Texas Dental provides preventative dental care for all ages. A bit of prevention will go a long way toward eliminating more expensive dental problems in the future. Our dentists use cleaning procedures, regular check-ups, and other dental treatments to the progression of decay and disease.
Our highest priority is to prevent, restore, and help you and your children maintain excellent oral health. Texas Dental also provides additional dental services to patients who need them. Visit our general dentistry for dental exams, to prevent tooth decay, and more.
General Dentistry in Plano, TX
Our general dental services focus on providing preventive care and treatments for common dental issues. Issues such as cavities, gum disease, and oral infections. We also educate patients on proper oral hygiene practices so they can maintain the best dental health.
Dental Exams and Check-Ups
Our mission at Texas Dental is to help instill the practice of good oral hygiene in the life of each of our patients. We provide an anxiety-free dental experience while caring for your teeth and assist in establishing healthy patterns.
It begins with a dental exam and check-up. Our gentle and experienced staff provides services from regular cleanings to tooth brushing and flossing instructions. We provide dental sedation options for patients who want a pain and anxiety-free experience. To learn more about our sedation services, see Sedation dentistry.
Oral Hygiene
Our dental hygienists foster a passion for good oral hygiene within every member of your family. We partner with our patients, educating and empowering each to maintain excellent dental health. Our Plano dentists tailor their treatments to align with your oral health goals.
Dentistry for Children
Our enthusiastic yet gentle team goes above and beyond to provide the best local pediatric dentistry. Partnering with your children, we strive to foster a love for oral care from an early age. Our primary goal is to help children establish healthy habits that last a lifetime. To learn more about pediatric dental care, see Pediatric dentistry.
Teeth Cleaning
In addition to maintaining healthy habits at home, regular cleanings in our office will prevent early childhood tooth decay. Dental cleanings also lead to optimal oral health in adulthood. Empower yourself and your family with the resources to effectively care for your teeth at home. We will help you establish a pattern of regular visits to our office for checkups and routine cleanings.
Dental Sealants
We use the latest in dental sealant technology to protect your teeth and encourage optimal oral health. Dental sealants cover the chewing surfaces of decay-prone back teeth. The coverage assists in halting the progression of decay and disease. Although dental sealants are often best for children, adults can also benefit from dental sealants.
Oral Pathology
Oral pathology is simply the process of identifying, assessing, and treating diseases in the mouth. Our dentists ensure optimal care by accurately detecting and managing suspicious oral changes. A comprehensive consultation by our highly knowledgeable and caring dentists will put your fears to rest. The dentists will discuss immediate, appropriate, and effective care and treatment options with you.
Dental Fillings
Fillings offer an affordable, natural-looking, and safe solution for unavoidable decay. Not only are our fillings some of the most aesthetic restorations available, they’re also strong and long-lasting.
Root Canal Treatment
If you have an infected tooth, a non-surgical root canal procedure is normally all you need to promote healing. Our doctors are highly trained to perform root canal treatments, a common, fast, routine dental procedure. To learn more about saving your infected tooth, see Root canals.
Tooth Extractions
We will do our best to save your natural teeth whenever possible because a tooth extraction is a last resort. A tooth extraction is only necessary when you have a severely decayed or damaged tooth. We use the latest technology and cutting-edge techniques to provide safe, comfortable, and quick extractions. To learn about how we remove teeth for various reasons, see Tooth extraction.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
If your child is between 17 and 25, now is the ideal time for a wisdom tooth removal evaluation. The roots are not fully established so the procedure will be simple and routine. Our friendly team is prepared to answer all your questions and gently guide you and your child through the process.
Dental Prophylaxis
A dental cleaning, or prophylaxis, thoroughly cleans your teeth and gums. Dental prophylaxis is an important dental treatment for stopping the progression of gingivitis and periodontal disease. Regular dental cleanings are an effective procedure that keeps your teeth in the best shape.
