The Importance of Your Dental Checkup in Dallas

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Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day is an excellent way to help protect them against issues like tooth decay and gum disease, but it is not the only part to a healthy hygiene routine. As vigilant as we can be against plaque buildup and left-behind food debris, there is always a possibility of leaving a little something behind that can affect your oral health. Luckily, there’s hope. Your Dallas dentist Dr. Truong explains the importance and benefits of attending your six-month dental checkup and cleaning.

That Extra-Clean Feeling

When plaque is allowed to remain on your teeth for more than 48 hours, it calcifies, or hardens, into tartar. No matter how persistent you are, brushing your teeth will not suffice to remove tartar. At your Dallas dental checkup and cleaning, Dr. Truong or our talented hygienist will carefully remove residual traces of plaque and tartar, including under the gumline. Often, tartar will accumulate where your tooth meets your gums, and irritate your gums enough to separate from the tooth. This separation creates pockets where bacteria can collect and cause infection. Removing the tartar from under the gums allows the connective tissue to heal and helps prevent gum disease and tooth loss. (more…)

filed under: General Dentistry, Oral Health

Dallas Dentist Brings You Good News About Coffee

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If you’re a coffee drinker, you may start every morning in slight distress. You cherish the refreshing, awakening power of freshly roasted coffee, but you worry about all of the reports that state coffee can be detrimental to your health. At early hours of the morning, many people disregard the possible dangers to enjoy their first cup of steaming java. Now, every coffee drinker may be able to do the same. Your Dallas dentist Dr. Truong explores research that suggests previous assumptions about coffee and your health may be wrong.

Dispelling the Myth

At one point, the only time coffee and heart health were mentioned together was as a warning against risks. Coffee was believed to cause ulcers, aggravate nerves, and increase your risk of heart disease. Research now, however, may put these myths to rest. In a long-term observational study that followed over 130,000 men and women, researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, discovered that drinking coffee did not relate to increased heart health risks. In fact, drinking one to three cups of coffee a day seemed to lower the risks of heart disease and failure. As for coffee’s previous bad rap, experts believe old studies did not account for other bad habits that were common among coffee drinkers, including smoking tobacco and inadequate physical activity. (more…)

filed under: Nutrition, Oral Health

A Brighter Smile for the New School Year with Dallas Dentist

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Whether you’re a student who wishes to make a stunning impression on the first day of school, or a teacher who aims to appear flawless before your new students, your smile will help determine the outcome of either situation. A bright, strong, confident smile will infect others around you with the same smiling exuberance. A weak, insincere smile, however, can have the exact opposite effect, and cause some people to feel uneasy in your presence. When your teeth are not as white you wish them to be, your confidence can diminish slightly. The change can be seen as you attempt to hide your teeth instead of proudly showing them. Dallas dentist Dr. Truong offers a variety of options to whiten your teeth and bring the joy back to your smile.

Removing the Stains

Most toothpastes on the market today consist of mild abrasives that lift some stains from your tooth’s surface. Some toothpastes are specifically marketed as tooth-whitening products, and contain chemical agents that provide additional stain-removal power. Other abrasive products, such as baking soda, are also popular home-remedy choices for whitening your teeth, and operate on the same basis of stain-removal as whitening toothpastes. Stain removal may whiten your smile up to a whole shade. If you require more whitening power, consult with Dr. Truong to determine the best treatment to suit your needs. (more…)

filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dallas Dentist

Dallas Dentist Extols Tooth-Colored Fillings

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Humans have been practicing dentistry almost as long as humans have had teeth. In fact, teeth found in a Neolithic graveyard in Pakistan showed evidence of near-perfect holes made into the back teeth of some skulls. The remains dated as far back as 7,000 BC. In modern times, dentistry still involves removing decayed tooth tissue. Advances in dentistry and science, however, have provided us the tools to remove tooth decay and discretely fill the remaining cavity without anyone having to notice. Dallas dentist Dr. Truong discusses tooth-colored composite resin fillings, and how they’ve changed the face of dentistry.

