How Much Does that Pack of Cigarettes Really Cost?

The average out-of-pocket price for a pack a cigarettes in the United States is $6.18. But the true cost of smoking can’t be measured in dollars and cents. At my dental office in The Woodlands, we’d like to share some scary facts about smoking and encourage you to put down the cigarettes once and for all.

When a lot of us think of the effects of smoking, we immediately think of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and premature death. While all of those diseases and very scary realities should definitely be talked about, smoking can also have some detrimental effects on oral health.

Appearance

On the surface, smoking can lead to bad breath, discoloration of teeth, and premature aging. If we dig a little deeper and examine the inside of the mouth, as well as the gums and the teeth, we may find some even worse damage caused by cigarettes.

Oral Cancer

Since your mouth is the first area of your body to become exposed to cigarette smoke, it’s only natural that it be subjected to many of its hazardous ingredients. Like with other types of cancer, smokers are at increased risk for oral cancer. But that’s not all.

Gum Disease

Smoking is one of the leading causes of gum disease. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control puts smokers at seven times greater risk for developing gum disease than non-smokers. What’s more, 75% of all adult periodontal disease can be attributed to smoking. Gum disease is a serious health concern and has been linked with heart disease, stroke, difficulty controlling blood sugar, and tooth loss.

Tooth Loss

According to the Academy of General Dentistry, male smokers lose 2.9 teeth for every 10 years of smoking, and women lose 1.5. So remember that initial cost of $6.18 per pack? While that may seem rather inexpensive, we can see how each pack of cigarettes ends up costing much more.

It’s extremely crucial for smokers to keep up with regularly scheduled appointments at my dental office in The Woodlands. Here, we don’t judge or lecture, but we will work with you to keep your mouth healthy and monitor you closely for any potential problems.

Welcoming patients from The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, and surrounding areas.

5 Reasons to See Us Regularly

We always encourage you to keep up with regularly scheduled appointments at my dental office in The Woodlands. But do you know why it’s so important? In this blog, we cover some of the top reasons seeing us at least twice a year is so crucial to your oral health.

1. Cavities. Regular cleanings and appointments are key to preventing serious problems that may be lurking. Plaque, that gross white stuff that you can sometimes see on your teeth, is the top cause of decay and, therefore, cavities. If left alone, the plaque eats away at enamel and forms cavities. Professional cleanings are really important to remove plaque buildup and protect smiles.

2. Keep Your Teeth. Not only can regular visits keep you healthy, they’re also really important if you want to keep your teeth. At your appointments, we look for gum disease, which is one of the major reasons adults lose their teeth. If left untreated, gum disease can weaken the bone that holds teeth in place. This can eventually cause teeth to fall out or loosen. If we catch gum disease early, it decreases the chance of this happening.

3. Save Your Money. Regular visits help catch any potential problems before they turn into big, expensive issues. Taking advantage of preventive care appointments can help keep cash in your wallet by helping avoid big ticket procedures.

4. Kissably Fresh Breath. While your at-home routine does help to keep bad breath germs away, professional cleanings get deep into the pockets and remove germs and bacteria below the gum line.

5. Overall Health. There is a strong connection between your oral health and your overall health. A healthy mouth typically means a healthier body, and there’s no better way to ensure you’re in tip-top shape than with regular cleanings. Regular cleanings may help lower risk for heart disease and stroke, and we can detect many other whole-body problems early at regular dental appointments.

If you’re due for a checkup or cleaning, call my dental office in The Woodlands. We’ll get you scheduled for an exam and cleaning, and check your entire mouth for any problems or potential ones. As always, we’ll also recommend that you return to see us in about six months.

Welcoming patients from The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, and surrounding areas.

The Connection Between Heart and Mouth

Every February, we place a lof of focus on hearts. There’s heart candy, heart shaped boxes full of chocolate, and we’re all about making our significant others feel loved. At my dental office in The Woodlands, we like all the things that go along with spreading the love, especially the heart. This February, take a second to put your heart first and learn about the risks associated with heart disease and the heart-mouth connection.

February marks American Heart Month and is a time to learn the ways to keep your heart, mouth, and body healthy. While many know the typical risks involved with heart disease, like smoking, a poor diet, and lack of exercise, a little known correlation between heart health is oral health.

The Mouth-Heart Connection

One of the biggest mouth-heart connections is related to gum disease. In fact, research conducted by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) states that those with gum disease are at increased risk for a heart attack. Additionally, many systemic or whole body diseases first show signs in the mouth. Heart disease is one of them.

