Month: November 2016

Life circumstances are like visitors. They can drop in unexpectedly.

A dental emergency is the same. They’re unexpected or the result of an accident or moment of trauma.

A healthy outcome depends on the type of injury. The risk to your oral health is also reduced by how your respond.

Your best response

Any emergency requires action. The longer you delay the more you increase your risk of health related complications.

The best response is a prompt and immediate one.

But how do you respond when you have a dental emergency?

Your teeth, gums, jaw, and mouth are vulnerable to injury like any other part of your body. Timing is an essential response element for dental trauma as well.

A prompt response when experiencing tooth or mouth injury can reduce the risk of permanent damage. Fast action can save you treatment costs too.

Common situations and what to do

A broken tooth!

You can break a tooth while eating, biting down, clenching your teeth, or during sports to name a few. Often a tooth breaks or fractures without pain and without you being aware.

Feeling a jagged edge with your tongue can indicate that something is wrong. If possible, locate and save any substantial pieces of your tooth.

Rinse your mouth with warm water. And if you experience pain or swelling apply a cold compress to the exterior region of your mouth where the tooth damage has occurred.

Call our Roswell dental office. Provide us information about your tooth and we will advise you what to do.

A knocked-out tooth!

If possible, locate your tooth. Gently rinse it with water and keep any attached tissue intact.

Replace the tooth into the gum socket if you can. Keep it in place until you arrive for dental treatment as soon as possible.

You can also place your dislodged tooth in a cup of milk or warm water. Contact our dental office, make arrangements for treatment as soon as possible, and bring your tooth to your appointment.

A lost dental crown or filling!

Sticky foods are common culprits for dislodging a crown or filling. Over-the-counter dental cement or adhesives can temporarily reattach a filling or crown.

Keep in mind that this is a temporary fix. Contact your Roswell dentist to restore your crown or filling permanently.

Swelled, painful, or infected gums!

Gum swelling can be an indication of a deeper and more serious dental issue. An abscess could be occurring.

Temporarily treat it by rinsing with warm salt water. Contact our dental office as soon as possible to treat the cause and eliminate the infection.

A toothache!

Tooth and mouth pain are symptoms of other dental issues. Rinse your mouth with warm water or gently floss the painful area to attempt to dislodge the potential cause of irritation.

Contact us about the location of your tooth pain. We can recommend other remedies or schedule a dental examination to provide treatment and relief.

Seek help when you encounter a dental emergency. Contact your Roswell dentist immediately and we will advise you about next steps.

Two things come to mind that can drive value. One, is scarcity and the other is a deadline.

Your dental insurance value increases as a certain “deadline” approaches. It’s beneficial to you throughout the year depending on your coverage and the treatment you have planned.

Remember this

The deadline associated with your dental insurance benefits has to do with the end of year. And by the way, that time is approaching.

Every week or month that goes by decreases your opportunity to use your benefits. It also increases their value to you as you’re pressed to make a decision to use them before year end.

This annual timeline can also apply to your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or your Health Savings Account (HSA). Confirm your coverage details with your employer or your insurance agent.

It’s important to get the most from the premiums you pay. That translates into oral health improvements for you.

Use them or…

The downside of dental insurance is that if you don’t use them…you…lose them.

So…

When is a good time to use your unused or remaining dental insurance benefits? How about now?

A good place to start is with a dental examination or teeth cleaning. You’re most often allowed two per year or one every six months.

If you’re due, call and schedule. The examination could reveal a necessary treatment to improve the health of your teeth and gums.

Even better your insurance provision could off-set all or a significant portion of your procedure. This gets you the treatment you need plus reduces your out-of-pocket costs.

Next to preventive dentistry perhaps you or children are due for dental sealants, you’ve been putting off a dental crown or a dental filling, or you’re due for a periodontal (gum) treatment. The good news is that any of these could be covered by your remaining insurance benefits.

Contact our Roswell dental office with your questions about your dental insurance, your remaining coverage, or your unscheduled treatment. Schedule your next dental examination and teeth cleaning.

