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During your regular dental cleanings, your hygienist uses various special tools to clean your smile effectively. A plaque scraper, also known as a dental scaler, is used to remove your teeth’ plaque buildup. After leaving the dentist, you probably love how clean your teeth look and consider buying a plaque scraper so you can clean your teeth on your own. However, using a dental scaler at home can damage your oral health if done incorrectly and should be left for the professionals.

What Is a Plaque Scraper?

Along with flossing and polishing your pearly whites, your dental hygienist uses a plaque scraper to perform dental scaling. During this process, they remove any plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth and gumlines.

Removal of this buildup is essential to your teeth’ overall health — if left unremoved, it can lead to tooth decay or gum disease problems. Although removing plaque and tartar needs to be performed regularly, it isn’t a process that you should be undertaking on your own. Although the tools are available to you, dental scaling at home can cause more harm than good.

The Dangers of DIY Dental Scaling

Without the proper knowledge and training on operating the metal dental tools correctly, using a plaque scraper on your puts you at risk of injury or damage to your teeth. There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet offering instructions on using a plaque scraper on yourself. By utilizing a plaque scraper on yourself, you are putting yourself at risk of:

• Gum damage or injury – A dental scaler is a sharp, metal tool used to pinpoint and scrape away excess plaque. Because of the sharp tip, it can puncture and damage your gums if misused. While gum damage might seem minimal at first, the repeated trauma can result in gum recession, increased sensitivity, and exposure of the roots of your teeth.
• Mouth injuries – Along with injuries to your gums, a dental scaler can also damage the soft tissues of your mouth — including your tongue, inner cheeks, the roof of your mouth, and other areas of soft tissue.
• Infection – If you accidentally cause trauma to your gums or mouth, you expose yourself to a potential infection. The excess plaque in your mouth can get lodged under your gumline, cause injury, and lead to an infection.
• Gum recession – Your gum tissue is exceptionally delicate and needs to be handled with the utmost care. The sharp tip of the plaque scraper can cause damage to your gums and cause a recession of the tissue.
• Tooth sensitivity – When your gums become damaged from too much scraping, the roots of your teeth might become exposed. As a result, you might find yourself struggling to eat hot meals or drink cold beverages due to increased tooth sensitivity.

If you suspect you need a thorough teeth cleaning, schedule an appointment with your dentist or dental hygienist before trying to use a plaque scraper at home.

How to Remove Plaque Safely

You should never attempt to use a dental scaler at home. The safest way to remove plaque and tartar buildup is to schedule an appointment with your dentist. Regular professional dental cleanings with Taylor Dental help ensure you’re doing everything to maintain your oral hygiene. During your cleaning, our team will inspect your teeth and gums, as well as remove the plaque safely so you can continue showing off those beautiful pearly whites.

To remove plaque buildup or to schedule your regular dental cleaning, schedule an appointment with the leading dentist in Billings, MT.

Nothing makes a dentist visit more unenjoyable than finding out you have a mouthful of cavities — especially after you’ve been so diligent about flossing and brushing. Why is it that you still find yourself with pesky cavities making an appearance when following your dentist’s recommendations for cleaning your teeth?

No matter how good your dental hygiene routine is, some people are more susceptible to cavities than others. It might not be the answer you’re looking for, but cavities can be caused by genetics.

However, that doesn’t mean you need to suffer through cavity after cavity for the rest of your life. The team at Taylor Dental has put together a quick guide to help you better understand how cavities form and how you can reduce your risk of getting them.

What Are Cavities & How Do They Form?

Cavities are permanent damage, also known as tooth decay, that form tiny holes within your teeth. Without treatment, the damage can spread throughout the entire tooth and cause the whole tooth to rot. But how do these small holes come about?

Your teeth are comprised of various minerals that become damaged over time when exposed to sugary drinks and scratchy foods that cause bacteria growth in your mouth. This bacteria creates an acidic covering on your tooth that eats away at your tooths’ enamel. The more acid that builds up, the more the natural minerals in your teeth are weakened.

If the sugary or starchy treats are not thoroughly cleaned, you will find yourself dealing with tooth decay.

How to Reduce the Risk of Cavities

While some individuals are more prone to cavities, you can still take precautions to lessen the risk of tooth decay. Here are a few ways that you can improve your oral health and minimize the chance of cavities:

• Scheduling regular dentist visits – Preventative care is absolutely crucial when it comes to maintaining healthy oral hygiene. Through regularly scheduled dental visits, your dentist can find small problems before they become larger and painful issues — pointing out problem areas you should focus on when cleaning your teeth.
• Flossing and brushing – Do you brush your teeth every morning and night? What about after every meal? While most people follow the brushing twice a day rule, not many can say the same about flossing! Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once helps to remove any sugar or starch buildup on or between your teeth that can lead to cavities.
• Changing your diet – If you are more susceptible to cavities, it can be beneficial to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. Make mindful choices when eating and determine the easiest places for you to make some changes. While sugar is in most foods, you can make a significant change by reducing your soda, coffee, or juice intake, as well as eating less candy and sweets.
• Tweaking your oral hygiene routine – Sometimes brushing and flossing isn’t enough — or you might not be using the best products to get the most effective clean. Talk to your dentist about what you can do to improve your oral hygiene. Small changes can make a big difference, such as using an electric toothbrush, mouthwash, or a water pick.

