Root Canals from Dr. Susan Levine

If you have a persistent toothache, it could be a sign that you have an infected tooth that may need to be treated with a root canal. The toothache is caused by bacteria that have gone through the enamel of your teeth and into the soft pulp on the inside of your tooth, causing an infection. 

The following are some of the symptoms of a root canal infection:

• Throbbing or aching in your tooth
• Increased sensitivity to hot and cold
• Swollen or discolored gums
• A dark spot on your tooth
• Chipping and breaking of a tooth
• Strong pain when applying pressure to the tooth
• A persistent pimple inside of your mouth

      If any of these symptoms sound familiar, it is a good idea to call us right away. If it turns out that you do have a root canal infection, the sooner you come in, the better. To treat your tooth, Dr. Susan Levine will remove the decay, clean out the infected pulp, repair the tooth and seal it with a crown. Many people are afraid that this is a painful procedure. Usually, the pain from the infection is more bothersome than the actual procedure. We use anesthesia and do all that we can to make it as comfortable for you as possible.

The longer you wait, the infection will have more time to spread and could lead to serious health concerns, such as abscessed teeth, swelling, losing the infected tooth and bone damage. The bacteria could even enter your bloodstream and have the potential to affect your overall health, not just that of your teeth and gums.

A toothache should not be ignored as it could be your body trying to tell you that you have a root canal infection. If you have any of the symptoms described above, call Dr. Susan Levine’s Fairfield, CT dental office today to schedule an appointment.

Improve Your Smile with Porcelain Veneers

Do you find yourself avoiding photographs or covering your mouth when you smile? Porcelain veneers from Dr. Levine’s Fairfield dental office are a great way to improve your smile. 

Porcelain veneers are a great solution if your teeth are stained, cracked, chipped, have gaps, or other damage. Small, thin pieces of porcelain will be attached to the front of your teeth, allowing Dr. Levine to correct the color, shaping, spacing and general appearance of your teeth. This is especially helpful if you’ve tried teeth whitening and still aren’t satisfied with the results, or if you have some small gaps in between your teeth but didn’t want to resort to braces.

The porcelain will reflect the light just like your natural teeth, so no one will be able to detect a difference. Also, your veneers will help strengthen your teeth and are stain-resistant. Porcelain veneers are a simple treatment that can have a big impact on your smile.

When you’re confident in the appearance of your teeth and love your smile, you’ll want to smile more and will have more confidence in all aspects of your life. Having a smile that you’re proud of and want to show off is important, and something that we want to give to all our patients. Give us a call to see if porcelain veneers are right for you!

Dr. Susan Levine provides quality cosmetic and general dentistry to patients in the Fairfield, CT area. We want you to smile proudly once again. Call us to schedule your appointment today!

Sleep Apnea Treatments from Dr. Levine

Do you or your loved one snore very loudly or breathe irregularly while sleeping? If so, you should give Dr. Levine’s office a call, as you may have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where your breathing is interrupted. If you have it, during your sleep you stop breathing momentarily numerous times, usually resulting in a loud snore and a lack of oxygen to the brain.

While snoring is the primary symptom of sleep apnea, others include regular headaches in the morning, irritability, moodiness, forgetfulness, choking or gasping, irregular breathing, and waking up with a sore throat.

There are a variety of treatment options available for sleep apnea, such as losing weight, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and not sleeping on your side. Some cases require additional treatments that Dr. Levine can provide, such as a special device that will hold the lower jaw forward to help keep your airway clear. This will help to stop the snoring, which in turn will improve your breathing and give you a restful night’s sleep.

While anyone can have sleep apnea, there are some risk factors that can increase your chances. First, more men than women have this condition. Other factors include if you’re overweight, over 40, have a large neck, or a small upper airway.

If you think you or a loved one might have sleep apnea, call our office today. It is important to diagnose and treat this sleep disorder because it could have serious negative impacts on your health. 

Dr. Susan Levine provides quality cosmetic and general dentistry to patients in the Fairfield, CT area. We want you to smile proudly once again. Call us to schedule your appointment today!

General Dentistry from Dr. Susan Levine

General dentistry is the cornerstone of the dental health care system, so it is crucial that you visit your dentist twice a year for your general checkup. At Dr. Susan Levine’s Fairfield dental office, we’re dedicated to providing you with the quality general dental care you need for your health.

Why is general dentistry so important? For most people, this is the first interaction they will have with the dental health care system. It is the responsibility of the general dentist to not only clean your teeth, but to also check for cavities, chips or decay. Dr. Levine will screen you for important diseases such as gum disease and oral cancer, and suggest cosmetic dentistry procedures to improve to your smile, such as teeth whitening.

At our office, gum disease is one of our most important general dentistry concerns. This disease is the most common cause of tooth loss in adults, and many people it in some form without even realizing they have it. This is why your regular checkup is so important, so that we can ensure you don’t have gum disease. If found, it can be treated by root scaling and planing, where bacteria that causes the disease is removed from around your gum line.

Another part of general dentistry that is important to us is to check and treat root canal infections. An infection in the inside of your tooth could result in pain, aching or a throbbing feeling in your tooth. We will check for infection and restore your tooth to good health with a root canal.

General dentistry is an important part of your dental health, and we’d love to help be a part of keeping your teeth health. Call Dr. Levine’s Fairfield, CT dental office today to schedule your appointment!