Periodontal Care
Protect your gums with regular visits to an Enamel Dentistry studio in Texas.
Keep Your Gums Happy And Healthy
Periodontal disease, also called gum disease, is one of America's most common dental health issues. According to the American Dental Association, 2 out of every 3 Americans have some form of periodontal disease and many aren't even aware. Proper periodontal care from Enamel Dentistry will help you prevent, halt, and treat gum disease. Come in and see us to keep your teeth and gums strong and healthy.
Understand The Stages Of Gum Disease And Treatment
Stages
Gingivitis and Periodontitis. Gingivitis is reversible with proper care, but Periodontitis can leave permanent damage.
Symptoms
Early symptoms are bleeding gums and bad breath. Progression leads to sensitivity, a foul taste, and recession.
Effects
Gum disease is serious. Inflammation and bacteria can get into your bloodstream and cause heart disease and strokes.
Treatment
Deep cleanings. We use diode laser technology to get faster healing and even better results with your deep cleaning.
Come In And See Us
We'll Have You Grinning From The Chin Up
We're changing the way patients experience the dentist. Our primary concern is your oral health and making sure you feel comfortable coming to see us. We know it can be scary visiting the dentist. But our philosophy of providing an easy and fun experience combined with our use of advanced AI tools, we know you'll feel different about coming to see us.
We offer:
AI Technology That Doesn't Miss A Thing
We've invested in top-of-the-line tools and the latest technology to improve efficiency and patient care. No more goopy impressions! From AI and 3D printers to iTero for digital and diagnostic impressions, we're equipped with proven equipment to ensure that every procedure is comfortable, convenient and ensures an accurate fit. Combining technology and innovations with our highly professional and knowledgeable dental team enables us to deliver the best treatment outcomes consistently.
Don't Let Finances Come Between You And A Beautiful Healthy Smile
We understand the frustration of needing dental care while feeling it may not be affordable. You shouldn't have to worry about paying for your oral health. That's why we have several options to help you easily finance your dental treatment.
Enamel Dentistry Patients Are The Best
The More You Know,
The Better Your Oral Health Will Be
Do I Still Need to Go to the Dentist if I’m Not in Pain?
If you don’t have any pain or sensitivity in your teeth, you may think it’s unecessary to visit the dentist. We’re sorry to break it to you, but that’s not the case! You’d be surprised at how often patients need a filling, root canal, or other procedure to address an issue they didn’t even know was there.
Regular Visits to the Dentist: It’s All About Prevention
Just like visits to your primary care doctor for annual exams, regular visits to the dentist are all about preventive care. Routine exams allow us to be proactive with your dental health and address minor issues before they have the chance to become a more serious—and expensive—problem. In some cases, addressing a cavity early on could actually save your tooth! And we all want to have happy, healthy, natural smiles, right?
If you wait to go to the dentist until you’re having pain, chances are the damage to your tooth will be greater than if you had been keeping up with your regular check-ups. Tooth decay and gum disease aren’t necessarily painful at first, and if we can treat them early, you won’t have to worry about more invasive or costly procedures in the future.
For example, a cavity is a hole in the tooth caused by bacteria that eats away at the enamel, which is the outer layer of the tooth. Patients rarely feel pain from cavities until they get worse, and the hole makes its way down to the tooth’s nerve. When this nerve is exposed, it’s painful—and it means you’ll need a root canal to save the tooth. However, if we detect the cavity early on, all you’ll need is a simple filling.
Dental Anxiety & Cost: Two Reasons Patients Put Off Dental Care
Think back to how dentists have been portrayed in the media (Little Shop of Horrors, anyone?). Often, dental care has been portrayed as scary or painful. The good news is that modern dentistry has come a long way, even within the last 10 years. Beyond providing excellent care for your teeth and gums, our primary focus is on your comfort.
It may sound strange, but patients often have dental anxiety because they haven’t visited the dentist enough—so they’re not sure exactly what to expect. Or, they may need more extensive procedures because their visits have been far and few between. The more often you visit us, the more comfortable you’ll be with the whole experience; we’ll also be able to be more proactive with your oral health. We understand that dental anxiety can be a real roadblock to dental care, which is why we offer three levels of dental sedation to help you have stress-free visits. If you have dental anxiety, don’t hesitate to let us know!
