Author: vivadentalwellness_AdmEEn

Today’s dentists may spend most of their working hours performing preventative maintenance on their patient’s mouths, such as digital X-rays and cancer screens, or performing restorative treatments. These form the foundation of a traditional dental practice, but do you know that cosmetic dental services are now among the most requested services provided at your local dentist? While some dentists may specialise in cosmetic dentistry, thanks to demand and ongoing training, many of the more common cosmetic dentistry services are now routinely offered by general dentists.

What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry typically involves procedures or techniques in dentistry that aim to improve the aesthetic (the look) of the teeth themselves. While cavity filling is an essential part of traditional dentistry, it is hard to make the argument that the filling improves the look of the tooth or teeth. While filling a cavity serves a necessary function, to restore comfort to the tooth and to stop the progression of decay, it is not aimed at making the tooth look better.

Tooth whitening, however, can be categorized as a cosmetic service since discolouration of the teeth does not necessary impact their form, function or health.

There are some grey areas where cosmetic dentistry is concerned, however. For instance, a root canal may not serve to improve a tooth’s appearance, necessarily, but it is necessary to prevent the tooth from needing to be extracted due to a risk of infection spreading. What happens after the root canal is really where we see the potential for cosmetic dentistry to play a role in the restoration of a tooth.

Root Canals And Crowns

A root canal can be necessary where there has been trauma to the teeth which result in diseased tissue inside of the tooth’s hard exterior. Inside the tooth is a tooth’s dentin which forms the inside of the tooth and root system. When decay progresses into the dentin of a tooth, the result can be painful. If the decay proceeds beyond the dentin, trouble can start. Inside the inner channel of the tooth is nerve tissue that has blood supply. Bacteria from decay can enter this chamber and cause the inside of the tooth to become infected. Since this chamber is connected to the rest of the body by means of its blood supply, the risk of an infection spreading is not one that your dentist is willing to take. This may mean having a root canal to save the tooth from needing to be extracted from the jaw.

The root canal removes the diseased tissue from within the inner chamber of the tooth and eliminates the risk of infection spreading. (It also has the tremendous benefit of eliminating pain associated with the infection, since there is no nerve tissue to send a pain signal). Once root canal therapy has been performed, your dentist must decide whether a crown is necessary to seal the tooth, or whether a filling will suffice.

In many cases, accessing the inside of the tooth requires removing so much of the outer tooth that a filling may not be able to support it, leaving it at risk for fracture or breakage. In these cases, your dentist will suggest the placement of a crown over the tooth. A crown fits over the outside area of your tooth and meets the gum tissue at the gum line. The benefits of a crown are numerous, with both cosmetic and functional considerations. First, the crown will look more like a natural tooth than it would if it was simply filled with amalgam. The crown takes the form and colour of your natural tooth, ensuring that it blends seamlessly with its neighbours along the dental arch. Since crowns are made of composite material, they will not be susceptible to decay and will distribute forces more naturally over the tooth’s surface making it much sturdier than a filling.

Bridges

In the event that a patient has lost a tooth or has had to have one of their teeth extracted, bridges are often recommended to fill the gap where the tooth used to be. Bridges are artificial teeth anchored to one or more of the adjacent teeth to either side. There are four types of bridges including: traditional, cantilever, maryland and implant-supported. Your dentist will be able to recommend the best option for your needs. Like crowns, these bridges are made of composite material that provides a natural appearance that no one is likely to know isn’t real if you don’t tell them.

Veneers

While crowns surround the entirety of the surface of your natural teeth, veneers provide an alternative to crowns that improves the appearance of a tooth without needing to prepare the entire surface of the tooth.  Veneers are typically used to improve the appearance of our ‘smile’, as in, those teeth toward the front of our mouth that are visible when we smile. Veneers are made to precisely match your natural tooth’s colour and is placed on the presentation side of your tooth. Your tooth will be etched to ensure that the veneer achieves a proper bond to your tooth.

For more information about these and other services provided by our general dentists, please contact Viva Dental Wellness for an appointment today!

You’ve been told since you were a kid that seeing the dentist is important to prevent cavities. You might have been told about the ‘sugar bugs’ that could attack your teeth if they weren’t properly cared for. As life gets busy and increasingly complex with age, it is not uncommon for adults to forget about the simple principles of oral health and why regular dental visits are important. We want to remind every adult in Edmonton: prioritizing your oral health is important.

As far as excuses, we’ve heard them all:

“I don’t have the best dentist in Edmonton”.

All certified dentists in Alberta are proficient at handling general dentistry concerns. If you are unhappy with your dentist, or you feel it’s not the best dental clinic, consider that these things are subjective. While one client may love a certain clinic, others may not. The most important thing that you can do if you’re unsatisfied with your dentist finds a family dentist in Edmonton that is a great fit for you.

