Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a condition caused by many possible reasons and it is an embarrassing problem to have. Many people who suffer from it invest in breath spray and mints, but Ernest De Paoli, your Frisco dentist, wants you to understand that the foul smell can be caused by many factors. This is not a disease but a noticeable symptom of a systemic condition in most cases.

Halitosis can occur because of poor oral hygiene, medication, diet, lactose intolerance, periodontal problems, diabetes and even GERD. Tobacco use and xerostomia, or dry mouth, are also possible reasons.

If you fail to have your teeth cleaned regularly by your dentist or have poor oral hygiene, plaque is expected to build up and this provides a great medium for bacteria to hang on to. Those who do not brush or floss properly experience tooth loss, gum disease, caries and bad breath.

Your dentist would also like you to know that the food you eat can cause bad breath. Foods and beverages with overpowering odors like coffee, onions, garlic, and some types of cheese or spices are absorbed into your bloodstream and then transferred to the lungs. In addition, patients on a diet that is low in carbohydrates produce ketones, which can also be a cause of bad breath.

Medical conditions like pharyngitis, tonsillitis, diabetes, chronic bronchitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Sjorgen’s syndrome, rhinitis and even liver or kidney disease can cause this embarrassing condition to manifest. These medical problems have to be resolved by a physician so that the problem will go away.

Dental appliances and dentures need to be cleaned regularly. When food gets stuck in their crevices, halitosis can develop. People with braces who have poor oral hygiene are prone to bad breath and periodontal problems. This is why patients are urged to brush and floss regularly to avoid tooth loss and cavities.

Since the cause of the problem may differ, the most you can do is maintain excellent oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly. If the problem persists accompanied by other signs and symptoms, visit your physician right away.

To learn more about this condition and to schedule your next exam, please call the office of Dr. De Paoli at 972-668-3680.

The seemingly innocent film of bacteria can cause irreparable damage if left to fester in your oral cavity. It thrives on your carbohydrate intake. The bacteria multiply and excrete acidic matter. This causes a degeneration of your enamel and dentin. When your dentinal tubules are open, the bacterium will be able to enter your tooth and this leads to caries formation.

If carious lesions or cavities are left untreated, the bacteria will be capable of entering your tooth’s pulp chamber, which will cause sensitivity. Your dentist might need to perform root canal treatment to save the tooth structure.

You can prevent this from happening by improving your oral hygiene. Remember to brush after each meal. The cervical third of the tooth must be given special attention. Floss the areas in between teeth and invest in fissure sealants if you have pits that are too tiny for the usual toothbrush bristle to enter. Depending on the rate of caries incidence, visit your dentist regularly for cleaning and scaling. Those who are more prone to periodontal disease must make it a point to schedule more dental visits to control the problem.

Gum disease is also caused by plaque build-up. Some people are genetically predisposed to this. In order to prevent the onset of tooth loss, they need to be more vigilant where oral hygiene is concerned. Your oral cavity is the dirtiest part of your body.

Contact the office of Dr. Ernest De Paoli, your dentist serving Frisco, to schedule your next exam and to learn more about home-care tips and tricks that can delay or prevent tooth loss.

Dentist Frisco

Impacted teeth are teeth that are not able to emerge properly because they are blocked by other teeth or because there is not enough room in the mouth. Impacted teeth often need to be removed with surgery, because they become infected. Our dentist in Frisco can help you if you have symptoms of an impacted tooth.

Common Causes of Impacted Teeth

The teeth that most often become impacted are wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars, which typically emerge in the late teens or early twenties. Most people do not have enough room in their jawbones to accommodate another set of molars, so wisdom teeth often emerge only partially or not at all, and subsequently become impacted.

Teeth can also become impacted if the surrounding teeth have moved out of their proper position. This can reduce the amount of room available for teeth to emerge normally. If the offending teeth are not moved back into the proper position, the teeth that have not yet emerged can become impacted.

Treating Impacted Teeth

Impacted teeth can be treated in different ways depending upon the cause, location and severity of the impaction. If existing teeth are in the wrong position, your dentist might recommend orthodontic treatment in order to move teeth into the correct place so the impacted teeth can emerge properly, or to prevent the impaction from happening at all.

In many cases, impacted wisdom teeth must be removed because they have become infected, or because they simply cannot emerge. This often requires oral surgery. If you have signs of infection in a wisdom tooth or symptoms of an impacted tooth elsewhere, be sure to tell your dentist right away. If a tooth has become infected, it should be treated immediately to prevent the infection from spreading and causing more serious problems. Untreated infections in the mouth can cause damage to other teeth, as well as to the gums and even to the jawbones.

If you need information about impacted teeth, or are experiencing symptoms of impaction, please contact our office at (972) 668-3680 for an appointment.

Professional cleaning in your dental office is an important part of maintaining your overall dental health. The dentist makes use of special tools that can remove plaque and tartar much more thoroughly than at-home brushing and flossing. Visiting your dental office regularly also ensures that you will receive periodic fluoride treatments that help your teeth remain strong and healthy.

