dentist may encourage you towards one or the other option as they see fit. Be sure to ask your dentist any questions or concerns you may have prior to embarking on any given treatment option.

To learn more about our practice or view the beautiful smiles Dr. Yankowskas has created, visit us online at www.tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. Yankowskas proudly serves patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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Brighten and Whiten with a Professional Whitening Session | Tyngsboro Dentist

Interested in getting that brighter and whiter smile you’ve always wanted? You aren’t alone. Whitening products and treatments are some of the more common dental requests. Not only because there are loads of products over-the-counter to purchase, but because whitening is a simple, immediate way to improve your smile.

Generally, there are two types of professional teeth whitening services offered. And here is how it all breaks down:

Professional bleaching and laser whitening. This is what we all know as professional whitening. This in-office procedure is done by applying hydrogen peroxide or other similarly strong active agents to the teeth to help remove both deep and surface stains. Although more expensive, you can opt for laser whitening, which involves the use of similar active agents only with the addition of a strong laser to help speed up the bleaching process.

Whitening trays. The use of whitening trays is mostly an in-home procedure. The dentist simply creates a custom mouthpiece you’ll wear for several hours every day or even overnight for as much as two weeks. In most cases, the mouthpieces can be used again.

Prior to the procedure, dentists will usually take an extensive oral health history, checking for previous and current cases of tooth sensitivity and discoloration. There are potential side effects worth taking note of, including irritation, sensitive teeth, and sore throat during and after the treatment.

Once you are done with your treatment, realize the work falls on your hands to keep your teeth bright. Proper dental hygiene and avoiding bad habits is imperative to keep your smile looking gorgeous for as long as possible.

Call Tyngsboro dentist Dr. Yankowskas for a consultation at 978-649-7773. Also, visit our website at tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. James Yankowskas proudly accepts patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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Tips to Make Your Veneers Last as Long as Possible | Tyngsboro Dentist

We all want that perfect smile, but for many of us, it doesn’t happen naturally. In fact, most of us need a bit of dental work to achieve the smile we’ve always wanted. Thanks to modern medicine, porcelain veneers are one of the top cosmetic dentistry procedures and can really turn your smile around. But the longevity of your porcelain veneers greatly depends on how well you take care of them. So, pay attention to aftercare instructions from your dentist and these simple tips for optimal longevity:

Practice good dental hygiene. Good oral care at home helps to prevent periodontitis, which can cause your gums to recede. Veneers are placed right at the gum line. If your gums do start to recede the appearance of your veneers could be compromised.

Avoid excessive force. This is a habit for many of us, but your smile doesn’t like it. Things like biting your nails or chewing ice can break or dislodge a veneer, and for some, could be the reason you have the veneer in the first place. Make a conscious effort to stop these types of habits.

Quit clenching and grinding your teeth. By grinding your teeth your veneers can be chipped or broken due to the force generated by these actions. If you suffer from bruxism at night, find out about getting a night guard to protect your teeth and veneers.

Limit foods and drinks that stain. And lastly, while porcelain veneers are very resistant to staining the cement used to hold them in place can stain over time. Try to avoid coffee, tea, soda, wine and tobacco.

Call Tyngsboro dentist Dr. Yankowskas for a consultation at 978-649-7773. Also, visit our website at tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. James Yankowskas proudly accepts patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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Dental Prosthesis: Three Ways to Improve Your Smile | Tyngsboro Dentist

In the quest for the perfect smile, the options can be a bit overwhelming. You and your dental professional will sit down to discuss what you would like to see in your smile, eventually finalizing a treatment plan. And depending on your particular case, a dental implant or two may be called for. And while the artificial tooth roots are all made of titanium screws, not every dental prosthesis is the same.

Dental crowns. A dental crown is a cap that fits over the top of a tooth and is made to match the color and shape of the natural tooth. To place an implant-supported crown, the natural tooth will first need to be extracted, an implant screw is placed in the jawbone and an abutment is attached. Once the implant site has healed and the bone has fused with the implant, a permanent dental crown replaces the temporary crown.

Implant-supported dental bridge. While a dental crown is a single cap, a dental bridge is made up of two dental crowns with a fake tooth or teeth between them. Implant-supported bridges are used when the natural teeth are unable to support a dental prosthesis. The placement of a dental bridge is similar to placing a dental crown, but instead two dental implants are placed.

