As the weather cools down and the fall season begins, it’s the perfect time to start prioritizing your oral health. Whether you’ve been putting off gum treatment, are considering dental implants, or simply need a professional cleaning, autumn offers unique advantages for getting started on your journey to a healthier smile.

Make the Most of Your Dental Benefits

Many insurance …

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month: Building Habits for a Lifetime of Healthy Smiles

As parents, we want the best for our children, including strong, healthy teeth that last a lifetime. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a perfect time to focus on the importance of building good oral hygiene habits early. While cavities often take the spotlight …

Gum recession is more than just an aesthetic concern—it’s a critical oral health issue that can affect your overall well-being. At Texas Periodontal Associates, we prioritize educating our patients about the importance of recognizing and addressing gum recession early.

What Is Gum Recession?

Gum recession occurs when the gum tissue surrounding the teeth pulls back, exposing more of the tooth …

TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders can cause a range of uncomfortable symptoms, from jaw pain and headaches to teeth grinding and difficulty chewing. If you’ve been living with TMJ pain, you know how frustrating it can be. But did you know that a board-certified periodontist can offer specialized care to help relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life?

At …

The holiday season is a time for joy, family, celebrations, and plenty of treats. Between the sugary desserts, festive drinks, cold weather, and busy schedules, your gums and implants can take a hit this time of year. December is actually one of the most common months for patients to experience inflammation, sensitivity, and gum flare-ups.

To help you enjoy the …

If you’ve ever noticed your teeth looking a little “longer” than they used to… you’re not alone. Gum recession is one of the most common oral health concerns we see at Texas Periodontal Associates, and most people don’t realize it’s happening until the damage starts to affect their comfort, confidence, or ability to chew.

The good news? When gum recession …

November is TMJ Awareness Month, a time to shed light on one of the most commonly overlooked sources of jaw pain and discomfort. If you’ve ever experienced jaw pain, clicking, or headaches that seem to start near your ears, your TMJ could be the culprit.

What Is TMJ?

The temporomandibular joints are the small, complex hinges that connect your jawbone …

As the seasons change and we head into the holidays, many of us start thinking about our favorite foods. From crisp caramel apples and roasted nuts to hearty Thanksgiving dinners. But if you’ve been dealing with gum disease, loose teeth, or discomfort while chewing, those favorite treats might not be as enjoyable as they used to be.

The good news? …

It's an unfortunate fact that periodontists have developed an unpleasant reputation. This is primarily due to the fact that most people only see their periodontists when they're in pain. As a result, many people associate going to the periodontists with having something uncomfortable done to them.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Your first visit with a periodontist …

Visiting the dentist is an essential part of maintaining proper dental health and avoiding unnecessary pain in the long-run—not to mention potentially costly bills. Professionals recommend two annual visits for a general check-up and dental cleaning as a means of preventing gum disease or other dental problems.

However, when said problems actually arise, you might need to seek the help …

Healthy Gums: The Key to a Healthy Smile

Healthy gums are essential for maintaining a bright, confident smile. Proper gum care is just as important as caring for your teeth. Neglecting your gums can lead to gum disease, which impacts not only the appearance of your smile but also your oral health and overall well-being.

Poor gum health can result …

A healthy smile can do so much for your self-esteem and confidence. And it's not just a matter of aesthetics. Keeping your teeth and gums in good shape is an all-around good decision since the health of your mouth reflects the health of your body as a whole. For these reasons, we're going to take you through some tips and …

Getting gingivitis isn’t the end of the world. However, you want to treat your gingivitis before it has the chance to progress into a nastier form of periodontitis. Gingivitis is reversible when you proactively treat it, and one trip to the dentist simply won’t cut it. 

At Texas Periodontal Associates, we specialize in treating and preventing periodontal disease, including gingivitis. …

Periodontal disease, or simply gum disease, is one of the most common issues people encounter with their teeth. The good news is that when it’s caught early and treated, you can work your way back to healthy gums. The bad news is that if you ignore periodontal disease, it can become irreversible and lead to more severe health problems or …

You shouldn’t be afraid to show off your smile, and if you’re feeling self-conscious about your pearly whites, there are multiple options for restorative treatments to help you smile with confidence. Restorative dentistry can be both corrective and preventative, and with the proper treatment, your pearly whites will look and feel brand new.

There are six options for restorative dentistry, …

Have you ever wondered if you could eat your way to healthier gums? Although food passes through our teeth all the time, not many people think about the fact that what we eat impacts our gums as much as our teeth. 

