Grand Prairie Dentist Discusses Fillings

Posted by

Any bacteria that linger in your mouth will consume traces of sugars and carbohydrates. When they do, they produce an acid byproduct that is capable of wearing down tooth enamel. With less enamel, a tooth’s defenses are compromised, and it can eventually succumb to tooth decay. The result of such tooth decay may be a cavity. In order to prevent a cavity from worsening, it must be filled, and today that means a choice between two fillings commonly referred to as silver fillings and white fillings. Your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, differentiates between the two and discusses the process of filling teeth.

White Fillings vs. Silver Fillings

Your Grand Prairiedentist, Dr. Smith, offers both white fillings and silver fillings to restore damaged teeth. Both types of fillings are effective, but there are a few differences worth noting between the two. White fillings are made of a tooth-colored composite resin. They offer nice cosmetic results that keep a filled tooth from standing out next to unfilled teeth. Silver fillings, also called amalgam fillings, are made up of a combination of different types of metals. Included in these metals is a bit of mercury that aids in making the metals malleable so that they can be shaped. However, the presence of mercury makes an amalgam filling a bad option for children, pregnant women, and anyone who is sensitive to mercury.

Filling a Tooth

When filling a tooth, Dr. Smith will first administer a sedative. He may also use nitrous oxide. Next, he will scrape away and remove any decayed material from the tooth before placing the filing material, either the resin or the amalgam into the cavity. Next, he will dry the filling material and take an impression of the filled tooth to look for any rough edges. Lastly, he will smooth and polish the filling.

Schedule a Visit with Your Grand Prairie Dentist

If you have a cavity, a white filling can restore your tooth and yield fantastic cosmetic results. Schedule an appointment with your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Smith, today by calling 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: Dentist, Grand Prairie Dentist

Grand Prairie Dentist Discusses the Importance of Mouth Guards

Posted by

If you play a contact sport, padding is very important. Imagine taking a hit from a safety without pads. Or imagine the way a hockey puck would feel if a slap shot hit you in the shins when you weren’t wearing shin guards. You probably wouldn’t step onto a football field or a hockey rink without pads, but if you play these sports without mouth guards, you are inviting the same kinds of pain and calamity. Without a mouth guard, a fun afternoon of sport could turn into a dental emergency. Your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, explains how mouth guards can prevent several kinds of dental emergencies.

Mouth Guards and Athletics

Mouth guards protect your teeth and mouth from damage during tough athletic events. If you are jarred from contact, your mouth may snap shut, inflicting heavy forces on your teeth. If these forces are strong enough, teeth could fracture or even be knocked out. However, a mouth guard works to absorb these forces and protect teeth despite contact.

Yet a mouth guard doesn’t just protect teeth. Mouth guards prevent other oral injuries like a bitten tongue or lip. If serious enough, these injuries may require a hospital visit. However, if you wear a mouth guard, the likelihood of these injuries is reduced near zero.

Newer mouth guards have still other benefits in addition to preventing dental emergencies. Some companies claim that their mouth guards improve athletic performance by ensuring that the jaw is properly aligned. A correctly positioned jaw reduces stress and allows muscles to perform at their highest caliber.

What to Do in Case of a Dental Emergency

If you do experience a dental emergency such as a cracked, broken, or lost tooth, contact your Grand Prairie emergency dentist, Dr. Smith, immediately. Be sure to rinse your mouth, and in the event of a lost tooth, locate the tooth, wash it, and replace it in its socket. If you bite your lip or tongue and bleeding persists, seek emergency medical help.

Visit Your Grand Prairie Emergency Dentist

If you experience a dental emergency, prompt care is vital. Call your Grand Prairie emergency dentist, Dr. Smith, at 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: General Dentistry, Grand Prairie Dentist

Grand Prairie Dentist: Get Your Ideal Smile Fast with Lumineers

Posted by

When you examine your teeth, do you see a crowded thicket of gnarled and worn teeth? Do you want to see perfectly ordered, pearly white rows instead? The prospect of a lot of dental work may be daunting. After all, no one wants to spend a lifetime in the dental chair. We want quick results so that we have time to enjoy them. Well, look no farther for a quick smile than Lumineers. Your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, explains how Lumineers can transform your teeth from crowded thicket to ordered pickets in record time.

What Are Lumineers?

Lumineers are a kind of porcelain veneer that requires very little preparation of the teeth to which they are attached. Lumineers bond to the front surface of teeth to mask a wide variety of cosmetic problems. Because all that is required is for them to be attached, they offer a much quicker alternative to orthodontic or restorative dental work. Whether teeth are stained, pitted, crooked, crowded, or chipped, Lumineers can give you a beautiful smile.

