Helpful Articles.

If you have a toothache, visit Springs Village Dentistry for an emergency examination! Our expert team can determine its cause and treat your pain. But until you can make it to our office, read on for five tips that might ease your pain:

With tooth pain, often a simple and effective solution is to rinse the mouth out with warm, salty water. Gently swish a mixture of one cup warm water and about one teaspoon table salt in your mouth, and spit it out afterwards. This process can often flush out food particles and bacteria causing you discomfort.

A cold compress is a sure way to ease the pain of a toothache. If you don’t have an ice pack on hand, a bag of frozen veggies will work just as well. You can also try rubbing an ice cube on the gums in the affected area.

There are two items from the drugstore that you’ll want to have on-hand, if you don’t already, in case a toothache strikes. First off, an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen can quell the pain while you’re waiting to get the the dentist. An oral anesthetic gel can also prove helpful–just rub the gel on the gums in the affected area and it’ll help to numb the pain.

While they aren’t proven to work in the same way that ibuprofen is, some patients swear by garlic and clove oil for tooth pain relief. Try chewing on a crushed garlic clove to see if it works for you. Clove oil is thought to be as effective as benzocaine in numbing the pain. Rub the oil on the affected area for relief. Additionally, the gel of the aloe vera plant (not the skincare product sold in stores) has natural antibacterial properties that may help ease inflammation and pain. Cut open the leaf and rub its juices into the affected area.

In some case, the pain may be caused by debris stuck between the teeth, such as a stray popcorn kernel. Try flossing to remove any offending particles.

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We hope these remedies will help ease your pain until you can get to our office. Your toothache could have a variety of causes, such as an untreated cavity, an abscess, a sinus infection, or impacted wisdom teeth that need to be removed. We can diagnose your issue and get you on the path to relief. Contact us today for an emergency appointment!

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Is a gap or missing tooth in your smile causing you to feel self-conscious? With a dental implant procedure, a skilled dentist can give you back a smile that is beautiful and functional. Read on to learn more about this amazing restorative treatment–it may be the solution you’ve been waiting for!

How We Craft Dental Implants

Your dental implant will be specially crafted to fit your smile perfectly. We begin the process by evaluating the health of your gums and jawbone density to determine if you are a good candidate for a dental implant. If things look good, we surgically implant a biocompatible titanium post into your jawbone. This fills the empty space left by your missing tooth. We will place a structure on top of the post that looks and feels exactly like natural teeth. This will be either a crown for a single missing tooth, or a bridge or denture for multiple missing teeth. The result is a mouth full of strong, beautiful teeth that allow you to eat, chew, smile, and speak naturally and with confidence.

The Benefits of Dental Implants

If you have a gap or sunken space in your mouth due to a missing teeth, it’s not just an aesthetic condition. Food traps caused by missing teeth can lead to inflammation, infection, abscesses, and gum disease. Getting dental implants makes this much less likely. Moreover, dental implants act and feel like natural teeth. And unlike typical dentures, a dental implant is fixed and can’t slip around in your mouth.

A Long-Term Solution for a Lasting Smile

Another great advantage to dental implants is how long they last. With proper care, dental implants can last upwards of 10-15 years. In some cases, they might even last for the rest of your lifetime! So if you’re tired of hiding your smile because of missing teeth or having to plan your life around dentures, dental implants may be the solution for you. A member of our team can walk you through the process and discuss if this option is best for you. We love seeing our patients experience a new lease on life because of a beautiful smile. Let us help make this dream a reality for you.

Restore Your Smile at Springs Village Dentistry!

Achieve a new and improved smile at Springs Village Dentistry. Contact us to schedule a dental implants consultation.

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Springtime means renewal and rebirth. While the flowers bloom and the sun begins to stay out later, we tend to feel a burst of motivation that is lacking in the colder winter months. It’s a great time to pay attention to your health goals and to care for yourself in ways you may have been neglecting. Here are a few reasons that spring is the perfect time to consider how well you’ve been caring for your smile!

