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People who have only suffered from dry mouth or xerostomia once find it annoying. However, if you suffer from chronic dry mouth, it can cause more serious problems, such as severe tooth decay. If you are a victim of xerostomia, check out these three FAQs about dry mouth, so you can know how to fight it.

What Causes Dry Mouth?

Dry mouth occurs when there is reduced saliva in your mouth because your saliva glands are not producing enough fluid. Sometimes, you may experience a random bout of dry mouth if you become extremely nervous or stressed. However, if that is the case, it typically goes away when you are no longer nervous or stressed. Many patients suffer chronic dry mouth that won’t go away.

A common culprit of xerostomia is certain medications. There are over 400 medications that have dry mouth as a side effect. If you take one or more of these, you may experience chronic xerostomia. In women, dry mouth can become a problem as they near menopause. The hormonal changes can reduce salivary flow. Another possible cause is Sjogren’s syndrome. This condition is an autoimmune disease. The patient’s white blood cells attack glands that produce moisture, such as salivary glands. If you have Sjogren’s syndrome, you may also have dry eyes, fatigue and joint pain.

Does it Cause Oral Problems?

If you experience momentary dry mouth from nervousness, it can be annoying. It makes it hard to talk and swallow. When it’s over, there are no lasting effects. However, if you suffer from chronic xerostomia, it causes more than just mild annoyance as it can cause many oral problems and affect your overall dental health.

The saliva in your mouth plays an important role in keeping your mouth clean. While it isn’t enough alone to remove all the plaque in your mouth, it does help keep plaque and bacteria in check. So even if you brush and floss regularly, xerostomia may allow bacteria to grow and attack your teeth between brushing, increasing your chance of decay. Other symptoms of xerostomia include a burning feeling, a dry tongue, gum irritation, mouth sores and bad breath.

How Can it Be Treated?

The problem with medication-induced xerostomia is that you can’t really stop taking your medication. Talk with your doctor to see if there is another medication you can take that doesn’t cause dry mouth. Your dentist or doctor may also be able to prescribe a medication that can increase saliva flow. Your dentist may also be able to provide you with recommendations on oral care products that can moisturize your mouth.

There are also some steps you can do to prevent dry mouth. Sipping water and sugarless drinks helps keep your mouth wet, mimicking saliva flow. Sugarless gum and sugarless hard candies can also help to increase saliva flow. Just make sure you avoid coffee, tea, sugary/acidic foods and beverages and tobacco.

Xerostomia isn’t just annoying. It’s a serious oral problem that needs to be addressed, so it doesn’t cause tooth decay. If you would like to know more about dry mouth, or if you suffer from dry mouth and need help, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

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Gum disease or periodontal disease is a common oral condition that causes tender, bleeding gums. If left untreated, it can advance to more serious complications, causing severe decay and tooth loss.

Check out these five FAQs below about periodontal disease:

Who Is at Risk For Gum Disease?

Everyone is at risk for developing periodontal disease at some point in their lives. Older patients are more likely to develop it. While it isn’t a normal part of aging, about half of all adults have some signs of gingivitis. Some people, however, are more at risk. For example, if you suffer from diabetes or another systemic disease, your body has a harder time fighting off infection, making it easier for the disease to develop and worsen. Smokers have a higher risk because the dangerous substances in cigarettes make it harder for the body to fight off infection.

How Can You Prevent Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is completely preventable, but you have to take steps to keep it at bay. For starters, don’t smoke, and take care of your overall health to prevent developing diseases like diabetes. The next step is to always make sure you have great oral hygiene at home. Brush at least twice a day, and don’t forget to floss. Try to avoid sugary foods that promote plaque, which irritates the gums. Lastly, always go to your regular dental cleanings and exams. Even if you don’t have a cavity or another problem, these regular cleanings are important. Only professional dental cleanings can remove tartar. If tartar is left along your gum line, it can lead to chronic inflammation and bone loss.

