Tag: reno general dentist

Is Chewing Gum Good For Your Teeth?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

It’s lurking underneath classroom desks, hiding under the bus seats, and strewn about parking lots, waiting silently for its victims. Whether or not it is inside your mouth, chewing gum has a bad reputation. That’s why you may be surprised to find that your Reno dentists, Dr. Wager and Dr. Evans actually encourage chewing gum—under special conditions, of course.

How to Chew Gum and Improve Your Oral Health

The first caveat for chewing gum responsibly is that it must be sugarless. Chewing gum with sugar is actually, one of the worst things you can do for your teeth since it constantly reintroduces acid and sugar into your mouth, eroding tooth enamel. Sugar-free gum, however, may have the opposite effect. Sugarless gum can help remove trapped food particles in between teeth and encourage saliva production. Your saliva washes away harmful bacteria and neutralizes acids. Therefore, increased saliva translates to a less acidic and less hostile environment  for your tooth enamel.

Sugar Alternatives that Fight Cavities

Some sugar-free gum manufacturers have taken smile protection a step further by using sugar alternatives like xylitol. This natural sweetener actually attracts and traps harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay and starve them. You can read the nutrition facts on the back of your gum to make sure xylitol is an active ingredient.

Avoid Contributing to TMJ Disorder

The second requirement for healthy gum chewing is to spit it out. Once you pop a piece of gum in your mouth, pay attention to the time. Make sure that you do not chew gum for more than 15 minutes at a time. Chewing gum for any longer can actually put stress on your jaw muscles. Excessive jaw muscle tension leads to dental health conditions such as TMJ disorder and teeth grinding. Continue reading “Is Chewing Gum Good For Your Teeth?” →

Helping Patients Feel at Ease with Comfortable Dentistry in Reno

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

At Wager Evans Dental we believe patient comfort should be a top priority with dental care. After all, if you feel welcomed and relaxed at your dental appointment you will be more likely to return for regular dental cleanings, maintaining optimal oral health. Our Reno dentists, Dr. Wager and Dr. Evans offer dental care focused on quality services and patient satisfaction.

Comfortable Dental Services in Reno

Whether you have an appointment with our Reno dental office for a routine dental checkup or dental implant placement, you can expect our dental team to take extra steps to help you feel relaxed. Just let us know what we can do to make your appointment more pleasant.

Sedation Dentistry in Reno

If you hesitate to address a dental issue because of fear or embarrassment, Drs. Wager and Evans can help you reclaim your oral health and calm your nerves. For patients with dental anxieties, we offer sedation dentistry. Nitrous oxide is an example of mild sedation dentistry that can allow you to get the dental treatment you need.

How Nitrous Oxide Helps Patients with Dental Fears

Laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, is a gas you breathe through a mask over your mouth and nose. The mild sedative allows you to stay fully conscious while feeling completely relaxed. Many patients describe this experience to feel like the moments before sleep. Nitrous oxide is beneficial because the effects wear off quickly after the gas is no longer administered, meaning patients can safely operate on their own after their procedure. Continue reading “Helping Patients Feel at Ease with Comfortable Dentistry in Reno” →

Are Your Dental Habits on the “Worst” List?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Be honest—on those nights when you can’t keep your eyes open and all you want to do is crawl into bed, what part of your bedtime routine is first to go? For most people, it’s brushing their teeth. Even as family dentists, Dr. William Wager and Dr. Brian Evans know that everyone can get a little lazy about their oral hygiene from time to time, but it’s our goal at Wager Evans Dental to educate our patients about healthy dental hygiene habits. Read on to find out more about why those occasional slip-ups may be more detrimental to your dental health than you thought.

The Top 10 Worst Dental Habits

  1. Brushing only your teeth instead of brushing your entire mouth is a bad hygiene habit. Your teeth only account for about 5 percent of the surface area of your entire oral cavity, so it’s important to brush the front and back surfaces of your teeth, as well as your tongue, the insides of your cheeks, the roof of your mouth, the floor of your mouth, and your lips to maintain a clean—and hopefully plaque free—environment. Continue reading “Are Your Dental Habits on the “Worst” List?” →

All I want for Christmas is…A Lifetime of Smiles!

