Lakeland Dental Care Blog

Taking care of your body is extremely important–and this includes taking care of your smile. Here are some simple things to remember as you care for your teeth and gums.

Sleep bruxism, a disease where you press your jaw together too tightly during sleep, causing your teeth to grind, can result in headaches, damaged teeth and jaw disorders, and it often leads to other sleep problems like sleep apnea and snoring. However, self-diagnosing sleep bruxism can be hard – recognizing symptoms that occur during sleep could require a partner. For this reason, you should pay special attention to note whether you show any of the side effects of sleep bruxism:

• Scars or damage from chewing your cheeks
• Sleep problems or interruptions
• Face or neck soreness
• Earache-like pain, but no actual earache
• Headaches or dull pain in the temples
• Soreness or locking in the jaw or jaw muscles
• Chipped, fractured, loose, or otherwise damaged teeth
• Grinding or clenching teeth
• Noticeably heightened sensitivity or pain in your teeth

If you are experiencing quite a few of these issues, you may have sleep bruxism. Please don’t hesitate to call our office at 601-981-8166 now to set up a sleep bruxism appointment at our Jackson, Mississippi, office with our dentist, Dr. Alex Abernathy. Because sleep bruxism can have long-lasting, often serious effects, it’s crucial to get ahead of the problem. When you visit our office, every member of our Lakeland Dental Care team will give you the service and attention you deserve.

Dental bonding is the treatment Dr. Alex Abernathy uses to attach materials directly to a tooth to improve the color or shape. The tooth enamel is fused with the bonding material, which may be porcelain or resin, to create a strong restoration that feels like your original tooth.

Good oral health care consists of many factors. You can enhance and protect your smile with proper oral hygiene. For more information about oral health care, see below:

Are you are aiming for robust and thriving oral health. Why not aim for a healthy lifestyle? Set your sights a little larger and you’ll accomplish the same results! To help you have the healthy lifestyle that will reward your teeth and gums, our Lakeland Dental Care team encourages you to implement the following actions:

Keep up on oral hygiene: You know the drill; brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day. You can also rinse your mouth every day with antibacterial mouthwash. You’ll want to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride-filled toothpaste. Remember to floss with a product that can slide easily between your teeth, like dental floss or floss picks.

Have a balanced diet: Did you know that a balanced diet can help your teeth as well as the rest of your body? Simply avoid sugary and acidic products aim for healthier foods like fruits, vegetables and dairy products.

Avoid tobacco products: Tobacco can be extremely damaging to your oral health. It can discolor your teeth and cause tooth decay and even oral cancer.

Now that you know how to get started, your dentist, Dr. Alex Abernathy, and our dental team can cheer you on. If you have any questions or if you would like to know more about caring for your smile in Jackson, Mississippi, just call our office today at 601-981-8166. We look forward to helping you!

At some point, you may decide that it is time to whiten your teeth. There are many reasons why the color of your teeth changes. The things you eat and drink, like coffee, tea, and red wine can stain teeth. Some medications can cause your teeth to darken. If you’ve had an injury to your mouth, the trauma may cause your teeth to change color. And of course, your teeth turn yellow as you get older. There is no shortage of oils and other commercial products that are designed to whiten your teeth, but teeth-whitening may not be for you. And before you begin doing anything to your teeth, you should contact Lakeland Dental Care at 601-981-8166. Dr. Alex Abernathy will be able to advice you as to the best way to whiten your teeth, or even if it is something you should consider.

Do you need dentures? Take this fun quiz to find out what you should know to prepare. The answers are at the bottom for checking your work – but take the quiz first!

Your child may express anxiety or worry towards their biannual dental appointments. It may be the result of a bad experience they’ve heard, fear towards strangers, or just the general idea of having something new being done to their teeth. There are many ways to help your child get over or lessen some of these anxieties with the help of Lakeland Dental Care’s dental professionals.

Your teeth extend deep into the socket structure of your gums. When untreated tooth decay penetrates the root of a tooth, the bacterial presence can invade deep into the gum structure. In time a serious infection can develop, including a pocket of infected tissues known as a dental abscess.

Have you ever heard that there are a few things you should consider trying if you’d like to keep your pearly whites strong and healthy? Would you be surprised to learn that brushing and flossing your pearly whites consistently will help you prevent gum disease and tooth decay? Other dental issues, including dry mouth, might also make you more susceptible to these problems.