Answers to Questions About TMJ Disorder

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TMJ disorder (a dysfunction with your jaw’s joints) is one of the most evasive dental issues, despite the sometimes-debilitating nature of the pain it causes. Actually, the wide range of possible TMJ warning signs is one of the main reasons why diagnosing the condition can be difficult. Besides jaw pain, symptoms can also include headaches, earaches, dizziness, and other symptoms that might not even seem to relate to your dental health. To help you determine if you should be concerned about your jaw health, we answer a few common questions about TMJ disorder, and why it causes such widespread discomfort.

What exactly is TMJ disorder?

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, two of which connect your lower jaw, or mandible, to your skull, at the temporal bone. TMJ disorder can describe a number of different issues that involve damage, misalignment, inflammation, degradation, or trauma to the joints and the muscles that move them.

What causes the jaw pain?

Your TMJs can be afflicted in a number of ways. For example, an imbalanced bite can force your jaw to work harder, or excessive stress can cause you to consistently clench your jaw and grind your teeth together. In any case, once the joints and muscles are afflicted, they can disturb your jaw’s nerves, which also traverse the majority of your head, neck, and face, spreading the discomfort to numerous other areas.

Can I cure this at home?

In minor cases, the symptoms of TMJ disorder can be relieved with home remedies, such as over-the-counter pain relievers, gently massaging your temples, and placing an ice pack or heating pad over the joints. In other cases, however, you may need professional treatment to alleviate whatever is causing damage to your jaw joints.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Grand Prairie Dentist

What if You Don’t Want a Metal Filling?

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Dental fillings, a treatment that restores teeth infected by cavities, are most-often made from a mixture of silver, tin, copper, mercury, and other metals; also known as amalgam. While metal fillings are highly-durable, their popularity is due more to the fact that they’ve endured as effective restorations for over a century and a half. In more modern times, Dr. Smith offers patients a more advanced, and better looking, alternative to metal fillings in the form of white composite resin; commonly referred to as white tooth fillings.

Why a Cavity Needs a Dental Filling

A dental filling involves placing a manmade material, such as metal amalgam or composite resin, into a cleaned and disinfected tooth cavity,or hole in your tooth. Tooth decay, the force behind cavity formation, is caused by infectious oral bacteria, the main components of dental plaque. Once the bacteria are cleared away, a filling can be placed inside of the cavity to restore the tooth’s strength and protect it from infection in the future.

White Tooth Fillings: The Better-Looking Alternative

Since your tooth can’t repair itself, a cavity can leave it structurally weak, and one of a tooth filling’s main responsibilities is restoring its strength. To do so, it must be strong enough to withstand your bite’s pressure. Composite resin is a tooth-colored mixture of acrylic particles that’s applied in a liquid form, allowing it to conform to the shape of your cavity more thoroughly than amalgam. Besides blending in with your smile, white tooth fillings can also be bonded to the surface of your tooth, increasing the structural stability of your restoration.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Grand Prairie Dentist

What Do I Do If My Dental Crown Breaks?

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If you crack or break a tooth, or if your tooth needs significant treatment for a cavity, then your dentist may recommend a dental crown to restore and protect the tooth. Designed to cover, or cap, your entire a tooth, a crown is often the only way to prevent it from suffering more damage due to its weakened state. However, though highly-effective, dental crowns can also suffer damage, either from undue force, improper placement, or any of a number of other factors. If your dental crown breaks, then the tooth it was meant to protect will once again be exposed and vulnerable, and Dr. Smith advises seeking professional treatment immediately.

When Your Crown Fails

Dental crowns are necessary because your natural teeth, once compromised, cannot heal themselves. A cracked tooth will remain damaged, and grow worse until treated, while a cavity (hole in your tooth) will leave the tooth less structurally stable than when it was whole. If your dental crown is damaged, broken, or knocked out, then the tooth underneath it loses its protection, and is once again likely to break further and/or become re-infected.

Options for Improved Replacement Crowns

Since everyone’s smile is unique, their dental needs differ from everyone else’s, and dental treatment is always customized to the specific needs of the patient.  To offer the most effective and appropriate treatment for everyone, and to reduce the risk of a failed or broken restoration, Dr. Smith provides custom dental crowns craftedfrom a variety of materials, including;

·        Porcelain dental crowns, which closely resemble your natural tooth structure and are typically used for front teeth

·         Metal dental crowns, which are stronger than porcelain and usually recommended for back teeth (molars)

·         Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns, which combine the aesthetic value of dental porcelain with the durability of metal

·         Zirconia crowns, which are highly-resilient, remarkably natural-looking, and often used when patients have a habit of grinding their teeth (bruxism)

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Grand Prairie Dentist

An Overview of Brushing Your Teeth Properly

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Brushing your teeth is the most basic, most repetitive, and perhaps the most important aspect of effective personal dental hygiene. However, did you know that improperly brushing your teeth can cause more harm to your smile than good? Your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, explains how to get the most out of your toothbrush and toothpaste by outlining the tenets of brushing your teeth properly.

