Before traveling across the country or overseas, people spend a lot of time planning. They book plane tickets and hotel rooms. They purchase maps and guide books and plan what sites they will visit. They buy new outfits for the trip and make a long list of everything they need to pack. They take their medications and a bag full of toiletries. If they’re going overseas, they probably purchased a converter for their hair dryer. They do all these things to be fully prepared, but often they forget about their dental health. Our Dallas cosmetic dentists recommend planning ahead to prevent dental emergencies while traveling.

Good Dental Habits

You can prevent many dental health problems just by taking good care of your teeth. Brushing and flossing regularly will prevent many oral health problems from ever arising. You should also be in the habit of regularly visiting our dentists Dallas for cleanings and oral exams. These good dental habits will help your teeth to be in optimum shape before you travel.

Plan Your Procedures

If you have to have a major dental procedure done, make sure you schedule it at least two to four weeks before you travel. You want to make sure that there are no problems or side effects from your procedure before you leave the area. Also, changes in air pressure can cause pain in recent dental work, so flying soon after a procedure is not a good idea.

Just in Case Plans

Hopefully you won’t have any dental health problems while you are vacationing and away from our Dallas cosmetic dentists, but you should always be prepared just in case. Most people pack a first aid kit when they travel, so you should pack a dental emergency kit as well. These kits can be purchased almost anywhere that sells first aid kits. These kits will give you the materials that you need in case of a toothache or other dental health problem while you are away from your dentist. If you are going to be traveling for an extended period of time, it is a good idea to go ahead and find a dentist in that area, so you know where to go if you have oral health problems.

Watch the Water

Many locations around the world have tap water that is not safe for tourists to drink. If you are traveling to one of these locations, you will probably be extra cautious and purchase drinking water. Make sure you use this water to brush your teeth with as well. You could also use hydrogen peroxide to sterilize your toothbrush.

Nothing ruins a good vacation like not feeling well. But if you plan ahead to avoid a toothache and other dental problems while traveling, you won’t have to worry about your oral health ruining your vacation.

Preventing Gum Disease

A healthy gum line is pink with no pockets in between the teeth and gums. Our Plano, Frisco and Dallas dentists agree that in order to keep your gums healthy and strong, you’ll want to add the following activities to your routine:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day, preferably when you get up in the morning and before going to bed at night. Actually, it’s ideal to brush after every meal if you have access to a sink. It’s a good idea to use toothpaste that contains fluoride.
• Floss your teeth at least once a day to remove plaque from between your teeth.
• Rinse your mouth with bacteria-eliminating mouthwash after you brush. Believe it or not, there are a number of germs left in your mouth after brushing!
• Avoid sugary foods. Sugar feeds the bacteria that live in your mouth causing them to produce more acid, which puts you at a higher risk for cavities.
• Schedule a dentist appointment at least two times a year. Our Plano dentists will thoroughly clean your teeth. They’ll also check for dental problems such as cavities and gum disease.

Diagnosing Gum Disease

There are two main types of gum disease: Gingivitis and Periodontitis.

• Gingivitis causes your gums to become red and swollen. They will often bleed during routine brushing and flossing. Since pain is not a common symptom associated with Gingivitis, many patients fail to get the treatment they need unless their dentist picks up on the symptoms during a routine dental exam.
• Periodontitis results when Gingivitis goes untreated. The most common symptom of this more advanced disease is gums that pull away or shrink back from the teeth. Bacteria can easily grow in these cracks and damage the bone below the gums. The loosened gum line can cause teeth to fall out, or the bacteria may cause infection, which will require your teeth to be pulled out by your dentist.

Treating Gum Disease

Once the dentist has diagnosed you with either Gingivitis or Periodontitis, it’s time to work on a treatment plan! Two treatment plans that don’t involve surgery include:

• A thorough and professional dental cleaning, which is done by our dental hygienist each time you have your teeth checked, preferably twice a year. The process includes scraping away plaque and tartar buildup in addition to a thorough brushing. If you have a history of gum disease, we may recommend more frequent visits to have your teeth professionally cleaned.
• Scaling and root planing is a second option that is common if the patient has plaque and tartar buildup underneath the gum line. The buildup underneath the gum line is scraped away and the tooth’s root is made smooth which allows the gum to reattach itself.