Before There was Composite Resin…

For over 150 years, the dental filling material of choice was amalgam, a metal compound that consists of tin, copper, silver, mercury, and other metals. Almost immediately upon its arrival in America, metal dental amalgam caused a heated debate among dentists that refused to use the material on their patients.  Mercury exposure is linked to adverse health effects, and the American Society of Dental Surgeons (ASDS) asked its members to pledge never to use it. However, patients were not exhibiting signs of mercury poisoning upon leaving their dentists’ office, and the only other filling alternative at the time was gold. It was not long before the worries of the ASDS were outweighed by economics, and metal fillings were established as the material of choice. (more…)

filed under: Dallas Dentist, Oral Health

The Bare Facts About Your Teeth, from Your Dallas Dentist

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Knowing your teeth well is the first step to giving them the excellent care they deserve. Although most people can recite the main reasons why you should brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, not nearly as many can describe the anatomy of your tooth, or even how many different kinds of teeth there are in a human mouth. If you’d like to learn more about the tools that allow you to eat and speak, review these tooth facts, brought to you by your Dallas area dentist Dr. Truong.

Get to Know Your Teeth

  • Humans develop two separate sets of teeth in our lifetimes; our first set consists of 20 baby teeth (or milk teeth) that usually begin to fall out by age six. Our baby teeth are replaced by our 32 permanent teeth, which grow in stages until about 12 years old (the last teeth to grow in are our wisdom teeth, which typically begin to grown in during the late teens and early twenties.
  • Our mouths contain four different kinds of permanent teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars (wisdom teeth are considered third, or last, molars).
  • The human tooth is divided into two main parts: the crown, which protrudes above the gum line and is the only part of the tooth that is visible.  The crown is protected by a layer of enamel, a highly mineralized substance that is almost as hard as diamond. The enamel does not extend under the gum line to protect the second half of your tooth, the root, which anchors into your supporting jaw bone. (more…)

filed under: Dallas Dentist, Oral Health

Dallas Dentist Explains the Rule of Seven for Healthy Teeth

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Do you maintain a disciplined oral hygiene routine by brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day, but your teeth still develop cavities? Rest easy, you’re not going crazy. There is a scientific reason why your teeth can still be susceptible to decay, even if you maintain an exceptional daily routine. Dallas dentist Dr. Truong explains how the rule of seven can reduce acid attacks on your teeth in between brushing times.

Seven Minutes and Counting…

If you brush your teeth twelve hours apart, you are probably doing a good job of controlling the bacterial population within your mouth before it has a chance to infect your oral tissue. Unfortunately, it only takes seven minutes for the acid from your food to cause damage to your teeth. The first “seven” in the Rule of Seven is the natural pH (acid alkaline balance) of your mouth. A pH of seven means your mouth is neutral (seven is also the pH of water). If a solution has a pH of less than seven, it is considered acidic. When foods and beverages drop the pH level in your mouth to 5.5 or below, the acids begin to attack your teeth. In normal cases, your saliva has natural pH-balancing properties that help regulate the acidity in your mouth to prevent it from attacking. However, what we eat can change the pH of saliva as well. The second “seven” measures an amount of time; it only takes seven minutes for your teeth to incur damage from acid attacks, which leads to tooth decay (cavities). (more…)

filed under: Nutrition, Oral Health

Is Bottled Water Really Better than Tap?

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If you asked a random person this question, you’d have about a 50% chance of them agreeing that bottled water is indeed better than tap. Judging by the $50 to $100 billion that America spends on bottled water every year, a safe assumption would be that many people agree. Contrary to popular belief, however, mass agreement does not make something true. Your Dallas area dentist Dr. Truong gives you these facts that may make you think twice before shelling out your hard earned money for a few ounces of water.

Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

  • Assuming that a 20 oz. bottle of water costs one dollar, the bottle would equal out to five cents an ounce. At approximately one cent per gallon, tap water proves undeniably more economical than bottled water.
  • Aside from cost, one of the main advantages of tap water is fluoride. By 1960, water fluoridation was widely used throughout the United States and continues today. Studies have shown that small amounts of fluoride (the common ratio of fluoride to water is 1:1,000,000) can help promote healthy teeth and prevent the formation of dental caries (cavities). Fluoride is a major mineral in the formation of your tooth’s enamel, and fluoride treatment can strengthen enamel by replenishing it with this mineral. By contrast, bottled water has little to no fluoride and even less benefit to your oral health. (more…)

filed under: General Dentistry, Nutrition

The History of Dental Sedation

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Dentistry evolves as innovative treatments and methods are introduced. Nitrous oxide has been used to relieve discomfort and minimize dental fear since the 1840s, and sedation techniques have changed the way many people feel about their dental visits. Although these procedures have improved throughout history, making them safer and more effective than ever before, about 30 percent of Americans today still avoid visiting the dentist due to anxiety. Let’s take a look at the history of dental sedation and how Dr. Truong can use this treatment to calm your nerves.

Beginning of Sedation Dentistry

In 1845, Horace Wells introduced the use of nitrous oxide as an anesthetic agent, but audiences were unimpressed by his demonstration. Instead, most of the credit for sedation dentistry goes to a Massachusetts dentist named William Morton. Dr. Morton wanted a powerful agent to help avoid dental discomfort. In 1846, after experimenting with ether, Dr. Morton treated Eben Frost for a terrible toothache. Dr. Morton used ether to successfully sedate Frost while he extracted the tooth. After Morton’s public demonstration, the use of general anesthetics became widely accepted.

President Abraham Lincoln would later attest to the pain-alleviating qualities of anesthesia. During one visit, his dentist broke part of his jaw during an extraction without anesthesia. President Lincoln developed dental anxiety as a result of the incident. In 1862, before having a tooth extracted due to severe pain, Lincoln inhaled a container of ether to calm his uneasiness. (more…)

filed under: Dallas Dentist, Sedation Dentistry

Dallas Dentist Gives a Brief History of the Toothbrush

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Arguably the most important of your dental hygiene tools, the toothbrush is a deceptively simple instrument. It consists of a handle and a head with bristles attached to it, yet the modern toothbrush has only been around for a couple of hundred years. The idea of tooth care, however, is much older than that. This week, take a trip through the evolution of the toothbrush with Viva Dental.

Toothbrush History

  • Civilizations as old as the Babylonians chewed on sticks that resembled large toothpicks to keep their teeth clean and their breath fresh.
  • The chewing stick was shortened and modified around 1600 BC in China. The Chinese chew stick was about the size of a pencil with a pointed end to use as a toothpick. The other end was softened and used as a sort of brush.
  • In the Middle Ages, the Chinese revolutionized the toothbrush again with the advent of the first bristled brush. The bristles were made of cold-climate hog’s hair and were attached to a bamboo stick. (more…)

filed under: General Dentistry, Oral Health

Dallas Dentist Gives You the Facts About Milk

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Every morning, millions of people start their day washing breakfast down with a glass of milk. The benefits of milk are widely known, especially the calcium it provides to strengthen your bones and keep your body strong. But can milk help your teeth, also? Milk’s effects on your teeth are not often discussed, but you may not be surprised to learn that milk is as important to your dental health as it is to your overall wellbeing. June is National Dairy Month, and to celebrate, Dr. Truong offers these interesting facts about the most important beverage of the day.

Fun Milk Facts

  • Milk contains high levels of calcium and phosphate; the same mineral found in your tooth enamel. Sugars and starches can turn the bacteria and plaque in your mouth acidic, causing them to attack your tooth enamel. Acidic bacteria drain the minerals from your enamel, making it weak and vulnerable to decay. Drinking milk replenishes these minerals so your enamel can become strong again.
  • About 90% of your body’s calcium rests in your bones and teeth. When blood calcium levels are low, your body takes calcium from your bones and teeth to regulate blood levels. (more…)

filed under: General Dentistry, Oral Health