10 Easy, Cost-Effective Fixes For Common Dental Problems

Do you freak out when you hear the words your dental treatment will cost you…….. ?

Before you down an entire bottle of Tums, take a deep breath and read on.

If you want to keep the cost of dental treatment from out-growing your budget, there’s no better way to do it than prevention. Do your due diligence, and unpleasant surprises will stay few and far between.

Still, life–and teeth–have a way of putting a kink in your plans, so here are 10 easy and cost-effective tools and fixes for most common dental ailments:

1. Warm salt water rinses

Most gum irritations–be they red, sensitive or puffy–come to heel when subjected to a regimen of warm salt water rinses. The salt draws the irritant (or infection) to the surface, where the body eliminates it, and also helps neutralize the acidic environment that fosters bacteria.

Cost: < $1

2. Floss

If you haven’t discovered the power of floss, you’re missing out on one of THE most effective dental tools. It keeps teeth clean, lowers risk of cavities, prevents gum disease, and a bonus: helps prevent bad breath. Its slightly-less-powerful-but-still-effective brethren include tooth picks, proxa brushes, Sonic floss (if you like gadgets), etc.

Cost: ~$2

3. Tongue cleaner

Is it me or do you smell something? Ahem.

Get this handy gadget if you want to part ways with bad breath. This nifty tool will help get the funk off your tongue and make friends with fresh breath.

Cost:~$2

4. Sensitivity tooth paste

Teeth and gums throwing temperature tantrums? Mild-but-constant sensitivity to cold foods and drinks can be soothed into submission with a desensitizing tooth paste in just a few days.

Cost: ~$2-$5 

5. Dental/orthodontic wax

Whether you’re in braces or have a chipped tooth and can’t get to the dentist right away, dental/orthodontic wax is easily gettable from any drugstore, preventing excessive gum irritation and keeping you comfortable.

Cost: ~$4

6. Orabase

Pizza burn? Hot coffee burn? Orabase is a handy topical numbing agent that can soothe minor burns in your mouth and get those gums and tissues to start healing.

Cost: ~$6

7. High flouride tooth paste

Darn those cavities! While there’s no substitute for good oral care at home and regular maintenance at your dentist’s, you can still aim a good power punch at cavities-to-be by using a prescription strength high flouride tooth paste. This is especially useful if you’re prone to getting cavities, but would rather not.

Cost: ~$15-$25 per tube

8. Electric toothbrush

Now, this one doesn’t qualify as “low-cost”….or does it?? Let’s see.

It cleans your mouth better, lowers risk of gum disease, helps prevent gums from receeding, picks up some of the slack if you don’t floss daily, and removes daily stains more effectively and thus keeps teeth fresher and brighter.

So yes, it’s a small chunk of change up front but saves you a ton of $$ over the long haul.

Cost: $100-175 (for a GOOD one)

7. Night guard

Bring out the cavalry, I’m getting on my soap box. Teeth grinding/clenching can chip, grind or break your teeth, cause jaw soreness or pain, and wear out your existing crowns and fillings faster. A night guard is a great non-invasive (i.e. no drill) solution. One guard, less dental work. Plus, many dental insurances cover it.

Cost: ~$300-$600

10. Regular dental check ups

Yes, this IS an easy and cost-effective fix. It costs less to keep up with check ups and annual x-rays to catch cavities when they’re small rather than waiting till they turn into toothaches, root canals and crowns… or worse, losing your teeth.

On the flip side, some NOT so effective fixes: aspirin (for pain), paint on whiteners, overuse of baking soda, whitening mouthwashes, antibiotics (which are often temporary fixes because they treat symptoms, not the problem).

Cost: a lot less than if you didn’t

Don’t want to pay high dental bills? Then form good habits, be consistent, get basic tools, and get regular dental check ups (i.e. good maintenance)…and your stay in the dentist’s chair will be short and sweet.

Need more? Or just need to get started? Call us, email us, or Facebook us:

(214) 522-3110   www.raodentistry.com    Facebook: Rao Dentistry

Image: Meawpong3405

When It Comes To Your Teeth . . . WTF?

When was the last time you took a shower?

Today? Or maybe yesterday?

Did you make sure you  . . . um . . . visited all your body parts, or did you skip a few? Maybe you thought, eh, I don’t need to wash my feet or under my arms today. Perhaps next week.

Most likely, you didn’t. Why would anyone? There’s nothing like feeling clean from head to toe.

Yet most people do skip getting totally clean when it comes to their mouth.

So I have to ask.

W.T.F.?

Where’s The Floss?

Millions of bacteria live in our mouth, and the whole purpose of keeping it clean is to keep their numbers low. Brushing alone gets rid of only 2/3 of the bacteria, leaving the other 1/3 to grow and prosper at your expense.

So why give a floss?

Well, for starters, bacteria begin to collect and form plaque, the white film that coats your teeth and can be (mostly) removed by brushing. Without flossing, plaque continues to hang out in nooks and crannies your toothbrush can’t reach. These bacteria then release compounds that cause bad breath, as well as acid that starts to feast on your tooth enamel, making it more prone to cavities.

Eventually, plaque hardens to form tartar. Now, neither brushing nor flossing can be fully effective. Tartar or ‘calculus’ (no, not the math) needs the fine tools and skills utilized by your dentist or hygienist to be removed completely.

Let’s say you decide there’s no flossin’ way and skip that too.

