Importance of Regular Dental Cleanings

Brushing and flossing the right way shall eventually improve your oral health. Unfortunately, people either brush vigorously or never floss at all. You need to visit your dentist regularly to understand and follow up on the dental cleaning methods that will make your teeth shine like new.

Staying away from oral diseases:

Other than tooth decay, there are multiple ways bacteria can lead to severe oral conditions like oral cancer if not treated in the earlier stage. Periodically visit a renowned dentist located nearby to your living area, to eradicate the bacteria that can lead to cancer in the first place.

To maintain the oral health intact:

As humans age, the bones present in our body lose their power, including the bones present under the teeth areas. You might end up with you having a damaged tooth if your oral hygiene has not been taken care of for years. By properly maintaining your oral health your smile stays the same even in your old age.

Avoid bad breath:

Any bad breath can be bypassed by following up on oral routines and treatments that are suggested by the dental team of experts.

Are you in search of a renowned team of dentists who shall look after the oral hygiene of your family members under one roof?

Schedule your next dental appointment at Pathways Dental Care. We are committed to providing the most progressive and technologically advanced, minimally invasive dental services for you and your family in a modern, warm and inviting atmosphere.

For more information, visit www.pathwaysdental.com or call us at 905-304-4505 to book an appointment.

Reasons to Choose Invisalign over Metal Braces

Medical science and dentistry, in particular, have undergone advancement in recent times and have come up with something as unique and comfortable as Invisalign. No more bother of metal braces!

What is Invisalign?

It is a method of orthodontic treatment wherein clear and removable teeth aligners are used instead of metal braces. In a nutshell, Invisalign is the new and a better way to embrace life and live it to the fullest without compromising what you eat or drink.

Why switch to Invisalign?

1. Eat what your heart craves for. Let your taste buds have a feast because all you have to do is put the tray aside, eat, clean, and put it on again.
2. No need to compromise on sports.
3. These are easy to put in and take out and are less painful in comparison to metal braces.
4. Regular visits to the dentist might be tedious. With Invisalign aligners, the visits become less and you just need to learn how to switch out the trays.
5. You can brush, floss, and undertake any other routine oral regime with Invisalign, which is quite the task with metal braces.
6. Cleaning the trays is a simple process. Take them out, soak in water, and gently brush.
7. It makes you feel more confident.
8. The sharp edges of the wires of the metal braces might cause injury to your teeth and gums. With Invisalign, you can be assured of safety, comfort and ease.

At Pathways Dental Care based in Ancaster, ON you can get the customized Invisalign trays made and flaunt that lovely smile like never before.

Are You Afraid of the Dentist?

Most people with potential dental problems are afraid to go to the dentist due to dental phobia. It is normal to get nervous about going to the dentist for the first time, individuals have a misconception that dental procedures are painful. However, the intense fear of visiting the dentist is termed as dental phobia, dental anxiety or dentophobia. There are many reasons for the condition, maybe a past traumatic experience with the dentist or negative perceptions of dental procedures. People are often influenced by the negative portrayal of the dental procedures that prevent them from going to the dentist even if they have a potential oral problem.

Mostly, fear arises when people are opting for a complex dental procedure. Traditionally, dental procedures were painful and lengthy but with the innovation of modern technology, advanced dental treatments have been introduced. Modern dental procedures are not painful and daunting anymore. People who have painful and traumatic past experiences are often afraid to opt for further dental treatments. Despite severe dental issues, some people are afraid to go to the dentist for that reason.

Dental treatments and procedures have transformed with the incorporation of modern tools and techniques. Professional dentists ensure the comfort of their patients first before initiating any procedure. Additionally, the patients are educated on the dental treatment they are undergoing. Dentists are now emphasizing making the patients comfortable, they help them get rid of their fear of dental procedures.

For all your dental problems you can book a free consultation with the best dentists at Pathways Dental Care. We provide sedation dentistry to easily alleviate your dental fears and make you comfortable during your dental visit.

For more details, you can visit pathwaysdental.com.

Why Maintaining Your Oral Health is Important?

