Westlake Hills Dental Arts Blog

As the year comes to a close, many people are focused on holiday preparations in New Year’s resolutions; however, it’s also the perfect time to asses your dental insurance benefits and make the most out of your coverage. Dental insurance is by far one of the best ways you can protect your smile, and by proxy, your general wellness—but it’s estimated that only a small portion of people with PPO plans reach or exceed their annual maximum! To ensure you don’t fall into this category, here are a few things to keep in mind to help you maximize your benefits.

Traditional dental fillings are made with amalgam, a mixture of mercury, silver, tin, copper, and zinc. While they have been used to restore teeth for more than a century, mercury represents about half of their overall weight. A study in 2016 found that people with more than eight amalgam fillings are at risk for higher mercury levels in their blood. Amalgam fillings usually need replacement after about fifteen years, so here are a few reasons you should consider having your amalgam restorations replaced with tooth-colored fillings.

If you have bruxism, your dentist may have recommended that you get a nightguard to protect your teeth. This prevents long-term damage to the teeth. Most of the time, this dentist will also offer to make this nightguard for you—however, many patients are tempted by the much cheaper over-the-counter nightguards that are readily available.

If you’re currently facing this choice, there are a few things that may be on your mind. This blog aims to outline the differences between the two, and what you should consider if you’re making that choice. 

Living on your own at a college dorm naturally comes with a lot of freedom, but it also comes with a significant amount of responsibility. You need to be mindful about making the right choices for your overall health. One important step you can take is to put together a dental kit to ensure that you can properly care for your smile. Below are 5 essential items that your dentist recommends putting in your dental kit before you head off for college.

How often do you need to see your dentist for a cleaning? For many people, the answer is “twice a year.” However, not all smiles are the same; some people might need to visit their dentists more often than that for the sake of their oral hygiene. Why are regular dental cleanings so important, and how many will you need in a 12-month period? Your dentist has provided the answers below.

Are you thinking about restoring your smile? Approximately 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth, so you aren’t alone. Fortunately, there are a variety of tooth replacement options out there to complete your smile with dental implants being a preferred method. Thanks to their ability to restore the root of your missing tooth, you can benefit from them for many decades or even the rest of your life! Here are some of the reasons why you should consider getting implants this summer.

If someone close to you is about to graduate from high school or college, you’re probably feeling pretty excited to see them walk across the stage on their big day. But you should also want your loved one to look their best as they’re handed their diploma and smiling for the camera—which is why you should consider gifting them cosmetic dentistry! Here’s more from your cosmetic dentist about the importance of having a healthy and bright smile within the workforce, along with some cosmetic treatment ideas that are perfectly suited for graduates.

Your smile is often the first feature that strangers notice about you, meaning that you should take steps to ensure that your pearly whites look their absolute best! Cosmetic dentistry is arguably one of the best ways to go about this, and a skilled cosmetic dentist can easily help you unlock your grin’s fullest potential, no matter what your needs are! Here are some tips for helping you find the right dentist for the job.

Since February is American Heart Month, now is a good time to consider how your oral health can affect your cardiovascular health. You might not think that taking care of your mouth will do your heart much good, but the connection between the two is stronger than you might think. Here’s what you need to know about the relationship between your smile and your heart – and what you can do to protect both.

If you have a decayed tooth, you likely need a dental crown. After all, the latter protects your pearly white from damage and improves its looks! That said, you may need a restoration quickly if your issue is severe. In that case, it’d be a good idea to opt for a CEREC crown. This kind is custom-crafted by dentists in a single visit. If you’d like to learn more about it, your local practice can explain. Here is a summary of CEREC dental crowns, how they’re made, and how long they take.