At Chisholm Trail Smile Center, we not only love to help our patients have the healthiest, brightest smile, we love to educate them as well! We believe the more you know about your teeth and mouth, the more likely you are to take care of them. And the more you take care of them, the healthier your whole body is. Your Velma dentist can help you achieve and maintain healthy teeth and gums for years to come.

Here are ten things you may not know about your mouth.

1. Enamel is the hardest part of your entire body. This substance that makes up the outside of the teeth is harder than steel. But, unfortunately, it breaks much more easily—so don’t try opening any bottles with them!
2. There are four distinct types of teeth:
   1. Incisors: the four front teeth in the upper and lower jaws that are used to cut food
   2. Canines: these four teeth sit on either side of the incisors and are best at tearing food
   3. Premolars: the two teeth behind each canine tooth that crush food
   4. Molars: the three teeth behind the premolars on all sides and are best at grinding food
3. No two people have the same teeth. Oftentimes, police use dental records to identify missing or unidentified persons, just as they would use a fingerprint.
4. Your mouth produces enough saliva in a lifetime to fill up two swimming pools. Saliva provides many benefits like assisting with digestion, protecting teeth from bacteria, and allowing us to taste!
5. Plaque begins to form four hours after brushing. Built-up plaque eats away at the enamel. This is why regular brushing is so important!
6. Sugar is a major contributor to tooth decay. Ice cream, chocolate bars, sour candy, and our other sugary favorites can wreak havoc on the health of our teeth. If we consume too much, they can cause cavities and even tooth loss.
7. Cheese protects teeth! Thankfully, there are foods that help restore what sugar has destroyed. Cheese and other dairy products have calcium that helps strengthen the enamel.
8. Teeth are alive. They have their own nerves and blood flow. This means they can also die.
9. Teeth form in the womb. In the sixth week of pregnancy, the inner part of the teeth begins to develop, and by four months, the enamel has developed.
10. 25% of adults don’t brush twice a day. If you’ve read the other facts, you know this is not good! We always recommend brushing at least twice a day.

Take Care of Your Teeth!

Your teeth are more than just a pretty smile, their health can affect the whole body. An unhealthy mouth can increase your risk of a heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Therefore, brushing twice a day, flossing regularly, and visiting a dentist at least twice a year is vital. Not only can it prevent these issues, but it can also help prevent further and more expensive damage to your teeth later.

Contact Your Velma Dentist Today

If you have been searching for a Velma dentist, look no further! Dr. Matthew Bridges and his team are highly qualified, gentle, and loved by their patients. Dr. Bridges believes going to the dentist should be stress-free for everyone and works hard to make every patient feel at home. Whether you are needing restorative, preventative, or cosmetic dental care, we would love to meet with you. To set up an appointment today, visit our website or contact us at (580) 255-4880.

The post Velma Dentist Shares Ten Interesting Facts About Your Mouth appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

• Toothaches
• Tooth sensitivity to sweets and hot or cold substances
• Holes or pits in teeth
• Black, brown, or white stains on teeth

Velma dentist, Dr. Matthew L. Bridges, has been helping his patients prevent and treat tooth decay for decades. His desire is to create a comfortable, compassionate, and welcoming environment for patients to learn how to prevent or treat their tooth decay. At Chisolm Trail Smile Center, we believe prevention is the best policy! Children as well as adults can begin prevention treatments today. To set up an appointment, visit our website for more information or contact us today.

What causes tooth decay?

Bad habits, stress, and other uncontrollable factors can wreak havoc on the enamel of your teeth. Here are the five top causes of tooth decay:

1. Poor oral hygiene: The best defense against decay is to form good oral hygiene habits. These include:
   1. brushing your teeth at least twice a day
   2. flossing regularly
   3. brushing your tongue
   4. using mouthwash

All of these things work together to restore any damage that is done to your teeth during a long day of eating and drinking substances that may be harmful to them.

2. Unhealthy eating habits: Candy, ice cream, and soda aren’t the only things bad for your teeth. Foods that are high in carbs, like breads, and high in acid, like oranges, can eat away at enamel. Overeating these types of foods will have a negative impact on the health of your teeth.

To protect and build the enamel, replace the unhealthy foods with others that are high in calcium (like cheese and yogurt) and phosphorus (like meats and eggs). Drinking milk, water, and green and black teas is also helpful.

