At Center for Advanced Dentistry, in Suwanee GA, we are pleased to provide children's, cosmetic, family, general, implant, orthodontic, preventive, restorative and sedation dentistry services.
Saliva has an important job to do in your mouth. For starters, it helps to remove food particles. But it also helps prevent tooth decay and infection by washing away plaque and keeping disease-causing bacteria from building up on your teeth and gums. But saliva can’t do all that work by itself. So it’s important to remove plaque yourself by practicing good oral hygiene, which means proper flossing each day, and twice-daily tooth brushing. Most of us don’t think about the moisture in our mouths until our mouths become dry. A variety of conditions can cause dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, including the following:
Cancer treatments. If you have any type of cancer of the head or neck and you receive radiation therapy, dry mouth is a common side effect because the radiation damages the salivary glands in addition to destroying the cancer. Some medications used to treat cancer in any part of the body can also cause dry mouth.
Prescription medications. Hundreds of common medications, including many antidepressants and medications for high blood pressure, can contribute to a dry mouth. If you take medications that seem to make your mouth feel dry, be especially vigilant about tooth brushing and proper flossing.
Nerve damage. Some types of injuries to the head or neck can damage the specific nerves that tell the salivary glands to produce saliva.
Chronic illness. Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and Parkinson’s disease are among the diseases that can contribute to a chronic dry mouth.
Drug use. Methamphetamines have been associated with dry mouth.
Professional Teeth Cleanings Help You Stay Healthy Even if you are meticulous about cleaning your teeth, there are hard-to-reach areas where plaque builds up and hardens into tartar. Once this occurs, the only way this harmful coating can be removed is with a professional cleaning by our hygienist. You do not want to wait until the tartar starts to form below the gumline, as this could mean a more serious problem with your gums and overall health later on. Medical research has shown that gum infection can lead to or worsen diabetes, heart disease, or stroke. We provide gentle ultrasonic cleanings with no scraping, so there's no reason not to take our recommendation seriously for your good health. Center for Advanced Dentistry Ushma Patel, DMD 6916 McGinnis Ferry Road, Suite 500 Suwanee, GA 30024 (770) 623-8750 JohnsCreekSedationDentist.com
Perhaps you’ve been neglecting a good oral health routine. Or, you’ve done your best, but you’ve developed plaque and tartar buildup. A regular routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing is an important part of regular plaque removal for everyone. But if you have risk factors that have caused a buildup of plaque on your teeth and gums to harden into tartar, your dentist or dental hygienist may suggest scaling or root planing your teeth to remove the buildup. If left untreated, severe tartar buildup along and under the gum line can cause the gums to pull away from the teeth, which may increase the risk of gum disease. Scaling and root planing are common nonsurgical techniques that may prevent the need for more serious procedures, such as periodontal surgery or a root canal. Here’s what to expect if your dentist or dental hygienist recommends these techniques:
You won’t feel it. You’ll receive a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Scaling: Your dentist or dental hygienist removes plaque and tartar from the areas both above and below the gum line.
Root Planing: Your dentist or dental hygienist uses special tools to smooth rough spots on the tooth roots. This process not only removes bacteria and helps reduce plaque buildup, but it provides a smooth surface for gums to reattach to the teeth.
After a scaling and root planing procedure, be sure to follow your dentist’s instructions and maintain an oral care routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing. If your gums are sensitive after the procedure, try a spongy floss, such as Oral-BÆ Ultra FlossÆ, to help prevent painful flossing. The above article is from: OralB.com
Our Care for Children Dr. Ushma Patel puts patients of all ages at their ease and comfortable in her care. Children receive the latest techniques applied with thoughtfulness and compassion. We take the time to teach your children proper brushing and flossing and the importance of eating nutritional foods to keep natural teeth for a lifetime. We first see them at age four and enjoy all their visits each year as they grow.
