Beck Dental Care of Columbia Blog

At Beck Dental Care, your healthy teeth and gums are our top priority. That’s why today, we’re sharing an infographic with you about the types of holiday treats that could be naughty for your teeth if you’re not careful. Take a look at how you can enjoy goodies on the naughty list and still keep your smile looking nice! Don’t forget to schedule your next dental checkup at Beck Dental Care! Call our Columbia, TN dental office  today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment.

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Silent night, holy…. OUCH! Just as you were drifting off to sleep to the sound of soft, holiday carols and visions of sugar plums, your spouse is elbowing you because you were snoring too loudly again! Are you ready for rest, relief, and silent nights again? Our team at Beck Dental Care can help you. We offer treatment for snoring and sleep apnea symptoms so you, and everyone else at home, can restore peace and quiet to your holiday nights.

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Our team at Beck Dental Care wants you to know who to count on if a dental emergency threatens to spoil your holiday dinner plans! We want you to enjoy the season with family and friends pain-free.

So today, we’re talking about ways a

dental emergency

can sneak up on you and threaten your fun, and how getting ahead of it may help to save your smile and your holiday season!

Are You Facing A Holiday Dental Emergency?

Here are some of the most common ways a dental emergency can spoil your holiday plans:

A Toothache That Won’t Go Away

There is no single dental problem that all toothaches can be traced back to. You might just be experiencing some temporary sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages, you could have a cavity, or you might have an infected tooth that requires a root canal.

No matter the cause, you shouldn’t try to ignore your dental pain and hope it will just go away. That strategy only prolongs whatever is causing the pain and allowing it to worsen, which would definitely threaten your holiday fun.

The best thing to do at the first sign of a toothache is to call our Columbia, TN dental office and let one of our skilled hygienists and dentists give you a thorough cleaning and exam so we can determine the cause and take care of it right away.

Tender, Swollen, Or Bleeding Gums

Any time you notice a change in your gums, whether they’ve become inflamed, sore, or darker in color, you should let Dr. Beck or one of our skilled professionals. Gum disease can come on slowly and quietly over time, so by the time you recognize changes to your gums, it could have already taken hold in your mouth.

Also, bleeding gums should always be a cause of concern. You shouldn’t dismiss it as something normal, because your gums should never bleed.

If you notice swelling, tenderness, or bleeding of the gums, make sure to make an appointment with us as soon as possible. We can look to see if you’re experiencing any stages of gum disease, and get your gums healthy again!

A Tooth That’s Been Damaged Or Knocked Out

With all of the teeth hazards of the holidays, it’s not uncommon to see more dental emergencies this time of year. You could be biting on a candy cane or tearing into a juicy turkey leg, and suddenly you’ve injured a tooth.

In any injury to the mouth, it’s important to stop any bleeding first. Then, you should try to find a knocked out tooth. Carefully pick up the tooth by the crown, and gently rinse any dirt or debris from it. You can try to put it back in its socket, or you can store it in a small, sealable container of milk. That will increase the likelihood that we’ll be able to save your tooth, because that’s always the ideal scenario.

If your tooth has been chipped or broken, or you’ve lost a tooth, our team at Beck Dental Care will do all we can to see you as soon as possible. We want to make sure you’re out of pain and that we try to save your tooth and preserve your smile.

A Failing Dental Restoration

Despite how well they preserve your smile, dental restorations can fail from time to time. If that happens, it can put a damper on your holiday plans. The last thing you want is to have a dental crown break or fall out while you’re eating Christmas dinner!

At Beck Dental Care, we can get your dental restorations back in working order so you can get rejoin the festivities. We’ll do all we can to protect your smile and make sure you can chew comfortably.

Call Us When You Need Help!

We all know that some dental emergencies just can’t be avoided. While they do seem to happen at the worst possible time, you can have a smoother experience when you know who to count on.

At Beck Dental Care, we do all we can to get you out of pain and get your teeth and gums back to good health as soon as possible. The holidays are no time to spend hours waiting around for emergency dental care.

