Dental Care

Athletes: Looking for Protection and Performance? UnderArmour™ Has a New Option

Whether golf is your passion, hockey is your hobby, or football is your sport of choice, UnderArmour Performance Mouthwear can help protect your mouth while improving your performance. How? Scientifically created, UnderArmour Performance Mouthwear keeps you from being able to clench your jaw or teeth while you’re practicing or in the middle of a game—which keeps your body from releasing hormones that can slow you down and undermine your performance.

Powered by Bite Tech Technology

All of UnderArmour’s Performance Mouthwear—mouthguards and mouthpieces—are built on Bite Tech technology. This patented technology works by alleviating the pressure on the temporomandibular joint, preventing you from clenching your jaw. Because you can’t clench your teeth together, your brain doesn’t send the signal to your body to release hormones associated with stress. The end result?  You get to perform to your full potential.

Hundreds of professional athletes count on UnderArmour’s Performance Mouthwear to help protect their teeth and help them perform to their potential.  And the Mouthwear is also recommended by trainers and coaches, as well as dentists! In fact, the performance-enhancing qualities of Performance Mouthwear have been discussed in peer-reviewed journals; you can read the reports about the science behind the Bite Tech technology here.

Male and Female Athletes of Any Sport Can Benefit from Mouthguards and Mouthpieces

Which Performance Mouthwear is right for you?  The answer depends on your sport of choice. If you want protection and performance enhancement for no- or low-contact sports like tennis, weightlifting, or baseball, the UnderArmour Performance Mouthpiece will give you the perfect amount of protection and performance enhancement without unnecessary bulk. For sports like football, hockey, rugby, or similar activities, UnderArmour’s Performance Mouthguard will offer you the most protection available, while simultaneously enhancing your performance.

Male and female athletes from ages 8 and up can likely benefit from UnderArmour Performance Mouthwear. However, if you’re currently wearing braces, have missing or unrepaired teeth, or have suffered from joint pain in the past, it may not be the best option for you.  Talk to [Dentist name] if you have any concerns about whether UnderArmour Performance Mouthwear is right for you.

Fitting Your Performance Mouthwear

Getting a customized Performance Mouthguard or Performance Mouthpiece is both quick and easy, and can be done in conjunction with another planned visit to the dentist. We’ll make impressions of your teeth (top and bottom) and will also take a bite impression to ensure an optimal fit. After getting your impressions finished, we’ll call you when your Performance Mouthwear is ready for you to pick up—usually around 10 days from when it was ordered.

Customization and Care

Have a favorite sports team, or want to honor your own team? UnderArmour’s Performance Mouthwear can be customized with decals and/or colored bitepads. And UnderArmour Performance Mouthwear is as tough as you are—for most folks, one mouthguard or mouthpiece will last an entire season, assuming you don’t chew on it or have some sort of drastic changes to your teeth or jaw in the interim.

Cleaning UnderArmour Performance Mouthwear is easy and can be done with the same products you use to clean your teeth. Ask your hygienist or Salem Dental for additional information about the best way to keep your Performance Mouthwear clean.

Gone are the days when tooth trauma and cavities could only be treated with unsightly metal fillings. Today, modern, tooth-colored fillings made of durable resin can be bonded to your teeth for a stronger, more natural-looking effect. Composite fillings are virtually undetectable and require only a single appointment to apply.

     

If you are missing teeth and having trouble speaking or chewing, or are noticing strain when biting, bridges may be the ideal procedure to help make your mouth healthy and beautiful again. Bridges literally “bridge” gaps between teeth by filling them with strong, natural-looking artificial teeth. Bridges are semi-permanent – they can only be removed by a dentist – and are comfortable and proven to strengthen teeth.

    

Crowns, or dental caps, are used for both restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Crowns can help enhance the visual appearance of discolored, chipped or otherwise traumatized teeth, and can also be used to rebuild teeth that have suffered decay, breaks, or other issues that have caused them to lose strength.

Unlike composite fillings, dental inlays, or dental onlays—which fill or cover only a portion of a tooth– a crown is a type of dental restoration intended to cover the entire tooth from the gum line up.  Cemented onto your natural tooth, a crown effectively serves as your tooth’s new surface because it completely covers your natural tooth.

Crowns can be fashioned from a variety of materials including gold alloy, porcelain or ceramic, or even a combination of both! [Dentist name] can provide you with additional information on your crown options, including guidance on which type of material would work best for your crown.

 

    

Many times when dentists talk about extractions, they’re referring to impacted wisdom teeth, which can cause discomfort, inflammation, infection, and even decay as they come into the mouth and push against other teeth. In cases like this—or in more extreme cases, where cysts develop around the wisdom teeth and jeopardize the health of the jaw bone—extraction will be the only viable option.

But when it comes to teeth other than your wisdom teeth,  performing a tooth extraction is something that Salem Dental would consider only after doing everything else possible to save the tooth, including root canal therapy.  If the tooth has been traumatized,  is badly decaying, or there is excessive loss of bone around the tooth due to periodontal disease and the tooth is very mobile, then the dentist may seriously consider removing  the tooth to preserve the health of the teeth surrounding it, as well as your entire mouth.

             

If you haven’t had access to the proper dental care for years—or for a lifetime—you may be suffering from worn, discolored, missing, chipped or otherwise broken  teeth.   Not only does this affect your self-esteem; it can also affect the way you speak and chew. But Salem Dental can help with full mouth restorative treatment. By combining a variety of dental procedures and techniques including periodontal and endodontic therapy, bridges, crowns, veneers and dental implants, Salem Dental can give you a beautiful, healthy smile of which you can be proud.

 

    

The oral hygiene you practice at home—brushing at least two times a day and flossing every day—is great for keeping your smile healthy and beautiful between visits to your dentist, but it doesn’t take the place of the more in-depth cleaning we’re able to perform at Salem Dental office.  Here, not only can we perform more comprehensive cleaning, but we can also perform fluoride treatments, take actions to prevent or reverse gum disease, or even tell you about a variety of dental options to keep your breath feeling and smelling fresh!

If you’re looking for a new dental practice to provide cleanings and oral examinations, or you’ve simply lapsed in your regular dental checkups in our office, please contact us today. We’ll be delighted to schedule an appointment for you, and answer any questions you may have about the hygiene services we offer.

         

Unlike filings or crowns that are bonded to the tooth, dental implants are surgically implanted into the jawbone below the gum line. After the implant is placed, an artificial, natural-looking tooth is attached to it.  Over time, your bone and gum will continue to grow around the implant, providing it with extra stability.

                  

If you suffer from migraine or tension headaches, you know the pain and misery they can inflict. But what if there was a cost-effective, drug-free way to help you reduce or avoid your headaches altogether?  Salem Dental may be able to help, by fitting you for a stabilization sprint—a small, comfortable mouthpiece that helps keep you from clenching your teeth while you’re asleep.

Stabilization splints have been proven to reduce headache triggers, like abnormal muscle contractions and teeth grinding, by nearly 70%.  Because they’re small and unobtrusive, they don’t engage your gag reflex like other mouth appliances can.

Stabilization splints are also a viable option for you if you find yourself grinding your teeth, feeling pain in your jaw muscle, or just wanting to give your teeth’s biting surfaces and surrounding hard tissues some protection while recovering from dental trauma or a dental procedure. Why not contact Salem Dental today and see if stabilization splints may be a good option for you?

It is possible that in spite of your best efforts you may require more aggressive gum therapy. Like many other ailments gum disease can be quite painless due to its slow progression.

After a thorough periodontal screening and examination we may choose more aggressive therapies aimed at eliminating or reducing the amounts of bacterial poisons and plaque accumulating below the gum line, (generally cleaning and polishing of teeth is above the gum-line). This involves curettage and root-planing and/or treatment with site specific administration of medications to the affected gums. Curettage is the debridement of the soft tissue lining around the tooth. In disease this tissue is chronically irritated by bacteria deep below the visible gum-line and needs to be removed so that proper healing can occur. Root-Planing is the removal and smoothing of micro-amounts of root surface so that a clean and un-infected surface is presented to the healing lining of soft tissue.

These two procedures are generally done simultaneously, may require local anesthesia and are skillfully done by our well trained hygienists underSalem Dental’s prescription.

Gum disease does not happen over night and treatment generally is spread out over time as the effectiveness of a procedure needs to be assessed before the next takes place. Generally your condition is re-assessed in time and joint decisions are made about your next step. The services of a specialist (Periodontist) may be required should surgical intervention be required. Often surgery allows for complete healing of the gum and bone, reduced mobility of teeth and a greatly improved prognosis.

Salem Dentals hygiene team will work with you to assure that you have access to the care that best suits your needs. They will also help you hone your home-care skills so that you can maintain the optimum level of health that you want.

Well-suited for restoring weakened back teeth, and equally appropriate for restoring more visible tooth surfaces, porcelain inlays and onlays offer a strong, attractive alternative to traditional composite fillings.  Typically considered for teeth that need a major portion restored, or teeth that endure heaving chewing loads, porcelain inlays and onlays offer the protection and strength of a crown without the need for extensive tooth preparation.  Made from the same strong, tooth-colored material as crowns and bridges, porcelain inlays and onlays are customized to match your tooth shape and shade—and are stronger and more durable than composite restorations.

    

An excellent alternative to crowns, porcelain veneers can perfect your smile by masking stains, hiding chips, correcting misalignment, and creating uniformity. Veneers, which are made of thin, customized material, are designed to slide over the teeth, look incredibly natural, are long-lasting, and are relatively easy to apply.

         

Dental pulp, found in the center of each tooth, contains a nerve which extends from the tooth’s root to bring vital nutrients to the tooth. If a tooth’s pulp is injured, damaged, or infected, the nerve within the pulp will die and, unless endodontic treatment (root canal) is performed, the tooth may die as well. In many cases, root canal therapy (removal of the nerve tissue in the tooth) can save damaged teeth by preserving the tooth in the mouth.  After the root canal is successfully completed, restoring the tooth with a crown is usually highly recommended to preserve the tooth structure and provide strength for chewing.

         

General Anesthesia

If you’re particularly fearful or anxious about visiting the dentist, or you need major dental work done, dentistry performed under general anesthesia—also called “sleep dentistry,” may be a comfortable and practical option for you.

Dental fear can lead minor tooth problems to become major oral health issues—and sleep dentistry can ensure you get the care you need without causing unnecessary stress or anxiety. Could sleep dentistry be a good option for you?  Talk to Salem Dental about your concerns and you can decide together if your case is right for sleep dentistry. Depending on your unique situation Salem Dental may suggest either oral medication, or intravenous (IV) sedation.

Oral Conscious Sedation

If you suffer from dental phobia, you’re not alone—many of our patients have put off going to the dentist for months, years, or even decades because of the anxiety caused by a dental visit!  One option we offer anxious patients—or patients who need a large number of procedures done during a single visit—is sedation dentistry, where we provide an oral sedative that is taken prior to the dental visit.  During your visit, we will supplement the effects of the oral sedative with nitrous oxide as a way to maintain your sense of calm and comfort. Our highly trained staff will monitor your vital signs and your comfort level throughout the process and will make adjustments accordingly.

Why oral sedation with nitrous oxide?

Also known as “laughing gas”, nitrous oxide is a powerful gas that, when mixed with oxygen and administered via a face mask, blocks pain and reduces anxiety. Commonly used in many aspects of dentistry to keep you more comfortable, combining nitrous oxide with an oral sedative is an excellent way to eliminate feelings of anxiety associated with dental procedures.

IV Conscious Sedation

In dentistry, intravenous or IV sedation is used to create a conscious sedation or “twilight” state where your body and mind are completely relaxed, but you are not unconscious. IV sedation minimizes any feelings of discomfort or anxiety, while still allowing you to talk and respond to questions (e.g. “Are you still feeling comfortable?”) or to react to verbal cues (e.g. “Can you turn your head toward the right a bit?) while the procedure is occurring.

In most cases, you will have no memory of the procedure, and because of the level of relaxation that IV sedation creates, you will need someone to take you home after the procedure is complete. The sedation will begin to wear off once you are out of the office, and you should be able to take part in normal activities within the next day.

Are you happy with the color of your smile when you look in the mirror?  If ugly stains caused by coffee, tobacco, tea, soft drinks, or even wine have turned your white smile dull, you’ll be happy to know that there are a variety of teeth whitening options available. From custom whitening kits to in-office whitening procedures, Salem Dental can discuss what options are available and help you to determine which one is right for your needs.

    

Many suffer from Tempromandibular Joint pain or Tempromandibular Dysfunction. Symptoms include:

Pain on opening.
Inability to open wide or move from side to side comfortably
Neck and shoulder pain.
Ear pain, hearing loss.
Ringing in the ears.
Clenching, night grinding
Chronic fatigue
Noise, grating or popping in joint
Chronic Temporal or occipital headache

Treatment of these problems can be complicated.  The cause can often be multi-factorial.  Successful treatment may involve other professionals; Physiotherapy, Chiropractors, Massage Therapy, Cranio-mandibular specialists, and Physicians.

Meaningful treatment begins with proper diagnosis. We will do a thorough evaluation of your problem to determine the best way that we can help and the appropriate therapy.