Lumineers vs. Traditional Porcelain Veneers

Traditional porcelain veneers require each tooth to be prepared for the attachment of the veneer. Preparation often means grinding or shaving teeth before attaching the veneers. Lumineers, on the other hand, do not require any grinding or shaving, meaning that the process of applying Lumineers can be reversed without damage to your teeth.

Lumineers in Grand Prairie

Your Grand Prairie cosmetic dentist, Dr. Smith, can reinvigorate your smile with Lumineers in just two visits. During the first appointment, he will make a mold of your teeth and confer with you about the exact shade of your new Lumineers. During the second visit, he will place and bond them to your teeth, and you will leave with a brand new smile.

Schedule a Visit with Your Grand Prairie Cosmetic Dentist

Are you tired of the appearance of your teeth? Get the smile you have always wanted with Lumineers. Call your Grand Prairie cosmetic dentist, Dr. Smith, at 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: Family Dentist, General Dentistry, Grand Prairie Dentist

Grand Prairie Dentist: Preserving a Knocked-Out Tooth

Posted by

You’re at a baseball game, enjoying the sunshine and a refreshing breeze. The grass is green, and the sky is blue. You turn to check the score on the scoreboard when suddenly you hear a loud crack as bat and ball collide. You turn your head and barely have time to register a white speck growing larger, screaming towards you. You brace for impact, and pain explodes across your face.

You’re in shock, trying to comprehend the pain, and for a while, you don’t notice the gap that has manifested in your smile. You turn to a friend, who gasps and points to your mouth, and for the first time, you notice the absence. You find the tooth, dirty from the stadium floor, but with no water or milk nearby, what do you do? Your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, shares tips for preserving a knocked-out tooth in difficult situations.

Preserving Your Lost Tooth

If you have a tooth knocked out in a place without water or milk nearby, your options are pretty limited. However, in order to preserve your tooth, you want to keep its root clean and moist, so in a situation like this, your best option may be to suck the dirt off of the tooth. (Just remember to rinse your mouth at the first opportunity.)

If you are at a place like a baseball stadium, where soda abounds, don’t succumb to the temptation to rinse your tooth with soda. The acid in soda could cause damage to your tooth.  Once you have cleaned your tooth, try to place it back in its socket, and if you are unable, try to keep the tooth in between your gum and cheek to keep the root moist. Then call your Grand Prairie emergency dentist, Dr. Smith, for dental assistance.

Schedule a Visit with Your Grand Prairie Emergency Dentist

If you experience a dental emergency, prompt care is vital. Call your Grand Prairie emergency dentist, Dr. Smith, at 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: General Dentistry, Grand Prairie Dentist

Grand Prairie Dentist: A Healthy Mouth Can Mean a Healthy Heart

Posted by

Have you ever noticed how interconnected the body is? Its systems affect one another in numerous ways, and doctors continue to find links between two things that seem unrelated. Gum disease and heart disease are two of those things. Recently, doctors have found that gum disease patients are more likely to develop heart disease. Your GrandPrairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, discusses this new research and what a healthy mouth can do for your heart.

What Do Gums and Hearts Have in Common?

The link that doctors have begun to accept between heart disease and gum disease is twofold. First, both diseases deal with inflammation. Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums, and hardened arteries are the result of an inflammatory process. These two similarities led scientists to research further connections between the two diseases. This research prompted the discovery that gum disease patients are more likely to develop heart disease and clogged arteries. They are also more likely to suffer strokes. Many doctors are reluctant to accept this correlation, however, arguing that the patients without gum disease may simply take better care of themselves than patients with gum disease.

Tips for Warding Away Gum Disease

Even if the two diseases prove to be unrelated (though they do seem to be), oral health is still very important. Solid research has linked oral health to overall health, and a healthy mouth means a higher quality of life. Use the following tips to care for your teeth and fight against gum disease.

  • Brush twice a day, and floss once a day. Also, be sure to angle bristles toward the gum line.
  • Limit your sugar intake. Bacteria love sugar, and too much of it can cause tooth decay.
  • Visit Dr. Smith regularly. Checkups and cleaning are an important part of your oral health.