When you call our Columbia, TN dental office, you’ll be speaking to someone who cares about guiding you through the next steps so you can get back to enjoying the holidays with the people you care about most.

If you’re faced with a dental emergency, call Beck Dental Care at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our

online form

to schedule an appointment so we can address any problems you’re experiencing so they don’t turn into dental emergencies later.

The festive holiday season is in full swing, but that means your teeth and gums have to be protected against, injury, damage, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Our team at Beck Dental Care wants to help you get through the holidays with a clean, healthy mouth. That’s why we’re talking about how to

keep your smile safe

all through the season and into the new year!

Guidelines For Healthy Holiday Teeth

You want to have a good time with family and friends during the holidays. To do that, you want to avoid things that will land you in the dentist chair at the worst possible time. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind while you’re celebrating this year for a healthy holiday smile.

Use Your Teeth For Chewing

We’ve all been there. You’re unwrapping gifts, and instead of using the proper tools to cut hard plastic, you use your teeth instead. It’s more convenient, and it won’t hurt anything, right?

Wrong. As tempting as it is, it’s important to use your teeth what they were designed for: tearing and chewing up food, not hard objects. This year, when it’s time to tear open all the Christmas presents and unbind gifts from their packages, reach for a pair of scissors to cut tags and ties. This will protect your teeth, and your good time, from a dental emergency.

Don’t Be A Candy Cane Cautionary Tale

Candy canes are all over the place during this time of year. They’re on your Christmas tree, they’re piled high in the candy jar, and they don your gingerbread house. But if you don’t want to be a Christmas cautionary tale, they probably should go in your mouth.

First, candy canes are packed with sugar. Aside from that, they also break up into sharp, small pieces that, while being chewed, could injure your gums and your teeth. You don’t want to cut your holiday fun short because of a dental emergency.

Be Mindful Of Sticky Substances

Although the holidays are a great time of year to indulge your sweet tooth, there are certain treats you should avoid for better oral health.

Among these would be desserts and candies that contain sticky, sweet substances like marshmallow, toffee, and caramel. They tend to stick to small spaces in between your teeth, which is a sugary playground for bacteria.

Rinse With Water Between Meals

As surprising as it sounds, you shouldn’t brush your teeth right away after you eat or drink something, especially if it’s highly acidic.

That’s because the acid creates a layer on your teeth for up to 45 minutes after you’ve consumed it. Brushing your teeth immediately will only allow the acids to seep into your enamel and threaten your teeth and gums further.

Instead, rinse your mouth out with water throughout the holidays if you’re in between normal brushing and flossing. This will help your mouth stay clean, especially after eating those highly acidic, sugary foods and drinks.

Stay Committed To Good Dental Habits

Holiday traveling can make it hard to keep to your regular health regimen. From working out to brushing and flossing, this time of year requires extra vigilance if you don’t want your oral or overall health to get off track.

You give yourself reminders by keeping your toothbrush and dental floss visible near or on the bathroom sink. It’s hard to forget daily brushing and flossing when you them several times a day.

Make Your First Appointment Of The Year!

Believe it or not, you can come away from the holiday season with your smile healthy and intact. All it takes is a little awareness and a commitment to regular personal and professional oral health care.

Beck Dental Care is excited to help you in that endeavor. You can follow our helpful guidelines as you navigate through the festive season, and then call our Columbia, TN dental office to schedule your first cleaning and exam of 2018.

Keeping your smile healthy is our top priority, but we don’t just stop at making sure your teeth and gums are strong. We also want to make sure your smile is as beautiful as you want it to be.

With cosmetic dentistry at Beck Dental Care, you can have a gorgeous, confident smile to help you enjoy years of holiday celebrations!

Call us today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our

online form

to schedule your first appointment of the year.

Everyone knows that a beautiful smile must first be a healthy one.

That’s why, at Beck Dental Care, we aim to restore your oral health and beautify your smile with restorative and

cosmetic dentistry

.

Today’s before and after photo shows you the difference healthy teeth and gums make for the overall look of your smile.

Are you ready to beautify your smile this season? Call our Columbia, TN dental office  today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our

online form

to schedule a consultation.

