Dental Concerns

Missing teeth, whether from an injury, gum disease, decay, or fracture can affect your ability to smile without restraint or to chew effectively. Whatever the case, your concerns and needs will be listened to and cared for at Saratoga Smile Care.

The loss of teeth can cause a list of problems ranging from; difficulty chewing; shifting of teeth causing bite imbalance; progression of bone loss; gum disease; increase biting stress on remaining teeth, and emotional and social concerns. At Saratoga Smile Care, Dr. Moreau will offer you a full range of treatment options from dental bridges, dental implants, orthodontics, partial denture or full denture to replace your missing teeth. He will first perform a comprehensive evaluation to better understand your situation and make the necessary recommendations that will serve you best long term. Some missing teeth options might include:

• dental implants have a 95% success rate and are the most lifelike replacements of missing teeth
• dental bridges can be used to replace one or more missing teeth.
• partial or full dentures are an effective solution for the replacement of a number of missing teeth.
• orthodontics can be used sometimes to close the space for a tooth loss by moving adjacent teeth and closing the space

Tooth Extractions

Our office also performs tooth extractions and can replace them with dental implants with or with out bone grafts.

Did you takes 1/10 of a second for others to get an impression of you? From that first impression, how do you think others perceive you? Your smile is unique and has great value. Saratoga Springs’ dentist, Dr. Moreau can increase the value of your smile with simple tooth straightening treatment options.

Perceptions studies have been shown that show that people with straight teeth have more pleasing smiles than people with crooked teeth. They are perceived to be smarter, more trustworthy, more successful, more confident, more attractive and more popular. Saratoga Springs’ dentist, Dr. Moreau will guide you in making the one of the most important investments that you could possibly make for yourself- straightening your teeth, transforming you smile and bringing happiness into the lives of others.

Instant Orthodontics

Instant orthodontics is really a misnomer because there really is no tooth movement involved. It involves the placement of very conservative veneers to make the teeth look straight. However, in two dental visits a straighter, whiter, and brighter smile is achieved with the placement of paper thin high tech ceramic veneers. If you cannot commit to the time for conventional orthodontics, this pain free conservative alternative might be the perfect treatment of straighter teeth.

Orthodontics

Short-term orthodontics, like Six Month Smiles, with clear braces is a great conservative tooth aligning procedure that requires 6-9 months treatment time. If you have limited time to commit to aligning your teeth and can be satisfied with a 85% tooth alignment correction, short term orthodontics is a great choice. Invisalign, a removable aligner system, can also be a short term orthodontic solution to tooth crowding (or spacing). For more complex crowding cases Insignia Damon Clear Brace system would be the system of choice that Dr. Moreau would turn select. Veneers can also be part of the treatment plan to put the finishing touches on a radiant smile.

Dental Crowns

In cases with severe crooking all porcelain dental crowns might be the treatment of choice.

The value of your smile is priceless! Don’t let your crooked teeth and an unattractive smile stand in the way of you enjoying life to the fullest! Give Dr. Moreau today for complimentary cosmetic consultation and he will share with you a way to transform your life with a new smile. Call 518-584-6768 or request an appointment online

After a certain number of years, dentures lose their retentiveness and effectiveness during smiling and chewing because of the changing conditions in the mouth or deficiencies of the denture. Saratoga Springs’ dentist, Dr. Moreau handles complex dental situation unique to the mature adult, including denture wearers.

Dental Implant Supported Dentures

The most common problem that denture wearers suffer from is denture slippage. Properly designed and fitted dentures reduce slippage from occurring but only the placement of implants eliminates the problem. Titanium posts, or implants, can be placed in the jaw bone upon which the denture can become securely attached. Implants can provide a stable fit for lower dentures and eliminate the need for the upper denture to cover the roof of the mouth. Implants improve the comfort of the denture and restore the simple joy of tasting and chewing your food.

