Schedule Appointment
(469) 507-3939
Schedule Appointment

General Dentistry

by
Dental Relaxing

Did you know that an estimated 60% of people worldwide suffer from dental fear? If you have anxiety about scheduling your dental visits, you are certainly not alone. However, if dental fear or dental anxiety is keeping you from getting the professional care your smile deserves, you need to know the help that is available.

Whether it is heart palpitations, sweaty palms or a paralyzing fear of the dentist, you don’t have to just “suck it up” and endure it. In fact, those with true dental anxiety should seek a dentist who is equipped and qualified to change the way you feel about dental care.

What Scares You or Makes You Uncomfortable?

At The Smile Lounge, we understand the common triggers and fears that anxious patients can have surrounding professional dental care, such as the following:

  • Severe gag reflex
  • Fear of pain or needles
  • Aversion to sights, smells or sounds of dental office (latex, dental drill)
  • Bad dental experience as a child
  • Trouble sitting still (or a physical/mental limitation)

There is no right or wrong answer in terms of what causes your dental anxiety. If your stress level keeps you from going to the dentist, your fears need to be shared.

How a Dentist Can Help

You’ve probably heard of sedation dentistry as the primary tool to help anxious patients. Sedation dentistry can involve oral sedation or oral conscious sedation to foster a relaxed state in the dental chair while still remaining awake. However, sedation dentistry is not the only way we address dental anxiety at our Grand Prairie office.

The Smile Lounge also recognizes the following tactics for lowering your stress level about dental visits:

  • Modern dental technology (faster, less invasive and quieter)
  • Comfort amenities (wireless Bluetooth headphones, movies, tv, blankets and scented towels)
  • Caring and compassionate staff
  • Comprehensive dental care under one roof (general, cosmetic and restorative)
  • Emergency dental care
  • Flexible appointment times
  • Affordable payment/financing options

What is it that makes you cancel your dental appointment or avoid treatment altogether? Chances are, we can address it. Call The Smile Lounge today to learn more about how we go above and beyond to create a comfortable and rewarding environment for dental care.

Posted on Behalf of The Smile Lounge

by
Man with Dental Pain

Modern dentistry offers several ways to repair and save teeth that are diseased or damaged. However, not all teeth can be saved. There are situations that make tooth removal a necessary procedure. If your dentist has recommended an extraction, you can trust that it is for the greater good of your overall oral health.

When it comes to tooth extraction, there are two basic types: simple extractions and surgical extractions. In general, a permanent tooth needs to be removed when it no longer serves a functional place in your mouth or is damaged beyond repair. Regardless of the reason for your tooth removal, you can trust The Smile Lounge to carry out your procedure in the most comfortable and seamless manner possible.

What are the Indications for Tooth Removal?

Here are some of the most common reasons why a tooth needs to be professionally removed by your dentist:

Wisdom Teeth

One of the most common reasons for surgical extraction is for wisdom teeth removal. Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars in the mouth, but they often cause more harm than good. Wisdom teeth need to be removed when they are impacted or have the potential to erupt improperly. When these back molars do not have room to emerge, it can lead to cysts, abscesses, decay and other concerns around the impacted teeth. Since they do not serve a true functional role within your mouth, it is typically best to have the wisdom teeth extracted before problems develop.

Trauma

Accidents happen. If they involve your teeth, the damage may be too extensive to repair with a filling, veneer or crown. In such cases, you may need to extract the damaged tooth and consider an implant.

Decay, Periodontal Disease and Infection

When decay or infection within a tooth goes untreated, it can progress to a severe stage that warrants tooth removal. This is necessary to restore health and comfort to your smile as well as save your adjacent teeth from spreading disease.

Crowding

It is not uncommon for adolescents to need tooth extraction prior to orthodontic treatment. Extraction due to crowding is sometimes necessary so that orthodontic treatment can be more effective and efficient.

