As a General Dentist We Treat Athletes That Have Injured Their Teeth

If you are an athlete, a trip to the general dentist is in order before you start the game.  According to the American Dental Association, the majority of adult tooth injuries are due to playing sports.  Since most adults only play casually with friends, this means that even a pickup game of basketball or tossing a ball with your kids can lead to tooth damage.  In order to protect your teeth, you need to keep them in good health.

We recommend that you have your teeth cleaned twice a year so that we can remove the bacteria and plaque from your teeth that can lead to a tooth infection.  It is important to keep your teeth cavity free and to prevent gum disease because if a random ball hits your face and there is an infection, your tooth will be more likely to break or be knocked out.  Think of it like a pond that becomes frozen in the winter.  A solid sheet of ice can support kids playing on it for hours, but one small crack can cause the entire thing to shatter when someone steps on it.  Teeth that are infected are like a pond with a small crack.  They cannot withstand the impact of something hitting them.

It is also important to strengthen your teeth by brushing with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.  Fluoride is a mineral that when placed onto your teeth will help them to be stronger.  You can further strengthen your teeth by eating a healthy diet that contains lean protein, nuts, cheese, yogurt, and green leafy vegetables.  This, combined with trips to our general dentist office can keep your teeth and gums in excellent health.

We also recommend that you wear a mouth guard while playing sports.  This prevents hundreds of thousands of injuries on an annual basis.  When considering high school and football players alone, the American Dental Association claims that over 200,000 injuries are prevented every year due to wearing a mouth guard.  When you consider how many different sports and age groups there are, it is clear that this simple device is a fantastic way to protect yourself from injury.

If you take these precautionary steps and still injure your teeth, we can restore them in our general dentist office.  If a tooth is cracked or chipped, we can use a dental veneer to correct it by placing the veneer onto the surface of the tooth.  It will look completely natural and make it possible to eat and speak like normal.  If the tooth is severely cracked or a lot of enamel is missing, we can use a dental crown to restore the tooth instead.  This provides a greater level of stability because it can surround the tooth entirely.  This is a durable procedure that can help your teeth to function as good as new after a serious injury.  If a tooth has been knocked out, we can replace it as well by using either dental implants or a dental bridge.

If your tooth has been injured, schedule a dental appointment right away.

Emergency Dentist  >  Dental Office

General Dentistry Visits Are Helpful for Your Oral Health: Learn Why

Visits to our general dentistry office are the one that we often describe as routine visits. Typically these are scheduled six months apart so that we can keep a careful watch on your oral health and ensure that you do not have any unforeseen problems with your mouth. Luckily there is a growing segment of educated patients that see the importance of these visits, and we can get them scheduled easily. The question about why these visits are so important is actually an easy one to answer. Your mouth, teeth, and gums should be inspected every six months because they are the first step in your digestive process. Everything that goes in the mouth, or occurs naturally in the mouth, ultimately will end up in your digestive system and could, therefore, end up causing other health problems if an oral infection exists. Keeping your teeth and gums in perfect health is a good way to ensure that the rest of your body also has limited exposure to risks like oral infections.

Ironically the routine that we put you through when you come in for these visits are the very things that cause some patients to question if they really need to see their general dentist once every six months. From an outside perspective, we always seem to do the same things but there are important reasons why. First we will clean your teeth, which includes a polishing so that they are gleaming white. During the cleaning process, we will remove excess plaque from the teeth and the gums themselves. This helps to reduce the potential of erosion and decay. Next you may receive a fluoride treatment if necessary. Then the dentist will perform an oral examination. During this examination, we are looking for soft spots that may become cavities in the future and also active cavities that need to be filled. Sometimes x-rays may be in order to check on the inside of the tooth, the root, and the jawbone.
Finally, we will send you home with a brand new toothbrush and floss. Handing you, a toothbrush and floss is one of those subtle things that we do to keep your oral health in good condition. We know that most people forget to change their toothbrush once every six months, as is recommended. So when you come to our general dentistry office to get an examination we hand you a toothbrush as a reminder that the time has come to throw away the old one and replace it. We do not expect you to, necessarily, use the one we provide as long as you replace the old toothbrush at home.
Another thing we do but do not talk about, is give you a screening for oral cancer when we are examining your mouth. Oral cancer is a deadly disease that can, at times, go unnoticed. In order to combat this, we have made it a practice to examine your mouth, looking for signs of oral cancer every time you come in for a routine well visit. While your physician may be able to give you similar exam, when you visit our general dentistry office once every six months it is easier because nobody knows your teeth better than we do.

