Our Blog

Hello from Dallas Dental Arts. We wanted to send out a few updates during these crazy times. Our office is currently only open for emergencies until April 22nd. This could change depending on any recommendations by the CDC, ADA, and the State of Texas but we hope to be able to start seeing our patients as soon as possible! Call our emergency number at 737-222-0562 to speak with us directly if you are experiencing a dental emergency. If you would like to leave a voicemail to reschedule an appointment, our office number is 214-999-0110. We plan to start calling patients the week of April 20th to begin rescheduling.

During this time we hope our patients continue to be diligent about brushing and flossing. We also encourage our patients to eat a balanced and healthy diet as this helps keep smiles healthy. Since most of us have more time at home, it makes it a great time to perfect your oral hygiene routine by adding a mouth rinse. We are currently recommending Colgate's Peroxyl rinse. It is alcohol free but has over 1% hydrogen peroxide. COVID-19 has been shown to be sensitive to oxidation.

Though our team might not be in the office it’s still a time to continue to sharpen our knowledge. The team of Dallas Dental Arts are taking continuing education courses online and reading. Dr. Allen is also focusing on the needs of her team. She is making sure everyone is well, safe, and fed. What are you doing with your extra free time?

We apologize for the inconvenience of our office closing. However, this has given us the much needed time to regroup and come back stronger than ever. We look forward to seeing all of our patients soon and continuing the standard of excellence we've established over the years.

Part of the charm of your child’s smile is those delicate, diminutive baby teeth. We enjoy those smiles while we can, because soon enough, primary teeth make way for the adult teeth that will last your child a lifetime. So you might be surprised if Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, and Mark Margolin and our team recommend a crown for your child’s baby tooth. Is this procedure necessary when the tooth is going to fall out eventually anyway?

Yes, it really is. If a primary tooth is lost before its normal lifespan, several problems can arise.

• Biting and chewing—a full set of baby teeth is best for proper chewing and digestion. And chewing also helps develop face and jaw muscles.
• Speech development—primary teeth help guide speech production and pronunciation.
• Spacing—a baby tooth serves as a place holder for the adult tooth waiting to replace it. If a primary tooth is lost too early, teeth may drift from their correct location and cause overcrowding or misalignment.

When is a Crown Necessary?

The enamel in a baby tooth is thinner than the enamel found in adult teeth, and a cavity can spread quickly throughout a tooth. Within a short period, the tooth’s structure might be too weak for a regular filling. Sometimes the pulp inside the tooth becomes injured or infected and an endodontic treatment is necessary to remove pulp tissue from inside the tooth. The interior will be filled, but the delicate enamel surrounding it will be fragile. Or an accident can leave a tooth fractured or broken, but still vital.

In each of these cases, a crown will protect the tooth from further decay or damage, and will allow the tooth to function normally until an adult tooth is ready to replace it.

What Types of Crowns are Available?

By far the most common choice for a primary tooth is a stainless steel crown. These crowns are prefabricated and can be fitted snugly to your child’s individual tooth. They are easy to place, less expensive than other crown alternatives, and will last until the tooth is ready to fall out in its proper time. If your child suffers from a metal allergy, or a more natural looking crown is necessary, talk to us about other possible options during your appointment at our Dallas,TX office.

Sure, preserving a baby tooth that was never designed to be permanent seems contradictory. But saving a tooth that helps your child develop proper eating habits, speech production, and correct adult tooth alignment? Those are benefits that will last a lifetime.

Happy March everyone! The team at Dallas Dental Arts loves a chance to get festive and St. Patrick’s Day is certainly no exception. Our office will celebrate St. Patty's day by gearing up with our favorite green gear from socks, to accessories to maybe even painting our faces green! If you have an appointment with us that day please join in on the festivities by sporting some green!  

While our office doesn’t have a St. Patrick's Day tradition, we do celebrate every employees' birthday with a home cooked meal. Dr. Allen's husband makes each birthday special. We try to envelop a fun culture while still maintaining the same level of work ethic and results. Balance is key.  

When the team isn’t in the office, they can be found spending quality time at home with loved ones or soaking up the sun outside. With warmer days ahead it’s easy to stay active. Some of our favorite outdoor activities include taking hikes, and visiting some of our beautiful local parks to feed the birds and listen to them chip. Spending time in nature can be so rejuvenating.  

In other office news we are excited to announce that we've added several new team members since the end of last year.  Our new team dynamic is better than ever. We are very excited at how well we all work together, especially during busy times.  

Losing sight of your health goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year? Don’t give up! Maintaining a healthy diet is just as important as your oral health routine. As much as we love our sweet desserts, we recommend patients staying away from cakes, chocolate, and soft colas.  

Have a lovely start to your spring season! Looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces in our office again soon.  

Painful nails and cuticles, ruined manicures, reluctance to shake hands—there are so many good reasons to overcome the nail biting habit. But did you know that biting your nails is also bad for your dental health? Let’s look at a few more reasons to give our nails a break.

• Bacteria Bonanza

It’s a vicious—and unhealthy—circle. Nail biting leads to injuries to the nails, cuticles, and skin surrounding the nails. These broken, jagged nails can now cause injury to delicate gum tissue. And to make things worse, fingernails harbor a lot of germs and bacteria, leading to the risk of illness and oral infections.  At the same time, bacteria from our mouths can get into the area around the injured nail, potentially leading to painful infections in the fingers.

• Bruxism

Studies have indicated that nail biters have a greater risk of bruxism. Bruxism, better known as tooth grinding, can lead to a number of serious problems over time. Grinding and even clenching teeth on a regular basis can cause chronic headaches, worn enamel, fractured teeth, broken dental restorations, receding and inflamed gums, and loose teeth.

• Breakage & Bad Bites

Your nails suffer obvious breakage, clearly, but your teeth are also at risk. The constant pressure of nail biting can lead to cracking, chipping, and erosion in the front teeth. Further, the pressure put on your teeth can even move them out of alignment, leading to bite problems. As you can imagine, nail biting has an even greater impact if you are wearing braces, because those teeth are already under pressure.

Why do we bite? Nail biting, or onychophagia, is a habit often started in childhood. Some people quit on their own as they reach adulthood, but for others, it can be a lifelong and painful habit. The explanations for nail biting are many: some researchers regard the habit as a form of compulsive behavior, others believe it to be a grooming impulse gone haywire, still others think it’s a way that we respond to anxiety or other stresses.

Whatever the cause, if you want to break the habit, you have options. There are over the counter polishes that use an unpleasant taste to deter biting. Learning to recognize triggers such as stress or boredom can help you choose a different response, such as snapping a rubber band around your wrist or gripping a stress ball. Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, and Mark Margolin can recommend some techniques for modifying this behavior. And finally, we can offer you suggestions for quitting, or even customize a mouthguard at our Dallas,TX office to discourage nail biting and prevent the problems that come with bruxism.

It’s never too late to quit. If nail biting has become more than a cosmetic problem, let’s work on a solution. Healthy, attractive nails are a great goal to work toward, but nothing beats a beautiful, healthy smile!