Our Dentists Can Determine What’s Best For You

If you have a tooth that is bothering you, don’t assume you will need it removed. We have a full menu of dental services to repair and restore your teeth. However, if you do need a dental extraction, you can trust our team to provide superior, patient-centered care. We also offer the tooth replacement solutions you may need after the tooth is removed. Call The Smile Lounge today to learn more.

by
man smiling

There’s good reason why your dentist may ask you to reveal your current medication list. Not only does your dentist need to have an accurate picture of your overall health, but many medications can have side effects that impact your teeth and gums. Here are some top oral health concerns that may be caused by your daily medications:

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, also called xerostomia, is very often caused by medications. In fact, there are over 400 different medications, including antihistamines, decongestants and high blood pressure pills that can lead to a chronically dry mouth. Not only does dry mouth make it difficult to swallow and speak, but your dental health may be in danger too. We need adequate saliva production to ward off tooth decay, bad breath and gum disease. Saliva rinses away bacteria and food debris after you eat as well as neutralizes harmful acids inside your mouths.

Bleeding Gums

It is not uncommon for physicians to prescribe anti-coagulants to help prevent stroke and heart attack. Unfortunately, these medications can prevent the blood from clotting in other areas of your body – including your gum tissues. If you are on an anti-coagulant, make sure you tell your dentist, as they need to be prepared for bleeding gums during cleanings as well as take extra precautions to control bleeding if you are scheduled to have a more invasive dental procedure.

Oral Thrush

Whether it is antibiotics or corticosteroids, there are medications that may be necessary for you to take but may also suppress the immune system. When it comes to your oral health, this can result in an overgrowth of yeast. The white lesions that may develop on your inner checks, tongue or gums are caused from a condition called “oral thrush.” Oral thrush needs prompt treatment but can be remedied by an antifungal prescription that restores proper balance to your mouth.

At The Smile Lounge, we are keenly aware of the connection between your mouth and body. In doing so, we recognize the impact that many medications can have on your oral health. Please keep us informed about any new medications or supplements you may be taking so that we can protect your smile best.

Posted on Behalf of The Smile Lounge

by
video bg min

We can hardly believe it – it’s been on full year since The Smile Lounge began passionately treating patients of the Grand Prairie and Fort Worth communities. This is a milestone worth celebrating with the ones that have supported our growing dental family.

On Saturday September 4th, The Smile Lounge is hosting a First Year Anniversary Celebration. The event will take place at our 3050 W Camp Wisdom Road office from 10am to 2pm. We invite you to join us for food, music, giveaways and lots of fun!

If you are new to our office, you’ll enjoy getting to know our friendly dental team members and experiencing the comfortable atmosphere of our modern office. The Smile Lounge is a state-of-the-art dental practice that offers a full menu of general, restorative and cosmetic dental treatments for patients of all ages. We welcome the opportunity to tell you more about how we can care for you and your family. Pampering your smile is what we do best!

The Smile Lounge is a proud member of the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce, and we look forward to hosting this event for the dedicated community we serve. Please find a more detailed First Year Celebration Invitation on Facebook and let us know if you plan to attend. We hope to see you on September 4th!

Posted on behalf of The Smile Lounge

by
Close Up Of Biracial Man Show White Healthy Teeth

Soft drinks have been around for about 100 years. They taste good, they provide a refreshing way to quench your thirst, and they pair really well with pizza, hamburgers, and popcorn. However, as delicious as they taste, they can be linked to numerous health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Did you know that soft drinks can wreak havoc on your smile, too?

Soda, coke, pop, soft drinks – however you say it, they are all highly acidic and sugary beverages. Every time you take a sip of a soft drink, the oral bacteria inside your mouth feed on the sugars. As bacteria “feed,” they create acids. Combined with the acidic content that soft drinks already contain, you essentially give your mouth an acid bath with every drink. The acids in soft drinks can linger on your teeth for around 20 minutes. With repeated sips and frequent indulgence in soft drinks, the tooth enamel becomes weakened and leads to cavities and tooth decay.

Well, what about diet sodas? They can’t be as bad since they don’t contain sugar, right? Wrong. Even though diet soft drinks do not contain sugar, they still contain multiple acids and low pH values. The risk of dental erosion and tooth decay remain just as high by drinking diet sodas as it does by drinking regular soft drinks.

Prevent Damage with One Single Beverage

The best way to prevent damage to your teeth and smile is to stop drinking soft drinks and other sugary beverages and replace them with water. Water is the most abundant resource on planet Earth. It contains no harmful ingredients, no calories, and it provides benefits to your entire body. It is recommended that people drink their weight in ounces of water every day. Therefore, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should make it your goal to drink 150 ounces of water each day.

If you do choose to indulge in a sugary beverage, you need to make a habit of rinsing your mouth with water after you finish drinking. Rinsing with water will help wash away much of the sugary particles and acids that remain on your teeth.

