Senior Dental Care

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour treat dental patients of all ages at Southern Cross Dental! Located in Colorado Springs, CO, we provide top-tier care for our senior patients. Your dental health grows increasingly important as you age. Older patients are at a higher risk of periodontal (gum) disease, extraction, and tooth decay. Proper dental care and appointments are a necessity. Contact our office today to schedule your appointment.

 

Certain physical tasks become harder when you’re older. This includes smaller things like brushing your teeth. Your Colorado Springs, CO, dentists recommend electric toothbrushes. These provide you with a thorough and physically less demanding cleaning. It’s a great investment for senior citizens.

 

Do you struggle to reach the farther areas of your mouth? Don’t let your back molars suffer! Try elongating the handle of the toothbrush. This is accomplished with materials around your home. Wrap it in foam, rubber, or even use tongue depressors. A longer toothbrush makes brushing easy.

 

If you live or take care of an elderly individual, help them with their dental health. Remind them to brush twice a day along with flossing. Assist them with physical tasks that they can’t perform. If they can’t drive, offer to take them to their bi-annual dental checkups. Many times older patients need more frequent appointments. We also know that dental care is expensive. That’s why many communities provide dental care through social services or the public health office.

 

A healthy mouth equals a happy life! At Southern Cross Dental, we provide you with the best care in the Colorado Springs, CO, area. To schedule an appointment with Drs. Faranak and Navid Rahimpour, visit our website or call 719-471-1717.

Flossing With Braces

It’s a common belief that you can’t have tooth decay when you have braces. This is not true. Not only should you be brushing frequently, but flossing too! Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour have put together this guide for flossing with braces. The best thing you can do is invest in the various flossing applicators. Learn more by talking to our staff in Colorado Springs, CO.

 

You need to floss at least once a day, especially with braces. Try flossing after every meal too. Your braces create new alcoves for bacteria to fester. Food that becomes trapped in the orthodontic work attracts even more pathogens. Outstanding dental care becomes of the highest importance.

 

The most important tool in your orthodontic care kit is floss threaders. These are small dental devices that look similar to a sewing needle. You string your floss through the eye on one end. From there, move the threader under the braces wire. You’ll now be able to move the floss normally.

 

Another great alternative is floss picks. These look like miniature forked prongs. Between the two prongs is a small thread of floss. Move the floss around the wire and place it between the teeth. It works just like normal, cleaning your gums of any debris.

 

Lastly, many patients find success with waterpiks. These are similar to the tools used in your Colorado Springs, CO, dental office. Waterpiks spray a steady stream of water at your teeth. The pressure pushes out any trapped debris. Most come with attachments specifically for orthodontic cleanings.

 

Interested in learning more? Visit Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO. To schedule an appointment with Drs. Faranak and Navid Rahimpour, visit their website or call 719-471-1717.

Guarding against Incipient Lesions

Do you sometimes see strange white patches on your teeth? Those are signs that enamel is being demineralized, and if something isn’t done, the white spots could turn into caries. We do a lot of patient education at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, and preventing tooth decay is one of our top priorities. This week’s blog post is devoted to the science behind white spot lesions and what you can do about them.

Enamel is mostly comprised of non-living minerals. As those minerals are removed, the enamel takes on a glazed, white appearance. This could be caused by acid reflux, and dentists will look for signs of it during a patient’s regular check-up. But more often, the acid is coming from bacteria. As oral bacteria metabolize food debris, they excrete acid, which gets stuck in plaque. Bacteria are likely to build up in places that are hard to brush, such as near the gum line, on the backs of the bottom incisors, and near orthodontic brackets.

White spots can turn into cavities in as little time as a month. They are likelier to occur when the body’s natural defenses are compromised, such as when a patient suffers from dry mouth or diabetes. The good news is that they can usually be treated with better brushing and flossing. Orthodontic patients will need to take care that they are using Christmas tree toothbrushes to remove food debris quickly after eating. If a white spot scars, we may be able to cover it with bonding.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Family Dentistry and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Porcelain Veneers

We here at Southern Cross Dental want you to feel good about your smile. Besides regular checkups and maintenance, Dr. Navid Rahimpour, D.D.S. and Dr. Faranak Rahimpour, D.D.S. offer cosmetic services such as Porcelain Veneers to our patients.

 

Our veneers are made of strong, sculpted porcelain that is custom made for your teeth. They are made in a professional dental laboratory. In doing so, the veneers perfectly match your teeth shape and color. They are bonded onto the front of your teeth to give you the smile you deserve. Veneers are not permanent dental structures. Like crowns or other dental restorations, they may someday need to be replaced.

 

There are a few reasons to consider porcelain veneers:

• 
  

  Crooked teeth

  
  


• 
  

  Misshapen teeth

  
  


• 
  

  Discolored or stained teeth

  
  


• 
  

  Worn or chipped teeth

  
  


• 
  

  Uneven or unwanted gaps

  
  


• 
  

  Teeth that are too large or small

  
  

At Southern Cross Dental, Drs. Rahimpour will have you come in for two separate appointments.

 

During the first appointment, the surface of the teeth is cleaned to allow for the thickness of the veneer. Then a mold of your teeth will be made. Afterward, you will choose a color for your veneers.

 

At the second appointment, your teeth will be cleaned and a layer of bonding cement is placed between the teeth and veneers. After placement, a special light beam is used to harden and set the bond. Regular checkups and proper oral care will keep your veneers in great shape.

 

If you are interested in learning more about our porcelain veneers, or other dental services, contact Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour today. Visit Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, or call to schedule an appointment at 719-472-1717. You can also visit our website and fill out a contact sheet.