Oral Hygiene and Your Health
What you can’t see is more important than what you can see. Gingivitis or “gum disease” is a silent killer and 4 out of 5 people are affected by this disease! Good oral hygiene combined with regular scheduled cleaning will help eliminate or reduce the effects of Gingivitis. After evaluating your gums, Dr. Hale will work with you to customize a schedule to meet your specific needs.
Maintaining good oral hygiene is a simple daily way you can minimize or even eliminate the need of extensive dental treatment in the future. And, it only takes 5 minutes each day!
Brush – Brush your teeth and gums two minutes twice a day. We recommend using a Sonicare toothbrush.
Floss – Flossing is just as important as brushing and is often over looked. Floss your teeth at least once a day getting between the teeth and below the gum line. Floss aids such as Water Piks make flossing easy.
Scrape - After brushing, a tongue scraper followed by a rinse is frequently the best way to control bad breath.
Rinse – Using a mouth rinse for 10 -15 seconds after scraping helps eliminates the bacteria that causes bad breath.
You don’t have to clean all your teeth; only the ones you want to keep!
Dry Mouth
Reduced saliva flow that results in a dry mouth is a common problem among older adults. It is caused by certain medical disorders and is often a side effect of medications such as antihistamines, decongestants, pain killers and diuretics. To schedule an appointment for dry mouth, please call us at 281-580-0770.
Oral Cancer Screening
Did you know that ONE PERSON EVERY HOUR DIES FROM ORAL CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES and 25% of oral cancer victims have no lifestyle risk factors? At Today’s Dental, we are concerned about oral cancer and look for it in all our patients. Early detection of precancerous tissue can minimize or eliminate the potentially disfiguring or even deadly effects of oral cancer. Along with visual oral cancer screenings, Today’s Dental uses ViziLite Plus to help identify any suspicious areas that are difficult to detect during a conventional exam. A ViziLite Plus exam is painless and only takes a few minutes.
Snore Guard®
Are you kept awake at night by a snoring spouse? It is estimated that up to 50% of adults suffer from some form of a snoring disorder. In its most severe form, the collapse of the upper airway is so complete that the lungs may not receive oxygen for up to 30 seconds. This is called “Obstructive Sleep Apnea”. In response to this deprivation of oxygen, your body triggers an internal alarm and you partially wake. This is usually accompanied by loud gasps for air that can last 3 seconds or more, until you fall asleep and the cycle starts all over again. Snoring is also affected by diet, health, lifestyle, age, weight, environment and other factors.
Snore Guard® is a customized small oral appliance and professionally fitted. It has a unique inner lining that is softened by heat during the fitting process (Similar to an athletic mouth guard). It fits snugly over your top teeth while you sleep and is designed to prevent your tongue from dropping towards the back of your throat. This helps keep your airway open, effectively relieving the main cause of snoring. To schedule an appointment for your Snore Guard® please call us at 281-580-0770.
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