Who Gives a Hoot About Gum Disease in The Woodlands?

At Shirley E. Cagle, DDS, we do! In fact, we’re going to devote the next few blogs to gum disease. We want all our patients to be aware of the signs of gum disease, and how important it is to prevent it, or treat it at the first signs.

Periodontal Disease

“Periodontal disease” is the technical name for gum disease, an infection of the tissues that support and surround your teeth. Gingivitis is early-stage gum disease and periodontitis is a more advanced and serious infection. Periodontitis can lead to loose, or even lost, teeth.

Signs of gum disease include:

●      Gums that bleed during and after tooth brushing

●      Red, swollen or tender gums

●      Persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth

●      Receding gums

●      Formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums

●      Loose or shifting teeth

If you notice any of these symptoms, call us ASAP! Dr. Cagle will determine if you have periodontal disease and recommend treatment options for you. Our first priority is to save your natural teeth. Restorative dentistry can work wonders, but there’s nothing like smiling with your own teeth.

Protect your health…prevent periodontal disease!

According to the National Institutes of Health, smoking is the #1 risk factor for gum disease. In fact, if you use tobacco it makes treatment more difficult. It’s never too late to quit!

If you’re due for a regular visit, or have any concerns about the health of your teeth and gums, call our dental office in The Woodlands at 855.251.4554 today.

Prevent Dental Disasters While on Vacation!

You know if you’re close to home and a dental accident or sudden toothache happens, you can call Dentist Shirley Cagle in The Woodlands, and we’ll do everything we can to help you. But accidents can happen anywhere – whether it’s one mile from home or 1,000.

If you have kids, it’s not a bad idea to carry a first aid kit with you everywhere! There are also small dental emergency kits available as well. They often will contain oil of cloves, an applicator, and a small container to hold lost teeth or pieces of a tooth. If you have active children, or a child losing baby teeth, a kit like this isn’t a bad idea.

Sites like WebMD offer first aid tips:

Knocked-out tooth: Retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown (the part that is usually exposed in the mouth), and gently rinse off the tooth root with water if it's dirty. If possible, try to put the tooth back in place. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, put the tooth in a small container of milk (or cup of water that contains a pinch of table salt, if milk is not available) or a product containing a cell growth medium, such as Save-a-Tooth.

Abscess: See a dentist as soon as possible if you discover a pimple-like swelling on your gum, especially if it is painful. In the meantime, to ease the pain and draw the pus toward the surface, try rinsing your mouth with a mild salt-water solution (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of water) several times a day.

Lost crown. If you can't get to a dentist right away and the tooth is causing pain, use a cotton swab to apply a little clove oil to the sensitive area (clove oil can be purchased at your local drug store or in the spice aisle of your grocery store). If possible, slip the crown back over the tooth. Before doing so, coat the inner surface with an over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste, or denture adhesive, to help hold the crown in place. Do not use super glue!

Many of these techniques can apply to nearly any dental emergency during the first few minutes. And get to a dentist as soon as possible, even if you’re out of town. The sooner your emergency receives appropriate care, the better your chances are of saving your tooth.

Once you return home, schedule an appointment at our dental office in The Woodlands at 855.251.4554 to have your injury checked out by Dr. Shirley Cagle.

Let’s Wise Up About Wisdom Teeth in The Woodlands!

Most of us know that our third molars — wisdom teeth — typically come in during our late teens or early 20s, when we’re hopefully learning and gaining wisdom at college or starting new jobs!

Wisdom teeth can cause problems when they come in only part way or not at all. When this happens, they’re called partially or fully impacted wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth can also grow in at odd angles and can crowd your other teeth. Often the solution for problems with wisdom teeth is to extract them. At Dr. Shirley Cagle’s dental office in the Woodlands, we can help you determine if wisdom tooth extraction is right for you. If it is, then we’re here to make the experience as comfortable and relaxing as possible.

If you’re having pain or problems with your wisdom teeth, call our Woodlands dental office at 855.251.4554 so that Dr. Cagle can evaluate your situation. We may also be able to tell if you’re likely to have problems in the future, or if you have wisdom teeth at all! Nearly 35% of all people don’t  have them. So if it’s time for a checkup, call us today! Remember, prevention is always a wise move!