Metal- Free Partial Dentures

Dr. Moreau uses these metal free partials which are flexible and resilient, in addition to being the most aesthetic and life-like partial design today. Dental implants can also be used to help secure a partial denture and remove some of the retention responsibility of the remaining teeth.

Immediate Dentures

If you have several diseased teeth that need to be removed, you might be eligible for an ‘immediate denture’ at the time of extraction. One option you may have is to place this temporary denture on dental implants to restore function and aesthetic during the healing process. After the tissue and bone have healed and become mature in about 9-12 months a new denture is made that fits more exactly.

Denture Repairs

Our local lab can perform any kind of denture repair and have it returned to you very promptly.

Call Saratoga Smile Care for Denture Services Today!

Learn more about how your denture can be made more comfortable and stable. Call Dr. Moreau for a complete denture consultation at 518-584-6768 or request an appointment online.

A chipped, broken teeth can be caused by an injury, but did you know that they can be more likely due to an underlying functional problem or defected filing restoration? Did you know that your teeth might be cracked and you will not know it. By scheduling an appointment with Saratoga Springs’ dentist Dr. Moreau a thorough evaluation will be conducted to determine the extent of the tooth breakage and evaluate for any teeth that are susceptible to crack.

Teeth that are worn or break repeatedly, even after treatment, are most commonly caused by occlusal disease. Teeth that are not in proper alignment or when there is a habit of grinding or clenching are more prone to fracture. Teeth that have large aging and defective restorations may have crack lines extending from these restorations into the surrounding tooth.

Cracked Teeth

Did you know that fillings age, become defective and have bacterial leakage adjacent to the them which leads to decay and crack lines extending into the tooth? These crack lines are precursors of fracture of the tooth. Routine dental cleaning and examination are necessary to periodically evaluate the integrity of the existing restorations and surrounding tooth structure.

Chipped Tooth

If you have a tooth that is chipped, cracked because of injury or accident, call Dr. Moreau’s office immediately and we evaluate the situation and offer you many options. If the tooth chip is minor, a simple composite restoration can be placed to create a seamless repair. If the breakage is more significant the tooth may require a porcelain crown or veneer for strength. If the is significant discomfort with the breakage, root canal treatment or extraction might be indicated.

Recurrent Broken Teeth

If you have teeth that have broken over and over again, even after dental treatment, you have an underlying occlusal disease problem. Improper alignment of teeth, causes an unevenness in bite with a subsequent uneven wear of teeth or breakage. Generalized wear of your teeth, loosening of teeth, or breakage of teeth is the result of the hyperactivity of your chewing muscles usually without your awareness. An evaluation with Dr. Moreau will enlighten you of the various components of occlusal disease that are putting your teeth, gums and jaw joint at risk.

Saratoga Springs’ dentist, Dr. Moreau and his staff realize that there are millions of people affected with dental phobia. Fear of the dentist, most often caused by a past traumatic experience or perceived traumatic experience, keeps people from routine visits to the dentist which become critical to the health of the mouth as well as the entire body.

In addition to offering you a warm, trusting, empathetic and caring environment, Saratoga Springs’ dentist, Dr. Moreau can provide you several options that will help you to feel safe, comfortable and relaxed during your visit. The most important gift that he and his team offer is trust and that begins by taking the time to make you aware of your condition and treatment options. Another option is the use of mild oral sedatives that take edge of the situation.

Signs of dental anxiety

The first step in handling any dental anxiety is to simply acknowledge it and relate that to Dr. Moreau and his highly trained staff. Some physical signs may be sweating, holding your breath, hyperventilating, increased heart rate, dizziness, heaviness in the chest all of which are the result of the sympathetic nervous system being activated. This part of the nervous system is activated at times when the body senses danger and it goes into a fight, flight, or freeze mode.

How to manage dental anxiety?