“I don’t have a dentist near me”.

Have you moved residences or changed jobs? Sometimes, changing dentists to one that is more convenient is the best decision. You may like your dentist, but if you never see them, it doesn’t matter how great they are. What’s more important is that you have a dentist in south Edmonton that is convenient for you to attend. This should increase the likelihood of your regular appointments being kept.

“I don’t have any cavities or complaints”.

What great news! If you have been taking good care of your teeth and gums at home, your regular checkup and cleaning appointment will be brief. Consider, however, that when you stop going to the dentist, the only things that get you back there are usually issues that are causing pain because the condition is so advanced. At Viva Dental Wellness, we encourage our patients to see us every six months. This is partly because cavities or gum disease can be caught in their earliest presentation and quickly fixed with minimal intervention. Wouldn’t you rather a modest filling than a root canal and crown due to infection?

There are other conditions, like dentigerous cysts, that can be growing out of view of the naked eye. These cysts are like little fluid-filled balloons that expand and grow with few symptoms, if any. Once the cyst is large enough, however, it can damage the tooth and bone that holds your teeth in place. If you don’t see your dentist regularly, you won’t have seen the cyst in its early stages on your digital X-ray. That means that visible symptoms like drifting teeth or swelling will be what brings you to the dentist – often there is structural damage by then.

Cancerous tissues in the mouth can be identified quickly with a visual assessment at your Windermere dentist. These cancers can be treated the sooner they are identified. Some dentists use a special light that allows them to see beneath the exterior layer of tissue to the tissues underneath.

“I don’t have the time”.

This hearkens back to our previous point about conditions progressing unnecessarily when you don’t see the dentist. At our dental clinic in Edmonton, Viva Dental Wellness staff reminds patients regularly that preventative maintenance takes far less time to perform than more invasive procedures that require local anesthetic and restoration.

“I’m very nervous about going to the dentist”.

We get it. As a dentist in southside Edmonton, we help anxious patients get through their appointments daily. We offer private dental suites and aromatherapy to put our patients at ease. Some patients are afraid of procedures, some are afraid of even a cleaning. No matter the case, your dentist and their staff will partner with you to take things slowly and communicate with you. Establishing trust with your dentist is an important part of your overall experience at the dentist. When you know your dentist, you’ll ask more questions and feel more confident about the decisions that you make together.

On the topic of trust, it should be noted that it is particularly important for children to trust their dental team in order to make a positive mental association with the dentist. We recommend that parents and guardians begin bringing their children to their routine dental appointments to understand what it means to professionally clean the teeth – and that it doesn’t hurt. This takes the mystery out of the experience for children and allows them to get excited about being in the dental chair. If possible, children should see the dentist and establish rapport prior to any restorative procedures being performed.

Looking for a dentist in Windermere?  Our Windermere dental clinic is accepting new patients. Call our office today to book a consultation with our general dentist to get started.

No matter who you are, where you live or what you do, sleep is a necessary part of your life. All people need to give their physical bodies a break from the demands of the day. This is a time when the brain and organs are consolidating and processing the events of the day.

When sleep is inadequate, it can impact every area of our lives. Although the recommended amount of sleep is somewhere between seven and nine hours per night, many of us may struggle to make that a reality. Without deep sleep, which takes approximately 90 minutes to achieve, the body cannot perform nearly as well the following day.

Benefits Of Sleep

The benefits of proper sleep are more diverse than you might think. Restorative sleep regulates hormones like cortisol and adrenaline which can be overproduced when you haven’t slept. That means that sleep helps us control our stress and meet the demands of the day. Sleep also helps to regulate appetite and metabolism to prevent taking on weight.

Sleep improves your immune system – without it the immune system struggles to keep up and you could find yourself getting seasonal illnesses more easily and for longer. With a lack of sleep comes an irritable and depressive mood and you could see yourself getting into arguments and other negative interpersonal interactions. Processing time slows down and you may find it more difficult to complete daily tasks or make important decisions. Of more importance is that a lack of sleep causes far more accidents with heavy equipment, machinery, and automobiles.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Although your dentist needs to perform a sleep test to properly diagnose sleep apnea, it can be helpful to keep some of the symptoms in mind.

If you live with a partner and you snore, he or she will likely ask you to seek snoring treatment in Edmonton because your heavy snoring is keeping them awake every night.  Although snoring is one piece of the puzzle, other indications of sleep apnea are choking and gasping and long duration between breaths.