3. Tooth grinding: Stress and anxiety can cause people to grind their teeth while sleeping. This grinding breaks down the enamel on the outer layer of the teeth, resulting in decay. To reduce stress, try taking 30 minutes every day to do something relaxing. Additionally, bite guards will also help prevent tooth grinding.
4. Dry mouth: Saliva contains elements that help restore teeth and prevent plaque from growing. Medications, medical conditions, or genetics can reduce the production of saliva. If you are suffering with dry mouth, an orthodontist can help determine the cause and recommend helpful treatments to keep your mouth moist.
5. Delaying dental treatment: Regular dental cleanings and exams help to prevent and can reverse the erosion of enamel. At home prevention isn’t always enough to stop decay from happening. That’s why routine dental cleanings are essential for keeping your teeth healthy, strong, and beautiful.

Make an Appointment Today

Whether you’ve been taking great care of your teeth for years or you feel they have been neglected, if you haven’t received a dental cleaning recently, it’s time! Your Velma dentist, Dr. Bridges, and his team have been creating and maintaining radiant smiles for decades and are prepared to examine, discuss, and treat any issues or concerns you may have. To set up an appointment with your 73533 dentist, call (580) 255-4880 today.

The post Everything You Need to Know About Tooth Decay appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

If you are searching for the best dentist in Velma, OK, look no further than Dr. Matthew L. Bridges, an experienced dentist who operates one of the oldest dental practices in nearby Duncan, OK. Dr. Bridges offers comprehensive care, including children’s dentistry, cosmetic treatments, preventive care, and restorative treatments. Give us a call if you’re looking to find a gentle, knowledgeable dentist near you!

Think you know dental care? Discover these incredible dental facts to “brush up” on your dental health knowledge.

Your Mouth is an Exceptional Host

Almost 200 species of both good and bad oral bacteria live on the average patient’s teeth, gums, and tongue at any given time. Those patients who brush regularly and practice optimal oral hygiene may have about 1,000 to 100,000 bacteria on every tooth surface, while those patients who could use benefit from better oral care may have up to 1 billion bacteria on every surface!

That’s a Lot of Toothpaste

Americans buy more than 14 million gallons of toothpaste every year! When it comes to toothpaste, it’s best to buy a variety that has the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance. (Like these, listed here.) We recommend choosing an option with fluoride in it, a safe substance that can help strengthen enamel and allow your teeth to better fend off decay.

Enamel is #1

Your tooth enamel, or the outer layers of your teeth, is the strongest biological substance in the body. It’s said to be as strong as steel! Yet, while enamel is incredibly strong, it can be brittle because of it mineral makeup. The crystalline calcium phosphate (the same substance that your bones are made of) can break or crack unexpectedly if it experiences trauma at just the right angle or force. For this reason, it’s important to never use your teeth as tools to open packages or cut string. In addition, check your food carefully so you don’t bite down on a hard popcorn kernel or shell fragment.

Flossing Pulls Its Weight

Do you even skip flossing in favor of hitting the hay early? Don’t skip your final oral care step! Flossing isn’t just an “extra” step after brushing; it reaches the 40 percent of teeth surfaces that are missed by your toothbrush, and is imperative for reaching a fully clean mouth. To make flossing easier, and more fun, invest in an oral irrigator which uses a thin stream of pulsating water to clear plaque and food from between the teeth.

Find a Velma Dentist Near You

When it comes to your teeth, the more you know the better! So if you want to know the best dentist in the Velma or Duncan area, look no further than Dr. Matthew Bridges at Chisolm Trail Smile Center. If it’s been more than six months since your last dental appointment, give us a call to schedule a routine cleaning and examination!

The post Amazing Dental Facts You Should Know appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

Do you need a Velma dentist who will give you the straight story on oral health and hygiene? Dr. Matthew Bridges is here for you and your family. Contact our Duncan OK dental office at 580-255-4880 for an appointment.

Common Misperceptions About Flossing

Perhaps the most common mistake people make is assuming that the purpose of flossing is to remove bits of food from between the teeth. If the only time you think of flossing is when you have a shred of steak stuck in your teeth (or eat popcorn), you need to know the truth. The purpose of flossing is to remove plaque and bacteria from (a) between the teeth and (b) between the teeth and the gums.

A common misperception is that flossing every couple of days is good enough. If you wouldn’t skip a day of brushing your teeth, you shouldn’t skip a day of flossing. Failing to floss leaves approximately 36 percent of your tooth surfaces uncleaned. This can let plaque harden into tartar between the teeth, which will give bacteria a food source that encourages them to feast. This makes cavities and enamel demineralization more likely to occur.