Is the Disease Reversible?

Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. It is easily reversed with regular brushing, flossing and dental cleanings. Signs of gingivitis include tenderness, bleeding when brushing and redness. However, you may have no symptoms, which is another reason to see your dentist regularly. In some cases, gingivitis advances to periodontitis, which is harder to treat. You can’t fix it with just regular at-home care. At this stage, you’ll need your dentist’s help to correct some of the symptoms, such as receding gums and bone deterioration.

What Happens If You Don’t Seek Treatment?

If you have gingivitis and don’t seek treatment, at best, you suffer from bleeding, tender gums. At worse, your gingivitis advances to periodontitis. Once you have periodontitis, more serious problems can occur. As the inflammation grows, it can lead to severe gum recession, exposing your tooth roots and increasing the chance of severe decay. If left untreated, it can cause the bone to shrink, making it harder to hold your teeth in place.

What Should You Do if You Develop Periodontal Disease?

If you believe you have gum disease, go see your dentist. Hopefully, you’ve caught it early enough, and your dentist will help you understand what you can do at home to reverse it. Your dentist may also suggest scaling and root planing to clean tartar and plaque below the gum line, which can help alleviate inflammation. If your gum disease has advanced to periodontitis, your dentist may offer some assistance, such as anti-bacterial rinses, but you may need to see a specialist for services such as a gum graft or bone graft if your gums or jawbone has diminished too far.

Gum disease isn’t just a mild annoyance. It can cause serious dental problems and should be treated immediately. If you believe you have periodontal disease or just want to know more about it, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

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Many people suffer from phobias relating to the dentist, which is why finding a gentle dentist is so important. At Landmark Dental Group, we offer a wide selection of services and treatments that are effective — but gentle. If you live or work in Santa Cruz, and happen to be looking for a new dentist, below is some information about Landmark that may help you with your decision.

Our Doctors and Staff are Skilled and Experienced

It isn’t just the doctors that make Landmark special. The caring and attentive staff are also there to make sure your visit is as comfortable and calm as possible. Whether you’re in need of a routine cleaning, or getting an implant, the doctors at Landmark Dental Group have the skills and experience to help. With excellent training, such as working at a community clinic, treating geriatric and medically compromised, and undergoing extensive continuing education, Dr. Trang Tran, DDS and Dr. Scott Weston, DDS will keep your mouth healthy with as little discomfort as possible.

We Have Services for Patients of All Ages

Landmark encourages parents to bring in children as soon as their first tooth appears. Pediatric services include dental sealants, cleanings, and education on how your child’s teeth develop. All of this is done with minimal discomfort, so you and your child have a pleasant experience. Similarly, Landmark offers gentle services for geriatric patients who may be dealing with sensitive health issues that include more advanced problems, such as gum recession, dry mouth and missing teeth.

We Offer Sedation Dentistry

If you still feel nervous — even about gentle services — Landmark has you covered with several sedation dentistry options. If you only require minimal sedation and / or need to drive yourself home, inhalation sedation will put your body and mind at ease during treatments. For a little more help, you can choose oral sedation with the help of a pill from the Valium family. This will make you feel much more relaxed during treatment, but you won’t be able to drive yourself home. Last, IV conscious sedation is the highest level of sedation Landmark offers. You are given a medication intravenously until you are anxiety-free. Again, you’ll need a ride home. All three options are conscious sedation, but you may fall asleep from being so relaxed.

You have enough to worry about, and going to the dentist shouldn’t be one of them. When you choose a gentle Santa Cruz dentist like Landmark, you know you’ll get treated right and experience very little discomfort.

For an appointment, contact Landmark Dental today and ask about our new patient special.

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Are Regular Dental Cleanings Really That Important?

You brush and floss and rinse every day at home, so is it really that important that you schedule regular teeth cleaning appointments? It is absolutely important! Your dentist does more than simply clean your teeth. Dental cleanings are an important preventative measure for your oral health. Check out these five things your dentist does for you during a cleaning.

