Preventive Oral Care

As adults, we may think that our years of proper brushing and flossing are behind us, but that’s not true. In fact, because we are adults, our oral care routine is more important than ever. According to the American Dental Association, preventive measures in dental treatment are intended to defend the onset of disease. For a refresher in taking care of your teeth, you should visit our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry every six months for a professional cleaning.

Swollen and bleeding gums are early signs that your gums are infected with bacteria. If nothing is done, the infection can spread. While regular dental exams are necessary to remove tartar and detect early signs of gum disease, oral health begins properly caring for your teeth and gums at home. Measures you can take to prevent gum disease and keep your teeth for a lifetime include brushing your teeth for two to three minutes twice a day along the gum line, floss daily, maintain a healthy diet, avoid cigarettes and tobacco and exercise preventive care.

If you have questions about preventive oral care, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778. 

Break Your Bad Oral Habits

If you open packages with your teeth, bite your nails or suck your thumb when you’re anxious, you are likely wrecking your teeth without even knowing it. Habits such as these can damage your teeth over time, and increase your chances of cracking, chipping or fracturing a tooth. Our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry want you to keep your permanent teeth for a lifetime, so if you practice any of these detrimental habits, it’s time to break them, immediately.

If you’re a nail-biter, this nervous habit can impact your jaw just as much as it impacts your teeth. This is because placing your jaw in a protruded position for a long period of time can put unnecessary pressure on it. Using your teeth as a tool can easily crack teeth because all it takes is one wrong move for the enamel to break. Teeth clenching and grinding will also cause jaw pain, an improper bite, and may cause crooked teeth. If bruxism is detected, our doctors may suggest a mouth guard to protect the teeth.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral care or dental health, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

What’s Inside Your Mouth?

Your mouth is made up of more than just teeth, so good oral health goes way beyond simply brushing and flossing. The oral cavity consists of several components in addition to the teeth, including gingiva (gums), tongue, palate, cheeks, lips and floor of the mouth. Whether we are taking preventative care, restoring oral health, or making cosmetic improvements to your smile, Garrison Family Dentistry offers a wide variety of services to keep these components looking and feeling their best.

The next time you’re brushing your teeth, spend a minute looking at the parts of the mouth that lie farther inside the oral cavity. Knowing what these structures do and what they look like can help you to maintain optimal oral health. When you open your mouth and look in the mirror, everything that isn’t a tooth is covered by a protective lining called the oral mucosa. The oral mucosa plays an essential role in maintaining your oral health, as well as your overall health, by defending your body from germs and other irritants that enter your mouth.

Also covered by oral mucosa, gums play a critical role in your oral health. Healthy gums are firm, cover the entire tooth root, and do not bleed when brushed, poked, or prodded. Whether you are eight-years-old or eighty-years-old it is important to practice good oral hygiene to keep all of your oral cavity components healthy by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing. 

To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visitwww.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Shopping for Toothpaste: What to Look For

When stepping foot into the dental health aisle at the drugstore, our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry understand that the selections of toothpaste types can be overwhelming. Should you go for tartar control, fluoride, sensitive, or whitening toothpaste? How do you decide? When it comes to choosing the toothpaste that is best for you, it’s important to consider your unique oral health needs. The best way to discover what those are is by scheduling an oral exam with one of our doctors here in Smithville, MO. In the meantime, here are some options to consider while browsing:

• Anti-cavity: This type of toothpaste contains fluoride. Fluoride plays an active role in preventing decay, and it actively strengthens tooth enamel.


• Anti-gingivitis: If you spit blood in the sink, this is an early sign of gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease. Anti-gingivitis toothpaste helps reduce oral bacteria and can be very effective at stopping gingivitis in its tracks.


• Desensitizing: If you’ve ever bit into an ice cream cone and felt a sharp pain in your tooth’s nerve, this type of toothpaste will provide relief by blocking the tooth’s pain signal to the nerve.


• Tartar-control: This toothpaste does exact what it says, however, the best way to remove tartar is by scheduling a professional dental cleaning with one of our doctors.


• Whitening: This toothpaste contains chemicals that are able to help maintain the natural color of your teeth.

If you have questions about oral hygiene or oral hygiene products, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Selecting a Mouthwash that Meets Your Needs

Mouthwash or rinses are used for a variety of reasons: to freshen breath, to help prevent or control tooth decay, to reduce plaque, to prevent or reduce gingivitis, to reduce the speed that tartar forms on the teeth, or to produce a combination of these effects. Mouthwash has a few beneficial properties and our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry would like to explain some of them.