At

Beck Dental Care

, we’re committed to our patients and want to create a positive experience every time you visit our Columbia, TN dental office.

That’s what Randy appreciates about us. Hear Randy talk more about our warm atmosphere and why he keeps coming back to us for quality dental care.

Call our Columbia, TN dental office  today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our

online form

to schedule an appointment.

With

cosmetic dentistry

at Beck Dental Care, you can have a beautiful, confident smile in time for the upcoming holiday season.

Look at the kind of quality craftsmanship you can expect from our team here in Columbia, TN. Today’s before and after image shows the difference cosmetic dentistry can make for your smile.

Call Beck Dental Care today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our

online form

to schedule a consultation.

Hello, and Happy Thanksgiving! Our staff at Beck Dental Care are excited for the upcoming holiday season, but we know how hectic it can be for our patients!

That’s why we wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you about a smile makeover. For a memorable season of celebration, a beautiful smile is the perfect accessory.

Today, we’re devoting the blog to the reasons why you should consider a

smile makeover

and the kind of cosmetic treatments we can offer you in our Columbia, TN dental office.

Let’s first take a look at why you want a gorgeous smile this season!

Look Good For The Cameras

There will be no shortage of photo opportunities any time you have the chance to gather with family and friends. The holidays are a perfect time to get a beautiful smile that’s ready for the cameras.

You also want to look back on those photos and feel good about your smile!

Feel Good At The Parties

If your smile looks great, you’re going to feel great. It’s that simple!

This year, as you’re rubbing elbows with business associates at a company event or being introduced to new friends at a holiday party, you should feel confident enough to smile and look people in the eye. This will help you make great first impressions!

The Smile Makeover Difference

A smile makeover is a series of cosmetic treatments, combined to give you the smile of your dreams. It’s customized to suit your needs, which means it could be two or more procedures depending on what you want your smile to look like.

Here are some ways a makeover can make all the difference for your smile this holiday season!

Brighten Your Smile With Teeth Whitening

No cosmetic treatment is as simple and cost effective as professional teeth whitening! It can also be combined with other procedures as part of your larger smile makeover plan.

With our professional strength whitening system, you can control the pacing and the level of whiteness of your treatment in the comfort of your home. It’s far more effective than anything you can get in stores, and it will do wonders for your smile, including giving it more youthful appearance.

Hide Unsightly Flaws With Bonding Or Veneers

Sometimes your teeth can take on the stress of everyday use to the point where they become dented or worn over time. Dental bonding is a great way to correct those cosmetic issues. Dr. Beck and our cosmetic team can match a resin to blend in with the rest of your teeth and use it to cover tiny damage and polish them to perfection.

But if your teeth show a little more “character” from damage like cracks or chips, or even if your teeth stains are resistant to whitening treatment, dental veneers could be the solution!

Veneers are thin shells that cover your flawed teeth, close gaps, and straighten crooked or awkwardly shaped teeth. They also give you a layer of protection from future damage and a whiter, brighter smile.

Balance Your Smile With Gum Reshaping

A beautiful smile is one where your teeth and gums are aesthetically proportioned. If you feel like all you see are gums when you smile, you might have excess gum tissue that needs to be removed. It could also mean that you have teeth that are disproportionately smile, so they don’t get the attention they deserve.

Gum reshaping can restore balance to your smile so your teeth become the center of attention. Combining tooth bonding or teeth whitening with gum reshaping can do wonders for your appearance and your confidence!

Schedule A Cosmetic Consultation Today!

When you think about another holiday season full of fun, festive social events, picture yourself with the smile of your dreams and how it might feel to walk around knowing how great you look.

A smile makeover can turn your dream into a reality with cosmetic treatments that will mask unsightly flaws and catapult your confidence into the new year, and the many that follow!

Let the cosmetic team at Beck Dental Care transform your holiday experience with a smile makeover! Call our Columbia, TN dental office today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our

online form

to schedule your first consultation.

You probably have quite a bit going on right now as you prepare for Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season. With advances in technology and the internet, fortunately we can ease some of the burden thanks to online grocery shopping and Black Friday coupons.

