Skip to main content
All Posts By

Dr. Anthony LaVacca

Mar 13

Bad breath

By Bad Breath Treatment, General Dentistry

My children keep telling me I have horrible breath. I brush every day, so I can ‘t figure out what the problem is.  Mints aren’t helping. Do you have any suggestions?

Brent W. – Little Rock, AR

Brent,

Bad breath is caused by bacteria.  Though brushing is a good first step, you’ll need to also include flossing, as well as periodic professional cleanings with your dentist.  The reason the mints aren’t helping is because they contain sugar, which adds to your bacteria. Instead of using a mint, try chewing gum. The gum helps stimulate your saliva flow, which fights the bacteria in your mouth instead of adding to it. Also, look for a dentist who does bad breath treatments. They’ll help find the cause of your breath problems.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

You may also be interested in sensitive teeth.

Feb 29

Getting Snap-on Smile online

By Snap-on Smile

I heard of a company called ____________that lets you get snap on smile online.  They send you the kit to make the impressions at your house and send it to the lab so you don’t have to go to the doctor’s office. The company had some bad reviews about people who paid their money but didn’t get their order. I don’t really trust that company, but wondered what other online company you’d recommend.

Brent W.- Little Rock

Brent,

There is a reason there are bad reviews for a company that says you can get Snap-on Smile online. Any company that tries to sell you that service isn’t being honest with you. There is much more to Snap-on Smile than taking your impressions. But even with just the impressions, there is a lot more to it than this company has led you to believe. The impressions have to be done without any distortions. Not even all dental assistants are capable of doing that.

Impressions aside, there are many other reasons it can’t be done with an at-home kit. Snap-on Smile is made by the Den-Mat Company. You’ll have to tell their lab, the exact shading you want for the smile in dental terminology, as well as how much facial bulk to allow. After that, you’ll need to know how to fit it to your bite. In most cases, even after it comes back from the lab, it isn’t a perfect fit and will have to be adjusted which requires special tools. If a company is telling you that you can get it by buying a kit online and avoiding the dentist, they are lying to you.

There is another reason you shouldn’t order Snap-on Smile from an online company. The Den-Mat company is required by law to only fill orders from licensed dentists. In order for an online company to place an order they would have to misrepresent themselves that you were treated by a licensed dentist. I’d avoid this at all costs.

If price is a consideration for why you’re wanting to skip the dental office, you could shop around and see where you can get them the least expensively. Be aware though that you’re probably sacrificing appearance for price. Generally, the higher priced dentists have more artistic skill and are in higher demand. But, to give you a place to start shopping around, for the six front teeth the lab cost is $250.  For all the upper teeth the lab cost is $400. What each dentist charges above those lab fees varies from dentist to dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Feb 08

Dentures make me gag

By Dental Implants

I recently had to get dentures because of some teeth that needed to be pulled. I am having such a hard time wearing it because it makes me gag. Can you help me?

Emily B.-Arkansas

Emily,

Occasionally denture wearers complain about gagging, especially if the plate has to cross their palate. My recommendation is to get dental implants instead. With dental implants, a titanium post is surgically placed into your jawbone to serve as your tooth root, and a crown is placed on top to serve as your tooth. It is an ideal solution for replacing missing teeth, and is the closest you can come to having your own teeth back. There is no gagging, because nothing will cross your palate.

There is an additional benefit too, of preserving your jawbone. Your dentist may have already warned you, but when you have a tooth removed, your body begins reabsorbing the minerals from your jawbone. So, while your denture may last, your jawbone won’t. Placing an implant into the jawbone signals to your body that your tooth is still there and it retains the bone.

Hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Jan 21

Can I get porcelain crowns if I have gum disease?

By Gum Disease

Hi, I’ve got gum disease, but need to get some crowns. Is it possible? If so, will it stop the gum disease?

Thanks in advance.

Lisa W.- Tennessee

Unfortunately, porcelain crowns will not stop the progression of gum disease. Whether or not you can get the crowns will depend on what stage of gum disease you have. If you have gingivitis, the mildest case, then it is not that big of a deal. Just floss regularly and make sure you have your teeth cleaned professionally. However,  if you have advanced periodontitis, then you are at risk of your teeth falling out. If that is the case, you will not want to invest in crowns, and instead save up for dental implants. Be sure you get a clear answer from your dentist on which end of the gum disease spectrum your case falls.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Dec 26

Baby molar extraction

By Pediatric Dentist

My six year old has two infected and broken molars. Both are baby teeth. They broke because of decay. Our dentist wants us to pull the teeth. Is that ok? Why not do a root canal?

Karen S.- Florida

Karen,

When an adult tooth is infected, we do a root canal. However, root canals rarely work for baby teeth, especially baby molars. Extracting the teeth is the right thing to do. I assume your dentist is going to place one or two space maintainers after the extraction. If he or she is not planning on doing that, and didn’t recommend it, I suggest finding a different pediatric dentist.