What A Professional Teeth Cleaning Accomplishes

Professional teeth cleaning does not take the place of regular at-home dental hygiene. It is a supplement, though, that provides important additions to your everyday routine.

Most dentists recommend a professional cleaning every six months. During this appointment, your dentist or hygienist will clean your teeth thoroughly. He will also remove collected plaque and tartar with tools specially designed for this purpose. The health of your gums will also be examined to determine if you are suffering from gingivitis or more advanced gum disease.

If the dentist notices any possible issues with your dental hygiene, he will discuss proper technique and tools that can help you clean your teeth more thoroughly at home. Most dentists provide a fluoride treatment about once a year, as well as X-rays on varying schedules. These X-rays can locate problems with your teeth or jaw that might not be visible to the naked eye.

Additional Issues Addressed During Your Regular Professional Cleaning

In addition to cleaning your teeth and checking the health of your teeth, gums and jawbones, your dentist will check for signs of oral cancer or any other unusual growths, sores, or problems in your mouth. One of the best ways to ensure early detection of oral cancer is through regular dental visits.

Even if you clean your teeth regularly, signs of other problems such as decay, gum disease, or even symptoms of more severe problems can be easily overlooked. Regular visits to a dentist in Frisco—about every six months—can help ensure that your oral and dental health is the best it can be.

Far too often, care for children’s deciduous teeth, also known as “baby teeth,” is neglected. Because these teeth will eventually fall out, parents believe there is not real need to invest time or money in ensuring they remain healthy until the permanent teeth appear. Unfortunately, this can lead to severe problems with the permanent teeth as well as emotional distress for the child if he or she must have teeth extracted.

These facts about childhood cavities and how parents can help maintain their children’s oral health can help you provide a great start for your baby.

Dental care can begin before baby teeth arrive. To help prevent the accumulation of bacteria in your baby’s mouth, clean the gums with a pad of gauze or a soft washcloth. This will also help your baby get used to having you clean her mouth, making brushing easier when her teeth do come in.

First visits to the dentist should not be delayed. Your baby should experience a visit to the dental office as soon as the first teeth begin to appear. The dentist can show you how to best care for your baby’s teeth, and visiting the dentist will also help your baby get used to this necessary routine.

Bacteria can be passed from mother to child. Sharing spoons, cups or other feeding items with your baby can pass bacteria from your mouth to hers. In general, it is a good idea to avoid this practice. Keeping your own mouth and teeth in excellent health will also help reduce the amount of bacteria that can travel from you to your baby.

Bottles can cause cavities. If your baby drinks milk or apple juice from a bottle after her teeth have come in, it is important to monitor the practice. Babies who fall asleep while bottle feeding can collect a great deal of sugar on their teeth, creating an environment that attracts bacteria and can lead to serious tooth decay.

To be sure your baby gets the best early dental care, make an appointment with a dentist in Frisco today.

Digital technology has changed the way we take and store pictures and much more. Digital technology has also revolutionized the arena of dental x-rays, and digital dental x–rays that use a technology known as radiovisiography (RVG) are fast becoming the norm in dental practice. They offer a host of advantages when compared to the conventional film-based x-rays.

Digital x-rays are very time-efficient, not requiring any lengthy processing for developing the image, which means no waiting before the x ray is ready to be assessed. The time gap from image capture to electronic display occurs within a few seconds, saving valuable chair time for dentists and their patients. This allows your local dentist the ease of evaluating and recording multiple images, if needed, within a short time. The magnified image projected on the display often helps patients “see” their radiographic status, which can help them appreciate that a tooth has deep decay. A better understanding of the problem helps patients become more able to participate in their treatment.

Another important benefit is that digital x-rays require significantly less radiation to be transferred, making them more healthy. Additionally, image characteristics can be modified for better analysis. This allows the dentist to magnify or angle images to see a specific area better, a definite aid in procedures that need a high level of accuracy, like dental implant placement or root canal treatment. They also allow much better comparison of subtle changes in images taken over time, such as in bone loss and density, which is crucial in assessing periodontal disease. Digital image storage is electronic, so is less cumbersome with quick accessing of previous images that have been archived systematically. Finally, digital x-rays don’t require any processing chemicals, which are hazardous and an environmental problem.

In the 1790s, a British chemist began to experiment with the use of nitrous oxide as a pain-inhibitor and noted that its most famous side effect, laughing. He coined the anesthetic’s popular nickname, laughing gas. During the next 50 years, the gas became very popular. People were so taken with the exhilarating effects of the gas that inhalation parties became the rage. In 1863 the gas was combined with oxygen, becoming a staple of surgical procedures.

Soon after the adoption of nitrous oxide, local anesthetics were developed. Just prior to the 1900s, cocaine was used, but once its addictive qualities were identified, the search began for a suitable alternative. Many of the alternatives were forms of synthetic cocaine, but none were successful until 1905 when a German chemist discovered procaine, which he named Novocain. The anesthetic proved extremely popular with dental professionals, as well as a public relieved at the sound of “painless dentistry