Healthy Smile

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Oral Health Month is the perfect reminder that maintaining a healthy smile starts with the small habits you practice every day.

For many people in Lansing, MI, and nearby communities like East Lansing, Okemos, Holt, and Dewitt, oral health often takes a back seat to work, family responsibilities, and busy schedules. It can be easy to postpone a dental appointment or overlook daily habits like flossing and proper brushing.

However, those small decisions can have a lasting impact on your oral health.

Good oral health is about much more than having a bright smile. Healthy teeth and gums allow you to eat comfortably, speak confidently, and avoid many of the dental problems that become more difficult and costly to treat over time. Preventive care helps stop issues before they develop into cavities, gum disease, tooth pain, or other complications.

The foundation of a healthy smile begins at home. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily, drinking plenty of water, and limiting sugary snacks and beverages can all help protect your teeth and gums. These simple habits remove harmful bacteria and plaque that can lead to decay and inflammation.

Just as important are your routine dental visits.

Even patients who maintain excellent home care can develop plaque and tartar buildup in areas that are difficult to reach. Regular professional cleanings help remove this buildup and allow your dentist to identify potential concerns before they become serious problems.

At Dyras Dental, Dr. Dyras and her team are committed to helping patients throughout the Lansing area maintain healthy smiles through preventive, patient-focused care. During routine checkups, they evaluate your oral health, provide professional cleanings, and offer personalized recommendations to help keep your smile healthy between visits.

Oral Health Month serves as an important reminder that prevention is always easier than treatment. Taking a proactive approach today can help you avoid discomfort, unexpected dental expenses, and more extensive procedures in the future.

If it has been a while since your last dental visit, now is a great time to get back on track. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Dyras and the team at Dyras Dental and take an important step toward protecting your smile for years to come.

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Gum disease is one of the most common dental problems, and it often begins when routine dental visits are delayed or skipped.

At first, the signs seem minor. You might notice a little bleeding when brushing or slight gum tenderness. For many patients in Lansing, MI, and nearby areas like East Lansing, Okemos, Holt, and Dewitt, it’s easy to put off a dental appointment, especially when life gets busy or other priorities take over.

But small delays can lead to bigger problems.

When you skip regular cleanings, plaque and bacteria continue to build along the gumline. Over time, this leads to gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. At this point, the condition is still reversible with proper care. However, without treatment, it can progress into periodontal disease, a more serious condition that can cause gum recession, bone loss, chronic bad breath, and even tooth loss.

What started as something simple and preventable can quickly become more complex, more uncomfortable, and more expensive to treat.

At Dyras Dental, Dr. Dyras and her team focus on helping patients in the Lansing area stay ahead of these issues with comfortable, preventive dental care. Routine visits allow them to remove hardened buildup you can’t reach at home and identify early signs of gum disease before they worsen. These regular checkups are one of the easiest ways to protect both your oral health and your overall health.

Putting off dental care might seem harmless in the moment, but it often leads to more time in the dental chair later, along with higher costs and more involved treatments.

The best way to protect your smile is to stay consistent with preventive care and not wait until something feels wrong.

If you’ve been putting off your visit, now is the time to get back on track. Schedule your appointment with Dr. Dyras at Dyras Dental today and take a simple step toward long-term oral health.

There has been a lot of talk in the news lately about fluoride in our water. Fluoride is an important mineral that is found naturally in our environment and has significantly reduced the risk of decay in our society since its levels started being maintained in our water supplies. It is also found in many toothpastes and mouthwashes, and our office has a fluoride application we can provide to help patients who are at risk of developing decay.

There are two ways for us to be exposed to fluoride – systemic and topical. Topical is generally the best route, as it goes directly on the tooth. Examples of topical fluoride would be from toothpaste and the fluoride varnish we provide in the office. Systemic fluoride would be fluoride that you ingest either from a fluoride supplement or from drinking tap water. This type of fluoride is important for children as their teeth develop so that the fluoride can be incorporated into their teeth. Systemic fluoride for children helps promote life-long resistance to decay.

Our fluoride varnish is effective for 3-6 months and should be reapplied at each hygiene visit to consistently lower your risk of decay. Patients who benefit from fluoride varnish would be any one who has had a cavity in the last 3 years, anyone who has a filling that goes between your teeth or has a crown on any of your teeth.
When getting the fluoride varnish in our office, it is important to not brush or floss for at least 4 hours. We also recommend avoiding hard, hot, or sticky foods while the varnish is on your teeth. It is definitely worth the wait as it can lead to less dental work in the future.