When disturbing thoughts associated with visiting the dentist arise the best thing to do is to see the thoughts coming and going. Simply label them as thoughts and watch them go. Suppressing fearful thoughts only gives more power to the thoughts and they will keep coming. Secondly, reversing the fight to flight response is accomplished by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system and this most effecting done by initiating deep (belly) breathing.

Patient Education

Our office recognizes what is most important in our lives is our relationships and that is why we are all about building trusting relationships beginning with spending the time to listen to your goals, concerns and anxieties. We then will work with you to create a treatment strategy that meets your need as well as making getting there as comfortable and anxious-free as possible.

Up to one-half of today’s population either grinds or clenches their teeth. The effects of clenching or grinding of your teeth have very damaging effects on the teeth, supporting gums, and bone, along with the jaw joint. Saratoga Springs’s dentist, Dr. Moreau, is able to prescribe a custom-made bite splint which offsets the symptoms associated with bruxing or clenching your teeth, giving you relief from your stress on your teeth, gums, bone, muscles, and jaw.

Bruxism (teeth grinding) and clenching of the teeth affects millions of people and its effects can lead to serious damage to the teeth and supporting gums, and bone. It can also lead to frequent headaches, as well as jaw and facial pain. Most people are unaware of grinding or clenching their teeth because it can be a subconscious habit occurring during the day or while sleeping.

Symptoms of Teeth Grinding and Clenching

Most people grind their teeth while sleeping, without even realizing it, unless they wake and notice that their teeth or muscles are sore. Upon routine examinations, Dr. Moreau will check for any signs of teeth grinding or damaged teeth. He is quick to point out to the patient that the following warning signs could be signs of bruxism or clenching. Signs such as:

• worn, flattened, fractured, cracked, or chipped teeth
• earache
• jaw pain, facial or shoulder pain
• tightness of jaw muscles
• limited jaw opening
• gum recession
• bone loss around teeth

Causes For Bruxism and Clenching

Stress is the most common cause of teeth grinding, along with an unbalanced bite relationship. Patients who have stress-induced teeth grinding or clenching may benefit from yoga, meditation, tai chi, medication, or other methods of stress relief. Some other causes that may lead to teeth grinding or clenching may be:

• dysfunction of the jaw joint
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Anxiety or tension

Treatment for Teeth Grinding and Clenching

There are a number of treatment modalities for bruxism and clenching, but the most important step is to prevent the teeth from excessive contact with one another. This can be best accomplished with the use of a bite splint or occlusal splint. Dr. Moreau will also recommend the treatment to correct or manage the problem, which may also include correction of a bite imbalance (malocclusion), physical therapy, meditations, meditation, biofeedback, acupuncture, orthodontics, etc.

Occlusal or Bite Splint

There are a number of bite splints on the market today, but the one recommended by Dr. Moreau is the Comfort (Hard/Soft) Bite Splint because of its comfort and fit. It is a clear, thin, and custom-fitted device that fits over your upper or lower teeth during sleep, high periods of stress, or even during waking hours. The splint is comprised of two layers: a soft inner layer that rests comfortably against the teeth and a clear, hard outer layer that provides durability against the opposing teeth. In addition to relieving head, neck, jaw joint, and shoulder pain, it protects the teeth and dental restorations. Dr. Moreau highly recommends this splint to protect the patient’s implants, veneers for multiple dental crowns. The Comfort Bite Splint is typically worn at night, though some patients do benefit while wearing it during the day, particularly in high-stress situations, such as while driving.

Call today if you need to find a dentist in Saratoga Springs to treat teeth grinding or clenching. Dr. Moreau gladly welcomes new and out-of-town patients.

Call Saratoga Smile Care at 518-584-6768 or request an appointment online.

Chronic stress puts your mouth and overall health at risk. Saratoga Springs’s dentist, Dr. Moreau can offer you comprehensive stress management suggestion for a healthier mouth and improve the quality of your life.

