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Cavities (dental erosion) are the most common oral health disease in the US. Most children will have at least one cavity and up to 30% of adults in the country have untreated cavities. Without proper care, cavities can grow and destroy teeth, as well as cause more serious issues, like bone infections. It’s important to have cavities treated as soon as possible, but how do you tell if you have one?

Temperature Sensitivity

One of the most common signs that you’ve got a cavity is sudden sensitivity to heat and cold in your mouth. If you take a gulp of cold water and experience a stabbing pain in your mouth, chances are good you have a cavity. The problem here is that when a cavity exposes the dentin layer of your teeth, the microscopic tunnels in the dentin make perfect channels for food and drink to stimulate the nerve inside the tooth.

Sugar Sensitivity

While temperature sensitivity is a common sign you might have a cavity, so is sensitivity to sugar in foods and drinks. In most cases, this will be a lingering discomfort that lasts for several minutes after eating or drinking something sugary and is caused by exposure of the dentin layer within a growing cavity.

Tooth Pain

There are few things as hard to deal with as a toothache, particularly when the pain becomes severe. Toothaches are prime signs that you’re dealing with an oral health problem, which is most likely a cavity. However, other issues can cause toothaches, so you must visit a dentist as soon as possible to have the situation diagnosed. Note that toothaches can be sudden, or they can grow slowly and continually. You may also experience pressure in the area when biting or chewing.

White Spots

In many cases, cavities begin as white spots on your teeth. Over time, they can darken, eventually becoming brown or even black. If you notice telltale staining, it’s important to visit your dentist to have the growing cavity treated.

A Visible Hole

If left untreated, a cavity will eventually form a visible hole or pit in your tooth. You may be able to see this when you look in a mirror and/or feel it with your tongue. However, not all cavities can be seen or felt. That’s particularly true if they form under the gumline or between teeth, which is why it’s so important to visit your dentist every six months.

Prevent Cavities with Good Oral Care and Regular Dentist Visits

While cavities can be painful and lead to major oral health problems, the good news is that they’re preventable. Brushing after meals and flossing every night can help prevent plaque build-up that leads to cavities.

Avoid sugary drinks and foods, and make sure to drink plenty of water to dilute the acid that causes cavities in the first place. Combine that with regular dentist visits and you have a good chance of not experiencing another cavity.

Dental treatments and options for taking care of your oral health have evolved a great deal over the years. One of the best new tools is a water flosser, or an oral irrigator. These are handheld devices that look similar to electric toothbrushes. They are meant to be used in addition to a toothbrush and regular flossing as a very effective way of removing bacteria, plaque, food particles, and gum-disease-causing elements.

Water flossers use—you guessed it—water to get all those pesky germs out of the crevices of your teeth and from beneath the gum line. They concentrate on the areas of your mouth that brushing just can’t get to.

There are many types of water flossers, each with benefits that work well for different lifestyles.

• Countertop water flossers – These can be a bit bulky and heavy, but they’re easy to use in most bathrooms as they only need an electrical outlet. The irrigation tank gets filled with water and you refill it as needed.
• Battery-operated water flossers – These are great for traveling or for those with limited counter space. They’re slim and portable; however, they aren’t as powerful as the countertop variety.
• Shower flossers – These attach to your showerhead so you can floss in the shower! They’re a bit more difficult to maneuver, and you’ll need space in your shower to mount it, but they’re great for people who would rather keep all the “mess” in one place.
• Faucet flossers – These are similar to shower flossers but they use a cord that connects to the sink faucet instead of the shower head. They’re also a bit more cumbersome.

Most types of water flossers, no matter the design, have different modes that make them easy on sensitive gums and effective for people who want more pressure. They’re also easy to use for people with braces, bridges, and implants.

Water flossers are a more fool-proof way of getting all the bacteria and build-up from between teeth and underneath the gumlines. Even for those that floss the traditional way each day, most don’t do it properly. There’s less “technique” involved with water flossers, which means that you’re more likely to keep your gums healthy and happy. 

Oral irrigators are especially beneficial for people with the following issues:

• Bleeding gums – This is an early sign of gum disease that needs attention right away.
• Braces – Food and plaque often get stuck behind and between brackets.
• Dry mouth – Saliva is a natural mouth cleaner, so those with dry mouth usually have more buildup and are at higher risk for cavities.
• Crooked teeth – If your teeth aren’t perfectly straight, it’s more likely that food will get stuck in them. Plus, it’s harder to floss them well!

Oral irrigation devices should be combined with a regular flossing routine to ensure that your mouth remains as clean and healthy as possible. Especially if you already have signs of periodontal disease, such as bleeding gums, or if you have braces, dry mouth, or crooked teeth, then a water flosser is a smart addition to other elements of a dental hygiene routine.

