Welcome, Dr. Andrew Benson, to Dentistry for Adults
Welcome, Dr. Benson!
As many of you may know, I have recently had another surgery, this time on my right shoulder. In order to continue with the best care possible for my patients, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Benson will be joining the team at Dentistry for Adults.
Upon completion of his studies at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Benson went on to receive his dental training at Baylor College of Dentistry, where he earned his DDS degree as the salutatorian of his class. He completed a hospital-based general practice residency at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center and returned to Baylor College of Dentistry to complete a three year specialty program in prosthodontics. He has extensive training in all aspects of restorative dentistry, including implants, crowns, dentures, TMJ disorders, and complex esthetic dental treatments. He is also experienced treating patients whose medical conditions may present a challenge to otherwise straightforward dental care.
Dr. Benson and his wife, Grace, a pharmacist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, are the proud parents of two children.
click here to read the full articleIntroducing a New Face to Our Plano Dental Office
We would like you to meet Jane! She is joining Dentistry for Adults and will be working in the front office with Joyce. Angie is looking to spend more time with her family, while the children are still at home.
Jane, our new office manager, considers herself a native Texan, having lived in Plano for over twenty years. She is a registered dental hygienist. Jane and her husband, a faculty member at Baylor College of Dentistry, are parents of four children and grandparents to three beautiful grandchildren. In her spare time, Jane enjoys reading, swimming, and babysitting the grandkids. She is excited to join the Dentistry for Adults family.
Welcome, Jane! You will love our patients!
click here to read the full articleYes You Can Keep Your Teeth for a Lifetime!
How to Keep Your Teeth for a Lifetime
It’s a common myth that senior citizens are destined to lose their teeth, reports the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). There is no reason seniors cannot keep their teeth for a lifetime, since tooth loss is simply the result of an oral disease – not the aging process.
The elderly, who make up the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, are healthier and have kept more of their natural teeth than prior generations. But there’s still room for improvement. Many seniors do not visit a dentist even once a year – one of the key preventive strategies in ensuring that teeth last a lifetime.
“Seniors often take long absences from seeing the dentist,” says AGD spokesperson Nick Russo, DDS. “Sometimes they stop caring as much because they’re not out in the public very much, and they think oral hygiene doesn’t matter.”
Family members should encourage seniors who are disabled or have trouble getting around to seek dental care, Dr. Russo says. Seniors planning to enter a nursing home should inquire about on-site dental care.
Regular dental visits are especially important for older people since many suffer from dry mouth, which slows down the flow of saliva. Saliva plays a major role in preventing tooth decay by rinsing away food particles and neutralizing harmful acids. Dry mouth often comes with old age, but can also be caused by medications like antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants and diuretics. Dry mouth can often be treated by a dentist.
Along with regular dental visits, seniors should floss daily and brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. They should also ask their dentist about fluoride rinses and gels, since studies show that seniors who brush regularly with fluoride toothpaste or use a fluoride rinse or gel regularly have fewer cavities. Seniors are most likely to get cavities where old fillings have chipped or where root surfaces are left unprotected by receding gums.
Other suggestions for keeping teeth for a lifetime: snack in moderation and avoid snacks with sugars and starches, and alert the dentist to any change in medication.
Following these preventive measures should help prevent seniors from having to wear dentures. But even seniors with no teeth still need to visit the dentist regularly, since many aspects of oral health, such as adjusting ill-fitting dentures and oral cancer screenings, can be handled at routine dental visits.
click here to read the full articleConcerned About Radiation Exposure
Dental X-rays require exposure to very low levels of radiation, which makes the risk of potentially harmful effects very small. All health care providers are sensitive to patients’ concerns about exposure to radiation. Your dentist has been trained to prescribe X-rays when they are appropriate and to tailor radiographic schedules to each patient’s individual needs. By using state-of-the-art technology and by staying knowledgeable about recent advances, your dentist knows which techniques, procedures and X-ray films can minimize your exposure to radiation.
There are different types of X-rays: Continue reading “Concerned About Radiation Exposure” »
click here to read the full articleWhy do I need dental x-rays?
Radiographic, or X-ray, examinations provide your dentist with an important tool that shows the condition of your teeth, its roots, jaw placement and the overall composition of your facial bones. X-rays can help your dentist determine the presence or degree of periodontal (gum) disease, abscesses and many abnormal growths, such as cysts and tumors. X-rays also can show the exact location of impacted and unerupted teeth. They can Continue reading “Why do I need dental x-rays?” »
click here to read the full articleWhat is a Dental Sealant?
