Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, is a common dental problem that affects many people worldwide. It is caused by harmful bacteria in your mouth that feed on sugar and produce acid that erodes your teeth's enamel. If left untreated, tooth decay can cause pain, infection, and even tooth loss.

Fortunately, tooth decay can be prevented with good oral hygiene practices and a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips on how to prevent tooth decay:

1. Brush your teeth regularly:

Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time, using fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride helps to strengthen your tooth enamel and protect it from acid erosion. Make sure you brush all surfaces of your teeth, including the front, back, and chewing surfaces.

2. Floss daily:

Flossing removes food particles and plaque from between your teeth that your toothbrush can't reach. It helps to prevent cavities from forming between your teeth.

3.Limit sugary and acidic foods and drinks:

Sugary and acidic foods and drinks are the main culprits behind tooth decay. They provide fuel for the harmful bacteria in your mouth, which produce acid that can erode your enamel. Limit your consumption of sugary and acidic foods and drinks, such as soda, candy, fruit juice, and sports drinks.

4.Drink plenty of water:

Drinking water helps to rinse away food particles and neutralize acid in your mouth. It also helps to keep your mouth moist, which is important for preventing dry mouth.

5. Visit your dentist regularly:

Regular dental checkups and cleanings are essential for maintaining good oral health. Your dentist can detect early signs of tooth decay and treat them before they become more serious.

6. Use fluoride mouthwash:

Mouthwash containing fluoride can help to strengthen your tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay. Rinse your mouth with fluoride mouthwash after brushing your teeth.

7. Chew sugar-free gum:

Chewing sugar-free gum after meals can help to stimulate saliva production, which helps to neutralize acid in your mouth and prevent dry mouth.

8. Consider dental sealants:

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the chewing surfaces of your back teeth. They can help to protect your teeth from decay by sealing off the deep grooves and pits where bacteria can hide.

Tooth decay is a preventable dental problem that requires good oral hygiene practices and a healthy lifestyle. By following these tips, you can help to protect your teeth from decay and maintain good oral health for a lifetime. Remember to brush and floss regularly, limit sugary and acidic foods and drinks, visit your dentist regularly, and consider using fluoride mouthwash and dental sealants. Your smile will thank you for it!

If you and your family is looking for a dentist, Lawrence Avenue Dental is growing and accepting new patients and referrals.

When it comes to the great Invisalign versus braces debate there is often no one perfect answer; in fact, it often comes down to what is right for you, your budget, and your lifestyle.

Sometimes your misalignment may dictate the best course of action, as those requiring more intensive alignment correction would see better results with traditional braces. Invisalign are traditionally used for more mild cases and often worn for a shorter duration (if they are worn properly). However, with all things being equal, take time to connect with your team at Lawrence Avenue Dental and talk through these six questions to help you decide between more traditional braces and Invisalign.

1. Which look do you prefer? Many kids today still love the look of the traditional braces due in part to the colourful accessories. They feel that they can really customize their look. Older teens and adults may like the more subtle look of the Invisalign.
2. What is my budget? There is a price range for both options depending on your individual needs. You’ll want to understand the prices associated with each and then check in with your Insurance Provider (if you have) to determine their coverage. It may come down to dollars and cents.
3. Would I achieve better results with Invisalign or braces? As mentioned above, sometimes a smile that needs a more aggressive correction would do better with traditional braces. If your dentist feels strongly about one course of treatment, they will let you know.
4. Which can I live with? Your choice will be a part of your life for the better part of the next 6 to 18 months. Perhaps you play a high contact sport and the thought of getting hit in the mouth wearing metal braces makes you cringe. Perhaps the flexibility of being able to remove the aligners to eat is a bonus for you (and then you don’t have to give up your morning bagel). Whatever your circumstances, be honest about what you can, and can’t live without.
5. Am I responsible? This may seem like a silly question, and you’re probably saying, “Of course I am.” But it is easy to remove aligners and go about your day. If you, or your child, are forgetful, or if the idea of removing them more frequently than you should is tempting, perhaps you’d do better with braces… it will help you meet your goal without giving you the easy out.
6. Which option did my dentist recommend? Often your dentist will help you determine the best course of action for your goals and lifestyle. Take the time and ask these, and any other questions, to help you decide.