Schedule a Visit with Your Grand Prairie Dentist

Because your oral health can impact your overall health, regular dental visits are crucial. If you haven’t had a dental appointment in the past six months, it’s time for a checkup. Schedule a visit with your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Smith, today by calling 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: Uncategorized

Grand Prairie Dentist: Get Your Free Kids’ Brushing Chart

Posted by

Is your child’s toothbrush feeling lonely and neglected? Do you want to see it feeling happy and useful? Sometimes, despite your best efforts, kids can get the best of you. No matter how hard you try to get them to brush their teeth, they won’t yield. Unfortunately, they (and their lonely toothbrushes) are the ones that suffer because neglecting to brush can allow bacteria to flourish and attack their teeth and gums. But your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, has a tool that just may help you convince your child to brush: a free tooth brushing chart.

How to Get Your Free Tooth Brushing Chart

To access your brushing chart, simply click the following link: http://www.loveyourteeth.net/. It will take you to a page that asks you to enter your child’s name so that the chart can be customized with his or her name at the top. After you enter the name, click “Print My Chart.” A printable chart will then load in your browser, and you will be able to print it.

Using the Tooth Brushing Chart Effectively

The goal of a tooth brushing chart is to get your child to develop a habit of brushing. With that goal in mind, your Grand Prairie children’s dentist, Dr. Smith, suggests using the chart to issue a challenge to your child. Explain to your little one that a successful completion of the chart means he or she will win the grand prize. Whatever that prize will be is up to you, but try to pick something that will entice your child into taking the challenge seriously. The chart covers mornings and evenings for four weeks, plenty of time to develop a habit, so by the time the challenge ends, your child just may have developed a habit, leaving you both with a good reward.

Schedule a Visit with Your Grand Prairie Children’s Dentist

Good homecare is just one part of your child’s oral health. Regular dental visits play another important role. If it has been more than six months since your child’s last dental visit, schedule an appointment with your Grand Prairie children’s dentist, Dr. Smith, today by calling 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: Children's Dentist, General Dentistry, Grand Prairie Dentist

Grand Prairie Dentist Discusses the Restorative Power of Dental Implants

Posted by

The means of replacing lost teeth have evolved over the years. In the past, prosthetic teeth were made out of all sorts of materials like wood or ivory. These false teeth were very uncomfortable and not very convincing. Today, however, prosthetic teeth are functional and aesthetically appealing. They are also capable of preventing the many complications that stem from lost teeth. Your Grand Prairiedentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, explains why dental implants are the current pinnacle of tooth replacement.

How Dental Implants Work

There are three parts to a dental implant: the post, the abutment, and the crown. When an implant is placed, the post is first inserted into the jaw and gums, where it fuses with the jawbone in a process called osseointegration. The fusion of post and jawbone ensures that the implant will remain firmly in place. It also helps the dental implant feel more like a natural tooth because it possesses an anchor in the jaw just as a natural tooth does.

However, the benefits of the post do not end there. The presence of the post in the jaw triggers the resumption of a flow of nutrients that ceased when the natural tooth was lost. Without these nutrients, the surrounding teeth and jaw sometimes begin to suffer. Thus when a tooth falls out, a process called the domino effect, during which nearby teeth begin to fall like stacked dominos, begins. A loss of jawbone density may also occur as well as a particularly unsavory condition known as facial collapse. However, the dental implant prevents all of these complications because it restores nutrition to the area.

The next part of the dental implant, the abutment, serves to connect the crown to the post. The crown itself is a convincing and custom-made prosthetic that is both functional and cosmetically pleasing. The crown will match the appearance of surrounding teeth, making it extremely difficult to pick out which is the prosthetic tooth.

Dental Implants in Grand Prairie

Have you lost a tooth? You can replace it with a dental implant. Schedule a visit with your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Smith, today by calling 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: Dental implants, Dentist, Grand Prairie Dentist

Grand Prairie Dentist Has Advice for Dental Emergencies

Posted by

Picture a nice day at the park, just you and your kids. The sun is bright and warm. A soft breeze washes over you, carrying the soft tunes of bird song. Then suddenly you hear it: a loud bang and your child crying. As you are running, you notice the hand clasped firmly in front of the mouth and a trickle of blood seeping through the fingers. Do you know what to do?

A dental emergency can occur for you or your child at any moment. Knowing the proper steps to take in the event of an emergency can offer you greater peace of mind and better care in the event of any trouble. Here to share some advice about dental emergencies is your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith. He discusses three common dental emergencies.

Three Common Emergency Situations

1.      Knocked-out tooth. If you or your child has a tooth knocked out, your first priority is to rinse the mouth with warm water. Doing so can remove bacteria and lower the risk of an infection. Next, look for the tooth. If you are able to find it, rinse it with water and place it back in the empty socket. If you are uncomfortable replacing the tooth, put it in a glass of milk. Then call your Grand Prairie emergency dentist, Dr. Smith, and bring the glass of milk with you to your dental visit.

2.      Broken tooth. In the event of a broken tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water. The broken tooth is at risk of infection, and rinsing can remove some bacteria. Next apply a cold compress to limit any swelling, and call Dr. Smith.

3.      Cracked tooth. Just like a broken tooth, a cracked tooth is at an increased risk of infection. Rinse your mouth and apply a cold compress. Then call Dr. Smith for dental care.

Schedule a Visit with Your Grand Prairie Emergency Dentist

If you experience a dental emergency, prompt care is vital. Call your Grand Prairie emergency dentist, Dr. Smith, at 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: Family Dentist, General Dentistry, Grand Prairie Dentist

Grand Prairie Dentist Discusses Children and Bruxism

Posted by

Did you know that 38 percent of children grind their teeth? If you’ve even seen your child grinding his or her teeth, you may have found the sawing noise and the sight of the clenched jaw moving back and forth to be disconcerting. After all, how could it not be bad for your child’s teeth? Surely, dental assistance is necessary, right? Before you schedule a dental visit, you might like to know that dental treatment typically isn’t necessary for treating teeth grinding, or bruxism, in children. Here to discuss the matter further is your Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith.

Bruxism in Children

Although nearly 40 percent of children grind their teeth, treatment for bruxism in children is rare. Kids typically outgrow the habit of grinding their teeth, a habit that begins around age three, by age six without significant damage to their teeth. So as disturbing as you may find your child’s bruxism, you may not need to call your Grand Prairie children’s dentist, Dr. Quinn, just yet.

Treatment for Bruxism

There are some cases, however, when dental treatment is necessary. If your child complains about pain in his or her jaw and teeth that does not subside, seek dental assistance. Bruxism can wear down teeth and cause problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull, although such problems are rare in children. Should your child complain of these symptoms, or if you notice bruxism to be a habit that continues well past the age of six, dental treatment could become necessary. Dr. Smith may prescribe a sleep guard that protects teeth from wear and repositions the jaw to relieve stress on the TMJ.

Schedule a Visit with Your Grand Prairie Children’s Dentist

Regular dental visits are vital to your child’s oral health. If your child hasn’t had a cleaning in the past six months, schedule a visit with your Grand Prairie children’s dentist, Dr. Smith, today by calling 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: Family Dentist, General Dentistry, Grand Prairie Dentist

Grand Prairie Dentist: Teach Your Child to Floss

Posted by

Flossing can be a bit of a sore subject when it comes to dental care. Not only can flossing cause temporarily sensitive gums if not done regularly, but it can also lead to arguments between parents and their children. For some reason, kids don’t want to floss. Unfortunately, enumerating the benefits of flossing will probably do little to change your child’s mind. Children seem to have the innate ability to overlook the fact that floss can clean portions of their teeth where a toothbrush cannot. Luckily, your GrandPrairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, is here to help with tips for teaching your child to floss.

Teaching Kids to Floss

Because kids don’t always view good oral health as a reward, it is sometimes necessary to use a prize for motivation. One tool to help you introduce a prize is a brushing and flossing chart. This chart will allow you to keep track of your child’s brushing and flossing. The chart will also map out the path to the reward for your child. Challenge your child to complete a set number of weeks of brushing and flossing in exchange for a prize. If you’re lucky, your child just may develop a habit during the challenge. To access your printable brushing and flossing chart, visit the following link and choose your favorite design: http://www.kidpointz.com/printable-charts/daily-routine-charts/brushing-teeth-charts/.

Getting kids to floss regularly is certainly a major achievement, but you also want to be sure that they are flossing properly. Try the following tips from your Grand Prairie children’s dentist:

  • Instruct your child to use about 18 inches of floss and leave 2-4 inches between hands.
  • Tell your child to hold the floss between his or her index fingers and thumbs.
  • Remind your child to be gentle and to slide the floss between teeth and up and down the side of each tooth.
  • Demonstrate proper flossing technique for your child.

Schedule a Visit with Your Grand Prairie Children’s Dentist

Regular dental visits are another major part of your child’s oral health. These visits can reinforce brushing and flossing skills and aid in the removal of stubborn plaque and tartar. If your child has not attended a dental visit in the last six months, it is time for a checkup. Schedule a visit with your Grand Prairie children’s dentist, Dr. Smith, today by calling 972-262-5111. Our 75052 dental office welcomes patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.

filed under: Children's Dentist, Dentist, Family Dentist, General Dentistry, Grand Prairie Dentist