What are Dental Inlays and Onlays?

Posted by

Your smile is as unique as your fingerprints, and much like your general health, so are the issues that can afflict it. Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, takes pride in crafting personalized treatment plans that fit our patients’ specific needs and desires, and offers a wide range of tools to meet those needs in a conservative manner. For instance, tooth damage caused by decay can vary in severity from mild to critical. Precision is vital to effectively halting the cavity and restoring the damage, while still upholding the integrity of what’s left of your healthy tooth. If the damage is minor, a traditional tooth filling may suffice to remove the decay and reinforce the tooth. Severe tooth decay, however, can render the tooth too weak to support the amount of filling necessary, in which case a dental crown may be placed over the tooth to shield it from damage. Sometimes, however, the level of decay can be too much for a filling, but not enough for a dental crown. Rather than wait for it to progress enough to justify a crown, Dr. Newton can restore your tooth with a dental inlay or onlay.

A Dental Restoration that’s Just Right

Capping your tooth with a dental crown typically requires the removal of some tooth structure. Manipulating your tooth unnecessarily can cause more damage to your tooth and allow an infection to develop again. Meanwhile, dental fillings were meant for minor restorations, and placing a large amount of filling material may not be enough to keep the remaining tooth structure strong. Inlays and onlays address this middle ground and provide an option that’s just right for treating your unique level of tooth decay. (more…)

Celina Dentist: The Benefits of Digital X-rays

Posted by

One of the best ways of protecting your teeth and gums is with preventive dentistry. By catching issues such as tooth decay and gum disease early, treatment can be prescribed before these dental problems become worse. Digital x-rays allow your Celina family dentist, Dr. Newton, to look beneath the gums and inside the teeth, to maximize dental health.

(more…)

Coffee and Your Teeth: Pros and Cons from Celina Dentist

Posted by

Are you an avid coffee drinker? Some people drink their coffee with unabashed pride, while others are often embarking on a quest to get the coffee monkey off their backs. Is coffee good or bad in terms of your mouth and teeth? Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, will examine the pros and cons of coffee in relation to your dental health.

The Good News About Coffee and Dental Health

A recently published study from the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Atlanta, Georgia, led by author Janet Hildebrand, suggested coffee drinking could lower the risk for mouth and throat cancer. Scientists will have to continue trials to discover if caffeine is the real hero, with high levels of polyphenols, antioxidants, and other cancer-fighting compounds, or if other elements in coffee might share responsibility for the potentially lowered cancer risk. In any case, health information compiled from 968,432 men and women over the course of 26 years of showed that people that drank four cups of coffee each day had a 49% lower risk of dying from oral/pharyngeal cancer. (more…)

Celina Dentist on How to Avoid Dentures

Posted by

Your permanent teeth are the second and last set of teeth nature will give you. Taking care of them is critical for your long-term oral health and high quality of life. Generations past knew that, at some point, they would lose their natural teeth. About a century ago, newlyweds were often given sets of dentures as wedding presents, and one wives’ tale dictates that mothers lose a tooth for every child they birth. Today, we are seeing our senior citizens keep their teeth healthy and strong throughout life. Now more than ever before, people are retaining their natural teeth for a lifetime. In this article, Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, discusses ways to improve your potential for keeping healthy, natural teeth throughout life.

Maintain Good Oral Health

Maintaining good daily oral hygiene is the most important thing you can do to deter the dreaded dentures. Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled, ADA-approved toothbrush that is less than three months old and fluoridated toothpaste. Floss once a day, use a tongue scraper or brush your tongue to rid it of bacteria, and rinse with a fluoridated mouthwash. These actions will remove much of the plaque, starches, acids, and food particles on your teeth and gums. Brushing and flossing will also help keep healthy levels of bacteria in your mouth, which houses about 600-1000 different bacteria varieties.

(more…)

Dress Your Smile Up for the Holidays with Your Celina Family Dentist

Posted by

‘Tis the season for celebrations, and you’ll want to look your best for every party, dinner, or various other gatherings. Preparations often include visiting a barber or beauty parlor for expert grooming, but what about dressing up your smile for the holiday revelries? A bright and confident smile is the perfect complement to any outfit, and confidence in your smile is essential for pulling it off. Make sure your smile is one to be proud of with these smile beauty tips from your Celina and Prosper dentist, Dr. Newton.

