What’s the Deal with Oil Pulling?
Social media has a way of turning something obscure into something widespread. This is a new and different way of life giving us access to all sorts of information we would have never known before! We’re also learning to be skeptics who don’t trust everything we read online, which is a good skill to have! Health news, in particular, has a way of making the rounds because we all want to improve our health whenever possible. One of the latest dental health trends floating around social media is oil pulling. Chances are pretty good that you know someone who is doing it, so we’ll give you the basics on this new fad.
Oil pulling is a centuries old practice that began in Asia. It was a folk tradition that people claimed would cure numerous ailments. Oral health was especially improved by oil pulling, with pullers claiming that they had less decay, fewer cavities, and whiter teeth. Fast forward to modern society where oil pullers are making the same claims! The practice is to take a tablespoon of edible oil (sunflower, coconut, olive, sesame, etc) and move it through your mouth. Using your tongue and cheeks, you would “pull” the oil through the spaces between your teeth to remove bacteria.
So, Does it Work?
As with all internet fads, you will find people who say oil pulling changed their life, and you’ll also find people saying it was a complete flop. We turn to the American Dental Association (ADA), who studies things like this. The ADA found no reliable research to support the claims of oil pullers. They recommend maintaining your regular oral hygiene routine of brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and visiting the dentist once every six months.
Sometimes internet fads surprise us in their success, and oil pulling may still do the same, but for now, we recommend sticking with the ADA. Keep brushing, flossing, and getting regular cleanings! Contact us today to set up an appointment, and let us know what your experience with oil pulling has been! We’d love to hear it!
How Dental Implants Can Work to Your Advantage
Below are some of the ways on how dental implants can work to your advantage:• They don’t make your teeth susceptible to decay. Your dentist doesn’t need to reshape your teeth to give you dental implants, making it highly unlikely for those teeth to become decayed.
• They allow you to eat and speak without any difficulty. Dental implants make it possible for your artificial teeth to stay firmly in place, granting you the privilege to easily consume your food and pronounce your words.
• They can be maintained just like your natural teeth. You don’t have to do anything special to maintain dental implants. You just have to stick to good oral habits, refrain from smoking, and receive the necessary dental treatment.
• They prevent you from prematurely losing your youthful appearance. Dental implants help stimulate your jawbone, keeping it from shrinking. As a result, you have no chance of suffering from premature aging.
• They enable you to save plenty of money. Dental implants don’t need to be replaced, enabling you to save plenty of money in the long run.
To learn more about dental implants, you may schedule an appointment with Plano dentist, Dr. John Hucklebridge, by contact us
Dental Fillings for Decayed Teeth
Excessive consumption of soft drinks and other sugary beverages can increase the risk of cavities. Tooth pain caused by cavities results in missed schools and work hours. To prevent further damage and avoid the disturbance from your daily tasks, come to Plano Smile Studio clinic and get treatment for your teeth.
Fillings
Dr. John M. Hucklebridge will restore the normal function and shape of your pearly whites with dental fillings. It is used to treat tooth decay, repair minimal fractures, and fix other damaged surfaces of the teeth. Fillings can lessen the bacteria in your mouth, extend the life of your teeth, and avoid unnecessary dental work in the future.
Types
Fillings can be made from gold, silver, or tooth-colored composites. Your dentist usually recommends tooth-colored fillings because of their impressive qualities. The shade of composite resins blends well with the color of your existing teeth. It’s best applied in the visible parts of your teeth. This type of fillings sticks easily to tooth structure, providing strong support. Less tooth structure is also removed during preparation, allowing you to save your healthy tooth.
Procedure
Do you want to know if this is right for you? First, you need to undergo a full examination of your teeth and gums. Your Plano TX dentist will examine your teeth using dental probe and caries detecting solution. You may also be asked to take X-rays.
Once he determines that this is the best option for you, he’ll numb the target area to make you comfortable during the procedure. Using a dental hand-piece or laser, he’ll remove the decay and clean the area. After this, he’ll apply the material in layers and harden it using a special light. He’ll make some final touches and polish the material. You’ll be given instructions on how to maintain your teeth.
Restore your decayed or damaged teeth with tooth-colored fillings. Make an appointment with your Plano dentist by calling us.
Patients with Dental Anxiety
It is very common for dental practices to receive patients who deal with varying degrees of dental anxiety. Dental anxiety affects a good size of the population, from children to grown men and women. It is a feeling of dread one experiences when faced with the prospect of seeing the dentist. This feeling may also be accompanied by physical sensations like excessive sweating, a quickened heart rate and an upset stomach. It often happens when people anticipate pain or if they have had a negative past experience with dentist that they do not want to go through again.
