How Can I Prevent Gingivitis, Periodontitis, and Oral Cancer?
Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums in your mouth. Proper brushing, flossing and seeing your dentist and dental hygienist every six months for a dental cleaning will treat or prevent gingivitis from occurring. Periodontitis is destruction of the bone under the gums due to buildup of calculus (tartar) and caused by a colonization of a destructive type of bacteria. This is due to lack of (or improper) brushing, flossing, and a failure to have your dentist or dental hygienist remove the calculus on a three-to-six month basis. Some reports detail that the destructive bacteria can be transmitted through kissing or an infected person's toothbrush. Here again, the solution is keep your regularly scheduled dental hygiene appointments. Oral cancer can occur on the tongue, gums, cheeks, roof of the mouth, and throat. Increased risk to get oral cancer has been attributed to the Papilloma virus, smokeless tobacco, alcohol and cigarette use, cigars, and ill-fitting dentures or partial dentures. At every dental hygiene appointment, we do a gum diseases and oral cancer screening. We welcome new patients, so even if it’s been a long time since you’ve seen a dentist, call 301-258-1998 to schedule an appointment so we can help you get back on track.
Do I Need to Floss When I Brush My Teeth?
Flossing removes plaque and food from areas where your toothbrush doesn’t reach. Rinsing with a mouthwash can help loosen particles, but there’s no substitute for the manual removal that floss provides. It’s important to know that any remaining plaque not removed after brushing will turn to tartar (a rough, hard surface), which can only be removed by your dental hygienist. Flossing keeps your gums healthy and tartar levels down, which makes your routine dental cleanings much more comfortable and helps with the prevention of gum disease. Learn more about dental cleanings and schedule your appointment here.
Am I Healthy Enough for Dental Implants?
Patients with uncontrolled diabetes, undergoing Chemotherapy for Cancer, or actively taking some IV drugs for Osteoporosis are not ideal candidates for dental implants. However, smoking, controlled diabetes, osteoporosis, or previous cancer treatments do not rule out successful placement or restoration of dental implants. A complete medical history, sometimes in consultation with your general physician, will allow us to ensure your health and safety while focusing on the longevity of a well-placed dental implant. Call 301-258-1998 or schedule an appointment to learn more.
How Do I Know if My Headaches Could be Caused by My TMJ?
There are two quick, easy ways to know if your headaches are caused by muscle pain around the TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint): The first way to tell is if many mornings you wake up with a headache. This indicates that you are clenching or grinding your teeth during the night and putting destructive stress on the joint. Often, an uncomplicated bite guard—to be worn during sleeping—can greatly reduce or completely eliminate the headaches. Once the headaches are much better, other tests should be done to determine the exact reason the grinding is causing the headaches. The second way to tell is if you have been diagnosed with migraine headaches or many physicians can not find an exact cause of your headaches and you have had MRIs, migraine medication, acupuncture, or other pain relieving therapies (excluding opioids), but nothing reliably gets rid of the headache. In this case, the headache pain is most likely caused by the TMJ in front of the ear and affecting muscles of the head. The dentists at Gordon Center for General & Advanced Dentistry know the most up-to-date TMJ treatments and can help you feel better quickly. We also refer to the top experts if a case is extremely advanced. Click here or call 301-258-1998 to schedule your appointment now.
Can I Put My Baby to Sleep With a Bottle?
As far as dental hygiene is concerned, this a habit that you would ideally avoid. Unlike when you give a child a bottle during the day and they digest it before sleeping, if you put a child to bed with milk or juice—especially an older child who does not need it for sustenance but has just grown accustomed to it—the sugars in that drink will sit on their teeth all night and can cause cavities. If it makes you feel any better, we have to give adults who go to sleep with cough drops the same news. When you go to sleep, you want to avoid any sugars coating your teeth all night long.
How Soon Can I Be Seen With a Dental Emergency?
Our philosophy has always been to take care of our patients. We understand that dental emergencies may not occur during regular business hours, and we will do our best to make you comfortable as soon as possible. During normal business hours, we make same-day appointments for our regular patients who are experiencing dental pain, sudden cracked teeth or have lost a crown. If you encounter a severe dental problem outside normal office hours on a holiday, weekend, or in the middle of the night, you can contact our office at 301-258-1998 for instructions on how to reach Dr. Gordon. If you are a new patient, we will find the next available new patient appointment during normal business hours, so that along with addressing your symptoms, we can be sure to gain a full dental picture, so our treatment contributes to your overall health. Because of our longstanding relationships with local specialist providers, if you need to see a specialist, we can usually facilitate the scheduling of an appointment within one to two business days.