A Whiter, Brighter Smile

Stained teeth are one of the most common complaints among people who are dissatisfied with their smiles. Your teeth can stain for a number of reasons, from the food you eat to the habits you practice. Even some medications for certain illnesses can result in tooth discoloration. If stains mar your smile, we offer a tooth-whitening system that’ll fit right into your hectic holiday schedule. Our LumiBrite in-office tooth-whitening system can significantly reduce the time required to effectively brighten your smile by combining a desensitizer with a specialized, professional-strength whitening agent. Our in-office treatment can brighten your smile up to ten shades in as little as one hour, and you can leave the office the same day with your smile shining brightly. (more…)

Clean Hands and Healthy Holidays for Prosper and Celina

Posted by

Studies show, that oral health is closely tied to overall health. If you become sick, your gums and teeth can suffer. As we move into cold and flu season, maintaining good hygiene becomes even more important. During National Handwashing Awareness Week, your Prosper dentist, Dr. Newton, provides you with tips to make sure your hands stay clean and you stay healthy. You may consider handwashing a simple, unimportant task. However, the Centers for Disease Control says, clean hands save lives.

(more…)

Celina Dentist Discusses Diabetes and Oral Health

Posted by

November is more than just Thanksgiving and Black Friday. It is also American Diabetes Month. Twenty-six million Americans suffer from the disease. While many of the medical risks associated with the condition are well known, people may not know just how seriously diabetes can affect oral health. Your Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, talks about what symptoms diabetics should look for, and what course of treatment they should take.

Gum Disease and Diabetes

Diabetics are very prone to serious periodontal disease (gum disease). Gum disease is caused by bacteria in the mouth attacking and destroying the gum tissue. Diabetics are more susceptible to bacterial infection than non-diabetics, and thus are more susceptible to bacteria invading their mouths. Left unchecked, gum disease can eventually destroy the gums around the teeth, which causes teeth to become loose and even fall out, or require extraction. Diabetics must make sure they keep up with good oral health habits, including daily brushing and flossing, and maintaining a twice-yearly checkup schedule with their dentist. It is vital that diabetic patients keep their dentists informed of their condition. Dentists know what to look for in the mouths of their diabetic patients to ensure that any gum disease can be treated.

(more…)

Celina Dentist Discusses How Pilgrims Brushed Their Teeth

Posted by

Not so long ago, dentistry operated quite differently. As the holiday season continues in full swing, many patients might travel across the country to see friends and family members. Holiday gatherings often center on an oven-roasted or fried turkey. Additionally, side dishes of vegetables, starches, and delicious desserts often find their way onto the holiday serving table. During this year’s annual holiday feast, take time to consider dentistry from the olden days. Your Celina dentist, Dr. Newton, discusses how pilgrims brushed their teeth.

Mayflower Brushers

When the Mayflower arrived on Plymouth Rock so many years ago, survival remained paramount to success in this new-found land. However, the pilgrims likely made careful considerations to their oral health as well as their overall health. The pilgrims likely used hog hair bristles to brush their teeth. Additionally, pilgrims probably understood the importance of using herbs like tarragon as a breath freshener and cleaning agent.

(more…)

Afraid of the Dentist? Celina Dentist Discusses Helping Fearful Patients

Posted by

About 75% of American adults suffer from dental fear or dental anxiety. Accompanied by feelings ranging from unease and nervousness to nausea and full-blown panic, dental fear and anxiety prompts many people to avoid visiting the dentist for years. Often, fearful patients wait to seek dental treatment until their oral health has reached a point where only invasive, emergency procedures can correct the problem. Your Celina family dentist, Dr. Newton, discusses three solutions for helping fearful or anxious patients.

Nitrous Oxide, or Laughing Gas

Ever since dentist Horace Wells performed the first dental procedure using nitrous oxide in 1844, millions of dental patients have enjoyed the calming effect of the gas commonly known as laughing gas. Administered through a mask that fits over the nose, patients describe the feelings produced by nitrous oxide as giddy, happy, calm, and euphoric. Many children tend to feel nervous about even very simple procedures, such as placing a composite filling, and nitrous oxide makes an especially ideal solution for helping them feel at ease. (more…)