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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Nutrition and Oral Care

The foods you eat play a big role in the health of your teeth and gums. A steady diet of nutrients, fruits, and veggies makes teeth stronger and helps to avoid gum disease. At Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group we recommend patients avoid sugary and non-nutritious food to avoid tooth decay. Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease.


Studies have shown that it is more difficult for the tissues in your mouth to resist infection when your body is not getting enough nutrients. People whose diet contains a lot of fat and sugar are at a higher risk of developing gum disease at a younger age.


Properly cleaning your teeth by brushing and flossing is important to avoiding gum disease and cavities. Outside of visiting Dr. Fredrick Shaw, DDS twice a year for a cleaning, drinking plenty of water and eating plenty of fruits and veggies will lower the risk of bad oral health.


To learn more about nutrition and the services we provide at our practice, visit www.fredrickshawdds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Oral Cancer Screening

An oral cancer screening is performed by Dr. Fredrick Shaw to to look for signs of cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth. The goal of an oral cancer screening is to identify mouth cancer early and treat it.


Patients who regularly consume tobacco or alcohol put themselves at a higher risk for oral cancer, and a history of sun exposure is more likely to cause lip cancer. Treating oral cancer before it becomes an irreversible problem is crucial and patients should receive an oral cancer screening with our practice as a precaution.


The exam to test for oral cancer is painless and will consist of an ultraviolet light the dentist uses to examine the patient’s mouth and feel  for any lumps or abnormalities.


Lifestyle choices play a big role in the health of your mouth and the condition that your body is in. If you are a smoker or heavy drinker, make sure to get regular oral cancer screenings when you visit Dr. Fredrick Shaw.


To learn more about canker sores and the services we provide at our practice, visit www.fredrickshawdds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

Friday, January 18, 2019

Tongue Care

Good oral hygiene begins with brushing and flossing your teeth, using fluoride, and avoiding as much as sugary and acidic foods as possible. It is also important to brush your tongue. Even though your tongue can’t develop cavities, it attracts bacteria that hide in the crevices and will stay there until brushed. The consequences of not brushing your tongue are bad breath and tooth damage.


There are a few ways to maintain good oral care of your tongue and the first one is a tongue scraper which can be found in most drug stores. These scrapers help to clear bacteria while improving the appearance and sensation of your tongue. Traditional toothbrushes will work just fine to clean your tongue as all you need to do is brush back and forth, side to side, and rinse with water. Over-brushing of the tongue can break the skin so once all the areas of the tongue have been brushed, simply rinse and you are good to go.


To learn more about canker sores and the services we provide at our practice, visit www.fredrickshawdds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Swelling following Tooth Extractions

Our job at the Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin is to replace teeth and help preserve them, but there are occasions when a tooth has to be removed. Hopefully, the process will be the simple extraction of a natural tooth, but even then, some swelling is natural and expected. We find that patients feel more confident about the procedure when they know what to expect and how to stay as comfortable as possible.


The loss of a tooth triggers the immune system’s inflammatory response. The patient’s blood should quickly clot, sealing off the empty socket from harmful bacteria, so the patient may try to prevent inflammation from increasing. The best way to do this is through the use of cold packs. They should be held against the mouth for fifteen minutes at a time, with fifteen minutes allowed to elapse between applications. The packs should be dry. Swelling can be expected to peak on the third day, and patients should call us if it continues to increase after that.


Once swelling has maximized, patients can try reducing it by using heat packs to speed blood flow out of the extraction region. For their safety, they should follow the same fifteen-on/fifteen-off protocol. Swelling should usually disappear within a week. If the extraction was complex, swelling may be more severe, and patients will have to return to our office anyway to have the sutures removed.


Frederick Shaw, DDS, operates the Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group at 1500 W 38th Street, Suite 34, Austin, Texas, 78731. To schedule an appointment, call 512-451-7491 or visit Frederick Shaw DDS and fill out a contact form.