Know What to Expect at Your Check-Up

Most people know that it is recommended that you visit the dentist office every 6 months to have a professional dental checkup. However, not everyone sticks to this schedule. You may have some apprehension or fear of the unknown if you're not used to going to the dentist on a regular basis. As the best dental clinic in the southern Missouri area, Access Dental and Dentures is here to help ease your concerns and let you know what you can expect at a typical dental check-up. Keep reading to learn all about it! 

Before & Between Checkups

One of the first things to know is that regular dental health and hygiene at home can help your dentist appointments go smoother and more quickly. Important dental habits include brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing every day, and maintaining a balanced diet. 

Before your appointment, it's a good idea to come up with a list of any questions you may have for your dentist. You can even write them down if you're worried about forgetting them during the appointment. You may wonder about jaw pain in the mornings, why your gums bleed when you floss, or any number of other general questions about your oral health. Don't hesitate to ask - we are there to help! 

Dental Exam

Part of your appointment with a dentist will include an examination of your teeth and mouth. The dentist is performing this evaluation to see the status of your dental health and if there are any serious issues that need to be addressed. If needed, they may take x-rays of your teeth. This allows the dentist to see any underlying problems inside or between your teeth. Your teeth will be closely examined for any visible issues on the surface. Your dentist will also take a look at your gums to check for wear, separation, and inflammation - all of these could be signs of gum disease. 

Expect the dentist to also look at the rest of your head, including the face, throat, and tongue, for signs of trouble. If there is any swelling or redness, this could be a clue that there is a problem somewhere in your mouth that needs to be treated.

Cleaning Your Teeth

The other important part of your dental check-up is the teeth cleaning. Even with regular daily brushing and flossing, it is always possible that you are missing parts of your teeth. Dental hygienists can spot these areas and get rid of the harmful substances you have missed, like plaque and tartar.

Plaque is a clear, sticky layer of bacteria that you may be able to brush off, but when it is not removed right away, it can harden and become tartar. Tartar will not come off with just a toothbrush. Our office has special tools that can remove that tartar for you to keep your teeth healthy. 

Once the plaque and tartar has been removed, your teeth will be polished to remove surface stains that have formed since your last visit. Last, we will floss your teeth to make sure your mouth is completely fresh and clean!

Make an Appointment with Us!

If it has been awhile since your last dentist's appointment, then it is important for you to give us a call and schedule a check-up. You could be missing spots on your teeth that may be developing into serious dental issues that can turn into health hazards. The longer you wait, the more serious - and expensive - the issues can become. Call today to schedule an appointment with the best dentist in the Springfield area - Access Dental and Dentures! 1-877-DENTIST

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Tooth Sensitivity - Where It's From & How to Help!

You don't deserve to suffer from tooth sensitivity. It can feel like a shock to the jaw when you eat or drink something too cold, too hot, too sour, or too hard. That's a lot of pain! If your teeth are sensitive, then your teeth could have some serious issues that need to be addressed by a professional dentist near you - like Access Dental and Dentures. Even if you don't have a serious dental concern as the cause, dealing with sensitivity isn't comfortable. Keep reading to learn more about how to treat sensitive teeth and how they get that way in the first place 

How to Care for Sensitive Teeth

If you are suffering from sensitive teeth, it can feel like an emergency. Who wants to be in pain every time they take a sip of a drink or a bite of food? There are a few ways you can help alleviate this pain, so don't despair!

Carefully Select Your Toothbrush

Even though a hard-bristled toothbrush may sound like it cleans your teeth better, it can actually be damaging to your teeth. The additional pressure is bad for sensitive teeth and gums. Buy a toothbrush with soft bristles and in a size that fits your mouth well.

Try Using Special Toothpaste

There are some kinds of toothpaste that are specially-formulated for people with sensitive teeth. They still are able to thoroughly clean your teeth, but the ingredients aren't quite as abrasive so the inflammation in your gums can go down and your teeth won't feel as sensitive.

Establish a Regular Routine

Taking care of your teeth and oral health on a regular schedule is important. If you aren't brushing your teeth or flossing as often as you should, then bacteria can build up and cause inflammation, pain, and sensitivity.

Why Do Teeth Get Sensitive in the First Place?

Things in Contact with Your Teeth 

Teeth can become too sensitive for a number of reasons. Sometimes it could be something that you are using or eating that is hurting your teeth. If your toothbrush is hard-bristled, it could be putting too much pressure on your gums and could even damage your enamel if you brush aggressively. Whitening agents that you buy over the counter and apply on your own could penetrate the enamel on your teeth and reach the dentin, which is very sensitive. If used improperly, it could even damage the nerves. If you regularly consume acidic foods and drinks, it could erode your tooth enamel and cause pain.

Oral Health Conditions

If your teeth are experiencing decay, like cavities, then they will cause a lot of pain any time you eat something with extreme temperatures. A good health routine is important to help prevent decay and resulting sensitivity. Gum disease from left-behind food particles and bacteria can also make your teeth more sensitive to temperature and hard foods.

Bad Habits

If you never floss your teeth, food particles and bacteria can build-up between your teeth and on your gum line, causing sensitivity. Plaque and tartar build-up can also make your teeth more sensitive. You could also suffer from jaw and tooth pain if you grind your teeth. Whether it's a bad habit from stress during the day or something you do unconsciously while you sleep, this puts a lot of pressure on your teeth and can result in pain and sensitivity.