We recommend prescription level fluoride toothpaste for anyone who has had decay in the last 3 years. This is because it takes about 3 years to change the flora, or bacteria types, in our mouth from one that is making decay to one that is healthy. For everyone else, over the counter toothpastes that contain fluoride is acceptable preventative care.

Fluoride has been a great help for dental health over the years and will help keep you cavity free. If you have any questions about how fluoride can effect your dental health, please feel free to visit us or give us a call at (517) 485-1900.

What is Dentistry?

Dentistry is the part of the medical health field that addresses oral health. The mouth can be a great indicator of how healthy your body is. We can detect signs of general health issues including diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammatory diseases, cancer, and sleep apnea. We assess and help improve the health of your gums, which are proven to be linked to general health issues. We can help detect issues with your teeth early to prevent the need for extensive treatment.  We replace teeth, fix teeth, and help keep them healthy.

What should patients look for when choosing a dentist?

Patients should look for a dentist who is willing to listen to them and involve them in choosing the best care options. There are lots of different ways to address oral health needs and it is important to have a guide to help find the best care for you. Our office utilizes photography to educate patients about their oral health needs and reviews pros and cons of each treatment option to help choose what works best for each individual patient.

Why is visiting the Dentist so important?

Dentistry is focused on preventative care.  In the medical field, many times patients are not treated until they already have a problem. Because we have the advantage of regular exams and radiographs, we can catch cavities and break down early and prevent them from spreading deeper or to other teeth.

How can patients maintain oral health between visits to your office?

Brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes, and using either floss or a Waterpik to clean between the teeth at least once a day. This regimen will help maintain a healthy mouth and make hygiene visits more comfortable and enjoyable.

Why do patients need to see the dentist if they have braces?

Having braces on your teeth makes it much harder to properly clean and can make you more prone to gum inflammation. Having regular cleanings and check ups can keep your gums healthy and help prevent decay from forming around the brackets.

What is involved in the first visit?

During your first visit at Dyras Dental, we will give you a tour of the office and interview you to determine what your concerns are with your teeth and oral health. We then take a series of photographs and radiographs that help evaluate the state of your mouth. Dr Dyras will do a thorough exam of your jaw joint, chewing muscles, gums, tissues in your mouth and your teeth. Any findings that we have are reviewed with you using the photos that were taken so you can see what we are discussing. We listen to your concerns and feelings about what is being presented so that we can come up with a treatment plan that will achieve your goals.

What services do you provide and why should patients choose you for these services?

We provide a wide range of services, including care for jaw joint pain, bleaching, tooth bonding and white fillings, implants, dentures, veneers, root canals, bridges, crowns, treatment for gum disease.  Patients should choose our office because of our focus on quality care, patient service, and excellent communication. We go above and beyond to make sure that you get the treatment that you need in a comfortable environment.

What accreditations/certifications/awards/specializations for various types of dentistry have you received?

I have a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. I have been a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry since 2020.  I lead a study club for local area dentists and have taken extensive post doctorate classes through the Dawson Academy, Spear Education, and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. I am a member of the Spear Faculty club, as well as the Michigan Dental Association and the American Dental Association.

Why did you choose to become a dentist?

I chose to become a dentist because I loved working with my hands and wanted a career that melded art, health care and science. So much of dentistry is artistic, as every case is unique and no one solution will work for every patient. I enjoy general dentistry because I can get to know my patients and provide them with excellent comprehensive care that I can be proud of.

Discomfort and pain in your jaw joint can have a debilitating effect on your life. It can make it hard to speak and chew normally, and can make you uncomfortable throughout the day. We will discuss some information about how the jaw joint works and what can be done when it becomes painful.

TMJ is short for the name of jaw joint itself, the TemporoMandibular Joint. When we have pain in the jaw joints, it is referred to as TMD, or TemporoMandibular Disorder. TMD occurs when patients have pain in the muscles supporting the TMJ or when the joint itself is inflamed. TMJ pain can be caused by clenching and grinding, which is basically over work of the jaw muscles. Imagine if you went to the gym and did a hard workout, your muscles would be sore for a few days afterwards.  When we clench and grind, we are giving our jaw muscles a workout, and if we overdo it the muscles will be sore. This strain on the muscles can feel like headaches, pain when chewing, and/or pain in the sides of your face. This is the most common cause of TMD. 

