Category : oral health

Protect Both Your Mouth And Your Body With These Oral Health Practices

Posted on: May 3, 2021 by Arpit

March is here, and it’s time for the big day. No, not St. Patrick’s Day: It’s World Oral Health Day! The FDI World Dental Federation, representing over one million dentists worldwide, commemorates each March 20th in honor of everyone’s mouth—and how to keep it healthy through good oral health practices.

So why give your oral cavity its own day? For a very good reason: A healthy mouth is a key to a healthy body and a happy life. Diseases like tooth decay or gum disease don’t just ruin your teeth and gums (or your winning smile)—they can contribute to decreased nutrition, opportunistic infections, and systemic inflammation. The latter is a huge factor in diabetes, heart disease, and similar health conditions.

World Oral Health Day isn’t just about highlighting what can rob you of a healthy mouth. It’s primarily about taking action—the things you and we can do to maintain and improve your oral health. Here are a few basics that can go a long way in keeping your teeth and gums healthy for life.

Keep up a good oral hygiene habit

Dental plaque is the primary engine of dental disease. This thin film that builds up on teeth is the main source of food and lodging for disease-causing bacteria. We know you have a hectic schedule, but all it takes is 5 minutes a day to effectively remove accumulated plaque. That includes brushing AND flossing—the latter removes plaque between teeth your brush can’t reach.

Schedule regular dental visits

Even with excellent oral hygiene, you will develop tartar. Tartar is just as important in causing disease and is impossible to remove by brushing and flossing alone. That’s why at least every six months, you need professional dental cleaning to remove plaque and tartar you might have missed. It’s also a good time for us to check your teeth and gums for signs of decay or gum infection.

Make lifestyle changes

What you put in your mouth could raise or lower your risk for disease. A healthy mouth starts with a healthy, tooth-friendly diet: less (or no) added sugar, more fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and dairy. You’ll also improve your mouth health if you abstain from tobacco products (both smoking and smokeless) and only drink alcohol in moderation.

Investing in your mouth with daily hygiene, regular dental visits, and healthy lifestyle practices will pay dividends now and in the future. It doesn’t take much, but these simple things could boost oral and general health.

Please contact us or schedule a consultation if you want more information about the best oral health practices. To learn more, read the Dear Doctor magazine article “Daily Oral Hygiene.”

Friendly Bacteria Can Help Protect Our Mouths From Disease

Posted on: May 3, 2021 by Arpit

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Schedule your visit now for personalized care in a comfortable environment. Your journey to a brighter, healthier smile begins here.

phone number

972-347-1090

email address

[email protected]

our address

26735 US Hwy 380 E, Suite 105,Aubrey, TX 76227

Opening hours

Monday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Thursday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Friday Closed
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

COMMUNITIES WE ATTEND

PROVIDING DENTAL care services for

A Shingles Outbreak Could Interrupt Your Dental Care

Posted on: May 3, 2021 by Arpit

A shingles outbreak can be painful and embarrassing. It could also interfere with many areas of your life, including dental care.

Chicken Pox

Known medically as herpes zoster, the shingle is a viral form of chicken pox. The virus can lie dormant for many years or decades in people that had chicken pox as a child, breaking out later in life (sometimes repeatedly). It’s estimated about a quarter of people who had chicken pox as a child and about 90% of adults will experience a shingles outbreak.

In the beginning, a person with shingles may notice itching or burning skin irritation and numbness or sensitivity to touch. In time, a red, crusty rash can develop, usually forming a belted or striped pattern on the torso, head, or facial areas. The patterning is caused by the virus’s disruption of nerves that serve those parts of the body.

Shingles could impact your dental care because they can be contagious early in an outbreak. It can be transmitted to other people via contact with the rash or airborne respiratory particles. Dental staff members or patients who are pregnant, undergoing cancer treatment, or with other conditions compromising their immune systems can develop serious health problems if they contract the virus.

If you have an upcoming appointment, it’s best to let your dentist know you’ve been diagnosed with shingles. If your treatment involves physical contact that could spread the virus, they may wish to reschedule you until the outbreak clears.

Antiviral Treatments

There are ways to hasten the healing process with antiviral treatments like acyclovir or famciclovir. For best results, these treatments should begin within 3 days of a shingles outbreak. There is also a shingles vaccine that can help you avoid an outbreak altogether. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend it for adults over 60.

Having shingles can be painful and stressful and pose a major interruption to your daily life and routine. With proper management, though, it can be contained so you can get on with your life—and your dental care.

If you would like more information on managing shingles and dental care, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Shingles, Herpes Zoster.”

Eliminating An Infant’s Lip Or Tongue Tie Can Make Breastfeeding Easier

Posted on: May 3, 2021 by Arpit

Most babies come into the world ready and able to nourish at their mother’s breast through breastfeeding. No training is required! About one in ten children may have a structural abnormality with their tongue or lip that makes it difficult for them to breastfeed.

Frenum or Frenulum

The abnormality involves a small strip of tissue called a frenum or frenulum. It is found in the mouth connecting soft tissue to more rigid structures. You’ll find a frenum attaching the upper lip to the gums. While another connects the tongue’s underside to the mouth’s floor.

Frenums are a normal part of oral anatomy and usually don’t pose a problem. But if the frenum tissue is too short, thick, or tight, it could restrict lip or tongue movement. If so, a baby may not be able to achieve a good seal on their mother’s nipple, causing them to chew ineffectively rather than suck to access the mother’s milk. Such a situation guarantees an unpleasant experience for both mother and baby.

The problem can be addressed with a minor surgical procedure performed in a dentist’s office. The dentist first numbs the area with an anesthetic gel during the procedure. The frenum is then snipped with scissors or a laser.

