2011 Labor Day: The Dental Connection!

With the "official" end of the summer season, our team at Thomas Family Dentistry wanted to remind our patients that our office will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2011 for the Labor Day Holiday!  We will reopen on Tuesday at 7:00 AM.  Whether you're headed to a barbecue, a camping trip, the lake, or just hanging out with family or friends, we hope that you will have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Have a fun and safe Holiday!
God Bless,
DRT

Hitting The Gridiron: The Dental Connection!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!  With the start of football season, this great seasonal sport often brings a rise in athletic activities, and with them, a rise in tooth and mouth related injuries.  We at Thomas Family Dentistry have a few tips for you this season to keep your smile bright.

How can I protect against chipped and broken teeth?

• All activities come with some risk of tooth damage.  The easiest way to protect your teeth is to get a simple mouth guard from the sport's store.  The much more comfortable way is to ask us to make a custom guard for you.  We can make the guard in your team's colors and it will be a custom fit.  Contact our office to discover how affordable a custom guard can be.
• Broken teeth can be mended almost "good as new" these days, sometimes with simple fillings, sometimes with beautiful porcelain created to match your smile by our lab artists.  Lost teeth can be replaced almost invisibly.

What if a tooth is knocked out?

• If you have a tooth knocked out, carefully place it in liquid--milk is the very best--or, if it's clean, back in your mouth by your cheek and contact an oral surgeon right away.  If the tooth is positioned back into place within about 30 minutes or so, it may survive re-implantion.

Are Sports Drinks bad for teeth?  What can I drink to stay hydrated?

• Sports drinks are highly acidic and filled with sugar; that makes them very bad for teeth.  Most of us don't need the extra replacement minerals like professional athletes--plain water is what our bodies require for hydration.  If you must have a sports drink, gulp it down and rinse your mouth with fresh, cool water afterwards.  The worst possible thing you can do is to sip on the sports drink little by little.  Acid coasts your teeth every sip.

Do Invisalign aligners protect my teeth as well as a mouth guard?

• Aligners will protect your teeth from minor traumas, but High Impact Sports, like football, require a custom guard to provide the most safety from possible traumatic dental injuries.

Hope these tips helped and if you have any other dental questions, call us at 918-455-0123. Have a great season cheering on your favorite team!

God Bless, 

DRT

Timeliness: The Dental Connection!

It is important to our entire team that we provide the highest quality of dental care in an informative and friendly environment.  That includes helping our patients and their parents get the most out of their appointments, and making sure that they know how to practice good oral hygiene. Today, we would like to discuss two very important topics: Prevention and Timeliness of Treatment.

Prevention:  As your Broken Arrow dentist, our entire staff want to help you attain a beautiful smile that will last a lifetime!  We are more than happy to help our patients formulate an individual  prevention program that fits their needs.  For our teenage patients, this may mean coming up with a nighttime routine that includes brushing and flossing their teeth before bed.  For our patients that are "moms and dads", a family prevention program can be as simple as outlining the most effective ways for parents to motivate their children's oral health habits.

Timeliness of Treatment.  Patients often ask us if their dental treatment should be done right away.  In some cases, we can keep an eye on problem areas if the patient has a lot going on in their personal life.  But often, we do recommend that patients take care of a problem when it is small.  It is usually easier on the patient, less invasive and more cost effective. If problems get too large, bigger issues may arise that are more challenging and expensive for the patient to treat.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions about your dental treatment at Thomas Family Dentistry.  Take care of your teeth, and keep your smile bright!

God Bless,
DRT

Priorities: The Dental Connection!

Over the past few months, our team at Thomas Family Dentistry has noticed that many patients are limiting their expenses to only necessary procedures, while opting out of elective procedures.  As the U.S. economy has been slow to recover, we also understand that many folks are losing their dental insurance, or are adjusting to downgraded plans.  Patients are being mindful of every dollar.

When a patient learns that their dental insurance will be ending,  Dr. Thomas has seen many situations where the patient will immediately schedule an appointment in an attempt to complete as much of their dental work, which had previously been delayed.  Unfortunately, many times there isn't enough time or allowable benefits to complete all of their necessary dental work.

Here are a few tips to decrease the stress related to these situations:

• Talk it out.  If you lose your dental insurance, or if your insurance is downgraded, we recommend that you talk with your Human Resources Department to see if the company plans on making any changes.
• Stay current on your dental care.  This way, you aren't in the position of trying to do a lot of treatment in a short period of time.
• Keep your appointments!  Patients who lose their dental insurance are sometimes reluctant to keep their appointments for a dental cleaning and exam.  This is one appointment they should keep--if we find problems while they are small--often before they are hurting--it is easier to fix and less expensive.  Once problems get larger, the treatment to correct the problem is more extensive and the costs increase.

As we've mentioned before, prevention is always the best policy.  Please give our office a call at 918-455-0123 if it's time to schedule your next checkup with Dr. Thomas.  We look forward to seeing you!

God Bless,
DRT

Congratulations Veronica: The Dental Connection!

Dr. Thomas and the entire staff at Thomas Family Dentistry want to extend our congratulations to Veronica on her 16th year of employment! Veronica has been the office manager since August 22, 1995! Besides cooking, walking and spending time with her family, she counts it a pleasure to "get to know" our valued patients, which is one of her favorite aspects of working in the dental profession.  Our staff and patient family are very blessed and grateful to have her involvement in our dental care!

Congratulations again,
God Bless,
DRT

Staying Current: The Dental Connection!

We at Thomas Family Dentistry hope that you have had a great Summer!  With most Green Country families starting the transition back into the new school year mode, we know that life can be very hectic and busy.  If you find that your plans might interfere with you keeping your scheduled dental appointment with our office, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may be able to accommodate you, as well as schedule another patient during that time.

With the start of school, providing contact information is a common "back to school" first day activity.  We also ask that if any of your contact information has changed, please call our office at 918-455-0123 and update your phone numbers, addresses or any other changes that may have recently occurred, so that we are able to reach you.

Thank you, enjoy the rest of your summer, and have a great school year!
God Bless,
DRT

Stress Gettin' You Down: The Dental Connection!

Did you know that the unpleasant sound of hearing someone grinding their teeth has been on the rise according to a recent study published in the Journal of Head & Face Medicine?  The report suggests that people- adults and kids- faced with stress tend to cope by grinding their teeth while asleep.  In addition, the Chicago Dental Society suggests that since the recession began in 2007, teeth grinding, or also known as bruxism, has been on the rise. Nearly 75% of dentists found that their patients reported increased stress over the past year, largely due to the economic recession.

During stressful times, teeth grinding can be a nuisance that causes headaches and sleep problems.  It can also cause long lasting problems for your teeth and gums, including chipped teeth, worn enamel, chronic pain, or even TMJ, a painful jaw disorder.

The first step of recovering from teeth grinding is noticing the problem.  Unfortunately, 90% of individuals that are grinding or clenching their teeth while asleep are unaware of the activity. Symptoms of teeth grinding include:

• Sensitivity in the teeth
• Tightness or pain the the jaw
• Dull headaches, earaches, or facial pain
• Chipped, worn down, or loose teeth

An important thing to remember is that people frequently grind or clench their teeth in response to stress, and taking measures to reduce or eliminate stress can help solve the problem.  However, if the teeth grinder in your house can't stop, schedule an appointment to see us by giving us a call at 918-455-0123.  Our team at Thomas Family Dentistry can help!

God Bless,
DRT