Why Does Your Breath Stink? You Might Be Surprised

Posted by

If you just ate a plate full of garlic, or if you “forgot” to brush your teeth this morning, then your bad breath probably isn’t much of a mystery. Aside from strong foods, one of the most common reasons for bad breath is the bacteria that dwell in your mouth. Some oral germs result in tooth decay, and some facilitate gum disease, but others release volatile sulfur compounds that persistently foul your breath. If you practice good hygiene and still experience bad breath, then you might be surprised to find the reason behind it.

Other Reasons for Bad Breath

CERTAIN MEDS

Prescription medications don’t directly cause your breath to stink, but dry mouth is a common side-effect of many medicines. Dry mouth describes a drastic decrease in saliva, which is your mouth’s way of naturally rinsing away food particles and bacteria. Your saliva also slows while you sleep, explaining why bad breath is so common when you first wake up in the morning.

RESPIRATORY ISSUES

Bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and other respiratory infections that involve nasal or sinus secretions can cause bad breath. A common cold could also be the reason if your nose is stuffy and dripping. If your bad breath persists after your respiratory illness clears, then visit Dr. Smith as soon as possible to determine the cause.

INSUFFICIENT CARBS

When you don’t consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates, your body turns to fat and protein as a source of energy. In this state, referred to as ketosis, your body will release chemicals into your bloodstream and breath that cause strong, persistent odors. The smell won’t go away with brushing, flossing, or strong mints and chewing gum, like other causes of bad breath might.

About Your Grand Prairie Dentist:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced family and children’s dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Park Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you’re a new or returning patient, 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

Are E-Cigarettes Better for Your Smile?

Posted by

In light of the numerous effects that smoking can have on your dental and overall health, many people have successfully made the great effort to quit the habit. Over the last few years, many others have turned to innovative electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, as an alternative way to receive nicotine minus the other chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Considering the fact that a burning cigarette produces over 7,000 chemicals, a lot of which are carcinogens, eliminating the excess can help eliminate many of the risks associated with smoking; but is your smile really safer with the switch?  

What About E-Cigarettes?

An e-cigarette is a battery-powered device that converts liquid nicotine into water vapor. Although one of its main ingredients, nicotine isn’t a major contributor to the health issues linked to tobacco. Nevertheless, no scientific evidence exists to suggest that e-cigarettes are completely harmless to your dental health, and Dr. Smith advises you not to smoke at all to best protect your oral and physical health.

Consequences of Cigarette Smoke

In its package, a cigarette contains about 600 different ingredients, all of which are government approved for consumption. When burned, however, cigarette tobacco yields an arsenal of toxins and carcinogens (chemicals known to cause cancer). These toxins can interfere with the normal function of your oral tissues’ cells, and facilitate a friendly environment for harmful bacteria by damaging your salivary glands. Issues associated with smoking include;
·         Mouth, throat, and other oral cancers
·         Lung cancer
·         Respiratory infections
·         Aggressive periodontitis (severe gum disease)
·         Tooth loss
·         Jawbone deterioration
If you’d like to learn how you can quit smoking, speak with your Grand Prairie family dentist today. Dr. Quinn can also help restore the damage done to your teeth and gums caused by tobacco use, or refer you to a specialist, if necessary, to address severe health concerns.

About Your Grand Prairie Family Dentist:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced family and children’s dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Park Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you’re a new or returning patient, 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

Why Teeth Stains Are No Big Deal

Posted by

Unlike most other dental issues, all teeth can stain at some point, whether from darkly-pigmented food and beverages or from something more serious, like a dental infection. The good news is that most teeth stains can be addressed with a simple teeth whitening procedure. Using professional-strength bleaching agents, Dr. Smith can brighten your smile in our office, in as little as an hour, or provide you with the tools to improve your smile from the comfort of your own home.

Whiten Your Teeth Your Way

Zoom! teeth whitening is one of the more popular professional teeth whitening systems today. Often referred to as same-day whitening, the in-office procedure can be performed in a single visit, and typically lasts about an hour. After applying the whitening gel to your teeth and protecting your lips and gums, Dr. Smith will use a special light to stimulate the gel. The active ingredients (usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) penetrate underneath enamel to erase the stains on and just underneath the semi-translucent surface. As an alternative to in-office treatment, Dr. Smith can custom-design a set of whitening trays that you can take home and use to apply the whitening agent at your leisure.

For Tougher Stains

Although most teeth stains are relatively minor issues, not all of them can be effectively treated with a teeth whitening procedure. For stains and discoloration that occur in your tooth’s dentin (the main structure underneath your enamel), Dr. Smith may recommend dental bonding, a dental crown, or porcelain veneers to restore your smile’s appearance. If your teeth’schanging color is an indication of a cavity or other dental infection, then Dr. Smith will prescribe an appropriate treatment to address the issue first. Mild to moderate cavities can be treated with white dental fillings made from composite resin (dental bonding), allowing Dr. Smith to restore your tooth while maintaining its natural color.