You may find yourself feeling chronically exhausted even upon waking and fall asleep throughout the day in inappropriate settings. You may feel dreamy throughout the day as though you never fully wake up and find it hard to concentrate or remember things. Headaches are often chronic for those who suffer with sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Treatment In Edmonton

Viva Dental Wellness is a dentist in Windermere, we understand the profound benefits of a healthy sleep and wake cycle – that’s why our dental clinic in Edmonton created the Snore Center. Among the things that can cause nighttime waking are restless leg syndrome, insomnia, and something called sleep apnea.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is the condition of broken sleep due to frequent wakings. These wakings are caused when the condition stops your breathing. There are two forms of sleep apnea: obstructive and central. Your dentist in South Edmonton will be able to determine this using a sleep study. This involves a head band worn while you sleep to record your sleep patterns.

Obstructive sleep apnea indicates that when you are laying down, your throat tissues are closing your airway. This leads to snoring and waking up gasping for air. Central sleep apnea is a disconnection between the brain and body. The body is sending cues to breathe, but the brain is not receiving the impulse. This leads to a cessation of breathing that can be minutes long and will end in a desperate gasp of air.

The continuous stirring during sleep often does not fully wake the patient up, but prevents the deep rest required for restoration.

Can I See A Dentist Near Me?

If you are unable to commute to our Windermere dentist, we recommend that you find the next best dental clinic and the next best dentist that treats sleep apnea in your area. However, if you are being treated by our dentist in South Edmonton, you may not require frequent appointments which may influence your decision about whether or not to commit to the commute.

Other Considerations

Although headaches and muscle tension in the shoulders and neck point to sleep apnea as their cause, there is more to consider. As a dental clinic in Windermere, we see many patients with this tension complaint and sometimes it is not apnea causing the symptoms but bruxism. Bruxism describes clenching and grinding the teeth against each other in our sleep. This may be worse when patients are under unusual stress. Patients may sometimes complain of ear pain prior to being diagnosed with bruxism.

Any family dentist in Edmonton can assess the condition of your teeth and jaw muscles to determine whether bruxism is present. This typically involves a visual inspection of the teeth and gums followed by a check for overdeveloped jaw muscles.

As well as being a family dentist in Edmonton, Viva Dental Wellness is also home to our own sleep clinic where we offer sleep apnea treatment in Edmonton’s west side. If you live in Edmonton and sleep apnea is robbing you of your best life, call us at our dental clinic in Windermere to book an appointment.

Dentists in Windermere face the same challenges with their patients as does every dentist: helping patients understand the importance of oral health.

While most patients are compliant with a brushing routine, not everyone can just pick up a toothbrush after a meal to prevent cavities. Seniors can struggle with grip, coordination and even dementia those with severe disabilities may not be able to perform this function at all. These are real issues that impact our special needs patients directly. So, it is as important that we educate their caregivers about how best to provide oral health care for their loved ones. Our Windermere dentist has a depth of experience in treating those with complex needs and can be trusted to provide helpful advice and encouragement.

Even the best dentist in Edmonton would tell you that most of the cavities they treat are preventable. Gum disease is the single most frequently treated condition and a primary cause of tooth loss. Dentists know that patients will do better if they are better informed, and it starts with understanding the environment inside your mouth.

Understanding Plaque

If you’ve ever run your tongue along your teeth and felt that ‘fuzzy’ feeling, you know what it is to have an overgrowth of certain bacteria in the mouth. Plaque grows where it is dark and moist, and it feeds on carbohydrates. Chips, bread and sweets are among the favourites for plaque, and once they’ve consumed the leftovers (food debris) left in the mouth after eating or drinking sugars excrete a very acidic by-product. This is where the problem starts.

When your teeth and gums are exposed to this acid, it degrades them and weakens the enamel that protects your teeth. It makes cavities larger with each exposure and is very irritating to the soft tissues like the gums and cheeks.

With a strong oral health routine, this would happen infrequently before being brushed and rinsed away. Without a strong routine, however, lack of cleaning promotes an acidic assault on your teeth.

Tartar

Once you’ve had tartar hanging around for a period of time, its constant exposure to saliva calcifies it on the teeth. This thing called tartar likes to settle-in around the collars of the teeth and becomes stained by the foods you eat and drink. This can make the teeth look dark and unhealthy, and it can only be removed at a dental office.

The tartar also irritates gum tissue, causing it to turn red. Without flossing between the teeth, tartar will begin to cause the inflamed gum tissue to pull away from the base of the tooth, leaving a pocket for acids and bacteria to enter and further irritate. With further neglect, tartar gets between the teeth and gums and begins to affect the root.