Dental Office  >  Family Dentist

Our General Dentistry Office Sheds Light on Common Health Myths

As a general dentistry office, we treat patients who are dealing with a wide variety of oral health challenges. We begin by determining what the issue is, treating it, and then discussing ways to prevent the problem from repeating itself. These conversations can be enlightening, and one thing we regularly hear are questions based on dental myths. For example, there is a myth that diet soda is okay for the teeth because it is sugar-free. Patients who are heavy soda drinkers can sometimes be surprised that they have cavities and that their soda habit could have contributed to the problem. Getting accurate information is important to maintain a healthy smile, both now and in the future. For this reason, we have compiled a list of the myths we hear on a regular basis and our response to them. 

Myth – Raw diets are good for your teeth.

The truth is that any extreme diet has some drawbacks. The biggest challenge with the raw diet is that much of the food is highly acidic. When acid comes in contact with your teeth, it can begin the process of erosion. You only have a limited amount of enamel on your teeth, so when it starts to erode, your teeth could become sensitive. If you are on the raw diet, be sure to rinse your mouth after eating and drinking, and brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste that can help strengthen them. We invite you to visit our general dentistry office any time you are trying a new diet and want to know if it is good for your teeth.

Myth – Adults do not get cavities on a regular basis.

Everyone is susceptible to getting cavities. It does not matter how old you are. If you have teeth, they can experience decay. We encourage all of our patients to have their teeth cleaned at our general dentistry office twice a year, so we can reduce the risk of cavities forming in the first place.

Myth – Flossing is optional.

Flossing is one of the most important things you can do for your oral health, and it is the best thing you can do to prevent gum disease. Every time you eat, food particles can become trapped in between your teeth, and plaque can also build up in these spaces. Flossing allows you to remove food and plaque, preventing it from leading to cavities or from becoming trapped underneath your gum tissue. Leaving it there can lead to inflamed and irritated gums in addition to infections. If you do not like to floss, purchase a flossing tool, since these are easy to hold and make it faster to get the job done. 

Myth – Only older people get oral cancer.

This is certainly not the case. While men over the age of fifty are at the greatest risk for developing cancer, anyone can get it. The HPV virus has been known to cause oral cancer, and if you have been diagnosed with it, smoke, drink a lot, or use chewing tobacco, you are at an increased risk. We recommend being screened on an annual basis. 

To learn more about oral health or to ask questions, call and schedule an examination.

Signs You Should Visit a General Dentistry Office

There are times where you may need to visit our general dentistry office for your oral health needs. Yes, it is important to keep your teeth beautiful and to retain an attractive appearance, but your teeth offer even more important benefits than the aesthetic attributes. Your oral health is a huge part of your overall health. If you have tooth problems, they can get worse quickly. Therefore, you should visit our office if you have any of these symptoms or other unknown problems.

Q. Why do I have bad breath and an unappealing taste in my mouth?
A.    Many people have perpetual bad breath, so they think it is just a way of life. Don't give into this dangerous belief. Bad bread and unpleasant tastes in your mouth often are signs of periodontal disease and tartar growth under your gum lines. If you haven't had your teeth professionally cleaned by our general dentistry office lately, you haven't been brushing like you should, or you have a genetic disposition to bad cavities, you may be at risk for this disease. Your bad breath may also be the result of dry mouth. Dry mouth can be a side effect of some medications, but it can also lead to more bacterial development in your mouth and decay in your teeth. If you are experiencing these problems, you should visit our general dentistry office.

