Tag: reno dentist

Don’t Play Tricks on Your Teeth this Halloween

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Halloween is all about spooks and scares, candy and crazy costumes, and ghosts and giggles. It can be a fun, festive, fright night for the whole family, but your dentist may not feel the same way. Halloween has earned its spot on your dentist’s worst nightmare list.

This Halloween, the American Dental Association and the team at Wager Evans Dental want to remind you to take care of your teeth and yourself (and your kiddos) while you celebrate.

Sweets and Treats

Candy is one of the best parts of Halloween, but it’s also the number one reason why your dentist may not be celebrating with you. Sugar is the archenemy of your teeth, and too much of it can cause cavities and tooth decay, which is the most widespread childhood disease. To protect your teeth on this spooky holiday (and every other day of the year), consider the following:

  • Eat sweets with meals rather than as snacks. Saliva production increases during a meal, which helps to rinse food particles from the mouth and neutralize plaque acid.
  • Avoid sticky candies for a few reasons. First, they adhere to your teeth, keeping them in your mouth for longer. The longer your teeth are exposed to sugar, the more time the bacteria has to create acid that weakens tooth enamel, encouraging the growth of cavities. Secondly, sticky candies, such as caramels, taffy, and gummies, have the potential to damage dental work, including fillings, dental crowns, and bridges.
  • Neutralize sugar by eating foods like cheese, peanuts, and fruit. Also, chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals has been shown to reduce tooth decay because it increases saliva flow. Continue reading “Don’t Play Tricks on Your Teeth this Halloween” →

The Inside Scoop About Enamel Erosion

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Tooth sensitivity may not seem like a big deal…that is, until you have it. The shooting pain that comes when you bite into an ice cream cone or take a sip of hot coffee is just unbearable. If you have severe tooth sensitivity, even an icy cold wind can leave your teeth in pain.

What causes tooth sensitivity? Enamel erosion might be to blame, and the same goes for tooth decay.

To understand what enamel erosion is, you first need to understand what tooth enamel is. Enamel is the hard, white coating that covers your teeth. This coating is your teeth’s natural defense system, and nature knew what it was doing when it designed the human body because tooth enamel is the second hardest naturally occurring substance in the universe, second only to diamonds! This means that it can protect your teeth from the extreme pressures, temperatures, and elements your teeth come in contact with on a daily basis.

Still, however, your enamel isn’t indestructible. While it’s unlikely that your dental enamel can chip off, it’s very likely that it can wear away, and this can happen for several reasons. In most cases of enamel erosion, acid is to blame. Every time we eat or drink, acids form in our mouths and, if not removed by proper brushing, flossing, and rinsing, can begin to eat away at our tooth enamel. Enamel erosion is often present in people with acid reflux disease and GERD because of the high levels of acid that come up from the stomach to the mouth. Frequent vomiting and consuming foods and drinks that are high in sugar and carbohydrates expose your teeth to even more acidity. Continue reading “The Inside Scoop About Enamel Erosion” →

Your Teeth Are Not Tools

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Everyone knows that you need to brush, floss, and go to the dentist regularly to maintain a healthy smile. Avoiding staining foods and drinks and limiting your sugar intake also contribute to a healthy and attractive smile.

What you may not know, however, is that how you use your teeth greatly impacts the health and appearance of your smile.

Do you crunch on ice? Cool it!

Anytime you crunch on a hard, solid object (whether it is food or something else), you run the risk of cracking, chipping, or otherwise damaging a tooth or several teeth, your tooth enamel, or existing dental work. Ice cubes, due partially to their cold temperature, increase this risk.

Also, because of its temperature, ice can potentially shock a nerve in your tooth, causing the need for root canal therapy.

Your Teeth Are Not Tools

Do you use your teeth to rip tags off of clothing, open wrappers, open bottles, and hold things when your hands are full? If so, you’re putting yourself at risk for severe dental damage and infection. Our teeth are meant to bite, chew, help us speak properly, and help us smile- that’s it. They’re not pliers, scissors, or spare hands.

They’re also not nail clippers. Biting your nails is one on the worst things you can do for your teeth. The pressure from pulling your fingers away from your teeth can cause misalignment, cracking, chipping, and damage to existing dental work. Also, your sharp nails (which are covered in bacteria, by the way) can scratch and cut your gums, causing an open sore in your mouth for bacteria to infect. Continue reading “Your Teeth Are Not Tools” →

Beautiful Dental Crowns in Reno NV

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Sometimes a filling is not strong enough to repair a tooth. In cases of deep decay, chipping, or fracture, dental crowns (aka caps) can often provide stability and repair the functionality of teeth. We’re Dr. William Wager and Dr. Brian Evans, and we offer beautiful dental crowns in our Reno, NV, dental office.

After we have determined that you require a dental crown, we will choose the best option for you. We offer porcelain, metal (gold), porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns. Porcelain crowns mimic the color and opacity of natural teeth, and we will select the color that matches your teeth. Because porcelain crowns are not as strong as our other options, we place them on front teeth. In cases where teeth are under high pressure—like back teeth, or front teeth in patients with bruxism (nighttime grinding)—we will place gold or PFM crowns, which are much stronger than porcelain alone.

You will need to come to our office twice for crown placement. During the first visit, we will prepare the tooth for the crown, take dental impressions, and send the impressions to a dental lab that will make your restoration. Once we receive the crown from the lab, you will come in for a final adjustment and we will cement the crown in place.

If you are interested in dental crowns or other restorative dental procedures, please call Wager Evans Dental at (775) 800-4845. We offer restorative, preventive, and cosmetic dental services to patients in Reno, Lawton, Spanish Springs, and Sparks, NV.

Athletic Mouthguards

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

The Super Bowl is over. That means an end to football season, right? Wrong.  Many high schools and colleges start spring training to prepare for the fall season.  While the athletes may not be in full dress, they are wearing protective gear, including their mouthguards.

I am a proponent of the athletic mouthguard. Athletes should wear mouthguards because collisions are unavoidable in some sports, and accidents happen in all sports.  There are several types of athletic mouthguards and with that, different degrees of protection.

The stock mouthguard: These can be purchased at sporting goods stores, are limited in size, and are the least protective. They stay in place by the athlete biting down on it. They are bulky, uncomfortable, interfere with speech and breathing, but offer some protection.

Boil-and-bite mouthguard: This is one of the most common mouthguards on the market.  They, too, are limited in size and may not cover the back teeth. This mouthguard is softened in hot water, placed between the teeth, and molded to fit your bite when pressure is applied. While some people like boil-and-bite mouthguards, others find them ill-fitting and bulky.  Athletes often bite through this mouthguard during the forming and fitting, thus increasing their chance of injury.

Custom-made mouthguard: This is the best choice of mouthguard, because it is specially made for the athlete’s mouth.  When creating a custom mouthguard, I take an impression first, then fabricated the appliance to fit the athlete’s bite and mouth shape.  The thickness is uniform, which increases comfort and protection.  Custom-made mouthguards also offer more protection against concussions, jaw fractures, and neck injuries.

I’m Dr. Brian Evans of Wager Evans Dental. If you are interested in a custom fitted mouthguard, please contact my Reno office at (775)829-7700.  These necessary parts of your athletic equipment are reasonably priced and should be worn for all sports. Bottom line is, with a comfortable mouthguard, you’ll be better protected and more likely to wear the appliance.