When you have missing or broken teeth, you don't need to hide your smile. Dr. Michael Pugh is a dentist at Artistic Dentistry, located in Huntsville, AL, and a dentist like him can close the gaps in your smile with a dental bridge.

What Are Dental Bridges?

Dental bridges are literal bridges for any gaps in your teeth created by a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge consists of two teeth working as an anchor with a false tooth or teeth in between them. The anchor teeth are known as abutment teeth, with the false teeth known as pontics. A dentist will offer pontics made from gold, porcelain, alloy, or a combination of materials. Your natural teeth or dental implants support the dental bridge.

Dental bridges are permanent appliances and can be made up of several pieces fused to fill open spaces in your mouth and provide a better alternative to partial dentures.

Types of Dental Bridges

There are four main types of dental bridges offered by your dentist:

1. Traditional fixed bridge: most common and consists of a crown on either side of the pontic or false teeth.
2. Maryland dental bridge: used to replace the front teeth and uses porcelain instead of crowns bonded to the back of your teeth. Also known as a resin-bonded bridge.
3. Implant-support bridge: the dentist will place a dental implant for any missing teeth and then apply this bridge over them in a later procedure.
4. Cantilever bridge: When one side of the gap contains a single crown, the dentist will anchor a natural tooth and the pontic onto the natural tooth.

Advantages of Dental Bridges

When you come in for your consultation appointment with Dr. Pugh in Huntsville, AL, the dentist will perform an exam and determine if you are a candidate for a dental bridge. The advantages that come after receiving a dental bridge are many, and they include:

• Restoring your natural smile
• Maintaining a typical facial structure because you are preventing jaw bone loss from the previously missing tooth or teeth
• You are restoring your ability to chew food properly
• Maintain normal speech function
• You prevent any further dental problems, such as nearby teeth moving into the space of your missing teeth, leading to further complications.

Not everyone is a good candidate for a dental bridge, but you and your dentist can discuss this and other ways to get your smile back today. Call Dr. Pugh at Artistic Dentistry today. He is the dentist you need, located in the Huntsville, AL, area at phone (256) 536-3386.

Teeth are strong and built to withstand biting, chewing, and constant use, but they aren't impervious to damage, whether due to injury, decay, or accidents.

Chips, cracks, and cavities can leave your teeth in disrepair, but a dental crown can fix the damage and restore the health and appearance of your teeth. Your dentist, Dr. Michael Pugh of Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL, can fix your teeth in no time so your smile is beautiful and healthy.

What are dental crowns?

Dental crowns are caps that conceal and protect the damaged portion of a tooth. Crowns can repair chips, cracks, rough surfaces, the void from a cavity that can't be filled, jagged teeth, or severe discoloration.

What are the benefits of dental crowns?

Dental crowns improve the health of your teeth by protecting the damaged portion from bacterial growth and infection, which could spread to the surrounding teeth and cause decay.

Because crowns are colored and sized to match your tooth, they are undetectable, looking natural, and attractive.

Your tooth will also function better, restoring your ability to bite and chew properly and comfortably.

How is a dental crown applied?

Your Huntsville, AL, dentist, Dr.  Pugh, will begin by lightly scuffing the surface of the damaged tooth to accommodate a crown, which will be custom-made to fit snugly. The crown will be cemented to your tooth and cured so it becomes permanent. Your dentist will make any necessary adjustments so the crown is the same shape and hue as the rest of your teeth.

How do I care for a dental crown?

Your crown can be brushed like a normal tooth. Avoid especially hard or sticky foods, which could damage your crown.

Make your damaged tooth look and feel its best with dental crowns from your dentist, Dr. Pugh of Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL. Call us at (256) 536-3386 to schedule an appointment.

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.