Still, getting your home and your dinner table ready for Thanksgiving weekend can be really hectic. You’ve managed through years worth of traveling relatives and holiday dinners with ease. But this year, you have an unwanted guest.

Pain!

Yes, a painful, nagging headache that won’t seem to go away. You’ve tried over-the-counter pain relievers, but the headaches return day after day.

More than that, you’ve recently had a hard time opening and closing your mouth all the way. It’s as if someone clamped an imaginary vice around your head! You wonder if it’s related to the pain in your right ear, but then you dismiss it as too coincidental.

No. You have a house to clean, a Thanksgiving menu to plan, and a guest room to prepare. The pain can wait until after the holiday. You think…

Beck Dental Care may be able to lend a helpful suggestion.

You could be a victim of one of the most uncomfortable and disruptive disorders we see in our Columbia, TN dental office. We’re talking about

TMJ

, and in today’s blog, you’ll learn more about how it can ruin your Thanksgiving, and how with help from Beck Dental Care, you don’t have to let it!

TMJ Pain Can Ruin Your Thanksgiving

TMJ is the temporomandibular joint just below your ears. It’s that hinge that’s constantly in motion when you yawn, speak, laugh, and chew. TMJ, which is commonly accepted to mean TMJ disorder, can occur when your jaw joint is somehow misaligned.

It can be spurred by an accident or injury that involves jaw trauma or even if you’re under a lot of stress that has you, perhaps unwittingly, keeping your jaw locked and clenched tightly all throughout the day.

It doesn’t necessarily matter if the misalignment happens suddenly, it was a more gradual shift, or whether it’s something you’ve always had. The symptoms are just as miserable and disruptive to your life either way!

Here are some shared symptoms TMJ sufferers deal with:

-Painful headaches

-Clicking or popping sounds when you chew

-Tension in the facial region

-Pain similar to an earache

-Sore, tense muscles in the neck, shoulders, and back

-Painful chewing

-Lockjaw

-Teeth grinding & clenching

That’s a pretty hefty list of symptoms, and by the looks of it, it’s no wonder why this disorder makes it’s so tough to go about your day to day life!

But Beck Dental Care can help you!

Enjoy A Pain-Free Thanksgiving With TMJ Treatment

Although experts have never pointed to just one specific cause of TMJ, there does seem to be agreement on some common factors that pose an increased risk for TMJ among patients:

-Poorly positioned teeth

-Trauma to the jaw

-Pain sensitivity

-Poor posture

-Females ages 18-44

-Chronic Stress

-Inflammatory arthritis

All these risk factors aside, anyone can suffer from TMJ disorder. But fortunately, you don’t have to suffer for long thanks to Beck Dental Care!

With custom-crafted mouthguards from our Columbia, TN dental office, your upper and lower teeth can remain separated, and you’ll be able to avoid grinding and clenching your teeth.

This is great news because it’s that added pressure on your joint that tends to aggravate your TMJ headaches and other symptoms.

Schedule TMJ Treatment Today!

Do you need to bring your A game back to prepare for Thanksgiving? Do you want to focus on the tasks ahead of you instead of pain and muscle tension? Do you want to enjoy a nice visit with your family without the distraction and discomfort of TMJ symptoms?

You still can with help from Dr. Beck and our team at Beck Dental Care! We know the holidays can be stressful enough without piling on the painful effects of your jaw alignment issues.

You deserve relief, and our TMJ treatment can help you get it in time for a nice, relaxing holiday season! Call our Columbia, TN dental office  today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our

online form

to schedule an appointment.

This Thanksgiving, you’ll have the chance to indulge in an endless buffet of turkey, stuffing, and pie.

But do you know how to make sure your teeth don’t suffer the consequences?

Our team at Beck Dental Care wants to help you stay armed with the right information about

keeping your mouth healthy

this season. Take today’s quiz to see if you know what it takes to protect your teeth!

Then remember to count on our team to keep your oral health on track. Call our Columbia, TN dental office  today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our

online form

to schedule an appointment.