Visit the Dentist

Any time your teeth hurt for long periods of time, it may be a good idea to schedule a checkup with your local dentist. Tooth and jaw pain could be caused by cavities, tooth grinding, sensitivity, or other serious issues. If your teeth don't feel like they should, give Access Dental and Dentures a call and schedule a visit at one of our four convenient locations! 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Charcoal-Based Products: Are They Worth It?

A lot of people try new things to help boost their health in the new year. One of those things may have been new dental health products to get your teeth whiter and healthier. Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in southern Missouri, and we are here to help guide you about those new products and whether or not they are truly safe. Today we are covering the popularity of charcoal products. Keep reading to learn more! 

Charcoal Popularity

A lot of new products have come on the market that are charcoal-based. Charcoal is used in a lot of beauty products, health products, and even food. Sometimes charcoal is used to make desserts look a cool, deep black color. You should use caution when consuming or using charcoal products though. 

How Does it Work? 

When we're talking about charcoal-based products, we don't mean charcoal from a grill. Activated charcoal is made from wood, coconut shells, and other natural materials. It is heated and oxidized into a fine powder, which is then added or incorporated into the products we've mentioned. 

One of the main, important uses for charcoal is in the emergency medicine world. It adsorbs (attaches to) harmful chemicals in your stomach to prevent them from causing toxicity. For this reason, it can also adsorb important medications that you need to take for medical purposes. So always consult with a physician before consuming charcoal products. 

CONS of Charcoal Toothpaste

While charcoal toothpaste is helpful in removing surface stains, it cannot remove internal stains from your teeth like a professional whitening service.

Additionally, the fine grains of carbon in charcoal toothpaste can be highly abrasive to your teeth. This can start to erode your enamel and threaten the health of your teeth. As your enamel erodes, the deeper dentin is exposed and can cause tooth sensitivity and decay.

Charcoal toothpaste typically does not contain the recommended amount of fluoride, so it cannot help strengthen your teeth as well as traditional toothpaste.

Lastly, the charcoal toothpaste may settle in between your teeth and aggravate your gums, causing inflammation.

Charcoal Toothpaste PROS

We’ve talked about the “adsorptive properties” of charcoal toothpaste. You may be wondering, “What does that mean? Don’t you mean absorbing?” The more common word “absorb” is used to describe a substance being dissolved. However, “adsorb” describes what is happening when one material causes another to adhere to its surface. This is what happens with activated charcoal.

Charcoal toothpaste binds to loose organic materials on your teeth – like plaque and surface stains. Then when it is rinsed away, those materials are washed away along with the toothpaste. It can also bind to and remove acidic compounds that could be harming your teeth and causing bad breath.

Best Dentist in Southern Missouri

Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in southern Missouri and we can help you get the bright, healthy smile you've always dreamed of without the risk of harming your teeth with popular, over-the-counter products. Give us a call to set up an appointment! 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Can't Kick the Sugar Cravings? Try This!

We're one week into the new year - How are your new year's resolutions going? If you resolved to remove or reduce sugar from your diet, but now you're having a hard time sticking to it, keep reading! Access Dental and Dentures has the tips to help you fight sugar cravings and improve your dental health through the whole year. 

AVOID These Things...

Avoid Stress & Triggers

While avoiding stress is sometimes easier said than done, there are other ways to help your body cope other than eating sweets. A few things you can try to help cope with stress are… meditation, yoga, exercise, etc.

Avoid triggers or tempting situations like grocery shopping while hungry, or attending a party on an empty stomach. If you know you will be attending a party where you will be surrounded by a lot of sweets, eat a meal that is high in protein before leaving and make sure you are well hydrated. Chew on a piece of gum during the party to help prevent absent-minded snacking as well.

Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are typically not actually better for you than traditional sugar. While both are bad for your health, artificial sweeteners can cause the signals that control appetite in your brain to get mixed up or ignored. Some sweeteners that are considered “healthy”, like Stevia, actually taste ten times sweeter than the average sweetener. If your taste buds develop an appetite for this sweeter flavor, it is likely that you will crave more of it in higher quantities.

DO These Things...

Eat More Protein

Protein is a necessary nutrient to our diets, and it also helps you feel full for longer. If you feel full throughout the day, you are less likely to feel like snacking on unhealthy treats and sweets. Protein can help diminish your cravings as well, because your body doesn’t feel like it is in need of more nutrients.

Drink Water

Sometimes the body can get confused and cross its signals. If you are craving something sweet, your body could actually just be dehydrated and in need of water. Drink a large glass of water when you experience unhealthy cravings or hunger outside of mealtime. This could help satiate your body enough to curb cravings so you can say “no” to the office candy dish.

Eat Fruit

Fruit contains natural sugars that are significantly better for you than table sugar. Eating a handful of berries or an apple could help satisfy your sweet tooth while also providing good vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your diet.

Southern Missouri Dentist

If you are having trouble reducing the sugar in your diet, these tips could help you! When you reduce the sugar content in your daily life, it can greatly benefit your dental health in addition to your overall health. Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in southern Missouri, and we are here to help you stay healthy and happy. Give us a call to set up an appointment! 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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