Your teeth are durable. It might seem otherwise when something goes wrong with one of them.

Take care of your teeth and they’ll last. But when their lifespan is threatened by decay, disease, or damage remember…you’re not out-of-luck.

When a crown is something more

A dental crown can increase the lifespan of a tooth. Crowns have a restorative and cosmetic dentistry benefit.

Dental crowns are versatile for restoring your tooth structure and function. The benefits of crowns include:

• Restoring your tooth’s strength, shape, and size
• Creating a new, functional tooth on the surface of your dental implant
• Improving the appearance of your tooth that’s damaged or discolored
• Protection from further tooth decay damage
• Replacing the structure of a broken tooth
• Securing your dental bridge

Your dental crown experience

Most dental crown procedures can be completed in two appointments. Following an examination your treatment begins with an x-ray to provide a thorough perspective on the area being treated.

Tooth decay can be extensive on occasion. A dental x-ray enables us to view the amount of damage that has occurred to your existing tooth and gum tissue.

The surface portion of your tooth and any adjacent teeth will be prepared . Smoothing and cleaning the tooth surface helps assure that your crown will fit properly.

A mold of your tooth (dental impression) will be taken. This provides our selected dental lab the precise details to customize your new crown.

You will receive a temporary crown to cover your exposed tooth structure. This allows you to experience tooth function while your permanent crown is being crafted.

And about that permanent crown…

When your new, custom-designed, permanent crown is ready you’ll return for your second appointment. Your temporary crown will be gently removed, your new dental crown will be placed, fitted, and evaluated alongside your adjoining teeth.

Following proper adjustments your crown will be permanently cemented in place. From this point forward treat your dental crown as you would your natural teeth.

Brush, floss, and prioritize routine dental check-ups. This helps assure that your crown, existing teeth, and gums remain healthy.

Also care for your crown by avoiding hard or sticky foods and snacks. With proper dental care you can improve the lifespan of your dental crown.

Contact your Roswell dentist about your damaged or decayed teeth. Schedule a dental examination to discuss tooth restoration with a dental crown.

Your life revolves around social interaction. It’s a good idea to give yourself an advantage.

A common issue can threaten your face to face interactions. Technically speaking, it’s known as halitosis.

You’re more likely to refer to it as “bad breath.” Whatever you call it, the condition is common but it’s also treatable.

The common causes

Your first reaction is to blame it on what you recently ate and reach for a mint or stick of gum. A meal, snack, or beverage can leave a “bad taste” in your mouth, so to speak, but it’s perhaps the result of an oral health condition.

For example, how consistent is your daily oral hygiene routine? Brushing and flossing are fundamental for removing the surface build-up on your teeth and beneath your gum line.

Try something the next time you floss. Smell the floss and you’ll experience a distinct odor.

Plaque and tartar harbor oral bacteria. Their activity creates the sticky substance from food particles left behind on the surface of your teeth, between your teeth, and beneath your gum tissue.

Speaking of food, your dietary choices can produce breath issues. Onions, garlic, and cheeses are notorious for odor producing results.

And don’t forget your tongue. Bacteria reside there too and will often heighten your breath odor.

Certain dental conditions are also to blame. Tooth decay, dental cavities, and oral infection can each impact your breath.

Solutions that work

Chronic bad breath is a condition that’s caused by one or a variety of the above issues. Gum, mints, and mouthwash are only temporary solutions.

It’s vital that you attack halitosis (there’s that big word again) with dental treatment.

Professional teeth cleanings and deep teeth cleanings with your dental hygienist are the place to begin. Allow us to examine your teeth and gums for other causes such as a gum infection, an abscess, a cavity, or tooth decay.

Give yourself an advantage socially. Eliminate the potential for embarrassment by improving your dental health routine.

Contact our Roswell dental office about any signs or symptoms of bad breath. Schedule a dental examination and teeth cleaning to treat the causes.