Q. My gums are swollen, and they bleed when I brush, what should I do?
A.    If you are experiencing discomfort, bleeding, or inflammation of your gums, you should visit our general dentistry office immediately. These distressing symptoms are called gingivitis and may also be the result of periodontal disease or infection. These symptoms could also lead to these conditions. A general dentistry office can help you get rid of these bothersome issues and save your teeth from further damage.

Q. I am a tobacco user. Is tobacco really as bad for your mouth as people say it is? 
A.    Yes. Tobacco can be incredibly harmful to your oral health. Exposing your mouth to the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco can lead to chronic bad breath, infections, and even cancer. Use tobacco with caution, and visit our general dentistry office regularly so that we can check for areas that have the capacity to be malignant.

Q. Do I really need to brush twice a day? 
A.    Brushing thoroughly twice a day should be a minimum standard for good oral hygiene. If you eat sugary foods or drink acidic sodas, you should be brushing even more than that or at least washing your mouth out after consumption to prevent enamel wear and cavities. Additionally, replace your toothbrush every few months and use a Fluoride toothpaste. You should be flossing regularly as well.

These are just a few of the questions our general dentistry office regularly receives. Get educated, protect your natural teeth, and visit our office twice per year to start making your oral health a priority.

Dentist  >  Dental Office

When You Visit Our General Dentistry Office, Here is What We Do

In our general dentistry practice, we have been advocating regular family visits for years. Recently as more people have become educated about the importance of visiting the dentist at least once every six months, there has been a significant increase in the families that are coming in for regular checkups. Most of you already know the routine. First we will clean your teeth, provide a fluoride treatment, and polish them for maximum whiteness. During the cleaning, we will remove any excess plaque that could generate bacteria which ultimately could result in a cavity developing. Plaque can also cause additional problems around the gum line, so we will remove that as well. Then we will perform a full inspection of the teeth during which time we will look for cavities, and soft spots in the enamel that are threatening to become cavities, infections, or other problems that may need our attention. If needed the staff at the dentist office will take x-rays as well.

Family dentist visits are important because they help us to eliminate plaque, tartar and other triggers that could lead to gum disease. For many people, there is a lack of understanding as to how closely the mouth is tied to the rest of your health and wellbeing. The mouth is the very first step in the digestive process, which means anything you swallow will end up in your digestive system and ultimately could find its way into other areas of the body. Bacteria or infections can be introduced to the body through the mouth. Heart health has also been linked to oral health, in particular, gum disease. When you take the time to visit the family dentist at least two times per year, we can make sure that your oral health is at optimal levels.

Here are a few things about a dental visit you probably did not know...

Oral cancer is a very real and active threat. As we are poking around in your mouth, prodding at soft spots, and talking about the family we are also doing a complete oral cancer screening. While general doctors do screen for this deadly disease, there is no one who is as familiar with your mouth and oral health as the dentist, which is why we make sure to check you for cancer ever six months. People who smoke or chew tobacco are at an increased risk, so you can expect your examination to last a little longer when visiting our general dentistry office.

Believe it or not we are also checking your breath, and it is not for chicken tacos. Your bad breath is often an indicator of an underlying problem, like an infection, which we need to treat. By paying attention to your breath, we can identify potential areas that we need to be aware of. In fact, one of the easiest way for us to tell that you have potential dental problems is for us to smell your breath because infections will produce a distinct odor.  In our general dentistry office, this is one tip we provide patients as an indicator that they need to schedule an exam in the first place.
As you are leaving, we will perform one last function. When we hand you a toothbrush, it is to remind you that it is time to replace your brush at home which is only good for about three to six months.

Dentist  >  Family Dentist

Information About General Dentistry You May Not Know

We offer general dentistry services for both children and adults.  The term “general” confuses a lot of people, making it seem as though we only offer basic dental care.  In truth, we offer a wide variety of dental services that can address all of our patients oral health care needs.  Whether cleaning teeth and preventing cavities, treating gum disease or improving smiles – we are your one-stop-shop for dental care.  While meeting with patients we have learned that there are several other common misconceptions about dentistry, and we seek to clarify them for you here.

Dental care is no longer painful.

