Helpful Articles.

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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You may know that both plaque and tartar are not good for your teeth, but what exactly are they? Here, we’ll explain the difference between plaque and tartar and share how to prevent them from accumulating on your teeth.

What is plaque?

Dental plaque is a soft, sticky film that builds up on your teeth. It’s a colorless to pale yellow biofilm that develops on your teeth when food, fluids, and saliva combine to create bacterial deposits that produce acids when fueled by your dietary sugars. These acids attack your tooth enamel, the outer protective layer of your teeth, and gradually dissolve its mineral crystals. This can lead to tooth decay, bad breath, and even gum disease. You can brush, floss, and rinse away plaque with a combination of exceptional oral hygiene routine, plenty of water, and sugar-free gum. However, it regularly reforms on your teeth. Therefore, daily dental care is critical, as plaque accumulation is the root of most dental health issues, including gingivitis and cavities.

What is tartar?

If plaque is not properly removed from your teeth, it will harden into tartar when it combines with the minerals in your saliva. Unlike the soft, sticky biofilm that is plaque, tartar is a crusty yellow or brown-colored deposit. While plaque can be removed by brushing your teeth at home, tartar needs to be removed by a dental professional because the buildup strongly bonds to tooth enamel. People with braces, crowded teeth, or dry mouth are more susceptible to tartar buildup, as are older people and those who smoke. If tartar is not treated, it will lead to serious oral health issues, such as advanced gum disease, tooth loss, and bone loss.

How do you prevent plaque & tartar buildup?

To prevent plaque and tartar buildup, practice superb oral health habits every day:

• Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time.
• Floss at least once a day.
• Use fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride helps to remineralize your enamel so it’s a great way to combat damage that the acids from bacteria have caused.
• Use an electric toothbrush, like the Oral-B Pro 1000. The speed at which the toothbrush head moves helps to remove the plaque biofilm before it builds up.
• Eat a healthy diet high in fibrous fruits and vegetables, calcium, and protein, and low in sugars and simple carbohydrates.
• If you smoke or use other tobacco products, quit as soon as possible. You are putting yourself at a higher risk of developing plaque and tartar, in addition to oral cancer.

Coming in for regular checkups and cleanings is a vital part of preventing plaque and tartar buildup. Contact us today to schedule your next appointment!

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Kids usually start getting wiggly baby teeth around age six. As the adult tooth starts to push through, causing the root of the baby tooth to dissolve, the baby tooth begins to loosen. Many of our patients have asked us about whether or not they should pull out their child’s baby teeth when they are loose. Read on for tips to help your child have a pain-free smile as their permanent teeth grow in and loosen their baby teeth!

Protect Your Child From Pain & Trauma

Generally speaking, we don’t advise pulling your child’s baby tooth unless the tooth seems absolutely ready to be removed. Readiness for pulling is signified by a VERY loose tooth. If your child’s tooth isn’t loose enough upon home extraction, it can cause pain and excessive bleeding, and even lead to infection. For the protection of your child, we do not recommend you pull out a stubborn tooth, even if your child insists. Additionally, do not forcibly yank out a tooth with pliers or the string-attached-to-the-doorknob trick.

Keep On Wiggling!

When your child tells you their tooth is loose, encourage them to wiggle it themselves with clean hands or a clean tissue. The more they gently wiggle their baby tooth, the more ready it will become to be removed. It may even fall out naturally! Moreover, have them eat nutritious foods that are crunchy, like apples and carrot sticks. These will also loosen teeth, and may even cause the tooth to dislodge.

When a Baby Tooth Is Ready to Be Pulled

Using clean hands, wiggle your child’s tooth to be sure it feels ready to come out. Then, place a clean tissue or gauze over the tooth and hold it between your fingers. If it is truly ready to come out, a gentle tug should do the trick. Place the tissue or gauze over the area with gentle pressure until any bleeding stops. Please give us a call if there appear to be tooth fragments remaining in your child’s gumline.