Maintaining good oral health is the key to prevent dental problems and avoid severe pain. Ensuring effective oral health plays an important role in keeping away problems, starting from simple tooth decay to serious gum disease.

Poor oral health can lead to diseased or crooked teeth. At times ignoring oral health can even make your teeth to deteriorate. This can cause you great difficulty in eating and will interfere in your normal speech patterns. Lack of required oral care can even cause painful cavities. Your teeth might grow the sensitive towards hot and cold foods. These symptoms indicate that your teeth are at risk, and you might require visiting a dentist.

Poor oral health can also cause bad breath. This can make you hesitant to speak with others. Untreated dental problems can pile up and lead to serious circumstances like oral cancers. The lack of good oral health is not only dangerous for your mouth, but it can even pose a danger for your entire health. Gum disease-causing bacteria, when left untreated, can increase the risk of respiratory diseases, strokes, heart diseases and even pregnancy complications.

To avoid all such health complications and ensure healthy teeth, maintaining your oral health is of prime importance. Good oral health and hygiene keeps all types of oral infections and diseases away. To preserve your precious smile, oral health plays an important role. Practicing oral hygiene helps in ensuring your overall good health and safety.

Regular brushing and flossing is the simplest way to maintain effective oral health. In addition to it, you must avoid high sugar content in your diet and visit a dentist regularly to stay healthy. As your body parts are interconnected with each other, maintain your oral health to ensure your complete wellbeing.

Schedule your next dental appointment at Pathways Dental Care. We are committed to providing the most progressive and technologically advanced, minimally invasive dental services for you and your family in a modern, warm and inviting atmosphere.

For more information visit www.pathwaysdental.com or call us at 905-304-4505 to book an appointment.

Why Should You Whiten Your Teeth?

White teeth always make your smile more bright and beautiful. Everyone likes to have white teeth, they add to beauty naturally. Whitening your teeth keeps away all stains and also helps in preserving the natural color of your teeth.

The primary reason to whiten your teeth is to restore your self-confidence as well as your self-esteem. When you have stains on your teeth, you may feel self conscious and awkward when you are in a public place. Teeth stains can even make you feel embarrassed at times. But by whitening your teeth, you will not have any such fear. You can put up your brightest smile and deal with people confidently.

Whitening your teeth can make you feel young. Whitening your teeth is the best way to equip yourself against the aging process. When you smile, it makes you look young in real life as well as in photos.

Teeth whitening can help you look your best on special occasions. With a bright smile, the occasions can be more enjoyable for you. Whitening your teeth also prepares you well for your professional interviews. It can help you to present yourself more confidently. This helps create a positive impact on the interviewers.

Teeth whitening helps in removing stains caused over years due to food or drinks like tea and coffee. Whitening your teeth also helps in restoring the discoloration caused due to smoking.

If you are looking for the best teeth whitening in Ancaster, then visit Pathways Dental Care.

We provide professional and at home teeth whitening options that can effectively eliminate staining and restore your smile.

For more information and to book a free smile analysis visit www.pathwaysdental.com.

How Eating Habits Affect Your Oral Health?

We live in a fast food oriented world with staple foods becoming sugar sodas, sweet drinks, and high calorie non-nutritious snacks which have adverse effects on oral health. These foods have little to no nutritional value and can affect our teeth severely.

Fast food can make you prone to tooth decay and bacteria buildup. Meals, including milk and vegetables, also contain sugar; however, they are necessary for the essential healthy diet required for sustenance. As an aware consumer, you should read your food labels and choose foods and beverages, which are low in added-sugar and ignore foods like soft drinks, chocolates, cookies and pastries at an excessive level.

If your diet lacks the necessary nutrients required for the body,  your mouth can become prone to infection and can also cause periodontal disease, which is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Studies show that patients with poor nutrition are prone to Periodontal disease which grows in stages.

The tip is to skip sweets, sticky food, as well give up poor oral health habits. You should limit your junk food intake, and take care of your oral health by regularly brushing, flossing, and visiting a dentist. Sticky foods like raisins, honey, and starchy food like bread, stick to the teeth for longer periods, and increase the risk of cavities. Also, acidic foods like oranges and tomatoes, which are essential for a healthy diet, can affect tooth enamel.

