dental infection | Queen City Dental Arts

Secrets to a Healthier Smile with Diabetes: Your Guide to Oral Care

bpadmin (lorna.goodman) — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:31:53 +0000

We all know someone with diabetes or may even struggle with diabetes ourselves. We also know that diabetes is a disease that affects our entire body, including our oral health. One of the main challenges of diabetes is controlling blood sugar. People with high blood sugar also have a higher concentration of sugar in their saliva, which puts them at a higher risk of getting cavities since saliva is normally protective of teeth. Higher sugar content in saliva also makes your mouth an environment where it is easier for plaque and bacteria to build up on your teeth. More plaque and bacteria mean you are at a higher risk for periodontal (gum) inflammation or even periodontal disease and bone loss, which can lead to tooth loss.

People with diabetes are also at risk of having decreased saliva (dry mouth or Xerostomia). This can lead to increased risk of tooth decay, ulcers, sores and thrush (burning mouth or tongue). Dry mouth can be caused by uncontrolled blood sugar or simply from the medications that diabetic patients take. Make sure to let Dr. Stenvall know about any changes to your medications which will help her to know what medications she can and can’t prescribe you.

It is even more critical for diabetic patients to be diligent with their oral home care, because of these complications. We recommend our diabetic patients purchase an electric toothbrush and use it twice a day so they can thoroughly and easily keep their teeth clean. Also, maintaining regular hygiene visits at Queen City Dental Arts to help prevent oral problems and to catch any potential problems early before they create any pain or infection.

Keeping your blood sugar levels under control is the most important aspect in maintaining overall wellness when you have been diagnosed with diabetes. Your HgA1C (Hemoglobin A1C) is the best way to determine the stability of your long-term blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar is well-controlled, your A1C will most likely be below 7%. Higher A1C may cause poor healing in patients. Let our team at QCDA know if your diabetes is uncontrolled. You will want to postpone any surgical procedures until your blood sugar is more stable unless you have an acute dental infection that needs to be addressed right away. Be sure to follow any post-op instructions closely to prevent any complications after you go home.

Prevention is always the best policy! Do your best to keep your mouth clean at home by brushing twice a day and flossing daily. Work with your doctor on maintaining controlled blood sugar and if you smoke, talk to your doctor about ways to quit. Reach out to Dr. Stenvall and the Queen City Dental Arts team if you have any questions about diabetes and how it may affect you and your oral health!

The post Secrets to a Healthier Smile with Diabetes: Your Guide to Oral Care first appeared on Queen City Dental Arts.

To Whiten or Not To Whiten?

bpadmin (lorna.goodman) — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 06:01:53 +0000

We have patients come in quite often asking if they should whiten their teeth. That is not necessarily a question we can answer for you. The main reason you should definitively not whiten your teeth is if you have areas of untreated decay or infection present in your mouth.

Whitening your teeth is a very personal matter. If you are unhappy with the shade or color of your teeth, then yes!

There are certainly some things to be mindful of when you whiten your teeth. Whitening should not be done more than 3 to 4 times a year. Once you complete your initial treatment, whether in the dental office or at home, you can expect to want to “touch-up” the shade for a couple of days, a few times a year. If you choose to whiten more often, you may cause the enamel (the outer layer of teeth) to become more translucent and the substructure to show through giving you a more yellow color. It is also possible to cause erosion of the enamel by whitening too often, which will actually cause teeth to stain more easily and eventually need further dental treatment.

At QCDA, we offer 3 ways to whiten your teeth:

1-OpalGo is the quickest and easiest product. The package comes with 10 sets of upper and lower pre-filled trays. You wear one set of trays per day for 10 days, 15-60 minutes per day depending on the strength purchased.

2-Opalesence custom trays is a very effective home treatment product. You will have custom whitening trays made in our office and have 8 tubes of gel included. Most patients use these trays for 7-10 days, wearing them from 2-4 hours per day.

3-Zoom In-Office Whitening combines the powerful whitening gel with a violet light. This requires a quick consult visit and then will take about 2 hours of your time in our office for the procedure. You will leave our office with significantly whiter teeth and custom made trays for touch-ups at home.

For any further questions or if you are interested in any of the three whitening products we offer here at QCDA, contact the office! To schedule an appointment with Dr. Meghan Stenvall or learn more about teeth whitening in Charlotte, North Carolina, call 704-542-6533 today!

The post To Whiten or Not To Whiten? first appeared on Queen City Dental Arts.

Why “Fix” Baby Teeth?

bpadmin (lorna.goodman) — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 20:51:50 +0000

So often we think of “baby” or primary teeth as not being important. However, the complete opposite is actually true! Remember, those primary teeth are holding everything in place and preparing the mouth for the permanent or “adult” teeth that will come in later. If primary teeth are lost too early, due to decay or other reasons, your child’s smile loses that space holder. Permanent teeth can then come in misplaced or misaligned. Also, if a primary tooth is left untreated with ongoing decay, it can cause infection, which can then cause damage to the permanent, unerupted tooth coming in behind it. So even though these primary teeth will eventually fall out, you still want to make sure to take care of any current cavities on those baby teeth!

Our Queen City Dental Arts team is here to help your child’s smile develop properly for a healthier smile down the road. Our dedicated dentist, Dr. Meghan Stenvall is more than happy to evaluate your child’s dental health in Charlotte, North Carolina, and provide the dental care they need to keep their primary teeth healthy and in place. Please us a call today at 704-542-6533 with any questions or concerns you have regarding your child’s growing smile!

The post Why “Fix” Baby Teeth? first appeared on Queen City Dental Arts.