Have you ever wished your Lafayette, CO cosmetic dentist could glue new pearly white covers on your existing teeth as easy as you paint a wall in your house? Guess what? With porcelain veneers, it’s possible. Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin tooth-shaped fronts that are permanently bonded to your natural teeth. Unlike a dental crown procedure, your…
Here at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry, we want your teeth to last a lifetime! Tooth enamel is one of the hardest parts of the body, but it is non-renewable so it is important not to not neglect or abuse our teeth. Daily teeth and gum care is the best way to protect…
Most Boulder folks don’t often think of a tooth as a body part that fluctuates in strength. Our teeth seem to have a steady hardness and dependably grind food whenever we need them. However, teeth are dynamic organisms with chemical processes that occur continually. The protective enamel that covers the softer interior is made of…
When my Boulder County dental clients ask me if mouthwash cures bad breath, I tell them that treating bad breath with a mouthwash is like drenching yourself with cologne instead of taking a shower. Mouthwash is only a temporary mask for odor caused by poor oral hygiene, tongue bacteria, or digestive problems. The best-selling mouthwashes…
Attention Boulder dental patients: brushing twice daily may help lower your risk of heart disease. Boulder scientists, dentists, and cardiologists have known for many years that there is a link between inflammation in the mouth (gum disease) and heart problems. However, a recent study analyzed oral health habits and heart disease risk. Science Daily reported…
I’m Dr. Gordon West DDS of Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry in Lafayette. My cosmetic dentistry clients often ask me if chewing xylitol gum is an effective substitute for tooth brushing and regular dental exams. Before I answer that question, let me tell you a little bit about xylitol: Xylitol is a natural…
Hundreds of Boulder County dental implant recipients have replaced missing teeth with jaw-bone anchored tooth implants. Unlike a dental bridge, a tooth implant consists of a titanium post inserted into the jaw bone. The bone meshes with the post to create a strong base for the natural-looking prosthetic tooth and dental crown that attaches to…
Why should everyone in Lafayette brush at least twice a day? Let’s take a look at why this is so important. Brushing and flossing is the best way to prevent decay. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste and carefully flossing removes the food from our teeth and inhibits the build up of plaque. If we let food…
“Every tooth in a man’s head is more valuable than a diamond.” -Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605 When Cervantes wrote Don Quixote, there was no way to replace teeth that were lost to trauma or decay. We are fortunate to live here in Lafayette at a time where there is a permanent replacement for missing teeth-the…
When I discuss sedation dentistry with new Boulder cosmetic dentistry patients, I encounter many misconceptions. The purpose of today’s Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry dentistry article is to de-bunk some of the most common myths about dental sedation. Myth #1: With Boulder Sedation Dentistry, You Are Completely Unconscious Some nervous Boulder dental patients…