The American Dental Association recommends you see your dentist at least twice each year for a checkup. At your checkup, we will inspect your soft tissues for oral cancer, periodontal disease, and other problems. The dentist will also look at each tooth in your mouth to assess problems like tooth decay or cracks, as well as old dental work. Sometimes old dental work wears out and needs to be replaced. We will be happy to replace metal fillings, inlays, onlays, and crowns with tooth-colored alternatives.
By looking for trouble every six months, we can often reduce your potential for large dental problems. For instance, left untreated, a small cavity can grow to destroy an entire tooth and spread to surrounding teeth. A cracked tooth can cause pain or break off and create additional problems. Furthermore, advanced gum disease is the primary cause of tooth loss for American adults, and oral cancer causes more than 7500 deaths each year. Caught and treated early, these diseases can be controlled.
If you have not scheduled a checkup lately, be sure to call our Sugar Land dental office now to make your appointment! Children as young as two should visit the dentist, and by age four or five, a child should attend regular checkups.
What do powdered fruit, talc, honey, dried
flowers, mice and lizard livers have in common? They have all
been ingredients in ancient toothpaste and powder. Yum.
Attention Chocolate Lovers…Many dentists
agree raisins can cause more tooth decay than chocolate. Sticky
foods such as raisins and dried fruits can stay on the teeth
longer and develop more decay.
According to a study at the University of
Connecticut, too much toothpaste early in life is responsible
for more than 70% of fluorosis cases (staining or mottling of
tooth enamel that develops when children swallow fluoridated
toothpaste). Although this problem is only cosmetic, it is recommended
children under six only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste
and be reminded to spit it out after brushing.