Chronic stress reduces the body’s nutrients, destabilizes the brain and endocrine chemistry. It can cause anxiety, addictions, sleep deprivation, Irritable bowel syndrome, compulsive disorders, ulcers, low energy, constant fatigue, irregular menstrual cycle in women, decreased testosterone in men, depression, headaches, muscle tension and pain, insomnia, heart disease, occlusal disease, weight gain, decreased sex drive, osteoporosis, increased risk for infections and skin conditions, just to name a few!

What happens during stress?

In times of stress, our sympathetic nervous system is stimulated. It controls your fight, flight or freeze response and causes elevated levels of hormones such as cortisol, norepinephrine and adrenaline, which have a damaging effect on the body when they persist too long. During times of stress, people tend to hold their breath or breathe from their chest; tighten their muscles and experience an increase in heart rate. If there is a pause in the periods of stress, people are able to take a deep breath and if deep breathing continues the heart rate decreases, muscles relax, lungs expand, and a sense of relief is felt. At this point the parasympathetic system has been triggered and provides a state of equilibrium restoring calm to the body as well as the mind.

Comprehensive Stress Management Program

A comprehensive stress management program would begin with identifying the stressors, the things that can trigger the stress response of your body, and adopting a non-catastrophic perspective to those stressors. A stress management program may include: examination of your bite relationship (occlusion); a dietary review; sleep review, exercise component, and relaxation practices.

Today’s hygiene appointment is so much more than cleaning teeth, detecting periodontal disease, checking for cavities, and screening for oral cancer. During your routine hygiene appointment at Saratoga Smile Care you will become aware of the many connections that your oral health has with your overall health and of your risk for future disease. Your mouth, teeth and gums, is a window to your body and its overall health; and nutrition plays a critical role!

During your routine hygiene appointment at Dr. Moreau’s office, you will learn how your stress affects the health of your mouth; how to correctly maintain a healthy mouth; how to achieve a more attractive smile; the effects of acidity on your body and be advised of the proactive steps you can take towards a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Moreau and his hygienist, Leisha work together to inform you on how to prevent disease and offer information on how to maintain a healthy mouth, a smart nutritional regime, great hygiene, and overall well-being.

Oral Signs of Poor Nutrition

If your body does not receive the proper amount of nutrients from the foods that you ingest, the mouth will reveal signs of your body’s distress. The state of your teeth and gums can often signal systemic problems including heart disease, celiac disease, diabetes, sinus infection, arthritis, acid reflux, alcoholism, just to name a few. Oral signs of the body’s deficiency in certain vitamins as B2, B3, B6, B12, D, C, A , iron, folic acid, amino acids and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc may also be seen during routine cleaning appointments. The more acidic the diet, the fewer nutrients are available for the body to function optimally.

Oral signs of Acidity

PH is a measurement of acidity and a healthy mouth is non-acidic, neutral or alkaline with a pH 7.0 of above. When the pH goes dips below this neutral point (at pH 6.5) there will be signs of tooth root softening and an increase incidence of root decay. As the acidity levels dip to a pH of 5.5 or lower, teeth begin to show signs of erosion, discoloring, cracking and denting in the chewing surfaces; and, an increase risk of cavities and periodontal disease. People who experience frequent dental problems, cavities, broken fillings, gum recession, periodontal disease or tooth sensitivity suffer because their own saliva is acidic in pH and as a consequence damage their own teeth and gums!

Salivary pH and Disease

Saliva is derived from body liquids and flows into the mouth and:

• lubricates the mouth and facilitates speaking
• it eliminates carbohydrates that could be broken down by bacteria forming plaque and removes acids from the bacterial processes
• contains bicarbonate, which acts as a buffer by neutralizing acid production and controlling plaque pH
• protects the enamel by using calcium and phosphates to remineralize teeth

Saliva reflects the pH and chemistry of the body. The effects of stress, hormone changes, sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, and obesity, makes the saliva more acidic losing it buffering capabilities. Long periods of acidity lead to increase in tooth decay, erosion, periodontal disease, and halitosis (bad breath). Testing the pH of the saliva provides clues as to the overall status of physical health and provides indicators as to the risk of periodontal disease and tooth decay.

