Dr. James C. DeFinnis's Dental Blog

Wilkes Barre Family Dentist Dr. James C. DeFinnis

For Your Teeth’s Sake: Food Items Worth Avoiding

It is often fun to eat some snack items at certain times of the day. However, doing so without caution and compunction can present a huge threat to your teeth’s integrity. Your preferred dentist can tip you on them and plan your eating accordingly. Continue reading

July 27, 2015 Posted by | Back Mountain Dental, Children's Dental Care, Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Cleaning, General Dentistry, Healthy Living, Oral Hygiene, Sedation Dentistry, Tooth Sensitivity | , , | Leave a comment

The Advantages of Sedation Dentistry

2Going to the dentist can be a stressful event for both children and adults. In fact, many people end up with serious dental problems that are caused by a lack of routine maintenance. If you fear going to the dentist, you may want to consider sedation dentistry as a way to put you at ease during your visit. Continue reading

June 4, 2015 Posted by | Back Mountain Dental, Children's Dental Care, Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Cleaning, General Dentistry, Healthy Living, Oral Hygiene, Sedation Dentistry, Tooth Sensitivity | , , | Leave a comment

Nutrition Tips from a Dentist in Wilkes-Barre, PA

If you think that regular brushing and flossing are all it takes to keep your teeth and gums healthy, you’re sadly mistaken. While staying true to your dental routine helps a lot, your diet also plays a big role on your dental and oral health. Here are some nutrition tips from a trusted dentist in Wilkes-Barre, PA for you to follow:

Don’t Give in to Your Sweet Tooth

You probably already learned this as a kid, but even adults need a little reminder from time to time. Sugary food and drinks contain acids that can damage your teeth. Keep your sugar consumption at a low level.

Drink Lots of Water

Aside from keeping you hydrated throughout the day, water can also help wash away loose food particles in between your teeth and gum line. Drink a glass or two of water after meals, especially if you’re at work and don’t have time to brush or floss.

Eat a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet promotes overall good health. A diet consisting of junk food and sugary snacks can make your mouth an ideal breeding ground for acid-producing bacteria, which can lead to tooth decay. If it helps, keep track of what you eat and make it a goal to get nutrition from all five major food groups.

Proper nutrition and maintaining your oral health go hand in hand. Visit your dentist twice a year to keep your dental and oral health in check.

April 23, 2015 Posted by | Back Mountain Dental, Cosmetic Dentistry, General Dentistry, Oral Hygiene | , , | Leave a comment

Improving Your Smile with Cosmetic Dentistry

As one of the most central (figuratively and literally) components of your facial appearance, your smile plays a very important role. It allows you to express your feelings particularly when you’re happy, and a charming smile is often enough to win over the attention and/or affection of another.

It can be harsh, though, to be born with crooked and unsightly teeth, which could impair your appearance greatly. Fortunately, you can undergo cosmetic dentistry to have your teeth enhanced and made more aesthetically-pleasing.

Cosmetic dentistry is concerned with the appearance of teeth, and it involves various procedures that fix a patient’s smile. While considered a separate field from general dentistry, it isn’t unusual to find general dentists who practice cosmetic procedures. Often, cosmetic dentistry overlaps with orthodontics—a dentistry specialty in improper bites—and some dentists offer both.

What can cosmetic dentistry fix in your smile? If you have stained and/or yellowing teeth, a cosmetic dentist can offer to whiten it. Are your teeth too damaged to look any appealing? Consider having veneers fitted over your teeth, with help from your dentist. Worried about your misaligned and crooked teeth? Your dentist will have dental braces or aligners that you can use to set your teeth into place.

Whatever your aesthetic problem is with your teeth, a cosmetic dentist has the answer for it.

April 1, 2015 Posted by | Cosmetic Dentistry | , , | Leave a comment

IV Sedation Dentistry: What Should You Expect?

IV sedation or Intravenous sedation is an increasingly popular method used by dentists to ease patients into a deep state of relaxation and unawareness. Like its name suggests, the process involves a sedative drug being injected into the vein through the use of an extremely fine needle and an indwelling catheter.

