Have you been unhappy with your smile for some time but can’t afford to have a makeover? Are you embarrassed because you have crooked teeth, worn teeth, widely-spaced, or missing teeth? There are always new, less invasive, and less expensive treatments being developed so you can have an attractive smile and a happy disposition. Today your Celina dentist Dr. Newton explains how to accomplish both with a new snap-on smile.
Why Does My Dentist Have a Laser?
We tend to associate lasers with slights of science fiction fancy or, if we’re fans of medical shows, with laser-assisted surgery. You may be surprised to learn, however, that your dentist also uses lasers to assist in a number of cosmetic and restorative treatments. Today, Celina dentist Dr. Newton discusses a few applications and benefits of dental lasers. (more…)
Dr. Newton Recognizes National Dental Hygiene Month
October is National Dental Hygiene Month! Each year, dentists across the country take this month to focus on educating patients about proper dental hygiene. Dr. Newton understands that maintaining good dental habits can help you preserve the health and appearance of your smile. With a fun quiz, Dr. Newton discusses tips for keeping your smile healthy and beautiful.
Can Unhealthy Sinuses Make Healthy Teeth Hurt?
Tooth sensitivity is a common malady and can indicate a number of issues. For instance, tooth decay and gum disease expose the sensitive parts of your teeth, such as the pulp where the nerves are held or the roots that are connected to them. The result is often severe discomfort that warns you to seek professional treatment as soon as possible. In some cases, however, your teeth may be perfectly healthy in spite of the fact that they hurt and are giving your trouble. To help you understand this phenomenon, your Celina family dentist, Dr. Newton, discusses one common condition that can fool you into believing your teeth are in danger—sinus infections. (more…)
Your Teeth Are on the Move — But Why?
You’ve probably heard the old adage that change is the only constant in life. This is even true of your smile! With age comes wisdom, not to mention noticeable changes in your teeth and their movement. It begins with the appearance of our first baby tooth, then the loss of these teeth and replacement with permanent teeth, but it doesn’t stop there. Why are our teeth always on the move, even when we’re not? Celina, TX family dentist Dr. Newton explains.
Good, Better, Best: Cosmetic Dentistry in Celina, TX
We all have different ideas about what makes a person beautiful, but you can bet that a gorgeous smile is high on the list. Dr. Newton, a Celina, TX cosmetic dentist, provides several treatment options designed to enhance or altogether transform your teeth into the smile you’ve always wanted. Better still, it’s possible to do so without breaking the bank. Here, she outlines smile-enhancing treatments for every budget.
Good: Professional Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic dental treatment in the country, a fact that Dr. Newton attributes to its affordability and accessibility. Compared to over-the-counter whitening toothpaste and rinses, professional treatment delivers more consistent, noticeable results while avoiding problems like tooth sensitivity and gum irritation. We offer two options, allowing you to whiten your teeth quickly in our office or in the comfort of your home. Teeth whitening is ideal for light to moderate staining, such as discoloration caused by coffee, tobacco, or red wine.
Better: Snap On Smile
Sometimes whitening isn’t enough to restore your smile to its full potential. Snap-On Smile, an affordable alternative to veneers, does more than just cover resilient stains. Like veneers, Snap-On Smile subtly masks cracks, chips, and oddly spaced teeth. Some patients use Snap-On Smile as a trial run before investing in veneers. The thin, flexible prosthetic fits snugly over the top or bottom arch so that your own teeth are all but hidden. It’s perfect for those who want beautiful teeth but are not yet ready to invest several thousands of dollars.
Best: Porcelain Veneers
The Holy Grail of cosmetic dentistry, porcelain veneers can be seen on red carpets, runways, political fundraisers, and sold-out concerts—anywhere in the spotlight. Carefully sculpted from ultra-thin layers of translucent porcelain, each veneer has the ability to improve the shape, size, and shade of the tooth. A popular choice for those who wish to address multiple minor cosmetic defects all at once, veneers are used to mask gaps, crookedness, stains, and cracks. Bonus: Porcelain is naturally stain-resistant.
