Monthly Archives: November 2020

Take your dental routine on vacation

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The time has finally come.  You are watching your kids run around in swimming trunks and floaties in the middle of winter.  For a second it doesn’t make that much sense until you realize they are packing.  Well if putting on all of their clothes for a swimming adventure is packing, then I guess you are a parent.  So vacation is here and many things are all happening at once.  All the excitement comes and the feeling of being free is finally happening.  One of the most important areas that seem to get overlooked during this time is that everyone is going to be eating snacks, random eating out and lots of new beverages.  This is simply how vacation goes and it also means that you need to plan ahead and get your dental hygiene materials ready to go.  It takes a plan because without one there is no way you are going to stay on track after an exhausting day at the beach or Disney.  That is why today I want to go over a few things that have helped me and my family out to stay excited for our dental health and to keep our family safe.

When we are going on vacation I like to do a little prep work to keep us excited about brushing our teeth.  This is a hard thing to do because normally at hotels I am usually grossed out by strange bathrooms and the thought of toothbrushes hitting the sink that thousands of other people have done who knows what and where on.  That is why I like to get some dental materials that I can easily throw away when we are done with vacation.  But if I had to get nice toothbrushes and stuff for our whole family, it would be a costly outing.  So this is why the travel section at your local big-box grocery store is amazing. 

I love to hit up the travel section before vacation and for 10 bucks I can get each family member a new toothbrush and a travel kit.  The brushes are normally themed for some popular kids movie or Star Wars.  Let’s face it I love them just as much as the kids and last year my wife was Yoda and I was Darth Vader.  It was a fun toothbrush to use and to get excited about using after a long day.  What I love most about them is that they normally have a suction cup on the bottom of the brush.  This is awesome because I can simply stick it to the sink after I am done and not worry about it falling over or getting knocked to the ground.  This solves so many problems and it all comes with the cost of a dollar toothbrush.

Each set normally comes with toothpaste and mouth wash as well.  This allows my whole family to have a fun and useful dental set for vacation for less than 10 dollars for all of us.  Wow, that is great because I know our teeth are being protected and cavities are not building up while we are having fun.  It is also great to have us all get somewhat excited at the end of a hard and long day to stay up on the routine.  Instead of the dreaded, “brush your teeth routine” most of us are happy to do it together.

An Overview Of Zirconia Crowns

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Dentists have been making dental crowns for many years using different materials, including porcelain, gold, and resin. Today, you might get a zirconia crown. This material combines the strength of metals and the looks of porcelain. That’s why it is becoming more popular among patients and dentists.

A look at the background of zirconia crowns

Crowns have been used to restore teeth for centuries. Their purpose is to fill the gap of a missing cap of a tooth. That’s why these crowns are also known as caps. Not only do they protect your tooth structure, but they also help you retain the looks and function of your teeth.

Now too long ago, dentists all over the world started using cast gold alloys to create dental crowns. These crowns are strong enough to ensure a tremendous amount of pressure when you chew your foods. In case you are concerned about the appearance of your smile, you may want to consider having a porcelain-based crown, which resembles natural teeth in terms of color. This option is, however, more fragile as compared to metal-based dental crowns.

The option that you may want to consider if you are looking for the strength of metal and look of porcelain is to get a zirconia crown. The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health suggests that while zirconia crowns seem more promising compared to metal and porcelain crowns, they continuously undergo developmental procedures for further improvements.

What are the advantages of zirconia crowns?

Zirconia offers some distinct benefits over other types of crowns.

  • These crowns match the natural teeth in terms of color.
  • These are quite strong and reqresuire less tooth preparation.
  • These can be used with porcelain to improve tooth appearance even further.
  • Zirconia is a moldable material, which means that it can also be used for dental procedures other than dental crowning.
  • Due to its biocompatibility, zirconia doesn’t have adverse effects on the tissues in your mouth.

Disadvantages of zirconia crowns

Zirconia has, however, a few disadvantages. Although this material resembles natural teeth in terms of color, it is quite opaque, which might estrange it among natural teeth. This material is so strong that it might become hard for your dentist to adjust it to your damaged tooth. It is also so abrasive that it can cause damage to a tooth that comes in contact with it when you chew your foods or clench your jaws.

Cost of zirconia crowns

The cost of a crown depends on several factors, including the material used, the difficulty involved, and several other factors. Some dentists charge the same fee regardless of the material being used. Due to the benefits it provides, zirconia tends to be a preferred choice of most of the patents.

Whether or not you may get a zirconia crown depends entirely on the level of damage or decay and your preferences. You may want to discuss these options with your dentist to know which option is going to suit you well. While zirconia is the best find in terms of material for dental restorations, your dentist may still want to make sure that you are the right candidate for it.