Fix Your Cavities with Non-Metal Fillings At Taylor General & Cosmetic Dentistry

If you would like to replace your metal fillings with non-metal fillings or would like to schedule preventative care, contact the team at Taylor Dental to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping you reach the smile of your dreams!

Picture this: You’re at the dentist for a root canal when your dentist informs you that the tip of one of his instruments has broken off. Depending on when this happened during the root canal, your dentist might be able to fill and seal your tooth without extracting the piece of the dental file without reducing the procedure’s success rate. However, removing the dental file and navigating around the root of the tooth can be extremely difficult to do without causing future problems for the patient.

Now you may be wondering if your dentist will be able to extract the tip or if it’s safe to leave the dental file inside your root canal. Taylor Dental explains what to do when this happens during your root canal to ensure you’re left with a perfect smile.

Do Dental Files Need to be Removed from Inside the Root Canal?

Damage to one of the dentist’s instruments is one of many complications that can arise during a root canal. However, if it does happen, your dentist should remove it instead of leaving the dental file inside the root canal. If left inside, the chances of your root canal failing increase drastically. Not only that, but the dental file can cause discomfort and irritate your tooth, leading you to schedule yet another root canal in a few months.

How Often Do Dental Instruments Break During Root Canals?

You might find yourself wondering how often this happens. While it isn’t prevalent, you must be aware of why dental files can break off during a root canal. It can occur if an individual’s canals are abnormally curved or tight. This problem increases the risk of having a complication during the procedure.

Another reason this can happen is if a dentist is reusing old files, time and time again. The more use they get out of a dental file, the more worn down they become, increasing the likelihood of the tip breaking off. All reused tools must be closely monitored for wear and tear that might lead to defects and problems down the line.

How to Remove Dental Files from Your Root Canal

If you’re having complications from dental files left behind from your root canal, ask your dentist for a referral to a root canal specialist, also known as an endodontist. A specialist must review your case and provide a treatment plan to fix the problem. In the meantime, it’s recommended that you get a temporary crown installed on your tooth until you decide what to do. You can choose between leaving the dental files inside, having your dentist perform another root canal, or visiting an endodontist who can use special tools.to extract the tip of the file safely

Call Dr. Taylor for Cosmetic Dentistry in Billings Montana

If you’re interested in cosmetic dentistry to enhance or correct your smile, Dr. Taylor and his staff can help you determine if porcelain veneers and crowns are the right solutions for you. Taylor Dental offers only the best, with today’s state-of-the-art porcelain materials, ensuring you have metal-free crowns that genuinely look like natural teeth.

Contact our team to schedule a free smile design consultation, during which you can sit down with Dr. Taylor and have him answer any questions you might have.

Have you ever dealt with a small sore inside your mouth? Canker sores, otherwise known as aphthous ulcers, are small white or red sores that can develop on the inside of your cheeks, lips, on or under your tongue, on the soft palate, or your gums.

If you suffer from recurring canker sores, you’re likely looking for an effective way to treat them. While they often resolve themselves within a week or two, they can be annoying to deal with in the meantime. The Taylor Dental team is here to help you understand why you might be getting regular canker sores and what you can do to relieve the symptoms.

What Causes Canker Sores?

The exact cause of canker sores is unknown, but multiple factors are believed to trigger them. Here is a list of triggers to help you determine why you might always be dealing with canker sores:

• Stress and anxiety
• Acidic or citrus foods
• Sharp teeth
• Braces or dentures
• Allergic reaction
• Cigarette smoking
• Sodium lauryl sulfate a common ingredient in toothpaste)
• Trauma to oral issues (from a bite, dental work, or eating)

While canker sores are often confused with cold sores, they’re very different. Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus, where any of the triggers mentioned above likely causes canker sores.

Symptoms of Canker Sores

If you suspect you might have a canker sore, look for any of the following symptoms:

• A small sore inside your mouth that is white, gray, or yellow, often surrounded by a red ring
• An irritation or burning sensation in your mouth before the canker sore appears
• A shallow ulcer is appearing on your tongue, cheek, gums, or elsewhere within your mouth.

In more severe instances, you might also experience the following symptoms:

• Joint pain
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fever

If you believe you have a canker sore and are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned, schedule a dentist or doctor’s visit for treatment options.

How to Treat Canker Sores

Most canker sores heal without any treatment within two weeks. However, if you’re dealing with a painful or persistent canker sore, you might need to call in reinforcements for treatment.

Your dentist can evaluate your canker sore’s severity and prescribe you a corticosteroid ointment or antimicrobial mouth rinse that can help alleviate the discomfort and promote healing. They’ll also provide you with recommendations for over-the-counter solutions that might be able to reduce irritation.

If you need a more immediate solution while you wait for your dental cleaning, rinse out your mouth with warm water regularly, and avoid spicy or acidic foods that can cause additional irritation.

Schedule a Dental Cleaning with Dr. Taylor

If you are continually dealing with canker sores, mention it to your dentist at your next preventative visit.

Dr. Taylor and his highly trained staff can help you determine the steps to take to improve your oral hygiene and reduce the frequency with which you get canker sores. Contact Taylor Dental in Billings, MT, to schedule a dental cleaning appointment. We look forward to improving your oral health!