Carolina Complete Dental Blog

Can You Treat a Toothache at Home?

September 27, 2016

Toothaches_Home (1) When you’re suddenly struck with a toothache, floating ideas of home remedies may quickly come to mind. Whether you heard it from your great aunt or saw it on Pinterest, at-home treatments are everywhere. Goose Creek dentist, Dr. Jason Barganier can explain more about how to care for a toothache and when to come in for a visit.

Common causes of toothaches are infections, cavities, damaged enamel, a cracked tooth or an exposed root are all good reasons to get yourself to the dentist! Home remedies for a toothache may work for immediate relief, but they’re not likely to last long, and they may not be completely safe.

If you like using household ingredients for personal care, you may go looking into your own pantry for something to relieve the pain, but do your research. And before things get too out of hand, call your Goose Creek dentist to prevent worse pain or problems.

What Are Common Home Remedies for a Toothache? (more…)

Sleep Apnea in Children

September 13, 2016

Kid_Sleep_Apnea You may think being exhausted simply comes with the territory of being a parent (and it does), but there may also be a serious medical condition causing your child to wake up often throughout the night – sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is most commonly found in adults, but can also, in rare cases affect children. Dr. Jason Barganier, dentist at Carolina Complete Dental in Goose Creek cares about treating your little ones. Read below to learn more about how dentists can diagnose and treat sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea & Its Effects

Sleep apnea occurs when breathing becomes shallow or pauses completely while you’re asleep. It can be caused by your tongue or tonsils being too large and blocking your airway, the collapse of soft tissues in the back of the throat, or by your brain not sending the proper signals to keep breathing while you sleep.

Sleep apnea causes a lot of problems for children, the most obvious being restless sleep. Other problems can include failure to thrive, slower developmental milestones, excessive sleepiness in daytime, and attention or behavioral problems – all due to a lack of quality sleep. Sleep apnea is most common in children between two to eight years old.

About 2-4% of children have sleep apnea, but it is harder to diagnose in children than in adults. One major difference between sleep apnea in children and adults is that children with sleep apnea, unlike adults, often are not overweight. Since children spend half of their time asleep (a parent can dream), healthy sleep is hugely important for their health and development.

Physical Signs of Sleep Apnea:

Loud, frequent snoring
Frequent night waking
Mouth breathing
Enlarged tonsils
Excessive sweating at night
Headache in the morning

Dentistry for Sleep Apnea

Among all primary care doctors, dentists are the most likely to see clues your child might have sleep apnea. A dentist is a trained professional who spends a lot of time looking at your mouth. By looking in your mouth, they can tell a lot about your overall health and how your body is functioning. Routine dental visits play an important role in preventing many health problems.

By the looks of your child’s mouth, gums, teeth, and throat, a dentist can easily tell if your child might have sleep apnea. Children with teeth, even as young as one-year-old, should regularly visit the dentist.

Dentists are experts in helping your entire mouth, face, and neck work together to be as healthy as possible. This goes for everything from good nutrition to good sleep. If your dentist believes your child may have sleep apnea, they will work with other doctors to confirm and treat the diagnosis.

In many cases, your dentist will be able to offer an oral appliance, or mouthpiece, as a non-surgical solution. While weight is rarely an issue for children with sleep apnea, in some cases, weight-loss will be recommended. Treating allergies may also improve your child’s breathing while he/she sleeps. In some serious cases, surgery will be recommended.

If you think your child may have sleep apnea, or if you’d like to learn more about caring for your child’s dental and oral health, call your Goose Creek dentist, Dr. Jason Barganier today to make an appointment at Carolina Complete Dental.

Sources

http://www.dentaleconomics.com/articles/print/volume-103/issue-6/features/childhood-sleep-apnea.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3304178/

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea

http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/sleep/a/sleep_apnea.htm

https://www.fpwr.org/is-a-sleep-study-on-your-to-do-list/

How to Clean Teeth Like a Dentist

August 27, 2016

Brush (1) Oral hygiene is the foundation of good dental health. Brushing and flossing regularly is the best way to keep your Goose Creek smile healthy and clean. Consider this your personal tutorial on the art of dental hygiene, instructed by Dr. Jason Barganier and the expert hygienists at Carolina Complete Dental. If you have any questions or would like to test your skills in person, feel free to give us a call!

Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Floss, and Mouthwash

Before we get to talking technique, we need to make sure you have the right tools for the job. You’re going to need a toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, and floss. Pick whatever floss is most comfortable for you and any toothpaste that you like, provided it has fluoride. Mouthwash is not required, but some Goose Creek folks really like the extra oral health boost you get from a good swish and gargle.

