Coralville, Iowa: How to Choose a Dental Practice

Choosing a new dental practice for your family can take some time and effort. In the past, you may have relied on recommendations from family and friends, or even just picked a company and dialed their number out of the phone book. But in today’s world, our options are practically limitless. The online access to information that we have can be almost overwhelming. Not only can you visit the dental practice website to find out incredible amounts of information, but you can look for reviews from previous patients and get feedback from others in your social networks. Below you will find a number of suggestions to help you choose the right dental practice for you in the Coralville, Iowa area.

First of all, do your research. By doing a simple Google search for dentists in the Coralville area, you will find a number of options. From this point, begin to look into what each practice has to offer. Most dentists will have an informative website explaining what it is that they do and what you can expect at your first visit. Sometimes even the second and beyond visitations are discussed, especially after your initial visit, once they have done a typical cleaning plus an evaluation of the inspection. If you are in need of a specific procedure or wonder if they take a particular insurance, you can often learn this information from their website.

Do it Yourself - Treating Gum Disease

Dealing with gum disease is something that doesn’t have to take over your life. While the disease can be painful and cause quite a bit of destruction to your teeth and gums, there are things that you can do on your own to prevent the spread of further damage. Take a look below for a few tips and tricks for do-it-yourself gum disease treatments.

If you’re dealing with the initial onset of gum disease, which is also known as gingivitis, you may not even realize that you have a problem. Symptoms are typically very mild in the beginning, which means that quite a bit of damage may be done before you realize you have a problem. The first sign will typically be tender and swollen gums that bleed easily. Gums may have begun to recede from your teeth, but this is often difficult to notice.

Which is Worse, Gingivitis or Periodontitis?

Dealing with gum disease isn’t fun, no matter how far advanced the disease may be. There are technically two types of gum disease that you could suffer from: gingivitis and periodontitis. If you aren’t familiar with either, you may be wondering, which is worse? Keep reading for the answer, as well as some tips on how to deal with each.

Gingivitis

8 Common Causes of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a very common problem, but it’s a condition that many people may not understand. There are multiple causes for sleep apnea, and there are certain factors that can definitely make it worse or more likely to occur.

Sleep apnea is all about breathing: when your breathing is shallow or obstructed while you sleep, it causes pauses in your breathing and sleep that isn’t restful. Understanding what can contribute to this problem can help you avoid it. Here are some of the major causes and risk factors for sleep apnea:

1. You’re getting older

Treatments for gum disease: what is the best option?

Gum disease is an unfortunate condition that can range in severity and worsen rapidly. There are many causes, and many ways that you can avoid the onset of gum disease. If you’re already dealing with some form of the disease, you may be wondering what the best method of treatment would be. There are several options, from at home care to surgical procedures, and the severity of your disease will likely be the deciding factor for you.

If you are in the beginning stages of gingivitis, which is basically inflammation of the gums, you should be able to handle the issue at home for the most part. A good oral care routine is the best step you can take to stop gingivitis in its tracks. Brush your teeth at least twice each day with fluoride toothpaste. This will help to rid your teeth of plaque buildup on the surface. Plaque is a combination of bacteria, mucus, and food particles that gathers on teeth. If left untouched, plaque can harden into tartar, which is incredibly difficult to get rid of, and usually requires a professional cleaning from a dentist.

Bleeding Gums: the Cause and the Solution

If your gums seem more sensitive than normal lately, and bleed upon brushing or flossing, you may be dealing with the early stages of gingivitis. Gingivitis is basically inflammation of the gums and is the initial stage of gum disease. While gingivitis is no reason to panic, it is something you need to get a handle on before it has a chance to progress. Let’s discuss the cause of your bleeding gums and the solution to the problem.

The direct cause of your bleeding gums is likely plaque build up. When plaque begins to form on your teeth and gums it produces toxins that can irritate your gum tissue. Plaque is basically a film of bacteria that grows when it isn’t removed through daily brushing and flossing. The longer plaque grows, the more damage it can do to your teeth and gums. Luckily, in the early stages of gum disease, the damage can be reversed since it hasn’t yet made its way to the bone and connective tissue that holds your teeth into place.