A Beautiful Smile is a Clean Smile

Regular checkups and dental cleanings are a part of any good oral hygiene routine, and at Lehigh Valley Smiles we provide dental care services of the highest quality to ensure that our patients’ smiles stay healthy year after year.

Dental cleanings work to remove both plaque and tartar from the teeth. A soft and sticky film of bacteria, plaque can build up on your teeth despite regular brushing and flossing. Because teeth are constantly bathed in saliva, which contains calcium and other substances to strengthen and protect teeth, tartar or calcium deposits can also build up over time. Tartar can only be removed with the help of a dentist. If it is not removed and is allowed to accumulate, bacteria will be provided a perfect environment and thrive on the gums and teeth, which can cause cavities, infection and gum disease.

While good for maintaining oral health between dentist visits, at-home brushing and cleaning are not enough to make sure teeth stay clean; regular dental cleanings are required. We will clean and polish your teeth, leaving the surface clean and smooth. The smoother the teeth, the more difficult it is for bacteria to stick to them and the more effective at-home brushing will be.

We recommend checkups and dental cleanings every six months for optimum oral health. To schedule an appointment in Easton, PA, call (610) 252-7414. For more information, visit www.LehighValleySmiles.net.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that affects the way you breathe while sleeping, causing your breath to become interrupted for 10 to 20 seconds at a time and jolting you out of your natural sleep rhythm multiple times a night. As a result, your energy, mental acuity and productivity can suffer. Over time, sleep apnea can even lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and weight gain.

At Lehigh Valley Smiles, we use oral surgery to treat sleep apnea and increase the quality of sleep and life for patients.  Oral surgery relieves sleep apnea symptoms by removing the blockage caused by excess tissue, which vibrates and blocking the upper air passages. Once way this is done is through UPPP, or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, which involves removing excess tissue from the upper mouth and throat while under general anesthesia. Maxillomandibular advancement is another procedure used to treat sleep apnea. This procedure moves the lower jaw forward, away from the rest of facial bones, which allows more room behind the soft palate and reduces any obstruction.

If these treatments fail to relieve your sleep apnea, a tracheostomy can be performed. A tracheostomy is when a tube is inserted into your throat to allow breathing. The tube is covered during the day while you are awake and then opened at night while you sleep.

If you believe you have sleep apnea, call (610) 252-7414 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit www.LehighValleySmiles.net.

Pediatric Dentistry: Sealants

Although brushing and flossing is effective at removing food particles and plaque from the smooth surfaces of our teeth, sometimes these methods are ineffective at thoroughly cleaning the nooks and crannies in our premolars and molars. Because molars are the hardest to clean and the teeth most used in the chewing process, they are the most susceptible to cavities and decay, which is why at Lehigh Valley Smiles, Dr. Alan Dilsaver recommends sealants soon after molars emerge when children are between the ages of 6 and 14.

Dental sealants are a thin, plastic coating applied to the chewing surfaces of the molars to prevent cavities and tooth decay. The sealant is applied by the dentist, who first roughens the surface of the molar with acid and then paints on the sealant, which bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth, hardening and forming a shield over the enamel to protect it for approximately 10 years.

Sealants are normally applied to children’s molars because their teeth are especially susceptible to cavities. However, sometimes they are applied on adult molars if they have hard-to-clean grooves that are causing cavities.

To schedule an appointment, call our office in Easton, PA at (610) 252-7414. For more information, visit www.LehighValleySmiles.net.

Using Electric Handpieces

While you might not think to ask what type of tools your dentist is using, the type and quality of tool matters. And you should know that at Lehigh Valley Smiles, we use electric handpieces for our procedures.

There are basically two types of handpieces: air-driven and electric. Electric, which is what we use, are much stronger than air-driven tools because a motor is used to spin the bur and not air. With a stronger force created, Dr. Alan Dilsaver can remove decay more quickly and cut down on the amount of time needed for a procedure. Often used to prepare teeth for restorative procedures, electric handpieces offer many benefits
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Whether you are getting a filling, crown, bridge or inlay/onlay, we are dedicated to providing the best dental care possible with state-of-the-art tools. By using the best equipment, in every aspect of the dental care we provide, we can ensure that all of our patients are comfortable and their oral health well cared for.