The benefits of professional teeth cleaning include the following:
- Plaque removal. Tartar or calculus and plaque buildup, both above and below the gum line, can result in serious gum problems. Unfortunately, even with proper brushing and flossing, removing all debris, bacteria, and deposits from gum pockets is impossible. The experienced eye of a dentist or hygienist using specialized dental equipment is necessary to catch damaging buildup.
- A healthier smile. Stained and yellowed teeth can dramatically decrease the aesthetics of a smile. Prophylaxis is an effective treatment in ridding the teeth of these unsightly stains.
- Fresher breath. Bad breath (or halitosis) is generally indicative of advancing periodontal disease. A combination of rotting food particles and potential gangrene stemming from gum infection results in bad breath. Removing plaque, calculus, and bacteria at our facility can improve halitosis and reduce infection.
We provide professional dental cleanings at our Plano dental office. We recommend getting a dental cleaning twice annually as a preventative measure. However if you have periodontitis, you should get one every 3 to 4 months. You can’t completely reverse gum disease, but we can use dental cleanings to effectively halt its progression.
Oral Cancer Screening
The inside of the mouth has a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral-pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer.
The following can be signs at the beginning of a cancerous growth:
- Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth
- A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily
- A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth
- Chronic sore throat or hoarseness and/or difficulty in chewing or swallowing
A dentist can detect these changes on the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face, and/or neck. Pain does not always occur, and isn’t often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and oral pain without an obvious cause may be at risk for oral cancer.
We recommend performing an oral cancer self-examination monthly. Remember that your mouth is one of your body’s most important warning systems. Don’t ignore suspicious lumps or sores.
How to Brush Teeth
If you have any pain while brushing your teeth or have questions about brushing properly, please call our office. Our doctors recommend using a soft toothbrush. Position the brush at a 45-degree angle where your gums and teeth meet.
Gently move the brush in a circular motion several times using small, gentle strokes brushing the outside surfaces of your teeth. Use light pressure while putting the bristles between the teeth, but not so much pressure that you feel discomfort.
When cleaning the outside surfaces of all your teeth, follow the same directions while cleaning the inside of the back teeth. To clean the inside surfaces of the upper and lower front teeth, hold the brush vertically. Make several gentle back-and-forth strokes over each tooth. Don’t forget to brush the surrounding gum tissue gently.
Next, you will clean the biting surfaces of your teeth by using short, gentle strokes. Change the brush’s position as often as necessary to reach and clean all surfaces. Try to watch yourself in the mirror to make sure you clean each surface. After that, rinse vigorously to remove any plaque you might have loosened while brushing.
How to Floss
Periodontal disease usually appears between the teeth that your toothbrush cannot reach. Flossing is an effective way to remove plaque from those surfaces. However, you should use the proper technique. The following instructions will help you, but remember it takes time and practice.
Start with a piece of floss (waxed is easier) about 18″ long. Lightly wrap most of the floss around the middle finger of one hand. Wrap the rest of the floss around the other hand’s middle finger.
To clean the upper teeth, hold the floss tightly between the thumb and forefinger of each hand. Gently insert the floss tightly between the teeth using a back-and-forth motion. Do not force the floss or try to snap it into place.
Bring the floss to the gum line, then curve it into a C-shape against one tooth. Slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth until you feel light resistance. Move the floss up and down on the side of one tooth.
Remember, you are cleaning two tooth surfaces in each space. Continue to floss each side of all the upper teeth. Be careful not to cut the gum tissue between the teeth.
To clean between the bottom teeth, guide the floss using the forefingers of both hands. Don’t forget the backside of the last tooth on both sides, upper and lower.
When done, rinse vigorously with water to remove plaque and food particles. Don’t panic if your gums bleed or are a little sore. If your gums hurt while flossing, you could be doing it too hard or pinching the gum. As you floss daily and remove the plaque, your gums will heal, and the bleeding should stop.
Choosing Oral Hygiene Products
Sometimes after dental treatment, teeth are sensitive to hot and cold. This should not last long, but only if you keep your mouth clean. If your mouth is not clean, the sensitivity will remain and could become more severe.
