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Dental Health

Smile Shine Family Dental » Dental Health

A Healthy, Beautiful Smile Begins with Knowing How to Care for Your Teeth.

Regular checkups with your trusted dentist are essential for prevention and catching potential issues early, saving you both money and discomfort. Knowing how to brush and clean your teeth between visits helps prevent cavities and gum disease.

Visiting your dentist to enhance your smile can boost your attractiveness and well-being. Dr. Jas Grewal, a general dentist and certified orthodontic services provider, offers a full range of treatments to help you achieve your best smile.

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At a dentist with a smile<br />

Oral Health

Oral health is important to overall health. We cannot stress enough how important it is to have regular checkups and cleanings done by a professional who can identify potential problems before they become serious.

The Burden of Oral Disease

Oral health is often taken for granted, but it is essential to our everyday lives. Good oral health enhances our ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey our feelings and emotions through facial expressions. However, oral diseases, which range from cavities to oral cancer, cause pain and disability for millions of Americans each year.

Tooth decay (cavities) is a common but preventable issue affecting people of all ages. In children, untreated cavities can lead to pain, difficulty concentrating, school absences, and poor appearance, significantly impacting their quality of life and ability to succeed. Children from lower-income families are often at greater risk, as they may not receive timely treatment. Tooth decay is also prevalent among adults, with some racial and ethnic groups experiencing higher rates of untreated cavities.

Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection caused by bacteria that invade the gum tissue, leading to the destruction of gums and bone. This can cause teeth to become loose, make chewing difficult, and may eventually require tooth extraction. Gum disease has also been linked to other health issues; recent studies associate oral infections with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature, low-weight births. Ongoing research continues to explore these connections.

Oral Health Problems Are Preventable, Common, and Painful

Tooth decay affects more than one-fourth of U.S. children aged 2–5 years and half of those aged 12–15. About half of all children and two-thirds of adolescents aged 12–19 years from lower-income families have had decay. Children and adolescents of some racial and ethnic groups and those from lower-income families have more untreated tooth decay. For example, 40% of Mexican American children aged 6–8 years have untreated decay, compared with 25% of non-Hispanic whites. Among all adolescents aged 12–19 years, 20% currently have untreated decay.

Advanced gum disease affects 4%–12% of U.S. adults. Half of the cases of severe gum disease in the United States are the result of cigarette smoking. The prevalence of gum disease is three times higher among smokers than among people who have never smoked. One-fourth of U.S. adults aged 65 or older have lost all their teeth. More than 7,800 people, mostly older Americans, die from oral and pharyngeal cancers each year. This year, about 36,500 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed.

Click on links for additional information on oral health, disease, and prevention.

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http://www.adha.org/oralhealth
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http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth

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http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/default.htm

Close-Up Photo of a Woman Getting a Dental Check-Up<br />

Post Op Care

We are a dental practice devoted to restoring and enhancing the natural beauty of your smile. We use state-of-the-art procedures that will result in beautiful, long-lasting smiles! Our goal is your happiness with the health and beauty of your teeth. In most cases, the recovery period lasts only a few days. Take painkillers as prescribed by your dentist or oral surgeon. The following tips will help speed up your recovery.
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Bite gently on the gauze pad periodically and change pads as they become soaked with blood.
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Call your dentist or oral surgeon if bleeding persists 24 hours after your surgery.
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Be cautious not to bite the inside of your cheek, lip, or tongue while your mouth is numb.
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Do not lie flat; prop up your head with pillows to prevent prolonged bleeding.
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Use an ice pack outside your cheek for the first 24 hours.
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Apply moist heat, such as a warm, damp washcloth, after 2 or 3 days.
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Relax after surgery; physical activity may increase bleeding.
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Eat soft foods like gelatin, pudding, or thin soup, and gradually introduce solid foods as healing progresses.
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Avoid using a straw for the first few days; sucking can loosen the blood clot and delay healing.
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After the first day, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times daily to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
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Do not smoke for at least 24 hours after surgery; the sucking motion can loosen the clot and delay healing.
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Smoking also decreases blood supply and can introduce germs to the surgical area.
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Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue or touching it with your fingers.
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Continue to brush your teeth and tongue carefully.
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Your dentist will remove the stitches after a few days if needed.
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