How to Choose a Safe and Effective Toothpaste

When choosing toothpaste, you want to make sure you are picking one that will suit your specific needs. You also want to make sure the toothpaste you are choosing is safe. At Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, we want to be sure our patients are taking excellent home care of their teeth. Read on to learn how to pick a safe and effective toothpaste.

The first thing to know is that the American Dental Association (ADA) labels toothpastes that they find both safe and effective at doing what it claims it will. You can look for the seal of approval on toothpaste to ensure you are making a healthy choice.

For whitening and tartar control toothpastes, especially, you will want to look for the ADA’s seal of acceptance. Whitening and tartar control toothpastes contain abrasive ingredients that can be harmful in too large of quantities.  

For sensitive teeth, toothpaste with potassium nitrate and strontium chloride are great. These help desensitize the nerves that create that uncomfortable sensitivity.

Kids will probably enjoy the many fun flavors that toothpastes have to offer. It may even get them more interested in brushing!

Along with brushing and flossing at home, it is important to see your dentist for routine cleanings and examinations. To schedule your appointment with Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group, call our Austin, TX office at (512) 451-7491. More information about our practice can be found on our website, www.fredrickshawdds.com. 

Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea can affect more than the quality of your sleep. It can also increase the risk of heart failure, hypertension, and stroke. Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX treat sleep apnea so patients can get back to a healthy night of sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues in the throat collapse during sleep. This narrows or completely closes the airway, so the patient has difficulty breathing. A patient may stop breathing a few times or hundreds of times per night.

Here at Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group, we treat our patients with obstructive sleep apnea through surgery. There are several options available, depending on the condition of the patient and history with past treatments. The first option is called an uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. In this procedure, the doctor removes some of the soft tissue that is blocking the airway. Another option is maxillomandibular advancement which moves the upper and lower parts of the jaw forward to create more room in the airway. When most other treatments and surgeries for obstructive sleep apnea do not work, a tracheostomy may be needed. This procedure creates an opening in the throat where a tube is placed for breathing during the night. During the day, the tube is removed and the opening is covered.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, act now to receive treatment. To schedule an appointment with Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, call our office at (512) 451-7491. For more information about our practice and how we treat sleep apnea, visit our website, www.fredrickshawdds.com. 

When is Crown Lengthening Required?

Sometimes, not enough of the tooth sticks out above the gum to support a filling or a dental crown. When this happens, crown lengthening is often required in preparing your tooth for the crown. Dental crown lengthening is a type of oral surgery that is necessary if you have a broken or decayed tooth at the gum line. However, there is no need to go to an oral surgeon because  Dr. Fredrick Shaw, DDS provides this service at Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group.

Crown lengthening procedures are done for restorative dentistry and/or to improve the esthetics of your smile. To place a filling or a crown, Dr. Fredrick Shaw, DDS needs to expose more of the tooth and crown lengthening will be necessary. Sometimes patients have what is considered a “gummy smile” when the teeth appear short and crown lengthening can be done to several teeth or your entire gum line to improve it, depending on your specific needs.

To learn about how the crown lengthening procedure is done, give us a call. To learn more about Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, call us at 512-451-7491 or visit our website, www.fredrickshawdds.com. 

Veneers to Restore Your Smile

At Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group, Dr. Fredrick Shaw, DDS offers veneers as an excellent way to redesign and reshape your entire mouth. Veneers are usually placed as an option for correcting stained, chipped decayed or crooked teeth. They are ultra-thin shells of ceramic (porcelain) or a composite resin material, which are bonded to the front of the teeth.

Veneers offer a conservative approach to changing a tooth’s color and shape and they generally don’t require the extensive shaping prior to the procedure that crowns do, yet offer a stronger most aesthetic alternative. In terms of the process to place veneers, it is a procedure that takes approximately two to three visits. The first step involves your active participation and you explaining to Dr. Fredick Shaw, DDS the goal you are trying to achieve. During this appointment, he will examine your teeth to make sure that veneers are appropriate for you and discuss what the procedure will involve.

If you wish to enhance the appearance of your smile or if you have questions about veneers, give us a call. To learn more about Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, call us at 512-451-7491 or visit our website, www.fredrickshawdds.com.