Your Huntsville, AL, dentist, Dr. Michael Pugh offers the services and treatments you need to keep your smile healthy and attractive. Do you know when you need to visit the dentist? If you experience any of these five dental issues, it's a good idea to schedule an appointment.

Your tooth hurts

A toothache is a very good reason to call the Huntsville dental office. Tooth pain can be caused by a variety of oral health problems, including cavities, sensitive gums, cracked teeth or fillings, dying nerves, and abscesses. Prompt treatment will end your pain and prevent the issue from worsening.

Your gums are red and hurt

Painful, swollen, red gums can be a sign of gum disease. The disease can destroy gum tissue, bones, and ligaments and may even cause you to lose teeth. Call the office if you notice pain, swelling, and redness in your gums.

Do your gums bleed when you brush and floss your teeth? Bleeding can be a sign of gingivitis, the early form of gum disease. A dental cleaning and better oral hygiene may improve your gum health if you have gingivitis.

The bottoms of your teeth are covered in a hard brown substance

Do you have a brown coating on the bottoms of your teeth that won't budge no matter how often you brush? The substance may be tartar, a hard deposit that forms when plaque remains on your teeth for as little as 10 days. Tartar isn't just unattractive but can irritate your gums and increase your risk of gum disease.

Fortunately, the dental hygienists at the Huntsville office have special tools that can chip away tartar without harming your teeth. When you schedule checkups every six months, you'll receive a thorough cleaning that will remove plaque and tartar.

You're concerned about the appearance of your smile

There's no reason to live with a smile you don't like. Your dentist can improve your appearance with these and other treatments:

• Crowns to restore broken or damaged teeth or improve tooth appearance
• Veneers to hide flaws and imperfections in the fronts of teeth
• Teeth whitening to brighten your smile
• Invisalign to correct orthodontic problems discreetly
• Bonding to repair damage and enhance tooth appearance
• Bridges, dentures, and dental implants to replace missing teeth

You're worried about a lump or spot

Your dentist can also diagnose strange lumps or patches in your mouth. As these symptoms may be signs of oral cancer, it's important to get them checked out as soon as possible. Your dentist also performs an oral cancer screening during every dental checkup.

Protect your dental health with regular visits to your dentist in Huntsville, AL, Dr. Michael Pugh. Call Dr. Pugh at (256) 536-3386 to schedule your appointment.

Don’t wait on a toothache -- pain in the mouth usually points to other problems ranging from reactions from toothpaste to sepsis. While it may be tempting to take over-the-counter medication and going about your day, waiting to treat tooth pain can make minor problems worse over time. Visiting Dr. Michael Pugh at Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL can be one of the best decisions you’ll make regarding your toothache.

What are some causes of toothache?

Eating sugary and sticky foods, mouth injury, and possible tooth decay are all reasons for experiencing a toothache. This pain can be sharp and increase only when the area is agitated, or it can be dull and long-lasting. Poor daily oral care can exacerbate an already sensitive area of the mouth.

How do I prevent toothaches? 

Wearing mouth guards during sports is a great way to prevent toothaches. These are sold at any sports equipment store and absorb the impact of any hits or falls the patient may experience. If you grind your teeth, discuss options for treatment with your dentist, as tooth grinding also produces toothaches.

Brushing and flossing twice a day is vital. This habit breaks up tartar, the film of bacteria that coats the teeth and can harden into plaque. The gums swell because of the deposits or decay that begins to set into the tooth. Toothache can occur when inflammation hits the nerves.

Get dental cleanings twice a year. Regular visits to the dentist are a great way to monitor your oral health. Your dentist will examine your enamel with an x-ray to see if there are any weak spots, remove all tartar and plaque, floss thoroughly, administer a fluoride treatment if necessary and polish your teeth. The procedure is critical to address any toothaches that you may have.

Contact Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL, at (256) 536-3386 to have Dr. Pugh check on your toothache today.

Feel more confident smiling with the help of porcelain veneers.

Want to make drastic improvements to your appearance? If so, dental veneers may be the best way to get the smile you’ve always wanted. Our Huntsville, AL, dentist Dr. Michael Pugh can help you achieve your dream smile, no matter whether you are dealing with discolored, chipped, or slightly crooked teeth. These custom porcelain shells can work magic for your smile, giving you the set of teeth you’ve always wanted but never had. Here are the main esthetic problems that porcelain veneers could help you fix.

Shape

Many people who aren’t happy with their smiles feel that way because their teeth aren’t perfectly symmetrical. Some teeth may be chipped or uneven. Some teeth may be worn down or shorter than others due to teeth grinding. If you’ve been born with abnormally shaped teeth or you have issues with the symmetry of your smile, veneers can help to reshape all of your teeth to make them rounder or squarer.

