In our Ooltewah Dentist Office, we see patients who suffer from regular teeth grinding, also known as “bruxism.” Since stress is a major contributor to teeth grinding, we are dedicating this month’s post to suggestions to help you lower your stress levels.  Ways to Reduce Stress that Causes Teeth Grinding Pain in the jaw from clenching teeth too tightly is bad enough, but stress can trigger many negative responses in our bodies, including headaches, high blood pressure, tense muscles, high blood sugar, heartburn, depression, and a weakened immune system. Here are a few ideas for getting your stress under control. Ways to Relieve Stress at Home We’ve all felt stress and wished we could escape the pressures of modern life to experience complete relaxation like the people in those bath power commercials from the 70s and 80s, pleading, “Calgon, take me away…” The home is usually a sanctuary for taking…
We all want a more youthful appearance, especially as we approach middle-age and worry about getting passed over for jobs in favor of younger candidates or fear that we are losing our sex appeal. Millions of Americans fight to hide signs of the natural aging process with injections to tighten the skin and products to conceal gray hairs. One positive impact of cosmetic dentistry performed at our Ooltewah TN dental office is a more youthful appearance. For those with teeth in good condition, teeth whitening or dental veneers can give the illusion of a more youthful smile. For others who’ve lost teeth over the years, dental implants surgically positioned into the jawbone create a similar effect. Cosmetic Dentistry: The Fountain of Youth? Teeth Whitening and Dental Veneers Think back to when you were a younger person, perhaps in your twenties, with beautiful white teeth freshly aligned from wearing braces in…
Wednesday, 16 January 2019 19:47

TMJ Pain Treatment Ooltewah TN: Symptoms and Solutions

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If you experience frequent jaw pain, headaches, migraine, or a painful sensation around your ear, you may have an inflamed TMJ, or temporomandibular joint. You might hear clicking or popping while chewing or talking if this condition affects you. In this blog, we’ll talk about the symptoms and possible causes of TMJ pain, how Dr. Tedford diagnoses the disorders, and how to treat TMJ and the jaw damage causing the painful symptoms. TMJ Disorder Treatment in Ooltewah TN Possible Causes of TMJ Pain If you’re under a lot of stress, you may constantly clench or grind your teeth, which eventually damages the joint connecting the lower jaw to the bone on the side of the skull. You may not even be aware that you are doing this during the day in stressful situations or while asleep at night. This damage from putting pressure on the jaw usually rears its ugly…
Use of Laughing Gas for Ooltewah Pediatric Dental Procedures To ease anxiety during dental procedures, a mild form of sedation called Nitrous Oxide can be used. We are happy to explain the procedure, why it relaxes patients, and how it makes them feel. Among the benefits of its use are the reduction or elimination of anxiety in patients, enhancing patient communication and cooperation, raising the pain reaction threshold, making longer appointments more tolerable, aiding in the treatment of mentally or physically disabled patients, reduction of gagging, and general sedation. Who Discovered ‘Laughing Gas’? Nitrous Oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” is a colorless, almost odorless gas, first discovered in 1772 by the English scientist and clergyman Joseph Priestley (who was also famous for being the first to isolate other important gases such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide). He hoped it would serve as a preserving…
Chattanooga Preventive Dentistry Part of our mission for Chattanooga Preventive Dentistry is encouraging and educating patients to achieve a more balanced, healthy life in general. Poor nutrition affects oral health in ways that may not seem as obvious as usual culprits of gum disease or cavities.  Eating for Healthy Gums and Teeth Foods that can Damage Teeth and Gums You’ve probably already guessed what we are going to say. The American Dental Association (ADA) has promoted the message for years: Junk Food is bad for you and your teeth. Sugars are easily the arch-nemesis of many a dentist. Cake, cookies, candies, milk, and other sugary foods may taste delicious but these can cause tooth decay. Starchy foods like pretzels and potato chips aren’t good for teeth either. The longer these carbohydrates stay on the teeth, the more damage is done. Non-Food Consumables that can Damage Teeth and Gums This time…
Dental Veneers: What They Are and How to Take Care of Them A great smile can be positively life-changing. Taking good care of our teeth helps, but cosmetic dentistry procedures like dental veneers can take us “over the goal line”, as the saying goes. In this month’s blog, we look at reasons for getting dental veneers, some of which go beyond merely cosmetic considerations. Veneers Mask Stained Teeth Dental Veneers are the next step after unsuccessful teeth whitening When teeth whitening fails to completely decrease stains and discoloration, dental veneers become the recommended cosmetic dentistry procedure. The thin wafer of porcelain becomes bonded to camouflage the actual color, shape, or position of the existing tooth. All cosmetic procedures work best when they enhance your smile rather than radically change it. You want people to notice the positive change but remain puzzled as to what was done. The smile should improve…
A bride or groom feeling self-conscious about their smile may ask a wedding photographer to use Photoshop for the illusion of having white teeth in their wedding photos. Perhaps you’ve adjusted the settings on Instagram to hide a yellow tinge in your own smile before sharing a social media post. In real life, we can’t hide behind layers of pixels. Every time we encounter someone face-to-face, they see our teeth and recognize whether the enamel is yellowed or stained.If you’ve worried about the appearance of your smile, perhaps you’ve researched how to whiten your teeth at home. Maybe you’ve wondered “how much does professional teeth whitening cost?” without ever following through to find out. But while the Internet may offer lots of ways to cut corners and save money, including home remedies for removing plaque naturally, you may not want to experiment with unqualified advice off the web about do-it-yourself…
Thursday, 19 April 2018 15:51

How To Stop Gingivitis

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Do you know how to stop gingivitis? Does your mouth bleed when you brush your teeth? Noticing plaque and tartar above the gumline? Gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums, appears as the first sign of someone at risk for periodontal disease. Join us in learning how to stop Gingivitis.At some point, a dentist has no doubt warned you about it before, but you should take gum health seriously. If left unchecked, a domino effect of oral damage progresses, often resulting in the loss of one’s teeth and increased risk of serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory infections, and other afflictions. Preventing that from happening is worth 3 to 5 minutes of your time, twice a day, right?A survey reported in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that a majority of adults have gingivitis. This suggests that people aren’t taking good enough care of their teeth…
Monday, 12 March 2018 16:37

How To Find " The Best Dentist Near Me ".

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If you are new to an area or looking for a new dentist, you may ask yourself, Siri or Alexa: "How do I find the best dentist near me?".   Oddly, finding a dentist is sometimes one of the last things people look into when they move to a new area.  They find their dry cleaner, child's school, family doctor and favorite restaurants before their dentist.  However, seeing a dentist can be very important to your overall health.  There are many things to consider when searching for a new dentist.  Below are a few things to consider. Google Searches for Dentists If you use Google to research "dentists near me",  Google will provide you with a screen filled with options split into 3 sections.  Typically, the top section of the screen (above the maps box) is paid ads.  Those dentists pay a fee for each click to be listed at the…
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