Periodontitis

Also referred to as gum disease, periodontitis occurs when infection has entered deep into the tissues and is putting your teeth and bones at risk. Periodontitis can lead to tooth loss if the condition is severe enough. Before your dentist in south Edmonton will recommend surgery, he or she will likely suggest teeth scaling and root planing. Whether you already have what you consider to be the best dental clinic in Edmonton or the newest one, all dental clinics in Edmonton can perform this procedure. If you need treatment but don’t have a regular dentist, find a new dentist by Googling: dentist near me or dentist in southside Edmonton.

The treatment involves scraping tartar off the tooth and below the gumline, often down to the root. Since this can be uncomfortable, your dentist may recommend a local anaesthetic to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure.

Regular Visits

Whether your teeth and gums are healthy or showing signs of gingivitis, regular visits to your dentist are an important part of your oral health routine which should accompany brushing and flossing twice daily. Choosing foods that are low in sugars and doughs and favour healthy proteins and whole foods. Drinking more water promotes rinsing of the teeth and can help return the mouth to an appropriate pH after eating or drinking a sweet drink. Smoking and vaping may encourage the development of gingivitis and gum disease. If you are struggling to kick the smoking habit, talk to your dentist about your options. Remember, you only get your adult teeth once. Taking care of your teeth is an important part of caring for your body as a whole.

Teeth whitening products have become all the rage in the Canadian marketplace, with companies in all kinds of markets trying to get in on the opportunity. The truth is, there is a lot of market opportunity! Think about the toothpaste isle at your favourite drug store – there are so many whitening products on display that it can be hard to know where to start. Whitening toothpastes, whitening mouth rinses, and when you get to the checkout isle … whitening chewing gum. What’s clear is that we care about how our teeth look, but what may not be as clear is just why our teeth are discoloured in the first place and how to prevent it.

What Causes Our Teeth To Discolour?

Most of us understand that one of the primary effects of habits such as tobacco smoking is staining of the teeth. When particulate matter enters our mouths in the form of smoke, tar can accumulate on the tooth’s surface causing brown or yellow staining. But did you know that there are many other factors that contribute to the discolouration of our pearly whites?

First, it is important to know that it is normal for teeth to change colour as we age. This is due to the cumulative effects of our lifestyle and diet as well as the thinning of enamel over time. Since enamel is more transparent than the dentin that it covers, the darker dentin can begin to show more over time. This is particularly true for men since males tend to have a larger surface area (bigger teeth) than their female counterparts.

Another factor in the shade of our teeth is our diet. While fruits, vegetables and whole foods are unlikely to have a staining effect on the surface of the teeth, coffee, tea, sodas and red wine are another story altogether. We call these beverages ‘stainers’ because of their heightened ability to cause staining of the teeth over time. Since these beverages are thin liquids, it can be hard to control their interaction with our teeth unless we use a straw. In most cases, these liquids have access to all tooth surfaces, top, around and in between. Since coffee, tea, carbonation and red wine are highly acidic, they attack the surface of the teeth. While the acid attack is bad enough, they are also highly coloured – making it easier for them to stain the teeth. Think of a mug that has been discoloured due to tea – even the dishwasher has a difficult time removing those stains, so your toothbrush is not likely to do much better.

Speaking of toothbrushes, the quality of our oral hygiene also has a significant effect on the colour of our teeth. Stainers are particularly effective on teeth that aren’t clean since transparent plaque is readily coloured when exposed to these coloured drinks.  This goes for tartar too (a sign of plaque that has stayed too long). Since a professional cleaning is your best defence against tartar development and staining, it is important to compliment your daily oral hygiene regimen with regular visits to your dentist.

Why Do We Want Whiter Teeth?

The overwhelming desire to whiten our teeth can be seen as a sign of market sophistication. Where at one time the primary goal of dental patients was just to keep their natural teeth and be able to avoid dentures, we now commonly understand oral hygiene and we are looking for ways to make the most of the teeth we care for. Since our teeth are not easily concealed in conversation, a whiter smile helps us to feel confident in our appearance.

What Can My Dentist Do To Help?

We know that you have lots of choices where it comes to whitening, but if you want the best results, we recommend seeing your dentist for clinical strength bleaching. While at-home kits may provide results, many patients invest in these strip systems only to find the process too painful to sustain. Since these strips don’t allow you to easily control where the bleaching solution is placed, the bleaching solution often seeps onto the gums which causes irritation. At-home bleaching agents are not as strong as our clinical strength products, but they are strong enough to cause pain or sensitivity due to dehydration of the dentin. Our clinic uses stronger bleaching agents, but we avail ourselves of complimentary products, such as sealants, to prevent soft tissue burns and desensitizing agents to limit the dehydration factor.

In some cases, as is the case in teeth that have greyed, topical bleaching products are not effective. Our clinic manages these cases by offering procedures such as internal bleaching to reduce discolouration and provide the best value for your investment.

