Arlington TX Dentist Talks about the Top Four Causes of Tooth Loss, PART 1

This two-part article series explains the four main causes of tooth loss: accidental trauma, tooth decay, periodontal (gum) disease and, interestingly enough, tooth loss to begin with!

You can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a permanent tooth until one of your pearly whites actually falls out your mouth or is extracted by your Arlington TX dentist. Unfortunately, too many people have become acquainted with this feeling; According to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, approximately 70% of all Americans between the ages of 35 and 44 have lost at least one of their original adult teeth! The initial shock and anxiety caused by losing a tooth has as much to do with a concern for your smile aesthetics as it does the cost and trouble involved in fixing it. Any Arlington TX dentist (and anyone who’s lost a tooth) will explain to you that prevention is ALWAYS better than cure, especially when it comes to tooth loss. This is because your teeth are irreplaceable and no fancy modern technology - even Arlington dental implants - can rival your own biological technology.

In this two-part article series, the Arlington TX dentist shall be discussing the four main reasons teeth become irreparably damaged and either fall out by themselves or need to be extracted: (1) accidental trauma, (2) tooth decay, (3) periodontal (gum) disease and curiously enough (4) tooth loss to begin with!

1. Arlington Dental Disasters: Accidental trauma

Contact sports involve all kinds of physical risks. Professional and amateur players alike regularly walk (or hobble) away from the field or court with serious injuries. Whether you play basketball, rugby, baseball, tennis or something a little more obvious like boxing, if there are balls, fists and feet flying around, you should have a mouth guard custom fabricated for you by your Arlington TX dentist and you should wear it at all times. “All it takes is an accidental fist to the face or a stray tennis racquet to the teeth and in a single second, your smile can be irreparably altered,” says the Arlington TX dentist.

“Hundreds of millions of teeth are lost or severely damaged every year as a result of accidental trauma. While most accidents aren’t ‘planned’, you can certainly exercise the correct amount of caution to either help prevent them or mitigate the damage done by them,” explains the Arlington TX dentist. The message here is to be careful, tread cautiously and wear a mouth guard if you play sports. Take care of yourself.

2. Arlington Dental Disasters: Tooth decay

The next major cause of tooth loss is decay. “Your mouth, no matter how good you are about keeping your teeth clean, is teeming with opportunistic bacteria,” says the Arlington TX dentist. “If you don’t brush and floss regularly and if you don’t see your Arlington dental health care professional twice a year, you are leaving your teeth highly vulnerable to oral bacteria.”

“Bacteria feast upon the sugary residues left in your mouth after eating and drinking,” explains the Arlington TX dentist. “Just like any other organism that eats, they produce waste products and this excrement is very acidic. By neglecting to brush and floss your teeth, you give bacteria a chance to establish vast colonies in the natural creases of your gums and teeth,” says the Arlington TX dentist. Eventually, bacterial acidic waste will erode away your dental enamel forming cavities which provide even greater shelter for bacteria.

Without treatment by the Arlington TX dentist, cavities eventually deepen, allowing bacteria a direct pathway into the heart of the tooth. Once the pulp chamber becomes infected, the tooth will need to be sterilized via a root canal procedure. The vast majority of Arlington dental patients, however, opt to simply have the decayed, problematic tooth extracted.

“Preventing decay requires high standards of oral hygiene and regular attention from an Arlington TX dentist. You should also minimize your intake of sugar and lead a healthy lifestyle,” advise Arlington dental health care professionals.

For More on Your Arlington Dental Health, Stay Tuned for the Second Installment of This Two-Part Series!

The Arlington Texas Dentist Discusses Smoking and Your Oral Health, PART 2

This three-part article series takes an in-depth exploration of the short and long term effects of tobacco addiction upon your oral health.

“Quitting smoking is easy! I’ve done it a thousand times!”

- Mark Twain

As a smoker, you are aware of the various health warnings provided on cigarette boxes. And yet, in spite of the new, more graphic depictions being printed on the packaging of your favorite anytime past-time, you still manage to maintain a distance between yourself and these health warnings. You’re far too young to worry about heart disease, aren’t you?

But what about your teeth?

You don’t need to be a heavy lifelong smoker to begin to see the impact of this habit on your pearly whites, warns the Arlington Texas dentist. Tooth discoloration, chronic bad breath, gum inflammation, taste and smell impediment, dry mouth and ‘black hairy tongue’ are but a few of the ramifications of an addiction to tobacco smoking.