Whatever you are eating, it is very important to brush your teeth post meal and gargle thoroughly to clean out the small particles which can get stuck in the tiny parts of teeth. We eat all kinds of foods, and it gets very difficult to understand what is affecting our teeth in the long run.

Therefore to maintain excellent oral health and avoid major diseases, visit your dentist every six months for professional oral checkups and cleanings.

Schedule your next dental appointment at Pathways Dental Care. We are committed to providing the most progressive and technologically advanced, minimally invasive dental services for you and your family in a modern, warm and inviting atmosphere.

For more information visit www.pathwaysdental.com or call us at 905-304-4505to book an appointment.

All You Need to Know About Receding Gums

Gum recession is a process where the margins of the gum tissues surrounding the teeth start corroding and exposing the surface area of the tooth root. The gum recession leads to empty pockets or gaps between teeth and gum line, causing bacterial infection to build up quickly. If gum recession is left untreated, it can severely damage oral health and also lead to tooth loss.

Receding Gums Symptoms

1. Longer teeth

One of the primary reasons for the increased height of your teeth can be receding gums which magnify the appearance of teeth and make them look much longer than usual.

2. Sensitivity

If your roots are exposed, they can be extremely sensitive and uncomfortable. You can easily feel the sensitivity while drinking or eating something hot or cold.

Causes of Receding Gums

1. Periodontal disease

One of the primary reasons for gum recession is periodontal or gum disease. The dental disease is caused by bacteria and destroys the gum tissues that hold your teeth. The early stage symptoms of periodontal disease include red and swollen gums, bleeding, foul smell, and bad breath.

2. Lack of Dental Care

Not brushing and flossing your teeth makes it prone to turn it into tartar. Tartar is a substance that forms between your teeth and can be effectively removed by teeth scaling, done by a dental professional.

3. Tobacco

Tobacco is the number one enemy of your oral hygiene. Chewing or smoking tobacco develops a sticky plaque which can cause gum recession.

Gum Recession Treatment

It is important to not ignore gum recession as the gums which have receded can never grow back. Schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as you observe the above symptoms of Gum recession.

Gum recession can be treated with surgical procedures such as open flap scaling, root planing, regeneration and soft tissue graft.

By taking good care of your oral health, brushing and flossing  your teeth daily and visiting your dentist or periodontist regularly, you can easily prevent gum recession.

If you think your gums are receding in Ancaster, then schedule your appointment at Pathways Dental Care. We provide comprehensive dental services in a warm, caring and friendly environment.  For more information visit http://www.pathwaysdental.com or call us at 905-304-4505.

Common Types of Sedation Dentistry

Human teeth are one of the strongest and robust parts of the human body through which you eat. However, these strong teeth are quite sensitive when it comes to dental cavities. Our oral hygiene defines our general health, and being negligent with your oral health can cause various health problems.

In order to prevent cavities, gum disease, and other health problems, it is important to visit your dentist regularly for professional oral check-ups and treatment. However, if you are afraid of visiting your dentist, then sedation dentistry can help you feel relaxed and comfortable during the treatment.

Sedation dentistry was introduced in 1840 in Connecticut and was initially introduced by using nitrous oxide also known as laughing gas. Since then, it has been used with controlled qualities to sedate the patient’s gums and teeth for a successful oral treatment. Sedation dentistry does not substitute local anesthesia but can be really helpful in extreme pain management and complex oral operations. Sedation dentistry is only performed when the patient agrees and is highly recommended for complicated and painful procedures.

Types of sedation dentistry

1. Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas):

Nitrous oxide, also known as the laughing gas, sedates the patient and helps them to relax during the dental treatment. It causes no harm, has a little tingly feeling and causes euphoria to the patient. You will feel like you are in a dreamlike state, and you will not even notice the painful needles. Nitrous oxide wears off in minutes after the procedure.

