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There are numerous options for dental treatments out there, so how do you choose which are right for you? Our experts at Dallas Dental Arts have handpicked the three must-have procedures that we believe can benefit nearly every patient.

1. Periodontal Exam: This should happen at least once a year and is quick and painless. Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, and Mark Margolin or your hygienist will carefully probe around each tooth and take measurements that indicate the health of the bone and its supporting tissue. This appointment is worthwhile because of the known fact that gum disease can increase the risk of potentially fatal conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Silent killers like diabetes can show signs in the mouth before the person becomes aware of other symptoms. Did you know adults lose more teeth to periodontal disease than to cavities? A simple screening once a year could save your smile and boost your overall health!
2. Dental Sealant: For both adults and children, sealants provide a protective barrier from bacteria deep in the pits and grooves of the teeth where cavities often start. Sealants placed in childhood will often wear away in adulthood, so replacing them is useful because it can help prevent tooth decay later on. Dental insurance will likely not cover sealants for adults, but the cost of a sealant for prevention versus the cost of a filling is much lower, and definitely worth it.
3. In-office Whitening: Most people develop tooth stains. in-office whitening at our Dallas,TX office is the perfect way to correct discoloration. It’s safe and produces dramatic results in a short amount of time. In two hours, you could take years off your age. Who wouldn’t want that?

With the new year comes new hopes and promises.  This new year also has the potential to be a tumultuous one.  Because of this, Dr. Allen of Dallas Dental Arts has the resolution of focusing on what is in her control.  One of those things is taking care of herself, both mentally and physically. This means getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, improving her personal and business relationships, and being the best dentist she can be! Three of her guiding words for 2020 are resilience, achievement, and prosperity.

After a nice holiday break resting with loved ones, the team of Dallas Dental Arts is back at work. This year, the office has the resolution to be more efficient. We are introducing new technology to the office this year.  The team has made the commitment to always be at the forefront of dentistry, and injectable leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) is the first effort this year to achieve that. L-PRF is a process that uses the patient's own blood and platelets to stimulate tissue regeneration instead of relying on donor tissue.  This process can be used for bone and soft tissue grafting, in addition to other surgical procedures.  Dallas Dental Arts is working to implement this process into the practice immediately.  As with all new procedures, the team is working diligently to make sure they bring you this state of the art procedure.

A common new year's resolution many people share is improving their dental health. We have a few suggestions on how to best achieve the perfect dental health routine for 2020.  First, there are so many great hygiene products on the market, but you have to use them! Consistency is key. Second, be sure to ask your hygienist about what you can do better.  Sometimes you just need to hear it from an expert. Make sure not to skip regular dental check-ups.  We schedule them regularly for a reason.

We hope everyone is having a great start to the new year! See you in our office soon.

Rumor has it that the Queen of England doesn’t allow garlic in the palace. And, even if you have no royal duties in the near future, it might be a good idea to avoid foods like garlic and onion before a big presentation or a first date. But if your diet is filled with mint, fresh apples, and parsley and you still worry about your breath, here are some common causes for bad breath that you might not have considered.

• A Slip of the Tongue

We brush and floss to remove food particles and bacteria. After all, bacteria that linger in the mouth produce acids that damage tooth enamel and cause bad breath. But there is one important brushing target you might be overlooking—your tongue.

Remove food particles and bacteria on the surface of the tongue with a gentle brushing after you have finished cleaning your teeth. With a dab of toothpaste, brush the top of your tongue gently from back to front. There are also tools called tongue scrapers available that are specifically designed to remove food particles and bacteria from the tongue’s surface. However you choose to clean your tongue, remember to move from the back to the front, and always clean gently.

• A Dry Spell

We spend the vast majority of our day not brushing our teeth. What helps keep breath fresh even during the hours between brushings? Saliva! As saliva bathes the teeth throughout the day, it not only washes away food particles and bacteria, but also neutralizes the enamel-damaging acids that are produced by bacteria. Yet another benefit? Saliva is not a friendly environment for the oral bacteria that produce volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). It is these compounds that cause most of the unpleasant odors we know as bad breath.

If you are drinking the recommended amount of water each day, you are helping your body produce saliva and fight bad breath. Sometimes, a medical condition called dry mouth, or xerostomia, interferes with saliva production. Talk to Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, and Mark Margolin about ways to deal with dry mouth. Solutions as simple as drinking more fluids or chewing sugarless gum can help, or we can suggest over-the-counter products or prescription medications if needed.

• A Bad Night’s Sleep

We’re all familiar with the concept of morning breath. As we sleep, our saliva production naturally decreases. It’s like a nightly version of dry mouth. Without normal levels of saliva, bacterial growth takes off, VSC’s are produced in greater quantities, and we wake up wondering what on earth happened to that fresh feeling we had after brushing the night before.

Unfortunately for snorers, nighttime brings more problems. Snoring leads to mouth breathing, and mouth breathing creates an even drier environment where oral bacteria increase more quickly. If you find you are consistently waking up with an especially unpleasant case of morning breath, you could be a chronic snorer without even realizing it. If you discover or suspect you have a snoring problem, talk to Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, and Mark Margolin or your GP. Snoring can have serious health consequences, so let’s discuss possible solutions.

One important note to end on: if you have eliminated all the obvious causes of halitosis but still have persistent bad breath, give our Dallas,TX office a call. Chronic bad breath can be a symptom of serious gum disease, oral infections, illnesses such as diabetes or kidney disease, and other medical conditions that should be treated as soon as possible. If the topic is bad breath, let’s make sure garlic is the only thing you have to worry about.

Sealants offer many benefits, but the best is their ability to protect your molars. Molars are full of small caverns that can be the perfect breeding ground for tooth decay and plaque buildup.

Use of protective sealants prevents this buildup from happening. Although children often receive sealants for routine preventive care, they aren’t the only ones who can benefit from this treatment. Sealants can also help adults who have deep canyons or grooves in their teeth.

They are commonly placed on the rear molars that tend to suffer the most decay. Because your molars are used substantially as grinding surfaces, food is more likely to be trapped among them.

Sealant solution consists a composite material that contains bonding agents that seal the top of your teeth. The process is quick and painless, which makes it a great solution for both children and adults who have had trouble with cavities and tooth decay. Sealants also last for several years, and repair is a simple process that can be completed by Drs. Sheena Allen, Murat Ayik, and Mark Margolin.

The process of putting sealants on teeth starts with the tooth getting cleaned. We clean it with a type of baking soda spray called sodium bicarbonate. Then acid is etched onto the teeth to rough up the surface.

We apply an alcohol-based liquid to dry the area where the sealant is supposed to go. After it completely covers the surface of the treated teeth, the sealant is cured with a light that makes it hard and long-lasting.

Getting sealants can prevent the possible restorative costs that come from cavities. Sealants help to protect your tooth’s enamel from harmful acids and prevent decay, which can be an investment in itself. The whole process is quick, so it should be easy to schedule an appointment at Dallas Dental Arts.

Feel free to call our Dallas,TX location and we can answer any questions you have about this service.