• Antimicrobial agents act directly on oral bacteria to help reduce plaque, decrease the severity of gingivitis and control bad breath.


• Fluoride helps reduce tiny lesions (tooth decay) on tooth enamel and make teeth more resistant to decay.


• Astringent salts can serve as temporary deodorizers that mask bad breath.


• Odor neutralizers act by chemically inactivating odor causing compounds.

If you have questions about oral hygiene or oral hygiene products, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Diabetes and Oral Health

People with poorly controlled diabetes are more prone to dental problems. They are more likely to develop infections of their gums and the bones that hold the teeth in place because diabetes can reduce the blood supply to the gums. If you have diabetes, please call our office to schedule a professional exam with our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry to prevent further dental complications.

If you have diabetes, symptoms of dental problems include bleeding and sore gums, frequent infections, and bad breath. Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, managing your blood sugar level is critical. The higher your blood sugar level, the higher your risk of tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Additionally, high blood sugar may cause dry mouth and make gum disease worse. The decrease in saliva can cause an increase in tooth-decaying bacteria and plaque buildup. You can prevent these problems by maintaining good blood sugar control, brushing and flossing and least twice a day, and schedule a dental checkup with us every six months.

If you have questions about diabetes and oral hygiene, don’t hesitate to contact us. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Senior Teeth Care

No matter what age you are, teeth can last a lifetime with proper home care and regular dental checkups. However, as we grow older, certain health concerns earn our full attention, especially the importance of oral health for seniors. It’s easy to slip up on your oral hygiene habits, especially if you are distracted by other ailments such as arthritis which may make it difficult to hold a toothbrush. But know that our staff at Garrison Family Dentistry is always here to assist you and help keep your gums healthy for years to come.

Advancing age puts many seniors at risk for a number of oral health problems, such as darkened teeth, dry mouth, root decay, gum disease, tooth loss, and even a diminished sense of taste. If you wear dentures or other oral appliances, they may cause irritation to the gums can lead to abscesses and sores if left untreated. If you have noticed any recent changes in your mouth, are experiencing tooth sensitivity, or notice any difficulty tasting, chewing, or swallowing your food, please give us a call immediately.

If you have questions about dental health and oral hygiene, don’t hesitate to contact us. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

How to Reduce Dental Plaque

Plaque develops when foods containing carbohydrates, such as milk, soft drinks, cakes, etc. are frequently left on the teeth. Bacteria that live in the mouth thrive on these foods, producing acids as a result. Over a period of time, these acids destroy tooth enamel, resulting in tooth decay. This is why Dr. Matthew Garrison at Garrison Family Dentistry wants patients to know how they can reduce dental plaque to avoid advanced dental procedures in the future.

To prevent plaque you must first pay attention to your diet. Since plaque needs carbohydrates to form, the fewer carbs you eat, the better. Avoid candy, cookies, and other sweet things as much as possible in order to prevent plaque build-up. If you need a snack, choose nutritious foods such as plain yogurt, cheese, fruit or raw veggies. Vegetables such as celery help remove food and help saliva neutralize plaque causing acids.  In addition, the best thing you can do to reduce dental plaque is brush and floss twice a day. Brushing removes plaque that has built up on your teeth, while flossing removes food particles and debris from between your teeth.

If you have questions about oral hygiene give us a call or visit our website www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Matthew Garrison here at Garrison Family Dentistry in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Are You Flossing?

There are several options for cleaning between your teeth. You might choose to use dental floss or another product made specifically for this purpose like a dental pick, pre-threaded flosser, tiny brushes that reach between the teeth, etc. At Garrison Family Dentistry Dr. Matthew Garrison wants patients to know that it doesn’t matter what you use to floss (as long as it isn’t anything crazy) he just wants them to know that the most important thing about flossing is to do it.

Dental floss dislodges food particles trapped between the teeth and under the gums where toothbrushes can’t reach. Left untreated, bacterial build-up can lead to bad breath, cavities, and gum disease. Tips for fabulous flossing include: wrapping 18 to 24 inches of dental floss around your index and middle fingers. Then hold it tightly around each tooth in a C shape while moving it back and forth in a push-pull motion and up and down against the side of each tooth.  

If you have questions about flossing give us a call or visit our website www.garrisondentistry.com for more information about oral hygiene. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Matthew Garrison here at Garrison Family Dentistry in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.