If you have experienced an accident, there is a line between a dental emergency vs an injury that can wait a couple of days. Today we will be going over scenarios where an oral injury needs treatment but isn’t considered a dental emergency

What Is A Dental Emergency?

A dental emergency is a scenario where an injury or condition must be treated immediately. For example, if you are suffering from an excruciating toothache, this needs to be looked at ASAP since this is likely an infection that has reached severe levels.

Next, if you have knocked out a tooth, it can be saved if stored in milk and brought to us if the process is quick enough. These were just a couple of scenarios, but the general idea is that if it absolutely cannot wait, it is considered a dental emergency.

Scenarios That Are Not Emergencies

A non-emergency is something that can wait until someone is ready to see you. Let’s say you accidentally chipped a small part of your tooth, but it isn’t painful or exposes sharp edges to the rest of your mouth. The tooth does need to be treated, but it doesn’t pose any immediate dangers to you- the tooth can be bonded in a few days or less.

Another scenario is dental fillings falling out. There are definitely dangers to leaving this unattended since that hole in your tooth is now exposed to bacteria that can cause more cavities or an infection- but this does not happen overnight. Store the filling in a safe place and avoid touching the now empty spot with your tongue. In fact, you can put a piece of sugar-free gum over the cavity to temporarily shield it until you are ready to be seen.

Do You Need Treatment?

If you are in need of treatment, call our office and tell us what is wrong. We will set up an appointment for you without any fuss!

Healthy teeth, in and of themselves, will not keep your weight down. However, what you eat to maintain healthy teeth will – and will do so without counting calories. A diet that is balanced and comprised of the major food groups will keep you slim and trim, help you maintain your smile, and give you sufficient calories for regular exercise.

Why Fad Or Low-Calorie Diets Are Bad

Fad dieting or low-calories and restricted diets are bad for the teeth. In this case, you may lose weight temporarily, but eating such a limited intake of foods can also impact your teeth and gums. For example, low-carb and no-carb diets can affect the breath, as they release chemicals known as ketones which give you bad breath. Instead, of taking this dietary approach, it is easier to eat the carbs and exercise, which will put an end to halitosis.

What Is A Balanced Diet?

A balanced diet consists of foods that comprise a nice balance of fruits and vegetables (including leafy greens), good fats (such as Omega-3s), dairy, and whole grains. Stay away from processed foods or sugary hard candies, both which allow bacterial plaque to remain on the teeth. When you eat a balanced diet and combine it with a routine of regular exercise (such as biking or walking), you will experience better dental health and boost your immune system at the same time.

You can stay slim and healthy and present a nice smile. By eating a nutritionally rich diet, you can forego fad diets and focus on taking care of your teeth as well as a regular program of exercise. Professional cleanings and exams also will boost your dental and health goals. Make sure you schedule regular office visits every six months. Give us a call today for a dental cleaning and exam if you have not seen us in the last six months. We look forward to helping you meet your goals for better dental care.

Debridement is somewhat of an official welcome back party that we throw in our offices for people who haven’t visited a dentist in a long time –probably several years. During that time, the patients’ teeth must have become heavily colonized by advanced levels of plaque buildup that might prevent us from properly examining their teeth. With debridement, we can remove any hardened build-up of tartar to unravel the actual condition of your teeth’s health.

During the procedure, our dentists carefully work through the contours of your tooth and gum using an ultrasonic device and scaling tools to dislodge thick layers of plaque from the teeth and gums.

Our Debridement Process

There are basically two types of plaque buildup that our dentists focus on during our debridement process. First is the supragingival plaque, which grows on the surface of the gums and teeth, and the other is the subgingival plaque, which develops below the gum surface and is much harder to reach.

For people who’re sensitive to pain, our dentists will first apply a local anesthesia or some form of sedation like nitrous oxide. If you’ve been putting off a dentist appointment because you’re afraid of pain, the anesthesia will put out that fear and numb all pains during the dental procedure.

Our dentists utilize a combination of non-invasive scaling tools and an ultrasonic device to tackle both supragingival and subgingival tartar buildup. The operations of the ultrasonic device are also non-invasive and painless. The device dislodges tartar using water and high-frequency vibrations. The entire process can be long and arduous, but it usually doesn’t take more than a single dentist appointment.

The Follow-Up

Debridement is usually a preliminary procedure we use to prime our patients for a more comprehensive examination. Subsequent visits after the debridement will help us determine if any further dental procedures are required to restore your teeth to optimal health. Visit our offices today for a deep-cleansing, painless, and non-invasive debridement procedure.

Studies show that certain types of music tend to soothe people from all across the personality spectrum. Certain types of music can calm your nerves and energize you in our offices. Many studies show that music therapy can inhibit the production of cortisol – a hormone that triggers stress symptoms – in patients during dental procedures. We can, therefore, enhance the prospects of succeeding with your dental procedure by using music to decongest your stress and boost your mood.

