Scraping Away at Chronic Bad Breath

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bad-breath-celinaIt’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

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teeth-whitening-celinaIt’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

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celina-prosper-kidsNow 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!

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Soothing sedation dentistry in Celina, TXRemember 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.

Chewing with Caution may Help your Jaw Health

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BigBiteChewing food is an activity you most likely participate in several times every single day. Chewing comes naturally, but the instinctual nature of breaking down food with our teeth holds an importance that is often overlooked. The most obvious benefit of chewing thoroughly is that it greatly reduces our risk for choking. However, there are other compelling reasons to be mindful of the way you chew. Celina, TX dentist, Dr. Newton, will explain some of the reasons you should examine your chewing habits.

Too Big

Taking bites of food which are too large for the size of your mouth will eventually cause damage to your jaw. This advice is particularly timely in the United States culture. Americans have taken to consuming food in increasingly larger portions over the years. Gargantuan sandwiches, huge hamburgers, and belly busting  burritos, for example, are sometimes so large that they require you to open your mouth wider than you should. People who suffer from TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) are at high risk for jaw injuries because their joints are already sensitive. If a meal requires you to open your mouth so widely that it causes discomfort or pain, simply cut the food into smaller bites before chewing.

Chewing and Weight Loss

A large number of people fail to chew their food enough times before swallowing. You may find it necessary to eat on the run, or you may feel so hungry from waiting too long to eat, that you rush through the entire process of enjoying a meal. Eventually, eating too fast becomes an bad habit. One research study (more…)

Try this Emergency Dentistry Quiz

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True or false boardAre you prepared for a dental emergency? Unfortunately, when you’re in the middle of a crisis it can be hard to keep your head level and make the right decisions. Educating yourself in advance may help keep your wits about you in a dental emergency, however. Celina, TX dentist, Dr. Newton, would like to quiz you on what you may already know, and perhaps teach you something new in the process.

Questions

Q1. True or false – Tooth decay is always painful.

Q2. True or false – If you sustain a broken tooth, the fragment can be reattached.

Q3. True or false – Tongue injuries always heal themselves. (more…)

Filling Improvements Over the Years

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AmalgamFillingsIs your mouth filled with silver or gold fillings? There are many people who have opted for metal fillings over tooth colored ones. There are also those folks who never had an option. There were periods in dental history where color-matched composite resin fillings were nothing but a pipe dream. Now, people who still sport metal fillings are often curious if they should have them removed and replaced with fillings which will blend in with their teeth.

Filling History

Once upon a time, cavities were filled with amalgam fillings, which were made from a combination of silver, zinc, mercury, tin, and other trace metals. Over time, a great debate about the safety of amalgam fillings developed. Medical professionals feared that the mercury in these dental restorations would get into patients’ bloodstreams and cause health problems. Why? Because amalgam fillings were known to leak after years of gnashing and biting, ultimately causing them to break down and irritate the decaying tooth underneath.

Taking Advantage of Filling Improvements

Because Dr. Newton and our team at Celina Family Dentistry are dedicated to providing our patients with the best dental care possible, we only (more…)

The Great Gender Dental Battle

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Boxing CoupleWho is better at keeping up with their dental health between the genders? Well, women pay more attention to their smiles than men, in general. Celina dentist, Dr. Newton and our dental team are happy to provide dental care for either gender. Why do you think women make more effort? Could it be because women tend to focus more on  improving their appearance? According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, a simple, straight, attractive smile translates to more success in all areas of life. In fact, about 70% of men admit that a woman looks more beautiful when she smiles than when she wears a full face of makeup. Smiling lifts your facial muscles to naturally make men and women appear younger, friendlier, and more full of energy.

Preventive Care: The Same for Both Genders

Ladies are more likely to follow routine checkup schedules and have more positive attitudes toward dental health. Studies show that females are 26% more likely to floss daily and 57%t of women brush twice a day. Compare this with only 49% of men who do the same. These healthy hygiene behaviors, combined with a lack of competitive sports (which can knock out teeth) help many ladies keep their natural teeth longer than men. But it’s not all happy smiles for women. Hormonal changes during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can contribute to inflamed gums. Additionally, research reveals that dry mouth, eating disorders (which can cause extreme enamel damage) and TMJ disorders are more common among women than men.

Cosmetic Dental Options: The Same for Both Genders

If you do opt for cosmetic age defying dental procedures the American Academy of Periodontology says that people are seven times more likely to have smile enhancements than face lifts. Dr. Newton’s cosmetic treatments can make your smile look new and fresh. For example, teeth whitening removes years of stains, porcelain veneers hide signs of wear, and cosmetic contouring reshapes your smile. Additionally, about 3/4 of women would feel embarrassed by a missing tooth, compared with only half of men. Fortunately, Dr. Newton offers dental implants to restore missing teeth.

Comprehensive Dental Care in Celina for Men and Women

Dr. Newton can help both men and women maintain healthy, beautiful smiles for life. Contact our Celina dentist office at (214) 851-0130 to schedule an appointment. We welcome patients from Celina, Prosper, Gunter, Frisco, McKinney, Aubrey, Pilot Point, Anna, and surrounding areas.

