Celina and Prosper Family Dentist Celebrates Chocolate!

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If you’ve ever doubted the magnificence of chocolate, you should know that the cocoa tree from which it comes is scientifically known as Theobroma Cacao, meaning “food of the gods” in Greek. Despite the many years of belief that chocolate tastes too good to be healthy, studies show that the sweet treat can actually help fight illnesses like heart disease.  As an added bonus, research also shows that the husk of the cocoa bean contains cavity-fighting properties. To celebrate, Dr. Newton and the staff at Celina Family Dentistry bring you these fun chocolate facts. Enjoy!

Did You Know?

  • The word chocolate is derived from the Aztec word xocolātl, meaning “bitter water.”
  • The earliest known use of the cocoa bean was as currency among the Aztecs. For instance, a turkey could cost about 100 cocoa beans.
  • Europe was graced with chocolate’s presence in the 16th century, after the Spanish conquered the Aztec people. (more…)

Back to School with a Healthy Smile in Celina and Prosper

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As the new school year draws near, now is the perfect time to ensure that your child’s oral health is at its best. Studies show that poor oral health in children can relate directly to poor academic performance and attendance. To help you prepare and optimize your child’s oral health, Celina and Prosper dentist Dr. Newton presents the children’s oral health checklist.

Children’s Oral Health Checklist

  • Tooth brushing and flossing—Morning time during the school year can be hectic. As you rush to get yourself ready for work and your child ready for school, you could probably use a little help to move things along. Instill in your child the habit of brushing their teeth at least twice a day, especially in the mornings before school. Be sure to show them the proper method of softly brushing every surface of every tooth. Discourage them from scrubbing harshly, which can quickly wear away tooth enamel. Flossing can usually be saved for the time right before bed, but you should teach your child to this alone, but properly, as well. (more…)

Prosper Dentist Explores Energy Drinks and Oral Health

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Over recent years, the popularity of sports and energy drinks has skyrocketed. About half of the teens  and young adults in America drink energy drinks, and more than half consume at least one sports drink in a day. With boasts of increased performance, endurance, and energy levels, one can understand why these drinks are so popular. According to recent studies, however, these beverages can also add increased risk of tooth decay to the list of advertised effects. Celina and Prosper dentist Dr. Newton explores how these much-celebrated energy boosters and thirst quenchers affect your oral health.

A Tooth-Destroying Trend

A popular misconception about sports and energy drinks is that they are a much healthier choice for your teeth than soda. To test this theory, researchers studied the acidity of a variety of popular beverages. During the study, scientists immersed samples of tooth enamel in each beverage for 15 minutes, placed the samples in artificial saliva for two hours, and repeated the cycle four times a day for five days. The exposure cycles mimicked the amount of exposure a typical sports and energy drink consumer subjects their teeth to. After only five days, the damage was already evident, with energy drinks proving doubly harmful to teeth than the more balanced sports drinks. (more…)

Oral Bacteria’s Strength in Numbers

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We warn our children to beware of the company they keep to help prevent them from falling in with the wrong crowd. After all, the wrong influence at the right time can steer anybody into a harmful path. In a study published in the journal Microbiology, researchers at the University of Bristol have discovered that group mentality may be expressed even at the molecular level. Prosper dentist Dr. Newton explores the destructive companionships that Treponema denticola forges with other oral bacteria.

Ganging Up on Your Oral Health

In the course of studying the connection between your oral health and overall health, experts have uncovered incredible interactions between oral bacteria and your body’s tissue. For instance, the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis has been shown to excite your body’s inflammatory response to infection, resulting in the red, swollen, and bleeding gums associated with gum disease. T. denticola, however, takes a different approach to attack. (more…)

Prosper Dentist Explains Common Causes of Dry Mouth

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If you’ve ever been thirsty, then you can relate to what a person with dry mouth feels like. Dry mouth, or xerostomia, is a condition that occurs when your salivary glands produce inadequate amounts of saliva to lubricate and moisten your oral tissue. There are as many treatments for xerostomia as there are causes, so treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis. To help you understand the condition of dry mouth a little better, Dr. Newton lists some of its most common causes.

Common Xerostomia Causes

  • Dehydration—Because dry mouth is essentially a lack of moisture, the most obvious cause of dry mouth symptoms should be dehydration. Conditions that cause dehydration, such as fever, diarrhea, excessive sweating, vomiting, and blood loss, can all be causes of dry mouth, as well.
  •  Symptom of disease/infection—A chronic dry mouth can also indicate that your body is battling a disease, or may be a direct result of the disease or infection. Some health issues that are linked to xerostomia include Sjogren’s syndrome, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, anemia, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, and Parkinson’s disease, among many others.
  • Side effect of medications—Sometimes, the medication that is prescribed to fight an infection or disease can also list xerostomia as a side effect. If you are currently on medication, be sure to inform Dr. Newton to help her better determine the cause of your xerostomia. Dry-mouth inducing medications include those prescribed for depression, anxiety, pain, allergies, colds, obesity, acne, epilepsy, hypertension, diarrhea, nausea, and asthma. Dry mouth can also result if you take muscle relaxants and sedatives.
  • Lifestyle—Perhaps you can help treat your dry mouth condition simply by changing a few lifestyle choices. For instance, smoking or chewing tobacco can inhibit saliva production and facilitate dry mouth. So can constantly breathing with your mouth open. (more…)

Prosper Dentist Discusses Fish Oil for Gum Disease Treatment

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Periodontal disease, or gum disease, affects more than half of the adults in the United States of America. It is the leading cause of adult tooth loss, and has been associated with an increased risk for potentially-fatal systemic disorders, including stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. Although gum disease is treatable, it is hard to detect and nearly impossible to treat without professional dental care. In Australia, researchers are exploring the possibility that fish oil may prove beneficial as an adjunct therapy option for gum disease. Prosper dentist Dr. Newton discusses this hypothesis.

