What Is Neuromuscular Dentistry?

June 7, 2012

There’s a term you may have come across if you’ve visited our site before. It’s a term that sounds complicated but actually concerns a simple and common condition. We’re talking, of course, about neuromuscular dentistry.

What is it?

In short, neuromuscular dentistry looks at your jaw muscles, your jaw joints, and how your teeth fit together (also known as occlusion). When a problem occurs in one of these areas, the result can be painful symptoms like frequent headaches, neck or shoulder pain, ringing in the ears, and more.

The two conditions most commonly associated with neuromuscular dentistry are TMJ disorder and bruxism. But the good news for patients from Beachwood and surrounding areas is that both of these can be effectively treated. With the use of an orthotic appliance, Dr. Hornstein can deliver comfortable relief that will help you preserve your smile and reclaim your life.

Protect Your Smile with an Orthotic Appliance

An orthotic appliance is custom-made for your smile so that it fits comfortable over your teeth. They’re designed to correct your bite, bringing it into its natural alignment and easing strain on your joints and muscles.

Have you recently learned that you have a neuromuscular condition like TMJ disorder or bruxism? Call The Center for Advanced Dentistry to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hornstein. During your appointment, Dr. Hornstein can talk to you about your situation and begin working on a treatment plan to help you save your smile and reclaim your life.

A Natural-Looking Smile with Dental Implants from Dr. Hornstein

September 16, 2011

It can be hard to feel confident when your smile’s missing one or more teeth. But missing teeth can affect more than your confidence—they can also have a serious impact on your oral health.

Patients with missing teeth will eventually experience bone loss in their jawbone, because where there used to be a root to anchor your tooth and stimulate the growth of new bone tissue, now there’s nothing at all. That means part of your jaw doesn’t have a purpose anymore. What’s more, as your jawbone grows increasingly weaker, it’s likely that you could lose more teeth over time.

Traditional dentures can help restore your smile’s appearance, but they can’t do much to restore the root you’ve lost. That’s why, at Dr. Hornstein’s Beachwood office, we offer dental implants.

How Dental Implants Work

Unlike traditional dentures and other restorative options, dental implants restore your missing tooth and your missing root. That means having a dental implant placed is almost like getting your old tooth back. And, as an added benefit, dental implants look completely natural. No one but you and Dr. Hornstein will ever need to know you have implants.

If you’d like to find out if you’re a candidate for dental implants, call our Beachwood office today to schedule a consultation appointment. In just a single visit, Dr. Hornstein can determine if dental implants are right for you and begin a treatment plan that will restore your smile.

Give Your Smile an Extra Level of Protection with Dental Sealants

August 26, 2011

When food particles and bacteria find their way into the pits and grooves in your teeth, tooth decay is the result. That’s why brushing and flossing are so important. By maintaining a regular brushing and flossing routine, you’re giving your smile the protection it needs to stay strong and healthy.

But even the best brushers need a little help sometimes. That’s why, at Dr. Hornstein’s Beachwood office, we offer dental sealants. Dental sealants let us give your smile that extra little bit of protection it needs in areas that may be harder to protect.

What are Dental Sealants and How Do They Work?

Dental sealants are applied directly to your teeth after they’ve been cleaned and dried. Then, they’re hardened with a curing light, turning them from a liquid into a thin plastic film. This thin film acts like a barrier for food particles, keeping them away from vulnerable parts of your smile and helping you maintain your optimal oral health.

What’s more, dental sealants can be applied in very little time—anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes, depending on how many teeth Dr. Hornstein will be sealing.

If you’d like to know more about dental sealants, contact our Beachwood dental office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hornstein. We serve patients from Cleveland, Solon, Shaker Heights, Pepper Pike, and surrounding areas.

A Whiter Smile in Just One Hour

July 28, 2011

Teeth can become stained for several reasons. One of the biggest is age, but certain beverages (like tea or coffee) can have a major effect, too, as can smoking and even certain medications. But with professional teeth whitening from Dr. Hornstein’s Beachwood dental office, a vibrant smile can be yours again, and in about just one hour.

Using Brite Smile’s professional whitening treatment, we can safely and effectively return your teeth to their optimal brightness.

Professional Whitening in the Comfort of Your Own Home

But in-office teeth whitening isn’t the only way you can revitalize your smile. With at-home teeth whitening, you can achieve professional results in the comfort of your own home. Results aren’t as immediate—best results take between one and two weeks—but you can still look forward to enjoying a brighter, more confident smile.

You can even use at-home teeth whitening in between in-office treatments. We call this our “Whitening for Life” program, and you can find out more about his it works by clicking here.

The Confident Smile of Your Dreams

If you have questions about our teeth whitening services or just want to schedule your next visit with Dr. Hornstein, give our Beachwood dental office a call today. Dr. Hornstein’s practice serves patients from Cleveland, Solon, Shaker Heights, Pepper Pike, and surrounding cities.

Kiss Chronic Bad Breath Goodbye

July 15, 2011

Do you try to masque chronic bad breath with gum or mints?  Those may help, but they don’t really treat the problem. Odds are, your recurring bad breath has something to do with your brushing habits, and it may even be a symptom of a serious problem.

Bad Breath – It’s Causes and What It Might Mean

One reason why some suffer from bad breath, also known as halitosis, is because of poor brushing habits. When you forget to brush (or floss), food particles can become trapped in your teeth, where they decay and mix together with bacteria to form a sulfur compound.

