Derby Dental Blog

4 Tips for Surviving Halloween with Invisalign Aligners

October 27, 2023

Filed under: Uncategorized — derbydental @ 5:40 pm
a bucket of Halloween candy

Whether you’re an adult or teenager, Halloween is an exciting holiday. For teens, it could mean going door-to-door to collect a delicious stash of sweet treats, and for adults, it could mean eating the leftover candy after the trick-or-treaters have fizzled out for the night! In any case, if you’re undergoing Invisalign orthodontics, you’ll want to take a couple of precautions to make sure that indulging in the festivities doesn’t ruin your treatment progress. Learn four tips to help you survive Halloween with Invisalign aligners below.

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What Are Invisalign Refinements & Why Are They Necessary?

August 4, 2023

Filed under: Uncategorized — derbydental @ 9:44 pm
a closeup of someone pointing to an Invisalign tray

Invisalign is one of the most exciting orthodontic treatments around! These innovative clear aligners offer patients a convenient and discreet alternative to traditional braces, allowing them to transform their smiles without any of the inconveniences associated with the infamous metal brackets, elastics, and wires. However, in some cases the Invisalign process requires a little refinement and fine-tuning as patients approach the finish line, to ensure that the teeth are realigned as intended. Continue reading to learn more about Invisalign refinements, why they’re needed, and how they ultimately contribute to the treatment’s success!

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3 Reasons to See Your Dentist Before Summer Vacation Starts

June 14, 2023

Filed under: Uncategorized — derbydental @ 10:00 pm
woman smiling on a beach

The start of summer is exciting for children and adults alike. Whether you spend your days lounging by the pool, watching your kids play, or planning an upcoming vacation that is sure to create some lasting memories, you want to make sure nothing stands in your way of enjoying the warm summer sun. But while you may be busy packing the essentials or making sure you’re stocked up on sunscreen, you should also consider seeing your dentist. Read on to learn 3 reasons it’s best to schedule a dental checkup before starting your fun.

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3 Lifestyle Changes That Can Help You Protect Your Dental Implants

April 5, 2023

Filed under: Uncategorized — derbydental @ 8:37 pm
Illustration of dental implant and natural teeth

When you see the difference that dental implants can make in your everyday life, you’ll never want to go back to having an incomplete smile. Fortunately, dental implant posts are considered the most permanent form of tooth replacement, being able to last for decades at a time. However, the chances of them failing are not zero. If you want to keep your dental implants safe over the long term, there are 3 simple changes you can make to your lifestyle.

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Is it Possible to Get Invisalign on Just the Top Teeth?

February 23, 2023

Filed under: Uncategorized — derbydental @ 6:10 pm
person putting Invisalign aligners on their top arch of teeth

In the last two decades, Invisalign clear aligners have risen to become one of the most popular orthodontic solutions to address bite problems, misalignment, crowding, and gaps between teeth. The treatment is custom-tailored to fit each individual patients’ needs, which is why it’s not uncommon for patients to ask whether they can receive aligners for just their top row of teeth. Read on to learn the situations in which straightening one arch of teeth may be appropriate, and why many providers may not recommend this.

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4 Answers to Important Invisalign Questions

August 10, 2022

Filed under: Uncategorized — derbydental @ 5:25 pm
Woman who wants to ask Invisalign questions

So, let’s say you need to straighten out the situation with your teeth, literally. In that case, you may want to consider Invisalign from your local dental practice. The treatment is well-known for producing straight smiles that are truly beautiful! However, you probably have Invisalign questions you want to have answered first. After all, it pays to know what you’re getting into before committing. Luckily, your local dentist is here to help. Here are the answers to four critical questions about Invisalign.

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Challenges We Face as an Office as We Return to Practice

May 4, 2020

Filed under: Tips — derbydental @ 6:21 pm

Needless to say, we are thrilled to be back serving our wonderful patients.  But like everyone, we are faced with numerous challenges. 

Our highest priority is the safety of our patients and staff.  Derby Dental has always taken universal precautions for infection control, and we are now practicing protocols with heightened awareness of safety.  We know that everyone is worried about exposure, but a dentist office, with its strict protocols, is actually extremely safe.  And, of course no one enjoys wearing masks.  It’s a pain, but it’s a necessity.

Like many small businesses, we have been faced with a loss in revenue, revenue that pays our rent and pays our employees.  Dr. Whitehouse has continued to take care of her employees during this time of quarantine and everyone is excited about resuming their normal schedule. 

Finally, we ask everyone’s patience as we restart our scheduling process.  We are finding ways to manage the two months’ worth of appointments that have to fit in to an already full hygiene schedule.  Both staff and patients have to juggle work and child care responsibilities.  For those of you returning to work, we know that you don’t want to take off any more time than is necessary.  This juggling makes scheduling a challenge.  Please bear with us. We look forwarding to seeing all of you back in our dentist office and back in the swing of things in Austin, TX.

