Together, We Can Prevent Gum Disease in The Woodlands

As we wrap up our three-blog series on gum disease, let’s take a moment to recap what we’ve discussed. You know what gum disease is. You know what symptoms to look out for. You know that it can cause greater health problems and affect your overall well-being. Now all of us at Shirley E. Cagle, DDS, FAGD in The Woodlands want to make sure you know how, together, we can prevent gum disease.

Pairing good dental habits at home with regularly scheduled dental appointments can help maintain a healthy mouth and prevent gum disease from ever occurring. Visiting your dentist in The Woodlands at least twice a year for exams and cleanings can help keep you healthy and can also help catch any potential problems before they have a chance to progress and affect the rest of your body.

In between your dental checkups, it’s important to practice good dental habits at home to ensure a clean mouth, healthy gums, and health body. Brushing your teeth at least 2-3 times a day and flossing in between your teeth and below the gum line once a day are easy and effective ways to help remove any plaque and bacteria that can cause gum disease. If you can’t brush, chewing sugar-free gum with xylitol can also help.

In addition to these simple yet very effective habits, other lifestyle factors can also help keep gum disease at bay.

●      Eat a healthy diet and limit your intake of sugar

●      Avoid bedtime snacks

●      Stop smoking - people who use tobacco are six times more likely to develop gum disease and are less responsive to treatment than those who don’t

If you’re due for a dental cleaning and checkup, or if you’re concerned about your gum health, contact our The Woodlands dental office at 855-251-4554 to schedule an appointment today and we’ll work together to prevent gum disease. If we do happen to find active gum disease, don’t worry. It’s often easily treated. And if we catch it early, it’s even easier. Don’t wait for your gums to show signs of a problem. Be proactive and call us today.

Periodontal Disease: More Than a Mouth Problem in The Woodlands

Periodontal disease isn’t only a mouth problem, it can affect the whole body! Here at The Woodlands dental office of Shirley E. Cagle, DDS, FAGD, we treat periodontal disease with a preventive approach.

Since periodontal disease originates in the mouth, the bacteria is easily transferred to other areas of the body and has been linked to some serious health conditions.

 

Research has shown a strong link between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, which could lead to stroke or heart attack. In fact, those with periodontal disease are at double the risk of suffering a fatal heart attack or stroke.

In addition to cardiovascular disease, gum disease has been linked to lung disease, kidney disease, premature or low birthweight babies, and difficult management of diabetes.

While preventing gum disease with visits to our dental office in The Woodlands at least twice a year is ideal, the best approach to treating any active gum disease is early detection and treatment, before the disease progresses and starts to affect your overall health.

If you’re experiencing any symptoms of gum disease including bleeding or sore gums, contact Shirley E. Cagle, DDS, FAGD at 855-251-4554 to schedule your appointment today. We look forward to taking care of your smile, and your health.

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!

These Teeth in the Woodlands Were Made For….

These Teeth in the Woodlands Were Made For….

…biting and chewing food, talking, giving your face its structure. Period! Tooth enamel seems like a hard surface, but it’s not made to withstand excess pressure or habits that erode it.

At Dr. Shirley Cagle’s dental office in the Woodlands, our patients tell us stories of their bad habits. Do any of these actions sound familiar to you?

●      Crunching and sipping

Now that may sound like what teeth are made for, but we’re talking about crunching things like ice cubes, or even popcorn kernels. Bite down on them the wrong way, and you could end up with a cracked tooth.

Sipping? Yes! Soda (even diet), tea, and other acidic beverages can eventually erode your teeth, especially if you habitually consume them.

●      Using teeth as tools

Teeth aren’t nutcrackers or bottle openers! Or any other tool!

●      Tooth grinding

If you grind your teeth, even in your sleep, you can wear them down without even noticing! You may need a night guard or other appliance to help stop grinding, and if your teeth are worn down, you may need further dental treatment to rebuild your bite.

●      Hard-bristled toothbrush

A toothbrush with hard bristles might seem like a good idea, but it’s better to use a soft- or medium-bristled brush, and brush regularly and longer!

●      Not brushing or flossing enough

Brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, in the morning and before bedtime. If you can’t brush during the day, try to drink plain water so you can at least “rinse” out any food particles or acidic drinks.

If you have any of these habits, it’s never too late to change! If you have any tooth or gum pain for any reason, please call our dental office in the Woodlands at 855.251.4554.

As Much Fun as a Root Canal?

Root canal treatments don’t really deserve their bad reputation any more! And if you’re already a patient at Dr. Shirley Cagle’s dental office in the Woodlands, then you know we can keep you comfortable and nearly pain-free no matter what treatment we’re giving you.

Why would I need root canal therapy?

The pulp cavity and root canals of your tooth contain the blood vessels and nerves that your tooth needs to thrive. If these tissues become injured or diseased, infection can set in and root canal therapy will be needed. Remember a root canal is a way to save your natural tooth. That’s the most important thing, and why you want to get here as soon as possible if you start to experience any pain, swelling, or inflammation in a tooth.

How does Dr. Cagle perform a root canal?

First, we remove any diseased or damaged tissue and thoroughly clean out all bacteria, infection, or debris. You may need time to heal, but in some cases, root canals can be completed in a day. The next step is to fill the root canals to replace the tissue and seal out bacteria.

Once the root canals have been filled, we’ll reinforce and protect your tooth by placing a porcelain crown over it.

At our dental office at the Woodlands, we use several different methods to keep you relaxed, comfortable, and out of pain. If you have questions about your root canal treatment, please call us at 855.251.4554 and let us know and we’ll be glad to discuss any concerns you may have.