The Dental Place

Standing between oral bacteria and tooth decay is your tooth enamel. This mineralized coating that surrounds teeth acts as a barrier to destructive bacteria that cause cavities and weaken teeth. It’s important to understand dental anatomy to develop an understanding of how to protect tooth enamel (and your teeth) from damage.  Tooth enamel is the strongest substance in your body; in fact, it’s harder than bone. Although enamel is tough and durable, it can be damaged by common habits and lifestyle choices. Exposure to acid and teeth grinding can weaken enamel. Following are some helpful tips for protecting the health of your teeth.

Practice Thorough Oral Hygiene

Proper oral hygiene is an important factor in keeping teeth and gums healthy. When you brush and floss, you disrupt bacteria from colonizing and you remove food particles that serve as fuel to bacteria. Once bacteria feed on sugar compounds, they release acid as a by-product. Acid weakens tooth enamel over time. If you don’t keep your teeth and gums clean, bacteria will colonize and thrive in your mouth. By cleaning your teeth and gums, you can help starve bacteria. Be sure to brush at least twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste and floss every day.

Do Not Grind Your Teeth or Chew on Inedible Objects

Grinding your teeth (bruxism) and chewing on inedible objects is a common way many people deal with stress and emotional upset. Unfortunately, chewing on hard objects or grinding one’s teeth can damage tooth enamel over time. Chewing on hard objects or teeth scraping against each other will ultimately wear down tooth enamel and leave the unprotected structures of teeth vulnerable to harmful bacteria.

Visit the Dentist for Regular Cleanings and Checkups

Even if you practice oral hygiene and avoid sugary or acidic food, you can put your teeth at risk if you forego regular checkups and cleanings at our practice. During visits to our office, our team will look for signs of enamel loss. If caught early on, we can take preventive measures such as administering fluoride treatments or placing dental sealants to protect teeth from permanent damage.

Call our dentist grand prairie office to schedule an appointment today!

Do you have discoloration on your tooth? Are you wondering whether a dark spot on your tooth is purely cosmetic in nature, or is it the sign of an oral health condition like tooth decay? Most of the time, tooth discoloration is caused by external factors like darkly colored foods and drinks that stain teeth. Even though a dark spot on your teeth is likely just a cosmetic issue, it’s still a good idea to visit us for a checkup just to make sure your oral health is in good standing.

How do permanent stains develop?

If the dark spot on your tooth is the result of permanent staining, it likely developed from a common daily habit such as drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes. Teeth are permeable and over time, dark compounds can seep through the enamel layer of teeth and form a permanent stain. This type of staining is called extrinsic tooth discoloration and it is normally addressed with cosmetic treatments, if the patient feels it is necessary. Most permanent stains are treated with professional whitening treatments prescribed by our dentist. Professional whitening can lift away deep stains and lighten teeth about eight to ten shades.

How does decay cause tooth discoloration?

Yellowing or darkening of the tooth can mean that a tooth is damaged from tooth decay. The only way to be sure if discoloration is more than cosmetic is to schedule an oral checkup at our practice. If decay is present, bacteria have eaten through the soft, dentin structure of teeth. As a result of a cavity, the exposed dentin of a tooth can darken. A dark spot on a tooth may also mean that the inside of the tooth is damaged. For instance, dark spots may be an indicator that a tooth is deeply decayed or infected.

If decay is the reason for discoloration, our team will recommend an appropriate restoration. Fillings are used to restore damage done by small cavities while crowns are used to restore an entire tooth. Restorations will protect teeth from further damage as well.

To schedule a checkup or cleaning, call our friendly team at The Dental Place today- dentist grand prairie.

Many patients ask the dentist about bleeding gums and whether that symptom is cause for concern. The answer, in short, is a resounding yes! Bleeding gums are never normal, and they often indicate a mild form of gum disease known as gingivitis.

Gum disease is a progressive condition, and as it advances, it causes more damage to your gum tissue. In its most severe forms, gum disease can even lead to tooth and bone loss.

Fortunately, the mildest form of gum disease can be readily treated by your dentist with a thorough professional cleaning. If you act early, you can avoid the more invasive treatments that are needed for advanced periodontal disease.

Because gingivitis can be addressed with a professional cleaning rather than some sort of surgical procedure, it’s another good reason to be sure to see your dentist every six months. When you have an exam at such brief intervals, gingivitis has less of a chance to progress into periodontitis, the more severe form of gum disease.

The routine preventive cleanings you get at these regular appointments also can help to stop gingivitis in its tracks, as they clear away bacteria that may linger despite your best efforts to keep your mouth as clean as possible.

Other symptoms of gingivitis include red or swollen gums, tenderness in the gums and bad breath. If you notice any of these signs, call our office to schedule an appointment for an exam and treatment.

Keep in mind that preventing gingivitis (or a relapse) also depends on what you do at home. Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day will go a long way toward minimizing the oral bacteria that causes gum disease, including gingivitis. If you’re particularly prone to bacteria proliferation, you may want to ask if adding an anti-bacterial mouthwash would be beneficial, too.

Any bleeding in the gums is abnormal and should be evaluated by a knowledgeable professional. If you notice this symptom, contact The Dental Place at 972-264-5795 and schedule an appointment to be seen in our office as soon as possible.

Some patients may think that dry mouth (xerostomia) is a mere annoyance, but it can actually have serious consequences for your oral health. If you’re experiencing this problem, talk to your dentist about steps that you can take to treat or prevent it.

When patients have inadequate saliva, oral bacteria have the opportunity to proliferate and they can increase the patient’s risk of gum disease and tooth decay.