How to Maintain the Best Oral Hygiene at Home

March 25, 2020

Filed under: Tips,Uncategorized — derbydental @ 5:14 pm

When You Can’t Get to the Dentist for Your Regular Cleaning, It Is More Important Than Ever to Practice Great Oral Hygiene.

Take These Steps to Ensure Your Oral Health

  • Brush twice a day, brush two minutes with an electric toothbrush.
  • Floss before you brush
  • Use a Water Pik if you have trouble flossing
  • Floss before you go to bed
  • We recommend CoCo Floss, it’s thicker and helps dislodge debris
  • Limit intake of sugary drinks and snacks
  • Chew sugar free gum; it helps generate saliva

If you take the above steps, you will be ahead of the game when you return to the office for your regular checkup and cleaning. Here at Derby Dental, your Austin TX dentist, We really care about your well being

Dental Care for Seniors – How Aging Affects Your Oral Health

March 17, 2020

Filed under: Health,Tips — derbydental @ 5:28 pm

If it’s not one thing it’s another when it comes to aging.  At Derby Dental we take pride in understanding our the dental care needs of our senior patients and the issues that they face.  As we age, unfortunately, our mouth and teeth age as well.  Many of our patients are taking one or more medications. 

Dry Mouth

The number one side effect of most medications is dry mouth.  But dry mouth can also result from the aging process or just daily stress.  This dry mouth leads to greater risks of cavities, gum disease and mouth infections.  We all know that saliva in your mouth starts the process of digestion, but it also helps wash bacteria and food off your teeth.  This defense is essential to your oral health.  As we age, the soft root surfaces become exposed with recession, brushing techniques, clenching/grinding  and bite changes over time.  To offset the effects of dry mouth, our dentists recommend sipping water throughout the day, chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugar free candy.  Besides avoiding caffeine, dry and salty foods, alcohol and cigarettes, we may also recommend using an artificial saliva product.

Oral Cancer

One of the other dental care risks for our senior patients is the increased risk for oral cancer.  The average age for the diagnosis of oral cancer is now 62 years.  At Derby Dental we have the most advanced techniques for the screening of oral cancer, Oral ID.  Our senior dental patients should be vigilant in their semi-annual cleanings and screenings.  Maintenance and prevention are the best options to optimize care and to minimize costs.

Financial Challenges

Another factor that is important to our senior dental patients is insurance.  Many of our patients are entering retirement and may no longer have dental insurance.  This transition affects the patients’ ability to afford and seek essential dental care.  That’s why Derby Dental offers an in-house financial plan (Derby Care Plan) that mimics some of the same insurance benefits once seen with dental
insurance.  The Derby Care Plan offers patients a way to have normal preventive procedures covered and discounted rates on recommended treatments by our dentists. 

 

 

At Derby Dental, we care about providing our senior patients
the best and most affordable dental care in Austin, TX.  Don’t put off your regular screenings and
hygiene. 

Brushing Like Your Health Depends on It: The Link Between Oral Hygiene and Alzheimer’s Disease

July 8, 2019

Filed under: Health — derbydental @ 5:56 pm

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been taught that not brushing your teeth can have major consequences. Not just like having stanky no-one-will-ever-kiss-you breath, but real problems–like increased risk of heart disease and stroke associated with gingivitis and periodontal disease. If that wasn’t motivation enough to diligently floss and brush every day, now there’s new science to suggest a very real correlation (not just causation!) between poor oral hygiene and Alzheimer’s Disease.

There are jokes about folks with Alzheimer’s being able to hide their own Easter eggs but the truth is, there’s nothing to laugh about here. If you’re not familiar with Alzheimer’s, it’s a form of dementia that leads to extreme memory loss as well as a decline in cognitive abilities. A person suffering from Alzheimer’s could be standing across the street from the home they’ve lived in for forty years and not know where they are. It’s a terrifying predicament for the sufferer and also challenging for the family and loved ones.

So you know that gunky plaque stuff that builds up on our teeth? That’s actually a biofilm made up of a mass of bacteria and other microbes that produce toxins. If you let that biofilm get out of control, your gums will start to get red and inflamed. This is known as the mildest stage of gum disease, gingivitis. If left to progress even further, little pockets will develop around the teeth and you’ll develop full blown periodontal disease. The bacteria in plaque can now get deep under the gumline, causing the pockets to deepen. If left untreated, you could be looking at bone and tissue loss and your teeth will eventually become loose.

One of the key pathogens in biofilm that leads to periodontal disease is called Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. ging). This jerk of a pathogen secretes another friend in crime called gingipains. It’s these two infectious agents that have been found in 96% of those with Alzheimer’s. They are able to enter the body through diseased gum tissue as well as during invasive dental work, like extractions and periodontal surgery. In the study linked above, mice were infected with P. ging and it showed “brain colonization” as well as increased production of components that are found in amyloid plaques, which destroy connections between nerve cells that eventually leads to dementia. It’s also worth mentioning that P. gingivalis was found in 100% of patients with cardiovascular disease.

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