Introducing 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!
Concerned 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” »
Why 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?” »
Headaches 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.
Emotional 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” »
Do 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?” »
Gingivitis 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?” »
Start the School Year Off With a Smile
Every child wants to look their best as they head back to school this fall. Parents help by scheduling haircuts and buying new outfits, but most overlook the simple steps to helping their child maintain one of their most visible features – their smile.
Studies show that one of the first things people notice about someone is their smile and that a good smile creates a positive self-image…something all parents wish for their children. “Back-to-school time is the perfect time to incorporate good oral health habits into a child’s daily routine,” says Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson Cindy Flanagan, DDS, FAGD. “The sooner you make them a priority, the sooner your child will benefit.”
Schedule a back-to-school dental visit
Seeing a dentist twice a year during the school-age years is vital because this is a time of great change in the mouth, with kids losing baby teeth and getting in their permanent teeth. Tooth decay is still the most common chronic childhood disease and, left untreated, it can impair a child’s ability to eat, speak, sleep and learn. However, studies show more than 60 percent of school-age children do not see a dentist annually. Simple preventive checkups twice a year can head off childhood decay and help you and your child learn how to protect their teeth throughout the year.
Establish daily brushing habits with your children
Children should brush at least twice a day. To encourage children to brush after every meal, let them pick out their own travel toothbrush and toothpaste to take to school. “There are many child-friendly products that help encourage younger children to brush,” says Dr. Flanagan, “Make sure your child’s toothpaste contains fluoride and the toothbrush is soft-bristled.”
Make good nutrition a top priority
National studies show that only one in five school-age children eats the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables – greatly increasing their risk of cavities. In addition, only one in five children meets even the minimum standards for calcium consumption. Take charge of your child’s health this school year by packing healthy lunches. And, after school activities require healthy snacks such as bite-sized carrots, fruits, nuts and bottled water. These are much better after-school snack options and give children the fuel they need to excel in physical activity.
Tooth nutrition and Vegetarians
Just read this very interesting article from the Academy of General Dentistry about Vegetarian nutritional risks:
Health concerns about fat and cholesterol have prompted many people to become vegetarians, and the nutritional deficiencies that can sometimes result may reveal themselves during dental exams. Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson Ludwig Leibsohn, DDS says he usually asks patients if they adhere to vegetarian or other special diets.
“Most adult vegetarians are very knowledgeable about nutrition,” says Dr. Leibsohn. “They maintain their diets in a proper fashion.” Children, however, Continue reading “Tooth nutrition and Vegetarians” »
Plano Dentist on “Dry Mouth”
The condition of “dry mouth” is called Xerostomia. This condition occurs when the salivary glands don’t work properly and the amount of saliva in the mouth decreases. Saliva is vital to everyday processes- tasting, swallowing, speaking and digesting. Saliva acts as a natural defense for the teeth. Without saliva, the teeth are extremely vulnerable to fungal, bacterial and viral infections, and decay. Although saliva is mostly composed of of water, it also includes electrolytes, antibacterial compounds, Continue reading “Plano Dentist on “Dry Mouth”” »
