Putnam dentists, Dr. Carolyn McGinn and Dr. Walter McGinn, work hard to assist patients in preventing tooth decay and gum disease. They’d much rather do that than to use all the restorative dental skills and experience they have acquired over the years. So, they recommend the application of fluoride to keep tooth enamel strong. Could fluoride help your dental health?
Your Putnam Dentists Advise Fluoride for Strong Teeth
January 21, 2017
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Dentist in Putnam on Oral, Overall Health Link
December 23, 2015
You know your mind and body are connected — just think of the way your stomach feels before a big speech. Well, we’ve got news for you: your oral health is just as closely tied to your overall health. Your dental wellbeing can affect or be affected by a number of things, and that’s a fact Drs. Carolyn and Walter McGinn know well. Keep reading to learn how you can promote a strong smile by staying healthy in 2016!
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Teeth Whitening Putnam Residents Prefer
September 8, 2015
For teeth whitening Putnam, CT residents trust, Drs. Carolyn and Walter McGinn offer pateints who wish to brighten their smiles two simple, convenient at-home teeth whitening options: crest white strips and custom, at-home whitening trays. While these whitening options are available in over the counter versions, working with the Drs. McGinn, patients are fully educated and able to choose the whitening option that works for them. To find out more, we recommend scheduling a teeth whitening consultation. Our dentistry team will examine your teeth, and determine the cause and severity of your dental discoloration. Then, our dentists make recommendations for optimal results. Call your Putnam, CT dentists to find out more today.
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Dental Crowns and Bridges in Putnam CT
June 22, 2015
If you’re missing 1 to 3 teeth, dental crown and bridge therapy can restore your bite. Let the experienced restorative dentists, Dr.s Carolyn and Walter McGinn in Putnam, CT, return your smile to perfection. Crown and bridge therapy can be performed in as few as two visits, and our skilled staff will perform the procedure in a comfortable environment where you’ll feel at ease from start to finish. If you are living with missing teeth or need to have one or more teeth extracted, let us help you understand your restorative options, and give you a reason to smile. Call to schedule an appointment today.
Tooth Replacement is Essential
While many people will live with a missing tooth for years, there are numerous health risks associated with missing teeth. Your oral health can be noticeably effected quickly. Gaps between teeth allow dental drift. This means that the surrounding teeth shift to fill the space left by missing teeth. This movement can be painful, but it can also create gaps between teeth and lead to crowding or overlapping. If you spent countless hours and dollars on orthodontic treatment to straighten your teeth, this can all be undone if missing teeth are left un-replaced.
Bone and tissue loss may not affect your dental esthetic, but it can be detrimental to your oral health long term. Your jawbone density and gum tissue are shaped by the roots of your teeth. Stimulation from the roots keeps the jawbone healthy and gum tissue full. When there is an empty space, the gum tissue recedes, and you are more likely to experience jawbone deterioration. Left untreated, this corrosion can change the shape of your face as the skin sinks inwards without the gum tissue to shape it. Loss of jawbone density has been linked to TMJ, further tooth loss, and difficulty chewing. Additionally, the change in your bite can lead to impeded speech.
How a Crown Works
A crown is a prosthetic tooth that can be bonded to tooth fragments from broken or decayed teeth to help retain the root and any natural tooth that remains. Crowns are made to fit your bite, and will help retain the shape of your mouth. Crowns make it possible to restore your smile without extracting the remaining tooth. Our practice always strives to preserve natural teeth whenever possible, and crowns allow us to keep teeth that would otherwise be lost.
When a Bridge is Needed
If you do need a full extraction or have lost a tooth due to trauma, a crown can still help you restore your smile. Without a root to anchor it, a bridge is necessary. A dental bridge or fixed bridge works much the way it sounds. The way that a bridge connects one road to another, a dental bridge connects a replacement tooth to the two teeth on either side. The root system of these teeth will support the bridge and the tooth between.
There are many different types of bridges, and the type that will work best for you will be determined by the dentists during your examination. Most bridges work by placing crowns on the teeth on either side of the gap, and connecting these crowns to replacement teeth. In some cases, it is possible to retain the surrounding teeth by connecting the replacement tooth using metallic or ceramic connections. These are most frequently used to create a more natural looking bridge for front teeth.
