Tired of Sleeping with a Snorer?

Snoring can be annoying, especially if you share a bed or room with a snorer. Your sleep gets interrupted, you become tired of using earplugs, and you may even go sleep in a different room. But snoring can not only put a dent in your relationship, it can also be a sign of something serious. At my dental office in The Woodlands, we like to educate our patients on the dangers of snoring.

Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea, a dangerous breathing disorder that attacks sufferers while they’re asleep, causing them to stop breathing several times during the night, sometimes for a minute or longer. Sleep apnea is a dangerous problem that can lead or contribute to serious health problems.

Sleep apnea has been linked to:

• Strokes
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Erectile dysfunction
• And much more

In sufferers of sleep apnea, when breathing stops for extended periods of time during sleep, their bodies aren’t able to get an adequate supply of oxygen to vital organs. What this means is that the body isn’t getting what it needs to stay healthy and functioning at its best. It’s also very common for people with sleep apnea to be chronically tired, which can lead to accidents on the job, at home, and in the car. In fact, according to the American Academy of Dental sleep Medicine, drowsy driving is as dangerous as drunk driving and can cause at least 100,000 accidents each year; many fatal.

At my dental office in The Woodlands, we strongly encourage anyone who snores, sleeps with a snorer, or who has signs of sleep apnea to get checked as soon as possible. Some of the other common symptoms associated with sleep apnea include feeling as if you never get enough sleep, waking up choking or gasping for breath, unintentionally falling asleep during the day, and chronic fatigue.

Once you’re able to get an official diagnosis, there are a few treatment options to explore. Treatment for sleep apnea can include a CPAP, a mask that’s worn during the night and forces air into your mouth, a mouthpiece that’s designed to keep your airway open; or a combination of both. Whatever treatment is appropriate, it’s important to start it right away. It can not only save your relationship, it can also save your life.  

Serving patients in The Woodlands, Spring and Conroe.

Common Dental Misconceptions Explained

Nothing bugs us more than when people make up stories to try and scare others. We’ve all heard of urban legends, and some of us may have even fallen victim to believing them. What concerns all of us at my dental office in The Woodlands are the legends that cause misconceptions about dentistry and the fact that, if believed, could cause people to avoid dental care.

One of the most common dental urban legends out there is one that says root canals are super painful when, in fact, they’re really not a big deal. Those who have had a root canal often say that there was little or no pain involved in the procedure. Where the misconception of pain comes into play is before the procedure even happens. Root canals are needed when there is an infection or deep decay and, as a result, a lot of pain. What your dentist in The Woodlands wants you to know is that a root canal is a way to relieve the pain, not cause it.

Another tale that’s well-know is that baby teeth aren’t important. Many people think that if a baby tooth falls out prematurely, or gets a cavity, that it’s not a big deal. In fact, baby teeth are important, as they hold the place for your permanent teeth. If they fall out too soon, or if they become infected or decayed, the natural eruption and placement of your permanent teeth could be altered, leading to greater dental problems down the road.

Lastly – and this one is really important – is the belief that if gums bleed, it’s not a big deal. At my dental office in The Woodlands, we try to educate our patients on the fact that bleeding gums are a sign that something is not right. Healthy gums don’t bleed unless you’re brushing or flossing too roughly. Bleeding gums often mean that you have developed gum disease or even gingivitis. If left untreated, gingivitis could lead to periodontitis and eventually loss of teeth.

Don’t let common dental urban legends keep you from a strong and healthy smile. If you hear of a dental story that you think may not be true, just call my dental office in The Woodlands. We’ll be sure to set the story straight, relieve any fear you may have, and get your smile strong and healthy.

Serving patients in The Woodlands, Spring and Conroe.

How to Handle a Dental Problem While on Vacation

You’ve finally made it to your destination. You’re ready to relax, and your vacation has officially started. All of a sudden, it happens. An unexpected dental problem pops up from nowhere and threatens to ruin your hard-earned time off. But don’t worry, tips from my dental office in The Woodlands can help get you back to smiling – and back to that hammock.

A dental emergency can mean anything from a chipped tooth to a lost filling, a knocked out tooth to a toothache. But just because a problem in your mouth occurs when you’re not at home doesn’t mean that you can’t fully enjoy your vacation. There are several ways you can resolve or ease a variety of dental problems even when you’re away from your dentist n The Woodlands.

