Take the Pressure off Your Smile with a Nightguard

July 12, 2012

Day-to-day life is stressful, there’s no doubt about that. Demands at work, hectic commutes, and the rapid flow of life itself can all be enough to leave you feeling tense.  That spells bad news for your health, but also for your smile.

It’s not uncommon to react to stress by clenching your teeth. In fact, it’s a pretty natural response. But no matter how natural it might be, it’s not healthy. Over time, clenching and grinding can harm your teeth and your jaw, causing painful symptoms and ruining your oral health.

So it might seem that the simplest way to treat this problem—which is called bruxism—is to just stop clenching and grinding your teeth. But unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

Many patients who struggle with bruxism don’t even know they’re struggling, because they grind and clench their teeth while they’re sleeping. That makes it difficult to just stop.

But using a comfortable, custom-made nightguard, it’s possible for Dr. Carmen to provide his Norman-area patients with the relief they’ve been looking for.

Nightguards work by preventing the clenching and grinding that can so easily damage your teeth and jaw muscles. To experience relief, all you have to do is slip it on before you go to bed. Then, you can rest comfortably through the night and wake up feeling better than you have in a long time.

Learn More Today

Are you ready to learn more about how you can stop bruxism with a nightguard? Call Dr. Carmen’s Norman dental office today to schedule an appointment with us. Our team happily serves patients from The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Moore, Central Oklahoma, and beyond.

What Type of Sedation Dentistry Does Dr. Carmen Offer?

June 28, 2012

There’s more than one type of sedation dentistry out there to help patients, but not every dental office offers every kind. Some offices may only offer nitrous oxides, while others may favor IV sedation dentistry. But at Dr. Carmen’s Norman dental office, you’ll find that in addition to nitrous oxide we also offer an effective option called oral conscious sedation.

Oral conscious sedation uses a common prescription sedative to help patients enjoy more comfortable, stress-free dental visits. As a result, patients who have put off essential dental care because of anxiety, a sensitive gag reflex, or neck or shoulder pain can reclaim their oral health again. Oral conscious sedation also makes it possible for patients to undergo more work in a single appointment, reducing the number of visits a patient might need.

How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?

If you’ll be taking advantage of oral conscious sedation on your next visit, here’s what you can expect. First, during your welcome visit with Dr. Carmen, we can talk about any treatment questions you might have. Then, Dr. Carmen will finish your visit by explaining how oral conscious sedation works and writing your prescription.

On the night before your appointment, you’ll take one of your prescribed pills. This will help you to get a full night’s rest before your appointment. Then, on the day of your appointment, you’ll take another pill in preparation for your appointment. As this pill goes to work, you’ll feel relaxed, almost like you could fall asleep. But the best part is you won’t recognize pain or remember anything from your appointment afterwards.

Want to Learn More?

Are you ready to learn more about sedation dentistry and oral conscious sedation? Visit our page for sedation dentistry or call our Norman office to learn more. Dr. Carmen gladly serves patients from Moore, the University of Oklahoma, Central Oklahoma, and beyond.

 

Rejuvenate Your Smile and Your Confidence with Kör™ Whitening

June 8, 2012

Are you anticipating a family vacation this summer? Or what about either a family reunion or a wedding? Events like these always involve pictures, and if you’re already embarrassed of your smile, you might find yourself dreading what you should be excited about. All of which is why Dr. Carmen offers professional teeth whitening at his Norman dental office.

Powerful Results with Kör Whitening

At Dr. Carmen’s Norman dental office, we use Kör Whitening, one of the most sophisticated and effective professional teeth whitening systems available, to help patients revitalize their smiles and their confidence.

Teeth Whitening Options from Dr. Carmen

Using the Kör Whitening system, Dr. Carmen offers two convenient teeth whitening options: in-office and take-home teeth whitening. In both cases, patients can look forward to experiencing professional results and little to no sensitivity at all. Which one you choose all has to do with how soon you want to see results. If you’re looking for immediate results, you may want to choose in-office teeth whitening. With in-office teeth whitening, it takes just an hour to create a smile that’s more than 10 times whiter. If you don’t mind waiting a little longer for results, or you’d simply like to whiten your smile in your own home, take-home whiteng can help you achieve the same dazzling results.

To Get Started, Call Us Today

If you’d like help creating a brighter smile, call Dr. Carmen’s Norman dental office today to get started. We serve patients from Norman, Moore, the University of Oklahoma, Central Oklahoma, and beyond.

 

Custom-Made Crowns in a Single Visit with CEREC

May 25, 2012

When individual teeth become vulnerable, dentists will often restore them with a crown.  A traditional crown procedure takes at least two visits—one to prep your tooth and another to put your crown in place. But at Dr. Carmen’s Norman dental office, we’re simplifying this process into just one visit, all thanks to CEREC technology.

CEREC crowns are made from durable dental porcelain and can be custom-milled in our office in about an hour. There’s absolutely no temporary crown to worry about, and you can leave our office with your new smile that same day.

A Restored Smile in Just One Appointment

When you come to our Norman office for a CEREC restoration, Dr. Carmen will start by creating a 3D image of your tooth. Then, while you’re relaxing in our office, our CEREC machine will use the information we’ve gathered to make your custom-made crown.

Compare that to the traditional process, where a temporary crown is put in place. With CEREC, instead of spending a week worrying about a temporary crown, you can enjoy a healthy, restored smile after just one appointment.

Want to learn more? Visit our CEREC page or call us today with your questions. Dr. Carmen gladly serves patients from The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Moore, Central Oklahoma, and surrounding areas.

Complete Dental Implant Procedures from Dr. Carmen

May 11, 2012

As a dentist for the Norman area, Dr. Carmen is committed to providing comprehensive dental care. Whether you’re looking for general, cosmetic, or restorative care, Dr. Carmen wants to see that you’re taken care of in exactly the way you need to be. That’s why we offer complete dental implant procedures at our Norman office.