While you may not know the difference between dental tools, you will be able to see and feel the difference in dental care that the top-of-the-line tools afford us.

Call (610) 252-7414 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit www.LehighValleySmiles.net.

TMJ

TMJ is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your mandible (lower jaw) to your skull at the temporal bone. While many call disorders associated with this joint TMJ, those disorders are more appropriately called TMD (temporomandibular disorder), and TMD can have symptoms that range from teeth grinding and headaches to trouble chewing and pain when opening and closing your mouth. TMD not only an annoying disorder; it is also a destructive one and can cause serious damage to your teeth if left untreated. Here at Lehigh Valley Smiles, Dr. Alan Dilsaver can determine if you suffer from TMD and offer ways to treat the disorder.

The TMJ controls an assortment of jaw functions, including chewing, so if you’re chewing muscles or the joint itself is in pain, it is possible that you have TMD. TMD is often caused by stress, which leads to unconscious clenching and teeth grinding while awake and asleep. TMD’s symptoms include pain, trouble chewing, lock jaw, headachess or ear pain and a popping or clicking sound when opening your mouth. However, these symptoms may be indicative of other health problems as well, so it is important to see a medical professional for a diagnosis.

Grinding your teeth is an especially worrisome TMD-associated behavior since it can lead to futher problems with your mouth. If your teeth grinding is left unaddressed, you will cause serious wear to the enamel of your teeth and expose the dentin, which will make your teeth more sensitive to heat and cold and more susceptible to decay. However, you can work with Dr. Dilsaver to relieve symptoms with mouthguards or nightguards.

If you think that you might be suffering from TMD or teeth grinding in Easton, PA, schedule an appointment with our office by calling (610) 252-7414. For more information, visitwww.LehighValleySmiles.com. 

Periodontics and Gum Care

While taking care of your teeth is an essential part of your oral hygiene routine, your gums are also an important aspect of your health and requireperiodontal cleaning and treatment to stay at peak health. With Dr. Alan Dilsaver of Lehigh Valley Smiles, our patients in Easton, PA can be sure their gums are well cared for.


Periodontal disease is responsible for 75 percent of all adult tooth loss cases in the United States. This means it is critical to check for and treat periodontal issues when they first arise. Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums that starts as plaque and hardens into tartar. As the tartar accumulates, bacteria collect and attack the soft tissue in the surrounding gums. This early stage is called gingivitis, and if it is left untreated, gingivitis will become periodontis. Periodontis can destroy tissue around the teeth and even lead to loss of bone mass in the jaw bone. Tooth loss can result, and heart disease, stroke and diabetes have also been linked to poor periodontal health.


It is important to prevent periodontal disease or catch it in its early stages, and Dr. Dilsaver is extremely knowledgeable and experienced with periodontal therapy, and he will work hard to ensure that you maintain optimal oral health. If you notice that your gums are red, swollen or tender or they bleed during normal brushing and flossing, schedule an appointment with our practice by calling (610) 252-7414. For more information, visitwww.LehighValleySmiles.net.

Crowns

Crowns are used to protect and strengthen teeth that have become extremely weak, decayed or fractured. Covering your affected tooth and restoring it to its original shape and size, dental crowns (sometimes called caps) can help reduce pain, save your tooth from needing to be extracted and keep your smile beautiful and functional. At Lehigh Valley Smiles, we can see if a crown is necessary to save your smile.


Over time, as your teeth begin to weaken, they become more susceptible to problems, including decay, cracks and discoloration. Crowns are usually only necessary if decay has reached the point where the tooth structure is compromised. When a crown is installed, the decay is removed from the tooth and a core build-up is used to insulate the nerve and create a surface to bond the crown to. An impression is then made of this surface so that crown can be custom fitted. Usually made of porcelain, gold or porcelain fused to metal, after the crown is fabricated, it is cemented onto the current tooth. This fabrication process can take between two to three weeks.


Crowns are made incredibly strong to protect the remaining tooth structure, and the custom fit ensures that the seam between tooth and crown is minuscule, which helps protect the tooth from further decay.


If you’re experiencing decay and pain in one of your teeth, stop by our office to see if a crown can save your smile. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Alan Dilsaver by calling (610) 252-7414. For more information www.LehighValleySmiles.net.