Dental Myths | Loveable Smiles Dentistry

Oct 05

How often should you see your hygienist for dental cleanings?

October is National Dental Hygiene Month.

How often should you see your hygienist for dental cleanings? Some people may say that you should go every six months, some people may say every 3-4 months, and others may only visit the dental office when they are experiencing pain.

So, which one is right for you?

The answer is not as black and white as you may think…

Dental cleaning frequency is completely dependent upon the patient and their individual needs.

It is the same concept as when someone goes to physical therapy or rehab and the therapist creates a custom program for each individual in order to get them back to health (there is no blanket solution).

Patients who have seen the dentist regularly and practice good oral home care may only need to have a dental cleaning every six months because they have minimal build up and little to no bleeding in the gums. On the other hand, some patients who have not seen the dentist regularly and/or do not practice good oral home care may need to have their teeth cleaned every 3 to 4 months because they have moderate to severe build up and bleeding in the gums or they have been previously diagnosed with periodontal disease (loss of bone around the teeth).

The goal is to get your teeth cleaned frequently enough to keep the bacterial plaque build up at a minimal level so that either healing can occur or so that the tissues can stay in an optimum state of health.

In order to see what frequency is right for you, you should see your hygienist and discuss what treatment cycle will give your teeth and gums the best outcome.

Call for your dental hygiene appointment! 972-231-0585

Jul 21

Dental Truths and Myths: Dental Implants Don’t Usually Work and Often Fail

Quite often Dr. Korenman hears the following and very common dental myth:

“Dental Implants don’t work; they usually fail.”

Here are the realities of dental implants:

They the best thing to happen in dentistry! The advancements in dental implants over the years are life changing. Simply stated, dental implants reconnect people with what they’ve lost. Youth. Self-esteem. Confidence. Function. Happiness. The joy of kissing!
Dental Implants are the most predictable dental procedure with a 95% – 98% success rate. Because implants are made of completely biologically compatible ‘bone-friendly’ titanium material, they naturally heal and integrate with the surrounding tissues. In the few failures that do occur, replacement implants are 95% – 98% successful.

Occasionally, though, dental implant failure can result from dentists and/or patients seeking a cheaper or easier method or solution.

Taking “shortcuts” during the diagnostic phase.

Although a two-dimensional panographic x-ray can be sufficient in many types of oral surgery, it is not preferable for planning proper dental implant placement. When placing dental implants, many things that must be considered require a three-dimensional view.

That is why Dr. Korenman has invested in the NewTom VG3 Dental CAT-scan.

Benefits of this dental CAT scan include:

Anatomically accurate 3D image of your mouth.
It provides the most comprehensive and accurate information required to determine your bone quantity and quality for possible dental implants.
If teeth have been missing for some time he can see how much bone loss has occurred and determine what type of bone grafting may be needed.
With Dental CT scanning, implant procedures can be planned in detail before any surgery takes place.
This means virtually no surprises when Dr. Korenman performs surgery.

Not choosing an experienced dental implant specialist.

Only 12% of general dentists in the US place implants. 5% of those use the most updated form of technology. Dr. Korenman is one of these top dentists. Dr. Korenman’s more than 30 years of experience combined with his advanced training in implant and cosmetic dentistry are important factors in his ability to produce optimal results.

The best way to replace missing teeth permanently is with dental implants.

Dental implants look natural, produce a beautiful smile, and allow you to eat, speak and function as you did when your mouth was healthy.

For more information about dental implants, please call Loveable Smiles in Richardson at (972) 231-0585 and schedule a complimentary consultation.

Jul 20

Dental Truths and Myths: Dental X-rays Are Unnecessary

Quite often Dr. Korenman hears the following and very common dental myth:

“Dental X-Rays are unnecessary and even dangerous.”

There have been more technological advances in the field of dentistry than in any other branch of medicine.

