A Word to the “Wise”: Avoid Cavities in your Wisdom Teeth

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Beaming ManCavities are one of the most common diagnoses that people hear when they go in for a dental checkup. You have many shapes, sizes, and positions of teeth that can be attacked. This includes your wisdom teeth. Dr. Newton, your Celina dentist, takes pride in providing patients with education to help them preserve their dental health. Enjoy today’s blog to learn more about cavities and wisdom teeth.

Weak Enamel Makes Cavities More Likely

Your tooth enamel is comprised primarily of calcium and phosphate as well as other minerals. Enamel is a complex and extremely strong compound. In fact, it’s the second strongest element on the entire planet. Your nutritional efforts and dental health routine can help to ensure healthy levels of calcium and other nutrients that keep your tooth enamel strong enough to combat cavities. Since your mouth is the home of hundreds of strains of bacteria (some good; some bad) you need all the help you can get to stop germs from infecting and rotting away at your teeth.

Wisdom for the Dental Ages

The average human mouth is inhabited by 32 teeth. This includes your wisdom teeth, though a number of people have issues with those back four molars and end up having minor oral surgery in order (more…)

Celina, TX Dentist Offers Suggestions for Handling a Dental Emergency

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An emergency of any kind is unexpected and tends to cause people to panic—especially when it comes to a dental emergency. Trauma to the mouth isn’t an anticipated injury; however, by following the proper steps, your smile can make a full recovery. To help her patients handle a dental emergency effectively, your Celina, TX emergency dentist, Dr. Newton, gives her patients advice.

Take These Steps When Faced with a Dental Emergency

  • Cavity relief. If you’re feeling some discomfort from a cavity, try icing the area on and off. You can also use clove oil since it’s a natural pain reliever. Furthermore, gently floss the affected area to remove any lingering particles or irritants; afterward, use warm salt water rinses to reduce swelling. Continue these steps until you see the dentist.
  • Broken tooth. Warm salt water rinses can also aid this ailment. If you’re bleeding, apply light pressure to the affected gums—not the tooth. Additionally, take any tooth fragments and place them in milk; bring the pieces to the dental appointment.
  • Bitten tongue. For severely bitten lips and tongues, apply a cold compress and gentle pressure to stop the bleeding. Take care to see the dentist immediately, if you can. However, if you can’t see the dentist soon enough, go to the emergency room to get your mouth examined.
  • Crown or bridge fell out. Should a dental crown or bridge fall out, use a bit of denture adhesive to hold it in place. Keep in mind, this is only a temporary fix and a visit to your Celina, TX emergency dentist is in order. Moreover, don’t chew on the dislodged crown or bridge.

Celina Family Dentistry Offers Great Dental Care

If you’re looking for a dentist that’s committed to round-the-clock dental care, visit Dr. Newton. Regardless of the hour, she will mend your ailment and restore your oral function. To schedule an appointment, call our Celina, TX emergency dentist. Also, visit the website to view services, print patient forms, or see our smile gallery. We proudly serve new and existing patients in Prosper, Frisco, McKinney, Gunter, Pilot Point, Anna, and the surrounding areas.

Partial Dentures from Your Celina Dentist

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Older Couple BeachDon’t think that your options for teeth replacement are limited to all or nothing. You don’t have to be missing all of your teeth to qualify for dentures. You don’t have to opt for dental implants as the only means to replace a small number of missing teeth. There is something called a partial denture, or dental bridge that can cover up the space from one or several missing teeth on any given arch. Your Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, will talk more about this form of restorative dentistry.

Hidden Downfalls of Missing Teeth

Unlike cosmetic issues or cavities and decay on back teeth, missing an entire tooth affects both the look and function of your mouth. Don’t think that ignoring a missing tooth that is in the back (and (more…)

Celina, TX Dentist Offers Tips for Keeping Your Natural Teeth

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Older Couple Brushing TeethIf you have already lost teeth, you probably know that there are many options available to replace them. This is good news. Depending on the number and positioning of your tooth loss, you may opt for dental implants, partial implants, partial dentures, or full dentures. However, if you still have all of your teeth and they’re in relatively good condition, there are things you can do to ensure that you keep them well into old age. Your Celina, TX dentist, Dr. Newton, would like to offer you some tips on how to care for your natural smile for many years to come.

Tip #1: Floss Before You Brush

Many people get this backwards, but if you floss prior to brushing your teeth, you’ll be able to brush away the debris that you remove from between them. If you order the operations the way most people are used to, bacteria and food particles can end up sitting on your teeth for hours.

Tip #2: Brush With a Soft Toothbrush Twice-a-day

There’s no shame in wearing dentures, but once you have them, you may find yourself wishing that you’d just done a better job with (more…)

Celina Dentist Educates on Porcelain Veneers

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SmilingWomanHave you ever had an accident that led to a broken tooth? Have you ever let tooth decay go to long and ended up with a tooth cracking or chipping on you? Have you ever bit into a popcorn kernel at the bottom of the bowl and felt a shooting pain and a funny feeling? There are so many ways that a tooth can become damaged. There are also different tactics to fixing front teeth versus back teeth. Your Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, can evaluate your particular case and come up with a plan for creating the smile of your dreams. Porcelain veneers are one of the most versatile cosmetic dental treatments. Read on to learn more.

