Franklin Dental Center Blog

A LITTLE BIT OF PREP work makes a huge difference when an emergency happens, including an oral injury that requires an emergency dentist. What exactly can we do to prepare for something like an unexpected injury? It depends on the specific situation.

Broken Tooth

If an injury results in a broken, chipped, or cracked tooth, the best thing to do is head straight to the dentist. If you can find the broken pieces, bring them along in a glass of cold milk to protect them. It’s also okay to rinse your mouth with water.

Even if a crack or chip seems minor, don’t ignore it! If the damage reaches the pulp chamber, it puts the tooth in serious danger of infection. Even if it doesn’t, it can work like a cavity and give bacteria a space to grow until it does reach the pulp chamber. That’s how dental infections start, leading to pulp death, painful abscesses, loss of bone tissue in the jaw, and even the risk of the infection spreading to the bloodstream.

Knocked-Out Adult Tooth

If the whole tooth gets knocked out in one piece, this, too, is a situation that requires immediate attention from an emergency dentist. There is a limited window (not much longer than an hour) in which a knocked-out tooth can be successfully replanted, so the faster you get to the dentist, the better its chances are. To give it its best shot, put it back in the socket on the way there and hold it in place with a washcloth or gauze. If that isn’t possible, store it in cold milk.

Here are a few important don’ts for knocked-out teeth:

• DON’T touch the root.
• DON’T let it dry out.
• DON’T scrub or clean it with soap, alcohol, or peroxide.

Any of these could kill the root, making the tooth impossible to replant. The goal is to give the root its best chance of survival by handling it carefully, storing it properly, and getting to the emergency dentist as quickly as you can.

Knocked-Out Baby Tooth

Most of the time, when a baby tooth gets knocked out, it isn’t an emergency. Typically we wouldn’t replant a baby tooth because that might create problems for the permanent tooth underneath. However, if it wasn’t loose beforehand, we recommend at least giving the emergency dentist a call for some advice. There might be less obvious damage than what happened to the tooth.

We’re Prepared for Patient Emergencies Too!

Another essential part of your dental emergency plan, besides what to do in different emergency situations, is to know where to go for help! Check out this link to see where our practice is located or visit our business page here. If you’d like to learn about our practice’s emergency dental services, just give us a call and we can tell you about our end of the equation. Hopefully you’ll never need to make use of this information and the only times we’ll see you will be for normal appointments, but preparation is key!

Thank you for putting your trust in our practice!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

OUR TEETH CAN do a lot of things. They chew our food, they form a lot of the structure of our faces to make us look the way we do, they make it possible to speak clearly, and they’re the highlight of our smiles. These are good and healthy uses for teeth, but when we use them as tools for other jobs, we risk causing serious damage that will need extra trips to your dentist in Tyler, TX to fix.

Teeth Are Not Substitute Nail Clippers or Scissors

The damage a nail-biting habit can do is a topic worthy of its own blog post, but we’ll summarize it here. Our fingernails are the least sanitary parts of our hands because the area underneath them is essentially impossible to keep clean. Germs love to grow there, and those same germs transfer to our mouths when we bite our nails. Nail-biting also puts a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on the front teeth and may even shift them out of place.

Nails aren’t the only things we might be tempted to bite through; sometimes it might seem very convenient to use our teeth to cut a piece of tape. Unlike chewing food, the sawing motion we do to cut tape involves a lot of grinding, which is bad for our teeth’s surfaces. Some people do this with much worse materials than tape, such as wire. We hope all of our patients in Tyler will take the time to find the scissors or wire cutters instead of trying this!

Please Use an Actual Nutcracker (Unless You Want Extra Dentist Visits)

If you love eating walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or even half-popped popcorn kernels, don’t break them open with your teeth. Doing so is a great way to crack or chip a tooth, especially if that tooth has already undergone a dental procedure or if it has an untreated cavity. It’s much better to use a nutcracker.

Teeth Do Not Make Good Bottle Openers

Even though tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it’s far too brittle to be right for the job of popping a metal lid off a soda bottle. We could easily chip a tooth on that edge, and if we slip, that could mean a nasty gash to the lips or gums. No matter how cool you might think it will make you look to do it with your teeth, please use a real bottle opener.

Teeth Are Not a Third Hand

Sometimes when we’re in the middle of a busy task, we run out of hands to hold things, and it’s very easy to briefly stick a pencil, a few nails, or some sewing pins in our mouths for safekeeping.

Once again, the convenience isn’t worth the risks. Tripping or being hit with a sudden yawn, sneeze, cough, or hiccup could result in disaster. Even if nothing so dramatic happens, these objects can cause a lot of wear on teeth. For example, seamstresses have given themselves dents in their chewing surfaces from holding sewing pins in the same spot over and over. We don’t want our patients in Tyler to experience the same problem!

Your Tyler Dentist Says Only Use Your Teeth for Their Intended Purposes!

Cracking and fracturing are the third-highest cause of tooth loss, and you can significantly reduce your risk of needing an emergency dental visit and a series of expensive procedures by only using your teeth for what they’re for. Don’t forget to keep up with twice-daily brushing, daily flossing, and regular dental visits to your Tyler, TX dentist!

We love seeing our patients use their teeth for smiles!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

GOING TO THE DENTIST for some basic preventive dentistry is something we should all be doing twice a year every year. If you’re in the Tyler, TX area and you’re already in the habit of coming in for regular cleanings, that’s wonderful! If not, here’s what you can expect from a typical cleaning appointment.