If you’re still on the fence, maybe we can shed some light for you… that’s what we’re here for. Book an orthodontic consultation with Dr. Lily Lo at Lawrence Avenue Dental and we’ll walk you through the options and answer all your questions.

Regardless of which option you choose, know that correcting your smile is a great decision and one that you won’t ever regret.

Invisalign is a comfortable, nearly invisible treatment for misaligned teeth. Dental bonding is an easily applied, non-invasive treatment to correct physical imperfections in the teeth like uneven surfaces, chips, cracks, stains, or small gaps.

The two don’t seem related.

However, combining these two dental treatments could be the perfect way to create the straight, even, perfectly aligned smile you’ve been wanting your whole life.

Here are some more details about both treatments:

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a non-invasive alternative to traditional metal braces. The Invisalign system uses a series of clear, acrylic retainers (also referred to as aligners) to gently guide misaligned teeth into place. The system works without the need for any sharp, metal wires or brackets and no longer has patients feeling self-conscious about walking into a classroom or business meeting with a mouth full of shiny metal.

What is dental bonding?

Composite bonding uses a composite resin material applied to the surface of the teeth to even out any misshapen, stained, or cracked teeth, and even fill small gaps between the teeth. This treatment is a less permanent and less invasive alternative to dental veneers.

Why combine the two?

While both treatment options take a vastly different approach, both Invisalign and dental bonding are used to improve the aesthetics of the patient’s face, mouth, and smile.

While composite bonding is effective when applied either before and after Invsalign treatment, most patients tend to use composite bonding as a follow-up to their tooth straightening journey to perfect the look achieved through the aligners.

Once the teeth are straight and aligned, using composite bonding can take the results one step further by creating a smoother shape for the teeth, ensure they are a consistent size, and fix any imperfections that remain.

While it is perfectly fine to opt for Invisalign alone to help align crooked teeth, and there is nothing wrong with using composite bonding on its own to fix any stains, chips or cracks, using both treatments in tandem is an easy, quick, cost-effective, comfortable way of building the smile of your dreams.

If you are interested in brighter, whiter, straighter, smoother teeth, call our team at Lawrence Avenue Dental in Toronto to set up an appointment today. We’ll examine and assess the current condition of your teeth, discuss each treatment option available to you, and work together to build a plan that will help you achieve your unique set of goals.

When you meet new people either virtually or in-person, your smile is one of the first things they see. For people with missing teeth, meeting new people can be intimidating, causing social anxiety, and impacting self-confidence.

If you are missing one or more teeth, chances are you’ve spoken with your implant dentist about tooth replacement options including dental implants, bridges, dentures, and crowns. The team at Lawrence Avenue Dental will be happy to walk you through the various solutions available, and the pros and cons of each.

Replacing missing teeth is something that must be done to maintain optimal physical and mental health.

Here’s why:

1. Tooth replacement can improve your self-confidence

Many people with missing teeth dread meeting new people because they’re afraid of being judged. This can have a significant impact on your social life, preventing you from getting out there and experiencing new things, and it can also impact your career as you might pass up work-related social events, conferences, or other opportunities that can help you advance.

2. Tooth replacement can keep the rest of your teeth in line

When there is a gap in your teeth, eventually the other teeth will begin to shift and fill that gap. By replacing your missing tooth with a solution like a dental implant and crown or a denture, you will fill that gap and prevent the rest of your teeth from getting crooked.

3. Tooth replacement can improve your speech

Many people with missing teeth begin to develop speech problems, including a lisp, because the tongue now hits the teeth in a different way.

4. Tooth replacement makes it easier to eat healthy

Many people with missing teeth tend to gravitate towards soft foods that are easy to bite and chew, which means they avoid eating healthy foods like raw, crunchy fruits and vegetables.

5. Tooth replacement helps maintain the natural bone structure of your face

If you are missing multiple teeth, eventually your face will begin to sag in the area where the teeth are missing, changing its structure and shape. Also, if a tooth is missing for long enough, the jawbone begins a process called reabsorption which causes irreversible bone loss.

6. Tooth replacement can reduce jaw pain

For many, missing teeth can cause a significant realignment of the bite, which can cause problems with the muscles and tendons in the jaw and face.

If you are missing teeth and are ready to speak with an implant dentist in Toronto, give our team at Lawrence Avenue Dental a call today. We’ll make an appointment to assess your current condition and walk you through your tooth replacement options to improve your overall health and wellbeing.