The Right and Wrong Way to Brush Your Teeth

Use a gentle touch

The sticky, uncomfortable feeling of dental plaque can make you especially eager to clean your teeth, but in your eagerness, Dr. Smith warns against brushing too exuberantly. Unlike an inanimate surface, such as a floor or countertop, a little elbow grease does more than clean your teeth of stains and debris; too much force can strip the protective enamel from your teeth, exposing them to damage and tooth decay-causing bacteria.

Use the right tools

To maintain a gentle touch, be sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush with the American Dental Association (ADA) seal of approval on its package. Harsh bristles, like those advertised as natural or animal-hair brushes, can damage your teeth as much as harsh brushing.

Use your toothbrush often

Once you’ve gotten the mechanics of gentle and effective teeth-brushing, be sure to practice it at least twice every day, along with carefully flossing at least once (preferably before bedtime). A consistent hygiene routine is necessary to combat the constant buildup of dental plaque, which can lead to a host of dental issues like tooth decay, gum disease, and hard-to-cure bad breath.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Grand Prairie Dentist

Frequently-Asked Questions About Toothaches

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If you’ve ever had a toothache, your first and foremost question might be, “How do I cure it?” In most cases, though, the answer to that question isn’t so simple. Teeth hurt for a number of reasons, ranging from dental damage to a developing dental disease (tooth decay or gum disease), and the “cure” for your toothache will be unique to your situation. To help clarify the mystery behind your discomfort, your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, answers a few frequently-asked questions about toothaches and how to make them go away.

What causes teeth to hurt?

When the enamel surrounding your teeth grows thin and weak, either from poor hygiene or habits like grinding your teeth, the main structure of your tooth, called dentin, is exposed. Dentin is porous, and when irritated, it sends sensory information to the nerves at the center of your tooth. Usually, toothaches occur due to a cavity, crack, or fracture that has exposed the tooth’s more sensitive structures underneath its enamel.

Will my toothache resolve itself if I ignore it?

Even if you could stand the discomfort of your toothache, you shouldn’t challenge yourself by seeing how long it takes before you give in. If the pain is the result of a growing cavity, caused by tooth decay, time will only allow the infection to spread, and the toothache will grow worse.

How can I prevent toothaches in the future?

Since tooth sensitivity happens for several reasons, prevention depends on preventing the various issues that cause teeth to hurt. Typically, this means practicing good hygiene, like brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice every day, and visiting your dentist as often as recommended for routine dental checkups and cleanings.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Grand Prairie Dentist

Should You Extract a Painless Wisdom Tooth?

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For many people, wisdom teeth are temporary inconveniences that are eventually extracted, either due to preference or necessity. For others, they’re a barely-noticeable final addition to their smiles that never disturb their oral health. The trouble for people wondering if they should extract a wisdom tooth is that they may not know if it’s necessary until the tooth begins to hurt. Officially known as your third set of permanent molars, wisdom teeth often have little room to grow on dental ridges that already hold 28 teeth. Even if yours don’t hurt yet, your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, may recommend extracting them to prevent possible complications in the future.

The Trouble With Wisdom Teeth

As a wisdom tooth, or third molar, prepares to erupt, it might butt up against the molar that’s already settled at the end of your dental ridge (known as impaction). Since you can’t stop a tooth from growing, the third molar will continue trying to erupt out of your jawbone and through the gum line. The force can push your teeth out of alignment and throw the wisdom tooth into an odd angle of growth. Besides serious discomfort, the disruption can lead to a host of subsequent dental issues, including tooth damage.

Signs that Your Third Molar is in Trouble

If your wisdom teeth hurt, or the teeth and gums around them are store, then they may have become impacted and require an extraction. If they don’t hurt, however, Dr. Smith warns not to assume that no problem exists. While your third molars may grow in uninhibited, the damage that could result if they become impacted could require extensive treatment to relive the discomfort and restore your good dental health.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Grand Prairie Dentist

Want to Cure Your Chronic Bad Breath? We Can Help!

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If your breath seems persistently bad, even though you brush and floss your teeth religiously and swear by the pack of mints you keep close by, then eliminating it might sometimes seem out-of-reach. As a common symptom of a wide variety of issues, chronic bad breath may be overwhelming, but it isn’t permanent; in most cases, you can cure your bad breath with simple improvements to your daily hygiene. If the issue is serious, then your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Smith, can help uncover the cause and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan to restore your fresh breath and healthy smile.

Steps to Fresher Breath

Often, the reason behind persistent bad breath is as simple as poor hygiene. When oral bacteria (the building blocks of dental plaque) accumulate en masse, some of them release foul-smelling sulfur compounds that taint your breath. You can help protect your teeth, gums, and tongue from being overrun by malodorous germs by;
  • Brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice every day
  • Brushing in the morning to clear your mouth of bacteria that have gathered overnight
  • Eating a well-balanced breakfast before brushing your teeth to help stimulate saliva production
  • Rinsing your mouth with water if you can’t brush your teeth after a meal; the natural beverage helps wash away bacteria and neutralize their byproducts, such as volatile sulfur compounds.
  • Drinking plenty of water throughout the day to avoid becoming dehydrated; if your mouth goes dry from lack of saliva, bacteria can grow much faster, as well as your risks of bad breath, cavities, gum disease, and other oral bacteria-related issues.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Grand Prairie Dentist

Do You Feel Sleep Deprived?