Remove Tartar

Yes, cleaning is part of the regular dental cleaning. It’s right in the name. However, this isn’t your typical at-home cleaning. While your tooth brush and floss can get rid of food particles and plaque, they can’t remove hard tartar. Even if you brush really well at home, you may have some tartar hiding on your teeth along the gum line, between teeth or in crevices that are hard to reach with floss and toothbrush. Only a dental professional can properly use a technique called scaling to remove this tartar. If left untreated, tartar can cause gum inflammation or decay.

Check for Cavities

A lot of times, you know you have a cavity because you experience pain, especially when drinking cold or hot liquid/foods. However, that isn’t always the case. Tiny cavities may not cause any pain, and if they are hard to see, you may not know you have one. Over time, the cavity can worsen to cause you pain or even lead to infection. During a cleaning, your dentist looks for any cavities or weak spots that may lead to cavities in the near future, so you can get them treated before they get worse.

Look Below the Gum Line

You can see how good your teeth look above the gum line, but how do they look below the gum line? During dental cleanings, your dentist may routinely take X-rays. These images allow the dentist to look for potential problems at the root, such as tooth infections that may or may not be causing pain, cavities below the gum line or cracks in the tooth root.

Hunt for Signs of Gum Disease

Your dentist doesn’t just check your teeth during exams. Your gums are also inspected, particularly for gum disease. The dentist may measure the space between your teeth and gums. If the space is particularly deep, it may be a sign of gum disease. Other signs include bleeding, swelling and tenderness. If your dentist catches gum disease early, you may be able to reverse it quickly.

Spot Symptoms of Cancer

Cancer can develop in any part of your body, including your mouth, and your dentist will look for potential symptoms of mouth, tongue or throat cancer during cleanings. Signs of oral cancer include sores, lumps, lesions, etc. If you have regular dental cleanings, it’s more likely your dentist will catch signs of cancer early, which is important in fighting cancer.

Routine preventative care is the best thing you can do for your smile. If you’re looking for a place to get regular teeth cleanings in Santa Cruz, call Landmark Dental today. Regular teeth cleanings help stop problems before they become severe or even start, so don’t neglect your professional oral cleanings. If you would like more information about the importance of routine dental cleanings and exams; contact Landmark Dental Group in Santa Cruz today.

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When you have a medical emergency, you go to the ER, but where do you go when you have a dental emergency? You can go to Landmark Dental Group in Santa Cruz because they accept emergency visits. Check out these five common reasons for emergency dental visits.

Tooth Infection

A tooth infection or abscess can be extremely painful, so if you experience one, you might not want to wait to make a regular dental appointment. You’ll need an emergency appointment. Luckily, the dentists at Landmark Dental Group provide root canal therapy, so you can get treated fast. Root canal therapy is often associated with pain, but the procedure actually alleviates your pain. Tooth infections are painful because the pus puts pressure on your tooth’s pulp. Having the root canal treatment removes this infection and the pulp.

Broken Filling

When a filling falls out or breaks, it can expose the pulp of your tooth, which contains all the nerves. If air, food or liquid reaches the pulp, it can cause a sharp, severe pain. At Landmark Dental Group, the dentist will repair your filling and remove any potentially new decay that may have caused the filling to become weak. If you have metal fillings, Landmark Dental Group can even replace them with tooth-colored fillings, which bond directly to the tooth and look almost like natural teeth.

Chipped or Cracked Teeth

Like a missing filling, a chip or crack in your tooth can cause pain. However, depending on the size and location of the chip or crack, it can be incredibly embarrassing. Lastly, a chip or crack can weaken your tooth and expose layers that aren’t protected by the enamel to decay. This can lead to more severe damage or even infection if not treated quickly. With an emergency trip to Landmark Dental, your chip or crack can be repaired to protect and strengthen your tooth. Depending on the size, the dentist may recommend a veneer or dental crown to improve appearance and strength.

