Gum Disease Symptoms

Some symptoms of periodontal disease are:

• Red and swollen gums
• Gums that bleed easily
• Bad breath
• Loose tooth/teeth
• Receding gums
• Swollen or bulging gums

If you suffer from any of the above, it is important to seek treatment. At our Fairfax cosmetic dentistry, we offer the most advanced technology and modern techniques available today.

Gum Disease and Overall Health

The health of your teeth and gums affects your overall health. Untreated periodontal disease may contribute to heart disease, heart attack, higher blood sugar levels in diabetics, stroke, preterm labor in pregnant women, low birth weight in babies, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. At the practice of Larry Fox, our goal is to provide you with the information you need to set goals tailored specifically to your case.

Treatment

It is important to treat periodontal disease. The progression of periodontal disease can be difficult to control. As a patient it is essential to maintain good oral care to prevent or stop the devastating effects of periodontal disease from worsening or reoccurring. Treatment of periodontal disease includes nonsurgical and surgical options.

• Professional dental cleaning: In the beginning stages, we can stop the damage periodontal disease inflicts without surgery. During professional dental cleaning, plaque and tartar are removed from the surfaces of the teeth above and along the gum line.
• Planing and scaling: Another form of cleaning is scaling and root planing. Scaling and root planing are recommended when regular professional dental cleaning is not sufficient. Scaling scrapes off the tartar above and below the gum line. Root planing is used to smooth rough spots on the roots of the teeth.  Removing these rough spots provides a clean and smooth surface free of bacteria for the gums to reattach to the teeth. Scaling and root planing can drastically improve your dental health.
• Flap surgery: Sometimes the damage to the tissue surrounding the teeth is so severe that surgery is required. In cases where scaling and planing did not remove the tartar from the deep pockets, flap surgery may be recommended. During flap surgery, the gums are lifted and the tartar is removed. After the tartar is removed, the gums are sutured back in place. The sutures provide a snug placement of the tissue against the teeth.
• Dental implants: Unfortunately, tooth loss may occur with periodontal disease. Dental implants are a state-of-the-art solution to missing teeth. The loss of a tooth can make eating and talking difficult. The physical loss of a tooth may not be the only loss felt – it can also rob you of your self-confidence. A dental implant is a small post made of titanium that mimics the root structure a natural tooth would provide. The sturdy implant is placed in the jaw; after bone has grown around the implant, a crown, bridge, or denture is placed. Dental implants look and feel like natural teeth. Our Fairfax dental implants patients find that with proper care, their dental implants may last a lifetime.

Contact Our Practice Today

Our practice is dedicated to helping your family achieve healthy and happy smiles. We strive to provide a comfortable atmosphere and outstanding care. To learn more, please contact the practice of Dr. Larry Fox today.

Dental Bonding Candidates

Dental bonding is ideal for patients who want to cosmetically correct a variety of smile concerns with one simple solution. If you want to enhance your smile without extensive dental work, you may be a good candidate for dental bonding. Before undergoing a dental bonding procedure, patients should consider the advantages it offers. A dental bonding treatment is:

• Quick – Dental bonding is generally completed in one visit.
• Natural-looking – Dental bonding uses only tooth-colored materials.
• Painless – A dental bonding treatment is commonly associated with little or no pain.
• Affordable – Dental bonding is a relatively cost-effective cosmetic dental procedure.
• Long-lasting – With proper care, dental bonding can last for years.

What is Dental Bonding?

Dental bonding is a procedure that uses special tooth-colored resins to fix cosmetic imperfections in the teeth. During a dental bonding procedure, Dr. Fox carefully cleans and prepares the tooth, then applies the bonding resin in layers. A high-intensity light helps to harden the resin while Dr. Fox sculpts the tooth into the desired shape and size. Finally, the surface of the bonded tooth is buffed and polished to ensure it blends naturally with the surrounding teeth.

In addition to the benefits the procedure offers, dental bonding is also very versatile.

Dental bonding can correct teeth with any of the following problems:

• Cracks
• Chips
• Gaps
• Discoloration
• Misalignment

Care of Bonded Teeth

Just like natural teeth, a bonded tooth requires daily brushing and flossing to prevent decay and stains. Patients should also avoid chewing on certain hard foods and objects (including hard candy, ice, pens, and finger nails) to prevent damage to the dental bonding material. By taking proper care of your bonded teeth, you can help to ensure the longevity of your new smile.