The needle will be inserted into a vein found in the arm or the back of a hand, and once the sedative takes effect, the dentist will proceed to numb the patient’s mouth with an anesthetic injection. Since the drugs administered for IV sedation are anti-anxiety drugs and not painkillers, local anesthesia is still necessary to dull the pain from the procedure. Continue reading

March 23, 2015 Posted by | General Dentistry, Healthy Living, Sedation Dentistry | , , | Leave a comment

Invisalign: A Teeth Straightening Procedure

People of different age groups suffer from various dental conditions such as missing teeth, tooth decay, periodontal diseases, and misalignment of teeth. Such problems can greatly affect a person not only physically, but mentally and emotionally too.backmountain

Thanks to developments in dental procedures, however, dentists are able to address the many concerns of their patients and at the same time help them regain their lost confidence. One of these is the presence of misaligned or crooked teeth, wherein certain orthodontic procedures become solutions. Continue reading

February 12, 2015 Posted by | Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Cleaning, Oral Hygiene | , , | Leave a comment

Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore: Root Canal Treatment

backmountainVery few dental procedures are as infamous as root canal treatments. Although the procedure has a less-than-ideal reputation, it does help save a tooth from dying due to advanced tooth decay.

Fortunately, the signs of advanced tooth decay and infection are easy to spot; the trick is resisting the urge to ignore the symptoms out fear of root canal treatments. If you experience any of the following symptoms, be sure to see a dentist in Wilkes-Barre, PA: Continue reading

December 31, 2014 Posted by | Back Mountain Dental, Cosmetic Dentistry, General Dentistry | , , , | Leave a comment

Having Perfect Teeth Closes Deals

A great smile can really brighten up anyone’s day. It also lends a friendly atmosphere to its wearer. Creating this positive emotional impression is something that anyone who regularly gets involved in making deals must do. However, if your teeth aren’t quite presentable enough, smiling to win big in business might be a rather difficult proposition. Continue reading

November 17, 2014 Posted by | Back Mountain Dental, Bruxism, Cavities, Children's Dental Care, Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Cleaning, Emergency Dentistry, Family Dentistry, General Dentistry, Healthy Living, Just for Fun, Missing Teeth, Office Technology, Oral Hygiene, Restorative Dentistry, Sedation Dentistry, Tooth Sensitivity | , , | Leave a comment

Why Some Health Buffs Need Dental Crowns

BackMountainDentalTo keep themselves fit, many people seek to get a healthy balance of diet and exercise. However, recent studies suggest that the “ideal” diet recommended for fitness buffs could actually be bad for the teeth.

Thus, health buffs who watch their diet are now presented with a new challenge: how to keep themselves fit without sacrificing their oral and dental health in the process. This is especially tricky as various studies now show that many types of food can gradually damage teeth. This is why dentists always remind their patients to practice proper oral hygiene, as they practice a fit and healthy lifestyle.

To some, this warning may have come too late, and they may now have to deal with discolored, damaged, or decayed teeth. Fortunately, several remedies are available for bad or unsightly teeth. Continue reading

October 18, 2014 Posted by | Back Mountain Dental, Cosmetic Dentistry | , , , | Leave a comment

Intrinsic or Extrinsic: Main Types of Tooth Stains

BackMountainDentalCommercial whitening gels and toothpastes are often cited as one of the reasons why many people have stopped going to the dentist for an annual oral exam. While these products certainly have their uses, they’re not sufficient to clean off intrinsic tooth stains.

As the name implies, intrinsic stains or ‘deep stains’ are found within the tooth. They’re normally caused by dental trauma (i.e. physical damage on teeth) and enamel erosion, although they can also be the result of exposure to nicotine, chlorine, and certain medications. Most over-the-counter whitening products don’t penetrate deep into the tooth, which is why many intrinsic stains cases may be addressed only by cosmetic dental treatments like porcelain veneers. Continue reading

September 18, 2014 Posted by | Back Mountain Dental, Dental Cleaning, General Dentistry | , , , | Leave a comment