This technology in the dental world is making everything easier to diagnose and to explain that diagnosis to the patient. Additionally, this technology provides patients with the greatest comfort as well as a pain free dental experience.

Today’s Dental CAT scans have the least amount of radiation of any Cone-Beam Computed Tomography.

The dose from a single-jaw dental CT scan is about the same as the dose a patient might receive walking to their car on a sunny Texas day.

Technology for those “unseen” spaces

Dental X-Rays are so important because when we look into our mouths, only a small portion of the surface area of our teeth and gums is visible.

The unseen surface area of our teeth and the inside of our gum pockets may actually be greater than the visible surfaces, depending on how bad the pockets are. These pockets, or spaces between the gum and teeth can range from 1/16’’ deep to over ½’’ deep, all the way around the tooth. If we added up the surface area of the unseen germ world, it would be about the size of the palm of our hand. Imagine having an infected area that big for a lifetime and not doing anything about it! Yet most people don’t even realize this hidden germ world exists.

Dr. Korenman of Loveable Smiles has invested in the latest dental technology that allows him and his team to see things that normally go undetected. Using the NewTom VG3 Dental CAT-scan Dr. Korenman is able to obtain limitless, 3D views including between the teeth, under the gums, in the bones and even nerve canals and sinuses can be seen. This allows Dr. K to completely diagnose and provide full treatment options.

Patients are able to clearly see for themselves, visible, existing physical conditions.

We invite you to call Loveable Smiles for your dental CAT scan and Total Health Dental appointment at 972-231-0585

Jul 20

Dental Truths and Myths: Wisdom Teeth Don’t Matter

Quite often Dr. Korenman hears various myths about wisdom teeth.

Our third molars, or wisdom teeth, gained their nickname from the timing of their appearance—usually between the ages of 17 and 25, when a person leaves adolescence and is seeking higher education.

Dr. Korenman debunks the myths about wisdom teeth below.

Everyone needs their wisdom teeth removed

This is probably the greatest myth of all. Not everyone needs these teeth removed. They are only extracted when they are impacted, causing current problems or likely to create future problems. If the teeth are not erupting in the proper position and putting pressure on the existing back teeth or in some cases causing infections or cysts your dentist will advise they be removed.

Frequently, there is so little space for wisdom teeth that they become decayed as people are unable to keep them clean. In that situation, the adjacent teeth can become decayed as well which is very preventable by removing the wisdom teeth before that happens.

Many patients keep their wisdom teeth through their entire life with no issues. Regular visits to the dentist starting at an early age can determine if your child’s wisdom teeth are going to cause any problems later in life.

Wisdom teeth serve no purpose

Some people liken wisdom teeth to the appendix and think they serve no purpose. These late arrivals provide the same chewing purpose as any of your other molars when there is adequate room for them and they erupt into proper function.

Wisdom teeth must be removed at an early age

Another common myth about wisdom teeth is that having the procedure at a young age is less painful because the nerve endings in the mouth are less developed and the body can handle the pain more efficiently.

The truth is that while we do heal faster at a younger age, it does not mean that people automatically will have problems if they have surgery a bit later.

Here at Loveable Smiles in Richardson, we have invested in the NewTom VG3 Dental CAT-scan which will provide an anatomically accurate 3D image of your wisdom teeth and your entire mouth.

Additionally, some patients need sedation. At Loveable Smiles we can arrange that for you.

Whatever your needs are we can accommodate you.

If you ever have questions or concerns related to your wisdom teeth, please call Loveable Smiles in Richardson at 972–231-0585.

May 24

Dental Truths and Myths: Dentures run in my family & It’s just normal aging to lose teeth

Quite often Dr. Korenman hears the following and very common dental myths:

“Dentures run in my family.” & “It’s just normal aging to lose teeth.”

The reality is that your teeth are designed to last a lifetime. They are called “Permanent teeth” for just that reason!

So many patients think it’s just a matter of old age to lose all your teeth. (Dr. K thought this himself until he learned otherwise in dental school; all of his grandparents had dentures!)