Missing Teeth? You’re Missing Out!

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Is there anything more lovely than a healthy, attractive smile? Not only does your smile impact the way others perceive you, but it also affects the way you feel about yourself. If you’ve lost one or more teeth, you may find it difficult to flash your smile around other people. Dr. Newton, a general dentist offering dental implants in Celina, TX, discusses the surprising ways in which adult tooth loss affects your quality of life. As you’ll see, these consequences go well beyond the appearance of your smile.

More Than Just a Missing Tooth

Many of our patients are shocked to learn of the oral health complications that come with tooth loss. First, there’s the impact to your remaining teeth. Forced to withstand greater pressure and stress, these teeth become more prone to cracks and breakage. Your bite may become misaligned, leading to a TMJ disorder, a painful condition affecting the joints of your jaw. If your remaining teeth gradually shift out of position, you may develop crowding or overlapping—two factors that make oral hygiene more difficult. The result? You become more susceptible to gum disease, tooth decay and unpleasant breath.

The Link Between Oral Health and General Health

The consequences of adult tooth loss directly impact your oral health, not to mention several aspects of your general health. Take your diet, for example. Crisp, healthy fruits and vegetables become more difficult to chew, leading many edentulous patients to adopt a diet of soft, non-nutritious foods, such as baked goods and drive-thru fare. In turn, this places you at a greater risk of developing diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. If you develop periodontal disease, it’s possible that you become particularly susceptible to a host of ailments, including Alzheimer’s, stroke, and bone loss.

How Do Dental Implants Help?

The beauty of dental implants is their versatility. Whether you are missing a single tooth, multiple teeth, or all of your teeth, implants are up to the task. Because implants are permanently secured in your jawbone, you need not worry about the downsides of removable dentures—no adhesives or soaks, uncomfortable prosthetics, or tell-tale clicking sounds during speech. Of all teeth replacement options available, none afford the same stability and natural appearance of dental implants.

Don’t let missing teeth keep you from the things you love. To learn more about dental implants in Celina, TX, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Newton, contact our office at 214. 851. 0130. We welcome patients living in McKinney, Frisco, Plano, Gunter, Pilot Point and the surrounding communities. For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook.

Secrets of Celebrities’ Smile Styles: Teeth Whitening

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Dazzling. Luminous. Brilliant. Flip through the pages of your favorite fashion magazine or celebrity style blog, and you’ll find these words used repeatedly to describe the smiles of your favorite stars. When it comes to celebrities’ pearly whites, is it simply a matter of good genes? We think not, says Dr. Newton, a cosmetic dentist in Celina, TX. Dr. Newton shares celebrity dentists’ teeth whitening secrets from the latest issue of Elle magazine.

The Basics of Brilliant Teeth

Start with a whitening toothpaste of your choice, but understand that toothpaste alone isn’t sufficient to achieve significant brightening. Although these products contain a small amount of peroxide, they work mostly to scrub away plaque and light staining from the surface of your teeth. For more dramatic results, you’ll need professional cleaning and whitening treatments. Visit Dr. Newton at least once every six months, or more frequently as recommended. Doing so prevents food and debris from accumulating on your teeth while protecting your mouth against periodontal disease, bad breath, and tooth decay.

One Hollywood dentist, whose celebrity patients include fashion models, rock stars and A-list actors, adds that using an electric toothbrush prevents or removes buildup from between teeth and beneath the gum line. Using sonic waves, some electric brushes loosen plaque and tartar. Others scrub and polish the surface of your teeth to produce a smooth, gleaming appearance. Both dentists agree that using mouthwash, whitening formula or otherwise, helps reach areas not touched by your toothbrush. Avoid mouthwash that contains alcohol, as its drying effect on your mouth contributes to bad breath and increases your risk for tooth decay.

Should You Go the Professional Route?

Not all stains can be removed by over-the-counter teeth whitening products, even those that claim to be professional strength. The most stubborn stains include those caused by:

  • Years of neglect
  • Tobacco use
  • Taking medications known to discolor teeth
  • Consuming dark liquids, such as tea, coffee and cola
  • Damages to the surface of tooth enamel

You probably know that your skin has pores, but did you know that teeth have pores, too? Oil and dirt clog pores, leading to skin irritations and pimples. Similarly, tooth enamel that has been badly damaged and pitted is more prone to staining. Heavily pigmented substances, such as berries, wine, and certain fruits, remain in these open pores. Professional teeth whitening removes stains from the pores in your teeth.

Give Your Teeth the Star Treatment

Dr. Newton offers two options for dramatic, effective teeth whitening: an in-office system, LumiBrite, and take-home whitening kits. Which is best for you? LumiBrite is ideal if you desire instant gratification, achieving up to 10 shades of whitening within a single one-hour treatment. Our home whitening system produces enviable results, albeit more gradually. Most patients achieve optimal whitening within two to four weeks of at-home treatment.

What could you do with a brighter smile? To learn more about teeth whitening in Celina, TX, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Newton, contact our office at 214. 851. 0130. We welcome patients living in McKinney, Frisco, Plano, Gunter, Pilot Point and the surrounding communities. For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook.