October 17, 2012
How Sugar Affects Your Smile
Halloween is almost here. That means another night of trick-or-treating is almost here too. Typically, we think of Halloween and trick-or-treating as just a kid’s thing, but we shouldn’t lie—we adults like to sneak a piece (or two or three) of candy when we can.
And of course, our team doesn’t want to discourage that. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a piece of candy from time to time. But too much is bad for your health and your smile.
So instead of preaching against candy, we just want to spend some time briefly describing how sugar affects your smile. That way you can make informed decision this Halloween that are right for you and your children.
How Does Sugar Cause Cavities?
Despite what you might think, sugar itself doesn’t cause cavities. What it does, though, is create just the right environment for them to flourish.
When you eat or drink something high in sugar, a special type of bacteria in our mouths breaks down that sugar, converting it to acid. It’s this acid that’s responsible for damaging sensitive tooth enamel and causing what we know of as tooth decay and cavities.
Not all sweeteners are bad for your teeth, though. Xylitol is a natural sweetener found in fruits and vegetables. It has far fewer calories than traditional sugar, and instead of creating an acidic environment when broken down, it promotes a healthy pH that benefits teeth and gums. That’s why xylitol is often used in natural toothpastes and mouthwashes.
Enjoy Your Halloween
With all that said, we hope you and your family have a safe, fun-filled Halloween. Don’t worry about enjoying your favorite candy, but don’t overindulge either. Brush and floss after enjoying your treats, and give your smile extra support with a fluoride mouthwash. You can also substitute your standard Halloween treats with ones sweetened with xylitol.
And if it’s been more than six month since your last visit, call Grand Dental in El Reno. Regular exams and cleanings from our team are an important part of building a strong, healthy smile.
September 20, 2012
Conquer the Daily Grind with a Nightguard
As we said in our last post, a new school year is here, which brings to mind a familiar saying—back to the daily grind. That’s what the shift from summer vacation to the new fall semester can feel like for teachers, students, and parents.
But there’s another kind of daily grind we’d like to talk about today. This kind doesn’t have anything to do busy schedules, but it does share a connection with stress.
Bruxism is a serious condition involving the unconscious grinding of teeth. It’s often triggered by stress, with many patients who struggle with bruxism doing most of their grinding and clenching while they’re asleep rather than when they’re awake.
So why is this something to be concerned about? Because all that pressure and motion can, over time, cause your teeth and the muscles and tissues around your jaw to become injured.
There’s good news, though. You don’t have to just live with bruxism; you can treat it with a nightguard! Using a nightguard from Grand Dental in El Reno, you can sleep through the night without grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw. As a result, your oral health will be preserved and your symptoms will disappear.
Symptoms of bruxism include:
- Sore jaw
- Headaches
- Earaches
- TMJ dysfunction
If you think you might be struggling with bruxism, our doctors in El Reno would love to help. Call Grand Dental in El Reno today to reserve a visit. With a nightguard, we can help you eliminate uncomfortable systems to enjoy healthier teeth and gums.
August 22, 2012
Don’t Forget to Schedule a Back-to-School Visit for Your Child
With school starting over the next few weeks across both Oklahoma and the rest of the country, now is when parents will be scrambling to buy new clothes, school supplies, backpacks, and more for their child. Something very important can get lost in all that activity, though—a back-to-school dental visit, complete with a professional cleaning.
But right now is actually the best time to schedule such a visit with Grand Dental in El Reno.
Why?
Because it can be much harder to find the time when school finally ramps up. Later on, homework, school projects, and extracurricular activities like sports or theater will all be competing for your and your child’s time. By scheduling your child or teenager’s back-to-school dental visit now, it’s easier for you to give him or her essential care.
What dental visit and professional cleanings do is give our doctors a chance to get to know your child’s smile all over again. During a checkup, we’ll check for signs of gum disease, tooth decay, and other common oral health conditions, any one of which should be treated as soon as possible. If not treated soon enough, your child’s oral health could worse, requiring more extensive treatment later and potentially affecting overall health.
