Dentistry Blog

Do you avoid going to the dentist? Or is your schedule so full that making a professional hygiene appointment with your dentist just doesn’t seem like a priority? Well, while being busy is understandable, it is important to realize that if you don’t have a professional hygiene appointment with your dentist regularly, you are likely to get a build up of plaque and tartar on your teeth that can lead to serious dental problems.

Among the most common birth defects, cleft lip and cleft palate affect approximately 1 in 800 babies born in North America. Luckily, dental treatment exists to help affected children live a healthy, normal life. Learn more about how dentistry can help cleft lip and palate conditions now.

Going to the dentist for dental treatment can already be a worrisome task for some, especially when combined with potential risk from certain medications or heart disease. If you are particularly nervous about undergoing a dental procedure because of your heart condition, talk with your dentist and heart doctor. Both practitioners can provide you with information and work with you to create strategies for controlling dental pain and easing your fears. Contact Antelope Creek Family Denitstry in Lincoln regarding your dental treatment needs. Learn more about the links between dental treatment, cardiovascular problems, and medications below.

Firmly anchored in your jaw and protected by an outer coating of tough enamel, your teeth are remarkably strong — yet it's still possible for them to chip, crack, or even break. For example, biting down on hard objects, receiving a blow to the mouth, or having large cavities (or old amalgam fillings) weakens the structure of the tooth resulting in tooth fractures.

Antelope Creek Family Dentistry is known around the Lincoln and Lancaster County area for our outstanding array of treatment options, state-of-the-art, comfortable facility, and of course our skilled family dentists. Our three doctors may come from different dental backgrounds, but they all share in common comprehensive training and education, many years of experience, and a passion for working with their patients to attain and maintain amazing oral and dental health!

Tooth loss causes many problems, the obvious one being the inability to chew certain foods. The most detrimental and long-lasting problem, however, is bone loss. When teeth are lost, bone loss is inevitable. Bone needs constant stimulation to maintain its form and density. Without the pressure and stimulation of teeth, the signals for the bone to regenerate itself are lost. As a result, the bone begins to disintegrate. Within the first year of tooth loss, the jawbone can decrease in width by 25%. If multiple teeth are lost, the lower third of the face can partially collapse due to a loss of the structure of the jawbone.

Dental Implants are synthetic teeth created specifically for a patient to replace missing or deteriorated teeth. Additionally, dental implants improve one’s oral health by maintaining the alignment of neighboring teeth and helping to add renewed strength to your smile Gone are the days when people had to put up with a missing tooth that hindered their smile esthetically and functionally. Our experienced family dentists can help you overcome your dental issues in favor of an amazing and natural-looking grin.

From first words to first steps, your child’s initial years of life are full of exciting milestones. While you may not consider it initially, your child’s first tooth is also an important marker. By ensuring that you’re caring for your child’s gums and teeth in the developmental years, you are setting up your precious bundle of joy to have a beautiful, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime. Our mission at Antelope Creek Family Dentistry is to provide your family with exceptional pediatric dental care in a convenient, comfortable environment.

Toothaches — we’ve all had them and to different degrees, but sometimes that toothache can be a sign of a deeper, more serious dental issue known as an abscess. Learn more about this condition today—what it is, what are the symptoms, and what steps you can take to prevent your mouth from developing one.

In order to take good care of our teeth, we need to understand the different diseases and conditions that can affect them. One of our goals at Antelope Creek Family Dentistry is to help our patients understand the potential issues that our dental care addresses. That includes breaking down scientific terms like tooth pathology, which refers to all conditions involving our teeth that can be present at birth (congenital diseases) or acquired throughout life. Continue reading below to learn more.

Imagine that you’re brushing your teeth or diving into a plateful of your favorite food and you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your mouth. Once you get in front of a mirror you get a closer look and you see a small, white sore. You’ve just found yourself a canker sore, and they’re never fun. The good news is that your local Lincoln, NE dental care experts at Antelope Creek Family Dentistry are here to help you with all the information about canker sores that you need to know for prevention and treatment.

Periodontal disease is a gum disease also known as periodontitis. If left untreated, it may result in tooth loss. The progressive disease begins with the irritation and inflammation of the gingival tissues that surround and support the teeth. This is caused by plaque buildup and results in an ongoing bacterial infection. The infection colonizes in the gingival tissue. Deep pockets then form between the teeth and the gums, damaging the gums and the underlying jawbone and leading to tooth loss. In more severe cases, the bacteria from this infection can migrate through the bloodstream to affect other parts of the body.

Antelope Creek Family Dentistry has been serving families in the Lincoln, NE area with high-quality dental care for many years. During our years of dental practice, we have noticed a few commonly asked dental questions regarding babies and young children. So, we decided to compile a short list of the top commonly asked children’s dentistry questions and provide answers for them.