We are continuously striving toward a goal of ensuring this and other generations grow up without fear of dental care. The parents of our young patients have been very pleased to have their children in our care, and we can help your child feel comfortable and be co-operative at every appointment. Center for Advanced Dentistry Ushma Patel, DMD 6916 McGinnis Ferry Road, Suite 500 Suwanee, GA 30024 (770) 623-8750 JohnsCreekSedationDentist.com
Relax and Feel Comfortable for All Your Dental Care Some patients suffer anxiety over any kind of dental work. Just the idea of sitting in the dental chair is enough. We have a solution to relieve your fear. Conscious sedation dentistry is an easy way to relax and have your treatments taken care of without the concerns.
It is a simple matter of taking one pill an hour before your appointment. By the time you are sitting in the dental chair, you are feeling very relaxed. You reach a level of sedation where you are unaware of the work being performed but still capable of answering questions when asked. Your vital signs are monitored during the treatment. After completion of your dental work, someone drives you home. You are completely alert within an hour or so.
It's important to know you maintain a level of consciousness, as some patients worry about lack of control. Oral sedation provides a happy medium of the ability to relax combined with enough awareness to be able to speak. You simply won't have any anxiety.
This sedation also works well for those who are resistant to anesthesia. They cannot get numb, so instead, can have their treatments performed with conscious sedation dentistry. Some patients need to have extensive work performed. This option allows them to have one longer appointment instead of coming back multiple times.
When only lighter sedation is needed, we offer laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, to keep a patient comfortable throughout treatment. This is a complimentary benefit we offer to any patient who desires it. Center for Advanced Dentistry Ushma Patel, DMD 6916 McGinnis Ferry Road, Suite 500
Suwanee, GA 30024
(770) 623-8750 JohnsCreekSedationDentist.com
Flossing As Prevention For Bad Breath Need another reason to floss your teeth at least once a day? Flossing daily helps improve bad breath by effectively removing the food particles and bacteria that contribute to it. That makes flossing one of the easiest ways to prevent and banish bad breath.
Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is more common than many people realize. You may joke about bad breath, whether it’s your own or someone else’s, but it’s an important oral health issue. Bad breath can be more than an embarrassing social problem—it can be a sign of disease or illness.
Saliva is Your Friend Less saliva means that your mouth is more susceptible to plaque buildup, which can create an unpleasant smell on your breath. Pay extra attention to any of the following circumstances that can reduce the saliva in your mouth and promote bad breath:
Drinking alcohol. Alcohol-containing beverages may promote a dry mouth and cause bad breath. So don’t forget to floss after an evening out on the town, no matter how much you’re tempted to hop into bed and forget about it.
Early morning. Saliva stops flowing while you sleep, so you may be prone to bad breath in the morning. If so, mornings may be the best time for your daily dental flossing.
Being hungry or thirsty. When you’re dehydrated, there’s not as much saliva in your mouth, so you’re prone to bad breath and increased bacterial buildup. Drink enough fluids and remember to floss. Also, remember that chewing food increases the saliva in your mouth, so if you’re skipping meals or dieting, you may develop bad breath.
If you’re dieting and eating less frequently, a mint floss can not only help bad breath by removing bacteria, it may help you with your diet by providing a fresh taste in your mouth that makes you less tempted to snack. People who are following extremely low carbohydrate diets also sometimes report bad breath, but these reports are anecdotal. If you’re on a low-carb diet, or any restrictive diet, you may be promoting bad breath. If you must restrict your food intake and eat infrequently, drink plenty of water to help maintain the level of saliva in your mouth to help prevent bad breath in addition to following a good oral care routine. To read the entire article please visit: OralB.com Center for Advanced Dentistry Ushma Patel, DMD 6916 McGinnis Ferry Road, Suite 500 Suwanee, GA 30024 (770) 623-8750 JohnsCreekSedationDentist.com
Saliva has an important job to do in your mouth. For starters, it helps to remove food particles. But it also helps prevent tooth decay and infection by washing away plaque and keeping disease-causing bacteria from building up on your teeth and gums. But saliva can’t do all that work by itself. So it’s important to remove plaque yourself by practicing good oral hygiene, which means proper flossing each day, and twice-daily tooth brushing.