Call Grand Dental El Reno to schedule your child’s back-to-school visit. We’re proud to serve patients from all across Canadian County.
June 4, 2012
Give Your Smile Extra Protection with Dental Sealants from Grand Dental
You may have heard of dentists using dental sealants to help young patients protect their teeth, but did you know that adult patients can benefit from them too? After all, it’s not just children who get cavities in the pits and grooves of their teeth—it can happen to anyone. But with dental sealants, it’s possible to keep teeth healthy and cavity-free.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are a thin plastic film that we apply daily to the smiles of our El Reno patients. More specifically, sealants are applied to the chewing surfaces of molars in a two-step process.
In the first stage of this process, your teeth will be prepared with a special cleaning and etching solution. Then, after about 15 seconds, we’ll rinse that off, dry your teeth, coat them with our sealant, and then use our curing light to turn that liquid into a hardened plastic that provides a physical barrier for teeth, protecting them from cavity-causing bacteria.
When Should Dental Sealants Be Placed?
Dental sealants can be used to protect molar and premolar chewing surfaces, meaning they can be placed at almost any age. First permanent molars erupt at about age 6. By placing sealants on them shortly after they erupt we can protect them from developing cavities where food and bacteria collect. Second permanent molars erupt later on at about 12 years. As with the first case, the grooves of these teeth are also susceptible to cavities and can benefit from the protection dental sealants can offer.
Want To Learn More?
Do you want to learn more about how you can safeguard your teeth with dental sealants? Call Grand Dental El Reno today with your questions or to schedule an appointment with us. The doctors at our El Reno office serve patients from El Reno and surrounding areas.
April 25, 2012
Helping Patients Treat Their Overall Health through Periodontal Therapy
Every time you come to Grand Dental for a regular visit, our doctors will spend part of that time inspecting your smile for gum disease. We do this for two reasons. First, treating and preventing gum disease is an effective way of reducing your potential for large dental problems later on. Second, when left untreated, the effects of gum disease can spread beyond your smile to the rest of your body.
A number of health problems have been linked to gum disease so far (as we mentioned in our last post) including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and pre-term birth, but the one we want to focus on in this post is heart disease.
How exactly can gum disease affect the heart?
Although their exact relationship is still a matter of research, it’s believed that harmful bacteria are able to access the heart through pockets that form between the teeth and gums when gum disease isn’t treated. Which is why periodontal therapy is such a vital service.
At Grand Dental, we offer charting and diagnostic services as well as in-office non-surgical periodontal therapy to help gum disease patients reclaim their oral and overall health. Treating and preventing gum disease isn’t guaranteed to prevent heart disease, but it will help you shore up your overall health, which can benefit your body in myriad ways.
Are you ready to schedule your next regular appointment with our El Reno, Oklahoma office? If so, call us today. Dr. Michael Kirk and Associates at Grand Dental El Reno serve patients from all across Canadian County.
April 20, 2012
Gum Disease and Your Overall Health
In every post that appears on our blog, we end by inviting the reader (that’s you!) to give us a call in come in for a visit. Why do we do this? Because regardless of what we might be talking about in that particular post, we want to drive home just how important regular visits are.
Of course, you already know that regular visits can help you treat and prevent common conditions like tooth decay and gum disease, but did you also know regular visits can benefit your overall health too?
Even though the relationship between your smile and your body isn’t precisely clear, research indicates a link between them. Health conditions as wide ranging as heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, pre-term birth, and more have all been shown to share a relationship with gum disease.
How Can I Prevent Gum Disease?
One of the primary ways is with a committed brushing and flossing regimen. But brushing and flossing alone aren’t enough. That’s why we recommend that you see one of our doctors at least twice a year for a regular visit. During your visit we’ll have time to thoroughly examine your teeth and gums for any warning signs and, if we find any, to begin treating them immediately.
So, is it time for your next dental visit? If it is, give Grand Dental El Reno a call today. We’re committed to serving patients in El Reno, Oklahoma and beyond.