Considering cosmetic dentistry in Celina, TX? To learn more about our services, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Newton, contact us at 214-851-0130. We welcome residents of Celina, Prosper, Wylie, Allen, Dallas, and the surrounding areas.
Scraping Away at Chronic Bad Breath
It’s easy to take your tongue for granted. Without it, you’d have great difficulty tasting, digesting food, and speaking clearly. Despite its versatility and usefulness, your tongue also harbors millions of bacteria. Most of the time, these bacteria are harmless. Then there are those that colonize the bumps, ridges, and folds of your tongue, emitting foul-smelling sulfur compounds that cause bad breath. You already know how important it is to brush and floss, but have you thought about the importance of cleaning your tongue each day? Dr. Newton, a Celina, TX dentist, explains the benefits of tongue scraping.
Brushing or Scraping?
Not all means of cleaning your tongue are as effective. The Journal of Periodontology published a study showing that tongue scraping decreases production of smelly sulfur by as much as 75 percent. Brushing your tongue with your toothbrush only reduces volatile sulfur compound production by 45 percent. However, specially made tongue brushes, hybrids between scrapers and toothbrushes, are comparable to tongue scrapers. These can be purchased individually, or you can find them on many toothbrushes, usually on the back of the head.
Getting More From Tongue Cleaning
To make tongue scraping more effective, follow these guidelines:
- Cleanse as far back on the tongue as you are able, then work forward. The majority of bacteria are hidden near the back of your tongue by your throat.
- Rinse your mouth out after scraping.
- Cleanse the top and sides of your tongue.
- Rinse your tongue scraper before and after you use it each time.
What If I Still Have Bad Breath?
Chronic bad breath and a bad taste in your mouth are red flags associated with periodontal disease. If you experience these problems frequently, throughout the day, and even after brushing, flossing, and scraping, it’s best to visit your Prosper, TX dentist. Other symptoms of gum disease include bleeding gums, loose teeth, and inflammation. Bad breath may also indicate that you have an oral infection. If so, you may need root canal therapy.
Questions about chronic bad breath? To learn more about preventive dentistry, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Newton, contact us at 214. 851. 0130. We welcome patients living in Celina, Prosper, Allen, Wylie, and the surrounding areas.
Keeping That Freshly Whitened Glow Between Touch-Ups
It’s hard to crack a smile when your teeth are noticeably yellow or brown. That’s a shame, especially when you consider how much your smile says about you, not to mention how it impacts the way you feel about yourself. Dr. Newton, who offers teeth whitening in Celina, TX, advises patients on the best way to maintain a freshly whitened smile between visits to our dentist office.
Love the Results of LumiBrite? Read This.
Our patients love how the LumiBrite in-office teeth whitening treatment boosts the whiteness of their tooth enamel in only one hour. After that, though, it’s up to you to keep your teeth looking so lovely. A few basic guidelines to remember:
- When sipping any beverage other than milk or water, use a straw to minimize contact with your tooth enamel.
- Wait 48 hours before eating or drinking substances that are dark in color; this allows enough time for your whitening treatment to fully saturate the enamel. Steer clear of tea, soda, red wine, coffee, and berries.
- Brush your teeth often to avoid surface staining, but do not brush too aggressively, as this could actually harm the tooth enamel.
- Wait 30 minutes to brush your teeth after consuming anything acidic, such as citrus fruits and juices or tomatoes.
Whitening at Home? Start Here.
Before you leave our office to use your home whitening system, we’ll spend a few minutes demonstrating the correct way to use your whitening trays. You’ll learn how much whitening solution to use, how best to wear your trays, and how to prevent your teeth and gums from becoming irritated. At first, you’ll wear the trays for about three minutes each day for a full 14 days. You’ll need to follow the guidelines above for this whitening method, too. Dr. Newton points out that the whitening formula should be kept in your refrigerator to preserve its integrity. If your teeth become sensitive to heat and cold, it may be better to use your whitening trays every other day.
Questions about teeth whitening in Prosper, TX? To learn more about professional teeth whitening, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Newton, contact us at (214) 851-0130. We welcome residents of Celina, Prosper, Frisco, Gunter, Anna, Pilot Point, and the surrounding cities.