Part of the problem with this Myth is that dentists themselves do not appreciate that many people think it is part of the natural aging process and neglect to tell them the facts!

The good news is that Dr. Korenman and his team can help you achieve Optimal Dental Health to help prevent you from ever losing a tooth and/or needing dentures.

What is optimal dental health?

Here at Loveable Smiles, we will find the underlying cause of your dental problem and will eliminate it to prevent future issues. We won’t simple “patch” the problem, but will take the time to solve it so the problem doesn’t keep recurring.

Total Health Dentistry

Charles Mayo of the Mayo clinic was right when he said more than 100 years ago, “You will live another 10 years if your teeth and gums are healthy.”

We pride ourselves on educating our clients about the connection between a healthy mouth and a healthy body. At the start of each dental appointment we take our patients’ blood pressure. Additionally, we check all our patients for gum disease (which is mostly painless and affects 80% of people).

It’s called the “Mouth-Body Connection,” and it means that poor dental health can severely deteriorate your body, especially your heart, lungs and all the body’s systems. It can also lead to a host to other conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and even some Cancers.

Since your dentist is the only physician who checks you from the neck up, if he finds that you have inflammation in your mouth, it’s highly probable you have inflammation in your body and he can recommend that you visit your cardiologist or internist.

So, if you think dentures run in your family and it’s just a normal part of the aging process to lose teeth, we encourage you to call our office for your Total Health Dental Care appointment. 972-231-0585

If it’s been a while since you’ve been to the dentist, we want you to know that we never scold people as we understand the reasons many people stay away. We want to help people and are very happy to be chosen for their dental needs. We simply want to help you avoid more problems in the future and want to help you attain a level of dental health that is so high that the only treatment that should be required for many years is the maintenance of that level of health with properly-scheduled future visits to prevent problems from recurring. We look forward to seeing you! 972-231-0585

May 11

Dental Truths and Myths: I know my teeth; I would know if I have a problem

Quite often Dr. Korenman hears the following and very common dental myth:

“I’d know if my teeth had problems – I know my teeth.”

While there are occasional situations where patients have an immediate oral infection or injury that does hurt, the reality is pain is not a reliable indicator of dental problems.

A cavity can form, sometimes becoming quite advanced, with no symptoms at all. It can grow into an abscessed tooth without the person having any noticeable symptoms until it’s too late and it becomes infected and then there IS pain!

Here’s another startling statistic:

80% of people have Gum Disease and DO NOT KNOW IT! There is usually no pain involved for people until extremely late in the degeneration. Many gum problems will go unnoticed until they are diagnosed by a dentist and statistically 70% of dentists do not screen their patients on a yearly basis and even they will miss diagnosing this terrible problem.

Dr. Korenman encourages his patients to schedule their Total Health Dental appointment at regular intervals not only to have a healthy mouth, but a healthy body. Many of these unknown oral issues can contribute to inflammation in your body and lead to a host of issues including heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Learn more about the mouth body connection here. http://loveablesmiles.com/category/total-health-dental-care/

Technology for those “unseen” spaces

When we look into our mouths, only a small portion of the surface area of our teeth and gums is visible. The unseen surface area of our teeth and the inside of our gum pockets may actually be greater than the visible surfaces, depending on how bad the pockets are. These pockets, or spaces between the gum and teeth can range from 1/16’ deep to over ½’ deep, all the way around the tooth. If we added up the surface area of the unseen germ world, it would be about the size of the palm of our hand. Imagine having an infected area that big for a lifetime and not doing anything about it! Yet most people don’t even realize this hidden germ world exists.

Patients are able to clearly see for themselves, visible, existing physical conditions.

We invite you to call Loveable Smiles for your dental CAT scan and Total Health Dental appointment at 972-231-0585

All Posts in Category: Dental Myths

“I’d know if my teeth had problems – I know my teeth.”