Other Cosmetic Treatment Options

Whether your teeth need a touch-up or a transformation, we have treatments available that are sure to make you smile! Dr. Fox specializes in the latest cosmetic dentistry procedures, including porcelain veneers and ZOOM II® teeth whitening.

Porcelain veneers – One of the most advanced smile makeover treatments available, porcelains veneers are an excellent way to correct the color, shape, and alignment of your teeth in one permanent step. We take pride in successfully transforming the smiles of our Burke porcelain veneers patients.

ZOOM II® teeth whitening - If your smile is stained by coffee, tea, red wine or smoking, our teeth whitening treatments can dramatically whiten and brighten your smile. We feature the ZOOM II® system, the same procedure used on ABC’s hit show “Extreme Makeover.”

Contact Us for More Information

To learn more about dental bonding, porcelain veneers, or any of our other treatments, please contact our Burke cosmetic dentistry center today. Our caring staff is ready to schedule a consultation at your convenience.

What Are the Most Common Dental Problems for Seniors?

Although seniors may face challenges with dental health, our modern dental treatments can provide a solution for any patient’s needs. Seniors should be aware of the following common dental problems:

Gum Disease – One of the most common concerns among seniors, gum disease is the primary cause of many major dental problems, including root damage, tooth loss, and uneven jawbones. When plaque and bacteria aren’t properly removed through tooth brushing and flossing, your gums can become inflamed and irritated. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to tooth loss. Common causes of gum disease include smoking, poor oral hygiene, poor diet, and some diseases, including diabetes and cancer. There are many treatment options available for gum disease depending on the severity of the disease, including state-of the-art laser dentistry and dental implants.

Missing Teeth – For seniors, missing teeth are more than an aesthetic flaw. Missing teeth can harm your bite and the alignment of your teeth, and contribute to oral bone loss. Patients with missing teeth should consider the benefits of a dental implant, the best method available for replacing teeth. A dental implant is surgically placed to ensure superior strength, and will look and feel like a natural tooth. We’ve achieved excellent results for our Burke dental implants patients.

Darkened or Discolored Teeth - Advancing age can cause changes in the tooth’s dentin, the bone-like tissue beneath the tooth enamel, which can darken teeth. Years of consuming tooth-staining beverages and foods can also lead to tooth discoloration. If the color or brightness of your smile needs rejuvenation, we can quickly and easily whiten teeth with the ZOOM II ® teeth whitening system.

Tooth Sensitivity - Tooth sensitivity is a common problem that can cause pain and discomfort. In seniors, sensitivity is often caused by receding gum tissue. Dr. Fox features the LaserSmile® Diode Laser, designed for gum treatments, which greatly reduces the pain and recovery time associated with traditional gum surgery. Specially formulated sensitivity toothpastes and mouthwashes may also alleviate tooth sensitivity.

Dry Mouth – Dry mouth occurs when a patient’s saliva flow is decreased. The condition is caused by some medications and cancer treatments, as well as certain diseases. Saliva helps to remove harmful bacteria in the mouth, so patients experiencing dry mouth are at greater risk for dental problems. Dry mouth can be improved by drinking plenty of water or using artificial saliva.

Common Dental Treatments for Seniors

Dr. Fox offers a wide range of modern cosmetic and general dentistry treatments for senior citizens. Some of our most common dental procedures are:

• Dental implants
• Dentures (full and partial)
• Dental bridges
• Porcelain onlays
• Non-surgical gum disease treatments
• Laser dentistry
• Captek® dental crowns
• Teeth whitening

Contact Our Practice

We invite you to learn more about our treatments and schedule a consultation. Please contact us at our Burke cosmetic dentistry center at your convenience. Dr. Fox and our caring staff are looking forward to assisting you with your dental needs.

 The study does not prove that dental x-rays cause these tumors; much more research would be needed to determine that. The study was published online April 10, 2012 in journal Cancer

The study has some drawbacks that make the link between dental x-rays and meningiomas far from certain. Perhaps most importantly, it relies on participants’ memories about their history of dental x-rays (rather than on dental records themselves). Study participants averaged 57 years old and were asked to remember how many x-rays they received as kids before age 10. That’s a stretch for believability-remembering details 47 or more years ago. 47 plus years ago, x-ray technology was vastly different from today. The amount of radiation given off by x-rays 40 to 50 years ago was much greater than today. Our office uses digital radiography for x-rays. The amount of radiation from this type of x-ray machine is almost zero. It is very safe.

