Living a Healthier Life

Did you know that diabetics are twice a s likely to develop gum disease?

Yes, they are more susceptible to infection due to a decrease ability to fight harmful bacteria.

If diabetes is not under control, the risk for developing gum disease increases. 

Studies also show that advanced gum disease, or periodontitis may actually cause type 2 diabetes.

Gum disease often develops without pain or symptoms, but signs include red, swollen, tender, receding, gums that can be prone to bleeding. 

In the majority of cases, gum disease can be prevented.

Practice good oral hygiene by brushing, flossing and visiting us regularly for cleanings, checkups and early detection.

For a healthier life, book an appointment with the office of Dr. Ivi Sanguinetti today at  (281) 421-5950

Bonding and White Fillings

Patients  Dr. Ivi Sanguinetti DDS,PA often request bonding and white fillings to restore their smile, as these are both excellent procedures that can help cover imperfections of the tooth.

 

White fillings are performed for tooth decay, but can also be used for covering up imperfections like chips or cracks in the teeth. Bonding works in a similar way, as it is mixed to be the same color as the tooth. This lets it be used by our dentist for staining or discoloration, filling gaps, and improving many other imperfections of the teeth.

 

Benefits of bonding and white fillings are as follows:

• The material matches the natural tooth.
• It covers a wide range of imperfections.
• No silver amalgam fillings are needed.
• It is safe and effective.

The process of bonding and white fillings is simple, starting with mixing composite resin to the right shade. An adhesive gel is first painted onto the tooth, followed by molding and shaping the resin over the tooth. Dr. Sanguinetti works quickly to get it in the right shape, and then shines an ultraviolet light on it, which hardens the resin. The last step is polishing the tooth.

Lumineers

Lumineers are not just porcelain veneers; they are a special brand of veneers. Lumineers are made of extremely thin material — about the thickness of a contact lens — and placed over the tooth without in many instances requiring the removal of any of the original tooth structure. They are also highly translucent, which allows them to replicate the appearance of enamel for a more natural looking finished product. The truly remarkable quality about Lumineers, though, is the fact that they have the durability to last 20 years or more.

 

Here in our Baytown, TX dental office, we believe in minimizing pain whenever possible. The fact that Lumineers placed by Dr Ivi Z. Sanguinetti DDS require so little preparation to the existing tooth means there is little pain involved in the procedure.

 

Lumineers require two dental visits:

 

1) During the first visit, we create a precise mold and work with you to select the desired whiteness level.

2) We place the new Lumineers on the second visit and you're on your way.

Whitening and Bleaching

Even with consistent brushing and good oral care, teeth can lose their color. Today, you have many options when it comes to teeth whitening that include over-the-counter options, prescription methods and in-office procedures. Did you know that we offer custom tray whitening for our patients? Having teeth professionally whitened is an excellent way to restore the natural color of teeth quickly and effectively.

 

Unlike ineffective, over the counter whitening strips that are messy and tend to slide off teeth, professional custom tray whitening provided by Dr. Ivi Sanguinetti whitens teeth 4-8 shades in just a couple days. The tray whitening system can reverse the effects of discoloration. Through this gel treatment, the program is designed to whiten teeth quickly and effectively.

 

The key in determining whether or not you are a candidate for teeth whitening is determining whether your teeth are intrinsically or extrinsically stained. Intrinsic stains are on the surface, having barely penetrated the enamel. They are caused by coffee, smoking and aging. These stains are reversible through take-home tray whitening.  Extrinsic stains develop from the inside of the teeth and are often caused by different antibiotics. The teeth are darkened as a result of bacteria buildup and cannot be reversed by whitening alone. If that’s the case, you will most likely need to be fitted with porcelain veneers or receive dental bonding, procedures that Dr. Sanguinetti performs regularly her Baytown, TX dental practice.

 

Traditional tray systems include a custom-fitted mouth guard that the patient wears for a period of 40-45 minutes for a few days. Dr. Sanguinetti will take a mold of the patient’s mouth in order to create a custom-fit mouth guard. The amount of days the mouth guard is worn depends on how white the patient wants their teeth to be. This often results in a whiter smile of 4-8 shades in just a few days.

Give us a call today at (281) 421-5950 to get started on your teeth whitening!