In order to address dry mouth, your dentist will first look for the factors that may be causing the problem. Any of the following can contribute to dry mouth:

• Side effects from medications, such as psychotropics, diuretics, allergy and cold medications and bronchodilators.
• Symptoms of certain diseases, such as Sjorgen’s syndrome, Parkinson’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Dehydration – if you’re not consuming enough liquids, especially water, your entire body can become dehydrated, including your mouth.
• Medical treatments – Radiation for head and neck cancers may contribute to dry mouth, as can chemotherapy.
• Tobacco use – Another reason to give up smoking or chewing tobacco is to reduce your risk of dry mouth.

If the dentist suspects a medical condition is contributing to your dry mouth, you may be referred to your primary care doctor or another physician for further evaluation. If medication may be the culprit, ask your doctor if there are any alternatives that don’t cause dry mouth.

Dry mouth is treatable. Make sure that you are drinking enough water, for starters. If that doesn’t provide some relief, consider chewing sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production. Artificial saliva substitutes are available over the counter, and they can be tremendously valuable as well.

Of course, if you smoke, we highly encourage you to give up that habit. You’ll get a variety of health benefits, in addition to reducing dry mouth.

If you have any symptoms of dry mouth, such as excessive thirst, difficulty chewing and swallowing, sores in the mouth or dryness in the throat and tongue, contact The Dental Place at 972-264-5795 and consult with one of our dental experts to learn how you might address the problem.

As with other aspects of your health, genetics can certainly influence your oral health. Therefore, your dentist may inquire about your family history to help you better reduce your risks associated with these genetic factors.

Some patients may have a predisposition to thinner enamel thanks to their parents. This may make these patients more likely to develop cavities. If you have this hereditary history, your dentist may want to monitor you more closely for decay. There appears to be some genetic component to the risk of gum disease, as well.

The shape of your jaw can also be affected by your genes, and that, too, can affect the health of your teeth. For example, if you inherited a particularly narrow jaw from one of your parents, your teeth may be more susceptible to crowding, which can damage them and detract from your smile. Similarly, the size and the shape of the teeth are determined by your DNA to a certain extent, and those characteristics can also affect crowding. 

Beyond heredity, your parents can influence your oral health in other ways. For example, they can model good oral hygiene habits or show that they are not as conscientious about brushing and flossing. When your parents help you establish a routine as a child, you are much more likely to continue brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist on a regular basis as an adult.

Additionally, parents may also expose younger children to cavity-causing bacteria through kisses or by sharing food from the same plate. Some evidence suggests similar genetic material in oral bacteria found in members of the same family. Those same bacteria can cause gum disease, as well.

Your genes can affect your oral health, so it’s important to be aware of any oral diseases that your parents and other close family members may have developed in their lifetimes. To learn more about the link between your DNA and your dental health, bring up this subject at your next appointment. Contact our office today to schedule your visit.

Some patients complain of discomfort while wearing their dentures. Fortunately, this issue usually can be resolved in some way. When you have soreness, be sure to let your dentist know so that he or she can fix the problem.

If you have just gotten your dentures recently, within the past month or so, you may experience some soreness as you get adjusted to the appliances. Your dentist can make an adjustment to the appliance to give you relief from this symptom.

Has some time passed since you first got your dentures? The jawbone slowly wears away after the teeth have been removed or lost. As a result, the jaw’s contour changes over time and the denture doesn’t fit as well as it did initially. This, too, can cause discomfort.

As a result, the patient may experience sore gums due to the change in the fit of the denture. However, the denture can be re-lined to improve its fit and eliminate your sore gums.

Eventually, the jaw’s shape may change so drastically that re-lining the dentures will not be a sufficient solution. When this happens, the patient will need to get fitted for a new appliance. Not only will this give the patient more comfort, but it will also result in a more aesthetically pleasing and functional denture.

Sometimes denture wearers may develop infections that can cause soreness in the gums as one symptom. You can also be evaluated for this issue, and if it is at fault, it can be treated with antibiotics.

To get the most benefit and comfort from your dentures, be sure that you are following all of the instructions to care for them properly. Ask your dental providers if you have any questions about how to maintain them.

Patients shouldn’t have to endure sore gums merely because they’re wearing dentures. If you develop this symptom, come in to our office to have your dentures evaluated. There is likely a way to re-fit or re-design the denture so that it’s more comfortable for you.

Some patients may put off routine dental care out of financial concerns, but when you keep up with your regular appointments every six months, you actually may end up saving money by avoiding severe issues that require expensive treatments.

When your dentist sees you twice a year, it’s easier to keep tabs on any relatively minor changes and address them. For example, a patient may develop signs of early-stage gum disease from one visit to the next. This type of gum disease likely can be treated with a thorough professional cleaning, which is pretty affordable. However, if it progresses, it will require a more invasive – and expensive – intervention.

Eventually, gum disease can lead to tooth loss, which requires very costly solutions, such as dentures or dental implants.

The dental cleanings that you receive at these routine appointments can also save you money. They remove any bacteria and plaque that lingers on your teeth even after your own brushing and flossing routine. Without those cleanings, those bacteria can proliferate and they risk causing gum disease and tooth decay.

In some cases, regular visits to your dentist can even save your life through oral cancer screenings. The dentist will examine your entire oral cavity for thickenings, lumps, white patches or non-healing sores that could indicate a malignancy. When oral cancer is diagnosed early, before it has spread, the prognosis is good. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of cases are detected while they are contained to the oral cavity. Regular screenings can increase your chances of being in that percentage.

Of course, there are many other benefits that you get from visiting a dentist’s office every six months, including a more attractive smile and an opportunity to get expert advice on any concerns that you may have about your home oral care routine.

Our office accepts a wide variety of payments for check-ups and cleanings, including several insurances, cash and credit cards. Contact The Dental Place at 972-264-5795 to learn about your payment options and schedule an appointment.