Frequently-Asked Questions About Toothaches

If you’ve ever had a toothache, your first and foremost question might be, “How do I cure it?” In most cases, though, the answer to that question isn’t so simple. Teeth hurt for a number of reasons, ranging from dental damage to a developing dental disease (tooth decay or gum disease), and the “cure” for your toothache will be unique to your situation. To help clarify the mystery behind your discomfort, your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, answers a few frequently-asked questions about toothaches and how to make them go away.

Should You Extract a Painless Wisdom Tooth?

For many people, wisdom teeth are temporary inconveniences that are eventually extracted, either due to preference or necessity. For others, they're a barely-noticeable final addition to their smiles that never disturb their oral health. The trouble for people wondering if they should extract a wisdom tooth is that they may not know if it’s necessary until the tooth begins to hurt. Officially known as your third set of permanent molars, wisdom teeth often have little room to grow on dental ridges that already hold 28 teeth. Even if yours don't hurt yet, your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, may recommend extracting them to prevent possible complications in the future.

Want to Cure Your Chronic Bad Breath? We Can Help!

If your breath seems persistently bad, even though you brush and floss your teeth religiously and swear by the pack of mints you keep close by, then eliminating it might sometimes seem out-of-reach. As a common symptom of a wide variety of issues, chronic bad breath may be overwhelming, but it isn’t permanent; in most cases, you can cure your bad breath with simple improvements to your daily hygiene. If the issue is serious, then your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Smith, can help uncover the cause and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan to restore your fresh breath and healthy smile.

Do You Feel Sleep Deprived?

Do you feel fatigued during the day, even though you believe you’re getting a good night’s rest? Does your sleeping partner complain that he/she can’t sleep because of your excessive snoring? Although obstructive sleep apnea is often marked by periods of severely loud snoring, many patients don’t realize they suffer from the sleep disorder unless someone else tells them, or until mysterious symptoms of sleep deprivation become present. Your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, explores the phenomenon of extreme snoring and why you should worry if it indicates obstructive sleep apnea.

Discussing Your Oral and Lung Health

The importance of maintaining clean and healthy teeth and gums should be a given, considering your mouth is essential to eating and speaking. Even still, gum disease, one of the most destructive chronic oral health issues, affects over 75% of adults in America today. With a growing cache of research supporting a connection between your mouth’s wellbeing and your body’s health, preventing and treating dental issues takes on a new importance. According to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology, this connection may even extend to include the health of your lungs.

Common Questions About Cosmetic Dentistry

Have you tried numerous over-the-counter products from your pharmacy, but are still unable to return the youthful, pearly-white shine to your smile? Do you have one or more teeth that are chipped, but aren’t sure what’s the best way to fix it? Cosmetic dentistry has a wealth of solutions to most issues concerning your smile’s appearance. If you wish your smile were brighter, straighter, or generally more appealing, then ask your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, how cosmetic dentistry can help you.

How does teeth whitening erase stains?

Though teeth stains are the most common cosmetic complaint, they’re also the easiest to address, at least in most cases. Professional teethwhitening consists of a highly-potent bleaching agent that eradicates stains on the semi-translucent surface of your teeth, while oxidizing and brightening the underlying tooth structure.

It’s Never Too Early to Prevent Gum Disease

Although it tends to affect older people more often than the young, gum disease isn’t an age-related disease; it’s neither determined by age, nor is it a natural part of the aging process. On the contrary, gumdisease can develop from poor dental hygiene regardless of age, race, gender, and color, and if not prevented or dealt with early, the disease can cost you one or more teeth. As a progressive condition, gum disease can’t be completely eradicated once it’s developed; therefore, keeping your mouth safe from it is best accomplished by preventing gum disease development in the first place.

Think Twice About Energy and Sports Drinks

It’s summer, and in Texas, that means HOT! So, naturally, your first instinct may be to keep a beverage with you at all times, and given their popularity, that beverage may often be a sports drink or energy drink. They’re full of flavor, electrolytes, and lots of other things that many people automatically assume are good for them. Unfortunately, that misconception hides the fact that many of what today’s sports and energy drinks contain can seriously affect your dental health, such as causing irreversible damage to your teeth.