Your Local Belmont Dentist for Healthy, Confident Smiles

Sometimes trauma, gum disease, cracked or broken teeth and tooth decay can be too significant, and despite our best efforts to save the tooth, extraction may be the only option. No one wants to lose a tooth, but here at Appalachian Dental Care, we will make the process as comfortable and as pain-free as possible. Just because extraction may be necessary doesn’t mean you have to live with a missing tooth space. We can provide restorative dental options to replace the extracted tooth. These options include Permanent bridges, and Removable partial dentures. Our team at Appalachian Dental Care can discuss with you what treatment may be best and what the benefits of each would be. If a number of your teeth need replaced, we offer dentures in traditional and premium options as well.

We have all heard the expression “ I’d rather have a root canal ” and seen the cartoons depicting a dentist shoving an obnoxiously large drill in the mouth of a wide-eyed patient. No wonder root canal treatment is the most feared dental procedure, according to the American Association of Endodontists. Despite the common belief that root canals are excruciatingly painful, in actuality they cause very little pain and discomfort. In fact, root canals actually relieve tooth pain. Appalachian Dental Care is here to help. What is a Root Canal? Each tooth has tissue containing nerve fibers that run through the center of the root of your tooth, which are called “root canals.” When this tissue dies as a result of a deep cavity or trauma, root canal therapy is needed. Without treatment, pain gradually worsens and the tooth can abscess and cause swelling. What is Root Canal Therapy? Root canal therapy is used to remove the dead tissue from the tooth. After numbing the area around the tooth, the Appalachian Dental Care team will isolate the tooth and sterilize it in order to protect it from bacteria in the mouth. We will then remove the dead tissue, from the canals. Afterwards, we will sterilize the tooth and place a rubber filling material inside of it. The tooth is then built back up and prepared for a crown. Years ago, completing a root canal used to take several, long visits to the dentist. Today, root canals can often be completed in less than one hour during a single visit, thanks to recent advances in technology and new dental techniques. If you are in need of a root canal but keep putting it off, relieve your pain and make an appointment at Appalachian Dental Care today.

Healthy gums look pale pink and firm, but they can still look pink even as the disease begins. There are different classes of gum disease, and as you progress to the more serious forms, your damage will become more severe. You are your own first line of defense! It’s important that you know what gum disease looks like in its earliest form so that you can get treatment right away. Watch for the known warning signs that you are in the beginning stages of gum disease: • Gums that are swollen around your teeth. Affected gums swell and protrude in all directions around the teeth that have plaque and tartar. • Gums that are bright red or bruised-looking. The color is a result of the infection deep within the gums themselves. Healthy gums are light in color, but the deep or bright hue shows irritation. • Receding gums that are pulling away from your teeth, causing your teeth to look longer or larger than usual. Not all gums swell with the disease. In fact, many people report that their gums actually pull back from the teeth, leaving the roots exposed and sensitive. • New spaces between teeth that used to be pushed together. When your gums are swelling or retracting, your teeth are also likely to move, a sign that is often more immediately noticeable than gum changes. • Pus-forming or oozing from between your teeth. Whether it is excessive bleeding or pus, liquids that come from your teeth and gums always indicate a problem. • Loose adult teeth. Your permanent teeth shouldn’t be loose. If you’re experiencing movement or wiggling teeth, you should visit the office right away. • A change in the fit of your teeth when you bite your jaw together. Even if your teeth only move a little, your bite may be affected, causing your teeth to fit together differently than in the past. • An ongoing bad taste in your mouth, even if you haven’t eaten. The layers of plaque and tartar on your teeth can cause a long-standing unpleasant taste in your mouth. • Constant sores in your mouth. Sores are another sign of infection, and being unable to get rid of them is a cause for concern. • Bad breath that just doesn’t seem to go away. This is also typically caused by the buildup of old plaque and tartar on your teeth and tongue. It’s always best to have any dental concern checked by a Dentist. We would rather see one of our patients with perfectly healthy gums and reassure that person that everything is fine and worry-free than to discover periodontal gum disease after damage is already done.

An increasingly popular alternative to silver amalgam fillings is composite tooth-colored fillings. New tooth colored fillings are safe, durable, and are virtually undetectable, making those around you think you’ve always had a flawless set of teeth. Unlike Amalgam fillings, composite fillings are virtually invisible and our team at Appalachian Dental Care can shade them according to the color of your teeth to create a perfect match, giving you a beautiful, silver-less smile! Benefits of Composite White Fillings Created to match your tooth to ensure a natural look and feel Because composite fillings can be created in smaller preparations, less of your tooth structure is lost and less drilling is needed The material is made from acrylic and glass particles, containing no mercury or other metals Provides support to remaining tooth structure, and insulates against temperature changes First, the targeted tooth is drilled to remove decay Next, a bonding agent is applied to the drilled tooth The composite material is attached and molded to your tooth structure The material is hardened by focusing intense light rays on it for about a minute The filling is now complete and you have a bright, natural-looking new tooth! The Filling Process Your filling brightness can be maintained by simply practicing good oral hygiene and avoiding staining food and drinks such as coffee, soda, tea, etc. For more information on composite white fillings or to schedule an appointment, call Appalachian Dental Care and let us rejuvenate your smile!

While X rays provide valuable information that we can’t get from any other source, they cant show you everything that is going on in your mouth. That is why we have invested in an intra-oral camera – a highly advanced piece of diagnostic equipment that allows you to see what we see inside your mouth. The intraoral camera handpiece is approximately the size and shape of a dental mirror. It has a built –in light source, and serves as a tiny video camera that allows us to zoom in on one tooth with 25 times magnification, or give you a “video tour” of your entire mouth. The images are displayed on a television or computer monitor, so you’ll be able to see problems such as worn or broken fillings, cracked teeth, plaque deposits, cavities next to fillings and excessive wear. YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE SEE! The intra-oral camera allows you to be an active partner in your dental treatment by enabling you to see what we see inside your mouth. With a clear understanding of your dental conditions, you’ll be able to make treatment decisions with confidence.