If you have known heart problems, it’s crucial to let us know about it as well as any medications you’re taking. As an important part of your complete health care team, we can work with you to improve your oral health and your overall health.

Signs of Gum Disease

Regular dental appointments with your dentist in The Woodlands are crucial to maintaining a healthy mouth and are the first line of defense when it comes to gum disease and, in turn, keeping your heart healthy, too. Some common symptoms of gum disease include:

• Swollen, red, or tender gums
• Bleeding while brushing or flossing
• Consistently bad breath
• Chronic bad taste in the mouth
• Loose teeth
• Gums that appear to be pulling away from the teeth

If you’re concerned about your risk for heart disease, or if any of the symptoms above relate to you, call my dental office in The Woodlands as soon as possible. We’ll work with you to determine your risks, diagnose any current issues, and put together an appropriate treatment plan to keep your mouth and your heart healthy.

Serving patients from The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, and surrounding areas.

Is Your Cough Medicine Making Your Teeth Sick?

Coughs, stuffiness, colds, and the flu are at their peak this time of year. While we all try our best to keep germs away by washing our hands, avoiding other sick people, and exercising, there are times when catching the bug is basically unavoidable. At my dental office in The Woodlands, our goal is to help keep our patients’ oral and overall health in tip-top shape, and we’d like to share some surprising information about some of the medicine that’s meant to make you feel better.

Cough remedies like suppressing syrups or soothing drops help to ease your discomfort, however they not only have the traditional side effects like dizziness and queasiness that go hand in hand with any medication, they can also contribute to tooth decay.

The ingredients in many popular over-the-counter medications have been proven to lead to tooth decay and cavities.

High Fructose Corn Syrup & Sucrose

This duo of sugars is particularly dangerous to teeth. When these ingredients enter the mouth, bacteria begin to feed on them. This causes the sugars to break down into acids which are dangerous to the tooth enamel.

Alcohol

Alcohol reduces saliva production and may cause a mouth to become dry. In a normal mouth, quite a bit of saliva is produced every day – about 10,000 gallons in a lifetime! This saliva is great for the health of teeth since it helps wash away the dangerous sugars and acids that can lead to cavities.

So should you just suffer through the annoying symptoms of a cold? Not necessarily. There are a few ways to decrease your risk of cough syrup induced tooth damage.

• Trying taking the medication as a pill instead of a liquid. This will greatly decrease or eliminate the duration of dangerous ingredients lingering on teeth.
• Don’t take cough syrup right before bed. Saliva production naturally decreases at night, and since cough medicine also decreases saliva production, there is much greater risk for decay.
• Take liquid medicine with a meal when saliva production is greater.
• Brush your teeth after a dose of cough suppressant.

From all of us at my The Woodlands dental office, we hope you’re having a healthy winter. However, if this cold and flu season isn’t so kind and you find yourself under the weather, be careful  of how and when you take cough medicine, and keep your teeth healthy in the process.

Serving patients from The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, and surrounding areas.

Dentistry of the Past… Way, Way Past

Dentistry of the past differs drastically from what you’ve become accustomed to at my dental office in The Woodlands. There are now a multitude of options available: comfortable routine cleanings, painless fillings, aesthetically enhancing cosmetic treatments, all to get and keep your smile healthy. However, while dentistry has been around since at least 7000 BC., the level of care was extremely different.

Back in the day, the link between oral and total body health was not yet recognized. Dental care only occurred when there was already a problem, not before. Because of the lack of scientific information available, many civilizations crafted urban legends to explain tooth pain and devised excruciating treatments.

Teeth Worms

In 5000 BC., the Sumerians believed teeth worms caused tooth pain. It was widely accepted that the worms bored tiny holes through teeth, thus causing the pain. Some primitive dentists mistook the actual tooth root for a worm and extracted it (talk about painful!). Belief in teeth worms lasted until the 1700s when it was proven untrue.

Drill Like an Egyptian

Egyptians learned a lot about the human body from their practice of mummification. They figured out where things were, and developed methods for how to heal various problems, including teeth and mouth problems. The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus provides a guide for minor dental work available to early Egyptians. The guide shows evidence of drilling cavities and pulling teeth.

The Birth of Modern Dentistry

It wasn’t until sometime between 1650 and 1800 that dentistry as we know it came to life. French physician Pierre Fauchard, often called The Father of Modern Dentistry, developed many of the dental treatments we now use. Dental filling rationale was his brainchild, he helped link sugar to tooth decay, and his work  justified opening the first dental college in 1840.