If our dentist feels that the disease has moved beyond the point of these nonsurgical solutions, he/she may recommend flap surgery (also called pocket reduction surgery), bone grafts, soft tissue grafts, guided tissue regeneration, or bone surgery to be performed by a cosmetic dentist.

Most of us agree that the very best option is to avoid gum disease altogether! Keep up with your brushing, flossing, and rinsing to ensure a healthy mouthful of teeth and pink gums. Also be sure to see your dentist for a thorough cleaning at least twice a year.

What is a Dental Implant?

Dental Implants are basically artificial tooth roots. Artificial tooth roots are placed into the jaw bones and are eventually attached to an artificial tooth. Once placed, the implants take a short time to heal and integrate with the jaw. After the healing process, an artificial top—known as a crown—is placed onto the implant as well as bridges and other attachments for partial dentures can be placed if needed.

Getting dental implants have helped patients prevent gum recession as well as bone loss that is unsightly and common with missing teeth and dentures. Perhaps you have already completed the implant process by your cosmetic dentist Dallas, or your cosmetic dentist Plano, TX. Then what you need to know is how to integrate routine, proper care for your dental implants.

Clean and Care of Dental Implants

Our Dallas dentists and Plano dentists recommend some cleaning techniques that will lengthen and improve the life of your dental implants. With routine care—just like with your natural teeth—you should not need any long-term specialized care to keep your implants looking good!

You need to be just as conscientious about keeping your smile dazzling as if you are caring for your natural teeth—this will make sure your dental implants last a long time. Our Dallas cosmetic dentists and Frisco dentists can help you determine the best care for your dental implants. Excellent home care, which includes brushing and flossing should be the same as your normal dental care. Periodic check-up visits should be scheduled with our Dallas cosmetic dentists to monitor your implants, gums and natural teeth to make sure they are healthy. Here are some good dental implant hygiene tips:

• Brush, brush, brush! Just like your natural teeth, you should also brush your implants after every meal
• Flossing around your implants is crucial to maintaining good dental implant health
• Although you can eat almost any food—you may want to use care with particularly sticky candies and foods
• Avoid chewing hard objects, such as ice, or mindlessly chewing on things like ink pens, etc
• Employ the use of special brushes that are designed to clean behind and below the dental implant tooth(teeth)
• Good Care is a Must for Long-lasting Dental Implants

Even with the best of modern techniques in dental care, many people suffer from tooth loss. With the advent of dental implants you’re given more options than just bridges and dentures. In addition to improving your appearance and possibly your speech, dental implants by Dallas, Frisco, or Plano dentists also provide the opportunity for improved overall oral health, comfort and eating.

Remember most people will not even realize that you have implants. Proper care for your dental implants will ensure that your artificial teeth look like beautiful natural teeth for as long as possible.

Risk Factors for Oral Cancer

Avoiding risk factors and taking protective measures may help prevent oral cancer. Read on to learn about some of the most dangerous risk factors for oral cancer and steps to prevent this from happening to you.

Risk Factor #1

Tobacco use is still the leading risk factor in causing oral cancer. If you are using tobacco, you must make this known to your dentist. Our Dallas, TX dentists are strongly encouraging their patients to cease using tobacco in any form.

All forms of tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, as well as smokeless tobaccos such as chewing tobacco and “snuff” are strongly linked to oral cancer. Of course Dallas teeth whitening business is booming because of the unsightly stains that smoking cigarettes can cause, but now we know that tobacco use is also likely to cause oral cancer in the floor of the mouth, as well as in the oral cavity and oropharnyx and on the lips.

But not only does tobacco use cause primary oral cancer, our Dallas, Plano and Frisco dentist can discuss with you—from clinical trials—that secondary cancers are being developed in the nearby areas to the primary cancer. These areas include: the nose, throat, vocal cords, esophagus, and windpipe.

Prevention

Results from clinical trials have proven that when a person stops smoking cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, the risk of oral cancer decreases by one-half within five years! That’s a 50% decrease in these types of cancers! Within ten years of quitting, the risk of developing oral cancer is the same as for an individual who never used tobacco! Our Dallas and Plano dentists can assist you in finding a smoking cessation program that is right for you.

Risk Factor #2

The use of alcohol is also a major risk factor for oral cancer. Alcoholic drinks increase the risk of leukoplakia—which is an abnormal white patch of cells, as well as eyrthroplakia—an abnormal red patch of cells. Both of these lesions on the mucous membranes may become cancerous.

Of course, you double your risk if you use both alcohol and tobacco together.

