When is it Time for a Dental Crown?

Good dental health is an ongoing process, and timing is essential in nearly every aspect of it. Dental hygiene, i.e., brushing and flossing, is most effective when it deprives bacteria the time they need to infect your teeth and gums. Therefore, Dr. Smith (and the ADA) recommends brushing your teeth at least twice every day, and flossing at least once, preferably before bed time. Likewise, when your teeth need restorative treatment, like with a dental crown, the best time to receive it is before your tooth is too damaged or diseased to save.

Porcelain Veneers—Common Questions Answered

Do you want to improve your smile’s appearance, but have more than one cosmetic issue to deal with and aren’t sure where to start? Porcelain veneers can dramatically transform your smile without a dramatic or complex treatment plan. Best of all, veneers can address a wide variety of issues, from stubborn teeth stains to slightly crooked or misshapen teeth, with just a single procedure.  

What’s the Easiest Way to Whiten Teeth?

In most cases, teeth stains are the simplest cosmetic dental issues to address. They can occur simply from eating and drinking, and can usually be erased with a simple teeth whitening procedure. If stains don’t respond to your over-the-counter bleaching products, that doesn’t mean they’re indicative of a more serious issue. In fact, OTC bleaching agents contain only a fraction of the active ingredients found in professional whitening, and can do little more than lighten the slightest of teeth stains. The easiest way to brighten your smile, then, is to schedule a professional teeth whitening appointment at your Grand Prairie cosmetic dentist’s office.

A Bridge is Only as Strong as its Support System

A dental bridge is designed to span the gap left by one or a few missing teeth, and besides adding fullness to your smile, it also reestablishes your ability to bite and chew comfortably. Unlike smiling, though, biting and chewing produces different levels of pressure that your dental bridge should be able to withstand. With that said, a significant part of your natural teeth’s strength is their support system, which consists of roots embedded within your jawbone that a conventional dental bridge can’t replace.

Don’t Feed the Cavities

Nature’s scary. Watching the Discovery Channel for an hour or two can teach us that. The nature that’s closer to you, however, can be equally disturbing, if you look closely enough. Your mouth, for instance, is an ecological forest that hosts over 600 identifiable kinds of bacteria. Some are harmless, while others, like Streptococcus mutans, focus their energy on systematically destroying your teeth. The more you feed them, the more they metabolize, and the greater your risks become for developing infectious tooth decay or other dental issues.

The Eating Habits of Oral Bacteria

When S. mutans and other bacteria accumulate in your mouth, they form dental plaque to protect them from saliva as they proliferate. Like all living things, these microbes eat and process the nutrients from your food and beverages.

Have You Planned for a Dental Emergency?

Though prevention is a major tenet of good dental care, emergencies (by definition) aren’t always preventable. They also tend to involve damage to varying degrees to your teeth and their supportive structures, making dental emergencies a common cause of permanent tooth loss. Fortunately, you can prepare yourself accidental damage, even if you can’t prevent it, and maximize your chances of retaining your healthy tooth structure in the face of an emergency.  

Are Toothaches Preventable?

The trouble with toothaches is that they have more than one possible cause, and treating one depends on finding out what’s causing it. Luckily, preventing toothaches is considerably simpler, and can often be accomplished with good dental hygiene and regular visits to your Grand Prairie dentist. Most toothaches indicate the presence of a dental disease, like tooth decay and gum disease, and keeping your smile healthy can prevent your teeth from becoming overly sensitive.