Although dentistry of the past is frightening, the dentistry we perform at my dental office in The Woodlands continues to improve and evolve with breakthroughs  in dental technology and treatment options. If you’re ready to experience dental care that’s designed to keep you comfortable, pain free, and healthy, give us a call today.

Accepting patients from The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, and surrounding areas.

Well… That’s Awkward – Handling Embarrassing Dental Moments with Ease

An important business lunch. A promising first date. Meeting your significant other’s parents for the first time at a fancy restaurant. There are plenty of times in our lives when we’re nervous about picking out just the right outfit, deciding what to say and what not to say, and when it’s really important to make sure you’re on your game. While we’re not really qualified to give you fashion direction or small-talk advice, all of us at my dental office in The Woodlands can help you quickly fix any awkward dental moment with ease.

Bad Breath

While bad breath may be hard to avoid after eating a garlic-loaded pasta dish, there are several ways to beat post-dinner bad breath. Some solutions do require a bit of preparation. Before you head out to the meal, stop and grab some sugarless gum. After you eat, pop a piece in your mouth and chew quietly to successfully curb any bad smells from lingering throughout the night. If no gum is available, drink water. Water has cleansing properties that can help remove the bad-smelling agents from your tongue. If your breath is less than fresh all the time, see your dentist in The Woodlands as it could be a sign of something serious.

Something’s Stuck in Your Teeth

It happens, and while there are several ways to successfully remove the pestering piece, not all of them are appropriate at the dinner table, and some can even end up causing damage to your teeth, gums, or mouth. Play it safe. If something’s stuck in your teeth, swish some water around in your mouth to try to loosen it, or chew a piece of sugarless gum to unstick the culprit. If the food is really wedged in there, it’s best to excuse yourself and head to the restroom. Floss is always the best choice, but if you don’t have it, you can use your fingers or try the corner of a folded paper towel. However, never ever use a tool that could cause damage. Avoid wires, pens, keys, tweezers, and bobby pins.

Occasionally, one of your dining partners may be victim of the wedged parsley stuck between the canines. If this occurs, you can help them avoid that crushing moment later, when they’re looking in the mirror, see the piece of food, and wonder how long it was there and why nobody mentioned it. Be a hero. Nonchalantly point to your own mouth which will instinctively tell your pal that something is stuck in his or her grin.  

No matter what the occasion, a little stop for sugarless gum, a habit of carrying floss, and a plan can go a long way toward avoiding what would be an awkward dental moment. With the right tools and tips, you’ll be an expert at easing the worry of dental faux pas.

Serving patients in The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, and surrounding communities.

The 12 Days of Cosmetic Dentistry

A smile can say a lot about a person, and if you’re not comfortable with yours, it can inhibit self confidence. If you’re someone who’s more likely to hide your smile in the upcoming holiday photos, my dental office in The Woodlands has some great news for you.

Cosmetic dentistry isn’t just for the rich and famous. In fact, many procedures we perform every day fall under the category of cosmetic dentistry. This holiday season, we wanted to celebrate 12 days of some of the most popular smile-changing treatments. Ask your dentist in The Woodlands which ones are appropriate for you!

Day 1: Smile whitening for simple, quick, effective brightening. This year, make your pearly whites brighter and banish stains from all the red wine you had at the office holiday party.

Day 2: Tooth-colored fillings because it’s so easy to eat too many candy canes!

Day 3: Dental implants. You don’t need to ask Santa for your two front teeth. Just ask us!

Day 4: Porcelain veneers to make your teeth look better than your Christmas tree or Menorah or your Festivus sweater!

Day 5: Fixed bridges. Make up with your Uncle Lenny or fix the gap between two molars for the holidays. We pick molars.

Day 6: Porcelain crowns. You don’t need to be King Wenceslas to wear a crown!

Day 7: Dental bonding is even better than family bonding! We’ll make your teeth so beautiful, you’ll be the envy of the holiday party.

Day 8: Tooth Recontouring. Smooth the shape of your teeth. It’s like the gym for your smile!

Day 9: Traditional orthodontics. Get your teeth lined up nice and straight like toy soldiers.

Day 10: Clear orthodontics to reduce the chance of a dangerous, metal-locked kiss under the mistletoe.

Day 11: A complete smile makeover so at least you can be confident about your smile even if you aren’t about your outfit for the office holiday party.

Day 12: Dentures. With these chompers, you can eat all the fruitcake you’d like without the worry of cavities!

With the holiday season well upon us, there’s never been a better time to reward yourself with the gift of a new smile. At my dental office in The Woodlands, we’d love to talk to you about your smile goals and recommend the best cosmetic dentistry treatment for you.

Serving patients in The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, and surrounding areas.