Acidity and Disease

Excess acidity is the most common form of pH imbalance impacting your overall health as well as the health of your teeth, gums and supporting bone. Excess acidity is the result of poor diet, over-exercising, and chronic stress. The acidic environment of the body depletes our body of minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium hindering the body to buffer the acidity. Consequences of extended acid excess leads to tooth decay, periodontal disease, loss of bone supporting the teeth, decreases the body’s ability to absorb vitamins and minerals, in addition to a list other ailments such as; weight gain, premature aging, low energy, mood swings. Chronic stress also contributes to a rise in acidic pH balance while stress reduction techniques help to reduce acidity.

By taking action and avoiding things and that make your mouth more acidic, you can prevent decay, improve your gum health and provide your body with the necessary nutrients to function optimally and improve the quality of your life.

Snoring is more than a nuisance. In fact, by interrupting the sleep cycle it can negatively affect the personal, emotional, intellectual and physical well-being of one’s life. Dr. Moreau cares as much about your teeth and smile as he does about your well-being and he can offer you some simple solutions.

Snoring affects nearly 60 percent of the population and increases as people age 50 and older, prohibiting them from experiencing deep restorative sleep.

What Causes Snoring?

Snoring happens when air has to travel through a narrow upper airway instead of a broad one. The rapidly moving air causes the relaxed soft tissue of the throat to vibrate causing the sound of snoring. A restricted upper airway can be caused by:

• large tonsils
• a long uvula (small piece of soft tissue that hangs from the soft palate over the back of the tongue)
• flabby tissue in the throat can occur with age
• nasal congestion
• too relaxed tongue muscle that slips back into the back of the throat with each breath

Who is Affected By Snoring?

Studies have reported that there is an estimated 60% of men and 40% of women over the age of 40 are habitual snorers. Snoring is common in children between the ages of 2 and 7 particularly if they have chest infections, allergies, or enlarged tonsils. Snoring is even common with women during the later stages of pregnancy and people that are overweight.

What Are The Effects Of Snoring?

Snorers may experience fatigue, dry mouth, and morning headaches upon waking in the morning. They may experience a struggle for breath which can result in a spike blood pressure which can damage the walls of the carotid arteries, lead to hypertension and increase the risk of stroke. Sleep disturbance/deprivation can be distressing to sleep partners as well negatively impact the well-being and quality of life.

Snoring Treatment

The most common cause of narrowing of the upper airway is a tongue that is so relaxed that get sucked back into the throat causing snoring and sleep apnea. By keeping the tongue forward in the mouth, the airway can be stays open, air travels more slowly, reducing the throat tissue vibrations and thus reducing or stopping snoring. There are number of effective oral devices that effective in treating snoring by repositioning the lower jaw forward or by pulling the tongue forward.

Be proactive in improving the quality of your life and those around you with a consultation and let Dr. Moreau help you take those steps. Call 518-584-6768 or request an appointment online.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or periods of low breathing during sleep. It is estimated that 22 million people suffer from sleep apnea with 80% of the moderate to severe suffers are undiagnosed. Sleep apnea is caused from the obstruction of the upper airway and is usually referred to as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a common and potentially life threatening medical condition that obstructs the airflow during sleep. It occurs when the soft tissue of the throat collapses and narrows the airway preventing the flow of air and reducing the amount of oxygen that is delivered to the body. People momentarily wake from sleep when the blood-oxygen levels drop low enough.

Risks Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Patients with OSA have a much higher risk of stroke, hypertension, or congestive heart failure in addition to snoring, daytime sleepiness, memory loss, morning headaches, irritability, depression, diabetes, decreased sex drive, reduced concentration and falling asleep while driving.