Bonding

Aesthetically covering the imperfections of the teeth is something many of our patients visit our dental practice for. With dental bonding, we are able to use a composite resin made to match the color our patients prefer and cover the top part of the natural tooth.

Bonding allows them to improve imperfections like discoloration, gaps or cracks in their tooth, while still maintaining the original tooth structure and not needing filing of the tooth. With proper care, bonding can last for more than a decade!

The bonding procedure is simple and goes as follows:

1. The tooth is prepared through cleaning and buffing.


2. The composite resin is mixed with the color specified.


3. The material is painted over the tooth and left to dry.


4. It is then polished to look like the surface of a natural tooth.

Chips or cracks, gaps between teeth, excessive tooth decay, misshapen teeth and discoloration are all common reasons patients visit us in Baytown, TX for bonding. We also have patients that want bonding due to the exposure of their roots, usually following gum disease or periodontal disease.

Contact Dr. Ivi Sanguinetti today to discuss your options with bonding and to learn more about the procedure at (281) 421-5950.

Teeth Whitening

Here in Baytown, TX, we provide teeth whitening as an efficient way to cover any discoloration or staining of the teeth. Most patients experience teeth that are 6-10 shades whiter with our tray whitening system. The trays are custom-made using impressions made from the patient’s teeth, so they fit perfectly, as opposed to the trays sold in stores that never fit quite right. This system makes for one of the best teeth whitening systems available.

Dr. Ivi Sanguinetti begins the process by taking impressions of the patient’s teeth and waiting for the trays to come back from the dental lab. This take about 1-2 weeks. After they are ready, the trays are reusable and don’t need to be made again. We use a whitening gel that is safe for the teeth and coat the inside of the trays with this gel. Then, we place the trays over the teeth for a period of time, before removing them. Our patient then repeats the process at home for a few days until they receive the desired results.

Tray whitening offered here in our practice is a great benefit to our patients as they have custom trays to use over and over again, as well as significantly lower sensitivity than with other whitening systems.

Give us a call today at (281) 421-5950 to get started on your teeth whitening!

Extractions

A tooth extraction is a procedure performed here in our dental practice that removes a tooth for a number of reasons. Tooth extractions are necessary procedures that need to be performed to help improve a patient’s oral health. In some patients, it is from decay or infections, while others have wisdom teeth that are beginning to cause pain or discomfort. Extractions are also done for orthodontic reasons, such as to make room in the mouth prior to getting braces.

There are several reasons our patients need tooth extractions, including the following:

• ·         If the tooth has become infected due to severe decay.


• ·         If a root canal has failed, extraction is necessary.


• ·         Due to overcrowding when a tooth is too big for the patient’s mouth.


• ·         Weakened immune system that is at risk for causing the patient an infection.


• ·         If the tooth has become weakened and loose from gum disease and restorative measures are not an option.

The type of tooth being removed indicates if it is a simple procedure or one that requires general anesthesia. Impacted teeth and wisdom teeth removal are generally a more involved process. With either local anesthesia or general anesthesia, an extraction is virtually pain-free.

If you’ve been told you need a tooth extraction, schedule an appointment with Dr. Ivi Sanguinetti at 281-421-5950.

Lumineers

Lumineers are a type of dental veneer that covers the front of a patient’s tooth and hides any imperfections. The main difference between Lumineers and traditional veneers is that Lumineers are much thinner, therefore less expensive and require less preparation work of the tooth. Many of our patients visit our Baytown, TX dental practice looking to improve their smile with the help of Lumineers.

Only the outer surface of the tooth is covered by the porcelain Lumineers, so the natural tooth is still intact. Patients don’t need to worry about the function of their tooth, as they take care of it and eat just as they normally would. The Lumineers are made from impressions of the patient’s tooth. In some patients, mild contouring or filing is done on the natural tooth to make room for the Lumineer. This prevents it from looking too large in their mouth.

After the Lumineers are back from the lab, they are bonded to the tooth and polished to look just like other natural teeth. Our patients receive the smile they always dreamed about in as little as two visits.

Call our office at 281-421-5950 to speak to Dr. Ivi Sanguinetti about Lumineers. Be sure to watch the video about veneers on our website as well.