Prevention

As of yet, there are no clinical trials demonstrating a decrease in the risk of oral cancers when a person stops drinking alcohol. But if you feel you may be at risk for oral cancer, remember Mother’s advice—if it’s doubtful—don’t do it!

Other Risk Factors

Other risk factors for oral cancer your our Plano dentists want you to be aware of include excessive sun exposure, and risks from HPV infection. We will be happy to discuss any of these risks and preventative measures further.

Of course, being aware of the risks of oral cancer is important. But acting on them is so much more important—just ask your dentist! Our Dallas, Texas dentists are ready to help you in your oral cancer prevention strategy today!

What Are Bloodbourne Diseases?

These diseases are transmitted by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of someone who has the disease. Examples of this kind of diseases are AIDS (HIV), Type B and Type C Hepatitis (HBV and HCV) as well as some others. It is possible for both patients and doctors to have these diseases. It is just as important for medical practitioners to keep from getting the disease from their patients as it is for infected practitioners to prevent passing on their disease to patients. We employ proper care that will also prevent patients from getting the disease from another patient through the use of infected equipment.

How is Disease Transmission Prevented?

In the our Plano dentist’s office, transmission of infectious diseases is prevented by routine hand washing, the use of protective barriers like gloves and face shields, and care in the use and proper disposal of tools and needles. These practices protect both patients and the practitioners. Not every patient that has a bloodbourne disease tells that information to his or her dentist, so the dentist and the staff have to act as if every patient may be infected. These infection control measures have been shown to be very effective in preventing transmission of bloodbourne diseases.

What are the Statistics?

Since the start of the use of these standard infection control precautions there have been no documented cases of HIV transmission from a dentist to his patient, a patient to his dentist, or patients to each other through dental treatment.

What Does This Mean For You?

It is safe for you to continue with your oral health routine without fear of passing on or getting a bloodbourne disease like AIDS or Hepatitis. You should get a thorough cleaning every six months and a regular checkup with x-rays every year. If you would like to improve your looks, it is also very safe for you to pursue cosmetic dentistry. Our Dallas dentists can make your smile even more beautiful. Our Dallas teeth whitening services can get your teeth sparkling white again. Don’t neglect your oral health, brush and floss regularly, and find a dentist that you trust to help you keep your teeth healthy. If you have a bloodbourne disease, make sure to disclose that information to your dentist so that he/she can treat any oral health aspects of your condition.

Acids

Acidic liquids can be incredibly damaging to your teeth. Many parents try to keep their children from drinking too much apple juice and soda, which can eat away at their enamel, but most adults don’t even think about it. Our Dallas cosmetic dentists also recommend avoiding white wine, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices and vinegar, which can also damage tooth enamel. As your tooth enamel wears away, the yellowing process becomes even more apparent, so it is important to keep your tooth enamel strong. Damaging your enamel can also make your teeth sensitive to foods that are very hot or cold or even sweet.

Yellowing

What you drink has a big impact on the whiteness of your teeth. Ask your Dallas cosmetic dentists, and they’ll tell you that dark sodas, red wine, tea, and coffee can stain your teeth, especially if you drink more than two cups a day. Red meat that is cooked rare can also stain your teeth. In order to prevent yellowing, try to eat lighter colored foods and drink your coffee or soda through a straw. This gets the liquid past your teeth, so they won’t be discolored over time.

Cavities

Your Dallas cosmetic dentist also might warn you about sugary foods, which can cause cavities. Some of the worst offenders are foods you might not even think of like breath mints and cough drops, because people suck on them instead of chewing and swallowing. People often consume a great number of these without thinking of the amount of sugar they are putting in their mouths.

Brushing your teeth a dozen times a day won’t help if you are eating foods that are literally destroying your teeth. Cutting back on these types of foods will make a dramatic difference in your oral health. When you avoid foods that destroy your teeth, you might not even need our Dallas teeth whitening services to give you the beautiful smile that you’ve always wanted.

Healthy Teeth

You don’t have to cut out all your favorite foods to have healthy teeth. It’s just like having a healthy body. You have to learn to control your appetite for foods that will damage your teeth. If you eat unhealthy foods in moderation and focus on eating vegetables and fruits and other foods that are good for your body, your teeth will be healthy too.