Signs of Sleep Apnea

A sleep apnea patient is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing even upon awakening. It is usually recognized by others witnessing the individual during episodes or suspected because of its effects on the body. Symptoms may go on for years without being identified because the sufferer may be conditioned to daytime sleepiness or fatigue associate with a sleep disturbance. Sleep apnea usually worsens with age and weight gain. Some of the common signs of sleep apnea are:

• frequent daytime sleepiness
• fatigue easily
• insomnia
• loud snoring
• waking from sleep gasping or choking

Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea frequently goes undiagnosed because people often mistaken it form snoring. Studies have revealed that 50% of loud snorers have some form of sleep apnea. A physician is required to perform an overnight sleep study to properly diagnose obstructive sleep apnea.

Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Although first line of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is a continuous positive airway pressure apparatus (CPAP), an oral appliance is preferred by many patients alone or in combination with other treatments such as weight management, upper airway surgery or CPAP machines. The advantage of an oral appliance is that they are comfortable, small, convenient and easy to wear with usually a couple of weeks to become accustomed to wearing the appliance. They are non-invasive and reversible.

Oral Appliance Therapy

All oral appliances work by repositioning the jaw in a more forward position; pulling the tongue forward stimulating and toning the muscles of the tongue; and stabilizing the lower jaw. All these appliances will open up the airway passages allowing a more unrestricted flow of air exchange and greater flow of blood to the body’s organs.

Call for a sleep apnea consultation and improve the quality of your life today! Call Saratoga Springs’s dentist Dr. Moreau at 518-584-6768.

The dental hygiene aspect of Saratoga Smile Care is the strongest that you will experience because our hygienist will provide you with not only a gentle thorough cleaning, but design for you a soft tissue management program to help you manage any aspect of periodontal disease. She will offer you any nutritional and stress management information that will positively impact the quality of dental health, as well as your overall well-being.

What is Periodontal (Gum) Disease?

There are two main forms of periodontal disease. Gingivitis is a mild and early form of periodontal disease and has to deal with the inflammation of the gum tissue. It is easily reversible with regular flossing, proper brushing and routine professional cleaning. Periodontitis is a more serious and manageable form of periodontal disease that includes the inflammation of the gums and the surrounding bone structure. This destructive form of gum disease may include gum inflammation and bleeding; gum recession; bone loss around the roots of the teeth and tooth mobility to subsequent loss.

Warning Signs of Periodontal Disease

Patients may not know they have periodontal disease until it is too late because most of the time gum disease is not painful. The warning signs of periodontal disease are:

• bleeding gums upon brushing or flossing
• gums that have pulled away from the teeth
• persistent bad breath or taste
• loose teeth
• teeth shifting of spacing between the teeth

To prevent the progression of your gum disease we will design a soft tissue management program that might entail more frequent ‘deep cleaning’ visits; local and systemic antibiotics; nutritional and stress management advice and bite protection with a ‘night guard’.

Frequently Asked Gum Disease Questions

What factors cause periodontal disease?

The factors that contribute to periodontal disease include: tobacco products and smoking, certain medications, crooked teeth; old or defective fillings, stress, systemic diseases, such as diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, improper home care, excessive bite trauma, and irregular professional dental cleanings.

What are the options for treating periodontal disease?

Patients with early signs of gum disease benefit greatly from a series of visits that comprise of intensive teeth cleaning referred to as scaling, root planning and curettage. During these visits plaque and calculus (harden plaque) are removed from the roots of the teeth and deep pockets around the teeth. Patients with a more advance stage of periodontal disease may be treated with laser dentistry or surgery.

If gum disease has resulted in the loss of teeth, there are a number of replacement options available to you to replace the teeth.

Call now and wait no longer before it is too late. Make any appointment with Dr. Moreau for a periodontal screening at 518-584-6768 or request an appointment online.