Starting and Keeping Good Oral Hygiene Habits

Starting habits for the things you should can sometimes be difficult. However, a good oral hygiene habit is vital for your oral and overall health. Garrison Family Dentistry of Smithville, MO is offering their patients some tips for starting and keeping a good oral hygiene habit.

When starting a habit, visual reminders can be a great help. For the sake of ease, we will use the example of flossing every day. Say you want to floss every night before bed. Try keeping the floss out on your bathroom counter so that you see it every night. Another good idea is sticking a note to your bathroom mirror.

Routines are also good ways of getting into habits. Make sure to floss every night when you brush your teeth. This way, you will begin to get used to doing it every night.

Create a reward chart. Have a party coming up? Tell yourself you can buy a new pair of shoes or a new dress shirt for the party only if you floss your teeth every night for three weeks. If you do not complete the challenge, you do not get the reward.

Oral health is important for keeping strong, healthy teeth and gum tissues. For more help with oral hygiene, contact Garrison Family Dentistry of Smithville, MO by calling our office at (816) 532-8778 or by visiting our website, www.garrisondentistry.com. 

Sensitive Teeth

Sensitive teeth can really put a damper on enjoying things you love. It can affect you in cold weather, drinking hot chocolate, or eating ice cream to name a few. At Garrison Family Dentistry of Smithville, MO, we want you to know that you do not need to live with sensitive teeth. There are solutions!

When a sensitive tooth is not caused by a cavity or an infection, it is most commonly due to worn down enamel. In this case, you will need to figure out what is causing your teeth to wear. Talking about your dental habits with your dentist can help you determine this. We can also name a few of the most common reasons:

Brushing Habits

Believe it or not, you can brush too hard or too soon. Brushing too abrasively is certainly a way to wear down enamel and expose dentin. In addition, it can irritate the gums. As for brushing too soon, you should wait at least thirty minutes after eating to brush your teeth. This allows the enamel to re-harden after food acid softens it.

Too Much Acid

Speaking of the acid in our food, sometimes sensitivity can be caused simply because we are eating too much acid. This happens to people who suck on hard candy a lot and those who drink a lot of pop; especially energy drinks. Try to eat less of these foods, and always rinse with water afterwards.

Teeth Grinding

Other times, you may not even know what is causing wear down, because it happens while you sleep. Night grinders grind their teeth and wear down the enamel. There are mouth guards available to prevent damage, so ask us for more information!

Sensitive teeth are bothersome but fixable! To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry in Smithville, MO, call our office at (816) 532-8778 or visit our website, www.garrisondentistry.com. 

Is It Possible to Rebuild Tooth Enamel?

The tooth itself is a complex structure that consists of four layers. Three of them – enamel, dentin, and cementum – are hard tissues while the fourth tissue – the pulp or the center of the tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue – is soft. The enamel is what helps protect your teeth from daily use such as chewing, biting, crunching and grinding and can be damaged by frequent acid attacks.  Because the enamel is not living tissue, your body can't rebuild tooth enamel that has been damaged or worn away due to erosion from dietary acids. This is why our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry may recommend cosmetic options to rebuild and restore your enamel.

When enamel erodes, the tooth is more susceptible to cavities or tooth decay. When the tooth decay enters the hard enamel, it has entry to the main body of the tooth. Over time, as these cavities grow and penetrate the tooth, they can affect the tiny nerve fibers, resulting in an extremely painful abscess of infection if left untreated. Treatment of the tooth enamel loss will depend on the problem. Sometimes tooth bonding is used to protect the tooth and increase cosmetic appearance. If the enamel loss is significant, our doctors may recommend covering the tooth with a crown to protect against further decay.

If you desire a more aesthetically appealing smile, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the cosmetic services we provide at the practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

The Stages of Gum Disease

If you want to keep your permanent teeth for a lifetime, then you need to listen when a parent or one of our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry tells you to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. If you don’t practice a proper oral hygiene routine on a daily basis, you’re already headed down the road toward gum disease.

Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums that can progress to affect the bone that surrounds and supports your teeth and there are three that you need to be aware of. You should always schedule professional cleanings and oral exams twice a year to avoid them.  

• Gingivitis – This is the earliest stage of gum disease, an inflammation of the gums caused by plaque buildup at the gum line. If daily brushing and flossing do not remove the plaque, it produces toxins that can irritate the gum tissue, causing gingivitis. This is when you’ll notice blood in the sink after you complete your brushing routine. However, at this early stage, damage can be reversed, since the bone and connective tissue that hold the teeth in place are not yet affected.


