There are a couple different conditions that may leave you with a tired feeling jaw – bruxism and TMJ disorder. Bruxism is a condition in which you clench your jaw and grind your teeth. Grinding your teeth can damage your tooth enamel and, in extremely severe cases, can even chip or break your teeth. Often times, patients will grind their teeth throughout the night while they’re asleep. For this reason, bruxism can be difficult to diagnose unless you sleep in the room with someone else. Do you have a sore jaw? This is one of the most common symptoms that indicates you may be grinding your teeth. (more…)
Are You Starting The New Year With A New Diet?
What you put into your body goes through your mouth first, so it makes sense that your diet can greatly affect the health of your mouth. Choosing unhealthy foods that contain lots of sugar or carbs can lead to poor oral health. Are you starting the New Year with a new diet? The New Year begins tomorrow – maybe it’s time to reach for the healthier foods, especially if you’re having troubles with bleeding or inflamed gum tissue. Healthier foods like vegetables or lean proteins are also less likely to stick to your teeth decreasing the chance of infection. (more…)
How Do You Treat Gum Disease?
The onset of gum disease can take time, gradually worsening the longer it’s left untreated. However, if you’re able to catch it in the early stages (like gingivitis, for example) it’s usually easier to treat. This isn’t always possible, but once you’ve noticed something isn’t right with your mouth, you should visit your dentist. How do you treat gum disease? There are several different ways your dentist may choose to go about tackling your gum disease once and for all. What they decide will depend on your individual case and how they think the infection could progress. (more…)
How Often Should You Brush Your Teeth?
Brushing your teeth is a critical part of your oral hygiene routine in order to keep your mouth healthy. Although, there is a proper way to brush your teeth and a not-so-efficient way. In order to maximize your health, using a soft-bristle toothbrush works best around your gum line and on your teeth. Work in small circles to get rid of any bacteria that’s hiding and be sure to brush for an entire two minutes. How often should you brush your teeth? It’s recommended that you’re brushing at least twice per day – although if you’re prone to bacteria and infection, you dentist may recommend that you brush more often. (more…)
Do You Have Bad Breath?
Although most people wake up with bad smelling breath, it should go away after you brush your teeth and eat breakfast. If you find yourself consistently keeping your mouth shut in fear of someone smelling your breath – it could be a sign of a more serious problem. Do you have bad breath? It could be that you have periodontitis – or gum disease – because the bacteria that causes this infection is also odor-causing. Odor-causing bacteria that’s taking over your mouth could definitely be the culprit behind your terrible smelling breath. (more…)
What Constitutes A Dental Emergency?
Dental emergencies should be dealt with as soon as possible – whether it’s by your dentist or another dentist who is equipped to handle such situations. However, many patients are unsure of what is considered an emergency versus a situation that could potentially wait. What constitutes a dental emergency? Generally speaking, most anything that threatens the stability of your tooth warrants a visit as soon as possible to your dentist. Usually, this includes a broken or chipped tooth, inflammation, and an abscessed tooth or gum tissue. The sooner you can get to your dentist, the less likely you are to lose your tooth. (more…)
Is There A Treatment For Snoring?
Are you constantly waking your partner up at night with your loud snoring? If so, you and your partner are probably wondering, “is there a treatment for snoring?” Sometimes, finding a cure for your snoring can be as easy as changing your sleep position or opening your nasal passages. However, sometimes loud persistent snoring can be a sign of a sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is caused from a blockage in your airway limiting the amount of oxygen your body is receiving, typically resulting in abrupt awakenings in order to catch your breath. (more…)
How Do Dental Implants Work?
If you’re missing teeth, chances are you’ve looked (or are looking) into your restoration options. Ah, the great debate – what would work best for you? A visit to your dentist will get you started with determining how extensive the damage to your mouth is and how you can begin the restoration process. How do dental implants work? These “new teeth” are installed directly into your gums all the way to your bone – which is it’s required that you have a good amount of bone density in order to qualify for this restoration option. (more…)
Is TMJ Dangerous?
Temporomandibular joint disorder occurs when your jaw muscles become irritated or inflamed and cause the joint that connects your jaw bone with your skull to have difficulties moving and adjusting. This joint allows your mouth to yawn, chew, and talk. So, is TMJ dangerous? Besides the uncomfortable pain that it causes, untreated TMJ disorder can suffer increased pain the longer it goes untreated and it can turn into chronic migraines and unbearable tension. It could also cause other issues such as; tooth loss, bone damage, and even malnourishment when you attempt to avoid certain foods in fear of pain – the answer is yes, TMJ is dangerous. (more…)
Sleep Apnea; Is That Why You're Tired?
Sleep apnea shows in all different forms – from snoring to abrupt awakenings – but, it impedes on your sleep. Is that why you’re tired? Absolutely – actually, one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea is consistent sleepiness throughout the day. If this is something you’re experiencing, you may want to visit your dentist as they could help you begin the process to diagnosing your sleep apnea. Don’t lose hope – there are many different treatments to help your sleep disorder, you won’t feel this exhausted forever. (more…)