About Your Grand Prairie Cosmetic Dentist:

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

filed under: Cosmetic Dentist

Why All Teeth Can Stain

Posted by

You’re proud of your smile, so you do all you can to keep it looking as bright and as healthy as possible. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always guarantee that your smile will remain beautiful and blemish-free. A tooth infection, systemic illness, some medications, and habits like smoking or excessive alcohol consumption can dull and stain your teeth in spite of good hygiene. Even the foods and beverages you consume routinely leave their marks on your teeth. Professional teeth whitening can help erase most stubborn surface stains, but understanding the main reasons why food tarnishes your smile can help you prevent some of the most common teeth stains.

Top Teeth Stainers

It might go without saying, but darker foods and beverages are more likely to leave noticeable stains on your teeth. Wine, tea, soda, sports drinks, dark sauces, and sweets are among the most notorious teeth stainers, each containing acids and persistent color molecules that cling to your tooth enamel. As a general rule, if your meal is dark enough to stain your white table cloth, then it can stain your teeth to the same degree.

Molecular Imperfections

Your food owes its color to strongly-pigmented molecules called chromogens that like to adhere to your tooth’s enamel (the semi-translucent layer of minerals surrounding your teeth). Chromogens don’t cling to your teeth easily, but when enamel is weakened by acid, the molecules can gain stronger hold. Many foods are naturally acidic, and others contain sugar and carbohydrates that feed acid-producing oral bacteria. As acids raise your mouth’s pH balance, they sap minerals from your teeth and weaken your tooth enamel.

More than Stains

Aside from allowing chromogens to more-easily stain your teeth, weak enamel also increases your risk of developing cavities. Compromised enamel can allow bacteria to reach your tooth’s main structure and incite an infection. As it progresses, tooth decay can eat away your tooth’s structure, leaving cavities (holes) in your teeth that grow larger until treated. An internal tooth infection can change the color of the bulk of your tooth, or dentin, that lies underneath the enamel, and treating the cavity is the only way to improve the tooth’s discoloration.

About Your Grand Prairie Cosmetic Dentist:

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

filed under: Cosmetic Dentist

How Fast are Fastbraces?

Posted by

A number of factors contribute to your smile’s good health and function, including how your teeth are situated in relation to each other. Ideally, teeth should grow straight up and down, or vertically, from your jawbone and out through your gums. Orthodontics is a focus of dentistry that involves the study and treatment of teeth that aren’t aligned properly, and orthodontic braces are the conventional method for straightening crooked teeth. Though malocclusion is usually detected and addressed in childhood, while teeth and the jawbone are still growing, it can also affect adults for a number of reasons. To help you straighten your permanent teeth in less time than traditional orthodontics, Dr. Quinn offers Fastbraces®, which utilize revolutionary brackets to reinvent the way braces move teeth.

The Consequences of Crooked Teeth

The first step to straightening your crooked teeth is choosing to straighten them. While you do have the choice of ignoring treatment, untreated malocclusion can lead to a host of serious issues that require more complex restorative treatment. Teeth that jut out at odd angles create hard-to-reach places where harmful bacteria can accumulate, increasing your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and chronic bad breath. Crooked teeth can throw your bite off balance, causing your jaw joints and muscles to grow fatigued trying to keep your bite straight.

The Fastbraces Difference

The science of teeth movement relies on two principles—moving teeth’s crowns and moving their roots. To reposition teeth at more effective angles, orthodontic treatment is often divided into two parts based on these principles. Over the course of about two years, braces move the crowns of teeth first, and then focus on shifting the roots. The unique, triangular design of Fastbraces’ brackets allows them to simultaneously move your teeth’s crowns and roots, reducing treatment time by up to 50%. Most cases only require about a year to complete, sometimes only a few months, so you can enjoy a straighter, healthier smile in significantly less time.

About Your Grand Prairie Dentist:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced family and children’s dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Park Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you’re a new or returning patient, 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

Is Chewing Gum Good or Bad for Children’s Teeth?

Posted by

The question has flustered parents, teachers, and children alike for ages—is chewing gum good or bad for a child’s dental health? The habit can undoubtedly be annoying for adults chaperoning groups of gum-chewing children, but whether or not its detrimental to a child’s smile is a complicated question. Some additives, excessive chewing, and a lack of good dental hygiene can make chewing gum a risk, but some types of gum can benefit your child’s natural mouth defenses when chewed in moderation.