Implant-supported denture. Dentures are artificial teeth and gums that are used to restore an entire upper or lower arch of teeth. Although dentures can be used as a removable dental prosthesis, fixed dentures used dental implants for permanent stabilization in the mouth. Placing an implant-supported denture requires the placement of at least four dental implants and the extraction of any remaining decayed or damaged teeth.

Call Tyngsboro dentist Dr. Yankowskas for a consultation at 978-649-7773. Also, visit our website at tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. James Yankowskas proudly accepts patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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When Your Smile Needs to Go to Rehab | Tyngsboro Dentist

Because there are so many types of dental issues, dental professionals have dedicated their careers to developing various procedures to repair said issues. And while we aren’t all born with a naturally brilliant smile, all is not lost. It may be just a simple whitening procedure or a round of braces, to something more extensive like a total smile makeover.

If most—or all—of your teeth are crooked, broken or decayed, you may have given up hope for a healthy, beautiful smile. For many, it causes issues with self-esteem, others day-to-day functions like eating or speaking. A total smile makeover, also known as full-mouth rehabilitation combines the best technology, materials and techniques with decades of advanced clinical training and experience.

People of all ages seek full-mouth rehabilitation for many reasons, including inherited dental problems, such as a bad bite, traumatic injuries from car accidents or sports, or chronic illnesses. Tooth-grinding, acid reflux, bulimia, and drug and alcohol abuse may also inflict severe damage on the teeth. Full-mouth rehabilitation can be used to solve a variety of dental problems, including:

  • pain or soreness in the teeth, gums or jaw
  • missing teeth
  • loose teeth
  • decay in most or all teeth
  • bad breath
  • severely worn, shortened teeth
  • severe erosion of the enamel
  • extremely sensitive teeth
  • teeth that are cracked, chipped or broken
  • crowns or bridges that crack, chip or break
  • an overbite or protruding jaw
  • crooked or misshapen teeth
  • discolored teeth
  • a narrow or a “gummy” smile
  • ear congestion and/or dizziness
  • headaches or migraines

If you’re ready to get the smile that you’ve always dreamed of, make an appointment to see your dental professional as soon as possible to discuss your options.

Call Tyngsboro dentist Dr. Yankowskas for a consultation at 978-649-7773. Also, visit our website at tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. James Yankowskas proudly accepts patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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Straightening Your Smile with Invisalign Aligners | Tyngsboro Dentist

When our secondary set of teeth come in and turn out to be crooked, there are a variety of ways you can straighten things out with braces. But if you are older and have held off getting things done, or you have an active lifestyle, wearing the traditional silver braces can be an issue. The good thing is, now there is Invisalign, which straightens your teeth in a very discreet way.

An Invisalign treatment consists of a series of nearly invisible, removable aligners that you change every two weeks for the next set of aligners. Each aligner is individually manufactured for your teeth, and your teeth only. As you replace each aligner, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position prescribed.

Your dental professional will show you a virtual treatment plan generated by Align Technology’s unique ClinCheck® software shows the series of movements your teeth will go through over the course of the treatment. This allows you to see upfront what your teeth are expected to look like at the end of the treatment. From the results of the ClinCheck software, your custom-made, clear aligners are produced especially for you.

If you’re ready for a smile that transforms your appearance, Invisalign is your answer. Although there are many choices out there, no other treatment works as comfortably as Invisalign. And while you will have a few tweaks to your daily life, it is absolutely the best way to transform your smile without interfering with your day-to-day life. It doesn’t get easier than that.

Call Tyngsboro dentist Dr. Yankowskas for a consultation at 978-649-7773. Also, visit our website at tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. James Yankowskas proudly accepts patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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Everything You Need to Know About Hybridge Implants | Tyngsboro Dentist

We all want to have a great smile and will jump through some dental hoops to get it. We will even buy various over-the-counter products, like teeth whitening kits, in order to get the smile that we dream of. Cosmetic dentistry is the best way to achieve the more intricate work we need done. However, you may not know that depending on your smile’s health, you may not be eligible for the work you’d like done. For example, some patient’s teeth may be too crooked to use invisible braces like Invisalign, or gum disease could prevent you from getting other types of cosmetic dental work, like dental implants.