At The Smile Lounge, we want to partner with you in your oral health. Making water your beverage of choice will benefit your smile, weight, skin, and overall health. Contact us today to learn more.

Posted on Behalf of The Smile Lounge

by
smiling girl

For the past three decades, we have all heard the dangers that tobacco poses to our health. Lung cancer rates soared when tobacco use was at its highest, and rates dropped drastically when doctors began warning people of the dangers of tobacco. While all of the medically-based knowledge is proven, there are still millions of people who choose to smoke. Those people are literally choosing an unhealthy option and taking the risk. However, another product is now on the rise that poses threats to the younger generation’s health: vaping.

Vaping is the process of inhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette or vaporizer (commonly known as a vape pen). Vape pens are becoming increasingly popular among teens and young adults, and they are promoted as a “safe alternative” to smoking. The adverse consequences that vaping is causing on oral health in young people are anything but “safe.”

Vaporizing liquids contain ingredients such as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. These two ingredients along are very damaging to the tooth enamel, gum tissues, and saliva production. Not only do damaged teeth and gums ruin a person’s smile, but it is crucial for you to understand that the health of the mouth is a direct correlation to the health of the entire body. Diabetes, heart disease, miscarriage, and low-birth-weight babies have all been linked to poor oral health. Making wise decisions regarding the health of the mouth is vital for a healthy life.

The most unfortunate aspect of vaping is how specifically it is targeted toward young people. Vaping companies have started adding flavoring products to the vaping liquids to entice young people to pick up the bad habit. Over 80% of youth who use vaping devices credit the appealing taste as the primary reason for use.

Parents need to be aware that vaping liquids contain nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive and dangerous drug. One electronic cartridge of vaping liquid contains the same amount of nicotine as up to three packs of cigarettes.

Dentists across the United States are trying to bring awareness of the dangers of vaping to light. At The Smile Lounge, we want to discourage everyone from starting this bad habit. You only get one smile, don’t ruin it.

Contact our practice to learn more.

Posted on Behalf of The Smile Lounge 

by
woman showing teeth

If you are an allergy sufferer, then you know that allergy season can be miserable for many reasons. While plants, trees, and flowers may be beautiful as they bloom out and cover the world in color, they also release pollen into the air that can make your allergies overwhelming. As beautiful as spring is, for allergy sufferers, it is often best enjoyed from inside.

The most miserable symptoms of allergy season include nasal congestion, postnasal drip, sneezing, a sore throat, and itchy, watery eyes. Many people would tell you that suffering from allergies is worse than having the flu because it can last for weeks or even months at a time.

Combating allergies is rough stuff, we know. To further compound the misery of allergy seasons, there is a specific way that allergies can take their toll on your oral health. Dry mouth, a condition in which the salivary glands do not produce enough saliva to keep the mouth moist, affects many allergy sufferers. More than just uncomfortable, dry mouth is caused by breathing in and out through your mouth and can lead to severe oral health complications.

As strange as it sounds, saliva is one of the most important components of oral health. Not only is a moist mouth comfortable, but it also helps to protect your mouth against tooth decay, gum disease, and mouth infections. You see, inside every human mouth, millions of oral bacteria thrive off of the food particles left behind after you eat. Saliva helps to rinse these particles and the damaging bacteria away so that they do not remain inside your mouth and adhere to your teeth.

If you suffer from allergies, pay attention to the symptoms of dry mouth:

  • A dry, sticky feeling inside your mouth
  • Frequent thirst
  • A dry throat
  • Hoarseness
  • Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth
  • Sore throat
  • Dry, raw tongue
  • Cracked lips

Most allergy medications contain antihistamines to help dry up the excess mucus being created by your irritated sinuses. As helpful as these medicines are, they can produce dry mouth as a side effect. It is imperative that you drink at least eight 8-oz glasses of water per day to keep your mouth and entire body well hydrated.

Contact The Smile Lounge if dry mouth is bothering you. We will help protect your smile.

Want to schedule an appointment?

Schedule Appointment
LEARN MORE

Contact

3050 W Camp Wisdom Rd #140
Grand Prairie, TX 75052

(469) 507-3939

[email protected]

Footer Logo
Facebook-f Instagram Yelp Youtube

All Rights Reserved.