Steveston Smiles, Author at Steveston Smiles

Dental X-Rays: It’s Time For Your Close-Up
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Dental X-Rays: It’s Time For Your Close-Up

Oral Health, Services

Dental X-Rays: It’s Time For Your Close-Up

IF WE ASKED you to list three things that happen in a typical dental exam, dental X-rays would probably be one of them. But do you know what they’re used for? It depends on the type of X-ray, so let’s look at what these are. Getting The Wide Shot With Panoramic X-Rays If you’ve ever stood on a circular thing with your chin on a little platform and been told to stand still for a few seconds while a machine spun around your head, you’ve had a panoramic X-ray. This is the most common type of extraoral (outside the mouth) X-ray. Panoramic X-rays show the entire mouth in one image. In them, we can see incoming adult teeth and wisdom teeth, including impacted ones, which is how we can determine whether there [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2019-03-12T21:16:39-07:00March 12th, 2019|Oral Health, Services|

Relief For A Burned Mouth
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Relief For A Burned Mouth

Oral Health

Relief For A Burned Mouth

HAVE YOU EVER SAT down to a plate of lasagna from your favorite Italian place and immediately taken a huge bite without waiting for it to cool down? Or taken a swig of hot chocolate too fast? Maybe it wasn’t lasagna or hot chocolate for you, but we’ve all burned our tongues on foods or drinks we love, and we’ll all probably do it again. We want to make sure you know what to do for your mouth when that happens. Step 1: Sip Cold Water What you do immediately after burning your tongue will determine how quickly you recover, so instead of persevering with your hot food or drink, drink a glass of cold water. Not only will it help the burn feel better, but it will keep you hydrated so that [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2019-02-18T00:33:21-08:00February 25th, 2019|Oral Health|

Root Canal Myths: Busted
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Root Canal Myths: Busted

Oral Health, Services

Root Canal Myths: Busted

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD someone begin a sentence “I’d rather have a root canal than…”? The negative portrayal of root canal treatment in our culture isn’t just a cliché; it’s a myth! That’s why we’re using this post to knock down some of the most common root canal myths out there. Myth 1: “Root Canal Treatment Is Painful” Many adults struggle with dental anxiety. The prospect of going to the dentist may fill them with dread, even for a simple cleaning appointment, so we understand why a patient might expect something horrible and painful when they get the news that they need root canal treatment. However, thanks to modern technology and anesthetics, root canal treatment can be performed quickly and comfortably. The best part is that the pain of your infected tooth will [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2019-02-18T00:22:26-08:00February 18th, 2019|Oral Health, Services|

Kissing And Cavities
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Kissing And Cavities

Children, Oral Health

Kissing And Cavities

WE HOPE ALL OF our patients are excited for Valentine’s Day! We also hope the topic we’re about to discuss won’t spoil the romantic mood, but we need to talk about what kissing does to oral bacteria. The Bacteria In Our Mouths Our mouths are home to many species of microscopic organisms. Most of them are harmless, and some are even beneficial, but some cause tooth decay and gum disease. The worst offenders are streptococcus mutans and porphyromonas gingivalis. Streptococcus mutans eats the leftover sugars and starches that stick to our teeth after we eat, and then it excretes enamel-eroding acid. Porphyromonas gingivalis is strongly linked to advanced gum disease, or periodontitis. Managing Our Oral Bacteria As bacteria reproduce very quickly, a good oral hygiene routine is essential for keeping the harmful bacteria [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2019-02-09T20:04:34-08:00February 9th, 2019|Children, Oral Health|

Bad Oral Health Fads
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Bad Oral Health Fads

Oral Health

Bad Oral Health Fads

FADS AREN’T ALWAYS ABOUT hairstyles and slang; they can also be about the way we take care of our bodies, including our teeth. It’s important to be able to tell the difference between something that is popular and something that has the support of the dental health community. That’s why we’re going to take a critical look at a few of the recent oral health fads. Charcoal Toothpaste You might’ve seen this seemingly paradoxical product in the store: activated charcoal toothpaste, which will turn your teeth black when you brush but supposedly whiten them in the long run. If you haven’t seen it in the store, you’ve probably seen people using and singing its praises on social media. The problem with these products and home-made pastes is that there is no scientific support for the claims [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2019-01-20T22:37:30-08:00February 5th, 2019|Oral Health|