There are so many urban legends going around about dental care that tell the story of bad or uncomfortable experiences.  This is simply no longer the case.  Patients of our dentist office, remain comfortable and relaxed while undergoing treatments because we offer sedation dentistry.  By doing so, we can prescribe an oral medication to help patients relax along with administering pain medication so that whether a cavity is being treated or a cosmetic procedure performed, our patients can feel comfortable.  We put a high value on the overall experience of our patients and are passionate about ensuring that they enjoy the time they spend with us.  If you schedule an appointment with our office, you can rest assured that you will feel good during your visit.

Restorations don’t last forever.

In our general dentistry office, we treat a lot of patients that come in with an old crown and are confused about why it needs to be replaced.  Restorations like crowns and bridges can last for a long time with some patients wearing them for over twenty years.  These cases are rare, however since most people keep a crown for around ten years.  Like all materials, restorations will wear away over time.  What you eat and how well you take care of your teeth and gums can directly influence this.  If you want to make your crown last longer, don’t chew on anything that isn’t a food, don’t chew ice, and avoid anything that could damage your teeth.  After all, if your natural tooth can break while playing basketball so can your restoration.  You can avoid these types of accidents by wearing a mouth guard while playing sports. 

You don’t have to live with sensitive teeth.

When teeth become sensitive, it can be uncomfortable to eat, drink, and even speak at times.  Most people think that they are stuck with sensitive teeth and limited in how they can treat the pain they cause.  The good news is that in our general dentistry office, we can treat sensitive teeth so that they are no longer sensitive.  There are several ways that we can do so and may elect to complete a bonding procedure or use dental crowns.  This solves the problem because it seals in and protects the dentin.  The enamel is the outer layer of the tooth that protects the dentin and nerve endings underneath.  If the enamel wears away, the tooth must be protected by other means, and this is where we come in.

Tips for Keeping Your Kids Teeth Healthy This Halloween from our General Dentistry Office

In our local general dentistry office, we treat patients of all ages and have regular conversations with parents about eating candy on Halloween.  This is the time of year where the sugar comes out in massive quantities and the candy they get on Halloween can last all the way to the cakes and pies of Thanksgiving.  With three full months of treats ahead, it is important to set the trend for healthy habits in October instead of waiting for December. 

The first thing you should do is schedule a dental exam and teeth cleaning.  By removing the plaque and bacteria from your teeth and your kids' teeth, we can help to prevent cavities from forming.  If you do have any cavities, we can treat them right away so that the infection doesn't spread.  The same is true for gum disease. By catching and treating it early, we can prevent further infection. 

Once you know that you and your kids have healthy teeth, it is important to keep them that way.  In addition to visiting our general dentistry office, here are steps you can take this Halloween to keep teeth in good health. 

• Limit the candy intake.  Before going trick-or-treating, set a limit as to how much candy everyone is allowed to have.  Limit yourself, as well.  This way there are no arguments while you're out and about.  Simultaneously, you will be preventing a massive sugar overload from happening. 
• Eat a healthy dinner.  Make sure that you and your kids eat a healthy dinner before going out.  This needs to include lean protein, dairy, complex carbs, and veggies.  By eating a well-balanced meal, you and your kids will have immediate and sustained energy.  Additionally, your kids won’t feel the urge to pig out on candy since they will already be full. 
• Bring healthy snacks.  You can carry things like apples and sliced cheese with you while trick-or-treating.  If someone gets hungry, they can tap into these snacks instead of diving into the candy bag.  This is a good solution for everyone in the group.
• Carry water.  Every time your child eats a piece of candy, give them a drink of water.  This will help to wash away the sugar and prevent it from simply sitting on your kids' teeth all night.  It will also help them to stay full throughout the evening. 
• Brush teeth.  Make sure that as soon as you get home, their teeth get brushed with a fluoride toothpaste.  This will remove the sugar from their teeth, and gums and the fluoride can actually help to strengthen teeth 
• Put the candy away.  Don’t leave the candy out because if you do, your kids will be tempted to eat a piece every time they walk through the room.  Once they have reached their limit, it should be put in a safe place so that they have to ask permission to have another piece. 

In our general dentistry office, we focus on keeping our patients in good oral health so follow these tips to prevent a Halloween cavity.