Pros of Crown and Bridge
Unlike partial dentures, crown and bridge therapy is permanent. Your replacement tooth or teeth become a natural part of your smile. You do not have to remove them for cleaning. They can be cleaned as part of your regular hygiene routine. The types of foods you are able to chew will not be limited as they are even with partial dentures. Chomp an apple, chew a steak, or bite into taffy without fear. Unlike other semi-permanent tooth replacement, crown and bridge therapy is minimally invasive, and those who have illnesses like diabetes that can slow the healing process, are able to receive a crown and bridge with much less risk.
Schedule an Appointment
If you are missing 1 to 3 teeth, don’t wait to have them replaced. The Dr.s McGinn are here to help you find the right restorative dental treatment, and get your smile back in line. Call our Putnam, CT office to schedule an appointment today. We welcome patients from northeaster Connecticut’s quiet corner including Putnam, Woodstock, Thompson, Pomfret, Brooklyn, Killingly, Eastford, Plainfield, Webster, Dudley, Douglas, Burrillville, Gloucester, and Foster.
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Family Dentistry with Drs. Carolyn and Walter McGinn
March 15, 2015
Because your family is made up of people young and old, Dr. Carolyn McGinn and Dr. Walter McGinn in Putnam, CT, have a family dentistry practice that serves patients of all ages. If you have a toddler in the family, then we have just the right touch and approach to help them feel comfortable at the dentist, so they can begin to build a solid foundation of oral health care for a lifetime. If you look after elderly parents, we are experienced in caring for older patients whose teeth may need restorative procedures, such as crowns or dentures. Drs. McGinn have the family dentistry practice that can accommodate the needs of all the members of your family.
Family Dentistry in Putnam, CT
Of course, the cornerstone of family dentistry is the dental checkup. Drs. McGinn would like to see each member of your family every six months for checkups. So, whether you’re bringing your child for his very first checkup or your Dad for his 101st checkup, we set out to accomplish the same goals with our checkups. First, we’ll clean your teeth and remove plaque, which is that sticky substance that can harden and trap decay causing bacteria.
And speaking of bacteria, we always check your teeth for signs of decay and, when necessary, take digital x-rays to find hidden spots of decay below the gum line. We’ll also evaluate the health of your gums, screen for oral cancer—a particular concern for older patients—and check for any indication of TMJ, temporomandibular joint disorder, which is a painful condition of the jaw joints that can lead to other problems such as bite misalignment.
Schedule an Appointment Today
For family dentistry designed to serve all the members of your family, call the office of Dr. Carolyn McGinn and Dr. Walter McGinn. We conveniently serve patients in Putnam, CT, as well as Woodstock, Thompson, Pomfret, Brooklyn, Killingly, Eastford, Plainfield, Webster, Dudley, Douglas, Burrillville, Gloucester, and Foster.
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Family Dentistry in Putnam, CT
December 12, 2014
As the husband and wife dental team serving Putnam, CT, and the surrounding areas, Dr. Carolyn McGinn and Dr. Walter McGinn certainly know something about family. Moreover, they also know a lot about family dentistry. As your family dentist, the McGinns will provide comprehensive dental care for you and for the people you care about the most.
Along with good oral hygiene at home, family dentistry, also called general dentistry, is the foundation of oral health. As family dentists, Drs. McGinn place a premium on prevention—preventing tooth decay, gum disease and other conditions that are compromising to your oral health as well as your overall health.
An Ounce of Prevention with Family Dentistry
Thus, with prevention in mind and in keeping with the recommendation of the American Dental Association, our dentists would like to see you and your family members at least twice every year for checkups. At these checkups, we will clean your teeth, remove any plaque build-up, monitor for decay and when needed, take x-rays to see decay in locations where dental caries can go unnoticed. Of course, if we find a cavity, then we will treat with a dental filling, thereby preventing a more involved procedure such as root canal therapy, a crown or dental implant, or even extraction.
In addition, Drs. McGinn may occasionally recommend fluoride treatments and dental sealants. These procedures are particularly important for children whose dental habits may be, well, less than perfect. Fluoride has been proven to strengthen teeth’s enamel, your smile’s first line of defense against decay. Dental sealants literally provide an added layer of protection. These modern wonders are a thin plastic coating that is applied to teeth—most often those deeply grooved molars—to create a barrier between acid-causing decay and your teeth.
Call Our Office Today
To schedule an appointment with the family dentistry team of Dr. Carolyn McGinn and Dr. Walter McGinn in Putnam, CT, call our office today. We also serve families from Woodstock, Thompson, Pomfret, Brooklyn, Killingly, Eastford, Plainfield, Webster, Dudley, Douglas, Burrillville, Gloucester, and Foster.