Dental Problem: Broken/Chipped Tooth

How to Help It: Rinse your mouth and any tooth pieces with warm water. If you’re bleeding, use a piece of gauze and apply pressure to the area until the bleeding stops. A cold compress can help reduce pain a swelling. Simply hold it to the outside of the mouth.

Dental Problem: Lost Filling

How to Help It: Using either a piece of sugarless gum (one with sugar will cause pain!) or a dental cement that you can find at a drugstore, fill the cavity until you can get to a dentist.

Dental Problem: Knocked Out Tooth

How to Help It: If you can find the tooth, do not touch the roots! Hold it by the part that’s usually exposed in your mouth to keep damage minimal. Rinse the tooth with warm water and try to put the tooth back in place. If you can’t get it back in, put the tooth in some milk (it’s best for preserving the tooth) and find a local dentist. It’s important to get the tooth back into the socket within an hour in order to save it.

While these tips can help you get back to your vacation, perhaps the best way to avoid a dental problem while out of town is to get a checkup before you leave. At my dental office in The Woodlands, we will make sure your mouth is in its best shape and that there aren’t any potential dangers just waiting pop up as soon as you lay down your beach towel. You can also help protect your teeth by avoiding dangerous snacks like popcorn, sticky candy, and chewing ice.

If you’re planning a vacation, schedule a pre-trip appointment at my dental office in The Woodlands.

Serving patients in The Woodlands, Spring and Monroe.

Beat Your Toothache Pain

Almost all of us have experienced a toothache. The pain and inconvenience often associated with a toothache is enough to really put a kink in your plans and your life. And while we’re always happy to help relieve toothache pain at my dental office in The Woodlands, a toothache can also strike on a weekend or at night when we aren’t open. If this happens, here are some tips you can try to help ease the pain of a toothache.

Before we launch into what is alright to use for a toothache, all of us at my dental office in The Woodlands feel strongly that we need to urge you to not try one common remedy. People often place Aspirin directly to the painful area. Don’t do this! Since Aspirin is an acid, it can burn your gums and cause greater harm to your mouth. If you’d like to use a pain reliever like Aspirin, just swallow it.

Some at-home remedies you can try include:

• Onion: Some people believe that a piece of raw onion placed on the affected area can ease the pain of a toothache. However, this remedy will probably cause you to have onion breath.
• Salt Water: Mix a cup of warm water with a tablespoon of salt and swish it around in your mouth. The mixture can actually pull the fluid away from the affected area and reduce pressure on the nerve endings. Do not swallow the mixture. Repeat as needed.
• Cloves: Oil of Cloves is actually a common ingredient in a lot of dental products. It has antimicrobial properties as well as pain-relieving properties that can help reduce a toothache. All you need to do is mix 2-3 drops of clove oil with olive oil or another cooking oil and soak a piece of cotton with the liquid. Then place the cotton on the bothersome area and bite down.

Although these few tricks may help with your pain, it’s important to know that a toothache is your mouth’s way of telling you that something is not right. Please don’t ignore it! It’s never wise to assume that easing the pain is enough. In its early stages, a toothache could be the result of a minor dental problem that’s easily fixed by your dentist in The Woodlands. If let go, a simple problem can turn into something major and can even begin to affect the rest of your body.

If you’re experiencing a toothache, don’t assume that it’s not a big deal and don’t let it go! Call my dental office in The Woodlands as soon as you can. We can help you determine what’s causing the pain and get it fixed for a healthy, pain-free smile.

The Truth Behind Teeth Grinding

Are you a chronic teeth grinder? Not really sure if you are or not? It’s not surprising: of the roughly 30 million people teeth grinders out there, very few realize that they grind. A common reason could be that teeth grinding or clenching is often done either while sleeping or subconsciously throughout the day. And while it may not seem like a big problem, at my dental office in The Woodlands, we consider tooth grinding a huge issue. Here’s why.

Tooth grinding, or bruxism, can cause severe damage to your teeth and your mouth. Broken restorations and fillings, damaged teeth, lost enamel, and tooth sensitivity are only some of the problems associated with severe bruxism. Chronic tooth grinding or clenching can also lead to more serious problems like jaw dysfunction or temporomandibular disorder (TMD). This is what makes visiting your dentist in The Woodlands so important if you’re experiencing symptoms of being a bruxer.

