Columbus, GA Dentist - Largeman Dental

Aging and Oral Health

It’s important to take good care of your teeth as you age. Elderly patients often need more frequent visits to stay healthy, as they are at a higher risk of oral complications, including extraction, tooth decay, and periodontal (gum) disease. Electric Toothbrush One of the best things you can do for

Air Abrasion

Air abrasion is a drill-less technique that involves an instrument used to blast away small areas of early onset tooth decay, as well as help dentists perform other dental procedures. It is recommended for children or other patients who are fearful of traditional drilling. Air abrasion can only be used

Anesthesia Wand

The single-tooth anesthesia wand provides increased comfort and decreased anxiety when it comes to dental procedures requiring anesthetization. The wand looks like a small pen with an extremely small needle at the tip. The anesthesia wand works by numbing the individual tooth your dentist needs to work

Antibiotic Premedication

Our bodies are home to bacteria which are common in our mouths, but which can be dangerous elsewhere. For some people, especially those who have chronic medical conditions, specific cardiac conditions, or whose immune systems are compromised, bacteria that spreads throughout the bloodstream and into

Bad Breath

What is Halitosis? Halitosis, also known as chronic bad breath, is often the result of improper care of your oral health. When you eat, food particles gather throughout your mouth, sticking to the surfaces of your tongue, in between your teeth, and on your gum tissue. Your oral bacteria break down these

Blood Pressure Medications and Your Oral Health

If you experience high blood pressure, it’s vital that you discuss possible medications with your health care professionals, including your dentist. Some blood pressure medications cause the usual variety of side effects, such as drowsiness, upset stomach, or minor aches. But for some patients, particular

Bonding

Dental bonding is a conservative cosmetic treatment that improves the appearance of chipped, discolored, or misshapen teeth using composite resin to repair and restore the tooth surface. Bonding can transform the appearance of a smile. The procedure is commonly used for: Repairing chips and minor cracks Covering

Bone Grafting

The alveolar ridges are thickened ridges of bone on the upper and lower jaws. Teeth fit into sockets in these ridges, where they are held securely in place by periodontal ligaments. If the alveolar bone loses volume and density, that secure attachment is compromised. Bone grafting is a common surgical

Bridges

When you lose a tooth, it affects not just the appearance but also the function of your smile. It can be difficult to eat or speak naturally. Extra stress is put on your remaining teeth, you’re at greater risk for developing gum disease, your remaining teeth can shift out of position, causing bite

Bruxism

Bruxism is the medical term for excessive tooth grinding and/or jaw clenching. Because our jaw muscles are capable of producing hundreds of pounds of force, continuous grinding and clenching can cause significant damage to teeth and jaws without dental intervention. Unconscious grinding or clenching

Common Dental Procedures

Your dentist is an expert in protecting your oral health. In addition to providing preventive care, they diagnose and treat the teeth, gums, mouth, and jaw. Dentists improve self-confidence with functional and cosmetic restorations. Common procedures that can restore the health and appearance of your

Cone Beam CT Imaging

Cone beam CT imaging provides dentists with a three-dimensional view of mouth, jaw, teeth, and nasal cavity. These images contain invaluable clinical information and help reduce the need for invasive procedures, shorten treatment time, and make treatment plans more effective and efficient. With 3D scans,

Consequences of Losing Teeth

Losing teeth can cause discomfort and difficulty eating and speaking, but it also can negatively affect our jawbone. Bone needs stimulation to maintain its form and density. When you lose teeth, your jawbone loses the stimulation it needs to stay strong and keep its form and begins to deteriorate. Consequences

Cosmetic Gum Surgery

Cosmetic gum surgery, or gum contouring, can solve a variety of cosmetic issues relating to the proportions of your teeth and your gums. For example, too much gum tissue may make your teeth appear short, while too little gum tissue will make your teeth appear too long. You may also have a combination

Crown Lengthening

If you are concerned about excess gum tissue or an uneven gum line, crown lengthening and gum contouring are minimally invasive periodontal procedures that can improve the balance of your gums and teeth, creating a well-proportioned and symmetrical smile. Crown lengthening, also known as a gum lift,

Crowns

Decayed, broken, and missing teeth affect your oral health and your self-confidence. When a tooth has suffered structural or cosmetic damage, a dental crown can restore a tooth’s function and appearance. A crown is a custom-made “cap” that covers the entire visible surface of a tooth. Your dentist

Dental Exams and Professional Cleanings

Brushing and flossing at home to keep up your oral health is great, but it’s also important to visit the dentist for checkups and professional cleanings at least twice a year. These checkups allow your dentist to identify any problems in your mouth that you cannot see just by looking in the mirror,

