Porcelain Veneers

We here at Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group want you to be confident in your smile. If you’re worried about your teeth color, shape, or alignment, consider Porcelain Veneers. Dr. Frederick Shaw offers these cosmetic services and more to his patients.

Our veneers are made of a thin layer of durable porcelain that replicates natural tooth enamel. When bonded to your teeth veneers create a whole new smile. The first step when choosing veneers is understanding exactly what you want your new smile to look like. Color is one of the biggest factors to choose from. Veneers can come in all shades of white, from natural to Hollywood-level brightness. Various sizes and shapes are available too. It’s recommended to do some research beforehand so you can decide what will look best.

Once a plan has been agreed upon, the next step is to prepare a mold of your teeth. This mold is sent to a dental laboratory to create your custom veneers. In the meantime, you will receive temporary veneers to wear. The permanent veneers will later be cemented onto your teeth. Just like with your natural teeth, make sure to brush and floss every day. Regular checkups with Dr. Shaw will ensure that your veneers and teeth are healthy.

Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group is located in Austin, TX. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Frederick Shaw, D.D.S., feel free to contact us through our website or by calling 512-451-7491.

 

Occlusal Adjustment

After a night of sleeping, do you ever wake up with a sore jaw? Experience pain when eating or talking? When you bite, do you feel like your jaw is lopsided? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may need an Occlusal Adjustment.

Dr. Frederick Shaw, D.D.S. of Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group can help you adjust and correct the alignment of your bite. This misalignment is a result of loose, shifting, crowded, or missing teeth. Evenly adjusting your bite will take irregular pressure off the mouth. Occlusal adjustment causes minimal to no pain, and very little discomfort.

Before the procedure, Dr. Shaw utilizes new technology to help locate at-risk areas. A computer scan of the mouth takes hundreds of bite registrations per minute, noticing even the smallest irregularity. This allows us to make adjustments that are only absolutely necessary.

During the procedure, Dr. Shaw will adjust the jaw by using a dental drill. Removable mouthpieces, similar to mouth or night guards, are also used. These will protect the tooth surface and relax the jaw muscles once the adjustment is complete.

What qualifies a good candidate for occlusal adjustment? Patients with loose and shifting teeth have found success, along with patients experiencing bruxism (teeth grinding) and uneven bite and pressure distribution. If you suspect that you may need an occlusal adjustment, schedule an appointment through the contact information below.

Visit Shoal Creek Prosthodontic Group in Austin, TX, or contact Dr. Frederick Shaw, D.D.S. online or over the phone. More information can be found on our website www.fredrickshawdds.com, or by calling us at 512-451-7491.

 

Canker Sores

Canker sores, also called aphthous ulcers, are small, shallow lesions that develop on the soft tissues in your mouth or at the base of your gums. Canker sores aren’t contagious but can be extremely painful and make chewing and drinking difficult.

The duration of a canker sore vary but they usually last anywhere from a couple days to a couple of weeks. Canker sores are a more oval shape and vary in size depending on the severity of it. Patients who are sensitive to certain foods can trigger canker sores along with anxiety, facial injuries, and a diet that lacks iron.

Teens and young adults are the most common demographic for canker sores and females are more likely to experience canker sores than males.

Although there is no exact cure for canker sores, rinsing your mouth a few times a day with warm water after meals and before bed helps. Avoiding sugary and acid foods are helpful and trying to keep stress to a minimum.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 38^th 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.