In the first installment of this three-part article series, the Arlington Texas dentist provided an in-depth account of both the short and long term consequences of smoking on your oral health. Now, in this article, the second installment, we shall be focusing more on some helpful oral healthcare recommendations for smokers. Armed with these tips, the Arlington TX dentist hopes that those who have been actively trying to kick the habit (or at least entertaining the idea) will find the resolve to finally do so.

Arlington Texas Dentist: Recommendations

Sure, it’s easy to say “stop smoking,” which is the Arlington Texas dentist’s main recommendation. It’s never too late to reduce and minimize the health risks, so the sooner you do, the less your chance of doing lasting and permanent damage. But quitting is far easier said than done. Most smokers have tried and failed to quit. Most smokers will try many, many times to kick the habit before they finally succeed, remarks the Arlington Texas dentist. Nicotine addiction is only the tip of the iceberg really. Within 72 hours of smoking cessation, all the nasty associated chemicals will have left your body and your physical dependence thereon, beaten. It’s the strong psychological addiction that represents a smoker’s biggest battle, explains the Arlington Texas dentist.

Here are some fundamental oral health and hygiene tips from the Arlington TX dentist for smokers:

• Firstly, it has to be said: Stop smoking or chewing tobacco!

• Be extra strict about keeping those bi-annual appointments with the Arlington Texas dentist and oral hygienist. This will enable him or her to provide the preventative healthcare you need to combat the effects of smoking on your teeth and gums. They’ll also be able to perform thorough checks for oral cancer.

• Maintain a rigorous home oral hygiene routine. As a smoker, you are at a much greater risk of periodontal (gum) disease, explains the Arlington Texas dentist. Due to lower saliva production (the mouth’s natural defense against bacteria), impeded blood circulation and a compromised immune system, smokers will naturally have greater numbers of oral bacteria and therefore, a greater and speedier build-up of plaque and tartar in their mouths. For this reason, it is essential that you brush and floss regularly and thoroughly, advises the Arlington Texas dentist. Also, use a tongue cleaner to scrape bacteria off your tongue and use an anti-bacterial mouthwash as an extra precaution. Complement this routine with regular dental hygiene appointments at the Arlington Texas dentist’s office.

• Learn how to perform a thorough check for oral and throat cancer. According to the Arlington Texas dentist, this involves checking for:

i. Red, white or dark patches on the soft tissues in the mouth (gums, palate, cheeks and on or under the tongue.)

ii. Frequent bleeding in the mouth, says the Arlington TX dentist.

iii. Sores around the mouth, face or neck that persist for more than two weeks.

iv. Numbness, loss of feeling or pain at any location in the mouth, says the Arlington Texas dentist.

v. Bumps, swelling or lumps on the neck, gums, lips, cheeks, tongue, palate or anywhere else in the mouth and on the face.

If any of these patches, sores or bumps do not disappear within two weeks, immediately schedule an appointment with the Arlington Texas dentist. He or she will perform a biopsy on the anomaly to determine whether it is cancerous or not.

Interesting Note: Regular brushing and the fresh, minty, clean feeling it leaves in the mouth can actually help to restrain the urge to smoke, says the Arlington Texas dentist. So, keep a toothbrush and some anti-bacterial mouthwash handy while you battle your addiction and it could provide you with the little extra encouragement you need!

Arlington Texas Dentist: Stay Tuned

Now that the Arlington Texas dentist has provided some tips on how to manage your oral health and hygiene as a smoker, we shall move on to answering some of your frequently asked questions. Stay tuned for the third and final installment of the Arlington TX dentist’s article series on the impact of tobacco use on one’s oral health.

Advice from the Arlington TX Dentist: Your Oral Health During Pregnancy, PART 2

"This two-part article series discusses the importance of proper oral health and hygiene during pregnancy."

In our previous article post, the Arlington TX dentist discussed the importance of proper oral health and hygiene during pregnancy. A variety of risk factors, such as hormonal changes, morning sickness and sugar cravings, can render a pregnant woman more susceptible to the oral bacteria that cause gingivitis and periodontal (gum) disease. Prevention of these oral conditions and prompt treatment in the event that they develop is incredibly important, stresses the Arlington TX dentist, because oral bacterial infections have been linked with premature births and underweight babies. So, what can you as a mother-to-be do to protect not only your oral and general health, but the health of your unborn baby?

Advice from the Arlington Dentist: What You Can Do During Pregnancy

There are a number of measures you can take to protect yourself and your baby:

1. Immediately schedule yourself an appointment with the Arlington dentist. Tell him/her that you are pregnant and they will explain to you what this means for your oral health. The Arlington TX dentist will also mark you down for regular appointments to keep the health of your teeth and gums in top condition.