Summer Fun Is On the Way

It’s important to stay on top of routinely scheduled dental appointments twice a year. If you’ve been putting off having a cracked tooth fixed, a cavity filled, your teeth cleaned, or a toothache examined, now is the time to do it. Problems with teeth will only get worse over time, not better, so use this time to take care of you, starting with your smile. Come Memorial Day, you’ll be busy with vacations, cookouts, and pool parties. Knowing that your teeth are clean and healthy, you’ll look and feel your best with a bright smile in every photo this spring and summer!

Use Your Tax Refund on a Cosmetic Procedure

If you’ve been considering having your teeth whitened or getting dental veneers, this time of year is ideal. If you received a tax refund, you can use it to fund the smile of your dreams. We accept a variety of financing options to help meet your needs, such as CareCredit℠, Lending Club, cash, check, Visa, Discover, AMEX, MasterCard, FSAs, and HSAs. Additionally, contact our team to confirm whether we accept your dental insurance!

Spring Cleaning in Your Bathroom

As you spring clean your home, take inventory of your oral care supplies in your bathroom. Make sure you have plenty of toothbrushes to replace your old one every three months, fluoridated toothpaste to brush with twice a day for two minutes each time, and floss to clean between your teeth every day. If you have a water flosser, be sure to give it a thorough cleaning.

Time to Shine Bright, Inside & Out

You’ll be seeing the sunshine more and brilliant colors blooming all around this time of year. Don’t forget to reflect the shine you feel inside by smiling. If you’re not confident in your smile, we want to help. Come by and see us and tell us more about your dental goals. We want you to be as bright as everything around you this time of year. So contact us today to schedule an appointment to be sure your smile is ready for spring. We look forward to seeing you!

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You may not know this, but your teeth and mouth can have a negative impact on how you sleep! Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that can be affected by the anatomy of your mouth and throat. Today, our team at Springs Village Dentistry wants to take a closer look at sleep apnea and how to identify it.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder caused by interrupted breathing during sleep. Two types of this disorder include:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea – where relaxation of the tongue and throat muscles temporarily blocks the airway during sleep
• Central Sleep Apnea – where the brain stops sending signals to breathe during sleep

Left untreated, a person with sleep apnea may stop breathing hundreds of times while they sleep. If this sounds serious, it is: the brain and the rest of the body are not getting enough oxygen.

What Are Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

Only a doctor can diagnose you with sleep apnea, but there are many common symptoms that folks with sleep apnea experience that you can be on the lookout for:

• Restless sleep
• Morning headaches
• Waking up with a sore throat
• Waking up with a choking sensation
• Sleepiness and fatigue throughout the day
• Forgetfulness & decreased mental function
• Snoring is commonly associated with sleep apnea, but not all people who snore have sleep apnea — and some people with sleep apnea do not snore!

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

Treatment will depend on the type of sleep apnea you are experiencing. After getting information on your health history and examining the severity of your condition, our team can help create a customized treatment plan. Treatment options may include an special oral appliance or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Consult with Our Team Today!

If you can relate to any of the symptoms listed above, schedule a consultation with us to work toward improving your sleep quality. To ask our team any questions or to schedule your next appointment, contact our office today.

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We hope you know it’s incredibly important to maintain a superb daily dental hygiene routine. However, it’s also important to maintain it the right way. Believe it or not, there are a number of ways people unknowingly harm their teeth while trying to take good care of their oral health! Below we’ve listed a few mistakes people often make.

5 Oral Hygiene Mistakes

You might be doing everything right, except for one thing: you’re using a bad toothbrush. Avoid using toothbrushes with firm, medium, or hard bristles. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and replace it every 3 months, or if the bristles look smashed or frayed. Additionally, it’s best to store your toothbrush upright instead of with a brush cover so the bristles can dry out between uses./p>

If you have sensitive teeth or receiving gums, you may be brushing too vigorously. When you brush your teeth, do so with gentle but deliberate pressure to protect your enamel and gums. If you struggle with applying an appropriate amount of pressure, invest in an electric toothbrush that has a pressure sensor. The bristles will stop rotating if you apply excessive pressure.