Another misperception is that you have to use floss to floss. If loose floss has never been easy for you to manipulate, there are many efficient alternatives. Flossing picks, end-tufted brushes, stiff-ended picks, and oral irrigators (water flossers) are all excellent ways to clean the surfaces between the teeth and at the gum line. If you don’t floss daily because traditional loose floss is not convenient, find an alternative method of flossing and make it a part of your daily routine.

How to Floss Properly

No matter which flossing tool you prefer, there are a few guidelines you should follow when you floss every day.
1. Use new floss every time you floss. Reusing disposable floss or flossers can spread bacteria. If you use a multi-use tool, make sure to clean it regularly.
2. Use about 18 inches if you use loose floss. Wrap it around the middle fingers, and ensure you have enough slack to grip and manipulate it with your index fingers.
3. Rub the floss against the side of each tooth, starting at the gum line and working downward. Repeat 2-3 times for each side of the tooth.
4. Gently move the floss into the C-curve where the tooth meets the gums, to remove plaque and bacteria from the periodontal pockets.
5. Don’t forget to floss the back surfaces of your back teeth. The molars at the back of the mouth are already harder to keep clean, due to their pitted surface and location. Make sure you floss where the molars meet the gums in the back.

If Flossing Makes Your Gums Bleed

A common concern we hear from patients is that flossing makes their gums bleed and causes inflammation. This can certainly make it a challenge to floss every day, but it is a sign you need to be flossing more regularly. If this happens to you, take the two-week challenge. It may make you sore at first, but if you floss every day for 14 days, you should stop bleeding. As your gums get cleaner and have bacteria removed regularly, they will get stronger and healthier. If you still can’t tolerate flossing after two weeks of daily practice, call us for an appointment. You may need periodontal care visits to get your gums healthy again.

Do you want to have the best oral health of your life? Contact Velma dentist Dr. Matthew Bridges at Chisholm Trail Smile Center. We don’t care how long it’s been since you’ve seen a dentist—we just want to help you have healthy teeth and gums. Call us today at 580-255-4880 to make an appointment.

The post What Every Human Being Should Know About Flossing appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

Do you need a new dentist in Bray, Velma, Comanche, Rush Springs, or Duncan, OK? At Chisholm Trail Smile Center, we are convenient to patients from all these areas. Contact our Duncan OK dental office at 580-255-4880 for an appointment.

Start with References and Online Searches

References from family and friends are a good place to start, but an online search should always be a part of your process. Google, Yelp! and HealthGrades can show you patient reviews and star rankings, as well as the location of the dentists in your area. While online reviews should always be taken with a grain of salt, a dentist’s website can tell you a lot about the practice.

Read a few pages from the dental provider’s website, browse their blog, and you’ll get a quick impression of a providers’ values and specialty areas. Most general dentists can provide care for every age level, but if a provider’s website focuses heavily on cosmetic dentistry, for example, they might not see a lot of toddlers in their office! If you have kids or a family member with severe dental anxiety, notice whether the practice seems family-friendly or offers sedation during treatment.

Patient Preferences Vary

Before you take a recommendation from a friend or family member on good faith, it’s important to remember that different patients have different needs and preferences. Your neighbor or colleague may love his or her dentist’s office, but that doesn’t mean it will be a perfect fit for you.

Some people choose a high-volume practice where they can get in and out with as little fuss as possible. Other patients prefer a more customized experience in which you have more time to spend with the doctor and hygiene staff. If you have children, and like the idea of bringing them all in for back-to-back appointments, that’s also something you’ll want to consider when choosing a new dentist.

What qualities in a dentist’s office are most important to you?
– Location
– Convenient hours
– Weekend hours
– On-call for emergencies
– Good with children
– Fast appointments
– A focus on patient education
– Multiple care options
– Comfortable amenities
– Friendly service and attitude

Take a few minutes to think about your ideal dental experience and rank the items listed above in order of importance. If the bottom line is that you just want a competent provider for basic routine care within a few miles of your home or office—that can help you narrow the list of potential dentists. If you want a dental provider that makes you safe and well cared for, that’s another thing altogether.

What is Patient-Centered Care?

One thing we encourage everyone to consider when looking for a new dentist is patient-centered care. In the past, dentists could easily sum up their job as “tooth doctor.” They were focused on the teeth, and didn’t always put a whole lot of thought into making sure their patients had a good experience.

Today however, our goal is to help patients have the best oral health possible. This means we have to make sure our patients have a pleasant experience and feel respected as individuals. We know that if you have a bad experience, you won’t want to come back. Our goal is to form a long-term partnership with you to help you keep your teeth and gums in the best shape possible. We know that every patient has a unique story and unique circumstances, and we want to get to know the whole you!