Choose the Right Gum

Considered by itself, the act of chewing something edible is beneficial for a number of reasons. The stimulation helps maintain a steady supply of nutrient-rich blood to the jawbone. Chewing also promotes a steady production of saliva, which can help clean your mouth after eating a meal or snack. Made almost entirely of water (over 99%), saliva is your mouth’s natural defense against oral bacteria and the tooth-eroding acids they produce. The sugar in many gum brands can feed these germs, increasing acid production and negating the benefits of increased saliva. Sugarless gum eliminates that risk, and many kinds of chewing gum now contain Xylitol, a naturally-occurring sweetener found in fruits and vegetables that inhibits the growth of cavity-causing bacteria.

Kids Who SHOULDN’T Chew Gum

Reducing the sugar content of chewing gum helps eliminate the increased risk of cavities, but tooth decay isn’t the only complication that can arise from the habit. Children who wear orthodontic braces, or who exhibit symptoms of TMJ disorder (a jaw joint dysfunction), should refrain from the sticky treat. Chewing gum can stick to and damage the brackets and wires of your child’s braces. Constant chewing can exacerbate the symptoms of TMJ disorder, leading to more frequent headaches and migraines, as well as jaw pain and facial soreness. If your child hasn’t been diagnosed with TMJ disorder, but complains of chronic aches and pains that might indicate a jaw problem, then visit Dr. Smith as soon as possible for an evaluation.

About Your Grand Prairie Children’s Dentist:

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

filed under: Children's Dentist

How to Choose the Right Toothpaste

Posted by

Toothpaste has been used in some form or other by civilizations as old as the ancient Egyptians. Primitive toothpaste ingredients were…well, primitive, consisting of charcoal, crushed bones, and/or pulverized sea shells. Thankfully, the tube of paste on your bathroom sink is more evolved, but the principles of effectively cleaning teeth remain largely the same. With so many different choices, each containing a different set of ingredients designed for a specific purpose, choosing the right toothpaste might not be as simple as it sounds.

What are Your Needs?

Most toothpaste brands contain detergents to create a foam that more effectively cleans your teeth, abrasives that add scrubbing power to the paste, and flavoring to give the toothpaste its minty-fresh taste. Aside from these main ingredients, toothpaste types can vary in their makeup and purpose, and may include;
  • ·         Whitening toothpaste—unlike teeth whitening treatment, whitening toothpaste doesn’t actually brighten your teeth, but contains higher concentrations of abrasives or chemicals to remove minor tooth stains.
  • ·        Fluoride toothpaste—fluoride is one of the most important elements of cavity prevention. As a mineral, fluoride bonds to the surface of your tooth enamel, the protective layer of mineral crystals that surrounds your teeth. Enamel is the first defense against infectious bacteria, and fluoride toothpaste helps keep the barrier strong.
  • ·        Tartar control toothpaste—tartar is a calcified (hardened) form of dental plaque, which contains hundreds different kinds of bacteria. Tartar control toothpaste works to prevent the buildup of plaque and remove plaque that’s already accumulated. However, once tartar develops, it can only be removed by a dental professional during your checkup and cleaning.  

Ask Dr. Smith for Recommendations

As your smile’s professional caretaker, your Grand Prairie family dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, can recommend a specific toothpaste type if your dental health calls for it. For instance, particularly weak tooth enamel can benefit from fluoride toothpaste when used as directed, and patients with minor staining might notice improvement with whitening toothpaste. Dr. Smith can also recommend case-specific hygiene products, like anti-bacterial mouthwash that helps neutralize disease-causing oral bacteria.

About Your Grand Prairie Family Dentist:

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

filed under: Family Dentist

The Secret to Dental Implants

Posted by

Dental implants are small prosthetic root devices that are surgically inserted into a jawbone that’s missing teeth. More like natural teeth roots than conventional dental prostheses, dental implants are designed to become a permanent part of your anatomy, providing optimal support for your replacement teeth. By mimicking nature’s own design for your teeth, implants also eliminate the need for dental adhesives, supportive dental crowns (which rest on reshaped healthy teeth), and inconspicuous clasps. An implanted replacement tooth looks, feels, and functions like a healthy, natural tooth, and offers an important array of advantages for your long-term dental health.

What Do You Know About Tooth Loss?

Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, believes that education is one of the most important aspects of good dental care, especially when it comes to how your teeth behave. Losing one or more teeth produces instant visual effects that can slightly diminish your confidence, and the loss may seem like the worst-case-scenario for whatever issue caused it. The truth, however, is that your smile’s destruction continues long after a tooth is lost. The jawbone surrounding the lost tooth’s root is resorbed so your body can redistribute its minerals elsewhere, and the nutrient supply to your jawbone is reduced due to a lack of stimulated teeth roots. Over time, jawbone deterioration can result in further tooth loss and the facial collapse—the visual result of an eroded jawbone.

