Category: Blog

Dry Mouth: Causes, Consequences, Treatment And Prevention

Dry mouth, medically termed as ‘Xerostomia’, is the condition of not having adequate saliva to keep the mouth wet. Saliva performs a crucial role in maintaining your dental health.

Dry mouth may seem like a little frustrating but could do a major damage to your teeth. It’s also painful.

Causes

  • Stress, severe panic attack or depression
  • Smoking or drinking 
  • Autoimmune disorder or Sjogren’s syndrome
  • Nerve harmed from a head or neck injury
  • Chemotherapy 
  • Dehydration
  • Radiation 
  • Sleep apnea
  • Aging
  • Specific drugs 
  • Diseases like Diabetes, HIV, Parkinson’s or Periodontitis
Why should you never ignore its symptoms?
  • Saliva keeps your mouth clean and even battles against bacteria. It decreases the acids that cause tooth decay.So when you get a dry mouth at night, you’re creating a room for harboring bacteria inside your mouth. You’ll be asleep for hours, so for the whole night you wouldn’t even be drinking water. With a lack of saliva, your teeth slowly become exposed to cavities and bacterial infection.
  • Dry mouth also gives you an everlasting bad breath. 
  • Insufficient saliva makes the skin in and around your mouth dry and tight. Your lips can crack. You may also develop sores at the corners of your mouth. It may be even difficult to swallow and talk.
  • Dry mouth can disturb your taste buds. You may experience a metallic, salty, or other taste in your mouth. Your tongue may become rough and dry.
  • The saliva also eases your digestion. It helps to break down food particles into simpler forms.You may also experience troubles with your digestive system due to a lack of saliva. Especially, when you swallow your food, you can face problems, since they are not broken down properly.
  • You can get red spots in your mouth. You may also have ulcers due to dry mouth.
  • The bacterial content in your mouth increases and there is a chance of dental infection. So when the food reaches your stomach, the food contains bacteria. And this can lead to food poisoning.
  • The glands in front of your ears, known as parotids, may get swollen.
  • Note that a dry mouth may also be a symptom of severe oral cancer.
  • Dentures become painful. Dry mouth and dentures don’t go together. If your mouth is dry, the dentures can result in sores.
When Should I See My Dentist?

If your dry mouth at night is chronic or began when you started taking new medicines, then visit your dentist. Your dentist may recommend altering the dosage or switching to another drug.

You may also receive medications to improve the function of your salivary glands.

Seek immediate dental help if you have dry mouth along with other serious symptoms like- difficulty in breathing and swallowing or high fever.

Prevention
  • Go for regular dental checkups
  • Brush and floss daily
  • Use an antibacterial mouth-rinse 
  • Stay hydrated throughout the day
  • Chew sugar-free gums to boost saliva production
  • Utilize a humidifier to add additional moisture to the air

If you are suffering from dry mouth, and looking for a ‘Dentist near me’ in Richmond, TX, then surely call Grand Mission Dentistry. Let your Dentist in Richmond help you with the quality dental care that you deserve!

Straightening Your Smile Can Be Painless and Comfortable with Invisalign

Adults who are seeking an orthodontic solution for their crooked teeth often will dismiss the option of traditional metal wires and brackets. We can understand why. Although these are great for patients who have bigger problems with proper bite alignment, not everyone requires that same kind of treatment.

In our Richmond dental office, we offer Invisalign – a series of plastic trays that gently move your teeth to their beautifully straight position. You can have the straight smile you’ve always wanted without the hassle and discomfort of traditional metal braces.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes Invisalign a leader in adult orthodontics!

Comfortable, Painless Orthodontic Treatment

It’s unsettling for anyone to imagine the pain that sometimes comes along with traditional braces. When wearing metal wires and brackets, you have to often deal with hard, sharp edges of the metal poking and scratching at the soft tissues inside your mouth. You also need to consider the dull, aching pain you might experience once a month after having your braces tightened. When you choose Invisalign in Richmond, TX; you won’t face any of these unpleasant issues.