Your Check-Up Is Crucial for Preventive Dentistry

When visiting the dentist for a check-up, there are a few things that will typically happen. If you don’t have any existing dental concerns or conditions, the first step is usually dental X-rays. Your medical and dental history, your age, and your current oral health will determine how often you need these. Dental X-rays help dentists to find and diagnose tooth decay hiding between the teeth and other places hard to see with the naked eye. They also identify dental and orthodontic issues beneath the gums.

Next, the hygienist will begin cleaning the teeth. They use a small metal tool called a scaler to scrape away any tartar in between the teeth and around the gumline. Then they’ll polish the teeth using a lightly abrasive paste and a polishing tool. This gives your teeth a nice, deep clean and removes any remaining tartar. They finish the cleaning off with flossing.

Once the hygienist is done, it’s the dentist’s turn. They’ll review your X-rays, check your teeth and gums for signs of decay and gum disease, measure the depth of your gingival pockets, check for swelling and redness, test how well your teeth come together when you bite down, and examine your neck, lymph glands, and mouth for signs of oral cancer. When they finish, they’ll discuss treatment for any dental work you need and give you tips on improving your daily dental care routine.

Why Visiting The Dentist Is Important for Patients in Tyler

Even for people with great oral health habits like brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing daily, the preventive dentistry step of visiting the dentist every six months is crucial to maintaining good oral health. The reason for this is that dental problems don’t go away on their own and tend to get worse, which also makes them more difficult (and expensive) to fix. Regular dental checkups catch problems early so that more intense treatment doesn’t become necessary.

We Can’t Wait To See You!

Whether it’s been six months or longer since the last time we saw you, we’re looking forward to seeing you again! Schedule your next appointment with us right away, and we can make sure everything in your mouth is healthy and clean! Make sure to check the map for directions before you head our way!

We have the world’s best patients!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

MANY OF US HAVE TO deal with tooth loss as we get older, whether because of an injury or tooth decay, and we need false teeth such as dental bridges or dentures. Fortunately, the field of prosthodontics (false teeth) has come a long way, giving us plenty of options for filling those gaps back in.

Dentures Throughout History

The first known dentures were made around 700 BC in northern Italy. These dentures were made from human and animal teeth, and although a set of these dentures would deteriorate quickly, they remained the norm for two and a half millennia. However, the industrial revolution in the 1800s led to a massive increase in the amount of sugar people consumed, and this caused the demand for dentures to increase dramatically, along with a demand for higher quality!

It was around that time that people started trying new materials, such as ivory, which lasted much longer. In fact, hippo and elephant ivory are what George Washington’s dentures were really made of, not wood! Nowadays, false teeth are made of porcelain or acrylic resin, depending on the situation. These are much stronger and more durable materials.

Modern Denture Types from Full Dentures to Dental Bridges

Your individual situation will determine the type of denture that would work best for you. Obviously someone who still has some of their natural teeth won’t use the same type as someone with no natural teeth left. So what are the different types?

• Full dentures are a complete set of removable false teeth. They can be just the top teeth, just the bottom, or both. These may be made of porcelain, which imitates the look and feel of natural teeth, and they can last from 5-10 years.
• Partial dentures like dental bridges are for people who still have some healthy natural teeth. The new teeth fill the gaps so the natural teeth don’t start to shift and cause new oral problems. They are often made of acrylic resin, which won’t wear down the natural teeth like porcelain will, but don’t last as long.
• Fixed dentures, meaning non-removable dentures, come in a few different varieties. There are implants, which are surgically placed into the jaw bone and fuse over time to mimic the old root; bridges, which fill gaps by being cemented to the teeth on either side of the whole; and implant-supported dentures, which use implants as anchors for dentures.

Which Dentures Are Right For You?

Figuring out the ideal replacement teeth for you can be tricky, particularly if you’ve never needed them before, but that’s why you have us! Schedule a visit with us as soon as you can so we can talk about what type you need and set up a plan to get you on your way back to a bright, full smile!

As always, thank you for putting your trust in us!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Do you have dental insurance? It’s a monthly investment that can contribute to better oral and overall health. Now that the end of the year is approaching quickly, it only makes sense that you’d want to make the most of your benefits while you still can. By optimally using your coverage, you can enjoy a healthy smile and body without having to break the bank. That said, here are a few ways you can maximize your dental insurance benefits before the year ends.

With cosmetic dentistry, you have a way to overcome any nagging smile imperfections that have been preventing you from placing your personality on full display. While there is a long list of procedures available to enhance your appearance, a cosmetic dentist in Tyler says there are few that can meet just about all of your aesthetic needs. Continue reading to find out what they are!

Traditional dentures do an excellent job of replacing missing teeth, allowing people to eat a wider variety of foods and smile with more confidence. Unfortunately, dentures in Tyler don’t last forever. Thus, it’s best to be aware of some of the indicators of failure. Therefore, you can take swift action and avoid the many problems that can arise from wearing a set of dentures for too long. Continue reading to learn what to look for.

With age, your face will begin to change shape. This can cause your gum ridges and jawbones to shrink and result in your dentures becoming a bit loose. Dentures that tend to slip while you chew or speak can be much more problematic than you may think. Keep reading to learn how your dentures should fit, how ill-fitting dentures can cause problems for your overall health and the best way to correct the issue. 

Are you having trouble thinking of the perfect holiday gift for your dear friend or family member? After all, you don’t want to get them an expensive new gadget that will be rendered obsolete in a few months after a newer model is released. One thing that your loved one is guaranteed to use every single day is their smile. Why not get them a gift that helps them feel confident in their grin? Professional teeth whitening in Tyler can do just that! Here are four reasons why teeth whitening may be the perfect holiday gift idea.