Preventive Dentistry

Through preventive dental services provided by Dr. Fredrick Shaw, patients will avoid dental problems and save money, while having a clean and healthy smile. Preventive dentistry is the practice of caring for your teeth to keep them in optimal health. Dr. Fredrick Shaw helps patients avoid periodontal disease, bad breath, cavities, and tooth loss through professional cleanings and oral exams.

The goal of preventive dentistry is to reduce the negative impact of oral diseases and improve the quality of life for people who already have them. Dr. Fredrick Shaw may make nutritional suggestions such as reducing the amount of sugar in your diet to prevent cavities and/or screening for oral cancer. Through proper home care and regular dental visits, you will improve the health of your smile as well as your overall wellbeing.

If you have questions or concerns about preventive dental services, please give us a call. To learn more about services we provide at the practice, visit FredrickShawDDS.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

Oral Appliances For Sleep Apnea

If you are suffering from sleep apnea and have yet to find relief should visit Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group and see if a COAT device is the solution to your sleep woes.  The most common treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine.  These work by forcefully pumping oxygen into the patient’s mask and up the nose.   CPAP machines are effective, but some patients find the mask uncomfortable or overwhelming.  Continuous open airway therapy (COAT) devices work by aligning the jaw stabilizing the mouth to preserve the openness of the airway.  This helps get maximum oxygen flow without a machine. 

We are happy to recommend oral appliances for patients who will benefit from this treatment.  These devices vary in size and design, but each style is meant to stabilize the jaw and control the tongue to keep the airway open.  A consultation is the only way to find out which type of device is the best fit for you.  If you have questions or concerns regarding sleep disorders, please give us a call. To learn more about sleep apnea and treatment, visit FredrickShawDDS.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

What Is TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw bone (mandible) to the temporal bones in your skull, in front of each ear.  A general term for any problem or issue with this joint is temporomandibular disorder, or TMD. Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group can help patients prevent and recover from negative effects of TMD.

Patients that grind or clench their teeth often end up with a sore jaw.  Other patients experience injuries with facial trauma that cause jaw pain, or result in the patient feeling their jaw gets stuck or ‘locks’ in either an open or closed position.  A custom night guard keeps the jaw in a neutral position during sleep, and this helps many patients find relief from TMD symptoms.  For any pain, your dentist may recommend an over-the-counter painkiller or warm and cold compresses.  To prevent further discomfort, you may be assigned stretches for your jaw. 

Whatever your symptoms, you don’t have to suffer with discomfort in your jaw.  To learn more about TMD and the services we provide at the practice, visit FredrickShawDDS.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

Bruxism Causes and Treatment

Bruxism is the name for a condition in which a patient grinds his or her teeth while awake or during sleep. The teeth will grind and rub together as the jaw moves forcefully either side to side or back and forth. People who have bruxism may not even be aware that they have it that is until they notice jaw pain and stiffness, sore gums, or sensitive teeth. Once bruxism is diagnosed, Dr. Fredrick Shaw may suggest a night guard.

Teeth grinding commonly occurs at night while the patient is asleep. Many people have a mild case of bruxism that is mild and doesn’t require specific treatment. If the grinding is severe, Dr. Shaw may suggest a night guard to wear during sleep. A night guard will help alleviate pressure on the jaw and protect teeth from further damage. If bruxism is caused by a misaligned bite or broken teeth, Dr. Shaw may suggest orthodontic treatment or dental crowns.

If you have questions or concerns about bruxism causes and treatment, please give us a call. To learn more about services we provide at the practice, visit FredrickShawDDS.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

Health Risks Associated with Snoring

Snoring is a nuisance to our sleeping partners (or us), but when does it become a cause for concern? Everyone jokes about snoring, and occasional snoring isn’t very serious, but when snoring grows loud and frequent, it can actually be a symptom of an underlying condition, such as sleep apnea. Snoring occurs when the flow of air through the mouth and nose is physically obstructed. To properly diagnose and treat this condition, it’s best to schedule a consultation with Dr. Fredrick Shaw of Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group.

If you or your partner is aware that you (or they) snore, don’t ignore treatment. Recent studies show that the intensity of snoring is associated with stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain, and/or mental health issues such as depression. This is because snoring is usually linked to a sleep disorder, and sleep disorders host a variety of health problems. Depending on the severity of snoring, treatment may range from a night guard to surgery.

If you have questions or concerns about sleep apnea or sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, please give us a call. To learn more about services we provide at the practice, visit FredrickShawDDS.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

Intraoral Cameras

Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group takes pride in offering the best dental care and the latest dental technology to our patients.  The intraoral camera we use is an exciting tool that allows the mouth to be seen from previously impossible angles. This technology has proven very helpful in capturing images needed for procedure approval from insurance companies, but it will also change a typical dental office visit.

The tiny camera’s view is projected onto a monitor, making the same angle of the mouth visible to both doctor and patient at once. These views can help patients who don’t know a premolar from an incisor describe an area or a problem more accurately.  Providing more details can also help a patient better understand and follow their dentists’ plan of care for their mouth.  We hope this technology engages patients and helps you and your dentist better understand how to care for your mouth together.

To learn more about our intraoral camera and all the technology we use, visit FredrickShawDDS.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.

Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery

The staff of Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group sees many patients who are unhappy with their smile. The look of your smile includes your gums, and even patients without any damage to their teeth feel like their gums keep them from enjoying their best smile.  Some people naturally have more gum tissue than others and it results in a gummy smile, while others have less gum tissue that gives a look of elongated teeth. 

We offer cosmetic periodontal surgery so that any patient can have their perfect smile.  Cosmetic periodontal surgery is a technical way of saying sculpting the gum line, and each procedure is different depending on the patient’s goal.  Soft tissue grafts can be placed to extend the gum line, or excess gum tissue can be removed to expose more tooth.  The result is a visually pleasing ratio of tooth to gums that creates an even smile! If you think your smile would benefit from cosmetic periodontal surgery, please contact us.

To learn more about cosmetic periodontal surgery and all the services we offer, visit FredrickShawDDS.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fredrick Shaw in Austin, TX, call 512-451-7491.