If you are tired of struggling with bleaching agents that provide minimal results with above-average discomfort, call our clinic today to see how one of our general dentists can help you get the smile you’ll be proud to show off!

Our Dentist in South Edmonton at Viva Dental Wellness is ready to help you with your oral and dental care. Contact us for more details.

“I want to see the best dentist in Edmonton in the best clinic in Edmonton” might sound like a great place to start when you need a new dentist – but it isn’t very helpful when you consider how subjective the term “best” can be.  “I need a dentist near me” is slightly more specific, but it won’t help you narrow your search beyond a dentist in south Edmonton, for example

Does your family need a family dentist in Edmonton? Or just a general practice? How often will you require appointments? At Viva Dental Wellness, we always recommend that patients and their families consider a range of factors before they set out on their search for a new family dentist in Edmonton. Whether you are new to the area or have been here forever, understanding your family’s true needs will help inform your journey to identifying your new dental practice.

Oral Health History

What has your oral health journey been like so far? Have you been happy with the care you received? If not, what could have been done differently? Does your family have any genetic conditions that should be considered by your dentist in treating all members of the family? Are you planning to have children in the near future? Are your children aging out a pediatric practice and looking for a long-term relationship with a dental clinic in Windermere? What are your goals going forward on your dental journey? Are you happy with your natural teeth or will you require cosmetic treatments such as veneers or bonding in the future? Do you have ambitions to investigate Invisalign® or other orthodontic appliances to correct the alignment of your teeth? While many dental clinics in Edmonton offer these services, some services like dental implants may not be offered by the clinic you are considering. Make a note of these items and use them to ensure that the dental clinic in Edmonton of your choice offers these services in-house without referring out to other facilities. This can save you a significant amount of time if your needs are particular.

If you are looking for sleep apnea treatment in Edmonton, Viva Dental Wellness is the Windermere dentist that is also home to the Snore Center. Many people suffer from sleep apnea in Edmonton, and we pride ourselves on improving our patients’ quality of sleep and, therefore, quality of life.

Consider Location And Schedule

Everyone would love to have a dentist right up the street, but is location really your top priority? At Viva Dental Wellness, many of our patients are local to the Windermere area while other are in the area regularly for work or to attend extracurricular activities. If your teeth are generally healthy and you typically only see the dentist twice-a-year, you may find commuting to your dentist less inconvenient than if your dental condition requires regular visits to the clinic.

Your family’s schedule may determine how convenient, or inconvenient, it is for you to attend dental appointments. Families with busy schedules during the week may require weekend appointments, while those working shift work may prefer early morning or evening appointments. If you require particular appointment times, it should be among the first items you confirm with your prospective dental clinic in Edmonton.

Consider Availability

Do you have a concern about your oral health that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later? If this is the case, you’ll want to know how far in advance your prospective clinic is booking. If three months is the answer and your cavity is hurting now, don’t wait to have an emergency on your hands. See another dentist who is available sooner to handle your immediate issue regardless of whether that dentist will continue to follow your care.

Come In And Meet The Team

At our dental clinic in Windermere, we see many new patients who began their search knowing only that they needed a dentist in southside Edmonton. When their search narrows to a Windermere dentist, they find our clinic. Our receptionists are always pleased to answer questions about our practice, and we invite new patients to come into the clinic to meet the team and feel out the environment. Our friendly team members, quiet seating area and private treatment suites place patient comfort as our top priority. A private payment area is available to all of our patients and leads to a discrete exit for your convenience. Our team members are hand-selected for their skill in, both, their profession and their chairside manner. Trust is at the foundation of our relationships with our patients, and we place great emphasis on patient-practitioner communication. Patients who feel heard and supported are the key to any efficient and effective dental procedure.

If you, or someone you know, has trouble with their sleep patterns and chronic tiredness, you could be suffering from an undiagnosed form of disordered breathing called sleep apnea. At Viva Dental Wellness’ Snore Centre in Edmonton, we are passionate about spreading awareness about this dangerous condition and we work to help our valued patients regain the quality of life they lost to sleep apnea each day.

Sleep apnea treatment in Edmonton is increasingly available as awareness grows about this not-so-uncommon sleep disorder. Our dental clinic in Edmonton is privileged to help patients from across the city and surrounding areas, not just those seeking a dentist in southside Edmonton. We utilize Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) as well as Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) devices to treat both obstructive and central apnea, as well as lifestyle education to support weight loss and increased exercise.

Why Isn’t There More Awareness?

Although there is more and more awareness building all the time, the nature of sleep apnea is that it can go on for some time until its side effects cause significant suffering, and patients start talking to their dentist or doctor about it. If you sleep with a partner and they regularly complain of your chronic snoring, you can see your family dentist in Edmonton. Even the best dental clinic in Edmonton may not offer OAT or CPAP therapy, however, so call before you go.

