Dr. Henry Ward

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The Reasons Your Family Dentist Wants You To Avoid Soda

There aren’t many of us out there without a sweet tooth. We’re born with it, and we all find different ways to satisfy it. While most of us enjoy a soda occasionally, some of us just can’t seem to stop sipping throughout the day.

Can it really be that bad, though? We’re here to tell you that drinks like soda can have a significant negative impact on your oral health. How?

The Sugar: If you asked most people why you should avoid soda, they say “so that you don’t get cavities.” Very true. The bacteria in your mouth absolutely loves the sugar in soda, and they multiply and get in between your teeth and start eating away at anything and everything that they find edible. But don’t start thinking that sugar-free sodas will save you, because it’s not so much the sugar that’s destroying your enamel. It’s…

The Acid: Acid is what’s really wrecking your teeth. If you remember the ph scale from high school, 7 is neutral (water), and 0 is battery acid. Most sodas are under 3, meaning that they’re closer to battery acid than they are to water! Every time you sip soda, you’re covering your teeth with acid, and it takes 20 to 30 minutes for that enamel to harden back to it’s normal strength. If you brush afterwards, it’s exponentially worse because the abrasive toothpaste and toothbrush are now harder than your soft enamel.

Dr. Henry-Ward would like to suggest that you avoid sugary and acidic drinks as much as possible in order to preserve the health of your teeth. Is it time to see your family dentist and discuss your oral health? Schedule an appointment today!

Changes That Occur in Your Mouth When You Need to Seriously Consider Seeing Your Clayton Dentist Right Away

Fortunately, problems you have with your mouth are often just temporary nuisances. For example, you could suffer from bad breath after dinner at an Italian restaurant or suffer a blister on the roof of your mouth from eating pizza that was way too hot. Now, these minor problems are not anything you need to fret about as they will go away in due time, but there are changes that occur in your mouth that might be cause for concern. In other words, there are changes that occur in your mouth when you need to seriously consider seeing your Clayton dentist right away. Here are a few symptoms you should not ignore.

At the first indication of a toothache, you should schedule an appointment with your Clayton dentist. You may feel if you wait long enough, the pain will simply go away. But unfortunately, the pain will in all likelihood continue to get worse. You could also actually lose the tooth if you wait for too long for treatment.

You can suffer jaw pain for any number of reasons, including due to a toothache, teeth grinding and sinus problems. Regardless the underlying cause for your jaw pain, you need to seek the services of a gentle dentist to diagnose and resolve the problem.

Temporary bad breath is embarrassing, but no cause for alarm. However, prolonged bad breath is a warning sign for gum disease or something even more serious. So it is best of you call your dentist straight away.

Take care of your teeth and they will take care of you!

When It’s Time To Stop In And See Your Local Dentist

Winsome with patient in chairMost people stop in to see their local dentist once or twice a year in order to check up on their teeth and to get a cleaning. But if it’s just been a month since your last cleaning and you’re now experiencing pain in your mouth that wasn’t there before, don’t wait the five months until your next appointment before getting things checked out.

When your teeth hurt: If your teeth hurt, it can be a sign of many different problems. Perhaps your enamel isn’t as thick as it should be, or perhaps you’re not enjoying hot or cold foods and liquids because they’re causing you pain. Any change in the way your teeth feel should be followed up on immediately.

When your gums hurt: Sometimes your gums hurt if you had overly-acidic foods or if you bit down on a tortilla chips the wrong way. But if your gums hurt for more than a couple of days, something is wrong. It could be gingivitis starting up, or maybe you’re brushing so much that you’re wearing your gums away. It could also be a sign of something wrong with your overall health, and we’d like to help you identify it before it gets too bad.

When you’ve experienced trauma: This one can be pretty obvious…when you have a tooth knocked out, you’ll want to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible. But sometimes dental trauma isn’t so obvious. You might feel a loose tooth and simply hope that it heals on its own, but that can be a problem if it heals in the wrong position. If you’ve been hit in the face, whether it’s in a bar fight or a friendly game of football, you’ll want to come in and see your dentist to get things checked out.

Teeth problems can go from inconvenient to bad to horrible in a short time, so it’s best to never take the “wait and see” approach. Stop by and see Dr. Henry-Ward whenever you’re experiencing new pain in your mouth!

Use it or Lose it Dental Insurance

Did you know that dental insurance companies make millions of dollars a year on patients who don’t realize that their insurance plans cover up to a certain amount annually. But, insurance companies aren’t going to remind people of this and reduce their own profit margin.

If patients do not use up the annual insurance coverage they have, it does not roll over into the next year and they lose that money that they could have used. So, now is the time to schedule that dentist appointment that you’ve been avoiding before your insurance runs out. Call our office today at 314-862-1118 to schedule an appointment.

What is Scaling and Root Planing

There are 64 million adults that have gum disease in America. Scaling and root planing is a common treatment that dentists use to treat gum disease.

When you don’t remove plaque and tartar with daily cleaning and dental hygiene, the bacteria can multiply which creates more plaque and tartar, and more bacteria, ad infinitum. This can eventually lead to sensitive gums that bleed when brushing and flossing. This is considered the very beginning sign of gum disease. If not properly treated, the plaque and tartar start to form pockets under the gum line which can lead to tooth decay and tooth loss.

So, what is scaling and root planing you ask? This is also known as non-surgical periodontal therapy, or deep cleaning. It is the process of removing dental plaque, bacteria, and calculus. Scaling is the process of removing calculus and plaque attached to the tooth, it targets below the gum line, and along the root. Plaque is more likely to stick to uneven surfaces, so your dentist smooths the irregular surfaces on the root of the tooth and removes any remaining calculus, this is called root planing.

Be sure to brush and floss to avoid the need for this procedure. And ensure that you see the dentist for your six month check up and regular cleaning.

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