Nursing

With very little, if any, post-procedure care, the baby can immediately begin nursing. But although the physical impediment may be removed, the child may need to “relearn” how to nurse. It may take time for the baby to readjust and could require help from a professional.

Nursing isn’t the only reason for dealing with an abnormally shortened frenum. Abnormal frenums can interfere with speech development and may even widen gaps between the front teeth, contributing to poor bite development. Clipping a frenum early is often worthwhile before it creates other problems.

It isn’t absolutely necessary to deal with a “tongue” or “lip tie” in this manner. The bottle can nourish a baby. But to gain the physical and emotional benefits of breastfeeding, taking care of this particular problem early may be a good option.

If you would like more information on the problem of tongue or lip ties in infants, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Tongue Ties, Lip Ties, and Breastfeeding.”

Want To Improve Your Athletic Performance? Try Tuning Up Your Dental Care

Posted on: May 3, 2021 by Arpit

contact us

Scroll to see more

contact us

get in touch

Schedule your visit now for personalized care in a comfortable environment. Your journey to a brighter, healthier smile begins here.

phone number

972-347-1090

email address

[email protected]

our address

26735 US Hwy 380 E, Suite 105,Aubrey, TX 76227

Opening hours

Monday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Thursday 8:00am – 5:30pm
Friday Closed
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

COMMUNITIES WE ATTEND

PROVIDING DENTAL care services for

Hockey Season Is Upon Us – Is Your Star Athlete Ready With Mouth Protection?

Posted on: May 3, 2021 by Arpit

contact us

Scroll to see more

contact us

get in touch

Schedule your visit now for personalized care in a comfortable environment. Your journey to a brighter, healthier smile begins here.

phone number

972-347-1090

email address

[email protected]

our address

26735 US Hwy 380 E, Suite 105,Aubrey, TX 76227

Opening hours

Monday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Monday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Monday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Monday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Monday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Monday 8:00am – 5:00pm

COMMUNITIES WE ATTEND

PROVIDING DENTAL care services for

A New Dental Pain Management Approach Reduces The Need For Narcotics

Posted on: May 3, 2021 by Arpit

Narcotics have long played an important role in easing severe pain caused by disease, trauma, or treatment. Healthcare professionals, including dentists, continue to prescribe them as a matter of course.

But narcotics are also addictive and can be dangerous if abused. Although addictions often arise from illegal drugs like heroin, they can begin with prescription narcotics like morphine or oxycodone that patients initially used for legitimate reasons.

Dental Pain Management

As a result, many healthcare providers are looking for alternatives to narcotics and new protocols for pain management. This has led to an emerging approach among dentists to use non-addictive, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as their first choice for pain management. Reserve narcotics for more acute situations.

Routinely used by the public to reduce mild to moderate pain, NSAIDs like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin have also been found to be effective for managing pain after many dental procedures or minor surgeries. NSAIDs also have fewer side effects than narcotics; most can be obtained without a prescription.

Dentists have also found that alternating ibuprofen and acetaminophen can greatly increase the pain relief effect. As such, they can be used for many more after-care situations for which narcotics would have been previously prescribed. Using combined usage, dentists can further limit the use of narcotics to only the most severe pain situations.

Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA)

Research from the early 2010s backs up this new approach. A study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) concluded that patients receiving this combined ibuprofen/acetaminophen usage fared better than those only receiving either one individually. The method could also match the relief power of narcotics in aftercare for a wide range of procedures.

The NSAID approach is growing in popularity, but it hasn’t yet displaced dental professionals’ first-line use of narcotics. The hesitancy to adopt the newer approach is fueled as much by patients, who worry it won’t be as adequate as narcotics to manage their pain after dental work as with dentists.

But as more patients experience effective results after dental work with NSAIDs alone. The new approach should gain even more momentum. And in the end, it promises to be a safer way to manage pain.

If you would like more information on dental pain management, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Are Opioids (Narcotics) the Best Way to Manage Dental Pain?”

Drawing Impacted Teeth Out Of The Gums Could Help Normalize A Smile

Posted on: May 3, 2021 by Arpit

We instinctively know when a smile looks normal—and when it doesn’t. It could be that something simply looks out of place, like crooked teeth. But we might also notice when something is missing—as with one or both of the canine teeth. The canine teeth align just under the eyes and are recognizable by their pointed ends. When they’re missing, the smile looks “incomplete.” But “missing” in this case could mean “invisible”—the teeth are there but hidden within the gums because they failed to come in properly and oral health is impacted. This often happens on a smaller jaw where other teeth have crowded into their intended space.

Oral Health

Fortunately, we may have a remedy, and not just for appearance’s sake—any impacted tooth can cause pain and health problems, from gum abscesses to root damage to neighboring teeth. Although this might necessitate their surgical removal, we might also be able to coax them through the gums into better positions in the jaw if they’re in a reasonably good position. This could result in both a boost to a patient’s oral health and a more normal-looking smile.

First, a patient will need to undergo a thorough bite evaluation by an orthodontist. Besides pinpointing the impacted teeth’s precise location with x-rays or CT technology, an orthodontist will also want to assess the positions and condition of the rest of the teeth. If the conditions are right and there’s enough room in the jaw, the orthodontist may recommend drawing the impacted canines into proper alignment in the jaw.

The process starts when an oral surgeon exposes the impacted teeth by surgically cutting through the gum tissue. They then attach a small bracket to the tooth with a tiny metal chain, the other end looped over orthodontic hardware attached to other teeth. The tension on the chain by the hardware gradually nudges the teeth downward out of the gums. This is usually done in coordination with other measures to correct the bite fully.

If the procedure is successful, bringing the canines out of impaction reduces the problems those teeth could cause the person’s oral health. But just as important, it can restore normality to their smile.

If you would like more information on treating impacted teeth, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Exposing Impacted Canines.”