Biologically Compatible Replacement Teeth

Traditional replacement teeth, such as dental bridges and dentures, can restore your immediate confidence by reestablishing your ability to bite, chew, and smile fully. Like teeth roots, dental implants work behind the scenes, supporting your replacement teeth as they absorb the pressures of biting and chewing. The pressure stimulates the implants, helping preserve your jawbone’s supply of nutrient-rich blood and prevent future tooth loss from jawbone deterioration. By improving their structural support, dental implants reduce complications that are common with traditional replacement teeth, such as denture slippage and the need for constant readjustments to accommodate a shrinking dental ridge.

About Your Grand Prairie Dentist:

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

filed under: Dental implants, Dentist, Grand Prairie Dentist

What is Dentistry’s Relationship to Sleep?

Posted by

As the window into your body, so to speak, your mouth and its health can have a serious impact on your overall quality of life. If asked about the relationship between dental health and sleep, some people might think first of a severe toothache that keeps them awake at night. The truth, however, is that certain oral health issues can disturb your sleep in a more profound manner, or damage your teeth by causing you to grind them together when you’re unconscious. Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Smith, explains a couple of ways in which dental health can help you sleep more soundly and more peacefully.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a disorder involving tissues in the mouth and throat that relax and collapse into the airway, forcing the patient to stop breathing. After a moment or two, the lack of oxygen causes your brain to panic and your body to wake enough to start breathing again. Loud snoring is a common indicator of OSA; as air escapes through an obstructed airway, the walls in your throat vibrate. Snoring grows louder as the tissues close more of your airway, and then stops as the airway closes completely. If you suffer from OSA, then Dr. Smith may be able to help you find rest with a custom-designed oral appliance that can help keep your lower jaw in forward position while you sleep. The support will help prevent oral tissues from collapsing into your airway and stopping you from breathing.

Bruxism Sleepguards

Snoring isn’t the only thing that might happen while you sleep. Bruxism, or habitual teeth-grinding, typically occurs at night, while you sleep. The pressure can damage your teeth or change their shape, throwing your bite off-balance and placing your teeth an increased risk for further damage or infection. While athletes wear mouthguards to protect their teeth while playing sports, Dr. Smith can design a similar mouthpiece to protect your teeth from each other. A sleepguard will stop you from grinding your teeth together at night, helping you preserve your smile until the underlying cause of your bruxism can be addressed.

About Your Grand Prairie Dentist:

Dr. Quinn Smith is a well-respected and highly experienced dentist in Grand Prairie, TX. He takes a patient-first approach that starts from the moment patients enter our Park Tree Dental office, and he offers a three-year guarantee on all dental work that he performs. Whether you’re a new or returning patient, 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

Cosmetic Improvements for Your Smile!

Posted by

Your smile generates some of your most dominant expressions, and aside from your eyes, it’s one of the most noticeable characteristics of your overall appearance. Consequently, the desire to improve your confidence might involve improving one or more blemishes that hinder your smile’s cosmetic appeal. Whether your teeth are stained or cracked, or your gum line isn’t as symmetrical as you’d wish, your Grand Prairie cosmetic dentist can expertly resize, reshape, and rejuvenate the less-than-perfect aspects of your smile. If your smile is overwhelmed by cosmetic imperfections, then Dr. Quinn Smith can combine one or more procedures to create a smile makeover plan designed specifically for you.

Tired of Teeth Stains?

Stains are one of the most common cosmetic blemishes today. Unlike most other dental issues, teeth stains can occur no matter how well you care for your teeth, and can result from food, drinks, some illnesses, and certain medications, among other things. External stains, or extrinsic stains, that occur on the surface of your tooth enamel can typically be eradicated with professional teeth whitening treatment. Our in-office teeth whitening system can erase surface stains and brighten your smile in as little as an hour, while our take-home kit allows you to whiten your teeth at home, over the course of about two weeks. If your stains are deeper than the surface, or intrinsic, then the discoloration might not respond to chemical whitening, and Dr. Smith may recommend cosmetic dental bonding or porcelain veneers to create a new face for your smile.

More than One Blemish?

If stains were the only blemish that teeth suffered from, then cosmetic dentistry would be fairly simple. Unfortunately, smiles are often bombarded by more than one kind of imperfection at the same time, and restoring their appearance might require more than one procedure. Teeth that are stained might also be chipped, oddly spaced, or slightly crooked, and addressing each concern separately might not be an ideal approach. To keep your cosmetic treatment as conservative as possible, Dr. Smith examines your smile as a whole, rather than as separate teeth that require different forms of attention. Dr. Smith will consult with you to determine your exact needs and goals, and to decide which combination of treatments can address your concerns while limiting the disturbance to your healthy, natural tooth structure.

About Your Grand Prairie Dentist:

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

filed under: Cosmetic Dentist