February is National Heart Month. So we’re looking at how the mouth can affect heart health. Keeping a clean and healthy mouth can improve not only your heart health but also your overall health in a few ways. First, bacteria can enter your body through your mouth. If the bacteria in your mouth are unchecked, they can cause tooth decay and infections that can spread throughout your body. But your mouth is also the gateway for food to get into your system. Thus, it is important to choose the foods you eat wisely so that you can maintain your health. Your Mansfield dentists, Dr. Blair Jones and Dr. Seth Harris, discuss the mouth’s role in maintaining a healthy heart. (more…)
A Brighter Smile From Your Mansfield Dentists
Do you wish you had a brighter smile? A beautiful smile can boost confidence, and according to a recent Kelton Research study, people with whiter smiles are considered more attractive and successful. Over time, teeth can become marred with permanent stains. Coffee, tea, tobacco, and wine can all lead to embarrassing, lingering stains. In today’s blog, your Mansfield cosmetic dentists, Dr. Blair Jones and Dr. Seth Harris, explain how the teeth whitening procedures at Mansfield Dental Associates can rejuvenate your smile.
Mansfield Dentist Explains the Link Between Earaches and TMJ Disorder
Do you suffer from chronic earaches? Do you often experience tinnitus, or a constant ringing in the ears? If so, you may be exhibiting symptoms of a serious medical condition known as TMJ disorder, or TMD. According to some studies, as many as 10 million Americans show signs of TMJ disorder. In today’s blog, Mansfield family dentists, Dr. Blair Jones and Dr. Seth Harris, explain TMD and common ways of treating the disorder.
Mansfield Dentists on the Benefits of Mini Implants
Do you need missing teeth replaced? You may think your only choices are dentures or dental bridges. Dentures can slip when speaking or eating, and come with messy adhesives. Dental bridges work, but require a reduction in your healthy teeth to support the new bridge. Your Mansfield dentists, Dr. Blair Jones and Dr. Seth Harris, explain how mini dental implants can offer a natural-looking, permanent solution to replacing missing teeth.
Do Drugstore Sleep Medicines Work? Your Mansfield Dentists Answer
A good night’s sleep is important for your body and mind to renew. When you spend most of the night awake, wishing you could get to sleep, you start the next day sluggish, tired, and perhaps even irritated. Whether you always have trouble sleeping or experience a rare bout of insomnia, drugstore sleep medicines might look attractive to you. Do they effectively deal with sleeping problems, though? Your Mansfield dentists, Dr. Blair Jones and Dr. Seth Harris, discuss the effectiveness of drugstore sleep medicines in this article.
What Are Sleep Medicines?
Sleep medicines are a form of over-the-counter medication specifically targeted towards making you drowsy and putting you to sleep. Sleep medicines are either antihistamines, diphenhydramine and doxylamine, or holistic, like valerian root and melatonin. If you take allergy medication, you are familiar with how antihistamines, like Benadryl, make you drowsy. Holistic remedies might seem strange, but melatonin, available in pill form, is a hormone in your body that helps to regulate your sleep cycle. (more…)
Your Mansfield Dentist Explains BRONJ
Bone loss is a serious issue for cancer patients and the aging. Bisphosphonates promote an increase in bone growth, as well reduce further bone loss, which is why doctors prescribe this drug therapy to sufferers of osteoporosis. Even though the drugs successfully fight bone loss, patients do experience some side effects. In rare cases, taking bisphosphonates is linked to the onset of a serious dental affliction known as BRONJ. How can BRONJ be prevented? Your Mansfield dentists Dr. Blair Jones and Dr. Seth Harris are here to explain BRONJ.
Mansfield Dentists Discuss Dental Implants
A lost tooth means more than a gaping hole in your smile. It also can lead to jawbone malnourishment, teeth shifting, and ultimately, more tooth loss. Many people find traditional dentures to be an inadequate , uncomfortable solution. For those patients, dental implants might be the best option for not only restoring the smile, but for keeping the entire mouth healthy. Your Mansfield dentists, Dr. Jones and Dr. Harris, discuss the dental implant procedure and who might be the ideal candidates.
Why Dental Implants Can Save Your Smile
The removal of a tooth leaves behind an empty socket. For nutrients from the body to be distributed evenly throughout the jawbone, every socket must be filled. No nutrients are allocated for areas with empty sockets, and without nutrition, the jawbone in those locations will wither. A shrinking jawbone will cause changes to the shape of the face. More worrisome is that the remaining teeth will begin to shift out of place. Eventually, other teeth will become loose and might even fall out. Dental implants are titanium rods inserted into the sockets to replace missing teeth roots. In most cases, the body will treat the rods the same way it does natural teeth, so the jawbone in that area will continue to receive nutrients.
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Mansfield Dentists Encourage Fresh Breath for the Holidays
It is always fun to socialize with family and friends during the holidays, but nothing can put a sour mood on the festivities faster than sour breath. Your Mansfield dentists, Drs. Jones and Harris, discuss the most common causes of halitosis and some solutions to freshen your breath this holiday season.
Common Causes of Halitosis
For most people with bad breath, the top culprit is poor oral hygiene. Bacteria naturally build up in the mouth, taking up residence on the teeth, gums, and the tongue. There, they feed on leftover food particles, and then secrete an acidic by-product. This acid is what causes both tooth decay and gum disease. It is also foul-smelling, and is the leading contributor to bad breath. Another common reason people suffer from poor breath is because of the foods they eat. The pungent smell from a number of foods such as garlic and onions comes from natural oils. When the food is digested, these oils—and the smells they produce—can actually infiltrate the bloodstream and end up in the lungs, where they can become mixed up with breath that is being exhaled. While the poor breath is only temporary, there is not much that can be done to mask the smell until the oils have passed from your body. Sometimes, bad breath is caused by an underlying medical condition. Dry mouth, a common side effect of a number of medications, can lead to bad breath, as well as compromising your overall oral health. Other conditions known to produce bad breath are stomach ulcers, sinus infections, and acid reflux disease. If you think that your halitosis is caused by a medical issue, see your primary care physician.
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Mansfield Dentists Discusses Snoring and Sleep Apnea
No one wants to share a bedroom with a loud snorer. Even though snoring is extremely common, it is hard for anyone to have to sleep though that distinctive sound. However, snoring can be more than just an annoyance. It can be a sign that the snorer has a case of obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, a serious condition that can affect the quality of life of the snorer. Your Mansfield dentists, Dr. Jones and Dr. Harris, explain what causes sleep apnea and what options they can help you with.
The Cause of Snoring
Snoring occurs when the airway is partially blocked during sleep. As the air from the lungs passes over the obstruction, usually soft tissue of the throat, it vibrates. That vibration is responsible for the distinctive noise of a snore. Nearly everyone snores at one point or another, but studies have shown that nearly one-quarter of women and nearly half of men regularly snore.
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Mansfield Dentists Encourage You to Brighten Your Mood
Even though it is the most joyous time of the year, holiday stress can bring even the most optimistic person down. Being in a funk can cause damage to your basic health, including your dental health. Your Mansfield dentists, Dr. Jones and Dr. Harris, offer these tips to brightening the holidays – and your smile.
Exercise
Studies have shown that getting out and moving your body has a very healthy effect on mood and outlook. For those averse to going to the gym, a brisk walk about the neighborhood will work just fine. Being out in the sun and fresh air will perk just about anyone’s day up. When you have that burst of energy, it may also encourage you to take care of other elements of your health, such as brushing and flossing more frequently, and making that appointment for a dental checkup that’s overdue. (more…)
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