 Such x-rays studies are subject to a phenomenon that scientists call “recall bias”, when people with a disease may be more likely to look for a cause. This might have caused the meningioma patients in the Cancer study to over-report the number of dental x-rays they received, which would have contributed to the findings. Because of this, the study results can only be considered suggestive of a possible link, and more rigorous studies would be needed to prove it.

As you all may know, effective May 01, 2012 United Concordia will no longer be handling the benefits for the Active Military dependants. Even though, we are not direct providers for Metlife, please rest assured that the transition will be smooth and that we will continue to file the dental insurance claims to Metlife on your behalf. Once payment is received by us from Metlife we will continue to send you a statement for any balance owed, as done in the past with United Concordia.

Due to increasing overhead costs, it is no longer economically feasible for us to become a participating provider for a third dental company, MetLife.

We take this opportunity to thank you for choosing and trusting our practice to serve your dental needs. We strive to take excellent care of our patients and we are working hard to ensure our patients are not inconvenienced during this transition.

 If you have any questions please feel free to give us a call at 703-978-5253 or email info@larryfoxdds.com .

 We look forward to seeing you at your next scheduled appointment.

The Diagnodent® works by measuring the fluorescence given off by bacteria in the grooves of the teeth. A laser light is shined onto the tooth’s surfaces and the light is reflected off the bacteria and analyzed to determine the presence of a cavity. The results are displayed in numbers on a screen on the unit’s console. Along with the number there is a sound given off that increases in intensity as the cavity increases in size.

Being able to discover a cavity at a very early stage means that we can provide more conservative, minimally invasive treatment. Early detection means less tooth damage, pain and less expense for you down the road. The patient feels no pain or discomfort with the Diagnodent®

The Dangers of Tooth Erosion

Once damage has occurred, it cannot be reversed. Because of this, tooth erosion can be very detrimental to the health and appearance of your teeth. Symptoms of tooth erosion include:

• Sensitive teeth and severe sensitivity: Depending on the stage of erosion, you may experience low to severe pain when teeth are exposed to hot or cold temperatures or when eating sugary foods
• Discoloration: Teeth may appear slight yellow to dark yellow when the enamel is worn away, revealing the dark dentin underneath
• Cracks and chips: Teeth are more likely to chip or crack, and the edges are often rough or uneven
• Cupping: Teeth appear dented

Preventing Tooth Erosion

There are many causes of tooth erosion including chlorine in swimming pools, some medications in powder form, heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), acid reflux, carbonated beverages, fruit juices, beer, many foods, and the list goes on and on. Even so, it is possible to stop or prevent tooth erosion altogether. Prevention is always the best treatment. With these helpful tips from our Burke cosmetic dentist, you can prevent or halt tooth erosion:

• Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste
• Drink lots of water
• Chew sugar-free gum
• Eat a diet low in sugar and starch
• Rinse your mouth with water after consuming highly acidic foods and beverages
• Use a straw when drinking highly acidic beverages

Treatment for Tooth Erosion

Our skilled dental team will perform a full examination to determine the severity of your tooth erosion. Your treatment will depend on how far the tooth erosion has advanced.

Fluoride treatments may be required to protect against tooth erosion. For some patients, changes in diet may be enough to stop further damage, while others may need restorative treatments.

Restoring Beauty

Tooth erosion can have devastating effects when left untreated. Unfortunately, many of our patients know this firsthand. Many of our Burke porcelain veneers patients find that veneers are the perfect way to restore beauty to teeth that have been damaged by tooth erosion. Worn enamel, discoloration, cupping, and other flaws can be hidden by porcelain veneers. Custom made in a laboratory, porcelain veneers are thin porcelain shells that are bonded to the front of the teeth.

Dr. Fox’s patients can expect porcelain veneers to be incredibly strong and highly resistant to staining. Porcelain veneers look completely natural and do not require extra care. With proper oral hygiene, porcelain veneers can last many years without needing repair.