Other causes can be arthritis in the joint, inflammation in the joint or deterioration of the joint.  When the ligaments around the joint become inflamed, it can make it painful for the joint to fully seat, which can make you tend to hit on your front teeth more.  There is also a disc in the joint that helps cushion the movements.  If that disc becomes displaced it can make a clicking noise when you open and close, which is usually not painful.

The first treatment for addressing jaw joint pain or TMD is a bite splint. Dyras Dental can make a custom fitted bite splint that is precisely adjusted to support your bite properly.  The bite splint is worn at night and is adjusted in such a way that it gives the jaw joint a chance to relax and heal from any clenching and grinding you may have done during the day. While you may still clench and grind on the bite splint, it will prevent you from being able to bite too hard and protects your teeth from further wear at night.

TMD can also be treated with physical therapy, Botox, and surgery, however the vast majority of patients will get sufficient relief with a bite splint.  Dr Laura Dyras can do a thorough evaluation of your jaw joint to determine what the likely cause is for any TMJ pain you may be experiencing and determine the best route of treatment for your unique needs. If you or any one you know suffers from jaw joint pain, call our office to see how we can help you feel better!

Many people are interested in cosmetic dentistry these days to improve the esthetics of their smile.  Cosmetic dentistry will enhance your confidence in your smile and how you are seen by the world. At Dyras Dental, we customize each cosmetic treatment plan to each patients’ goals and dental health needs.

A healthy smile is a beautiful smile, so we always focus on the health of teeth first. We want to make sure that your investment in your smile is one that will last a long time. We start by doing a series of photos to see how your teeth look in your smile, how they function and to screen for other risks of break down. We interview each patient to determine what is important to them so the treatment plan can be customized to your concerns and needs.

Once we have evaluated all the photos and teeth, we review our findings with you to discover what your priorities are and fabricate a treatment plan that addresses your needs.  The most common conditions that benefit from cosmetic dentistry include stained teeth, worn, cracked and chipped teeth, crowded teeth, and those with stained bonding.  Possible treatments to improve the esthetics of your smile include Clear aligners, esthetic bonding, whitening/bleaching the teeth, Esthetic Veneers, and/or crowns.  No matter what treatment option you choose, we will prioritize longevity so you can be confident knowing that your investment will last for years.

We encourage our patients to maintain the beauty of their smiles by using electric toothbrushes with soft bristles and a Waterpik.  Home care is important to keep your gums healthy and prevent decay on your teeth both before and after cosmetic dental treatment is done.

We love transforming our patients smiles into one that looks and functions better than ever.  We have pride in our work and would love to help you achieve the smile that you have always dreamed of.  Call us today to schedule an evaluation to see what is possible for you!

Daily oral care is an important part of maintaining your healthy mouth, and turning around the health of your mouth if you have active decay or gum disease. Our mouths naturally have millions of bacteria in them, some of them being beneficial to our health and others that can damage. The best way to encourage the “good bacteria” to grow, it is important to remove the plaque from our teeth that forms through out the day. The bacteria in our plaque are the kind that causes damage and inflammation in our mouth, and can lead to general health problems as well.

For gum disease, if the plaque on our teeth is not removed twice daily, more damaging bacteria will be able to start moving in and creating gum inflammation. If your gums bleed or are sore when brushing and/or flossing, this indicates that the inflammation is already there and needs to be addressed. Many of our patients prefer using a Waterpik as an alternative to flossing, especially when they have pain with flossing, as it can be more comfortable and can get between your teeth easier. Our patients who have started using Waterpiks usually have significant improvement in their gum health during their next hygiene appointment.

We recommend that our patients brush twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Because we tend to produce less saliva at night, there is usually plaque build up when we wake in the morning. It is important to brush at night to remove any food particles, as well as plaque that has built up during the day from any sugary or acidic foods that have been eaten. It is important to floss or use your Waterpik once a day, ideally in the evening to help in removal of any food particles.

Both manual toothbrushes and electric toothbrushes can do a great job at maintaining the health of your teeth. We have found that patients have an easier time with electric tooth brushes, as it is easier to get enough brush strokes, and the electric toothbrushes have timers to make sure you are brushing long enough. It is easy to let your mind wander while brushing, so the electric tooth brushes can help with that as well!

