The start of another new year presents another great opportunity to commit to taking better care of yourself, which includes your smile. Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. It can, therefore, affect how other people respond to you, including employers and potential romantic partners, and how you feel about yourself. Moreover, the health of your smile is a direct indication of the health of your mouth as a whole. Taking care of your smile is, therefore, more than about your appearance, it’s also about your dental health. And, since your dental health directly impacts your health overall, taking care of your smile is an all-around powerful way to take better care of yourself in general.
Are you ready to take on your oral health and give yourself the amazing smile you deserve? Call us at Grapevine Dental today to discuss the ways we can help with that and schedule an appointment with a quality dentist in Grapevine to begin that journey.
Smile Improvements
Cosmetic dental procedures are designed to improve your smile. While some restorative dentistry procedures (like repairing a chipped tooth or replacing a missing one) also serve to improve the appearance of your smile, cosmetic dentistry is directly focused on aesthetic objectives. That’s why cosmetic dental procedures are often termed “smile makeovers.” These may include:
-
Tooth bonding
-
Dental veneers
-
Tooth or gum contouring
-
Teeth bleaching or whitening
If you’re displeased with the state of your smile, we can help. Call us to discuss which one or more procedures you may want to give you a complete smile makeover.
Smile Restoration
Restorative dentistry restores your oral health if a disease like gingivitis or tooth decay or such damage as a tooth break or crack occurs. However hard you work to prevent oral health concerns, your teeth can still fall prey to the sugars from the foods you eat and beverages you drink and food debris left over each day, and harmful bacteria. They can also succumb to wear and tear from chewing hard and crunchy foods like fruits, vegetables, and meats, as well as from clenching and grinding their teeth (also known as bruxism). Certain foods and drinks can stain your teeth too.
Restorative dentistry can often have a cosmetic benefit, such as when the dental problem is negatively affecting your smile’s appearance or your bite. Prosthetic teeth such as bridges, dentures, or implants that replace knocked-out teeth or teeth that need to be pulled may indeed help your smile to look better, but they also help restore the structural integrity of your other teeth, your jawbone, and your other supporting tissues and structures.
If you’re experiencing irritation, inflammation, pain, a missing or broken tooth, mouth pain, or notice anything else out of the ordinary regarding your mouth, call our office right away. We’ll schedule you with a skilled and experienced [GEOID] dentist who can examine, diagnose, and treat the problem. The sooner you call, the easier and less costly the treatment will be and the likelier that you will experience a full recovery that includes full restoration of the functionality of your teeth and gums.
If you’re in pain or the problem is urgent, we also offer emergency dentistry services, meaning you can see us that same day. Our dentists reserve time for such scenarios. So, don’t wait to call us if you think your dental problem is an emergency.
Note that, if there is a serious non-dental problem like severe bleeding or a broken bone associated with your dental emergency, go to the emergency room first to get that problem taken care of. You or a loved one can call us while you’re there to discuss your situation and set up a time for you to come in after the hospital releases you.
Preventive Dental Care
Most dental care is preventive. Everyone should see the dentist at least twice per year, approximately every six months, for a routine exam and cleaning. These appointments are one of the two main ways to prevent oral diseases and damage; the other is to practice good daily dental hygiene including twice-daily brushing and flossing.
At a routine, preventive dental checkup, your dentist will examine your teeth, gums, tongue, and the interior of your mouth as well as your bite including jaw and facial structures. Your provider may also take and examine dental X-rays for any signs of damage or disease. Typically, a dentist will also use the opportunities these regular checkups provide to perform oral cancer screenings.
At a routine preventive dental cleaning, your dentist or dental hygienist will briefly examine your mouth for signs of irritation, infection, or loose teeth. Then, he or she will scale your teeth, using a special instrument to scrape off bacteria and plaque. After that, he or she will use a high-powered electric toothbrush and a lightly abrasive toothpaste to professionally brush and polish your teeth. Finally, your provider will floss your teeth well and give you tips and instructions for better maintaining your oral health in between dental visits.