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.

Are You Ruining Your Teeth and Don’t Know It?

We’ve covered a lot of information about how to get and keep your smile healthy and strong at my dental office in The Woodlands. However, there are many common habits and situations that can cause damage to your teeth, and chances are, you’ve done at least one without ever thinking about the fact that you could be hurting your smile.   

Crunching Ice

Using your teeth to crunch the unmelted ice in your drink can be detrimental to the health of your smile. Ice cubes can chip away at your tooth enamel and can even lead to a broken tooth or broken restoration.

Brushing Too Hard

While I’m happy you’re brushing (and hopefully flossing too!), at my dental office in The Woodlands, we always encourage our patients to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and to brush in small circles. This can actually protect your enamel. Toothbrushes with hard bristles, or using rough, horizontal strokes, can damage enamel and leave you open to experiencing sensitivity.

Whitening Too Often

We all want our pearly whites to be exactly that – pearly white! And while teeth whitening is safe and effective, doing it too often can cause damage to your smile. Too much whitening can cause sensitivity, irritation, and can even result in a smile that’s too white. If you’re interested in a whiter smile, we can help get you the brightening you’re looking for, safely and effectively.

Eating Too Many Acidic Foods

Acidic foods and drinks like lemons, orange juice, and wine can wear away your enamel. And once your enamel is gone, you can’t grow it back. This can cause sensitivity or even pain. As your dentist in The Woodlands, I’m not expecting you avoid these types of food and drink, but I do encourage you to minimize the damage by drinking water with anything acidic. And if you’ve got to have that morning glass of orange juice, use a straw to limit how much juice comes in contact with your teeth.

Using Teeth as Tools

You know the feeling. You have a stubborn package that just won’t open, so instead of finding the scissors, you put the package in your mouth and use your teeth as a opening tool. Using your teeth as tools is always a bad idea and can result in broken teeth, mouth injuries, and damaged restorations.

In addition to these five smile-harming habits, there are many other ways you can be causing damage to your teeth without even knowing it. During a visit to my dental office in The Woodlands, we can talk about any habits you may have that could be harming your smile, and how to fix them. If you’re due for a checkup, or if you’re concerned with your grin, give me a call today!

Get Your Wedding Day Whites from Your Dentist in The Woodlands

Your wedding is a time to celebrate love. A lot of planning has gone into creating the perfect day. From the dress and the hair to the flowers and the photos, your wedding has demanded a lot of attention. You’re ready, the date is set, the cake is ordered… how’s your smile?

While there are many tricks in the book to get your smile looking whiter than it actually is (wear dark lipstick!), these tricks are only masking the problem. The truth is, getting your ideal wedding smile isn’t difficult, and no dark lipstick is needed!

An important first step to getting your ideal smile is stopping by my dental office in The Woodlands. We’ll discuss your desires and look into a variety of smile-perfecting options that can transform your smile from dull and dingy to wedding white. In fact, scheduling an appointment with your dentist in The Woodlands should always be the first step you take before doing anything to your smile, including simply whitening it.

Although often cheaper, over-the-counter whitening treatments can cause damage, and they may not even give you the results you want. It’s common for the solution in these products to irritate your gums and even cause tooth pain or sensitivity if the ingredients are too strong. Also, there are times when the solution isn’t strong enough to give you the results you want.

By first visiting your dentist in The Woodlands, you can rely on us to determine which treatment is best for your smile and the results you want. Whether we use a professional whitening system, veneers, or tooth bonding, we’re sure to get you the wedding-day whites that you want. Call our office to schedule your appointment today!

What Do You Know About Oral Cancer?

April is Oral Cancer Awareness month and I’d like to make sure all of the patients at my dental office in The Woodlands recognize how serious oral cancer is, know the risk factors associated with oral cancer, and understand the steps you can take to help with early detection.

The American Dental Association estimates that 42,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year. Of the 42,000, only a few more than half are expected to survive longer than five years after diagnosis. While oral cancer is not particularly difficult to treat, the fatality rate is so high because the cancer is often caught too late. This is why a proactive approach to early detection is so important.

A self-exam performed every month at home can help catch oral cancer early, and can contribute to successful treatment. Once a month, grab a mirror and a bright light and check out your mouth for some of the common symptoms of oral cancer. Some things you should look for are red or white patches of tissue, a sore that doesn’t heal on its own, abnormal lumps or thickening of tissues, and difficulty swallowing.

In addition to your once a month self-exam, it’s very important that you keep your regularly scheduled appointments with your dentist in The Woodlands. While it’s common for oral cancer to not seem to have any symptoms early on, our team is trained to see and catch any suspicious areas. Again, an early diagnosis means that we can start treatment before the cancer gets too widespread and greatly improves your chances of survival.

As with almost any disease, there are a variety of risk factors that can increase your susceptibility to oral cancer. Tobacco use, in addition to heavy drinking, are the most common factors that contribute to oral cancer. Furthermore, the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV) can also put someone at increase risk for oral cancer.

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms we’ve discussed, if you’re at increased risk for oral cancer, or you are in need of a checkup, call my dental office in The Woodlands as soon as possible. I can’t stress enough the importance of early detection and early treatment. Don’t put your life in danger. Schedule an appointment today.