2. Make sure you brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day or after meals, says the Arlington TX dentist. Cravings are very common for pregnant women and they can hit at unconventional eating hours, so you should really brush 30 minutes after any meal, snack or treat. Waiting 30 minutes allows your teeth time to remineralize, says the Arlington dentist. Brushing immediately after food can hasten the erosion of your dental enamel.

3. Include daily flossing in your hygiene routine, stresses the Arlington TX dentist! And carry around an ADA-approved anti-bacterial mouthwash with you. This will give you the upper edge against the bacteria in your mouth.

4. Try to maintain a healthy diet. Satisfy sugar cravings with healthy options like fresh or dried fruit instead of chocolate and candy, advises the Arlington dentist. If you can’t do without these kinds of indulgences then there are sugar-free chocolates on the market. You may want to stock up on these if you have an insatiable sweet tooth, says the Arlington TX dentist

Ask the Arlington TX Dentist: What Happens if I Develop Gum Problems During Pregnancy?

Many women worry about what dental treatment will do to the health of their unborn child. And in a move that is incredibly detrimental to their health, they actually opt to wait until they give birth before seeking the attention of the Arlington TX dentist. If you notice inflammation or swelling of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth, then book yourself an appointment with the Arlington TX dentist immediately. There are all sorts of myths surrounding pregnancy and dental treatment. What you need to focus on is maintaining the health of your teeth and gums. Waiting nine months to give birth before you seek treatment can put both you and your unborn baby in danger.

A Final Note from the Arlington TX Dentist

The saying, “one tooth is lost with every pregnancy” is a fallacy, explains the Arlington dentist. With a proper home oral hygiene routine and regular preventative dental treatment, the health of your teeth and gums will not be compromised at all!

Advice from the Arlington Dentist: Your Oral Health During Pregnancy, PART 1

 This two-part article series discusses the importance of proper oral health and hygiene during pregnancy.

Pregnancy goes hand-in-hand with a mind-boggling number of concerns and challenges for the parents-to-be. Picking out a name, choosing a color for the nursery, rushing to the 24 hour convenient store at 2am for pickles and peanut-butter, child-proofing the house and birthing classes are only the tip of the giant iceberg of stresses and joys a budding family experiences at the prospect of bringing a new life into the world. The health of your teeth and gums during this time are probably about as far from the mind of the mother-to-be as ex-planet Pluto is from the Sun. And why shouldn’t it be? Well, says the Arlington dentist, this is because pregnancy puts women at a higher risk of gum disease!

Advice from the Arlington TX Dentist: Your Oral Health during Pregnancy

You brush twice a day and floss when you remember to. And it’s only been about a year since your last appointment with the Arlington dentist, which probably makes you the average patient. So, why should your oral health and hygiene habits change during pregnancy? Pregnancy brings about certain hormonal changes in women, says the Arlington dentist. And these can increase your chance of developing an oral bacterial infection of the gums, gingivitis, or even periodontitis; it’s acute and chronic form. These gum problems are caused by bacteria that are naturally found in your mouth, explains the Arlington TX dentist. The only difference is that while you’re pregnant, hormonal changes cause your body to respond more readily to the bacteria in plaque. As a result, your gums can swell and become inflamed, even if your oral hygienic habits have remained the same, says the Arlington dentist.

Other common causes of dental problems during pregnancy arise from:

• The frequent acid bath your teeth and gums get as a result of morning sickness, says the Arlington dentist.
• Pregnant women can also experience cravings for sugary foods, which encourage bacterial growth in between brushes.
• A heightened gag reflex, which can make it tricky for pregnant women to give their teeth and tongue the thorough brushing they need to remain as bacteria-free as possible, explains the Arlington TX dentist.

Advice from the Arlington TX Dentist: What You Can Do

According to the Arlington dentist, proper oral hygiene is fundamental during pregnancy because just as being a mother-to-be puts the health of your teeth and gums on the line, so too can the health of your teeth and gums affect your unborn baby. Research has shown there to be a clear link between advanced oral bacterial infection and the incidence of under-weight babies and premature birthing, says the Arlington TX dentist. While it’s not uncommon for babies to be born before their due date, there are always associated risks and potentially severe health implications for both mother and child. Think about how important your diet is to your unborn child. Would you really want to have a mouth teeming with bacteria? It’s no wonder the Arlington dentist stresses the importance of proper oral hygiene to pregnant women!

So, what can you do to protect your oral and general health during this exciting time?

Advice from the Arlington TX Dentist: Stay Tuned

To read the Arlington dentist’s advice on oral health during pregnancy, stay tuned for the next installment of this two part series.