Applegate Dental PLLC Blog

During a royal coronation, a crown is set upon the sovereign’s head. Obviously, a lot of fanfare and ceremony come with the occasion, but the act of placing the crown itself is pretty fast and simple. To the layperson, putting a dental crown on a tooth can seem just as straightforward—just attach it over the top, right?

Although dental crowns are also referred to as caps, it doesn’t necessarily mean they can be put over teeth without any prework. In fact, there are five steps your dentist must take to give you a dental crown properly. Keep reading to learn more about this process.

Would you buy concert tickets and then purposefully not go? Would you purchase food from a grocery store, and then immediately throw it all away? Of course not. Every month this year, you’ve paid dental insurance premiums, but if you haven’t taken advantage of covered services, you are putting money directly in the insurance company’s pocket. What a waste!

So how do you take full advantage of your insurance benefits? Take these steps!

When you took a breath just now, chances are you didn’t consciously think about it. From processing new knowledge to controlling every system and function in the body including simply breathing, your brain plays a vital role in keeping you alive and well. Unfortunately, although rare, brain abscesses come with a high mortality rate. Needless to say, if at all possible, you want to avoid getting this infection.

Crossword puzzles and brain teasers may help you stay mentally sharp, but did you know that maintaining your oral health could help your brain stay strong as well? Keep reading to learn how these are related and how keeping your smile in good condition may help you prevent brain abscesses.

Goldilocks knew the value of getting things just right. Talented comedians know how to land the punchline at the perfect moment. Fortunately, when it comes to timing getting dental implants, it’s a little more flexible. There’s not a single moment when you can receive them or a deadline you must meet. However, you may require extra care to get yourself in that ideal position for implants again. Read on to learn about whether you can wait too long for dental implants.

Leaving the dentist’s office, your numb mouth continues to feel funny for a while. You are going to perfect your smile with custom veneers, but for now, you have temporary ones in place. Before you exited, the dentist highly recommended a soft food diet until your more permanent veneers come in. But why would soft food be necessary? What kinds of foods can you eat on a soft food diet? Keep reading to learn the answers.

New experiences can be daunting, and getting braces is no exception. At first, you may wonder how you’ll ever feel “normal” with them on and how you’ll carry on with your usual schedule. During the first week with braces, you’ll get used to the feeling of having metal brackets and wires attached to your teeth, but you’ll first have to negotiate eating, take care of your smile, and learn how to manage somewhat uncomfortable sensations to get to the other side.

After years of skipping dental visits, you’ve finally returned. Over that time, you’ve developed gum disease, a serious condition that not only impairs your smile but also your overall health, but now you’re treating it and trying to make up for lost time. Unfortunately, your dentist says that you need to have some teeth extracted.

When your teeth are removed, you think that’s the end of it. Will extracting your teeth fix gum disease? What else needs to be done to restore your smile? Keep reading to find out!

You are not necessarily a “Nervous Nelly” to be concerned about safety. While some are content to take risks, you tend to stick with what’s known and comfortable. But, then again, you have wanted to make visual improvements to your smile for a while now.

You don’t want to do anything too drastic, but you may be wondering whether cosmetic dentistry is safe for you. Keep reading to learn why you shouldn’t let your safety concerns bother you and how your dentist can be a powerful ally in this situation.

Overall, you like your smile, but there’s a little something off. You debate whether you should get Invisalign treatment when you really only need to make small adjustments to your top teeth. You don’t need major changes to your bite, but is this treatment still worth considering in your case?

Well, did you know that it’s possible to treat only your top teeth (or bottom teeth) with just one aligner in your mouth at a time? This is called single arch Invisalign treatment. Although your dentist will ultimately determine if addressing just one arch is the right course of action for your smile, here is some information to know about this unique approach.

You’ve thought long and hard about this decision—you really want to straighten your teeth with Invisalign. You know you have to work with a dentist, but what should happen before you start the process? How can you best get ready for treatment? Read on to learn three ways you can prepare for Invisalign and have a successful treatment.