The trays used with Invisalign are actually smooth, plastic aligners. As such, you don’t have to deal with painful, jagged edges against the inside of your cheeks and lips. Another benefit of this orthodontic treatment, as opposed to traditional braces, is that you don’t have to get them tightened. Instead, you switch to a new tray every couple of weeks that work to shift your teeth into the right position gently. The pressure is comparatively milder than metal braces.

Discreet Orthodontic Treatment

The plastic material of the Invisalign trays is also clear – which means that you’re receiving orthodontic treatment in a much more discreet way than traditional braces. This is especially nice for adults. You don’t want to look like a teenager with a mouth full of metal at your next board meeting. Your reputation and lifestyle are important, and Invisalign allows you to get the straighter teeth you want without any disruption to your life.

Fast, High-Quality Convenience

Along with comfort and appearance, Invisalign offers a couple more advantages to traditional braces. For one thing, the trays are removable. This means you can take them out when you eat and when you brush and floss your teeth, both options that make oral hygiene and social settings are easier and more enjoyable. No more worrying about how to get tiny food particles out of your metal brackets and wires after a meal!

But that does certainly bring with it a certain responsibility to follow your dentist’s instructions for proper wear. If you’re not disciplined enough to keep them in for about 22 hours a day, Invisalign will not work properly. That’s another reason adults tend to see successful results because they understand the consequences of not sticking to the requirements of the treatment.

Another advantage of Invisalign is the convenience and the duration of treatment. They sort of go hand in hand. Typically, traditional braces take about two to three years. Invisalign, if worn properly, can take as little as twelve months, so not only do you get great results in less time, you also don’t have to deal with frequent appointments to have them tightened.

Schedule an Invisalign Appointment Today

The only way to know for sure if Invisalign is right for you is to make an appointment at our Richmond, TX dental office. Our highly skilled team can help you decide if this quick, convenient, comfortable orthodontic solution is the one you’ve been waiting for. Contact us to schedule an appointment with the best dentist for Invisalign treatment in Richmond, TX today.

5 Things You May Have Never Known About Dental Veneers

If you are looking for ways to make your teeth look better, find dental veneers. You may have heard of them as ‘porcelain veneers’ or ‘dental porcelain laminates.’ Whatever the name is used to describe them, they are all small, molded shells of tooth-colored material designed to be put over the teeth’s surface. As required, dental professionals may change the color, shape, and size of your veneers. And if you want to make your dream smile come true, dental veneers are a very effective way to create the beautiful smile you always wanted.

To help you learn more about dental veneers, we compiled five interesting facts about them! Read on to find out stuff you may never have known about dental veneers before.

Veneers deliver lasting results

When dental veneers are installed, the size of your teeth, for the veneers to do their job, will be reduced. Doing something like that in treatment can not be reversed. So you have to remember that having dental veneers is a lifelong commitment.

It takes at least 1 week to make them

Once the shape of your teeth is captured, the dental veneers may take up to a whole week to make. This is because the veneers are manufactured in a laboratory and are designed to address the various issues that affect your teeth.

Veneers are not a one-hour visit procedure

A visit to install dental veneers can last for many hours, as this amount of time is needed to precisely position the veneers with a light-sensitive resin which is then hardened using white light. This is a process required to bond the veneers to your teeth.

Sturdy

For patients who get veneers, it is a common question to ask what they can eat afterward. Veneers are very sturdy and can resist most dietary forces.

Temporary temperature sensitivity will be felt

Upon placing the dental veneers on your teeth, you will most likely feel an increased sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks as a result of removing a small portion of tooth enamel. If you experience this, after some time, it’s a normal sensation that will fade.

Have more questions? We will have them answered. How about a comprehensive consultation with a professional cosmetic dentist? Click here to get in touch with the best veneers dentist in Richmond TX.