Mauck & Ricci, DDS Blog

If you brush your teeth twice daily and floss at least once per day, you’re in a good position to avoid gum disease and cavities. But if you chomp down on certain objects, you could still end up with a dental emergency on your hands. Learn what not to do and put that thing back where it came from – or you just might regret it!

Did you know that the American Dental Association recommends that you see your dentist for a routine checkup and cleaning every six months? Regular visits allow them to monitor your oral health so they can catch and address any areas of concern before they can progress into more serious issues.

Despite this, many patients hesitate to schedule their appointments because they’re “waiting for the right time.” Continue reading to learn 3 reasons to consider booking your next exam for early in the new year!

Many patients who are unhappy with how their teeth look falsely assume that the dental cosmetic services needed to upgrade their grin are beyond their reach. This may be partly because only the rich and famous could afford these elected procedures when they were first developed.

However, thanks to ongoing developments in dental technology, materials, and techniques, more people than ever have access to solutions to perfect their appearance. Continue reading to learn about 3 ways your dentist can give you a smile worthy of the red carpet!

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate. However, it’s important to think about what you’re filling your belly with this time of year. Whether it’s your grandma’s homemade cranberry sauce or your mother’s famous apple pie, you may find that your waistband isn’t the only thing in trouble. Your teeth may be, too! Before driving or flying home for the holidays, consider which Thanksgiving foods to limit to avoid a trip to the emergency dentist’s office.

If you’re unhappy with your smile’s aesthetics, it can be tempting to brush off the feeling. After all, if it’s not jeopardizing your oral health, then it’s not a big deal, right?

Actually, more and more research is showing the importance of self-confidence – which your teeth definitely contribute to! Dental stains and minor damage make many people afraid to show too much oral bone. They avoid photos, laughing, and sometimes even talking. Cosmetic dentistry can beautify your smile andoffer peace of mind. Keep reading to learn more about what types of problems it can solve!

When you have a TMJ disorder, you’re likely to experience jaw pain and other unpleasant symptoms on a regular basis. You’ll naturally want to have the issue treated as quickly as possible – but just how quickly is realistic? What will the timeline for TMJ treatment look like? This may seem like a simple enough question, but the answer can vary based on the situation.

Dental emergencies can be shocking; when they happen, it usually seems like they’ve popped up out of nowhere. While this is true sometimes, it’s much more common for toothaches and breakages to be the consequence of long-term oral health problems finally coming to a head.

That being the case, there are actually steps you can take to prevent many of the most common dental emergencies before they happen. Here are a few tips that can help you.

There are all kinds of dental procedures that make patients anxious, though perhaps none more so than root canals. For some reason, this procedure has a nasty reputation, one that really isn’t earned. The use of powerful anesthetics makes root canal treatment completely painless, and it’s often the least invasive treatment available to patients looking to deal with a serious root pulp infection

However, it isn’t just the treatment itself that patients are concerned about; the matter of aftercare also tends to cause some anxiety. Here’s what you should expect from that process, what you can do to be prepared, and why it shouldn’t scare you.

Root canal therapy is a successful procedure to save an infected tooth from needing to be extracted. The treatment has over a 97% success rate; however, some patients may require retreatment. Not everyone will require a second root canal, but several factors can increase your risk of complications. Here’s when root canal retreatment may be necessary and what you can expect during the procedure.

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Many people have the impression that root canals are painful – one of the most painful treatments you can undergo, in fact. Not only is this not accurate, but it also might prevent you from seeing your post-root canal discomfort as abnormal. There is a threshold that you should watch out for, and if you’re experiencing severe aches, it might be time to revisit your dentist.

Now you’re probably wondering what qualifies for “abnormal” root canal recovery discomfort. To help clear up the confusion, keep reading.