Schedule Your Child’s Next Checkup!

Waiting to pull your child’s tooth until it is ready will decrease their likelihood of experiencing pain and bleeding. But whether you choose to pull your child’s tooth or wait until it falls out, we appreciate you taking an active role in their dental health! Family enthusiasm for developmental milestones is one way to promote a child’s interest in their own health. Contact us with additional dental-related questions or if it’s time to set up a checkup for your child.

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Have you been waking up your partner, or yourself, in the middle of the night with your loud and relentless snoring? Before you write it off as simple annoyance, consider how your snoring might be a sign of something more serious.

What is sleep apnea?

According to Mayo Clinic, there are 200,000 new cases of sleep apnea in the United States each year. With this common sleep disorder, your airway periodically becomes either partially or entirely obstructed during sleep, which halts your breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form of sleep apnea, can affect anyone, but certain factors such as obesity, age, tonsil size, family history, and a deviated septum can increase your risk.

Is sleep apnea dangerous?

Sleep apnea is considered a serious condition, and can be dangerous if not treated properly. Complications from sleep apnea can include fatigue, stroke, high blood pressure, heart problems, and more.

Is snoring a warning sign of sleep apnea?

Loud, chronic snoring is one of the chief signs of sleep apnea. However, not everyone who snores at night has sleep apnea. In addition to loud snoring, has your partner reported you frequently stop breathing while sleeping? These pauses in breathing may cause sufferers to wake up gasping with shortness of breath. Moreover, evaluate whether you notice any other indicators of sleep apnea, such as a dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening, overwhelming daytime sleepiness and fatigue, irritability, a diminished ability to concentrate, and/or headaches.

Are You Concerned you may have sleep apnea?

If you’re experiencing loud and constant snoring accompanied by other sleep apnea signs and symptoms, schedule an appointment with our expert team at Springs Village Dentistry as soon as possible. We can help determine whether you have obstructive sleep apnea and can recommend proper treatment, such as a special oral appliance or CPAP machine, to improve your sleep quality!

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You probably know that daily brushing and flossing help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease, but what about using a mouthwash? Can mouthwash really help? Read on to learn about the benefits of mouthwash.

Benefits of Mouthwash

There are many types of mouthwash available on the market today. Using one can be helpful for a variety of reasons. If you’re struggling with any of the following problems, consider adding a mouthwash to your daily oral care routine:

Using a mouthwash with fluoride can help strengthen and protect your enamel from cavities through remineralization.

Certain rinses may help to whiten teeth when used regularly. For whitening, make sure your rinse contains the active ingredients carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. However, we recommend utilizing our professional teeth whitening services for more dramatic results!

If you have bleeding and tender gums upon brushing or flossing teeth, consider adding an anti-gingivitis/anti-plaque mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine to reduce your gingivitis (gums that are inflamed and irritated).

Bad breath can be reduced by using a mouthwash in conjunction with daily flossing and brushing, and routine cleanings. For severe cases of bad breath, a mouth rinse might not be enough, so be sure to notify us if you’re experiencing chronic bad breath, or halitosis. This could be a sign of advanced tooth decay, gum disease, or another issue.

Additional Mouthwash Tips

As you decide which mouthwash would be best for your smile needs, keep in mind the following:

• We recommend reaching for an alcohol-free mouthwash if you have a dry or sensitive mouth.
• Children under the age of 6 should not use a mouthwash, as it could be ingested. Let us know if you have questions about your child’s dental health. We are qualified and eager to help your whole family.

We Want You to Have Excellent Oral Health!

For optimal oral health, maintain a healthy diet, limit your consumption of sugary foods and drinks, and drink plenty of water. Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time, floss every day, and come visit us every six months. We are here to answer additional questions you may have about mouthwash or any other part of your dental health. Contact us today to schedule your next cleaning. Happy rinsing!

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