What Happens During a Dental Cleaning?

No matter how much you diligently brush or floss your teeth at home, harmful bacteria grow in your mouth that can only be removed by a dental professional. These bacteria can cause gum disease and significantly affect your overall health. Here at Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group, Dr. Fredrick Shaw will use professional tools to remove plaque, tartar and bacteria build-up that you are unable to efficiently remove yourself.

According to the Academy of General Dentistry, it is recommended that a dentist or hygienist perform a dental cleaning every six months. The professional dental cleaning reinforces the home-care oral health regimen of brushing and flossing and gives the dentist an opportunity to locate areas in the mouth that may need special attention. During a teeth cleaning, our hygienists will thoroughly clean the area above and below the gum line with scaling tools to rid them of plaque and tartar. Once the surfaces are smooth, polishing is done using a slow speed handpiece with a soft rubber cup that spins on the end. Last but not least, the dentist flosses every crevice between your teeth. He or she may apply fluoride if needed.

If you need your teeth cleaned don’t wait any longer, call us today so we can help you maintain a healthy smile! To learn more about Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, call us at 512-451-7491 or visit our website, www.fredrickshawdds.com. 

Two Types of Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax, and central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Here at Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group, Dr. Fredrick Shaw utilizes oral surgery to help assist with sleep apnea.

When obstructive sleep apnea occurs, the muscles relax, your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in, and you can’t get an adequate breath in. Your brain senses this inability to breathe and briefly rouses you from sleep so you can reopen your airway. You may make a snorting, choking or gasping sound. When central sleep apnea occurs, you may awaken with shortness of breath or have a difficult time getting to sleep or staying asleep. Like with obstructive sleep apnea, snoring and daytime sleepiness can occur.

If you have sleep apnea, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, call us at 512-451-7491 or visit our website, www.fredrickshawdds.com. 

Choosing the Right Toothbrush

Picking the right toothbrush can mean the difference between reaching all areas of your mouth and frequently missing spaces that collect bacteria. At Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, proper dental hygiene education is one of our top priorities.

A major difference between toothbrushes is that some are electric and some are manual. While studies show that electric and manual toothbrushes do about the same job cleaning, electric toothbrushes may be easier for people with hand difficulties. For instance, patients with arthritis may be able to take better care of their mouth with an electric toothbrush since it handles a lot of the work.

Whether you choose electric or manual, a good grip on the handle is important. A small head is also recommended for reaching those hard-to-reach areas in the mouth. You want to make sure you can reach your back molars. When choosing the bristles, softer bristles are best for removing plaque. Bristles that are too stiff can irritate gums and actually wear down enamel. This can actually make you prone to cavities and lead to sensitivity.

Toothbrushes should help you take care of your mouth, not cause damage or promote disease. To learn more about Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, call us at (512) 451-7491 or visit our website, www.fredrickshawdds.com. 

Dental Bonding

Chips, cracks, discoloration, and misalignments can cause a smile to look less than picture-perfect. Fortunately, at Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, we can provide patients with dental bonding, a durable, affordable, and good-looking dental restoration.

Chips and cracks weaken teeth and can lead to further damage. In addition, they can really affect the look of your smile, the first thing most people notice about you. Thankfully, there is a solution here in our Austin, TX practice. Dental bonding is the process of using a tooth-colored composite resin to repair the tooth. It can fix chips, cracks, gaps, misalignments, and even discoloration. It is the same material used to fill a cavity.  Your dentist will lightly etch the surface of the tooth to create a strong bond, and the resin is shaped over the chip or gap. For whitening, the resin is painted over the whole tooth. The bonding is then allowed to harden. To give it the shine of a natural tooth, we finish off the bonding process with a good polishing.  

If you have recently chipped a tooth or worry that a filling will diminish the look of your smile, do not fear. Dental bonding can provide a strong and natural-looking restoration. To schedule your appointment with Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, call us at (512) 451-7491. More information about our practice can be found on our website, www.fredrickshawdds.com.