Now tartar gets serious. The bacteria release toxins that first irritate the gums causing gingivitis and over time lead to periodontal disease, which affects not only the gums but also the bone that keeps your teeth in place. Once this bone starts to shrink away, it can’t grow back, and then the teeth get loose and fall out-cavity or not.

So you see, there is a method to the madness.

Adding flossing to your daily routine (once a day is plenty) will not only keep your gums healthy and your breath fresh, it’ll keep you miles away from periodontal disease. And the hillbilly look.

To repeat my question: W.T.F.?

You may now answer: I’m a flossing genius.

(214) 522-3110        www.raodentistry.com

If you’d like to know about finer flossing, or how to keep your teeth in your head for the long haul, call or email us!

Share this on Facebook or Twitter or email it to your friends. Chances are they want to keep their teeth too.

5 Embarrassing Questions You’re Afraid to Ask . . . Answered!

Have you ever lost your nerve when trying to ask a question, for fear that it was too embarrassing?

I bet you have. So have I.

Worrying what others may think often inhibits us from getting the solutions we want. As a result, the problem becomes a nagging stress and we either try to ignore it (bad idea) or watch from the sidelines as it gets bigger (even worse idea).

Questions about teeth and oral health are no exception, so to make it easy for you, here is a list of some questions you might hesitate to ask, and their answers.

1. Q: How can I get rid of bad breath?

A: Unless you are open to relocating to a desert island to live a life of solitude, bad breath should be acknowledged and addressed. The easiest way to fresher breath is one that most people neglect-brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth and floss! Beyond this, avoid mouthwashes high in alcohol (too drying), smoking (too many toxins), and dehydration (so drink plenty of water).

2. Q: Do I really need teeth whitening?

A: While there is no functional benefit to whiter teeth, there is no denying our society considers it an attractive feature. From boosting your self-image to creating a good impression at your job interview, a winning smile can make a difference. With so many safe and affordable options available today, you can definitely give it a try. And if you are happy with the way your teeth look as they are, go on your merry way.

3. Q: Which floss is the best?

A: The kind you use in between your teeth and go up and down with. No kidding.

4. Q: Do I really need x-rays on my teeth every year?

A: Unfortunately, dentists are human and thus not blessed with Superman-like x-ray vision. To make matters worse, cavities in between teeth, random tumors in the jaw bone or bone defects positively refuse to show themselves to the naked eye. So if you want your dentist to provide you with best care he/she can with their non-superhero powers, the answer is “yes”. (However, exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.)

5. Q: Why should I get my teeth cleaned every 6 months?

A:  Maintenance. Almost anything worth having requires consistent effort, and that includes a healthy human body. The 6-month teeth cleaning schedule is based on how long it takes for bacteria in your mouth to grow to levels that can increase risk of decay and gum disease. Some people need to be seen even sooner. At the end of the day, however, it is a recommendation, not law. Discuss it with your dentist to see which fits you best.

I will also add that almost all dental insurances cover two check-ups and cleanings per year, and if dental fear is a concern, click here.

I hope you found these answers helpful, and I encourage you to ask these (and other) questions of your dentist. Just so you know, any good dentist will NOT find them embarrassing at all. In fact, your honesty will be appreciated and so will the opportunity to help solve problems and be of service!

Have more questions, embarrassing or not? Call (214) 522-3110, ask on our Facebook page here, or in the comments!

www.raodentistry.com

PS: It is our aim to make this blog a helpful (and somewhat entertaining ) resource for YOU. We would love for you to be interactive and offer feedback, so don’t hesitate-get your fingers tapping on the keyboard and let us know!

Burn, Baby Burn

Imagine this:

He’s at a swanky cocktail party. A gorgeous, sexy woman in a jaw-dropping slinky dress gives him the ‘come hither’ look. Curiosity (and temptation) win out and he heads over. He says hello. She waves a cigarette and says, “Got a light?”  He pulls out his lighter, and obliges. 

This may seem like a scene out of Mad Men, and has perhaps the brewings of a hot and heavy drama about to spew.

But while a bombshell with a cigarette can get your heart rate up, real life smoking is not quite as sexy. In fact, smoking-especially when combined with alcohol-is a major risk factor for Oral Cancer. This applies to men and women, and almost 90% of all oral cancer patients are smokers.

Let’s go from the outside in. Years of lighting up can put those not-so-attractive brown stains on your teeth, courtesy of tar and nicotine. Do it enough and you’re more at risk for irritated gums and periodontal disease, which can lead to tooth loss. Sexy? I think not.

In addition, prolonged smoking can alter your sense of taste (some say this can lead to over-eating in an attempt to achieve taste satisfaction). And I haven’t even mentioned the less-than-tasty smoker’s breath.

But when we’re talking about oral cancer, it’s more than just discolored teeth or bad breath. We are talking serious stuff. Often there is no pain, and it’s difficult to do a thorough self check.

So I stress to you-keep up with your dental check ups! When you come see us, we do a screening at every visit, ask if anything is bugging you, and if something suspicious pops up, we emphasize a follow-up visit, or have you consult our friendly neighborhood specialist to know once and for all. This goes double if you smoke.

Next time you think about lighting up, how about not? Now THAT’S hot.

Questions? Call us at (214) 522-3110 and let us help! Or share in the comments.

www.raodentistry.com

PS: April is Oral Cancer Awareness month.