At Dyras Dental, we recommend that patients brush twice a day for two minutes and floss or use a Waterpik once a day. If you have any questions about how you can improve your home care, call us today!

Veneers are thin porcelain shells that go over the front of your teeth to improve the shape, size and/or color of your teeth. They are a great way to achieve the smile that you have always wanted if your front teeth are not shaped ideally. If taken care of, veneers can last up to 20 years because they can be bonded to your enamel, which creates a much stronger seal with your tooth than we can get reliably with posterior crowns or fillings.

It is imperative to brush twice a day and use either a Waterpik or floss once a day to maintain the health of your veneers. As with any restoration, there is an edge where the veneer meets the tooth, which is the most common location for breakdown to occur. Proper care will help prevent that from happening. It is also important to wear your bite-splint or retainers at night to prevent excess wear on the veneers and prevent tooth movement. A bite-splint will help prevent the thin veneer material from chipping and cracking.

We put a lot of planning into creating your veneers. Generally, the first appointment is to plan out your goals and what esthetic improvements you would like to achieve with your veneers. We then take records to have our lab wax up and plan out the shape and size of veneers that would best compliment your smile. Once the plan is in place, Dr. Dyras or Dr. Bedro will prepare your teeth for the veneers and make temporary veneers for you to wear home. The temporary veneers can be a trial run to see how you like the shape and size, and to confirm that we are happy with the plan. The last visit would be to cement or bond the veneers to your teeth. We occasionally will do follow up appointments to fine tune the veneers and make sure they are achieving our goals.

Veneers are great for patients who have small teeth or have gaps between their teeth that they would like closed. They are not appropriate if you already have crowns or fillings on the teeth, however the same effect can be achieved with a crown. There are some cases that will have veneers on some teeth and crowns on others so that they will all match and last a long time.

We prioritize communication with our patients and with our lab to make sure you receive the most predictable and beautiful result with your veneers. We listen to your concerns and help establish your goals so you can get the smile you have always wanted! Please give us a call today to see if Veneers are right for you!

A dental crown, or cap, is a tooth restoration that covers all or nearly all the tooth structure above the gums. Crowns used to be made of gold, metal, or porcelain over metal. These were functional, but not nearly as esthetic or natural looking as our modern tooth-colored Zirconia crowns. Zirconia crowns are much better at resisting fracture and will not wear down the other teeth in your mouth as quickly as the old porcelain crowns have in the past.

Teeth most often require crowns when they become structurally weak. Teeth that have large white or metal fillings become weaker as the fillings get larger, and become more prone to having a large chunk break off. When your filling covers more than half of the tooth, or if one of the sides of the tooth becomes dangerously thin due to decay or an old failing filling, the filling is converted to a crown. Crowns last much longer than fillings. In some cases, a tooth will require a crown to improve the shape of it, either for esthetics or function. Some people develop very small teeth that need to be built up, or have worn their teeth down from years of clenching and grinding. The new Zirconia crowns hold up much better to grinding and wear, and are great for establishing a balanced and supported bite.

Crowns are usually a two-appointment process. On the first appointment we will replace any old or failing fillings in the tooth, and prepare the tooth for a crown by removing 0.5-1 mm of tooth structure on each side. The tooth is then scanned with our 3-D scanner and a temporary crown is fabricated and cemented on the tooth. The 3-D scan is sent to a dental laboratory where the crown is made by a professional lab technician. Usually about 2 weeks later we will have you return for the second appointment where the final crown will have the fit confirmed and will be cemented.

The 3-D scanner that our office uses has enabled us to be significantly more precise and to have more predictability with our crowns. Our Zirconia crowns also allow us to be more conservative with the tooth preparations so that we can help your restorations and teeth stay healthy longer. We will go above and beyond to make sure you have an excellent experience at Dyras Dental! If you have any questions about how crowns can improve your dental health and function, please call us today!

We are incredibly lucky in Dentistry as many of the diseases and causes of mouth pain can be prevented these days, as long as patients participate in regular preventative care. At Dyras Dental we pride ourselves on staying minimally invasive and doing everything in our power to prevent bigger issues down the road.