However, beyond the psychological level, music can also induce various beneficial physiological effects in patients. Findings from Medical research show that music can enhance hormone production and immune activities in patients. A medical study shows that using music as part of sedation dentition accelerates recovery in children significantly.

We oftentimes play music in our reception area, hallways, and treatment rooms. We believe that music can be beneficial to patients across every stage of the procedure, from the examination to the preparation, the main procedure, and recovery. Patients who are better off with their preferences can use wireless headphones to listen to their own kind of music throughout their appointments.

It’s not just the patients who benefit from music during our procedure; our dentists do as well. Music also helps us deal better with the stress of managing patients with various unique personal needs and personalities. It helps ease tension while also sharpening our focused to handle situations with confidence and accuracy.

On A Precautionary Note

Our dentists are frequently bombarded with noise from loud instruments and tools used for various dental procedures, so it is best if they’re not exposed to jarring music with all those noises around them. We don’t turn the volume of our music louder than 40 – 60 decibels (the pain threshold for noise is 140 decibels). That way, the music filters softly into the background, uplifting spirits while also allowing us to converse with our patients within normal earshot. You can visit our offices today to see how we elegantly combine music therapy with our dental procedures.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of flossing. Our dentists regularly advise all our patients and their family members to floss at least once a day. It can clean up parts of your teeth that normal brushing – however diligent they are – cannot reach. It can also clean the surfaces of plaque and other infection-causing bacteria. But when you start wearing braces or when your teeth are incredibly close together, flossing can be more like a Herculean task.

Flossing While Facing Obstacles

Quite simply, how do you get across those wires? For those with braces, flossing may seem like an unnecessary problem that’s best avoided. But it’s important to realize the importance of flossing when wearing braces.

The same goes if you have incredibly tight teeth. Flossing can be difficult, sometimes even painful. While normal dental floss will seem daunting, there’s no need to give up, as there are effective alternatives, including, floss threaders and air and water flossers.

How Do Floss Threaders Work?

Unlike the normal dental floss, floss threaders come with plastic loops. Once you fix floss to these loops, you can approach these areas and gently clean your teeth one at a time. Whereas with the regular floss you won’t be able to reach deep between teeth, with a threader, you will be able to clean up to the surface of the gum.

Should You Start Using Floss Threaders?

If you have had a dental procedure like braces, our dentists will give you a thorough and systematic dental care plan that will include advice on flossing. You will be shown the correct procedure of using floss threaders and soon you will realize that obstacles won’t be able to stand between you and healthier teeth. Call us today to set up a consultation where we can show you how easy flossing can be despite obstacles that could stand in your way.

Binge-watching is the newest trend in town. It lets you stream different video services in the comfort of your seat to binge-watch them at your convenience. These services allow you to select several shows you want to binge-watch and queue up a few episodes to watch later while snacking. And this where the problem comes in. Snacking while watching your favorite shows can negatively impact your oral health. 

How Binge-Watching Can Hurt Your Oral Health

Binge-watching goes hand-in-hand with snacking binges, and this a bad habit for your dental health. Most people don’t plan well before they begin to binge-watch their favorite shows. They usually start with one episode and get carried away. If you are one of them, you will find yourself fighting the addictive behavior of snacking with little success. This habit is dangerous to your oral health. Besides, you will find yourself watching your movies until you fall asleep on the couch or forget your usual regimen of brushing and flossing to get rid of food particles from your mouth. Failure to observe routine oral hygiene can increase the risk of gum disease and cavities, thus damaging your dental health.

How To Control Binge-Watching While Prioritizing Your Oral Hygiene

The most effective way of prioritizing your oral hygiene while binge-watching is to control your binging habits. It does not imply that you must stop binging altogether, but it only means that you should not immerse yourself in this habit to the point of neglecting your health. Instead, plan appropriately to prevent this habit from taking away most of your time. Then eat a few snacks during the initial episodes of your shows and don’t add more. Take a break in-between the shows to attend to your oral hygiene. Learn more about the effects of binge-watching on your dental health by visiting our offices.

Using mouthwash should be a regular part of your oral hygiene routine. Along with proper brushing and flossing, using mouthwash can help promote oral health. Mouthwash can help get into the crevices between your teeth and other areas that are difficult for a brush to reach, making it easier to combat tooth decay and gum disease.

Still, because some children can be prone to drinking mouthwash, it is not recommended that you allow them to use it unsupervised. At least, not until they are old enough to use mouthwash properly.

Introducing Your Child To Mouthwash

Rather than just handing a bottle of mouthwash to your child, you should explain to him or her what it is, and how it should be used. Let your child watch you use mouthwash before you ever give it to them.

Even then, it is generally not suggested that children any younger than 6 years old use mouthwash. Depending on the flavor, it could prove too tempting to them, and they might attempt to drink it.