The Versatility of Veneers

Cosmetic services available to our patients range from clear braces, dental bonding, professional teeth whitening, and Snap-On Smiles. All of these procedures can offer varying degrees of covering over chips, (more…)

Stop Snoring with Help from Your Celina, TX Dentist

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SnoringFrustrationIf you have a loud snorer in your house, or your snoring is keeping others awake, you may be looking for ways to stop the insanity. Snoring may not seem like it affects the person that is doing it, but not only is it discourteous to anyone you share a room or bed with, but it could actually be a precursor to or sign of obstructive sleep apnea. Celina, TX dentist, Dr. Newton, has helped many patients with persistent snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and she would be happy to help you if you are struggling with such issues. (more…)

Start the Summer with Clean and Bright Teeth in Celina, TX

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White Teeth CoupleIf you are planning a big summer full of travel, swimming, barbecues, and plenty of fun in the sun, looking good in a bathing suit may not be your only physical concern. A happy, healthy, bright, and confident smile is a sure-fire way to make a great impression to others, no matter what season is upon us. The best time to embark upon teeth whitening is after a dental checkup and cleaning. You want to be sure that you have a clean bill of dental healthy before exposing your teeth and gums to bleaching chemicals. Your Celina, TX cosmetic dentist, Dr. Newton, will tell you more.

Foundation for Successful Teeth Whitening

Before embarking upon any cosmetic dental procedures, it’s essential that you have a healthy and strong foundation.  This starts with you and your dental hygiene routine. Self-care should include brushing your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association (ADA). Toothpaste should be fluoridated. Be sure to floss at least once each day. If you are doing all of these things, you are half way there. Don’t forget to keep up with dental checkups every six months.  A dental checkup and cleaning will ensure that gum disease and tooth decay are kept at bay. If treatment is necessary, Dr. Newton can let you know how long you should wait before exposing your teeth to any cosmetic dental procedures. Otherwise, you’re ready for teeth whitening.

A Whiter, Brighter Smile

Many patients complain of stained teeth when they come in for a checkup. Some staining is natural over time. Habits such as tobacco, coffee drinking, and consuming a lot of red wine (more…)

Scared of Dental Work? Celina Family Dentist Can Help

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NervousWomanIf you have a fear of the dentist, you are far from alone. You are one of approximately 75% of people in the United States that have some level of dental anxiety. These feelings can range from light nerves to a full-blown phobia. For patients that are petrified about something as simple as a dental cleaning and checkup, their preventive care often gets put off for years upon years. When something like a cavity, infected root, chipped or cracked tooth, or any dental condition occurs, things can get much worse if you put off seeing your dentist. There was a time when you had two choices: fight through your fear, or put off going to the dentist long enough that you may actually lose teeth. Thankfully, your Celina family dentist, Dr. Newton, has some modern day solutions for helping fearful or anxious patients.

Something to Laugh About

The very first dentist to use nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) was Horace Wells. That was 1844, and since that time, millions of patients have been made much calmer by this soothing compound. Nitrous oxide is given to patients through the use of a mask which is put over your nose.  In spite of the name, very few people actually laugh when exposed to nitrous oxide, but feelings of giddiness, happiness, calmness, and euphoria are often reported. Laughing gas is even safe enough to give to children, and wears off so quickly that you’ll be back to normal by the time you leave the dentist’s chair.

Oral Conscious Sedation

If your procedure is more invasive such as a root canal therapy or cosmetic dental treatment, oral conscious sedation can offer you even deeper relaxation. You will be given a simple pill which contains anti-anxiety medication, along with instructions to take the medication an hour before your appointment. This way, you’ll have a much easier time getting through the (more…)

Celina Dentist Helps Decide if Oral Fractures are Emergencies

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Pain in the jawFractures. They can be vary in depth, placement, and severity, but however you slice it, a fracture is basically a break. Breaking a tooth can be upsetting, scary, and embarrassing. Fractures are sometimes not as easy to spot. However, they can fester, deepen, or even cause cosmetic issues on your most visible teeth. Is a fracture a dental emergency? The best thing to do is to call your Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, if you have suffered from a crack or fracture in any part of your mouth and jaw, and let our team help you decide if you should come in to the office right away.

Do Cracked Teeth Always Require Dental Attention?

Any injury to your tooth that causes pain or even just feels odd should elicit quick action on your part. Fractures and cracks can’t always be seen or felt. Early identification can help you save your tooth from needing a full extraction. It is very important that the crack not reach the pulp chamber where your roots (more…)

Prosper Dentist Can Restore Missing Teeth with Dental Implants

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TrueFalseBlackboxWalking around with even one missing tooth can be inconvenient at best and downright embarrassing at worst. When you are missing entire arches, or even your entire mouth of teeth, you will look nothing like the person you’re used to. Teeth are important for both appearance and function. The inability to smile will decrease your quality of life. You also need your teeth to chew and speak properly. Teeth even keep your jawbone at a healthy density. So what should you do if you lose your teeth? Prosper dentist, Dr. Newton, wants to find out if you already have the answers by challenging you to this quiz on dental implants.

Questions

Q1. True or false – Dental implants include the root replacement rod and a tooth-like dental crown.

Q2. True or false – The only advantage of dental implants is that they don’t slip like dentures sometimes can.

Q3. True or false – Dental implants can be cleaned just like regular teeth.

Answers (more…)