Symptoms of chronic tooth grinding or clenching include:

• Contractions of the jaw muscles
• Pain in the jaw joint
• A grinding sound at night as described by your bedmate
• Pain in the face
• Morning headaches
• Damaged or broken teeth

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, please call my The Woodlands dental office as soon as you can. It’s important that you seek proper dental care if you are suffering from the pain associated with bruxism so we can diagnose your problem and determine how to properly treat you.

At our dental office in The Woodlands, we’ll examine your mouth, talk about what you’re experiencing, check your bite, and take x-rays of your jaw and mouth. An in-depth exam will allow us to see exactly what’s going on, determine how severe your bruxism is, and decide on the best way to treat it.

There are several treatment options available for bruxism. Depending on your needs they can include onlays or crowns to reshape the bite surfaces of your teeth, and a mouth guard that fits over your smile and prevents further damage.

Whatever your unique needs may be, my dental office in The Woodlands can help diagnose your bruxism and determine the best treatment for you. The pain associated with tooth grinding doesn’t need to be chronic. Give us a call today. It’s the first step to a better, pain-free smile.

Diet Soda Can Cause as Much Tooth Damage as Meth

We all know that sugary drinks like soda aren’t the best for your smile. And in an attempt to avoid the sugar, calories, and caffeine in regular sodas, we often turn to diet soda to quench our thirst. However, at my The Woodlands dental office, we want you to understand that even these sugar-free drinks can be just as bad, if not worse, for your teeth.  

In fact, a study conducted in 2013 and published in the Academy of General Dentistry journal, General Dentistry, showed that excessive consumption of diet soda can have the same effect on your teeth as using illegal drugs like methamphetamine and crack cocaine.

In the study, the damage in the mouths of three individuals – a current methamphetamine user, a former cocaine addict, and an excessive diet soda drinker – was compared. The results showed that each of the mouths experienced similar damage, including tooth erosion, caused by high acid levels.

Soda, regular or diet, is highly acidic. And so are the ingredients in illegal drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine. The more food, drinks, or anything else with high amounts of acid that we put into our bodies, the more damage will be caused. Without tooth enamel, we’re more susceptible to cavities, sensitivity, discoloration, and damage. For this reason, I not only encourage everyone at my dental office in The Woodlands to put the soda down and drink more water, but also to keep up with regular dental appointments.

If you’re addicted to soda, already have damage caused by excessive intake of soda, or even have damage caused by past drug use, it’s time you see your dentist in The Woodlands. We can monitor your habits and make recommendations on how you can get your smile healthy and looking the way you want it to.

See Your Dentist in The Woodlands Before Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatment can cause some unwanted side effects in your body. It can also cause some dangerous problems in your mouth. Many of oral health side effects that occur as a result of chemotherapy can cause treatment to be delayed or even stopped. And when dealing with a serious disease like cancer, a proactive and regular treatment schedule is important, so decreasing the likelihood of these side effects is crucial to successful treatment. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer and will be starting treatment soon, it’s important that you see your dentist in The Woodlands about a month before treatment begins.

Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells. But they also harm normal cells in the body and mouth. When chemotherapy treatment negatively affects the cells in the mouth, side effects can include dry mouth; pain; difficulty eating, talking, or swallowing; and burning or swelling of tongue. Chance of infection also increases, which can be very dangerous when undergoing cancer treatment.

A checkup at my The Woodlands dental office prior to cancer treatment can help prevent these painful mouth problems and keep your treatment on schedule. Often, many of the oral health side effects that occur from cancer treatment happen to unhealthy mouths. And while not all side effects can be avoided, visiting your The Woodlands dentist prior to treatment ensures that your mouth is better protected from the dangerous side effects.

An appointment with us is crucial to getting your mouth in its most healthy state and ready for cancer treatment. When you arrive, we’ll check for any oral health problems, perform an in-depth exam, and thoroughly clean your teeth. We’ll also talk to you about the best way you can help make sure your smile stays healthy throughout your treatment.

An early dental appointment to make sure your mouth is healthy is one of the first steps to a successful treatment. If know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, please give my dental office in The Woodlands a call as soon as you can. We’d love to be a part of your health care team.