How do you pick a good toothbrush? Here are the basics: (more…)

Why Wisdom Teeth are Not So Wise

July 13, 2016

Wisdom_Teeth

Most Goose Creek folks have had some exposure to the concept of wisdom teeth. Perhaps you have had yours removed, are considering a removal, or Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams has just shown you an X-Ray with the infamous third molars creeping into view. It’s common to hear patients ask how they are removed, but we rarely hear people talking about the reasons for getting rid of wisdom teeth. Today, we at Carolina Complete Dental are going to explain what wisdom teeth are, why they don’t deserve to stay in your mouth, and how we can help! As always, feel free to call us with any questions or concerns. (more…)

Don’t Get Kicked in the Teeth – At Least Wear a Mouth Guard

According to the American Dental Association, at least 13% of all injuries to the mouth occur during sports activities. While helmets, shoulder pads, shin guards, and the like do a great job of protecting most of the body, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams would like to make sure that every athlete knows how to keep their teeth safe from harm. No Goose Creek parent should have to worry about their child’s teeth during the game, so at Carolina Complete Dental we would like to talk about how to take sports safety to the next level.

Mouth Guards and Sports Safety

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The Benefits of Composite Fillings

June 27, 2016

Traditionally, dentists have used what’s known as amalgam, or special metal alloys, to fill cavities. However, modern dental medicine has advanced to the point that Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams can offer Goose Creek patients a much better option for filling holes caused by tooth decay: composite fillings. At Carolina Complete Dental, we would like to educate you on the benefits of tooth-colored, composite fillings, so please let this article serve as your personal fillings fact sheet.

The History of Fillings

Once upon a time, the choices for dental restoration materials were limited. Records dating back as far as 659 A.D. tell us that amalgams (mixtures of silver, mercury, tin, and/or copper) have been used widely for more than 1300 years. There have been a number of scientific disputes (referred to as the amalgam war) over the health concerns of using mercury, but the American Dental Association has always defended the safety of amalgam fillings. Until recently, amalgam fillings were favored because of their strength, resilience, and relative ease of preparation and placement. That being said, amalgams have three main drawbacks:

(more…)

HPV and Oral Cancer: What you need to know

June 13, 2016

HPV We love to talk about the fun and interesting sides of oral health, but today, there is something much more serious on our minds. We care about the health of everyone in Goose Creek, and as dental care professionals, we feel it is our duty to educate you on how to be as safe and healthy as you can be. While you have probably heard of the human papilloma virus and oral cancer, most people don’t know that they are linked. Here is some information from Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams about the topic. If you have any questions, please feel free to give Carolina Complete Dental a call.

What is HPV? (more…)

Updating your Health History May Help Save Your Teeth

May 27, 2016

Health History Although you might think of your general health and your dental health as two separate categories, they are much more connected than the average Goose Creek resident would suspect. Just like the information you provide to your doctor helps him/her keep your health in good shape, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams depend on your input for optimum dental health. We at Carolina Complete Dental like to go above and beyond for our Goose Creek patients, but we need your help to make sure you get the quality dental care you deserve. Here are a few reasons why:

The average Goose Creek resident might not think to mention to their dentist what’s going on with their physical health, but you’d be surprised how much that information can make a difference in your oral care. Dr. Barganier needs to be able to see the whole picture so that we can keep your teeth healthy and beautiful.

Diabetes and Dental Health (more…)

Fluoride: Good or Bad?

May 13, 2016

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fluoridation of drinking water is ranked among the ten greatest public health achievements of 20^th century America. However, a quick search of the internet tells us that fluoride is actually toxic if ingested in large enough quantities. So which is it? Do the health benefits outweigh the negatives of fluoride in toothpaste and drinking water? We at Carolina Complete Dental know that Goose Creek folks care a great deal about their health, so we’ve put this article together to examine the facts and help you come to your own decision. As always, we are happy to answer any questions you might have, so feel free to give us a call!

Why Use Fluoride in the First Place? (more…)

Soft Food Recipes – What to Eat After Dental Work

April 27, 2016

Soft Food Recipes You did it! You got the consultation, booked the appointment, and you actually showed up on the big day. You saw the dentist and now all of that effort has left you hungry! The question is: what can you eat after having dental work done?

For some of us, it’s nostalgic to remember having a frozen treat after the dentist as kids, or attempting to say such bouncy words as “baby” with a numb jaw. However—depending on how extensive your dental work is—you will need to be cautious of what you consume in the days following major dental work. And milkshakes will only get you so far in recovery, anyway.

Many foods can be troublesome after dental surgery or extensive dental work. Ask Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams for their recommendation about specific foods and for how long you should avoid them. Carolina Complete Dental in Goose Creek can be an especially helpful resource for patients navigating what to eat after dental restoration services. (more…)