Dental Implant FAQs

What are dental implants? A dental implant is a small post that serves as a replacement for a tooth root. An abutment, also known as a connector, is built and placed on the top of the implant, connecting to the replacement tooth. The replacement tooth is a crown that is created to uniquely match your

Dental Implants

If you have recently dealt with an injury or disease that affected your oral health, there are options available to recover the smile you once had. You may even be able to achieve a better smile than the one you had. Dental implants make it possible to renew your smile if you have lost some teeth. There

Dentures

Missing teeth impact not only appearance, but oral health as well. If you’ve lost some or all of your teeth because of trauma, periodontal infection, or decay, dentures are one of the options that can offer you a healthier, more attractive smile. Full or partial dentures: Make eating and chewing easier Facilitate

Diabetes and Oral Health

Maintaining excellent oral hygiene is important for diabetics, as they have an increased risk of developing oral infection and periodontal disease. Diabetes is a health condition that makes it difficult to manage blood sugar levels, and as a result, can lead to high levels of sugar in the blood and saliva.

Digital Dental Impressions

Dental impressions are bad enough to make anyone avoid the dentist. If you’ve ever needed a crown, bridge, or retainer, then you’ve experienced the discomfort that comes while waiting for the gooey, putty-like material (alginate) to set for a dental impression. Thankfully, there are new ways to obtain

Digital X-Rays

X-rays are one of the most important parts of a dental exam, and can help medical professionals detect problems long before they are visible to the naked eye, including early tooth decay, gum disease, abscesses, and abnormal growths. Benefits of Digital X-rays Easy to obtain Digital X-rays are obtained

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, occurs when the salivary glands can’t produce enough saliva to maintain a healthy oral environment. Symptoms of Dry Mouth Saliva helps us swallow, speak, taste, and digest. If you have a dry mouth, you can experience symptoms such as: A dry mouth and tongue A tingling or

Eating Disorders and Oral Health

Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, can have devastating effects on your health, including your teeth. Anorexia is marked by an extreme restriction on how much is eaten, while bulimia is associated with binging and purging, or vomiting after eating. The effects on teeth and oral hygiene

Fillings

The bacteria in plaque produce acids that erode tooth enamel, eventually creating a hole, or cavity, in the tooth surface. Left untreated, this decay can spread to the interior of the tooth, and might lead to the need for a crown, a root canal, or even extraction. When caught early, your dentist can

Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that strengthens tooth enamel and helps prevent tooth decay. We can get these benefits from fluoridated drinking water and by using over-the-counter fluoride toothpastes and rinses. For superior protection against cavities, your dentist might recommend a professional

Geographic Tongue

Geographic tongue, also called benign migratory glossitis, is an inflammatory condition in which red patches appear on your tongue resembling continents on a globe. The patches can appear on the top and sides of your tongue and sometimes other parts of your mouth. The shape and location of the patches

Gum Emergencies

The tissues of the gums, tongue, or cheek lining are vulnerable to accidents like sports injuries, bites, or scalding liquids. If you have an injury to the soft tissue of your mouth, you should: Rinse out your mouth with salt water Remove any visible debris Contain bleeding by pressing a clean, damp

Gum Grafting

If your dentist has detected that your gums have receded substantially, you may be referred to a periodontist for a gum graft. Gum recession occurs when the tissue surrounding each tooth pulls away, exposing more of the tooth or the tooth root. This exposure can cause significant damage to the supporting

How to Brush and Floss

It’s no secret that the best way to prevent oral decay and disease is by maintaining a strict oral hygiene routine every day. Brushing and flossing go hand in hand; you shouldn’t do one without the other. Brushing your teeth is an excellent way to remove food debris and flossing allows you to get

How to Prevent Cavities

Cavities are small in size but can cause big problems. In the form of little holes in your teeth, they develop when acid attacks your tooth enamel, the essential protective covering for your teeth. The acid may come either from your diet or certain oral bacteria that flourish when poor oral hygiene is

Implant Care and Maintenance

An implant can lose attachment to the bone, even after it has successfully fused to it. Here are two ways your implant could lose attachment to the bone, and what you can do keep your implants intact: Poor oral hygiene It’s especially important to brush and floss, and schedule regular dental cleanings

Implant Dentures

If you are missing an entire arch of teeth due to injury or disease, whether it’s your lower or upper arch, it is possible to replace that arch with implant dentures. Implant-supported dentures are dentures fixed to the gums by mini implants. For patients with an uncomfortable or loose-fitting denture,

Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and onlays are indirect restorations used to repair molars and premolars damaged by decay or trauma. Inlays and onlays fit more securely and last longer than fillings, strengthen compromised teeth, and preserve more natural tooth structure than crowns. An inlay is used to restore the center of

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