• Periodontitis – This is the second stage of gum disease. By this point, the supporting bone and fibers that hold your teeth in place are irreversibly damaged. Your gums may even begin to form a pocket below the gum line, which traps food and plaque.


• Advanced Periodontitis – This is the final stage of gum disease, and the fibers and bone supporting your teeth is officially destroyed. In this case, your teeth may begin to shift or loosen and your bite may also be affected. If aggressive treatment can’t save them, the teeth will need to be extracted.

If you relate to any of these stages, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about oral hygiene and periodontal health as well as services we provide at the practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Do You Clean Your Tongue?

When you brush your teeth, do you scrape your tongue? If not, you may want to keep reading! At Garrison Family Dentistry in Smithville, MO, we want our patients to have the best possible oral health. For this reason, we are going to talk about the benefits of tongue scraping.

Many people clean their tongue as they are brushing their teeth; it becomes part of the routine. You can purchase a tongue scraper or just use your toothbrush, so it is very easy! The purpose of this is to remove the layer of bacteria that builds up on your tongue. The tongue’s taste buds are hair-like so they collect a lot of bacteria. It should be part of everyone’s dental routine to avoid excess plaque in the mouth! In addition, it helps keep breath fresh!

To scrap your tongue, take the tongue scraper or toothbrush and place it on the back of your tongue. Press firmly as you move down to the tip of your tongue. Press firmly, but do not hurt your tongue. Rinse off the scraper or toothbrush after each stroke. Continue scraping the tongue until it looks clean.

As simple as that, you are on your way to a cleaner, healthier mouth. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call our office at (816) 532-8778 or visit our website, www.garrisondentistry.com. 

Kids and Dental Fear

It is no surprise that sometimes kids do not like dental appointments. They can be scared of the tools, the unfamiliar procedures, or the sounds. In our Smithville, MO dental practice, Garrison Family Dental, we want all of our patients to be happy and comfortable. Parents and guardians should take some of these tips for easing your kids into a more relaxed dental visit.

Kids respond well when they see that their parent is okay doing the same things. Therefore, take them to your dental visit and explain what is going to happen. Once they see that you’ve gone through the whole appointment and you’re okay, they will feel safer and more relaxed.

You can also introduce them to dental visits at home. Making them more familiar with how an appointment will go may put them at ease. Try having them recline in a chair or on a sofa. Have them open their mouth and count their teeth. It may actually be fun!

Rewards also go a long way with children. Offer them their favorite dinner, a fun activity or game, or maybe a cool new toothbrush for good behavior at the appointment. Be careful, though, as you should not offer the reward before the appointment. This may put a thought in their head that there is something to be afraid of, which is not true.

At Garrison Family Dentistry, we want patients of all ages to feel comfortable. To schedule your appointment in our Smithville, MO dental office, call us at (816) 532-8778 or visit our website, www.garrisondentistry.com. 

Bad Breath Causes

Do you suffer from bad breath? It can be an embarrassing and frustrating condition, especially when it is chronic. Garrison Family Dentistry is committed to helping our patients achieve optimal dental health in our Smithville, MO dental practice. That being said, we want to offer you some tips for avoiding bad breath!

Bad breath is usually caused by bacteria lingering in the mouth. This can be controlled by keeping a good dental hygiene routine. Make sure to brush two to three times per day and floss once per day. In addition, brush your tongue, the roof of your mouth, and the insides of your cheeks.

Bad breath bacteria can multiply and become even smellier when the mouth dries out. So, the second most important part of keep fresh breath is staying hydrated. On average, women should be getting nine glasses of water per day. Men should be getting thirteen glasses per day, on average. To help you keep balanced hydration, make goals of drinking a certain amount before breakfast, before lunch, before dinner, and before bed!

There are also foods to avoid when you really want to keep the bad breath away, like for a close care ride or dinner. Dairy, caffeine, and alcohol are the prime suspects. Dairy (except yogurt) contains bacteria that tend to smell more. Caffeinated and alcoholic drinks tend to dry out the mouth.

If you are experiencing bad breath, try these tips! To schedule your routine cleaning and examination in our Smithville, MO dental practice, call our office at (816) 532-8778 or visit our Garrison Family Dentistry website, www.garrisondentistry.com.