A Safe and Natural Treatment Option

Fish oil has long been recommended by physicians for health benefits beyond teeth and gums. Aside from boosting heart health, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are also beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and more. A major benefit of fish oil is that there is no danger in consuming large amounts of it. Extremely high levels of fish oil may lead to delayed clotting times and potential gastric upset. If you are currently on medication therapy, especially blood-thinning medications, then you should consult with your physician. (more…)

Cavity Prevention from Your Celina Children’s Dentist

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Did you know that for the first time in over 40 years, incidence of childhood tooth decay has increased? The U.S Center for Disease Control recently published a report on the rise in tooth decay and attributes this trend to lack of oral healthcare, poor dietary choices, and inadequate oral hygiene. Severe tooth decay may produce discomfort and pain in children. Additionally, cavities can also impact a child’s ability to speak and eat. To help reduce the rate of childhood tooth decay, Dr. Newton and our team at Celina Family Dentistry offers preventive dental services that help reduce your child’s risk for developing cavities.

Dental Sealants in Celina

Cavities commonly form along children’s molars because they have deep pits where food and bacteria collect. Additionally, children also have trouble keeping their molars clean because they are located at the back of the mouth. After a thorough dental cleaning and checkup, Dr. Newton may apply a dental sealant to your child’s molars that will seal the pits and grooves with a liquid plastic resin that is hardened by a special curing light. (more…)

Celina Dentist Explains Different Kinds of Tooth Stains

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Blemishes on your teeth can greatly diminish the radiance of your smile. The most common tooth blemishes are stains, which have made teeth whitening a burgeoning industry. At Celina Family Dentistry, we offer a number of solutions for your teeth whitening needs, but your best treatment option depends on the type and severity of the tooth stains you wish to correct. Some stains soak into the outer surface of a tooth (extrinsic), while others originate from within the tooth structure (intrinsic) and are more difficult to correct. To help you determine the best treatment option, Dr. Newton offers an explanation on the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic stains.

Intrinsic Tooth Stains

Tooth development begins in an infant during the second trimester of pregnancy and lasts until about the age of 18. During this time, children may intake too much fluoride (i.e. through fluoridated tap water, fluoride toothpastes, etc.) which can lead to mottled enamel with chalky white, and sometimes brown, stains. Bleaching can lessen the contrast between mottled and healthy enamel, but if surface defects, or “pits,” are present, you may need porcelain veneers or dental bonding to whiten your smile. Certain medications can cause intrinsic tooth staining, as well. The most notorious culprits are tetracycline and its derivative, monocycline. If taken during tooth formation, these antibiotics can cause bluish-gray stains on the portion of tooth that is forming at the time. Other causes for intrinsic tooth stains include heredity, aging, porcelain over metal crowns, and amalgam dental fillings, which can give your tooth a grayish appearance even if the metal filling is not visible. (more…)

Women’s Smiles Need TLC, Says Celina and Propser Dentist

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Girls may just want to have fun, but what a girl wants – what a girl needs – is to look and feel healthy. Dr. Newton, your Celina and Prosper family dentist, wants you to know, hormone fluctuations during certain phases of life subject women to a higher risk for periodontal disease. As a health-conscious and image-conscious woman, you need to understand the risks you face and how to prevent gum disease.

Red Lips are Sexy, Red Gums Are Not

Gum disease afflicts up to 80% of Americans and is the primary cause for tooth loss in adults. The disease contributes to a heightened potential for many systemic health diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. Symptoms of gum disease may be so mild that the condition goes unnoticed. However, some people experience tender, swollen, red or purplish gums. Gums bleeding when you brush and floss may also indicate gum disease.

Puberty, Pregnancy, & Menopause

Girls in puberty, young women during pregnancy, and middle-aged women during menopause can experience hormone fluctuations that contribute to gum disease. Though the hormone peaks and valleys will subside in time, gum disease is a chronic condition. Once you develop gum disease, treatment and maintenance are necessary to deter recurrence. (more…)

Proper Toothbrush Care from Your Celina Dentist

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You know that you have to brush your teeth every day to keep your smile healthy. However, your toothbrush needs to be in good shape to clean your teeth. As your toothbrush ages, it is less effective at cleaning your mouth. In this blog, Dr. Newton explains proper care to get the most out of your toothbrush.

When to Replace a Toothbrush

The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three to four months (or sooner if the bristles wear out). When your bristles fray, they are no longer strong enough to thoroughly remove plaque from surfaces of your teeth. Furthermore, worn bristles become rough and irritate your teeth and gums. Irritated gums can recede from the teeth, increasing your chances of tooth decay and gum disease. Replacing your brush every three months will reduce the potential of bacterial buildup contaminating your mouth. You should also replace your brush following a cold, virus, or oral infection to avoid becoming re-infected. (more…)