Space maintaners are very important in these circumstances. At her age, her permanent first molars have either just erumpted or are about to erupt.  Without the space maintainers they will drift forward and block her permanent premolars. If this happens they could erupt sideways or not at all.

This blog is brought to you by the Naperville pediatric dentists of ndscare.com

Nov 22
Naperville-General-Dentistry-blog

What amount of dental work can be done in one sitting?

By Sedation Dentistry

I have a TON of dental work that needs to be done. I need several root canals. I also have a few cavities and need some cosmetic work done. I don’t want this to drag out and have to keep taking time off work. How much work can I get done in one appointment?

Bill K. -Draper, Utah

Bill,

You will get a variety of answers to this question depending on the dentist you choose. Each dentist has a different comfort level when it comes to this issue. You will find that dentists who do sedation dentistry are comfortable with the most amount of work in one sitting. You can easily find one by doing a google search for “draper sedation dentist”.

If you are not comfortable with sedation dentistry, then it also depends on your endurance level with treatment. If you are not bothered by dental treatment, you could do as much as four hours at a time and get a great deal done depending on how fast your dentist works.

Something else to bear in mind.  It can take a general or cosmetic dentist one and a half to two hours to do a molar root canal, but a root canal specialist (an endodontist) is able to get the whole thing done in an hour without a problem. So if your root canals are all on front teeth, you’re fine with a general dentist. However, if they are on molars you’ll need a specialist to get several done in one appointment.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville cosmetic dentist Dr. La Vacca.

 

Nov 07

Teeth Whitening Systems

By Teeth Whitening

A few years ago my dentist gave me a whitening tray called Opalescence. I’m wanting to bleach my teeth. Do I have to only use the opalescence brand with this tray? Could I also use other brands, or could I just use Crest whitestrips without the tray? What about Brite Smile To Go?

Thanks,

Todd M.- Florida

Todd,

Opalescence is a good whitening gel, but it is not the only one you can use with your tray. It is one of several brands that cosmetic dentists use to whiten their patient’s teeth. Another popular brand is Nite White. The benefit of the tray is it should have been custom made for your teeth, so you’ll get better coverage.

Brite Smile to Go is an over the counter paint on whitener. I have not seen any studies on its effectiveness, so could not give a definitive answer. However, looking at the ingredients and the instructions, it appears to be a mild whitener that is safe to use. Crest White Strips have been around for years and have a number of studies on them. They are perfectly safe and will whiten your teeth, but it is a much milder form of whitener and will take a while.

If you’re looking for a faster teeth whitening system, you might consider Zoom Whitening. It is administered by a dentist and can give you a brilliantly white smile in just one appointment.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist, Anthony LaVacca.

Sep 27

Novocain doesn’t work for me

By Sedation Dentistry

I have a very high tolerance for novocain, so dental procedures are a complete nightmare. I need to get a tooth extracted and wondered if there is anything I can do.

Jeanne S.- San Francisco

Jeanne,

Most people who have a high tolerance for novocain, it is because they are nervous about the procedure. The adrenaline causes the Novocain to wear off quicker. There is a solution though. First, you want to go to a dentist that practices sedation dentistry.  What you need is something to relax you enough to allow the novocain to take affect. There are a couple of options. You could take nitrous oxide, or an oral sedation pill. Either one will give you the edge you need to get through the procedure pain free.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. La Vacca.

Sep 14

Really Bad Breath

By Bad Breath Treatment

I hope you can help me. I have really bad breath, but it seems like no matter how often I brush I can’t get rid of it.

Wallace- Little Rock

Wallace,

Bad breath is caused by bacteria multiplying in your mouth. While brushing is great, you will also need to floss. Many dentist’s have some specialized products that can help neutralize the odors while your dentist gets to the underlying cause.

 

This blog is brought to you by Naperville dentist Dr. LaVacca.

Aug 24

Porcelain veneers for one crooked tooth

By Porcelain Veneers

I have one crooked tooth in the front. I was wondering if I could get porcelain veneers to fix it, or if I have to have braces.

Jennie I. – Sandy, Utah

Jennie,

If you don’t want traditional braces you have two wonderful options. The first one is porcelain veneers. They are an excellent solution for your crooked tooth. If it sticks out in the front it would need to be shaved down first. It is important you go to a qualified cosmetic dentist to get these done. It takes a lot of artistic skills to do veneers, your basic family dentist may not have the needed training.

A second option for you is invisalign. It sounds like you are uncomfortable with the idea of traditional braces. However, I wanted to make sure you were aware that with invisalign there is not the same issue with pain/discomfort that you get with wire & brackets. Plus, they are completely invisible. No one will know you are wearing braces.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Close Menu