Your Questions About Oral Health Answered by Our Dentist

In our dentist office in Austin, we understand the importance of maintaining excellent oral health and how the health of your teeth and gums can influence the health of your body. As a result, it is important that you take the time to care for your mouth so you can avoid cavities and gum disease. This involves receiving professional teeth cleanings twice a year in our dental office and practicing good oral hygiene at home.

Brushing and flossing are vital to your oral health. Still, there is far more to your teeth and gums than most people think. With that in mind, here are some of the questions patients ask regarding topics some people may not know about.

Is dry mouth something to be concerned about?

In many cases, yes. Dry mouth tends to impact the elderly and people with conditions like diabetes. When the mouth becomes dry, it is because the body is not producing enough saliva. This is a problem because saliva is the body's natural way of washing away bacteria and plaque. Without it, patients are at an increased risk of getting cavities or gum disease. Simultaneously, a patient's breath will start to smell stale. We recommend that patients drink more water and visit our office on a regular basis so that we can help patients to stay in good oral health.

Will my filling last forever?

That depends on one's definition of forever. A filling can last for 10 years to a lifetime and whether or not it does will depend on the health of one's teeth. For example, a filling may become loose if the tooth experiences additional decay. People can often prevent decay with regular dental care, but there are no guarantees. Additionally, if one does something like chew on ice, then he or she will damage or loosen fillings. In our dentist office, we inspect fillings to determine how well they are holding up and will tell patients if we need to replace them.

What are common treatments for a toothache?

We find that a lot of people develop a toothache after getting something stuck between their teeth. If the object is very small, people may not know that it is there. Thus, we suggest brushing and flossing teeth prior to giving us a call. If that does not help, then the patient may have a cavity, infection or gum disease. All of these require immediate care, and we can treat them in our dentist office while ensuring that patients remain entirely comfortable. Our objective is to keep the patient healthy, and if one calls with a toothache, we will help the patient return to normal life as quickly as possible.

What is causing the bumps in my mouth?

You may have eaten something that has irritated your mouth like too much sugar or something that is high in acid content. However, if your bumps are red and white and are not going away, this may be a sign of oral cancer and a reason to schedule an immediate dentist appointment.