Your at-home oral care routine may be rock solid at this point. You set aside time to brush and floss, and make sure to limit the amount of sugar you eat. That consistency, along with regular dental exams, can help you sustain a healthy mouth, but what happens when your schedule is disrupted? If you travel – for work, for vacation, or for any other reason – your routine can feel compromised. Traveling can disrupt your daily oral care habits, and divert you from your normal diet. Longer trips, or travels by car, can be particularly challenging, especially to what you will eat. Being mindful of these complications can help you maintain the level of care your smile deserves. (more…)
Check Out Allen’s Eggcellent Family Adventure April 8
Allen’s Eggcelent Family Adventure has become a go-to event for families celebrating the Easter holiday. Back in 2008, the city expanded its annual egg hunt, and added a series of fun activities. This year’s event promises to be a great outing for families. There will be face painting, games, a bounce house, and a special Easter-themed “trick or treating” event, where kids can collect goodies at tables hosted by different community organizations. This town tradition is sure to be a highlight of your family’s Spring adventures! (more…)
What To Expect From Your Professional Whitening Treatment
Limited successes with whitening toothpastes and other over the counter teeth whitening products may have left you with limited hope for real improvements for your smile. What you should know is that patients looking for significant changes can be impressed with how they look after going to their dentist to discuss whitening options. The at-home whitening kit your dentist can provide will include professional whitening gel, and a custom appliance to help you evenly distribute the agent. Performed regularly, this process can offer to give you a smile that is whiter by many shades. (more…)
How Ignoring Tooth Pain Can Put Your Oral Health At Risk
Sure, your tooth is a bit sore. Maybe it feels unusually sensitive to cold or heat, too. Does that pain or sensitivity merit a trip to the dentist? What you should know is that these symptoms can be indicators that you have a cavity, one that is starting to cause internal issues. When tooth decay reaches this stage, you will need to undergo a root canal treatment to avoid serious oral health complications. Once that root canal is performed, your dentist can prepare your tooth to receive a dental crown, and you can enjoy a healthy, pain-free smile once again. It is also worth noting that if you have tooth pain that is significant, and starts to feel overwhelming, you can reach out for emergency dental care. (more…)
Will Your Dentist Approve You For Dental Implants?
Many people undergo dental implant placement so that they can enjoy a stable, permanent dental prosthetic. Once it has been received, and has had time to heal, a dental implant can provide lasting support, and help you feel as though your smile is complete again. Still, you may be concerned about the placement process, as it is a surgical procedure. Older patients will not be disqualified due to age alone, though other health issues affecting their ability to undergo surgery can be a concern. One potential issue is the condition of your jawbone – if you have left tooth loss unaddressed for an extended period, your jaw could start to deteriorate, and be too weak for the procedure. Your dentist will perform a careful examination, and can determine your candidacy. (more…)
Is Dry Mouth Affecting Your Oral Health?
Have you been frustrated lately by a dry, sticky feeling within your mouth? If you have experienced this, or noticed a tendency to feel parched, you may not be producing enough saliva. This condition is known as xerostomia, though it may be more familiar when referred to as dry mouth. Dry mouth can create an unpleasant sensation in your mouth, but its problems go beyond discomfort. Your saliva provides a natural defense against oral bacteria; if you frequently fail to produce enough, it can be harder to avoid problems that call for restorative dental work. In some cases where dry mouth is a persistent issue, your dentist may recommend taking special action – dental sealants can offer extra protection while you deal with a susceptibility to tooth decay. (more…)
Making The Choice To Receive Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers offer a lasting change to your appearance. After all, your dentist will bond these life-like, translucent shells permanently to your teeth – this is no short-term solution to a cosmetic issue. Many patients are eager to have veneers placed, as they recognize their ability to make significant changes to their smile. The durability of these cosmetic restorations make it easier to ensure that your benefits last, and that the benefits to your appearance are sustained. People choose to receive veneers to counter a number of different issues, including discoloration or dullness, damage, or congenital dental flaws that adversely impact their smile. (more…)
Quiz: Taking Care Of An Incomplete Smile
It is hard to think of a more significant, or obvious, dental problem than tooth loss. The cosmetic effect can certainly be striking. If you have a gap – or gaps – visible when you smile, you can feel hesitant to show your smile, and suffer a sizable blow to your self-confidence. Of course, this does not mean that people with missing teeth in harder to see areas should feel like they have nothing to worry about. Our jaw functions rely on us having a full set of teeth. Absences can mean compromised function, and that can lead to TMJ problems, and an increased risk for losing more teeth. Bringing concerns about tooth loss to your dentist can lead to you receiving the prosthetic support you need to have a healthy, attractive smile. (more…)
What Happens If My Dentist Finds A Problem During A Checkup?
In situations where you go in to your dentist’s office to have an aching tooth examined, you can expect to learn you need restorative dental care of some kind. However, you may go in for a routine dental checkup confident that everything is in order, only to learn you have a cavity that needs to be treated. So what happens when you are confronted with a problem you were unaware of? One advantage to having regular dental exams is that your dentist is able to find problems in their early stages. You may not like hearing that you have a cavity, but that early detection means treatment before decay can worsen, and cause more trouble for your oral health. (more…)
3 Ways Your Dentist Can Address Dental Damage
The term “dental damage” can feel inadequate when you consider the range of issues it can cover. After all, most adults, particularly older adults, are likely to have some “damage” just from wear and tear over the years. The term is useful for addressing an injury that calls for restorative dental work, but it also applies to milder problems that can be fixed with cosmetic dental work. The best way to determine how to respond to dental damage is to have your dentist take a look. They can provide restorative care if damage affects your function, or threatens the tooth’s help, or recommend cosmetic treatment. (more…)