No matter how careful and attentive we are, accidents happen and unfortunately these accidents often involve damage to the teeth like cracks, chips, or breakage. Chips and cracks can happen through sports, biting down on something hard, or simply through tooth weakening or decay that occurs over the years.

A damaged tooth does not always require invasive, uncomfortable, and expensive treatments. As is the case with most dental problems, if you act fast and see your dentist regularly, chips and cracks in the tooth can often be treated using minimally invasive procedures like tooth bonding.

What is tooth bonding?

To repair minor chips and cracks, the cosmetic dentistry team at Lawrence Avenue Dental will use a composite resin material (the same material used in tooth-coloured cavity fillings). One of the main benefits of this material is that it can be custom-made to match the precise colour of your natural teeth.

How does tooth bonding work?

First, your cosmetic dentist will remove any decay and clean the tooth. Then they will apply the composite material in layers to replicate the appearance of natural tooth enamel. The material is then shaped to match the rest of the tooth and cured under a special light to make sure its strong and solid. The last step is to polish the tooth, and then you’re free to leave! All of this can be accomplished in a single visit.

After the repair

Once you’ve gone through the process of repairing a broken tooth, it’s important to amplify your oral hygiene routine and protect your teeth as much as possible.

If you’re into sports, wear a mouthguard. A hockey puck or baseball to the teeth is a common cause of chips or cracks.

If you don’t have a thorough, consistent home-based oral hygiene routine that includes twice daily brushing and regular flossing, it’s time to start. Teeth with thin or decayed enamel are much more likely to chip or crack when an injury occurs compared to teeth that are strong and healthy. Luckily, decay can often be reversed if caught early, and you can prevent it from getting worse by taking good care of your teeth. It’s also extremely important to continue with regular dental visits to give your dentist and team the chance to ensure the tooth repair is holding up well, and to identify any areas likely to chip or crack in the future.

If you have a cracked or chipped tooth and are interested in learning more about dental bonding, call our team today. We’ll schedule an appointment to assess your condition and determine a treatment plan that works for your unique situation.

It’s important to be happy with your smile. It’s one of the first things people notice about you and it can impact your self-confidence which influences every element of your personal and professional lives.

As cosmetic dentistry improves and advances, there are more and more options available for people looking to improve the look and function of their smile. Here are the five most common cosmetic dentistry treatments provided by your Toronto cosmetic dentist.

1. Dental veneers

Veneers are a common treatment used to repair teeth that are crooked, too far apart, stained or unnaturally shaped. They are made from porcelain and placed over the natural tooth. Depending on the amount of enamel under the veneer, they can last anywhere from 5-15 years.

2. Composite fillings

Remember those dark, shiny, metal fillings used to correct cavities? While they’re still in use, there are now alternatives that look much more natural. Composite fillings are made using a composite resin that can be colour-matched to your natural teeth, making them nearly invisible to the naked eye.

While these fillings are more esthetically pleasing, it should be noted that they are not as durable or long-lasting as traditional metal fillings.

3. Professional whitening treatments

While the whitening strips you can purchase at the pharmacy do have their place, nothing replaces the results of having your teeth professionally whitened. Whitening removes stains inside and outside your teeth and can lighten their colour 5-10 shades in a single visit with your cosmetic dentist. Each session takes about 30-60 minutes, and the results usually last about a year.

4. Dental crowns

Dental crowns are a common and effective treatment to correct broken or damaged teeth. Crowns completely encapsulate the natural tooth and are custom made to match the shape, size, and colour of your natural teeth. Dental crowns are usually made of porcelain as it most closely matches the appearance of the natural teeth. Dental crowns are cemented to the natural tooth or a dental implant, and if properly cared-for they can last up to 15 years.

5. Dental implants

Dental implants are one of the most common solutions for missing teeth because they are effective, permanent, and easy to care for. Dental implants essentially act as a replacement for the root of the tooth. They look like a screw that is surgically embedded into the jawbone where the tooth is missing. Once the implant is given time to heal, the dentist will install a custom-made crown that will act as the tooth replacement. Patients must have enough bone density in their jaw to sustain a dental implant to be a candidate for this treatment option.

If you’re unhappy with the look of your smile and are considering cosmetic dentistry, call Lawrence Avenue Dental in Toronto today. We’ll schedule a time to assess your situation and discuss the treatment options that best meet your needs.