Plainview Dental PLLC

Building a strong relationship with your dentist You’ll give yourself the best chance of good oral health if you build a strong relationship with your dentist. That can sometimes mean asking the right questions and helping them to assist you in the best way possible.... So you want to make sure you have a dentist who will first of all explain techniques that you should use to help prevent dental health problems. They should be willing to show you step-by-step what you need to do. You should also choose a dentist who is willing to take time to answer your questions, especially when they are recommending a course of treatment. If you don’t understand any part of what your dentist recommends, don’t be afraid to ask for more information. You may want to ask if there are other options to the solution they recommend. For example: How do the options differ in cost? Which solution will last the longest? Do all the options solve the problem? Ask the dentist which treatments are absolutely necessary, which are elective and Which are cosmetic. Ask which procedures are urgently needed, and which ones are less urgent. Your dentist will help you prioritize between problems which need immediate attention and those that are less urgent. Often, treatment can be planned over a period of time but make sure you understand any consequences of delaying treatment. It’s naturally also important to make sure that you are given full information about fees and payment plans before treatment is scheduled.

Social Distancing in Our Reception Room.

April fogging the office as part of our COVID 19 protocols to keep patients and office staff safe.

If anyone has questions about what can be done about "dry mouth " Please feel free to post it or call our office.If anyone has questions about what can be done about "dry mouth " Please feel free to post it or call our office.

Dry mouth is a common problem that can harm your teeth If your saliva flow is reduced, this can cause dry mouth which often leads to increased tooth and gum problems. Dry mouth known as xerostomia is a common problem especially among older adults. It’s caused by certain medical disorders and is often a side effect of medications such as antihistamines, decongestants, pain killers and diuretics. The common problems associated with dry mouth include:... Constant sore throat Burning sensation Problems speaking Difficulty swallowing Hoarseness or dry nasal passages When there is not enough saliva to lubricate your mouth, wash away food and neutralize the acids produced by plaque, there is a risk of extensive tooth decay. If you are at risk from this condition, your dentist can recommend various methods to restore moisture. For example, sugar-free candy or gum stimulates saliva flow, and moisture can be replaced by using artificial saliva and oral rinses. As dry mouth is a potential side effect of many prescribed and over-the-counter medications it is a very common problem. These medications can include antihistamines, decongestants, painkillers, high blood pressure medications, muscle relaxants, drugs for urinary incontinence, Parkinson’s disease medications, antidepressants and many others. Fortunately there are many simple solutions available to reduce the risk to your oral health caused by dry mouth so talk to your dentist if you are on any kind of medication or you feel you may be at risk from this issue. See more

The early years of dentistry and teeth Although there have been huge advances in dental care in recent years, there are records of people dealing with teeth going back over thousands of years. Here are some of the key dates from the early years in the development of dentistry. 5000 BC: A Sumerian text describes tooth worms as the cause of dental decay.... 2600 BC: Hesy-Re, an Egyptian scribe, often called the first dentist, dies. An inscription on his tomb includes the title the greatest of those who deal with teeth, and of physicians. 500-300 BC: Hippocrates and Aristotle write about dentistry, including the eruption pattern of teeth, treating decayed teeth and gum disease, extracting teeth with forceps, and using wires to stabilize loose teeth and fractured jaws. 166-201 AD: The Etruscans practice dental prosthetics using gold crowns and fixed bridgework. 500-1000: During the Early Middle Ages in Europe, medicine, surgery, and dentistry, are generally practiced by monks, the most educated people of the period 700: A medical text in China mentions the use of silver paste, a type of amalgam. 1130-1163: A series of Papal edicts prohibit monks from performing any type of surgery, bloodletting or tooth extraction. Barbers often assisted monks in their surgical ministry because they visited monasteries to shave the heads of monks and the tools of the barber trade sharp knives and razors were useful for surgery. Following the edicts, barbers assume the monks surgical duties: bloodletting, lancing abscesses, extracting teeth, etc. 1210: A Guild of Barbers is established in France. Barbers eventually evolve into two groups: surgeons who were educated and trained to perform complex surgical operations; and lay barbers, or barber-surgeons, who performed more routine hygienic services including shaving, bleeding and tooth extraction. 1400s: A series of royal decrees in France prohibit lay barbers from practicing all surgical procedures except bleeding, cupping, leeching, and extracting teeth. See more