Need a Marlow/Central Dentist? Call Chisholm Trail Smile Center to Meet Our Team!

If you’re looking for a dentist in Bray, Duncan, Velma, Rush Springs, or Comanche, OK, give Chisholm Trail Smile Center a call. Our Marlow/Central dentist office provides comprehensive oral health care for families and individuals from all over the area. Contact our Marlow/Central dentist office at 580-255-4880 to meet Dr. Matthew Bridges and his staff.

The post How to Choose a Dentist’s Office appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

Do you need an oral health check? Call Chisholm Trail Smile Center at 580-255-4880 to make an appointment with Duncan and Velma, OK dentist Dr. Matthew Bridges.

Symptoms of Dry Mouth

This condition is pretty straightforward. If your mouth feels drier than usual for more than a brief period of time, you are experiencing dry mouth. Our mouths naturally become dry at night, as saliva production slows down when we sleep. This is why you often feel the need to reach for a glass of water when you wake, and it’s also why we experience “morning breath.” Without saliva, bacteria grow to greater levels and create that unpleasant smell. (That’s why it’s important to brush your teeth in the morning!)

However, when that same dry, sticky feeling occurs during the day, that is not normal. Patients may experience:

• A sore, scratchy feeling in the throat
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty speaking
• A bad taste in the mouth
• Bad breath

Saliva is our bodies’ best natural defense against bacteria, as it’s constantly rinsing away food residue and neutralizing acidic bacterial excretions. Any prolonged period in which the mouth is not producing normal levels of saliva may lead to an increased risk of developing tooth decay or gum disease.

What Causes Dry Mouth?

Most cases of dry mouth are caused by medications we take. More than 400 commonly used over-the-counter and prescription medications list dry mouth as a side effect, which means it can happen to pretty much anyone. The list of drugs that may give you dry mouth is a long one, and may include allergy and cold medicines, diabetes and blood pressure medicines, as well as common antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and ADHD medications.

Some medical conditions can make you more likely to develop dry mouth, as well. For example, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and hypertension can all cause you to produce less saliva than normal. Sjogren’s syndrome is a disease that causes the salivary and tear glands to underperform directly, but this condition is quite rare. Simply being under-hydrated can also cause your mouth to feel dry, as your body needs water to create saliva.

The Dangers of Dry Mouth

Beyond the annoying factor, dry mouth can lead to major problems with your oral health. Without adequate saliva, bacterial growth can quickly lead to enamel becoming demineralized or eroded, and new cavities can develop very quickly. Bacteria may colonize the gum tissue and this can hasten the onset of gum disease.

Just one period of dry mouth associated with a bad cold, for example, can mean the start of new cavities if it’s not treated properly. For example, if a patient has a bad cold and the cold medication causes dryness, he or she may treat the itchy, dry throat with sugar-containing cough drops. Going to bed with a cough drop in your mouth may ease the dry feeling, but it will also feed bacteria and their acidic excretions may rise to levels high enough to cause decay. It’s not unheard of for a patient experiencing chronic dry mouth to develop new cavities and need multiple root canal treatments in as little as a few months!

How is Dry Mouth Treated?

There isn’t a drug available that can make your salivary glands work more efficiently, so most cases of dry mouth are treated symptomatically. The following steps can help you counteract potential damage and discomfort:

• Chew sugarless gum to stimulate saliva production.
• Take small sips of water to keep the mouth moist.
• Stay well hydrated to boost saliva production.
• Use lozenges and sprays designed to treat dry mouth.
• Avoid candy and cough drops with sugar.
• Use products that contain xylitol, when possible.

Xylitol is commonly used in products designed to treat dry mouth, because it is the only known sweetener that is actually good for your teeth. It does not break down like sugar and therefore doesn’t feed mouth bacteria. Instead, it prevents bacteria from sticking to the teeth and can help keep your mouth environment from becoming too acidic.

Visit Your Duncan and Velma, OK Dentist for a Check-Up

If you experience prolonged periods of dry mouth, make an appointment at Chisholm Trail Smile Center and we’ll check on your teeth and gums to make sure you aren’t experiencing a decline in your oral health. If your dry mouth is a side effect of a medication you are taking, you may want to talk to your doctor about possibly switching medications to see if a similar drug doesn’t have the same effect on you.

Call 580-255-4880 to make an appointment with Duncan and Velma, OK dentist Dr. Matthew Bridges.

The post What You Should Know About Dry Mouth appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

Are you suffering from tooth or gum pain? Visit Chisholm Trail Smile Center and our friendly staff will get to the bottom of your pain. Call for an appointment with our Duncan and Velma, OK dentist office. Contact us online or at 580-255-4880.

