What Is Gum Contouring?

At Bayberry Dental Care we see many patients who are unhappy with their smiles for various reasons.  The overall look of your smile includes the gums, and even when a patient has healthy teeth and gums they may be dissatisfied with the overall appearance of their smile due to excess gum tissue or a lack of tissue.  Gum contouring is a way to give any patient their best smile.

A lack of or excess of gum tissue can cause a smile to have the look of elongated teeth or a gummy smile.  To create a balanced look between gum and tooth, a gum contouring procedure can include removing gum tissue, placing gum grafts, or both.  Excess tissue is removed using a laser or scalpel tool.  Soft tissue grafts are harvested from a healthy location in the patient’s mouth, and placed where gum tissue is lacking or has receded.  The result is an even ratio of tooth to gums throughout the whole mouth.  Don’t let your gums keep you from your best smile!

To learn more about gum contouring and all the services provided at the practice, Visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information on our practice and services. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300. 

Oral Cancer Risks

Oral cancer is the largest group of cancers which fall into the head and neck category. This includes cancer of the tongue, mouth, tonsils, and throat. Mouth cancer may develop at any age, but mostly happens after the age of 40, and the risk is more than twice as high in men as it is in women. If you are a smoker or consume alcohol in moderation, or have a history of oral cancer in your family, ask Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS of Bayberry Dental Care about oral cancer screening.

Oral cancer typically appears as a growth or a sore in the mouth that does not go away after a matter of weeks. However, we don’t encourage you to wait weeks if you notice a red or white patch of skin that is causing you pain. The most common symptoms of oral cancer include a lump or thickening in the cheek, a sore throat or the feeling that something is caught in the throat. In our office, Dr. Falsey offers oral cancer screening to patients to cancer in its earliest stage when it is easiest to treat.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral cancer, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300.

ADA Seal of Acceptance

When you shop for oral care products, is the ADA seal of acceptance something that you look for? When a product has been stamped with the American Dental Association seal of approval, this simply means that it has been scientifically evaluated by independent experts to be safe and effective for the patient. Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS of Bayberry Dental Care encourages patients to use oral care products that advertise that they are from the American Dental Association to guarantee optimal oral health.

Not every dental product possesses the ADA seal of approval, but this doesn’t mean that it won’t get the job done. When a product has the ADA seal of approval, this just means that the company selling the product may or may not have submitted their product for review. There are thousands of products on store shelves from white strips, to flossers, and toothbrushes, that can help protect your mouth and prevent oral diseases.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral care or dental health, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300.

When Fillings Need Replacement

One thing we want our patients at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park to understand is that they should never put up with toothaches. If a person has tooth decay, it is vital for their health that they get it removed and filled in. However, fillings do not last forever, which is why we want our patients to know when to ask about a replacement.

It should be noted that we have confidence in our fillings, but there are things patients who have recently undergone the procedure should be on the look-out for. A filling that prevents them from closing their teeth together is “high” and needs to be reshaped, while ones that seem to be leaking aren’t shaped perfectly to their cavities and need to be redone.

Problems with new fillings are rare, but old ones will often start to come loose after about ten years. Besides being painful, the cracked bonding also provides a home for bacteria, which cause more decay. Don’t hesitate to come see us if you have a loose filling, but by maintaining regular appointments, you can ensure old fillings will be replaced before they cause problems. We may even be able to provide you with more aesthetically-pleasing replacements.

Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171^st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit Bayberry Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Types of Teeth

It is our hope at Bayberry Dental Care of Tinley Park that our patients will understand that each of their teeth is a specialized bone that encounters particular issues. We thought we’d provide this guide to different types of teeth so that our patients will have a better understanding of their functions and why different treatments are necessary.

Typically, adults grow sixteen teeth per jaw, with each jaw a mirror of the other. The four teeth in front of the jaw are the incisors and they are the ones used for speaking. Incisors are vertical and flat; in babies, they are the first to erupt and become vulnerable to tooth decay. The canines, or cuspids, are the pointy teeth to the sides of the incisors. They are important for maintaining the shape of the jaw, but the upper ones commonly get stuck and need to be guided with orthodontic therapy.

The premolars and molars are the teeth in the sides and back of the mouth with multiple cusps. Adults grow two pairs of premolars and three of molars, the last of which are the wisdom teeth. They are used for chewing. Premolars have a single tooth root, but lower molars have two and upper molars have three.  Our own Dr. Kathleen Falsey is exceptionally experienced performing root canals on these teeth.

Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171^st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit Bayberry Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.