05 Oct
Dental Cleanings, General Dentistry, Wadesboro Dentist, Wadesboro General Dentist

Kick Bad Breathe to the Curb with These 5 Easy Solutions

Do you have a stinky breathe? 

The mouth is the area in the body that gathers the most refuse. It is, after all, the part that we use for ingesting food, and as a result germs can accumulate here if proper care is not taken. When that happens, the mouth can give off a bad odor. Human beings are, after all, “hard wired” to respond adversely to the smell of an unhealthy body part so that they can remedy the situation. Here are five dental hygiene tips to keep the mouth healthy and smelling pleasant. Our Wadesboro general dentist will also discuss oral hygiene, cosmetic dentistry, and other solutions to rid your mouth of bad breath.

Tip #1: Brush and floss your teeth regularly.

The importance of brushing at least twice a day is, of course, one of the first things that a child learns. The brush should be replaced at least every two months; one that is too old will be too hard on the teeth.

In many ways, flossing is more important than brushing in maintaining a healthy mouth. Food particles can get trapped between the teeth, where a toothbrush cannot get. It is the buildup of tartar from such particles that causes gingivitis. Trench mouth, a painful gum infection in which the mouth has an extremely bad odor, may also result.

Tip #2: Brush your tongue.

Many people do not realize this, but brushing the tongue is an essential part of brushing your teeth. Germs that can cause halitosis and tooth decay are ever-present here, and this stuff can stink very badly. The American Dental Association recommends using a tongue scraper rather than a toothbrush for the purpose.

Tip #3: Do not smoke or chew tobacco.

Tobacco is one of the worst things for your gums.

Tip #4: Chew sugar-free gum.

This is a good thing to do if you are in a situation where you cannot brush or floss. As it presses against the teeth, it absorbs some of the buildup of food residue.

Tip #5: Visit your dentist regularly.

The last of our dental hygiene tips is naturally the regular dental checkup. You should have two of these annually.

A general dentist can help spruce up your mouth so that it both looks and smells attractive to others. Our Wadesboro cosmetic dentist can do porcelain veneers and teeth whitening in addition to general dental work.

11 Jun
Anson County Family Dentistry, Dental Exams, General Dentistry, Wadesboro Family Dentist

Our Wadesboro NC Dentist Explains the Importance of Annual Dental Checkups

Top Rated Wadesboro NC Dentist

Getting an annual dental checkup is as important as finding a top rated dentist in Wadesboro NC. Herein lies the biggest misconception. Just because a person is looking for a top rated dentist in Wadesboro NC, doesn’t mean that dentist will provide the best care. Finding the right dentist and dental care is not just about finding the best Wadesboro NC family dentist. Finding the best dental care consists of knowing a few things first.

What Makes Our Wadesboro Family Dentist Stand Out?

1) A good family dentist will offer annual dental exams. Having annual dental exams are important. It’s not enough to brush and floss twice day. That part is important, but not all important. The rest lies in the care that the family dentist provides. Dental exams can give all parties involved an overview of what is going on.

2) Another reason for having checkups is a person avoids having future problems with their teeth.. When a person goes in to have a checkup, the dentist can see if there are any issues. If there are, he or she will know how to tackle them the best.

3)If a person waits too long, it could prove detrimental to their mouth and pocket book. This is especially true with the really big treatments.

4) It shows the person knows how to take care of themselves. Those who take proper care of their teeth and gums, will always look attractive and appealing to others. The person will also feel more confident about who they are inside. A persons’ smile can tell a lot about who they are. By skipping this step, a person winds up not feeling to good about themselves.

5) Having regular checkups reduce the chance of gum disease. It’s not just about making sure the teeth are pretty and attractive. One must also look at their gum tissue. Are the gums starting to bleed a little bit? This could be a sign that the person is not taking proper care of their mouth. That is why having annual checkups are so important.

04 May
Cavity Fillings, General Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry, Wadesboro Dentist

Tooth-Colored Fillings vs. Silver Fillings: Which Should I Choose? Ask a Wadesboro Dentist

So you have a tooth that has a cavity and needs a filling. Now what?

Most people know that the two most common options are tooth colored fillings (called composite fillings) and silver fillings (called amalgam fillings).  And most people would agree that the composite fillings are much more aesthetically pleasing than the amalgam fillings.  Some patients prefer not to have amalgam fillings because they contain mercury.  However, it is important to note that ongoing scientific studies conducted over the past 100 years continue to show that amalgam fillings are not harmful.  Sometimes the aesthetic outcome is reason enough to choose a tooth colored filling, especially when the tooth is one that is visible when the patient smiles.

But there are other important reasons that most Wadesboro Dentists these days are choosing to use tooth colored composite fillings rather than amalgam.  And these reasons have to do with the major difference in the way they are placed in the mouth.

Composite fillings are resin-based and are chemically bonded to the tooth.  Amalgams are not.  They are held in place due to a physical retention.  This means that after the dentist removes the decay, he also has to remove additional healthy tooth structure in order to create the proper undercuts and retention grooves to hold the amalgam in place.  This process leaves less remaining tooth structure.

The good thing is that amalgams usually lasts for a really long time.  The bad news is that when they do wear out, they tend to cause larger problems because there is less tooth structure remaining to work with. That is why it is common for a very large amalgam to be replaced with a crown.

If a tooth has a composite filling, the dentist is able to be very conservative in how much tooth structure

he/she removes other than the decay.  This could mean that years later when the composite filling eventually wears out, hopefully another larger composite filling can be placed, rather than a crown.

Another common issue is that teeth with old amalgams tend to develop more cracks.  Because the amalgam filling is not bonded to the tooth, the enamel surrounding the filling is unsupported.  Over time, that unsupported tooth structure microscopically flexes when stress is placed on the tooth.  Years of this flexing can cause cracks to form. These cracks can lead to more extensive (and expensive) treatment, such as a crown,  a root canal, or even loss of the tooth depending on the severity of the fracture.

Whether you have composite or amalgam fillings it is important to maintain your regular cleaning and check-up appointments with your Wadesboro dentist. He/she can keep you informed about the condition of your fillings. That way when one does wear out (and they will, because unfortunately no dental work lasts forever), you can be pro-active, which typically leads to a less expensive and more conservative outcome.