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Do you feel fatigued during the day, even though you believe you’re getting a good night’s rest? Does your sleeping partner complain that he/she can’t sleep because of your excessive snoring? Although obstructive sleep apnea is often marked by periods of severely loud snoring, many patients don’t realize they suffer from the sleep disorder unless someone else tells them, or until mysterious symptoms of sleep deprivation become present. Your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, explores the phenomenon of extreme snoring and why you should worry if it indicates obstructive sleep apnea.

Exploring Snoring

Have you ever wondered what snoring is, exactly? When you sleep at night, your mouth and throat tissues relax and can collapse into your airway. As the space grows smaller, the air squeezing between the tissues causes them to vibrate loudly, like air squeezing through the pinched opening of a slowly-deflating balloon. The inhibited breaths can lead to a decrease in oxygenated blood flow, and in extreme cases, the tissues can completely blockyour airway and force you to stop breathing.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea describes a condition where your oral tissues impede your breathing process, forcing your body to wake up slightly and regain its breath. As your airway closes, snoring grows louder until it stops along with your breathing. After a moment, your mind panics from the lack of oxygen, waking your body enough to breathe but not enough to consciously rouse you. Though you’re unaware of the episodes, they can occur hundreds of times a night and deprive your mind and body of necessary deep sleep.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Grand Prairie Dentist

Discussing Your Oral and Lung Health

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The importance of maintaining clean and healthy teeth and gums should be a given, considering your mouth is essential to eating and speaking. Even still, gum disease, one of the most destructive chronic oral health issues, affects over 75% of adults in America today. With a growing cache of research supporting a connection between your mouth’s wellbeing and your body’s health, preventing and treating dental issues takes on a new importance. According to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology, this connection may even extend to include the health of your lungs.

What is Gum Disease?

A connection between your mouth and your lungs may not come as much of a surprise. After all, the majority of the air you inhale comes through your mouth first before reaching your lungs. When gum disease is present, it is typically due to an excessive accumulation of oral bacteria. These microbes irritate your gum tissue, causing it to pull away from your teeth and form pockets for bacteria to collect and flourish. Some of the main bacterial perpetrators of gum disease, especially those that result in the inflammation of periodontal tissue, are also suspected in the development of certain chronic inflammatory diseases, including heart disease.

The Oral-Respiratory Connection

During the oral health and respiratory infection study, 200 patients between the ages of 20 and 60, each with at least 20 natural teeth, were examined. Half of the patients were hospitalized with respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia—infections that are typically caused by the inhalation of bacteria. The other half were in excellent health with no history of respiratory illness. The study determined that the respiratory patients had significantly worse periodontal health than their healthy counterparts, suggesting a link between the presence of periodontal disease and the development and exacerbation of respiratory infections.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Dentist

Common Questions About Cosmetic Dentistry

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Have you tried numerous over-the-counter products from your pharmacy, but are still unable to return the youthful, pearly-white shine to your smile? Do you have one or more teeth that are chipped, but aren’t sure what’s the best way to fix it? Cosmetic dentistry has a wealth of solutions to most issues concerning your smile’s appearance. If you wish your smile were brighter, straighter, or generally more appealing, then ask your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, how cosmetic dentistry can help you.

How does teeth whitening erase stains?

Though teeth stains are the most common cosmetic complaint, they’re also the easiest to address, at least in most cases. Professional teethwhitening consists of a highly-potent bleaching agent that eradicates stains on the semi-translucent surface of your teeth, while oxidizing and brightening the underlying tooth structure.

Can you fix crooked teeth without braces?

Crooked teeth, or malocclusion, occur in degrees of severity. When one or more of your teeth aren’t as straight as the rest, they might affect only your smile’s appearance, or they might inhibit the balance and function of your bite, depending on how out of alignment they are. In many cases, porcelain veneers can be bonded to the front surfaces of crooked teeth, improving their appearance without the need for orthodontic braces.

Can cosmetic dentistry fix a chipped or cracked tooth?

If you have a chipped tooth, its edges may contrast with the contour of your smile. As long as the damage doesn’t threaten the tooth’s health by exposing its sensitive inner tissues, it may be fixed with a noninvasive dental bonding or porcelain veneer procedure. For more serious chips and cracks, Dr. Smith may recommend placing a dental crown, or cap, over the tooth.

ABOUT YOUR GRAND PRAIRIE DENTIST:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced general, restorative, and family dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Pecan Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you and your family are new or returning patients, you can schedule a consultation or your next appointment with Dr. Smith by contacting us at (972) 262-5111.

filed under: Dentist, Grand Prairie Dentist