There are many possible causes behind the feelings one might describe generally as “toothache.” These can include problems with the teeth or gums, and are not always caused by tooth decay (cavities).

Food Stuck in the Teeth

If you have mysterious pain, always do a thorough brushing and flossing to make sure there isn’t a piece of food lodged between the teeth (or the teeth and gum tissue). Sometimes a bit of food can be just big enough to apply pressure and initiate a response that you feel in the whole tooth. Also note that it doesn’t take much to irritate the gums; sometimes a stubborn particle of food can lead you be too aggressive with a toothpick, leaving you with a very sore spot on the gums.

If you feel like there’s a piece of food stuck in your tooth, such as a raspberry seed, use floss or a pick designed for teeth cleaning (not a wooden pick) to gently displace it. If the feeling persists despite a careful cleaning, give us a call and we’ll get to the bottom of your problem.

Inflamed Gums

An all-over aching sensation can sometimes be the result of inflamed gum tissue. Gum disease is far more common than most people realize. More than half of all adults over 40 show some signs of gum infection, and one of the first symptoms is tender or inflamed gums. If you have pain in the gum tissue or bleed when you brush or floss, you may need gum disease treatment to control the infection.

Sensitive Teeth

If you get a sharp or jarring sensation when drinking hot beverages or eating ice cream, you may have sensitive teeth. As we get older and our enamel wears down, the sensitive part of the tooth called the dentin may become exposed. This can happen to many teeth at once or just in one or two spots. If the teeth are sensitive primarily at the gum line, this can be a sign of gum recession, which often indicates gum disease.

A toothpaste made for sensitive teeth can help you prevent temperature sensitivity, but you should always make an appointment if you experience pain. This will give us the chance to check for other problems associated with worn down enamel and provide advice for dealing with your sensitive teeth.

Failing Dental Work

If your toothache is in a tooth that’s had a filling or crown, there’s always the possibility your dental work needs repair. Fillings do not last forever. Metal fillings tend to last a few years longer than tooth-colored composite fillings, but all fillings have a finite lifespan. Sometimes the filling becomes loosened when the material shrinks or leaks after so many years, which can expose the sensitive part of the tooth called dentin, or even lead to secondary decay.

With regular dental appointments we can monitor your dental work and let you know when it needs replacement. Getting you a new filling is usually a fast and easy matter—and it may put an end to your pain!

Pain Associated with Bruxism

Teeth grinding (bruxism) can cause tooth pain, especially in the molars. If you grind your teeth when you sleep, you may be wearing down your tooth enamel and exposing the sensitive dentin of the teeth. Bruxism can also make your teeth more prone to cracks and fractures. Such cracks can cause pain on their own, but they also leave you vulnerable to bacterial infection and cavities.

If you grind your teeth, we can fit you with a special night guard to prevent further damage to the teeth. If you have a deep crack, we can repair and protect the tooth with a durable dental crown.

Tooth Decay and Abscess

The most common cause of severe localized toothaches (i.e., in just one tooth) is decay. When bacterial excretions damage your tooth enamel, it destroys more and more of the tooth, until the nerve endings become exposed. Let a cavity develop for too long, and the infection will reach the inside of the tooth (pulp chamber), requiring root canal therapy. If a tooth does not get treated in time, the decay may destroy so much of the tooth that we cannot save it, and the only “treatment” is extraction.

Abscesses develop when an infection spreads beyond the tooth, and into the soft tissue surrounding the root. A pocket develops to contain the infection and prevent it from spreading to the rest of the body. This can be extremely painful, and usually requires the extraction of the tooth. If you ever experience severe toothache that is accompanied by facial swelling and a fever, you may have an abscess and should seek medical attention right away.

When you come to our office for regular dental appointments, we can examine your teeth for signs of decay. We can even catch cavities before they happen, by identifying and treating spots of demineralization. If a cavity is small, we can provide a filling to halt the spread of decay and ensure you never experience the pain of an infected tooth.

Got a Toothache? We Can Help!

If you are experiencing any form of oral pain, you should always make an appointment with your dentist. If you need a Duncan, OK or Velma, OK dentist call Chisholm Smile Trail Smile Center and we’ll help you get the best oral health possible.

Even if it’s been a few years, we welcome everyone to our practice and treat our patients with respect and dignity. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Matthew Bridges and you’ll see the value of compassionate quality dentistry. Contact us online or call us at 580-255-4880 to make an appointment.

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