One of the ways we accomplish this is by providing regular cleanings and check ups for our patients. At your visits with our hygiene team every 4-6 months we perform a myriad of examinations and screenings to help identify issues early and address them before they become a more advanced problem.  Some of the diseases you will be screened for at your regular hygiene visit are: Periodontitis, Gingivitis, Cavities or Decay, Fractured or Cracked teeth, Oral Cancer, soft and hard tissue lesions, Calculus build up, signs of Sleep Apnea and Sleep Disordered Breathing and tooth wear.  When caught early, many of these issues have easy and minimally invasive solutions.  When not addressed, they can lead to bigger treatment needs and general health problems, especially inflammatory diseases like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Once the hygienist has completed screening for all these issues, they will remove the plaque and calculus that has built up on your teeth since your last visit. Removing these deposits will aid in maintaining your gingival health and prevent inflammation in your mouth.  The hygienist will also counsel you on how you maintain your tooth and gum health at home and will suggest aids that will make your daily routine easier and more effective.

There are many things you can do at home to achieve and maintain oral health. One way is through your diet. Eating crunchy and fibrous fruits and vegetables like apples and celery help naturally remove plaque from your teeth while also supplying your body with the nutrients you need. Avoiding processed sugar and drinks that are high in acid and sugars will help keep your mouth healthy as well. Processed foods and added sugars make it easier for the bad bacteria in our mouth to create inflammation and decay.  Many foods are acidic, as they generally taste better. Whenever we eat, our mouth becomes acidic for about 20 minutes. If we snack or sip all day on processed foods or acidic/sugary drinks, our mouth will stay acidic all day and make it difficult for the good bacteria in our mouth to thrive. Some times giving up our favorite drinks and food is not a realistic option, but being strategic about when we eat them can help. If there is a food you want to be able to enjoy, it is probably safer having it only at meal times and sticking to tap water between meals to give your mouth a break.

One of our favorite tools for maintaining oral health is the Waterpik.  It is best described as a tiny pressure washer for your teeth. It can remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth up to 4 mm below your gums and is more effective than flossing. The best part is that our patients love using their Waterpiks and report that their teeth feel significantly cleaner after using it. The waterpik can be used 1-2 times a day and will make your dental check ups go smoother as it keeps your gums healthy and happy.

Our staff at Dyras Dental will go out of their way to help you achieve the healthy and bright smile that you deserve, and help you maintain it for a lifetime with proper preventative care. Call us today to schedule your next preventative appointment!

Many people think that orthodontics can only be done during childhood or as a young adult, however that is not the case!  Adult orthodontics can be more straightforward since there is no growth to adapt to during the orthodontic treatment.   It is also more common for adults to utilize Clear Aligners for their orthodontic treatment due to the increased comfort and esthetics compared to band and wire orthodontics.

There are many reasons why adults choose to pursue orthodontic treatment.  One would be to improve the esthetics of your smile.  Straight teeth can create a wider and more youthful smile that you can be proud of showing off!  Adult orthodontics can also be used to correct relapse after having orthodontics as a child. Many times, retainers get lost or are not worn long term and the teeth can begin to move back to their original position. Adult orthodontics can help correct those movements and establish a more ideal tooth position. Another benefit of adult orthodontics is to aid in correcting wear and creating a more supportive bite so that your teeth will not wear down as quickly.   As our lives as adults gets more stressful, there is a tendency to clench and grind your teeth, which leads to tooth movement and tooth wear.

To get the best outcome, it is important that you share your goals with Dr Dyras or Dr Bedro, so that we can plan out your case to achieve those goals. If you chose to do Clear Aligner Therapy, like Invisalign, it is imperative that the trays are worn consistently, all day and night. The trays are only removed to eat, and then replaced after each meal. We recommend that you have sugar free gum with you to remove any food from your teeth prior to placing the trays back in.

Clear aligners have been a game changer for adult orthodontic treatment. You can get the straight teeth you have always wanted with out having the unsightly wires and brackets that many of us had to deal with as children.  We work with each one of our patients to identify the most efficient, comfortable, and cost-effective way to achieve the goals that you have for your smile, and adult orthodontics is an option that many people chose to achieve those goals.

Bridges are one of the available options to replace a missing tooth. When you have a missing tooth that has healthy teeth on either side of it, a bridge can be fabricated to “bridge” the two teeth with a fake tooth in the middle. The two adjacent teeth are prepared the same way they would be for a crown, and the bridge is cemented on them, so the replacement does not need to be removed.