It’s critical to brush your teeth for a full two minutes twice a day. Too many people rush through brushing their teeth, which can cause complications later on. One, it allows for the accumulation of bacterial plaque and tartar that leads to tooth decay and gum irritation. And two, brushing too fast often involves a vigorous sawing motion. This scrubbing back and forth can literally wear away your enamel and damage your gums.

Remember to brush your teeth at least 30-60 minutes after eating. Many times people brush immediately after eating, but this can damage your enamel since it hasn’t had time to settle and re-harden from any acidic foods and beverages in your meal. If you want to wash away food particles right after eating, rinse between your teeth with a water flosser for 60-90 seconds and/or chew sugar-free gum for at least 20 minutes.

If you floss your teeth regularly, well done! Flossing is a crucial part of a healthy oral care routine, as it removes bacteria hiding in between your teeth and under your gumline. But make sure you’re flossing correctly. Don’t just pop the floss in and out between your teeth; curve the floss around the tooth, scrape up and down along its surface, and extend down below the gumline. Follow the advice of Edmund R. Hewlett, DDS, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry: “You should always run the floss along the tooth structure in the shape of a C rather than just snapping quickly between each tooth.”

Schedule Your Next Checkup!

Proper preventive dental care includes daily at-home care, as well as regular professional cleanings and checkups. Has it been more than six months since your last dental visit? If so, contact us at Springs Village Dentistry to set up an appointment with our expert team today.

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Wisdom teeth are the “third molars” that come in between the ages of 17 and 25. Because many patients’ mouths are too small for these teeth, and they often emerge crooked or become impacted (stuck below the gums), they can lead to crowding and discomfort. This is why we commonly remove them. If you’re scheduled to have your wisdom teeth removed, you may have questions. Perhaps you’re curious about what to expect after the surgery and what the condition of your mouth will be. Here, we’ll answer a few questions about what you can expect during the process of getting your wisdom teeth removed.

What Happens During Wisdom Tooth Removal?

Wisdom tooth extraction is an extremely routine procedure. To ensure your safety and comfort, we will use dental sedation and anesthesia so your experience will be as stress-free and painless as possible. Once your teeth are extracted, you’ll need a trusted family member or friend to drive you home, where you should plan for plenty of time to rest and heal. Additionally, our team will send you home with recovery instructions and a prescription for the medication you may need during recovery.

Will There Be a Hole After Surgery?

After removal, there will be holes in the back of your mouth where your teeth were. Over the next few weeks, these holes will heal as new tissue fills them in. During this time of healing, it’s incredibly important to keep these areas clean by following the hygiene and dietary instructions we give you at your appointment.

What Complications Should I Watch For?

You will experience discomfort in the days following your procedure, but pain that has increased in intensity indicates a dry socket. A blood clot is supposed to form over the extraction site, which allows for growth of new tissue. However, if this clot fails to form or if it is dislodged, this exposes the sensitive underlying nerves, tissue, and bone, causing pain. If the area is not kept clean, it also increases your risk of infection. To prevent dry socket and infection:

• Follow our gentle aftercare instructions to keep your extraction sites clean
• Avoid vigorous swishing, rinsing, and spitting
• Do not drink from a straw
• Do not use tobacco products
• Stay hydrated with plenty of water
• Eat soft, nutritious foods like purees and warm soups (not too hot!)
• Take your prescribed medication as needed
• Call us if you experience anything unusual, such as a high fever, dry socket, intense pain, or excessive bleeding

Additional Questions? We Have Answers!

We want to help you feel as comfortable and confident about your upcoming wisdom teeth removal and recovery. If you have more questions about wisdom teeth extraction or any other procedure, contact our expert team today.

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