Dental anxiety is a common reason why many people put off going to the dentist. Another reason? The cost. Here’s the thing to keep in mind: if you stick to a regular schedule for your dental exams, and practice good oral hygiene, you’re far less likely to need more invasive (and costly) procedures. Even better, the cost of visiting the dentist will be much more predictable! Waiting until you need more intensive treatment may also make it difficult to afford the care you need.
Schedule an Exam at Enamel Dentistry Today!
Hopefully, this has given you a better understanding of why regular exams and teeth cleanings are so important—even if your teeth or gums feel perfectly fine. We want to help you keep them pain-free and prevent the need for more invasive and expensive procedures. If you’ve been putting off your dental care, don’t wait! Schedule an appointment with us today at one of our convenient locations. When you arrive, you’ll be given a comfort menu filled with amenities that will make you feel right at home. Sit back, relax, and let our team take care of you!
Can An Emergency Dentist Do A Root Canal?
If you have a persistent or severe toothache, this may indicate that you have an infected tooth. If this is the case, it’s critical to come in for an emergency appointment to get a root canal and restore your tooth.
Enamel Dentistry offers emergency care and expert root canal therapy, and we want to make sure that our patients are informed about the signs and symptoms of infected teeth. Here are a few things to keep in mind about emergency dental care and root canal therapy in Austin:
Emergency Dentists Are Fully Qualified To Perform Root Canals
If you’re wondering whether an emergency dentist can do a root canal, the answer is “yes!” All dentists are trained to provide root canal therapy during their time at dental school. Any qualified emergency dentist at Enamel Dentistry is fully capable of performing a root canal.
In fact, an emergency dentist is often the best choice for a root canal. Instead of waiting for an appointment with a specialized endodontist, you can get help immediately. The sooner you get a root canal, the more likely it is that you will be able to save your tooth.
The Signs And Symptoms Of An Infected Tooth
Here are a few of the signs and symptoms of a tooth infection:
- A prolonged toothache that lasts several days and won’t go away
- Pain that radiates from the tooth to your jaw bone, neck or ear
- Discoloration of the affected tooth or nearby gums
- Swelling of the gums near the affected tooth
- Sensitivity to heat, cold and the pressure of biting or chewing
- Swelling in your cheek or face
If you notice one or more of these symptoms, your tooth may be infected. When you come in for emergency care, we will assess your smile and offer a diagnosis. If your tooth is infected, we will remove the source of your infection and save your tooth. During treatment, one of our dentists will open up the tooth, remove the decayed material from the inside, disinfect it, then fill and restore it to ensure that your tooth is protected from further decay and damage.
An Infected Tooth Is A Dental Emergency – Get Same-Day Care From Enamel Dentistry
A tooth infection certainly qualifies as a dental emergency, and it’s important to get help as soon as you can to make sure you can save your damaged tooth. At Enamel Dentistry, we offer same-day emergency dentistry in our offices throughout Austin.
With same-day care, you can reduce your risk of further complications and get relief from the pain and discomfort of your infected tooth. If you need an emergency root canal, take a look at our locations and contact the Enamel Dentistry office nearest to you for a same-day emergency appointment.
5 Dental Tips for New Parents
Whether you’re expecting a child or are a brand new parent, there are so many questions and new routines to develop—including those surrounding oral health. Your baby may not have teeth for a while, but it’s never too early to get prepared for when they do! Although they’ll eventually fall out, baby teeth essentially lay the foundation for adult teeth. When baby teeth are decayed, broken, or missing, it can cause changes to the structure of your child’s mouth and affect the development of their adult teeth and their speech.
With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips to give your child a head start on a healthy smile!
- Introduce brushing and flossing early.
Brushing should begin as early as possible; in fact, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises new parents to start cleaning or brushing their baby’s gums from day one. This should be done after every meal using an infant toothbrush or a soft washcloth soaked in cool, clean water. Flossing should start as soon as your child has two teeth that touch. Making brushing and flossing a part of their routine early gets them used to it and makes it easier for them to establish it as a daily habit later on.
- Wipe or rinse your child’s mouth after giving them medication.
Baby medicine is very sugary and can contribute to tooth decay if it’s allowed to sit on the surface of your child’s teeth. After each dose of medication, make sure to rinse their mouth out with water or wipe their teeth with a wet washcloth.
- Introduce hard foods early on.
Giving your child hard foods will help aid their facial development and give added support for their jaw once their teeth come in.
- Follow bottles of milk with water.