Bridges are a permanent tooth replacement option that is a good alternative when implants are not ideal. Generally, the costs of a bridge and implant are similar, so we encourage patients to choose the replacement that will suit their individual needs the best. An example where a bridge would be a better option would be if you are prone to gum disease, as gum disease can affect implants. Another example would be if the adjacent teeth need crowns anyways, the bridge would fix both issues of replacing the missing tooth and creating a crown for the neighbor tooth.

The procedure for creating a bridge is very similar to preparing a tooth for a crown. The two teeth supporting the bridge are shaped to fit under a typical crown, then the teeth are scanned and a temporary bridge is placed. The dental lab will fabricate the bridge to fit your teeth and send it to our office to be delivered a few weeks later. Our dentists will then cement the bridge on the supporting teeth the same way a crown is cemented.

Caring for a bridge is just like any other tooth, however flossing can be more complicated. Because the teeth are bridged together, floss must be threaded under the bridge to keep the area clean from food debris or plaque buildup. Many of our patients prefer to use a Waterpik to clean around their bridges, as it will do just as good of a job as threading floss and is much easier to use.

Our go-to material for dental bridges is high strength Zirconia, the same that is used for most crowns. It is a very strong material that can stand up to biting forces without breaking, but will also minimize wearing down of the teeth on the opposite arch. For our anterior bridges we prefer to use Emax, a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic that provides excellent esthetics while still providing the strength needed to chew. In some long span bridges, we will use porcelain fused to metal for its high strength, however it is avoided as the porcelain tends to chip off over time.

Our office makes sure to have conversations with our patients so you know what your tooth replacement options are and will review the pros and cons for each option depending on your unique situation. If you have missing teeth that you would like replaced, please call our office today to see if a bridge is right for you!

Root canal treatment has a bad reputation due to the pain that people tend to associate with them.  When a root canal is needed, it is usually because the tooth is infected and painful.  The procedure itself tends to be just long and boring, not nearly as painful as the infection prior. I usually tell my patients that if they get bored during the procedure, that usually means everything is going well!

In most cases, teeth only need root canals when a tooth becomes infected.  Bacteria that cause cavities can enter the nerve space when the cavity gets too close to the nerve.  That is not the only reason for getting a root canal, however. Sometimes teeth can be traumatized due to an accident or injury to the tooth, causing the nerve to die.  Over time, teeth that have dead nerves will turn grey and unesthetic.  In those cases, the tooth can get a root canal so that the tooth can be bleached back to its natural tooth color.

Signs that a tooth needs a root canal include pain, swelling or a change in color of the tooth. When our teeth become infected, the nerve tends to swell. This is just like any infection in our body, but there is no room for it to swell since the tooth is in hard bone.  The swelling creates an intense pressure pain in the tooth.  The infection will start eating away at the bone around the tooth and create an abscess.  Many times, once an abscess forms the pain will subside, as the infection will be able to drain and the pressure is released. However, the infection is still there and it is important to get it addressed quickly so the infection does not spread further. As the nerve dies, it can also cause spontaneous pain.  The tooth may hurt out of nowhere, even when you are not eating, and may wake you from sleep.

When a root canal is performed, the tooth is numbed up first so that you can be comfortable during the procedure.  The infection is then removed from the tooth, it is cleaned thoroughly and the area of infection is sealed off so that bacteria cannot reenter the tooth. In most cases a crown will be needed as well to improve the structural integrity of the tooth and prevent it from breaking, especially with teeth further back in the mouth.

Before your root canal appointment, it is important to take any antibiotics that were prescribed.  Please call us if you experience any significant swelling prior to your appointment so it can be addressed prior. After your appointment, it is common to have pain that should resolve within 24 hours.  Generally, it is easily controlled with over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol and/or Motrin.

We do everything possible to make sure that your treatment is as comfortable as possible at Dyras Dental. If you have questions about root canal procedures or think you may have an infected tooth, please call today so we can help!

Invisalign is a clear aligner system that can achieve many of the same movements as traditional wire and bracket orthodontics, while being more comfortable and less obvious that you are undergoing treatment. Each tray moves your teeth up to 0.25mm using pressure applied by the tray, creating a comfortable and consistent movement that can achieve your esthetic smile goals.