2. Oral Sedation or Anesthesia:

Oral sedation comes in various forms like pills and anesthesia spray which help you to stay calm and relaxed. Patients are conscious and fully aware of the treatment taking place, but the pain is numbed. It takes around half an hour for the anesthesia pill to affect the body. Post-procedure, it is highly recommended that your friend or relative takes you home and you avoid driving for a few hours.

If you are looking for sedation dentistry in Ancaster, then visit Pathways Dental Care. We offer several types of sedation including Nitrous oxide (laughing gas), IV sedation/ Oral Sedation and General anesthesia.

For more information visit http://www.pathwaysdental.com or call us at 905-304-4505.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Veneers

Dental veneers or porcelain veneers are custom made skins and shells for the tooth which cover the surface of a tooth to improve its aesthetic. Veneers are bonded to the front of the teeth, which are available in multiple colours, shapes, size, and length.

Frequently asked questions about dental veneers:

1. How much space do veneers occupy in the mouth?

Ideally, veneers require 0.5 mm of tooth reduction and take no additional space in the mouth.

2. How is the pain reduced while applying veneers?

Ideally, the procedure is not painful, but patients who are sensitive and nervous, are given local anesthetic to numb the pain.

3. How do I finalize the colour of the veneer?

Your dentist will provide a dental veneer shade guide, which will ensure that your veneer is of the same colour of your original teeth, and doesn’t look like a prosthetic.

4. Why do I experience tooth sensitivity after the veneer surgery?

The patient can expect sensitivity for extremely hot and cold foods and beverages. This is pretty normal as after the removal of a portion from your teeth, the enamel is prone to sensitivity. Sensitivity should ideally disappear within a few days.

5. How long will the veneer last?

The average lifespan of a veneer is from 5 years to 20 years. It also depends on the material you have chosen. Veneers have a very long life, but human gum and tissues might shrink in the long run. Shrinkages will cause exposure of root surfaces, which can make the veneer come off.

6. Are veneers included in dental insurance?

Some insurance companies cover up to 50% of the cost. It also depends on your 401K plan and the dental charges.

If you have chipped, cracked, stained or damaged teeth and are looking for porcelain veneers in Ancaster, then visit Pathways Dental Care. We can provide you a beautiful smile in only 2 office visits. For more information and to take a look at our comprehensive cosmetic dental services visit www.pathwaysdental.com.

How Teeth Whitening Can Improve Your Life?

Teeth whitening is a vital step in every person’s hygiene. In the age of social media, taking selfies has been trendy and having good photos with amazing teeth can open many opportunities for you. The question is, can whiter teeth impact your life? The truth is that teeth whitening is a safe, secure which can have a positive impact on your appearance and psychological health.

Below are the top five benefits of having white teeth:

1. Enhances your look

Dark liquids like coffee, tea, aerated water, soda, chewing, tobacco, and smoking cause the enamel on teeth to corrode over time. It might be possible to get whiter teeth through an Instagram filter, but in reality, visiting a doctor and having a teeth whitening treatment would make your teeth stronger and more beautiful than ever.

2. Decreases the focus on wrinkles

Having white-teeth becomes the center of attraction for your overall look. Once your teeth are visible, there would be naturally less focus on the wrinkles of your face.

3. It doesn’t cost much

Teeth whitening enhances your appearance, but don’t compare it to the commercial rates of plastic surgery. You can make a massive difference to your teeth without breaking the bank.

4. Makes you more attractive

Having white teeth will automatically boost your confidence and self-esteem; having great confidence is very beneficial.

5. Reverse the bad effects

Have you been smoking all these years and have corroded the enamel of your teeth? We would recommend that you should stop smoking, but we are also here to help you to reverse all of the harmful effects occurred to your teeth. A teeth whitening treatment will clear green lines and make your teeth once again white and beautiful.

If you are looking for the best teeth whitening in Ancaster, then visit Pathways Dental Care.

We provide professional and at home teeth whitening options that can effectively eliminate staining and restore your smile.

For more information or to book a free smile analysis visit www.pathwaysdental.com.