Those with sleep apnea experience shallow breathing while they sleep or may even stop breathing for a short moment. There are two types of sleep apnea, but obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common and occurs when throat muscles excessively relax and cause the airway to collapse. This then blocks airflow and affects breathing. This potentially dangerous condition affects over 18 million people in the United States and yet it is incredibly under diagnosed. Research has shown that sleep apnea can often be diagnosed quicker by a dentist or dental hygienist rather than by a person’s primary care physician.

Typical Signs of Sleep Apnea

 Sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age and is most often accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Excessive Snoring
• Poor Sleep Quality
• Waking Up Frequently During The Night
• Fatigue
• Waking Up Feeling Tired
• Sleepiness Or Drowsiness During Daytime
• Dry Mouth
• Sore Throat
• Headaches
• Difficulty Concentrating
• Neck And Shoulder Pain

Dental Signs Of Sleep Apnea

 Due to routine dental cleanings, people will typically see their dentist more often than they do their doctor. A dentist or dental hygienist will notice some key signs of sleep apnea such as

• Tooth Grinding
• Jaw Pain
• Enlarged Tongue
• Small Jaw
• Tongue With Scalloped Edges
• Redness In The Throat
• Dry Mouth
• Pain While Chewing
• Worn, Cracked, Broken Or Missing Teeth
• Periodontal (Gum) Disease

Tooth grinding and jaw pain are two of the first and most common dental of sleep apnea. Both result from a person reflexively tensing their jaw in their sleep as they body attempts to prevent the airway from feeling blocked. Both issues can lead to other problems such as worn or cracked teeth and pain when chewing. A person with sleep apnea is also likely to snore quite a bit, which can lead to redness in the throat or persistent dry mouth.

Family Dentistry Henderson

During routine cleanings or dental checkups, a dentist or dental hygienist will likely notice if you have developed any of these signs or if they are continuing or worsening. While a dentist is able to identify the signs of possible sleep apnea and will likely be well informed, they are not able to make an official diagnosis. If a dentist is concerned that sleep apnea may be an issue, you will likely be referred to your primary care physician or a sleep disorder specialist for a sleep study.

Dr. Barton H. Foutz and his team of experienced dental hygienists have sufficient knowledge about the signs of sleep apnea, along with years of experience to help identify a potential problem. If you are currently experiencing some of the above mentioned symptoms for sleep apnea, make an appointment at Foutz Family Dentistry today and we will thoroughly check your teeth, gums and mouth for the dental signs of sleep apnea. While Dr. Foutz is not able to make an official diagnosis or treat you for sleep apnea, he can help you get on the right path to address this condition.

At Foutz Family Dentistry, we strongly recommend and encourage our patients to remain diligent about routine dental cleanings and exams. Doing so will not only ensure your dental and oral health, but can also help in identifying other potential health concerns.  Call our office today at (702) 792-5929 to schedule an appointment.

 Dr. Barton H. Foutz, DDS
2510 Wigwam Parkway Suite 100 Henderson, NV 89074
(702) 792-5929

Have you ever been told by your dentist that you need a dental scaling or root planing appointment? You may be wondering if these appointments are really worth the money. Actually, these procedures are absolutely vital to the health of your teeth, gums, and really to your whole body.

Why Dental Scaling and Root Planing Are So Important to Dental Health

Researchers have found definite links between gum disease and heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, respiratory issues, and a number of other health conditions. If you’re like us, you want to do all you can to reduce your risk of such diseases. And this is just one of the reasons why we encourage our patients to invest in dental cleanings and root planing appointments.

Another reason why they are so important is because they are the best way to keep your teeth and mouth clean.

• Dental Scaling: Routine scaling and polishing help to remove plaque and tarter, both of which contribute to decay, gum disease, and embarrassing halitosis. We recommend that our patients come in for a dental scaling at least twice each year.
• Root Planing: Gum disease leads to tooth and bone loss. When a patient has gum disease, they have plaque, tarter and bacteria well below the gum line, on the surfaces of the root. It is impossible to clean this far down without special dental tools. Once a patient has gum disease it cannot be reversed, but we can prevent it from getting worse. After our patients have root planing, they need to come in every 3, 4, or 6 months for follow-up dental scaling to keep their gum disease in check.

Trusting Your Dentist: We Have Your Best Interests at Heart

If there is any way we can help you to live a healthier life, we will do it. This is why we strongly urge our patients to come in for their regular dental scaling and examination appointments.

Are you ready to schedule a dental cleaning and examination? Please call us right away. We will be happy to schedule an appointment and answer all of your questions.

Dr. Barton H. Foutz, DDS
2510 Wigwam Parkway Suite 100 Henderson, NV 89074
(702) 792-5929