Throughout his career, Dr. Carmen has completed extensive continuing education in implant dentistry to ensure that he can provide his patients with the excellent care. As a result, he’s able to place and restore dental implants, all in one location: his Norman dental office.

How Do Dental Implants Work?

As a popular restorative option for more than 30 years, dental implants work by mimicking a tooth’s natural structure, replacing both your tooth and your tooth root.

Here’s what you can expect from your procedure.

During the first phase of your procedure, Dr. Carmen will place your implant(s) right in his Norman dental office. Then, after your implant has had time to bond with your jaw, you’ll return to our office to have your crown, bridge, or denture restored, resulting in a restored smile that feels strong and natural.

Want To Learn More?

If you’d like to learn more about dental implants, call our office to schedule a consultation visit. Our office is conveniently located near The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Moore, and Central Oklahoma.

Is Bruxism Keeping You From Smiling?

April 30, 2012

Filed under: Bruxism — Tags: , , , — admin @ 4:08 pm

Do you struggle with frequent headaches, earaches, or jaw pain? Do you sometimes catch yourself clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth after a stressful day?

Teeth grinding or clenching is known as bruxism and is a natural reaction to stress. But as natural as it might be, the constant pressure and motion of bruxism can seriously harm your smile, causing surface wear and eventually serious dental trouble. What’s more, untreated bruxism can also lead to TMJ dysfunction, insomnia, eating disorders, and depression. Which is why, at Dr. Carmen’s Norman dental office, we can help you treat bruxism with a nightguard.

What Is a Nightguard?

A nightguard is an oral appliance you wear while you sleep, when unconscious teeth grinding is most common. They are designed to stop teeth from grinding and clenching, and can be custom-made to fit your exact needs. There is more than one type of nightguard, and if one doesn’t work, we can help you find another that might.

In addition to creating a custom-made nightguard for you, Dr. Carmen can also recommend relaxation techniques that will help you manage and alleviate stress, although, for many patients, a nightguard is all it takes to erase symptoms of bruxism.

Let Dr. Carmen Help You Smile Again

If you live in Norman, Moore, Central Oklahoma, or near The University of Oklahoma, Dr. Carmen can help you treat bruxism. Give us a call today if you’d like to schedule an appointment with us. We look forward to seeing you!

The Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings

September 2, 2011

For years, dentists have used traditional amalgam fillings to treat tooth decay. So why does Dr. Carmen’s Norman office use tooth-colored fillings? Well, there are a few reasons.

One is that tooth-colored fillings come with a cosmetic benefit. Tooth-colored fillings, as the name suggests, are tooth-colored. So when you smile, you end up showing off beautiful, healthy teeth instead of dark fillings. That’s because tooth-colored fillings can be shaded to blend in exactly with your teeth. Only you and Dr. Carmen will even know you have fillings.

(more…)

The Cosmetic Benefits of Porcelain Crowns

August 16, 2011

Back in May, we published a post on single visit crowns. In it, we talked about how porcelain crowns can restore structure, strength, and function to a decayed or damaged tooth.

But porcelain crowns don’t just have a practical benefit—they have a cosmetic benefit as well. Because porcelain mimics the look and feel of a natural tooth better than almost any alternative, patients with porcelain crowns can look forward to enjoying a restoration that blends in seamlessly with the rest of their smile.

This is due partly to their design. The crown produced by Dr. Carmen’s CEREC machine uses a 3D image of your tooth as a guide. Moreover, your crown will be shaded to exactly match the color of your surrounding teeth, ensuring, in the process, that your restoration looks at natural as possible.

A Natural-Looking Restoration in One Visit

If you’d like to know more about the cosmetic benefits of porcelain crowns and how they can help you strengthen a weakened tooth, give us a call today to schedule a consultation visit with Dr. Carmen. We can help you understand all your options and make a decision that will help your smile stay strong and confident.

Dr. Carmen’s Norman office serves patients from The University of Oklahoma, Moore, Central Oklahoma, and surrounding areas.

Call us today!

A Back-To-School Appointment with Dr. Carmen

August 4, 2011

Now that August is here, the first day of school isn’t far behind. So, with that in mind, why not call our Norman office and schedule an appointment for your son or daughter with Dr. Carmen.

With a thorough oral exam and cleaning from our office, Dr. Carmen can help protect young smiles from plaque and bacteria, the primary ingredients of tooth decay and gum disease.

Why Are Regular Visits So Important?

Regular visits, which include back-to-school visits, are important for more than just protecting a smile from cavities.

What a lot of patients don’t know is that their oral health can actually impact their overall health. The impact may not be immediate, but over time, the same bacteria and plaque responsible for gum disease and tooth decay can increase a patient’s risk of developing a wide range of health problems, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, stroke, and even pre-term birth.

That’s why another term for general dentistry is preventive dentistry. Regular cleanings plus daily brushing and flossing helps your entire body stay strong, in addition to protecting your smile from gum disease and tooth decay.

To schedule an appointment for yourself or your child, give us a call today. Our Norman office serves patients from The University of Oklahoma, Moore, Central Oklahoma, and surrounding areas.

A Long-Lasting Cosmetic Alternative with Porcelain Veneers

July 20, 2011

If your teeth are slightly misaligned or stained, you have options for fixing them. In just a couple of years, braces can correct a misaligned smile, while professional whitening can leave teeth as much as eight shades brighter.

But, depending on your case, neither of these may be right for you. Maybe your teeth aren’t misaligned enough to make braces practical, or perhaps professional whitening hasn’t done anything about your stains.

(more…)

« Newer PostsOlder Posts »