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

You’ve probably heard the Christmas favorite “All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.” In the spirit of the holidays, Reno family dentists Dr. William Wager and Dr. Brian Evans urge you to call Wager Evans Dental today to schedule your dental appointments for the coming year.

Dental Care for the Entire Family

At Wager Evans Dental, we want to see you and your entire family in our office. We treat patients of all ages with a variety of needs, ranging from preventive dental care, to cosmetic dentistry, to sleep dentistry, and everything in between. We’ll help you teach your kindergartener about the importance of brushing and flossing, we’ll clean your teenager’s teeth with a mouth full of braces, we’ll be there when you want to whiten your smile, and we can help you restore your teeth with all-white dental fillings and crowns. Continue reading “All I want for Christmas is…A Lifetime of Smiles!” →

Amalgam vs Composite Resin Fillings

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Fillings are used to restore teeth that have been damaged by tooth decay.

In the past, fillings were made primarily out of amalgam. This alloy, contains mercury, silver, tin, copper, and traces of other metals. Amalgam fillings have been used for 150 years. However, disadvantages of amalgam have prompted the use of composite resin, a tooth-colored, plastic alternative.

Disadvantages to Amalgam Fillings

  • They don’t blend with your surrounding teeth because they are dark metallic
  • They can corrode and leak over time
  • They expand and contract due to variations in temperature, and this causes potential fracturing of your tooth
  • They expose your body to the heavy metal mercury, which can lead to health issues depending on the amount of exposure and your level of sensitivity

Appreciating the disadvantages to metal fillings, Dr. Wager and Dr. Evans prefer using the metal-free alternative, composite resin fillings.

Composite resin fillings are made from glass or quartz filler that is added to a resin medium, making the end product natural-looking. A composite resin filling is custom tinted to match the color of the tooth in which it will reside, and it’s permanently bonded in place.

Advantages to Composite Resin Fillings

  • They look completely natural
  • They are metal-free and mercury-free
  • They are durable and can last for years

If you are interested in learning more about composite resin or amalgam fillings, or you want to schedule your dental appointment, call Dr. Wager and Dr. Evans in Reno, Nevada today by calling  775-829-7700, or visit our website at www.wagerevans.com.

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” →

What’s in Dental Plaque?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

All of your life, you’ve been told that plaque is bad. The rules are: brush twice a day, floss once a day, and go to six-month checkups and cleanings so that you can keep plaque from destroying your teeth and gums. While you know that plaque can wreak havoc on oral health, do you know what’s in plaque? Do you know why it’s bad?

In every milligram of dental plaque, there are about ten billion bacteria of approximately 400 types. The matrix of plaque is made from saliva and bacteria, and it includes proteins, lipids (fats), polysaccharides (sugars, calcium, and phosphorus).

Plaque is the yellowish buildup that makes your teeth feel fuzzy or rough. It naturally accumulates on our teeth every day. Many people don’t know that and plaque plays a role in building up our immune system. Teeth don’t shed an outer layer like skin does, so we have to purposefully remove dental plaque to ensure bacteria do not get out of control. Continue reading “What’s in Dental Plaque?” →

Do You Know the Signs of Oral Cancer?

Posted on by Wager-Evans Dental

Michael Douglas recently battled oral cancer, but thankfully, he seems to have recovered quite well. Until hearing about his situation, many Americans hadn’t thought much about oral cancer. You might find these statistics quite startling:

  • Oral cancer claims more than 8,000 Americans, that’s one person every hour of every day, each year.
  • This year, approximately 37,000 Americans will receive a diagnosis of oral or pharyngeal cancer. Half will live more than 5 years.
  • Risk factors include smoking and drinking alcohol, but anyone can develop the condition.
  • The dentist screens for oral cancer at checkups and could be your first line of defense against oral cancer.

The best defense against oral cancer is early detection and treatment.   Continue reading “Do You Know the Signs of Oral Cancer?” →

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.