Dental Articles
Protecting Your Smile with Mouthguards
If you participate in sports or other physical activities, it’s wise to consider getting a mouthguard. Also known as mouth protectors, mouthguards are a device worn over the teeth to lessen the impact of a blow to the face. This reduces the chance that you might lose...
Tooth Protection and Winter Sports
Just because it’s cold out there doesn’t mean you’ll give up keeping fit and active! Winter is the season for some of our favorite team sporting activities, and when you’re donning your protective gear, don’t forget to protect your teeth as well. Basketball This sport...
Resolving to Eat Better in the New Year
It’s a new year, and a resolution found on many lists is learning to be more mindful about healthy food choices. You might have set some of these goals yourself. Gaining, losing, or maintaining your current weight. More fruits and veggies. Better proteins. Less sugar....
Warning Signs of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
When your wisdom teeth start to emerge it can definitely be painful, but it can be even worse if your wisdom teeth become impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth are trying to erupt but are unable to do so because there is not sufficient room for them to emerge. This usually...
Root Canal Recovery
Anyone who has had a compromised tooth knows that the amount of discomfort it causes can be extremely unpleasant. Although no one looks forward to a root canal, this procedure is actually the best way to both eliminate pain and save your tooth. If the pulp inside your...
‘Tis the Season—for Healthy Dental Choices!
It might be the most wonderful time of the year, but if you’re dashing through the snow to an emergency dental appointment, you’re not feeling very jolly. And post-holiday, no one wants to start off their New Year’s Resolutions with “Get Cavities Filled.” How to...
Three Must-Have Dental Treatments
In dentistry, there are a wide variety of treatments, everything from elective procedures to those that are necessary and potentially lifesaving. So given the slew of treatment options, how do you choose what’s right for you? Our experts at Serene Hills Dentistry have...
Thanksgiving in North America
Thanksgiving marks the start to the holidays; a season filled with feasting, indulging, and spending time with family and friends are always special. Thanksgiving is a holiday meant for giving thanks, and while this may seem like such a natural celebration, the United...
What exactly is a root canal?
Hearing that you need a root canal can be highly intimidating. What is a root canal? It is the removal of the nerve supply from the tooth. Here, the doctor will describe the parts of a tooth and explain the reasons for a root canal and how it is done when you visit us...
Why Is My Child Getting Cavities?
We want our children to have every advantage, including oral health. That’s why you encourage your child to brush twice a day. You keep the sugary treats to a minimum. You schedule dental exams and cleanings at our Lakeway, Texas office. So, how did your child get a...
Cold Comfort
The sounds of the season are filling the air—falling leaves rustling along the sidewalk, football cheers, holiday greetings—and the coughs and sneezes of your fellow sufferers. Yes, it’s cold and flu season, and you’re one of the unfortunate people who’s caught...
The Intriguing History of Halloween
Halloween is fast approaching, and the doctor wanted to be sure to wish our patients a happy day, no matter how you might celebrate this holiday. The Halloween that is familiar to most people today bears little resemblance to the original Halloween; back in the "old...
What stinks?
Spilling soda on someone’s white shirt, telling an off-color joke at an inappropriate time, or sneezing chewed food all over the dinner table all pale in comparison to the socially unacceptable, embarrassing blunder of having ... bad breath! Five Possible Causes of...
Are baby teeth really that important?
Your infant’s first teeth will begin to appear around six to 12 months of age. You might wonder how important these primary teeth really are. After all, baby teeth are destined to fall out within a few years and be replaced by a full set of permanent teeth. However,...
Year-End Insurance Reminder
The doctor, as well as our team at Serene Hills Dentistry, would like to give those patients with flex spend, health savings, or insurance benefits a friendly end of the year reminder that it’s high time to schedule your dental visits so you optimize your benefit. Now...
Growing evidence of a connection between periodontal disease (gum disease) and Alzheimer’s
Older adults with more harmful than healthy bacteria in their gums are more likely to have evidence for amyloid beta—a key biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease—in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to new research from NYU College of Dentistry and Weill Cornell...
Dental Visits Listed Among Health Appointments People Should Consider Keeping Despite The Pandemic
The Washington Post (7/2, Searing) included dental visits in a list of “five health practices that experts say you might want to reconsider delaying” despite the coronavirus pandemic. Dental problems “early on – like very small decay in a tooth – rarely have symptoms,...
Chewing Sugarless Gum May Help Prevent Tooth Decay, Review Finds
The Press Trust of India (11/20) reports a systematic review suggests that chewing sugarless gum may “reduce the advancement of dental caries” and “be used as a viable preventative agent.” The researchers analyzed “12 studies published in the past 50 years which...
The Use of Botulinum Toxin (BOTOX®) in Dentistry
Botulinum toxin (BOTOX®) has been widely used for the treatment of various conditions associated with pain and excessive muscle contraction since the 1970’s. When botulinum toxin is injected into the muscle, it blocks certain nerve signals that initiate muscle...
How to Have a Healthy Halloween
Consumer Reports (10/14, Warren) states that candy is “the star” of Halloween, making it “nearly impossible to avoid.” The article notes that 76 percent of dentists also hand out candy for the holiday, according to the American Dental Association. A Consumer Reports...
Gum Disease May Increase Hypertension Risk, Review Suggests
From the American Dental Association (ADA): The New York Times (9/25, Bakalar) reports that “people with gum disease may be at increased risk for high blood pressure,” researchers concluded after analyzing “the results of 81 studies including more than 200,000...