As a dentist, I’ve always preached about regular hygiene appointments and checkups. We want to keep a close eye on your oral health, checking the condition of your teeth and gums, preventing any problems when we can, and taking care of any problems that do occur when they’re small.

Well, in my opinion, those regular checkups are more important than ever. In fact, I recommend that patients be seen every 6 months. Why? Because recent studies have shown that gum disease is not only a threat to your teeth, it’s a threat to your health.

It just makes sense. Your mouth is the portal to your entire body. If it’s not healthy, it just stands to reason that your body will be affected. And these recent studies are proving that.

Studies have shown that the bacteria associated with gum disease has been linked to an increase risk of stroke, heart attack, certain cancers and other serious health problems.

Read more about the dangers of gum disease and what we can do to treat it here:

https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/general-dentistry/periodontal-therapy/

And then make sure to schedule your checkup and hygiene visit!

Headaches. Teeth grinding. Sore jaw. Painful chewing. They all can be symptoms of TMJ disorder. TMJ disorder occurs when the top and bottom jaw aren’t in proper alignment and don’t meet evenly when you close your mouth.

The symptoms can range from mildly annoying to downright debilitating. But the good news is that TMJ disorder can be treated and the pain eliminated.

I invite you to read Sally’s story. She’s a patient of mine. If you suffer from TMJ disorder, this story should give you hope: https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/tmj-treatment/

I frequently see patients in my office who have old metal fillings that make their teeth look dark and gray. Many patients hate the look of them, but don’t understand that the real problem with these fillings may be what they can’t see.

Metal fillings in your tooth act like metal outside your tooth, meaning they expand and contract when exposed to heat fluctuations. All this movement can crack your tooth. And it can create gaps between the filling and the tooth, letting bacteria get in under the filling, causing undetected decay.

My advice? Replace them with safer, stronger tooth colored fillings. Tooth colored fillings are made a composite resin or porcelain. They restore your teeth to strength, don’t react to temperature changes and virtually disappear in your smile. It’s a win-win-win!

To learn more about tooth colored fillings, read here: https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/general-dentistry/white-fillings/

Are you filled with anxiety every time you have to go to the dentist? Or worse, is fear keeping you from the dentist, putting your health at risk?

Relax. It doesn’t have to be that way. With Sedation Dentistry offered in my Buckhead, GA dental office, dentistry can be a positively relaxing experience.

Sedation dentistry is safe and effective. If you have anxiety, just tell us. We’ll prescribe an oral medication for you to take right before you visit. This medication will help you completely relax. In fact, it’s so effective, you must have someone drive you to and from your appointment!

During your treatment, you’ll be totally at ease. You may even drift off to sleep. To learn more about sedation dentistry, read here https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/general-dentistry/oral-sedation/.

To arrange for oral sedation prior to your next appointment, just call my dental practice at 404.255.7500.

If you have missing teeth, you know how embarrassing it can be. But did you know that more than your appearance is affected by tooth loss? Your health is too.

When a tooth, several teeth or even all teeth are lost – and not replaced – your jawbone begins to deteriorate. Your ability to eat nutritious foods is limited. If you are missing one or several teeth, the empty spaces in your mouth allow other teeth to shift position, causing a variety of problems, from uneven tooth wear to headaches.

The best approach for your health, confidence and comfort is to replace your missing teeth. If several teeth are missing, consider a bridge or a partial denture. If you are missing all your teeth, a full denture can restore your smile as well as support facial muscles, enhancing your overall appearance.

To learn more about the full and partial dentures available at my Buckhead, GA dental practice, I invite you to read more here https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/restorative-dentistry/dentures/

If you would like to visit my dental practice to discuss your options for tooth replacement, just call 404.255.7500.

Do you grind your teeth? Do you wake up with jaw pain or a headache every morning? You might attribute these symptoms to stress, but the fact is, your jaw may be out of alignment.

When your jaw is out of balance, called malocclusion, the top jaw and bottom jaw don’t meet evenly when you close your mouth. Just the simple motion of opening and closing your jaw can put a tremendous amount of strain on the surrounding muscles, joints and tendons, causing TMJ problems, including grinding and tooth wear.

The good news? This problem is easily and gently treatable and correctable! To treat jaw misalignment, we use splint therapy. Splints are custom made to fit your mouth and your teeth perfectly. They are designed to help the muscles relax and gently reposition the jaw joint to relieve any strain, pain or tension.

Put an end to your nightly or daily grind. Read more about splint therapy for TMJ treatment here https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/tmj-treatment/tmj-therapy/

If you would like to find out if splint therapy is right for you, call my Buckhead, GA dental practice to schedule an evaluation of your jaw at 404.255.7500

In recent blogs, I’ve told you a bit about cosmetic dentistry and porcelain veneers and what they can do to enhance smiles.

But I thought, in this blog, instead of talking about beautiful smiles, why not show you some of the smiles I’ve enhanced in my Buckhead cosmetic dental practice? So I invite you to take a moment and click on the following link to look at photos of my patients and their beautiful smiles. https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/smile-gallery/

If you would like to learn what I can do for your smile, please give me a call at 404-255-7500.

Sometimes the smallest dental imperfection – a chipped tooth . . .gaps between teeth . . .crooked teeth . . . stained, discolored teeth – can create a big impact on the appearance of your smile and in your confidence.

The good news? All of these problems can be corrected with porcelain veneers in my Buckhead, GA cosmetic dental practice.

Porcelain veneers are thin sheets of porcelain that are bonded to the front surfaces of your tooth. Shaped and colored to blend perfectly within your smile, veneers can correct a variety of imperfections in only a couple comfortable visits!

To learn just what veneers can do to enhance your smile, read here https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/cosmetic-dentistry/porcelain-veneers/

When you hear the term “cosmetic dentistry,” do you think “smile makeover?” While cosmetic dentistry can certainly provide a complete smile makeover, there are also a variety of simple procedures, like smile whitening or bonding that can make a tremendous difference in your smile and your confidence.

Want to find out what’s possible? You may be surprised by what you learn! Read here. https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/cosmetic-dentistry/

To schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation, call my Buckhead, GA dental practice at 404-255-7500.

Forget the witches, ghosts and ghouls lurking around your door on Halloween night. What’s really scary is the damage all that Halloween candy can do to your teeth!

Now, I’m not trying to put the “boo!” in Halloween, I’m just saying, if you’re going to partake in the treats, protect against the tricks.

Be wary of caramels and other chewy candy. They can loosen dental restorations. If you already have a loose filling, chewy candy can pull it right out. Hard candy poses another threat to your teeth. Not only can you break or chip a tooth by biting down on a piece of hard candy, if you eat it like you’re supposed to, it lingers in your mouth for a long time, coating your teeth with sugar. Sour candy is downright frightening. It has a high acid content and can wreak havoc on your tooth enamel.

If you have to indulge on Halloween, stick with chocolate. Then be sure to brush your teeth and wash away any sugar. If you haven’t been to the dentist lately, now’s an ideal time to schedule a teeth cleaning!

To learn more about dental checkups and cleanings at my Buckhead, GA dental practice, visit https://www.buckheadgadentist.com/general-dentistry/teeth-cleaning
To schedule a checkup and cleaning, call me at 404-255-7500