Month: February 2013

Do you clench your jaw? Grind your teeth? Does your jaw sometimes “lock” or feel stuck? These are just a few of the symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ/TMD), in the hinge joint that connects your lower jaw to the bone just in front of your ears.

TMD may cause chronic headaches, swelling, problems chewing, or just feeling tired in your face. Because it can be hard to pinpoint the source of the pain, or even to know whether your symptoms are all related, you might think you just have to live with it.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Lewisburg dentist Lawrence J. Winans, DMD has state-of-the-art technology to help diagnose and relieve your pain. He’ll first help your jaw muscles relax using a TENS unit that uses low-frequency energy pulses. The K7 Evaluation System takes measurements of your jaw and even records the sounds in your jaw!

Depending on your needs, Dr. Lawrence Winans can recommend several options, including:

• Dental restorations – crowns, veneers, bonding to raise or lower areas of your bite
• Orthotic – an appliance worn over your teeth to help align the jaw, relax muscle tension, and prevent tooth grinding
• Coronoplasty – reshaping the biting surfaces of your teeth with heavy polishing
• Full Mouth Rehabilitation – if necessary, we can restore every tooth in your mouth to its optimal shape and position to correct your bite

Remember, there’s no reason to live with pain and muscle tension that takes energy and pleasure away from everyday experiences. Call us at our Lewisburg dental office at 866.803.1468 if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of TMJ/TMD.

It can happen anytime, anywhere. All of a sudden you know you’ve lost a piece of your tooth, maybe from biting down on something hard, or perhaps an old metal filling broke off on a back tooth. Or an unfortunate fall or accident can also damage your teeth. Are you thinking “ouch” already? Don’t! At Lawrence J. Winans, DMD, in Lewisburg, we can fix that with dental bonding. It can be done in one visit, without shots, drilling, or pain.

It’s amazing what dental bonding can do for cosmetic and restoration purposes. The process starts with a pliable composite resin that matches the color of your teeth. It’s applied to the tooth, which has been prepped by slightly roughing the surface of the tooth. A primer is then applied to the tooth so the resin will adhere better.

Once the tooth is prepared, the resin is applied and shaped. It’s then hardened with a special light that helps bond the substance to the tooth. The final step is shaping and polishing the resin to match the rest of your teeth.

Dental bonding in Lewisburg can be used to make minor repairs or improvements to your smile. It doesn’t require any special care, just floss and brush twice a day. And avoid any habits that can damage the bonding, or the rest of your teeth, such as biting down on ice or other hard foods, or using your teeth as an opener! Common sense and good dental habits are all the follow-up you need.

Call us at our Lewisburg dental office at 866.803.1468 right away if you crack or chip a tooth. You don’t want the damage to get worse. If you need more extensive repairs, Dr. Winans will discuss your options with you. With dental bonding, in 30 to 60 minutes, you’re good to go, without pain or shots!