If your teeth are especially sensitive, consult with our dentists. They may recommend a medicated toothpaste or mouth rinse for sensitive teeth.
So many products on the market can become confusing, and choosing between them can be difficult. Here are some suggestions for choosing dental care products that will work for most patients.
Automatic and “high-tech” electronic toothbrushes are safe and effective for most patients. Oral irrigators (water spraying devices) will rinse your mouth thoroughly but will not remove plaque. You need to brush and floss in conjunction with the irrigator. We see excellent results with electric toothbrushes called Rotadent and Interplak.
Some toothbrushes have a rubber tip on the handle to massage the gums after brushing. Tiny brushes (interproximal toothbrushes) also clean between your teeth. However, improper use could injure the gums, so discuss proper use with our dentist.
Fluoride toothpaste and mouth rinses in conjunction with brushing and flossing, can reduce tooth decay by as much as 40%. Remember, these rinses are not for children under six. Tartar control toothpaste will reduce tartar above the gum line. But gum disease starts below the gum line, so these products do not reduce the early stage of gum disease.
Anti-plaque rinses, approved by the American Dental Association, contain agents that help bring early gum disease under control. Use these in conjunction with brushing and flossing.
Professional Dental Cleaning
Daily brushing and flossing will keep dental calculus to a minimum. But a professional dental cleaning will remove calculus in places your toothbrush and floss don’t reach. Your visit to our office is important to prevent gum disease and keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime.
White Composite Dental Fillings
In the past, dentists fill cavities with amalgam (silver fillings). Today, durable tooth-colored fillings are the material of choice that provide a more natural look. Tooth-colored fillings are safe, predictable, and aesthetic. The two common reasons a tooth would need a composite filling are decay and/or chipping.
However, our dentists can use fillings for cosmetic purposes. Reasons such as filling in gaps between teeth or changing the shape or color of a tooth.
What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?
Tooth-colored fillings consist of composite, a blend of plastic resins and resin fillers. They strengthen tooth enamel while filling in the cavity. They are durable and can withstand moderate pressure from the constant stress of chewing on the front and back teeth. The color of the composite fillings will match the color of your tooth, allowing these fillings to blend right in.
The Process of Filling a Tooth
Our dentists can complete a tooth-colored fillings procedure in one visit. To fill a cavity or repair a chip, first, the dentist will numb the tooth and gums in the area with a local anesthetic. It usually takes 10 to 15 minutes for the numbing to take full effect. Once you are adequately numb and completely comfortable, the dentist removes the decay, damage, and infection.
Then, the dentist will clean the tooth. Next, he places the filling material directly into the “hole” left by tooth decay. Then a special UV light cures the composite resin. The composite tightly bonds, chemically and mechanically, to the tooth structure.
Your dentist will follow up by smoothing and shaping the material to maintain your natural bite. If you properly care for your teeth, gums and fillings, your tooth-colored fillings could last for 10 or more years. No dental fillings last forever. Make sure to brush twice daily, floss daily, and get a dental exam and cleaning every six months.
A cavity filled with a tooth-colored filling is a quick and painless treatment. Our dentists will restore your teeth to a natural look and feel, make them stronger, and protect the tooth.
After anesthesia, your lips and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid any chewing and hot beverages until the numbness completely wears off. You can accidentally bite or burn your tongue or lip while you are numb.
You may experience some hot, cold, and pressure sensitivity after your dental filling appointment. Injection sites may also be sore. Ibuprofen (Motrin), Tylenol, or aspirin work well to alleviate the tenderness.
If sensitivity persists beyond a few days or if the sensitivity to hot or cold increases, contact our office. You may chew with your composite fillings after the anesthetic completely wears off. You will have fully set fillings when you leave our dental office.
Visit us for a Dental Exam Today
If your bite feels uneven, you have persistent pain, or you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at 972-636-4522. You can also request a dental appointment with us online.