Signs And Symptoms

While central apnea deals more in neurology, obstructive sleep apnea is far more common and is caused by tissues blocking the throat. Partners may notice great pauses in your breath followed by gasping and choking while you sleep.

Patients

Patients who sleep alone may find their condition more difficult to determine on their own. Instead, we encourage our clients to watch for signs of sleep apnea during the day. If you wake up in the morning feeling as tired or more tired than when you went to bed, this could be a sign that apnea is continuously waking you throughout the night. A sore throat may develop from mouth-breathing through the night rather than breathing through the nose, and headaches may start to be a continuous symptom upon waking. Patients with untreated sleep apnea will find that they start the day tired and remain tired and low energy throughout the day.

Sleep apnea can destabilize mental health resulting in anxiety, irritability and depression. Difficulty working with others can arise as a result, and trouble with memory and concentration may worsen this effect. Before you look for a dentist in south Edmonton to diagnose and treat your condition, it may be helpful to keep a journal for two weeks to record how you feel upon waking and any other significant occurrences throughout the day. Include sleep and wake times in your journal and any other information you might find pertinent. Doing this allows you to see, without relying on memory, how these symptoms are impacting you and can inform some of the conversations with your dentist if you do decide to pursue snoring treatment in Edmonton.

Children may also develop sleep apnea. If you suspect this condition in your child, record daily wake and rest times and symptoms as above, adding any behavioral problems occurring during the recorded period.

How Does Sleep Apnea Occur?

Central sleep apnea is caused by a break in communication between the brain and body which results in the absence of the impulse to draw breath. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by tissues falling over the airway and blocking the patient from drawing air. This block can result in long forceful snoring with each breath or pauses in breath that results in gasping and struggling for air. Sleep apnea is unlikely to fully wake up a patient – instead, it keeps the patient in a light sleep through the night. Without the depth of rest needed for restorative sleep, the systems of the body suffer. The consequences include increased incidence of accidents, heart attacks, and stroke. Physical performance decreases with compromised sleep and conditions like blood pressure and diabetes become more difficult to manage. Weight gain plays a part in obstructive sleep apnea since weight is held over the airway while patients are at rest on their backs. Talk to your dentist about how weight loss could help you on your journey through sleep apnea.

How To Find A Dentist Near Me

If you are already working with the best dentist in Edmonton for you, you don’t have to forfeit your relationship in order to attend a sleep apnea clinic in Edmonton. Your dentist can refer you to other sleep apnea clinics for treatment and continue to oversee your oral health. Looking for a dentist in Windermere? Viva Dental Wellness and the Snore Center offers treatment for sleep apnea as well as comprehensive dentistry.

Sleep apnea is a condition which can cause dangerously low oxygen levels in the body while we sleep. There are two kinds of sleep apnea. The first is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea. This occurs when loose tissues drape or fall over the breathing tube when a patient is asleep. This is associated with snoring and coughing during the night when a lack of oxygen jolts a patient awake for long enough to uncover the airway. This can occur hundreds of times throughout the night without the patient knowing, which results in patients never getting any deep (REM) sleep. Instead, they wake in the morning feeling exhausted despite having been ‘sleeping’ the whole night through.

The second form of sleep apnea is called central apnea. Central apnea occurs as a result of a hormone condition that stops the breathing trigger from reaching the brain. In other words, the impulse to breathe while sleeping is insufficient or totally absent. If you think that you could be suffering from sleep apnea, see your dental clinic in Edmonton to begin your investigation.

Causes

Although there is no known cause of central sleep apnea, sufferers do tend to have a large tongue and small jaw.  Weight gain is the primary cause of obstructive sleep apnea. As fat deposits develop around the face and neck, tissues weigh heavier on the windpipe and are more likely to interrupt breathing.

Sleep Hygiene

Before you decide that you need to see a professional about sleep apnea in Edmonton, we recommend that you first address any sleep hygiene gaps. Sleep hygiene refers to how you prepare your body for sleep each night. While oral hygiene would refer to items like brushing and flossing, sleep hygiene deals more with the conditions that support your best sleep.

When preparing for sleep, you should abstain from eating after dinner. If you tend to wake up in the night to use the bathroom, consider having nothing to drink after dinner, too. Even if you eliminate one bathroom trip at night, your sleep will have improved slightly.

In the hour before you go to bed, begin turning lights down and refrain from screens. While the light of a screen motivates the brain, subtle lighting signals to your brain that the sun is going down and it’s time for sleep. So, rather than crawl into bed to watch your phone screen, park devices outside of the room at night and read instead. Use blackout window coverings to keep your room as dark as possible at night.