But your bad breath may not just be caused by old bits of food. In some cases, halitosis may a symptom of gum disease. Which mean, if you suffer from chronic bad breath and mints, gums, and brushing aren’t helping, you may want to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hornstein. He’ll put your smile through a comprehensive exam to look for any other symptoms that might indicate the presence of the disease.

If we find any, Dr. Hornstein can recommend a treatment process that will help you. Gum disease can often be treated by spending more time at the sink and with more regular dental visit. We may also recommend a professional kit like CloSYSII or a tongue scraper to help you.

Cleaner Breath and a Healthier Smile

To find out more about how Dr. Hornstein can treat bad breath, or to schedule a consultation visit, give us a call today. Our Beachwood dental office serves patients from Cleveland, Solon, Shaker Heights, Pepper Pike, and beyond.

Sleep Apnea Treatment for Patients in the Cleveland Area

June 27, 2011

If you snore at night or suffer from symptoms like irritability, difficulty concentrating, morning headaches, or daytime drowsiness, you may have sleep apnea.

An under-diagnosed condition, sleep apnea can disrupt your (and your partner’s) sleep and have a detrimental effect on your overall health, putting you at risk for a wide spectrum of serious conditions ranging from heart attack to stroke, high blood pressure, heartburn, depression, and even memory loss.

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Mouthguards Aren’t Just For Kids

July 14, 2010

Did you know that some of the most common dental injuries seen in patients under the age of 18 are from contact sports? And adults should protect their teeth as well when participating in any sport where injury to your face may be a factor.  Whether you, or your children, participate in rollerblading, soccer, or football, mouthguards help prevent these injuries. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends mouthguards for any activity that could result in a blow to the face or mouth.

Made of easy-to-clean, flexible acrylic material, an athletic mouthguard covers teeth and protects faces, lips, gums, and jaws from injury. Various types of mouthguards exist, including store bought, mouth-fit, and custom-made mouthguards. All of these appliances will help you avoid facial injuries, but custom-made mouthguards are superior to the other options, because they fit better, allow you to speak easier, and don’t fall out. If you decide on a custom-made mouthguards, we will take molds of your teeth and send the impressions to a dental lab for fabrication.  And we can make them in your team colors.   Call us to find out more about how to prevent injuries to your mouth and teeth.

If you snore, you may have occult sleep apnea.

March 4, 2010

If you snore, your bed partner may not be the only one who doesn’t have the benefit of restful sleep.   You may not be getting enough oxygen to meet your body’s needs.  One of the ways to measure the effectiveness of your sleep if you snore is to do an at-home sleep test.  The process starts with an evaluation in our office.  Dr. Hornstein will check your mouth and airway and all the necessary information will be gathered before the test.  This info will be sent to Sleep Optima, the company that provides the equipment and processes the insurance claims.  (You can get more information at www.mysleeptest.com.)    They will send the equipment right to your house with specific instructions about how to administer the test.  The test equipment consists of a headband that contains sensors that collect the needed information.  This info is interpreted by the microprocessor in the device.  It also has a nasal cannula that you wear in your nose (similar to how oxygen is delivered) that measures airflow and oxygen levels.   In addition to respiratory breathing rhythms, the sensors also detect sleep positions, stages of sleep, blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and snoring loudness.  After using the equipment for two nights, you then return the device back to Sleep Optima.  It takes about 7-10 days for the results of the tests to be available. 

Sometimes people who snore may not look like they stop breathing, but will have periods of low oxygen levels.  This is called occult sleep apnea or hidden times of low O2 levels (also know as hypoxia).   Since even occult apnea can lead to an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and other problems, it is important to rule out sleep apnea in people who snore.  If you or a loved one snores, you should consider doing a home sleep test. 

It just might save a life!

How to Handle a Dental Emergency When Out of Town

February 3, 2010

We just had a patient who had a dental emergency and was out of town.  What do you do?  How do you find a dental practice like ours?  The first step would be to call our office to see if your problem is something that can wait until you return home.  However, if you are on an extended visit and won’t be coming home for awhile, you don’t want to let an infection or broken tooth go untreated. 

You could use a local friend’s recommendation or if you don’t know anyone, you could use the Internet.  We like Google for a search engine.  If you type in “dentist” and the city and state where you are located, you will get a variety of dentists and their locations.  You can see reviews and click on the links to the various dental websites.  A dentist should have the latest technology, use bonded or porcelain restorations, have digital x-rays, and can see you in the same day.  When you call their office, you should talk to a real person and not a machine.  Excellent dentists have excellent customer service for their patients and the team members should be friendly and knowledgeable.   If you have an infection and need a root canal, then you should be referred to a specialist who does only root canals (called an endodontist).  If the tooth is not savable and you need an extraction, you would want to see an oral surgeon who can also evaluate the site for the possibility of a future implant.   If you find yourself this predicament, then you can call our office for guidance and we will help you make the best decision for your oral health.  Hopefully, by maintaining your dental health with regular cleanings and check-ups, you will avoid this situation.  We are here to help you.

CFAD is now on Twitter. Follow us.

February 1, 2010

The Center For Advanced Dentistry is now on Twitter.  Tune in to our tips and musings.  Tell your friends or family about our Tweets.  You never know when they may save a life.   They cover everything dental and sometimes Doctor Hornstein’s humor.  You won’t want to miss a one. 

If you aren’t familiar with Twitter, it is one of the most expanding ways of staying in touch.  We are www.twitter.com/CFADBeachwood.  Check us out and join in the fun.