You and your family deserve quality family dental care from Smith Dental Care.
The friendly, compassionate team of dental professionals at Smith Dental Care is committed to providing a pleasant dental experience.
Dr. Smith's goal is to provide the best dental care possible for you and your family in a professional, caring environment. We want to help you maintain your oral hygiene in a way that will keep your entire mouth healthy for a lifetime.
Emergency Dental Care
Unfortunately, most people don't receive quality dental care on a regular basis. They go only when it hurts. At Smith Dental Care we call this "crisis treatment" as opposed to "preventive treatment".
This usually ends up costing much more in both dollars and time than visiting the dentist regularly. The reason is simple - most dental problems don't have any symptoms until they reach the advanced stages.
Tooth decay is a great example. At Smith Dental Care we hear all the time, "Nothing hurts... I don't have any problems". But tooth decay doesn't hurt! Until, that is, it gets close to the nerve of the tooth.
At this stage a root canal and crown are usually necessary. Dr. Smith can usually detect a cavity 3-4 years before it may develop any symptoms, and treat it with a simple (and less expensive) filling.
If you're a new parent, or know someone who is, remember regular dental check-ups should begin no later than 18 months of age.
Dental Decay "Cavities"
Regular brushing and flossing lowers the chance of developing cavities.
The most decay-prone areas of teeth are the grooves and depressions on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, which require further preventive care.
To prevent decay, a plastic-like coating called a sealant should be painted on the chewing surfaces of all the back teeth. Studies have shown that sealants can reduce tooth decay by as much as 90% to 100%.
The American Dental Association recommends, and Dr. Smith agrees, that sealants be placed as soon as the first adult back teeth come in at age 6 or 7. Sealants should continue to be used as each adult back tooth comes into the mouth. All back teeth that need to be sealed are present by age 13. Sealant application is simple, fast, and painless.
Diet and Dental Health
Diets low in certain nutrients reduce resistance to oral and dental infections such as periodontal disease (gum disease) and decay. Dr. Smith know a healthy immune system is essential to controlling periodontal disease.
Dietary counseling can show you how to improve dental health and general health. Sugar, especially in sticky forms or in a baby bottle while sleeping, contributes to the rapid development of dental decay.
The trace nutrient flouride, in proper dosage, has been shown to significantly reduce dental decay. fluoride may not be adequately supplied by bottle or municipal water supplies throughout the Tyler area, so supplementation with oral tablets and topical application may be necessary to reduce the incidence of dental decay.
When supplements are needed, the administration of fluoride supplements should begin shortly after birth and continue through the time of eruption of the second permanent molars (approx. 12 years of age).
Together, a balanced diet, daily use of fluoride, effective brushing, and sensible eating habits can reduce the risk of, or even prevent, infectious dental disease.
Some Dental Problems Are Easy To See - Plaque!
One of the easiest problems to spot is a build-up of plaque. Plaque is the soft, sticky layer of bacteria, which is constantly forming on the teeth.
Usually it is invisible to the naked eye, but when a person is not brushing adequately, it can build up to where it appears to be a thick whitish coating on the teeth at the gum line. If not removed, it can lead to gum disease.
Missing Teeth
Another potential problem, which is easy to spot, is missing teeth. Many patients assume that if they are still able to eat, they are O.K.
However, losing just one tooth can lead to the loss of support, and teeth begin to drift into the empty space. This causes a change in the bite and forces the remaining teeth to carry an additional load, sometimes past their ability to adapt. In most cases, when even one tooth is lost, the remaining teeth suffer and are more likely to be lost as well.