If you sleep on your back, consider a different sleeping position and use pillows between your knees as needed. This takes the weight and pressure off the airway, making it easier to draw air and minimizing the likelihood of snoring.

What Can You Do?

Minimize Alcohol Consumption

               When you drink alcohol, the body goes into a relaxed state, including the muscles of the throat which can block the airway. Breathing becomes shallow after consuming alcohol, and the drive to breathe slows down. The combination of these symptoms leads to low oxygen levels and increased time between breaths. Patients who suffer from sleep apnea should avoid consuming alcohol.

Treating Allergies

               When the body is responding to allergens, it commonly produces inflammation in the sinus cavity which can block nasal passages. When these passages are blocked, mouth breathing begins which typically leads to snoring. Treating allergies may not directly stop apnea, but it can contribute to the cessation of snoring. Your family dentist in Edmonton may refer you back to your family doctor to tackle your allergies.

Weight Loss

If weight gain is affecting your sleep quality, it is likely impacting other aspects of your life, too. In the long term, weight loss can reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea by decreasing the demands placed on the airway while at rest, but short-term solutions should also be explored. At Viva Dental Wellness and the Snore Centre in Edmonton, we partner with you in your sleep apnea treatment to improve your sleep quality as our first priority no matter where you are in your wellness journey. As a dentist in south Edmonton, we understand that commuting can be a challenge. That’s why we are conveniently located near Anthony Henday.

Even the best dental clinic with the best dentist in southside Edmonton can only do so much for a sleep apnea patient before a sleep apnea clinic in Edmonton should be sought. Why not skip the line and get started with Viva Dental Wellness today? South Edmonton residents can find us by searching ‘dentist near me on Google or by searching ‘snoring treatment Edmonton’ and choosing the Snore Centre. Want to get even more specific with your search? Try ‘dentist in Windermere’, dentist southside Edmonton, or other combinations of search terms to help you find sleep apnea treatment in Edmonton.

Temporomandibular joint disorder can cause chronic discomfort in the jaw, and even lead to muscle pain in the neck and shoulders. If you are suffering from TMD, here are some things you can do to minimize the stress placed on the TM joint.

Nail Biting

If you are a nail biter, take note of the tension and pain in your jaw when you have been biting your nails. Using your teeth to groom your nails requires the jaw to slide forward in order for your upper front teeth to meet the lower front. In this position, the jaw is used to complete an unnatural motion of ‘clipping’ the nails which can contribute to a feeling of tightness and inflammation in the muscles of the jaw and the TM joint.

What You Can Do

Consider some strategies to assist you in curbing your habit. It may help to consider that as you chew on the nail, bacteria, and debris is introduced into your oral cavity – making nail-biting less appealing. The habit of nail-biting, however, is often unconscious. It may help to enlist the assistance of a manicurist to groom your nails and add a hard layer of shellac in order to deter you from biting them. If a manicurist isn’t for you, consider trimming your nails well, keeping them short and free of distracting sharp edges. Bitter nail polishes are available to make nail biting taste bad, thereby decreasing the likelihood of you continuing the habit. Lastly, it may be helpful to ask those you live with to gently remind you when you have begun to unconsciously nibble at your nails.

Grinding Or Clenching

If you wake in the morning to soreness in the jaw and aching in the face and neck, you may be clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep. While grinding your teeth causes unnecessary wear on the tooth surfaces, clenching the jaw tightly while you sleep can lead to just as much discomfort. The teeth rely on supporting structures in the bones, gums, and ligaments that surround their root systems. Grinding or clenching your teeth can place a tremendous amount of distress on these support structures, potentially leading to worn enamel, or broken or chipped teeth.

What You Can Do

Clenching and grinding are often triggered or worsened by stress. Taking care to reduce the stress in your life can benefit your teeth tremendously. This includes taking time for yourself and perhaps seeing a massage therapist to help the muscles in the jaw and neck to relax. Second, seeing your family dentist about a custom-made night guard can help prevent grinding and clenching from damaging the integrity of your teeth and support structures. Your dental practitioner or medical doctor may be able to provide you with a muscle relaxant medication to assist your jaw muscles in relaxing at night and/or anti-inflammatory medication to control inflammation of the muscles in the jaw. Some sufferers of TMD have experienced relief with Dermal Filler injections into the TM joint.

Using Teeth As Tools

Many people don’t like to admit how often they use their teeth as tools for tasks.  If you suffer with TMD symptoms, you should think twice about opening your pill bottles or your pop bottles with your teeth. Not only do these kinds of activities put you at risk for an injury or break of one of your precious teeth, but this kind of strain on the jaws is likely to exacerbate your TMD symptoms. Using your teeth for non-alimentary interests causes the muscles and the joints of the jaw to be placed under force in unnatural positions. This can cause the muscles in the jaw to respond with increased inflammation and pain in the face and neck.