Contact Dr. Larry T. Fox DDS Today

At our Burke dental practice, our patients matter the most. We believe in providing our patients with the most advanced and compassionate care, so that we can meet all of your dental needs. Your smile is our top priority. To learn more, please contact Larry T. Fox, DDS today.

Metal Fillings

The most commonly used metal filling is an amalgam of silver, copper, and mercury. Metal fillings have been used for over 150 years in millions of patients. Metal fillings offer strength and affordability, and they are long lasting. However, they do not provide aesthetically pleasing results.

In addition, there has been great debate over the safety of metal fillings because of the mercury contained within. High levels of mercury are poisonous to humans. The FDA has ruled the mercury content contained in metal fillings safe in patients over the age of six. Because of this, some dental practices in the United States still use metal fillings today. Still, many of our health-conscious patients feel more secure replacing their metal fillings with tooth-colored fillings.

Some other disadvantages of metal fillings include:

• There is no way to make metal fillings appear natural looking
• During the removal of the decayed portion of the tooth, healthy tooth structure may be removed to make room for the metal filling
• Some patients with metal fillings experience a greyish hue to the surrounding tooth structure
• Metal fillings have a higher risk of cracks and fractures caused by changing temperatures

Tooth-colored Dental Fillings

Before tooth-colored fillings, patients had to rely on conspicuous metal fillings. Fortunately, we now have a better, safer, and more aesthetically pleasing option. Metal-free, tooth-colored fillings are made of a special, durable resin designed to match your tooth color, thereby maintaining the health and aesthetics of your smile. Our Burke dental fillings patients find that the restoration blends in with the surrounding teeth, becoming practically undetectable. Tooth-colored fillings are now virtually as strong as metal fillings, they require less of the healthy tooth structure to be removed, and have a lower risk of cracking or fracturing than metal fillings. With the advances made in dental technology, your smile can remain strong and beautiful while never being marred by metal fillings.

Contact Dr. Larry T. Fox, DDS Today

To receive more information about how to keep your smile healthy and beautiful with tooth-colored fillings, please contact Dr. Larry T. Fox DDS today.

What is a smile makeover?

As mentioned above, a smile makeover is essentially a combination of cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry treatments. A skilled cosmetic dentist in Burke will be able to custom tailor your smile makeover just for you to ensure that you get the best possible care. There are numerous options for smile makeover treatment, so let’s take a look at some popular options right now.

Teeth Whitening

There are many different substances that can lead to stains on your teeth, including coffee, tea, cola, red wine, tobacco products, blueberries, and beets. In order to get a smile that looks great, it’s important that you have the whitest teeth possible. That’s what teeth whitening is for. Teeth whitening treatment with a dentist can brighten the color of your smile up to 10 shades.

Dental Bonding

When you have minor chips or cracks on your teeth, they can adversely affect the overall quality of your smile. To deal with these minor bits of dental damage, there is always dental bonding. Dental bonding uses special composite materials to help conceal the minor chips and cracks. This is a great, subtle way to improve your smile a great deal.

Porcelain Dental Veneers

One of the most popular options for smile makeovers these days are porcelain veneers. Burke porcelain veneers are thin shells of a special ceramic material. They are affixed to the front portions of the teeth in order to hide chips, cracks, major stains, and severe discoloration from view. When in place, no one will notice that they are there.

Invisalign® Invisible Braces

Traditional braces used to be the only option to consider if you wanted to have a straight and beautiful smile. Today, however, patients can consider getting Invisalign®, specially crafted invisible braces. The Invisalign® system consists of customized aligner trays that patients wear at all times of the day save for when eating, drinking, or cleaning the teeth. Gradually these Invisalign® aligners will create a great and perfectly straight smile.

Dental Implants (Implant Dentistry)

If you are missing one tooth or multiple teeth, you may be a good candidate for dental implants (implant dentistry). Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are surgically embedded into the jawbone and gum tissue. Once in place and integrated with the structures of the mouth, dental implants can securely hold dentures, dental bridges, or even individual dental crowns.

Schedule a Consultation for a Smile Makeover

If you would like more information about smile makeover treatment and how it can help you get the smile that you’ve always dreamed of, be sure to contact our cosmetic dentistry practice in Burke today. The entire team here is eager to discuss your aesthetic goals and dental health concerns in greater detail.