Dental anxiety dissuades people from seeking timely and adequate treatment when symptoms of dental problems arise. They would rather endure these symptoms rather than go to the dentist and overcome their anxiety. Those who manage to bring themselves to a dental office may be difficult for dentists to handle.
There are a number of ways through which patients can overcome dental anxiety so that dentists can conduct procedures quickly and more efficiently.
Sedation dentistry is a service wherein your Plano dentist administers a sedative on patients with anxiety. This involves a safe but effective dose of Diazepam or valium which helps the patient calm down for the procedure. This is non-addictive and the effects of the drug wear off within an hour or so after the procedure.
Plano Smile Studio also offers a relaxing ambience for patients who suffer from anxiety. The dental office has a spa-like ambience with Zen interior design, mood music and dim lighting. This makes patients feel like they are in a resort and not a clinic, which takes away some of the anxiety. For inquiries, contact us.
Dental Implant: The Restoration with Longevity
The last thing anyone wants is to lose a natural tooth as an adult. Children might look forward to the day when their teeth begin to come out, but adults don’t get money under their pillows. If an adult loses a tooth, it generally leads to a cash flow problem as you try to restore that tooth. Finding a dental restoration is easy, finding out that will last isn’t so easy. At Plano Smile Studio, we have the ability to restore your missing tooth with a restoration that could very well last you until the end of your life! A dental implant is a restoration with serious longevity!!
The process itself is pretty cut and dry. Through an oral surgery procedure, we will insert a titanium post into your jawbone as if it was the tooth root. Your bone will accept that titanium and integrate the implant into the bone structure, creating a lasting impression while also preserving the bone structure of your jaw. We can then place a crown on the top of the implant to complete your dental restoration. You will be able to chew, speak, and smile confidently!
Why Do I Need a Restoration?
You might be wondering why you would need to restore a missing tooth in the first place. A missing tooth can be very detrimental to the rest of your smile. Your teeth could shift, creating misalignment and possibly issues with bruxism. You will definitely feel uncomfortable while you are speaking and chewing, even if the missing tooth isn’t visible to anyone else. One missing tooth can cause problems for the rest of your teeth, so it’s important to take care to the issue as soon as possible.
When you make the decision to restore your missing tooth, go with the best available to you! Come to Plano Smile Studio to get a dental implant that will last! Contact us today to set up your appointment, and let us know how we can help you get the smile of your dreams!
Sedation Dentistry Helps Busy Patients
We often make the mistake of limiting sedation dentistry to patients who are afraid. While sedation does a lot for these patients, it has many other purposes as well. Another type of patient who greatly benefits from sedation is the patient who is extremely busy. The patient who barely has time to make one appointment, let alone two or three. Here’s how that works.
Before sedation became a part of dental offices, all dentists had to work with a numbing agent. Now, numbing is very helpful, but even though the patient couldn’t feel the work, the patient could see, hear, smell, and experience the work. Regular breaks were needed, and often patients couldn’t sit in the chair for much more than an hour at a time because the stress was just too much. Complex procedures were broken into several shorter appointments, making dental work even more complicated for busy patients.
Sedation Eases Things
Sedation dentistry makes those long, complex procedures much easier on everyone involved. The patient can often nap while we work, and we don’t have to stop for breaks, or put things on hold until another day. We can work through the entire procedure much faster than before with oral dental sedation. A busy patient would only have to find time for one appointment, not four, which makes life a little bit easier.
Good dental work should flow as a part of your life, not as a hassle. Contact us today to learn more about sedation. Find out how sedation might benefit you, even if you aren’t afraid of the dental office. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Three Ways to Prepare For Oral Surgery
For any major dental work, you will want to help yourself prepare. There’s no reason to walk into your procedure with fear and questions about what will happen, because we can take care of all of that long before the actual event. Take a look at a few things we recommend each of our patients do. These three things allow you to feel more comfortable before jumping into something like oral surgery.
Ask Questions
The first way to prepare yourself for oral surgery is to ask as many questions as you want. The only way to get the information you need is to ask for it! Ask us to go through the procedure with you, and stop us whenever you would like more detail. Knowledge can make this experience much less frightening.
Investigate Sedation
If you are very anxious about your procedure, we suggest that you look into sedation. We offer oral sedation that you can actually take before you even come into the office so that by the time you get here, you are feeling much more relaxed and able to handle the situation.
Follow Directions
Before any form of oral surgery, we will give you instructions about when to stop eating and drinking, etc. It is extremely important that you follow our instructions completely. These instructions are meant to keep your safe and ensure that your surgery goes smoothly. If you have questions about your instructions, ask ahead of time!
Your oral surgery is nothing to fear. With the right measures taken ahead of time, you feel completely confident as you walk into our office. Contact us today to learn more about how we handle oral surgery in the office. We would love to discuss it with you soon!