Cavity Pain

If a cavity is small, it may not cause you much pain, but bigger ones can be painful, particularly when they are exposed to sugar, heat or cold, which can make eating and drinking difficult. Regardless of the level of pain, your cavity should be treated soon. You can’t brush away a cavity like you do plaque. Failing to treat the cavity will only allow it to grow, and as it grows, it may allow bacteria to reach the pulp and cause an infection.

Broken Veneer or Crown

Getting a new veneer or crown can drastically improve your smile. However, when one falls off, your smile isn’t so pretty, and your tooth is exposed to sensitivity and bacteria. Because the dentist must remove some of your tooth’s enamel to place a veneer or crown, your tooth is extremely vulnerable without a veneer or crown. This can cause severe pain and quick decay. If your veneer or crown has fallen off, you need an emergency visit to fix it soon.

When you have tooth pain, you don’t want to wait for a dental appointment. Luckily, at Landmark Dental Group, you can get emergency treatment. For more information, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

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4 Facts You Didn’t Know About General Dentists in Santa Cruz

You don’t need to choose a special dentist for everyone in your family just because they have different concerns or they are different ages. When you choose a good general dentist, you can get everything you need in one office. Check out these four facts you probably didn’t know about general dentists in Santa Cruz.

Many General Dentists See Patients of All Ages

General dentists are a great option for your entire family because most general dentists see patients of any age. Kids who are just getting their teeth, teens, adults and the elderly are all welcome. General dentists often have specialty treatments for younger and older patients. This is because kids and geriatrics face different oral problems than teens and adults. For example, many older people must deal with gum recession, dry mouth and missing teeth, but at great general dentist offices like Landmark Dental Group in Santa Cruz, these patients can seek help. You don’t have to find three different dentists for you, your children and your aging parents. Simply find a general dentist who treats everyone.

General Dentists May Offer Cosmetic Care

Cosmetic dentistry is a hot topic these days. Thanks to the advancements in cosmetic care, patients can get the smile they’ve always wanted. You may think you have to go see an expensive dentist who specializes in cosmetic dentistry, but that isn’t the case. Because more and more patients want beautiful smiles, many general dentists are learning cosmetic techniques. Dr. Tran and Dr. Weston of Landmark Dental Group have taken continuing education courses in these types of treatments. The best part about choosing a general dentist that offers cosmetic care is that you get to work with a dentist who doesn’t simply make your mouth look great, but ensures that your mouth is healthy.

Some General Dentists Even Provide Advanced Treatments

There are a lot of different types of dentists: periodontists, endodontists, orthodontists, etc. If you require something other than a regular cleaning or filling, you may have to be sent to one of these specialists for treatment. However, if you choose the right general dentist, they can provide many advanced treatments themselves. At Landmark Dental, Dr. Tran has taken continuing education courses in root canal therapy, so you don’t have to be sent somewhere else to have your treatment.

General Dentists Can Provide Sedation Dentistry

Going to the dentist can cause a lot of stress and anxiety in patients. If you’ve ever been to one of the previously mentioned specialty dentists for treatment, you may have had some sedation to help you relax. However, even general dentists can provide sedation dentistry. At Landmark Dental Group, Dr. Weston has taken extra courses in sedation dentistry to ensure that patients have relaxing visits. Sedation options include three different options: 1.) inhalation, 2.) oral, and 3.) IV conscious. These sedation options aren’t just for big procedures. You can request them for just about any treatment, so that you can feel at ease.

General dentists do a lot more than just cleaning teeth and filling cavities. When you choose a general dentist with great training, you can get many services for the entire family so that everyone can have a healthy beautiful smile. For more information about general dentists in Santa Cruz and the treatments they provide, contact Landmark Dental Group today.