Watching Your Child

From the age of 6 until about 12 years old, your child can use mouthwash under your supervision. Again, the temptation to drink it can be quite strong for some children. While some incidental swallowing of limited amounts of mouthwash won’t be too harmful, drinking it could have some serious consequences.

Of course, every child will differ in his or her emotional maturity, and the above ages are merely guidelines. Watch your child closely, and then decide when is the best time for him or her to begin using mouthwash.

If you have any questions about letting your child use mouthwash, we are happy to talk with you. Feel free to pick up the phone and give us a call. We are here to help you help your child!

If you know you have to take professional or school photos soon, you may be looking to spruce up your smile now so that you can take the best pictures possible. There are several ways you can increase the brightness of your smile before that big day and our team is here to help. Professional whitening only takes an hour to perform and can leave you with a smile several shades brighter.

Professional Whitening Can Help You

The easiest way to brighten your smile before any upcoming picture days is by coming into our office for professional whitening. Professional whitening in our office works much more efficiently than over-the-counter remedies. While over-the-counter products can help, they only brighten your smile up to one or two shades, which is not an impressive amount unless you already have near-white teeth.

The reason over-the-counter products do not work as efficiently is due to their low peroxide content. Legally, they can only contain 3-percent peroxide in them, which can only brighten your smile so much. Our team uses anywhere between twenty to eighty percent peroxide in our office treatments since we are medically trained to use it. This will brighten your teeth up to ten shades, depending on your personal preference. When you come in for the treatment, we will work with you to determine how bright you want your smile. We then create a personalized treatment to get you there in under an hour. If you do not have time for an in-office appointment that lasts an hour, we can also provide you with an at-home kit. However, this can take several weeks to finish and get the results you want. If you require a professional whitening that brightens your teeth before your big picture day, give us a call today to schedule your appointment.

We know that anyone who has ever experienced a highly stressful situation may have felt as though their gums were hurting. Studies have been performed that show a robust positive link between stress and other psychological issues and gum disease. Those dentists and doctors involved in this study do theorize that this relationship points to changes resulting from either hormonal related stress or neglected oral hygiene but the answers were not found to be clear cut. Another way of looking at this theory might dictate that those who become highly stressed on a regular basis may overlook dental care and flossing and might have exasperated this issue with advanced use of alcohol and drugs. We believe that you should always take time to smell the roses and that regular timeouts to relax might just be one of the finest things you can do for your oral health.

Take Care To Allow Time In Your Day To Relax And Let Go Of Stress

We see a lot of people in our daily dental practice and all too often, some folks are outwardly stressed to a dangerous degree. If this sounds like you, please call today to learn how to alleviate this damaging condition. Many people don’t even recognize stress and this just makes it worse. Stress in our lives is all too common and can easily cause emotional as well as physical bodily tension.

Where Does Stress Come From?

We know that stress can really sneak up on you and before long, it may cause some serious health issues. Stress might originate in the mere act of thinking or pondering an event that may be coming up in your life. These thought patterns perpetuate sustained frustration, anger, and nervousness. Stress is how the body reacts to any stimulation that either challenges us or makes what we see as unruly demands in our lives.

We suggest you learn to identify stress in all of its many forms and then isolate it in order to learn to let go. After all, when you have stress, it is something you are doing to yourself and that is never a good idea. As always, if you feel a need for help in any way with stress or any other body related conditions, please call us to set up an appointment or just stop by to chat whenever you are in the area. We aim to please and we do have quite a few answers.

When it comes to taking care of your oral health, meditation can help. Meditating, when used to combat stress, can be extremely beneficial. By using this approach, you can overcome the tension that leads to problems with gum disease, TMJ, oral neglect, and teeth grinding.

How Meditation Reduces The Stress That Leads To Oral Health Complaints

Originally, meditation was intended to give a person a deeper understanding of life’s mystical forces. Today, the practice is used to relax people and reduce stress. Therefore, this form of holistic “medicine” is meant to produce a more tranquil mind. This type of calm is produced by a deepened state of relaxation. The idea is to get rid of the jumbled thoughts that crowd the mind that lead to stress. According to practitioners in the field, meditation supports better health emotionally and physically. The Mayo Clinic adds that the benefits you receive from meditation does not end after a session. Instead, the calming feeling that is produced helps people manage the stress of and symptoms related to several health conditions. When you meditate, all that build-up of information overload is erased, thereby allowing you to increase your self-awareness, focus only on the present, and gain a new perspective about stressful situations.

The Physical Advantages

It also has been determined that meditation may help people manage stress-related problems that lead to inflammation and gum disease, tension headaches, chronic pain, and insomnia. As a result, meditation can, indeed, be used to increase your awareness about taking care of your gums and teeth and reduce the anxiety that leads to a low immune system response and infection.

Do you think you could benefit from meditation? If your level of stress is affecting your oral health and other areas of your life, it may pay for you to learn more about the practice and how it can help you physically and mentally. Give us a call today about any of your oral health care concerns. We are always available to support your dental needs.