Baby bottle tooth decay is very common among infants. It’s generally caused by drinking milk or sugary beverages in a bottle without cleaning their mouth afterward. To avoid this, give your child some water in a bottle after they’ve had milk, and avoid giving them bottles with sugary beverages.
- Find a pediatric dentist by age one.
Children should start seeing the dentist at a year old or at the eruption of their first tooth—whichever comes first. Like brushing and flossing, the younger children start visiting the dentist, the sooner they’ll get used to it! Early dental visits are also a great way to ensure your child doesn’t develop dental anxiety—plus, they give our dentists a chance to develop a relationship with your child and understand their unique oral health challenges.
Set Your Child Up for a Lifetime of Healthy Smiles
Maintaining excellent oral health is a lifelong journey and Enamel Dentistry is proud to offer quality pediatric care in Austin and Dallas TX. Whether you’re bringing your infant or toddler in for their first appointment or you have an older child who needs routine or restorative care, you can rely on us to help your family have strong, healthy smiles. To get your child established at our practice, contact the closest Enamel Dentistry location near you or request an appointment online.
Should I Still Floss If My Gums Bleed?
Sedation Pre-Op Instructions
Pre and Post-Op Moderate Sedation Instructions
- A responsible adult, over the age of 18, must accompany the patient to the clinic and wait on site until procedure has been completed. Following sedation, a responsible adult must escort the patient home and remain with the patient for the next several hours.
- A parent or legal guardian must accompany minors (persons under the age of 18).
- No food or liquids for 8 hours before the start of the procedure. If food/liquids are consumed within this time frame, please call the office immediately
- Stay well hydrated the day before the scheduled procedure.
- Take all medications as normal with a small sip of water unless specifically directed otherwise by Dr. Dillon Patel
- >For patients diagnosed with diabetes or taking blood thinners (i.e. Plavix, Warfarin, Coumadin, Xarelto), please contact the office for instructions
- >For patients diagnosed with asthma, please bring your rescue inhaler with you
- Wear loose, comfortable, older clothing that allows access to both arms and that is not restrictive to your neck (some medications or materials may permanently stain clothing)
- Please inform your Enamel provider and have a list available of any medical conditions, medications, or any previous/upcoming surgeries before the scheduled procedure date
- If you have had any sickness involving the upper respiratory system within the past 2weeks (severe sinus conditions, severe cold, bronchitis, flu, COVID-19 etc.), please inform the clinic as your procedure may need to be rescheduled to a later date for your safety.
- Following sedation, patients should refrain from driving an automobile, drinking alcohol or engaging in any activity that requires alertness until at least the next day. This timeframe may vary from patient to patient.
For any questions, concerns, or problems prior to or following sedation, please contact: Your Enamel Doctor
Tooth troubles? Here are some common FAQ's
In most cases, the answer is no. Gum health issues like gingivitis are very rare in toddlers. If your toddler’s gums are swollen and tender, this is likely due to the natural teething process. As the teeth begin to move beneath the surface of the gums, the gums may look swollen or red, and seem inflamed. Your toddler may also be cranky or complain of pain in their mouth if they’re old enough to do so. However, this is completely normal. As their tooth erupts, their gums will stop swelling and will become less inflamed. Once the tooth has fully erupted, you will no longer notice any serious inflammation or swelling around the area.
If your gums start bleeding while you’re flossing, should you keep flossing? Absolutely! Bleeding while flossing is often a sign that you need to be flossing your gums more thoroughly or frequently—not that they should be left alone. It might sound counterintuitive, but the more you floss, the less your gums will bleed, unless the bleeding is related to physical damage to your gum tissue or a systemic issue. Many patients will stop flossing an area that bleeds, but the best thing to do is to give that area more attention!
If your gums start bleeding while you’re flossing, should you keep flossing? Absolutely! Bleeding while flossing is often a sign that you need to be flossing your gums more thoroughly or frequently—not that they should be left alone. It might sound counterintuitive, but the more you floss, the less your gums will bleed, unless the bleeding is related to physical damage to your gum tissue or a systemic issue. Many patients will stop flossing an area that bleeds, but the best thing to do is to give that area more attention!
If you have a persistent or severe toothache, this may indicate that you have an infected tooth. If this is the case, it’s critical to come in for an emergency appointment to get a root canal and restore your tooth. Enamel Dentistry offers emergency care and expert root canal therapy, and we want to make sure that our patients are informed about the signs and symptoms of infected teeth. Here are a few things to keep in mind about emergency dental care and root canal therapy in Austin: