http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog Dental Blog Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:12:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en If you’re considering cosmetic dentistry, you may have heard the terms bonding and veneers. The basic intent of both cosmetic dentistry procedures is the same, but the materials used are quite different. Bonding uses a tooth-colored composite resin – a putty-like material that we apply over a chip in ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/cosmetic-dentistry/veneers-and-bonding-%e2%80%93-what%e2%80%99s-the-difference As one of the earliest certified providers of Raleigh sedation dental care (oral conscious sedation), I have patients from time to time who ask me when dentists first started using sedation. Would you believe that the answer to that question is during the 1840’s?  Connecticut dentist Horace Wells introduced the ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/sedation-dentistry/when-did-dentists-start-using-sedation I think a lot of people who are interested in sedation dental care are being held back because that question lingers at the back of their minds. The relative scarcity of Raleigh sedation dental care (or for matter, across the state of North Carolina) may be part of the ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/sedation-dentistry/is-sedation-dental-care-really-safe That’s a question that some of my patients ask, and it’s often based on what they learned about braces one or two decades ago. Some of these people never had braces when they were younger because family finances wouldn’t permit it. Others had braces, but their teeth drifted somewhat out ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/invisalign/am-i-too-old-for-braces Did you know that North Carolina ranks very near the bottom (# 47) in the nation for availability of dental care access? The news is better, however, for those looking for dental care in Raleigh. Wake County is one of eight North Carolina counties with dentist-to-patient ratios that exceed the ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/dental-care/dental-care-access-in-raleigh There have been many advances in teeth whitening approaches over the last decade. All of them still require the user (yourself or your dentist) to use the products safely. For example, if you use an over-the-counter product for longer than directed because you’re not happy with the speed or degree ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/teeth-whitening/brighten-your-smile-with-care I recently had a new patient share with me her somewhat unusual method for choosing a Raleigh dentist. The ADA actually provides some pretty helpful guidelines for the public [http://www.ada.org/public/topics/tips.asp], but those didn’t seem to be adequate for her – she never even looked at those. Her criteria? While she lived in ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/raleigh-dentist/choosing-a-raleigh-dentist You may have heard some people refer to a crown as a “cap.” While overly simplified, that is a good basic description of what a crown is. We remove the defective or damaged parts of the tooth and then “cap” it with a replacement that mimics the original tooth structure. ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/cosmetic-dentistry/how-do-crowns-work Believe it or not, it’s not because we like to hear ourselves talk! It’s about trying to make you feel relaxed and comfortable. Every member of our staff wants to make you more comfortable during your visit. In fact, our offices – from the reception area to the exam rooms ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/comprehensive-dentistry/why-do-we-talk-when-our-hands-are-in-your-mouth In an earlier blog post The Battle Against Bad Breath, I talked primarily about food and poor oral hygiene as the culprits. Someone asked for more detail about bad breath causes and what can be done about it, so I’m providing a more in-depth answer this time, including some causes ... http://www.raleighdentist.com/blog/comprehensive-dentistry/causes-of-bad-breath