Size

Do you have what is called a “gummy smile," where teeth are shorter than normal and your gums are unnaturally prominent? If so, you may feel like your smile is out of proportion. Our Huntsville, AL, dental team understands that this can make you feel self-conscious. The good news is that dental veneers are custom-crafted to provide you with the ideal size that you want for your smile. This can help lengthen teeth quickly and easily.

Color

While there are a variety of cosmetic options on the market that can help to remove surface stains, if you are dealing with deep stains caused by antibiotic use then these stains may not respond as effectively to professional teeth whitening. In this case, the best way to get a whiter smile may be to get dental veneers here in Huntsville, AL. These shells can be matched to the ideal shade that you want for your smile, to give you vibrant but natural results.

Alignment

Do you have a gap between your front teeth? Are your teeth just slightly off-kilter or crooked? If so, you may have assumed that the only way to fix these issues is with braces. Of course, we understand that some of our older patients may not be too keen on wearing braces. In this case, veneers may be able to give you a straighter smile without ever needing braces.

If you are interested in what dental veneers can do for you, call Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL, today at (256) 536-3386 to schedule a no-risk consultation.

When you’re missing a tooth or two, a viable option is to replace it with a bridge and a dental crown. This permanent dental appliance includes several components that are attached to perfectly fit into the spaces left by your lost teeth. Here at Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville AL, one of the ways Dr. Michael Pugh replaces lost teeth is through crowns and bridges.

What Exactly is a Bridge?

A dental bridge is utilized for replacing lost permanent teeth to provide a sufficient chewing surface as well as for cosmetic purposes. It contains one or more synthetic teeth, known as pontics, which are held in place by dental crown abutments on both sides of the pontics.

The dental bridge itself could be created from different kinds of materials such as porcelain, alloys, or gold. Porcelain is the most common material used for restoring front teeth since it could be made to perfectly match your real teeth color. The synthetic or false teeth are fabricated to match your missing teeth size and shape.

The main purpose of the crowns, on the other hand, is to keep the synthetic teeth in the middle portion of the dental bridge in place. These dental crowns could be kept in place by your real teeth or affixed atop dental implants.

Dental Bridge Benefits

• Restores the natural look of your smile and mouth
• Restores your ability to talk properly
• Prevents your adjacent teeth from shifting
• Maintains your facial structure since it prevents the loss of jawbone in the area of the missing teeth
• Restores your ability to eat food efficiently

Is a Dental Bridge Right for You?

Not all people are eligible for Huntsville crowns and bridges. Your dentist in Huntsville AL will need to take into consideration these factors when determining your candidacy for the procedure:

• Missing one or a couple of permanent teeth
• Having healthy teeth that can support the dental bridge
• Having excellent oral health
• Being generally healthy, meaning that you have no underlying chronic health issues

Need More Information Crowns and Bridges in the Huntsville AL area, Reach Out to Us

Call (256) 536-3386 to arrange a consultation with Dr. Michael Pugh here at Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville AL today.

Keeping your gums healthy isn’t that difficult. It starts with these helpful steps…

If your gums are constantly inflamed this could be because there is a serious infection lurking under the gums that could lead to bone, tooth and gum loss if left untreated. Since periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, it’s important to be able to recognize the warning signs of gum disease as soon as possible so you can make an appointment with our Huntsville, AL, dentist Dr. Michael Pugh.

Some signs of gum disease include,

• Red, inflamed gums
• Swollen, tender gums
• Bleeding gums, particularly when brushing and flossing
• Chronic bad breath
• Receding or shrinking gums
• Pockets between the teeth and gums
• A change in the way teeth fit together

In the very beginning, you may only notice that your gums look a little red or puffy. If inflamed gums do not go away after a couple of days it’s important that you see your Huntsville, AL, family dentist to find out if it could be gum disease.

Can you prevent gum disease?

Gum disease can certainly sound pretty scary when you think about it; however, if you maintain good oral hygiene you probably won’t have to worry about it. Just like decay, gum disease can be prevented with good oral care. If you want to prevent gum disease from happening to you here are some rules to follow,

• Brush at least twice a day (for at least two minutes each time)
• Floss once a day
• Use fluoride toothpaste
• Rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet
• Quit or avoid smoking
• Limit alcohol consumption

Are there risk factors for gum disease?

Some factors that could increase your risk for gum disease include,

• Hormonal fluctuations (pregnant and menopausal women are at an increased risk)
• Smoking or using tobacco products
• Diabetes
• Misaligned or crooked teeth
• Certain medications
• Genetics
• Poor diet
• Poor oral hygiene

If you’re on the hunt for a dentist in Huntsville, AL, that can provide you and your family with the dental care you deserve for a healthy smile then call Dr. Michael Pugh today at (256) 536-3386 to schedule cleanings and checkups for the whole family.