Prevent Periodontitis

Healthy gums are firm, pale, and pink in color. When comes become inflamed, they may appear red or purple in color, depending on the severity of the inflammation. If your oral care routine isn’t up to par, or if you aren’t brushing or flossing properly, these poor habits can lead to gingivitis. When gingivitis is left untreated, it will advance into a condition called periodontitis, which our doctors at Evans Dental Care will work hard to help you treat.

Periodontitis is caused by bacterial plaque that hasn’t been removed through proper brushing and flossing. When plaque builds up on the teeth and isn’t brushed away, it will turn into tartar which only a dental professional is able to remove. If periodontitis isn’t treated, the gums will recede and the tooth (or teeth) may become loose. Other problems that patients may experience are dental abscesses, exposure of tooth roots, and difficulty chewing. If you experience gum inflammation of any kind, schedule a dental appointment to get the situation under control.

If you have questions or concerns regarding preventive dental care or periodontal disease, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.evansdentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment at Evans Dental Care in Williamsburg, VA, call 757-349-8877.

Preventing Dry Sockets

When a tooth extraction becomes necessary, we at Evans Dental Care in Williamsburg do everything within our power to make it go as quickly and painlessly as possible. There is one major issue which we need the patient’s cooperation to prevent, and that’s a dry socket.

Teeth extractions are typically done by wiggling a tooth while pushing it upwards or pulling it, although incisions into the gum are sometimes necessary for complex cases. After the tooth is out, there will be an empty socket left behind with a bit of blood in it. The socket is vulnerable to infection, particularly if it dries out, but the blood will form a scab, sealing it off. We want to prevent the clot from being dislodged until the socket closes, which in simple cases, takes about a week.

Patients undergoing extractions are warned not to sip from a straw following the procedure, or else the suction may dislodge the clot. They should also avoid smoking, eating sticky foods, or brushing too hard near the extraction site. If the patient is in pain more than two days after the extraction, they should request an emergency appointment. We can provide medication to heal a dry socket and monitor its progress more closely.

Dr. Peter Evans operates Evans Dental Care at 103 Bulifants Blvd., Suite B, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23188. To schedule an appointment, visit Evans Dental Care or call 757-349-8877.

 

Diet and Dental Health

If you have ever heard the phrase, “you are what you eat,” Dr. Peter S. Evans DDS of Evans Dental Care is here to explain why there is some truth to that. Having proper nutrition means eating a well-balanced diet of foods that provide nutritional value to your body while having a poor diet can cause your body to resist fighting infections and may lead to gum disease and tooth decay. Eating patterns play a role in your overall health, so if you aren’t eating healthy, it’s time to start.

Foods that contain sugars of any kind will cause enamel to wear down and become prone to cavities. If your diet lacks certain nutrients, such as calcium, and vitamins, it may be difficult for your gums to resist infection, making them more prone to periodontal disease. To maintain a balanced diet, for your smile and your overall health, be sure to consume foods from each of the five major food groups, such as cheese, raw vegetables, plain yogurt, and fruit. Avoid foods and beverages that contain added sugar, to reduce acidity in the mouth.

If you have questions or concerns regarding preventive dental care, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.evansdentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment at Evans Dental Care in Williamsburg, VA, call 757-349-8877.

Oral Cancer Awareness Month

As part of our holistic practice at Evans Dental Care in Williamsburg, we want our patients to know how to protect themselves from oral cancer. Each April is designated by a number of dental and cancer groups as Oral Cancer Awareness Month, so this seemed like a good time to talk about this disease’s causes and how to detect it.

About 60% of people diagnosed with oral cancer survive for more than five years, but this low number is partly due to cancer often not being detected until it has reached an advanced stage. Cancer in the oral cavity is usually caused by smoking, tobacco use, or heavy use of alcohol. Further back in the mouth, in a region called the oropharynx, it can be caused by a strain of HPV. Some of the warning signs patients should be on the look-out for are red or white discoloration, persistent pain, irritation, numbness, and difficulty swallowing.

Scans of the oral cavity are done with a special light which can detect suspicious growths beneath the tissue surface. If something suspicious is found, a sample of tissue, called a biopsy, will be sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Dr. Peter Evans operates Evans Dental Care at 103 Bulifants Blvd., Suite B, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23188. To schedule an appointment, visit Evans Dental Care or call 757-349-8877.

 

Mercury-Safe Dental Care

At Evans Dental Care, we’ve been utilizing mercury-safe dentistry for 20 years and we will continue to do so for many more. This is because we understand the concerns of toxic materials and how they can affect our patient’s oral health. Not only are the materials we use safe for our patients, they are systemically compatible and safe for the environment.

Mercury is commonly used in amalgam fillings which are why you will never see one in our dental office. In fact, we don’t use metals in our office and we are very careful when removing metal fillings from the mouth to replace them with ones that are mercury-free. Instead, we use composite resins and ceramics in addition to bioceramic dental implants because they serve the same purpose without the risks and blend with your natural teeth.

If you have questions or concerns regarding mercury-free dental care, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.evansdentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment at Evans Dental Care in Williamsburg, VA, call 757-349-8877.

Acid Reflux and Teeth

Evans Dental Care is a holistic dental practice, meaning we emphasize the connection between oral health and overall health. One of the most obvious ways in which the teeth are impacted by problems elsewhere in the body is the effect of acid reflux, which erodes enamel.

A person is said to have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) if they experience heartburn twice or more per week. Heartburn doesn’t actually have anything to do with the heart; it’s caused by the sphincter separating the stomach from the esophagus opening and allowing stomach acid to escape. The acid burns as it travels upward (which also puts patients at risk for esophageal cancer) and harms the teeth when it reaches the mouth. Due to their position, the upper molars are the first to be affected. Acid reflux can be identified as the problem by how the teeth take on a glazed appearance before becoming pitted.

Mineralization therapies can help to prevent erosion and matter that has already been lost can be replaced with partial crowns. But to prevent GERD, patients should reduce their intake of caffeine and alcohol, as well as fried meats, citrus juice, and onions and garlic. They should also avoid eating large meals before lying down.

Dr. Peter Evans operates Evans Dental Care at 103 Bulifants Blvd., Suite B, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23188. To schedule an appointment, visit Evans Dental Care or call 757-349-8877.

 

Types of Teeth

As a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, Dr. Peter Evans is proficient in a vast array of dental and oral health procedures. But in order for patients to understand the options available to them, they first have to understand the different functions their teeth serve and what kinds of problems each is most likely to encounter.

Adults usually grow four incisors, two cuspids, four premolars, and six molars in each jaw, totaling up to thirty-two teeth. The incisors are the flat teeth and the front of the mouth that are used for tearing pieces of food. They are the most important teeth for speech function and are the most common location for caries in babies. The cuspids are also called canines and eyeteeth. They are for piercing and stabilize the overall arch of the teeth, but the upper ones often have difficulty erupting.

The molars and premolars have horizontal area and multiple cusps. Their large roots and ligaments allow them to tolerate the pressure of chewing. Lower molars usually have two roots, upper molars often have three. The molars furthest in back are the wisdom teeth. They are the largest teeth and commonly have difficulty erupting as well, but they are more often removed than corrected.

Dr. Peter Evans operates Evans Dental Care at 103 Bulifants Blvd., Suite B, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23188. To schedule an appointment, visit Evans Dental Care or call 757-349-8877.