There are many benefits to Invisalign treatment over traditional braces. Because Invisalign trays are planned out digitally before you even begin treatment, there is less pain involved as the movements are much more controlled. Invisalign trays can also be removed so that you can still enjoy your favorite foods during treatment. No wires means no pokey metal ends and more comfortable lips and cheeks!

The time that Invisalign can take ranges from a few months to a few years, depending on how much movement is needed. Generally, Invisalign patients whose changes focus more on esthetics and do not need to move molars or create bite changes will take 6-8 months. More complex movements and malalignments usually take 1.5-2 years. We generally see patients every 6 weeks to ensure that the teeth are following the trays properly. Some patients will need to be evaluated more often or less often; we generally decide based on your unique needs.

The most successful Invisalign patients are those who wear the trays daily and only remove them to eat. Invisalign recommends that the trays be worn 22 hours a day, giving you just enough time to eat and get the trays back in. We recommend having sugar free chewing gum with you to remove food particles from your teeth after a meal prior to replacing the trays if brushing your teeth is not convenient.

There are some movements that are difficult to achieve with Invisalign that are better treated with band and wire orthodontics. This includes patients with unerupted teeth, significant intrusion movements, or arch size discrepancies, as well as others.

Schedule an exam with one of our doctors today to see if Invisalign is right for you!

Our practice is incredibly fortunate to have 3 highly trained and knowledgeable hygienists who help our patients smile bright! Christa and Madeline have been with us since 2015 and Chelsea joined us in 2017. They all enjoy getting to know each of our patients individually and helping them maintain a healthy and confident smile. In 2021 we also added Shirley as a Hygiene assistant. She has been instrumental in getting our patients seated in a timely manner, taking photographs and radiographs, and helping your hygiene visit flow smoothly.

Our hygienists do so much more than “just a cleaning” for our patient family! At each visit, our patients are screened for oral cancer. Our hygienists will also evaluate you for signs of periodontal disease, and screen you for signs of decay, wear, and cracks in your teeth. You can be confident that any issues will be identified early at your hygiene visit. This gives us the opportunity to create a solution that is much less invasive than waiting until you are having pain or discomfort. Our hygiene team has done a great job at integrating photos into our visits as well, so that our patients have the opportunity to see what we see.

Next time you are in our office, tell your hygienist thanks for all they do!

Children ideally should start seeing the dentist at age 1 or when they get their first tooth. Not much will be done at these first visits, other than introducing them to the environment of the dental office and discussing dental care and recommendations with their parents. Generally kids will have their first cleaning around 3 years of age, depending on what they can tolerate.

Children should start using toothpaste as soon as they develop a tooth. There are various baby-friendly toothpastes that will help keep your kiddos smile bright and shiny. Kids toothpastes will list what ages they are meant for; generally, they are grouped by either 0-3 years or 3+years of age. It is best to find a flavor and brand that your child enjoys and be consistent with brushing their teeth every morning and night so it becomes part of their routine. If your child is independent and wants to brush their teeth by themselves, encourage it! Once they have finished, then it will be the adults turn to make sure all of the teeth were brushed properly. Children do not have the manual dexterity to properly brush their teeth until they are able to tie their shoelaces, so make sure you still assist until then.

Infants need oral care too! Before baby gets their first tooth, it is important to wipe out their mouth with a damp gauze or soft wash cloth to help prevent thrush and keep their mouth clean. This should be done after every feeding, or at least twice a day if it is not feasible to clean their mouth every time they eat. We know that infants sometimes need to eat nearly all day when they have growth spurts, and cleaning every time is not going to happen! In these cases, twice a day will suffice.

It is important to instill regular oral care habits in our children so that they will carry this skill into their adult lives. Children who receive regular oral care have a much lower risk of developing decay or tooth infections. Regular visits to your dental office at Dyras Dental will create the opportunity for us to catch problems before they turn into more serious issues. It is true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Our office sees children regularly for routine care. We put a priority on making sure that our treatments are safe and on managing apprehensive kids properly so that our youngest patients can receive safe and compassionate care. If your child is not able to tolerate routine care due to negative past experiences or more advanced treatment needs, we work with various local pediatric offices that can help them safely get the care they need. We enjoy working with children as we have seen that it helps set them up for a lifetime of dental health!

We love meeting new patients and kiddos! We look forward to seeing you at your next visit at Dyras Dental!