A dental sealant is a thin plastic film painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth to prevent cavities.
How effective are sealants?
Studies have proven that properly applied sealants are 100-percent effective in protecting the tooth surfaces from cavities. As long as the sealant remains intact, small food particles and bacteria that cause cavities cannot penetrate through or around a sealant. Sealant protection is reduced or lost when part or all of the bond between the tooth and sealant is broken. However, clinical studies have shown that teeth that have lost sealants are no more susceptible to tooth decay than teeth that were never sealed.
Why can’t I just brush and floss?
While brushing and flossing help to remove food particles and Continue reading “What is a Dental Sealant?” »
click here to read the full articleHeadaches and Jaw Pain? Check Your Posture!
If you experience frequent headaches and pain in your lower jaw, check your posture and consult your dentist about temporomandibular disorder (TMD), recommends the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), an organization of general dentists dedicated to continuing dental education.
Poor posture places the spine in a position that causes stress to the jaw joint. When people slouch or hunch over, the lower jaw shifts forward, causing the upper and lower teeth to not fit together properly, and the skull moves back on the spinal column.
This movement puts stress on muscles, joints and bones and, if left untreated, can create pain and inflammation in muscles and joints when the mouth opens and closes.
“Good posture is important, yet many people don’t realize how posture affects their oral health,” says AGD spokesperson Ludwig Leibsohn, DDS.
Dr. Leibsohn treats patients who have complained of facial pain. “Their posture often is unbalanced, and this rearranges the position of the facial muscles, causing the bumps and grooves on the upper and lower teeth not to fit properly together,” said Dr. Leibsohn.
An oral appliance can help align the teeth in a position that will reduce facial pain caused by poor posture. The appliance can also prevent future damage to teeth.
click here to read the full articleEmotional Stress Could Cause Periodontal Disease
Emotional woes may place a strain on more than just your heart. According to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), emotional anxiety could affect your dental health.
“There’s definitely a link between stress and dental health,” says AGD spokesperson Nick Russo, DDS. “Stress affects the immune system, which fights against the bacteria that causes periodontal disease, making a person more prone to gum infection.”
While stress has long been linked to heart troubles, researchers studied the effects of stress on dental health at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the University of North Carolina and the University of Michigan. More than 1,400 volunteers, ages 25 to 74, were studied to see how stress and coping abilities affect the risk for periodontal (gum) disease, which causes oral infection, inflamed and bleeding gums and loss of bone.
Those at greatest risk for periodontal disease were those who were highly emotional in dealing with financial problems. The oral health of those with financial troubles was compared with Continue reading “Emotional Stress Could Cause Periodontal Disease” »
click here to read the full articleDo I Really Need to Floss?
As one of my Facebook friends said, “Only floss the ones I want to keep, right?” YES! LOL!
Here is the official professional stance of the Academy of General Dentistry:
Yes. Floss removes plaque and debris that sticks to teeth and gums in between teeth, polishes tooth surfaces, and controls bad breath. Plaque is a sticky layer of material containing bacteria that accumulates on teeth, including places where toothbrushes can’t reach. This can lead to gum disease. By flossing your teeth daily, you increase the chance of keeping them for a lifetime and decrease the chance of getting gum disease.
Why should I floss?
Floss removes plaque and debris that adhere to teeth and gums in between teeth, polishes tooth surfaces and controls bad breath. By flossing your teeth daily, you increase the chances of keeping your teeth a lifetime and decrease your chance of having periodontal (gum) disease and tooth decay.
Flossing is the single most important weapon against plaque, Continue reading “Do I Really Need to Floss?” »
click here to read the full articleGingivitis vs. Gum Disease: What’s the Difference?
Eighty percent of American adults have some form of periodontal (gum) disease, but the beginning symptoms are usually painless, so many who are at risk do not recognize the signs and stages, according to a report in the September/October 2003 issue of General Dentistry, the clinical, peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).
“Gum disease is a silent teeth killer because you can have it without knowing it,” says AGD spokesperson Elwood Streeter, DDS.
Healthy gums appear coral pink, firm and form a sharp point where they meet the tooth. When excessive amounts of bacteria and food debris build up in the spaces between the teeth and gums, a sticky material called plaque is formed.
A plaque build-up can develop and harden into calculus (tartar), which irritates the gums. Bacterial byproducts (or toxins) in the tartar cause gums to become infected, red and tender, a condition called gingivitis. Gingivitis is the beginning stage of periodontal disease.
If you do not receive professional cleaning to halt the spread of gingivitis, the infection will Continue reading “Gingivitis vs. Gum Disease: What’s the Difference?” »
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