What You Can Do

If you know you’re tempted to use a canine next time you need a multi-tool, consider investing in a multi-tool that can be carried with you for tasks that require it. When you treat your jaw with care and respect, your chances of managing your TMD related symptoms will increase.

Eating The Wrong Foods

It may seem strange, but many foods we consume daily are not foods of choice for people with temporomandibular joint disorder. While soft foods place relatively little strain on the jaw joint, other foods can place large demands on the jaw in terms of the force required to consume them.

What You Can Do

You will want to skip treats like caramels and toffies. These foods need to be chewed over and over in order to be enjoyed, and they are not nutrient-rich foods. Spare your TM joint the additional aggravation and choose a less demanding alternative. Similarly, consider avoiding hard and crunchy foods like carrots, granola, and popcorn. These foods require the jaw to work overtime and can contribute to the pain you’re feeling throughout the day. With all that said, can you guess the #1 ‘food’ to avoid? Bubblegum. Although it is easy to chew, your jaw will thank you to skip the extra miles you’ve been putting on it in your hours of gum chewing.
If you need more information about TMD contact our dentist in South Edmonton at Viva Dental Wellness.

Are you looking for a family dentist in Edmonton? Maybe you don’t have a family and would like to see a dentist independently. Whatever the case, before you go searching for a “dentist near me” or the “best dentist in Edmonton”, it can be helpful to understand what you’re looking for in a dentist in order to know what to ask about their services. At Viva Dental Wellness, we’ve taken extra care to ensure that our clients are as comfortable as possible when they visit our clinic. And, while we can’t deny our bias, we think that we are the best dental clinic in Windermere.

Location

As a dentist in South Edmonton, we see clients from all around Edmonton and its surrounding area. It is important to consider how far you are willing to travel to see your favorite dentist, particularly in the wintertime when roads can be slow and treacherous. Your dentist should be accessible enough for you to make and keep your appointments – if traveling is too difficult, you are more likely to postpone and push-off appointments, putting your oral health at risk. If you have medical conditions, like diabetes, that may require you to attend the dentist for maintenance more often, it’s important to consider this in your choice of clinics.

Services

Not every dental clinic in Edmonton offers the same services. but all meet the training requirements to be a general dentist. General dentists perform the majority of your service needs such as routine cleaning and diagnostics, restorations like fillings and crowns, and even some cosmetic services like whitening treatments. If you have further requirements such as dental implants or smile design, it is important to ask whether these services are offered by the clinic.

Hours

Whether you are looking for a dentist in Windermere or in Castledowns, you need to know whether the clinic’s hours will suit your needs. If you are seeing a dentist independently, consider your work hours and other time commitments. If you have a family to be seen, you may want to ask more questions.

If you are bringing your family in, consider the ages of the children and how they typically do at the dentist. If your children are new to going to the dentist, you may want to inquire about a meet and greet with the dental team to get to know the office environment. If your children require more time to settle in, extended appointments could be something you discuss with your clinic’s reception. Patients who require weekend or late appointments due to work schedules will need to know whether there are any extended hours at the clinic and when they are offered. Visiting the dentist with more than a couple of family members? Ask about group appointments. Group appointments allow the caregiver to have all members of the family seen on one (admittedly long) day. While your dentist may not be able to see everyone at once, group appointments ensure that all members of the family are seen on the same day. A long day of group appointments can save significant time when you consider the travel and arrangements necessary to have each member of the family seen on the same day.

Special Needs

If you are a caregiver to children or elders with special needs due to autism, dementia, or other conditions, you want to be sure that your dental clinic is experienced with these types of patients. These patients often take longer to feel comfortable in the environment, so extended appointments, as well as a clinic tour, can sometimes be helpful. Your dentist and their team should be experts at making their clients feel comfortable in the dental chair. In some cases, patients with special needs or severe anxiety are not able to relax in the dental chair without medical assistance in the form of laughing gas or oral sedation. It is important to know whether your dental clinic offers this, since clinical procedures may not be possible without it. Uncomfortable or anxious patients commonly move around in the dental chair, interrupting a dentist’s speed and accuracy. In these cases, the procedure time can take significantly longer, meaning a longer duration in the chair for the patient and a more difficult job for the dentist.

Viva Dental Wellness is the dentist in Southside Edmonton that offers more than just a typical dental experience. If you are looking for a dentist in Windermere, we would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our services and how we support our patients. Your experience with us will always feel warm and customized, without the ‘transactional’ feel at some other dental clinics. We value our long-term relationships with our patients and hope that you’ll become one too!