If your dentist recently suggested that you are at risk of periodontitis, you can add a few foods to …

Nearly half of adults over 30 have some form of periodontal disease. Like most infections, periodontal disease starts off relatively mild and will go away with proper treatment. However, it can result in irreversible damage and may cause tooth loss when ignored.

Let’s review the stages, causes, and warning signs of periodontal disease, so you know when it’s time to …

You already know that maintaining good oral hygiene is essential for gum health, but is it possible to eat your way to healthier gums?

While you can’t replace brushing and flossing with snacking, you can incorporate a few items into your diet to help your gums stay strong and keep gingivitis at bay. 

As beneficial as these foods may be, …

You want to feel confident when you smile, not worried about your gums being red. And there’s nothing quite as annoying as having sensitive gums. 

Healthy gums are pink, firm, and don’t hurt to touch. Having red, swollen, and tender gums is normal every once in a while, but if the symptoms persist, it may indicate a more serious issue. …

I am sure you’ve heard about gum disease. But what do you really know about it? While gum disease may be an unmentionable topic, it's not something to be ignored.

This bite-size article will explain everything you need to know about gum disease; from its basics, its symptoms, to its most effective treatments. 

 

1. There Are Different Types of Gum …

Gum disease is the general term for any type of periodontal disease from gingivitis to periodontitis. Gingivitis is the earliest form of gum disease and is extremely common in both children and adults. With treatment, gingivitis can go away; the disease can advance into more severe forms of periodontitis when left untreated.

Since gingivitis is reversible and periodontitis is generally …

You’ve probably lied to your dentist about how often you floss. We get it. It’s not exactly the most glamorous aspect of oral hygiene, and you probably don’t see the point for it.

This may seem like dentist propaganda, but it is actually essential to maintain a flossing routine to reduce plaque buildup at the gum level. If brushing is …

Have you experienced bleeding or tender gums and wondered, what's going on? You may be suffering from periodontal disease. Periodontal means around the tooth, or in other words, your gums. 

Periodontal disease, otherwise called gum disease, appears when the ligaments, gums, and bones around your teeth get inflamed and infected. It's best that you know the symptoms, methods of prevention, …

When it comes to your teeth, emergencies can be panic-inducing. Your smile plays an integral role in your outward appearance, and nobody wants to have missing teeth. Accidents happen to all of us, so it’s important to know what to do in the event that you find yourself in a dental emergency. If you act quickly, you can minimize the …

Your teeth work together, and losing any one of them can put stress on surrounding teeth which can cause an unbalanced bite, jaw pain, and TMJ disorders. Without replacement, the bone begins to deteriorate, so you may lose nearby teeth as well. That’s why it’s so important to replace any missing teeth immediately. 

If you need to replace missing teeth, …

If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, your periodontist may suggest a procedure called  “scaling and root planing” as a form of treatment. Understandably, you might have questions regarding this procedure. What is it? Is it painful? How long does it take to recover? These are all valid questions. We’re going to delve into the basics of scaling and root …

You probably think that if you’re brushing your teeth and flossing regularly, you’re not at risk for gum disease, right? Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. 

According to recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of all Americans have some form of gum disease (or periodontal disease). You can only combat it with …

The pandemic has definitely forced us to shift the way we run our lives. And despite the idea of being safe and sound within our own homes, trying to live as normally and sanely as possible can be challenging for many of us—especially if we have oral care problems.  

That being said, it’s important we take all the necessary steps …

A periodontist is a dental surgical specialist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease, and in the placement of dental implants. Periodontists receive extensive training in these areas, including three additional years of education beyond dental school. They are familiar with the latest techniques for diagnosing and treating periodontal disease and know when each treatment is …

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that start to form in your late teens to early twenties. Sometimes these teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when they grow properly aligned. Unfortunately, these teeth are often misaligned and require removal. When wisdom teeth are misaligned, they may position themselves horizontally, be angled toward or …

A sinus lift is a type of surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars. It's sometimes called a sinus augmentation. The bone is added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on both sides of your nose. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be …

Fractures are extremely common in all dentistry practices. They happen to people of all ages, although they are most common for patients under the age of 25. Fractures can be problematic, whether they are visible and affect your appearance or leave you in pain suffering with tooth sensitivity. Chipped teeth can be easy to repair, especially if caught early on …

During gum recession, your gums will pull away from your teeth causing pain and your teeth to become weaker. Gum recession does not just happen at old age like you would think, it can happen to people of all ages. It could even happen to a person who has extremely good dental hygiene. 

For obvious reasons, gum recession can cause …