Nitrous Oxide: Having A Gas At The Dentist
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Nitrous Oxide: Having A Gas At The Dentist

Oral Health, Services

Nitrous Oxide: Having A Gas At The Dentist

MOST OF US HAVE at least heard of laughing gas, the whimsically-nicknamed sedation method used by dentists, even if we haven’t had it ourselves. But what exactly is laughing gas, and why is it so closely associated with dentistry? Nitrous Oxide From Discovery To Dentistry Laughing gas is a colorless, odorless gas. It consists of two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom bonded together. The way it works is not entirely clear, but studies do indicate that it reduces a patient’s perception of pain and increases the release of dopamine. In 1772, Joseph Priestly first isolated the compound nitrous oxide. It wasn’t until 1799 that Humphry Davy discovered the relaxing, euphoria-inducing effects that earned it the name laughing gas. Several decades later, in the 1860s in Germany, nitrous oxide found its place in dentistry, [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2019-01-20T22:23:58-08:00January 20th, 2019|Oral Health, Services|

What To Do When You Have A Toothache
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What To Do When You Have A Toothache

Oral Health

What To Do When You Have A Toothache

A TOOTHACHE IS never fun to deal with, and they can happen for a variety of reasons. Do you know what to do when one strikes, especially if it happens at the beginning of the weekend and you can’t get quick access to professional dental care? Toothache Causes The most common reason a tooth might initially feel painful is tooth decay, but it isn’t the only reason. Tooth pain can also be the result of pulp inflammation, an dental abscess, a cracked tooth, or even gum disease. Impacted teeth (teeth that are blocked from coming in where they should by bone, gum tissue, or other teeth) can also be painful. Tooth sensitivity can lead to discomfort as well, and sometimes the cause is merely a sinus infection or congestion. Reducing Dental Pain Before Your Appointment [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2019-01-07T23:46:40-08:00January 8th, 2019|Oral Health|

Making Halloween Healthy For Your Teeth
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Making Halloween Healthy For Your Teeth

Children, General

Making Halloween Healthy For Your Teeth

HALLOWEEN IS ONE OF the most highly anticipated holidays of the year, and it’s almost here! This holiday sees kids, teens, and even adults consuming far more sugar than they would any other time, coming in second only to Easter. The problem with this is that sugar is the favorite food of the harmful bacteria living in our mouths, which means eating all these treats is very bad for our oral health. Halloween Treats Versus Our Teeth Any time we consume sugar, that bacteria in our mouths gets a big tasty meal, after which it excretes acid onto our teeth. If you’ve ever noticed an unpleasant sour taste or gritty feeling a little while after eating dessert, that’s why. The acid can do a lot of damage to our tooth enamel, [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2018-10-17T00:10:28-07:00October 17th, 2018|Children, General|

When To See The Dentist
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When To See The Dentist

General, Oral Health

When To See The Dentist

BECAUSE PREVENTION IS such a major part of good dental care, it’s critical to visit the dentist for regular checkups. In most cases, two regular dental cleanings a year will be all you need, but not always. So what are the signs that you shouldn’t wait until your next scheduled appointment to come back? For this blog post, we’ve listed the top five. 1. Aches Of Any Kind If you’re experiencing tooth pain, that could mean a cavity has gotten to the point where the dental pulp is getting infected. Don’t tough it out thinking it’ll just go away on its own. Other types of pain you should bring to the dentist are an aching jaw and frequent headaches. These are often connected to oral health issues such as bruxism (teeth-grinding), and the [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2018-09-18T03:03:00-07:00October 2nd, 2018|General, Oral Health|

Why Are Dental Sealants Important?
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Why Are Dental Sealants Important?

General

Why Are Dental Sealants Important?

DO YOU SPEND A LOT of time worrying about how to keep your child’s teeth cavity-free? Teaching them to brush and floss are critical steps towards ensuring that they can take good care of their teeth for life. Once those permanent teeth come in, there’s something we can do at the dental practice that will give them even more protection against tooth decay, and that something is applying dental sealants. Bacteria Versus Your Child’s Teeth The reason it’s so critical to teach our children good oral health habits at an early age is that 40 percent of children develop cavities by the time they start school because of poor oral hygiene and consuming sugary snacks and drinks. Every human mouth contains numerous species of bacteria that excrete acid onto our teeth when consume sugar, [...]

By Steveston Smiles|2018-09-18T00:39:55-07:00September 25th, 2018|General|

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