Reading, Writing, ‘Rithmetic, and Really, Really Clean Teeth
Now that Tax-Free Weekend is behind us, it’s starting to sink in that school will be starting in just two weeks. Parents are breathing a sigh of relief, and kids are determined to cram as much fun into their remaining free days. Dr. Newton, a family dentist in Celina, TX, encourages parents to start their children’s school year right with a dental checkup. In the meantime, kids will love the Party Pal Musical Animal workshop held on August 22nd, 2014 at the nearby Frisco Arts Center (details here).
More Important Than Shopping for School Clothes
Sure, choosing a new outfit for the first day of school is more fun than going to the dentist, but that doesn’t make dental checkups any less important. Parents, take note: Several studies have confirmed that children who have poor oral health miss more days of school, have poorer academic performance, and have lower self-esteem than those who have healthy teeth and gums. As you can imagine, this has consequences for the entire family, as parents must often miss work as a result, and the need for frequent dental work can be a drain on household finances.
Homework: Brushing and Flossing Skills
It’s not enough to schedule professional teeth cleaning once every six months. Your child—your whole family, in fact—must be dedicated to their oral hygiene regimen. Unless otherwise instructed, everyone in your family should brush at least two times daily, spending two minutes each session. Teach your child the proper way to use dental floss and encourage flossing once daily. We love to hear from parents who provide disposable toothbrushes for their children to use at school; at the very least, kids should rinse their mouth with water after eating.
School Supplies: Toothbrushes and Treatments for Kids
We treat many parents who help get kids excited about school by letting them pick out “extras” for their backpacks, a cool backpack, maybe some swag for their locker. Now is the perfect time to let your child or teen pick out a new toothbrush. Even dentists love extras! During your child’s dental exam, Dr. Newton may recommend fluoride treatment or dental sealants for added protection against tooth decay.
When was your last dental checkup? Our Celina dentist office serves patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Newton, contact us at (214) 851-0130. We welcome patients living in Celina,
Relaxing at the Dentist’s Office? Yes, It Can Happen!
Remember what it was like when, as a child, you had a splinter lodged in your finger? It hurt, but there was also the fear of having it removed. Would it hurt even more? Maybe you could just leave it there and hope for the best? At the office of Dr. Newton, who offers sedation dentistry in Celina, TX, we treat many patients who have a similar anxiety about visiting the dentist. Dental anxiety is extremely common, affecting an estimated 80% or more of Americans. Of those, a large number experience anxiety so severe that they go years without setting foot in a waiting room.
Sedation Options for Your Dental Visit
Our foremost goal is to ensure that you receive much-needed dental care, whether as a means of prevention or to address an infection or damaged tooth. Most patients are familiar with “laughing gas,” which is nitrous oxide gas delivered through a mask covering your nose. This option works well for patients who have mild anxiety, and for those who must be able to drive their own vehicle to and from the appointment. For more severe anxiety, Dr. Newton may recommend oral sedation, or a combination of nitrous oxide and an oral sedative. If you choose either of these options, you must arrange for transportation to and from your dental visit.
Self-Soothing Techniques
Of course, sedatives are only one option for reducing feelings of nervousness during your dental visit. Many of our patients prefer alternative or holistic means of mellowing out:
Deep breathing: Also called diaphragmatic breathing, this technique helps quell your body’s natural response to stress, the choice between fight and flight. By contracting the diaphragm, the muscle immediately above your stomach cavity, you can gradually lower your rapid heartbeat.
Muscle relaxation: When your body becomes stressed, it causes your muscles to clench and lock more forcefully than usual. Progressive muscle relaxation begins with targeting the largest muscle group in your body. Tighten these muscles, then release them before moving on to other muscle groups. YouTube and WebMD are excellent resources for progressive relaxation tutorials.
Need more information about sedation dentistry in Celina, TX? To learn more about your options, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Newton, contact us at 214-851-0130. We welcome patients living in McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Gunter, Pilot Point, and the neighboring communities.
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