If your dentist claims that you are ineligible for traditional dental implants, there is no need to fret – there is a new option that can help to get that smile you want. Dr. Yankowkas has integrated Hybridge implants to create the smile you’ve always wanted. These dental implants are ideal for patients for those that don’t qualify dental implants.

Hybridge is a specific technique/protocol that results in a fast, cost effective, simplified treatment approach. The final prosthetic restoration is a cross-linked PMMA and chrome cobalt bridge replacing up to 12 teeth, supported on 5 or 6 dental implants. Told you can’t have an implant? The Hybridge process utilizes bone that all patients already have. The result is full dental function for less than half the cost of conventional implant bridgework and in a fraction of the time. In fact, The Hybridge treatment process can be completed in as little as two weeks, but ultimately depends on the patient’s individual case.

You can have the smile you’ve always wanted. Dental technology is pretty fantastic these days.

Call Tyngsboro dentist Dr. Yankowskas for a consultation at 978-649-7773. Also, visit our website at tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. James Yankowskas proudly accepts patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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Options for Optimal Smile Improvement | Tyngsboro Dentist

When we begin to consider making improvements to our smile, the smartest thing to do is to schedule a dental appointment in order to discuss your ideas with your dental professional. They know your smile best and can give you proper feedback as to what your options are. Together you will devise a plan to ensure you will get the smile you’ve always wanted. Here is a rundown of the more common cosmetic dental procedures. Each has its own improvement, but not all are going to be necessary.

Bleaching. Bleaching is a common and popular process in which individuals use chemicals to whiten their teeth. This can be performed by your dentist or at home through a series of dental supervised techniques.

Bonding. Bonding is tooth-colored material in which is used to fill in gaps or change the color of teeth. This usually only requires a single dental visit and bonding lasts for several years.

Crowns. Crowns are caps that are placed over teeth in order to restore it to its natural shape and appearance. Crowns have the longest life expectancy of all cosmetic restorations, but also take the most time to complete.

Veneers. Veneers are pieces of porcelain or plastic placed over the front teeth in order to change the color or shape of teeth. This procedure requires your dentist to take an impression of your tooth. Before the custom veneer is cemented directly onto the tooth, your dentist will lightly buff your tooth to compensate for the added thickness.

Contouring. This is a procedure used to correct crooked teeth or irregularly shaped teeth that may overlap. This is commonly used to alter the length, shape, or position of your teeth. Contouring teeth may also help correct small problems with bite.

Call Tyngsboro dentist Dr. Yankowskas for a consultation at 978-649-7773. Also, visit our website at tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. James Yankowskas proudly accepts patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.

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Replace a Flawed Tooth in a Day? | Tyngsboro Dentist

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We do our best to maintain the healthiest, brightest smile we possibly can through our daily dental hygiene routines. Each day we brush, floss and rinse, hoping that we are doing everything we can to keep out of the dental chair for some painful procedure. But accidents happen, and sometimes our mouth is the victim. It’s time to get spend loads of time in the dentist chair, trying to repair our broken tooth, right? Not so fast…

CEREC® is the world’s only system for the fabrication of all ceramic dental restorations in one office visit. That’s right – with CEREC® you can be in and out in a single visit with a permanent, all-ceramic crown, onlays, or veneers. This means fewer injections, less drilling, and less time out of your hectic schedule for dental care.

A tooth-colored restoration means no more silver fillings or discoloring smiles. The filling is natural-looking, compatible with tissue in the mouth, anti-abrasive, and plaque-resistant. We no longer need to create temporaries or take impressions and send them to a lab. Because of this, the traditional second visit has been eliminated.

The tooth that requires a CEREC® restoration is prepared and a 3D photograph is taken of the prepared tooth. From there, we use computer-aided design CAD software to create the restoration digitally. Using a single block of porcelain that is color-matched to your tooth, the digitally designed restoration is sent to a milling machine for shaping. The milling process usually takes about 15 minutes per restoration. Once the restoration is finished being milled, it is fitted onto the prepared tooth and adjusted until the bite is accurate.

Call Tyngsboro dentist Dr. Yankowskas for a consultation at 978-649-7773. Also, visit our website at tyngsborocosmeticdentist.com.

Dr. James Yankowskas proudly accepts patients from Tyngsboro and all surrounding areas.