NE Calgary Dentists at Discover Dental in Falconridge want to explain the importance x-rays play in maintaining dental health.  For some of us it seems easy to decline x-rays when we go to the dentist.  We just want them to ‘look’ at the sore tooth, inflamed gum, or annoying sore on the inside of our cheek.  Well when you think about it, we’d never get away with that if we went to a medical doctor and asked them to just ‘look’ at our symptoms.  We often agree to blood tests and other forms of diagnosing from our medical doctor – so why are we so reluctant to agree to dental x-rays?

Some people use the excuse that dental x-rays emit high amounts of radiation.  That just isn’t true. Most progressive dental offices in Calgary take digital x-rays – technology that reduces the amount of radiation that traditional x-rays emit by up to 90%.  To explain it in terms of sun exposure – one full day in the sun equates to roughly twenty dental x-rays.  That’s an awful lot of x-rays, as the average adult has just four x-rays taken on an annual basis – so one day in the sun is the same as five years’ worth of dental x-rays – so pretty minimal exposure to radiation per x-ray.

Now that we’ve explained just how safe dental x-rays are – let’s go on to share the many benefits there are to having routine x-rays taken by your dental provider. Your NE Calgary Dentist will recommend dental x-rays so that tissue that is not visible to the eye can be viewed and examined for health.  Teeth are supported by bone – but bone is not visible to your dentist during a routine check-up exam – so an x-ray is taken to make sure that bone and other dental tissues below the gum level are healthy.  Interproximal areas – or areas in-between teeth – are also not visible to the dentist, especially in adult patients when teeth are larger and tend to butt up against one another.  Taking an x-ray allows your Calgary Dentist to view the area in-between teeth and will show any areas when decay is starting.  Being able to detect dental decay in its early stages will help avoid more involved and costly treatment down the road – so the benefit of early detection far outweighs the cost of the x-ray.

Dental x-rays are used to diagnose dental abscesses, tumours, abnormal jaw growth, and normal eruption of adult teeth in young patients.  By refusing dental x-rays you are limiting your dentist’s ability to make a full and accurate diagnosis.  Calgary Dentists at Discover Dental understand patients’ concerns regarding the need for dental x-rays and welcome your questions to discuss the many advantages x-rays offer.  Discover Dental is welcoming new patients and is happy to address any concerns you may have regarding your dental health.  Call today 403.285.0222

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Dentists at Discover Dental in NE Calgary are focused on providing patients with information that will improve their dental health.  During a dental appointment it is common for patients to experience some anxiety – which makes retaining dental information challenging.  That’s why this group of NE Calgary Dentists make sure accurate material is available to patients 24/7 through web and blog content.

Maintaining good oral health is not easy for everyone.  Some individuals are plagued with dental concerns from the moment teeth appear – possibly due to genetics, diet, physical health, or injury.  Preventing dental issues always starts with excellent home care – brushing and flossing daily, and seeing your dentist for regular exams and cleanings.  However, regardless of how hard we try to keep our teeth in tip-top condition problems can arise.  Here’s a list of the top 10 dental concerns – and tips on how to prevent them.

Bad Breath– this is the number one dental concern.  Let’s face it, we’re all self-conscious of our breath after a garlicky meal, or have wondered how to pluck up the courage to let our co-worker know they need a breath mint – bad breath affects everyone at some stage of life – but living with it day after day suggests there is a need to address this embarrassing predicament.  Over the counter mouthwashes, mints, and gum are merely a short-term solution – these products mask the odor but are not able to address the cause of it.  Bad breath is usually caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth as a result of poor home care.  Lack of daily brushing and flossing causes food particles to remain trapped between teeth and stuck to the surface of the tongue. The decaying food particles react to the bacteria already present in the mouth – releasing an unpleasant odor.  The bacteria and food particles increase the formation of plaque on tooth surfaces – which if not removed by brushing also contributes to bad breath and causes gums to become inflamed – which results in more places for food to get trapped.  There’s no other way to say it – Brushing and Flossing are the vital step in creating and maintaining a healthy dentition.  When you brush and floss, plaque is removed from the surfaces of teeth.  When plaque is removed, bacteria are reduced – and a healthier dental environment is created.

Gum Disease– is the number two dental concern that affects adults.  Above we mentioned the importance of daily brushing and flossing – so it won’t come as a surprise to learn that the second dental concern after bad breath is gum disease – as it’s a natural progression to go from having inflamed gums and moderate plaque and calculus to more significant gum recession and heavy build-up of calculus.  NE Calgary Dentists hate to nag their patients about the value of regular cleanings – but the reality is that when dental care is neglected a patient’s entire health system is affected.  You may have read about the increase risk of heart attack associated with gum disease (periodontal disease) due to the high levels of bacteria present in a patient’s mouth – increasing inflammation throughout the body.

General Dentists at Discover Dental in NE Calgary aim to improve the dental health of each and every patient – if you experiencing bad breath or have gum disease, call them today to schedule an appointment – 403.285.0222

Follow our blog in the coming weeks to learn more about the top 10 dental concerns – and what you can do to prevent them.

The post NE Calgary Dentists Share Top 10 Dental Issues appeared first on Dr. Shazia Butt DDS.

Fun facts are always a great way to start your day, so we have done a little bit of research to find you some interesting ones.

Did you know that no two people have the same identical set of teach. This makes your teeth just as unique as a your fingerprint or a snowflake.

Also, did you know that in your lifetime, your mouth produces over 25,000 quarts of saliva? That’s enough to fill two swimming pools, incredible!

Lastly, did you know that only two thirds of your tooth are visible? This means that, one third of your tooth is actually hidden under your gums.

To read more fun facts, click here

The post The “tooth” about dental appeared first on Dr. Shazia Butt DDS.

In an article by TVOParents, they list several great tips for parents to help improve dental care for babies and children such as:

“Clean Teeth Tips:

• Young children depend on their parents to clean their teeth properly
• Children under the age of three need adults to brush their teeth for them
• Children aged 3-6 should be helped to brush their teeth by a grown-up
• When children can write (not print) their own name, they are ready to brush their teeth on their own, however, parents should still check to see they do a good job
• Change your child’s toothbrush every one to three months and after every illness
• Let your child watch you brushing your teeth to help them learn how and to teach the importance of dental health
• Sugary drinks and snacks are a major culprit in rising rates of child tooth decay, so help your child to eat more healthy snacks and drink tap water (which contains fluoride)”

To read more of the article, click here

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