As dental professionals, we understand that keeping your teeth white and healthy is an investment that takes a lot—from diligent oral hygiene at home to regular visits to our Lincoln, NE family dentistry. However, the buck doesn’t stop there. According to Colgate, there are certain foods/drinks that create teeth discoloration or staining. If you want to protect your teeth from staining, learn about these foods/beverages and how they can affect your smile today!

As a family dentistry that services peoples of all ages in the Lincoln, NE area, Antelope Creek Family Dentistry has many patients who have or are currently undergoing orthodontic treatment. As part of our commitment to help our patients whenever we can, we would like to provide you with the following information regarding orthodontic emergencies.

The American Dental Association (ADA) first coined the month of February as National Children’s Dental Health Month in 1949. However, eight years earlier this observance started as a one-day event.

Regenerating bone sounds like something out of science fiction, but there is a proven process to treat bone loss in the upper jaw. Sinus surgery, also known as sinus membrane lift or sinus augmentation, is a common procedure in restorative dentistry that encourages bone growth. The treatment allows for dental implants, which are the preferred treatment to replace missing or failing upper back teeth.

In the spirit of Christmas, we asked our team members what some of their favorite holiday traditions are. Here’s what they said!

Our teeth are important throughout our lives, even at their initial formative stages. Baby teeth are as significant as fully developed adult teeth and we must treat them as such and protect them from harm. One of the greatest forms of harm baby teeth are at risk for is baby bottle decay.

Now is the perfect time to finish up any pending treatment that you have been putting off. We tell you this so that you can save money and pay as little as possible!

When you finish your clear braces orthodontic treatment, you are excited about your new smile and glad to be done with those daily aligners. However, while it is certainly important to revel in the freedom of your new smile, equally important is taking the necessary action to retain it. And that comes down to one word — retainers.

Individuals with sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly while they sleep; in severe cases, this may occur up to 30 times an hour. Are you at risk? The condition affects as many as 30 million adults according to The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, but many of these sufferers have not received a diagnosis. Severe health problems can result from untreated sleep apnea. Here’s what you need to know.

Many researchers feel that sports drinks are the main cause for tooth erosion for a number of reasons. Athletes drink these beverages to remain hydrated, sipping them frequently during exercise to maintain energy. Instead of drinking down a sports drink many athletes often times take frequent sips during their workouts, exposing their teeth to harmful levels of acidity and sugar. Unfortunately, this increases the time that teeth are exposed to the acidity and high sugar content of sports drinks, leaving the teeth vulnerable to decay.

Periodontal disease—more commonly known as gum disease—ranges from simple gum inflammation to serious disease symptoms that result in major damage to the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth.

Toothpaste: it's something most people use every day, but rarely give much thought to—except, perhaps, when choosing from the brands that line the drugstore shelf.

If you get a little bit nervous when your dental visit date approaches, you are not alone. There are many people who for one reason or another fear seeing the dentist. Sometimes this is because they have had a bad and painful experience in the past. Sometimes it is because they have not been to see a dentist in a long time. While dental anxiety is perfectly normal, it is important for your dental and overall health that you get in to see a dentist regularly. Our fantastic dentists Dr. Hedlund and Dr. Svoboda and their highly trained staff will able to help you overcome your fears.

Emergencies of any kind can happen at any time, any place, and without any warning. They can even happen to dentists. Dr. Svoboda experienced a dental emergency while he was at the Kentucky Derby. He chipped his front tooth. He was unable to get into another dentist in Kentucky but Dr. Hedlund was able to repair it for him.

Every person wants a beautiful smile, but dental care goes beyond helping teeth look good. At Antelope Creek Family Dentistry, we're proud to provide expert, exceptional dental treatments to patients of all ages throughout the Lincoln, NE and Lancaster County area.

At Antelope Creek Family Dentistry, we are proud to offer services that not only improve our patients' oral health, but their happiness as well. A great smile leads to great confidence, so we put effort into helping people attain smiles that make them feel beautiful. Check out two of our recent case studies below featuring patients who've undergone dental crowns and dental implants procedures

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month: a great time to renew your commitment to a healthy, active lifestyle. Did you know, what’s good for your general health is good for your teeth and gums?

Everybody gets dry mouth now and then. Sometimes temporary mouth dryness can be brought on by dehydration, stress, or a normal reduction in saliva flow at night. However, if your dry mouth persists long past the norm, you may have a chronic condition known as xerostomia.

Family dentists often stress the importance of protecting your teeth from the harm of internal decay and disease. However, it is just as important to protect your teeth from external force and trauma—everything from teeth grinding to obtaining an injury during a sporting event.

At Antelope Creek Family Dentistry, we work hard to provide high-quality dental care to families. Our experienced family dentists and their highly-trained staff want to make every patient feel at home in our Lincoln office

Canker sores can be uncomfortable, annoying, and downright painful. They can even make talking and eating awkward. Is there anything you can do to fight back? Antelope Creek Family Dentistry can provide information about the common causes and treatments—so you can conquer those pesky canker sores!