Visit our Dallas, Plano, or Frisco dentists to get more advice about protecting your teeth from destructive foods. You don’t have to buy all the expensive oral hygiene products on the market to have beautiful, healthy teeth. You just have to care for them properly and make sure that you aren’t damaging them by what you eat.

Myth #1: The Primary Culprit of Cavities is Sugar

This statement is partially true since bacteria feeds on sugar. Technically, acid is the primary culprit of cavities. Bacteria produce acid, and bacteria feed on sugar and other carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, bread, fruits and vegetables.

Once that bacteria has nestled itself in a secure little hole, safe from toothbrushes and floss, you have a cavity. Every time you eat carbs, the bacteria produce more acid, which burrows deeper inside your tooth.

Now, what’s worse: A large dose of carbs in the form of bread and chips at lunch or a large dose of carbs in the form of sugary drinks throughout the day? You’ve got it! The sugary drinks throughout the day are much worse. Why? The bacteria have a continual feast of carbohydrates, so they are constantly endangering tooth enamel by producing acid.

Myth #2: You’ll know for Sure if You Have a Cavity

Not necessarily. Our Dallas dentists will note that pain doesn’t start until the cavity reaches the nerve deep down in your tooth. By that point you may need an expensive root canal procedure performed by one of our Dallas cosmetic dentists to solve the problem. This is the very reason why your dentist wants to see you at least twice a year. Catching that cavity while it’s small and painless is definitely best!

Myth #3: Kids Tend to Get Cavities More Often than Adults

Actually, the opposite is true. With the help of tooth sealants, fluoridated water, and preventative pediatric dental care, incidents of tooth decay in school-aged children have drastically reduced.

While the number of cavities in children’s teeth has become less, the number of cavities in senior citizen’s teeth has actually grown. There are a number of reasons for this, but one of the biggest is the fact that their medications often dry out the mouth, causing it to produce less saliva. Saliva is a key defense against tooth decay since it neutralizes acids, disinfects by washing away bacteria, and prevents food from sticking to your teeth.

Myth #4: Don’t Worry About Cavities in Baby Teeth

It’s true that your child will lose all those baby teeth as adult teeth replace them, but cavities in baby teeth can still cause serious pain and infection if they’re left untreated. When you first suspect a cavity, your child should be in the office right away to see a dentist.

Myth #5: Cavities can be caused by Clenching and Grinding Teeth

In a roundabout way this myth is true. The clenching and grinding themselves don’t cause cavities, but they do weaken tooth enamel. In severe cases clenching and grinding teeth cause fractures and cracks in the enamel. These holes then become prime real estate for bacteria and quickly develop into cavities. If you know or suspect that you clench or grind your teeth, let us know. Our Plano, Dallas and Frisco dentists can offer solutions so that your teeth don’t become compromised.

Remember, the keys to good tooth care are no secret: brush your teeth regularly, floss regularly, eat a balanced diet, and see a dentist regularly!

On TV shows featuring dental makeovers, people endure extreme dental work to achieve a beautiful smile. In real life, however, we find that most patients are looking for simple ways to enhance their smile. This demand has reintroduced porcelain veneers with no or minimal tooth structure removal, called “No Prep” veneers.

Are You A Candidate For Veneers Without Any Removal Of Tooth Structure?

When No Prep veneers first became popular in the 1980s, they were an improvement over crowns and caps. Applying these veneers was even a reversible procedure. Unfortunately, these early veneers were very thick so patients wearing them often had a bucktooth appearance. These veneers were also yellowed to match the color of natural teeth and whiter shades were not available. Naturally, patient and dentist interest in No Prep veneers waned.

Are You A Candidate For Veneers Without Any Removal Of Tooth Structure?

Fortunately, porcelain technology has improved over the years. These days, veneers are thinner, more durable, and dazzlingly white. That’s why patients who want the most conservative and best esthetic treatment possible and dentists who want to accommodate them are turning to No Prep veneers, such as Cerinate Lumieer veneers, to change the appearance of their smiles.

Are You A Candidate For Veneers Without Any Removal Of Tooth Structure?

Who are the best candidates for No Prep veneers? They’re anyone who has a naturally slim smile or had orthodontic treatment that narrowed their smile. They’re patients who want to whiten their smile but have sensitive or bleach-resistant teeth. Or it could be anyone who just wants to change the appearance of their smile. If you’re curious about No Prep porcelain veneers, talk to Dr. Borowski. You owe it to yourself to find out if No Prep Veneers will work for you!