Month: March 2014

Spring Cleaning for Your Teeth

Even though you sweep, mop, and wipe down your house every day, it can still benefit from a more comprehensive cleaning (spring cleaning!) every once in a while. Likewise, brushing your teeth every day keeps them reasonably clean, but you can’t effectively prevent dental health issues without periodic professional care. As a vital part of… Read more »

Do You Really Need Mouthwash?

According to advertisements, mouthwash is an essential part of a good daily hygiene routine, and is necessary to prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar. What you might not find in an ad, probably due to time and space restrictions, is what plaque and tartar are made of, or how mouthwash alone can’t do much… Read more »

When is it Time for a Dental Crown?

Good dental health is an ongoing process, and timing is essential in nearly every aspect of it. Dental hygiene, i.e., brushing and flossing, is most effective when it deprives bacteria the time they need to infect your teeth and gums. Therefore, Dr. Smith (and the ADA) recommends brushing your teeth at least twice every day,… Read more »

Porcelain Veneers—Common Questions Answered

Do you want to improve your smile’s appearance, but have more than one cosmetic issue to deal with and aren’t sure where to start? Porcelain veneers can dramatically transform your smile without a dramatic or complex treatment plan. Best of all, veneers can address a wide variety of issues, from stubborn teeth stains to slightly… Read more »

What’s the Easiest Way to Whiten Teeth?

In most cases, teeth stains are the simplest cosmetic dental issues to address. They can occur simply from eating and drinking, and can usually be erased with a simple teeth whitening procedure. If stains don’t respond to your over-the-counter bleaching products, that doesn’t mean they’re indicative of a more serious issue. In fact, OTC bleaching… Read more »

A Bridge is Only as Strong as its Support System

A dental bridge is designed to span the gap left by one or a few missing teeth, and besides adding fullness to your smile, it also reestablishes your ability to bite and chew comfortably. Unlike smiling, though, biting and chewing produces different levels of pressure that your dental bridge should be able to withstand. With… Read more »

Don’t Feed the Cavities

Nature’s scary. Watching the Discovery Channel for an hour or two can teach us that. The nature that’s closer to you, however, can be equally disturbing, if you look closely enough. Your mouth, for instance, is an ecological forest that hosts over 600 identifiable kinds of bacteria. Some are harmless, while others, like Streptococcus mutans,… Read more »

Have You Planned for a Dental Emergency?

Though prevention is a major tenet of good dental care, emergencies (by definition) aren’t always preventable. They also tend to involve damage to varying degrees to your teeth and their supportive structures, making dental emergencies a common cause of permanent tooth loss. Fortunately, you can prepare yourself accidental damage, even if you can’t prevent it,… Read more »

Are Toothaches Preventable?

The trouble with toothaches is that they have more than one possible cause, and treating one depends on finding out what’s causing it. Luckily, preventing toothaches is considerably simpler, and can often be accomplished with good dental hygiene and regular visits to your Grand Prairie dentist. Most toothaches indicate the presence of a dental disease,… Read more »