Life gets busy. Sometimes it seems impossible to keep up with everything you have to do. At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry, we understand that. We encourage you to think twice before you cancel or postpone a dental checkup because you think it’s less important than the other twenty things on your to-do list.

Twice-yearly dental exams are indispensable for keeping your smile in ideal shape!

“But my teeth feel fine.”
We’ve heard this excuse. The fact is that no news isn’t necessarily good news. Dental problems can be progressing without you being aware of it.

1. Your Gums May Be Receding
Gum recession doesn’t happen all at once. Gum tissue can move back almost imperceptibly until teeth and bone are in danger.

2. Decay May Be Lurking
When the acids in plaque start drilling into a tooth, we usually don’t feel it until it has passed through the enamel and dentin and hits the nerve. Ouch! By that time, there is a crater in the tooth. Regular cleanings remove plaque before it can do any weakening.

3. Prevent Oral Cancer
About 50,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year.¹ Dr. Hammond will screen for oral cancer during your exam. As with all types of cancer, early diagnosis is indispensable.

After your entire mouth has been examined, Dr. Hammond will detail what is required moving forward. Whether that’s flossing more often or discussing major fixes such as Invisalign, we will make sure that you get all the information you need to ensure your smile is bright and beautiful!

¹http://oralcancerfoundation.org/

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry: 801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

In today’s post, let’s review some information about brushing. One key to activating the value of toothpaste is creating foam when brushing.

Working up a good foam is attained by pre-wetting the toothbrush, then attacking at a 45 rather than 90 degree angle. The foaming helps with dislodging food debris from nooks and crannies in the mouth. Go ahead and swish it around at the completion of brushing to pick up any stragglers. The abrasives in toothpaste are designed to polish the teeth without damaging the enamel.

Because of the abrasives, soft toothbrushes are best for proper brushing. Harder bristles can put the enamel and gum line at risk. When the gum line recedes from aggressive brushing (or any other cause) a patient may experience tooth pain, increased build-up and decay, tooth structure weakening, and in severe cases, tooth loss.

The fluoride in the toothpaste promotes remineralization when the paste has been rubbed around on all surfaces of all teeth in the entire mouth. This takes time so be certain you brush for at least 2-3 minutes.

Furthermore, remember that flossing is important and rounds out the 5 minutes each day to give you healthy, pain-free chewing for years and years to come.

To recap:
Wet soft bristle toothbrush
Use fluoridated toothpaste
Brush at 45 degree angle
Brush gently for 2-3 minutes
Cover every surface of every tooth
Swish around in mouth before spitting out
Floss gently around each tooth and don’t miss the back surface of the rear molars
Rinse out debris

This article is brought to you by Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry, an esteemed dental practice in Provo. We are passionate about dental education and confident smiles for all.

Dr. Chris Hammond has been serving Provo area families since 1967. We are located at 3575 N 100 E Ste 200 in Provo. Contact us at 801-374-0070 or https://www.cosmeticdentistryutahcounty.com/.

Ask us about our dental payment options, accepted insurance companies, and the general and cosmetic care we offer. And brush well until we see you, it will be worth every foamy second!

Aesthetic & General Dentistry

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E Ste 200
Provo, Utah
84604

When my Utah County dental patients ask me if mouthwash cures bad breath, I tell them that treating bad breath with a mouthwash is like drenching yourself with cologne instead of taking a shower. Mouthwash is only a temporary mask for odor caused by poor oral hygiene, tongue bacteria, or digestive problems.

The best-selling mouthwashes in Utah County have a significant amount of alcohol, which can even exacerbate bad breath by drying out the mouth. Some bacteria grows even faster in a dry environment.

To eliminate bad breath, you need to find the cause. To get rid of hidden bacteria multiplying between teeth, pay more attention to thorough flossing and brushing.

A haphazard thirty-second brushing won’t prevent halitosis (or cavities). Try to brush for at least three minutes. It may seem like overkill if you have been a speed-brusher but remember that there is a lot of area to cover on multiple planes.

Devise a system to brush every reachable surface of every tooth. Then floss carefully around every tooth, pulling the floss down into the space at the gumline on both sides. Brush your gums, sides of mouth, palate, and tongue, also.

Schedule a deep dental cleaning at Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry with the best hygienist in the Utah County area and request a refresher (no pun intended) course on brushing and flossing.

If your tongue is the culprit, you might want to start using a tongue scraper. Tongue scraping has become quite popular in Utah County, especially among the college crowd.

A tongue scraper is a cleaning tool that works like a squeegee to scrape bacteria and food particles off the surface of the tongue.

I am Drs. Chris Hammond of Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry. At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry, we treat many Utah County dental patients with bad breath. There is no reason to feel embarrassed. (Leaving bad breath untreated can be more embarrassing.)

Schedule an oral exam and halitosis consultation by calling 801-374-0070. At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry, our specialty is cosmetic dentistry and we also provide family dentistry. Thanks for visiting our blog.

Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry patients use the word “cavity” often when discussing oral health practices. Along with teeth whitening and other cosmetic dentistry procedures, cavities are a hot topic.

At Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry we think it’s great that people in the Orem area are so conscious of their teeth, and we feel that having a better understanding of exactly what a cavity is will help them take better care of their pearly whites.

Cavities can also be called caries or tooth decay. When a tooth is permanently damaged in the hard surface, tiny openings occur. These little holes are cavities. Different factors that contribute to tooth decay are:

Frequent eating
Consuming sugary beverages
Oral bacteria
Insufficient tooth brushing and flossing

Cavities may get so bad that you will see pits or holes in your teeth, but symptoms may be more subtle, such as sensitivity, pain when biting, or a toothache. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should call your Utah County, American Fork, or Lehi dentist today for an appointment.

If you are in the market for quality dental care in the Provo area, give Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry a call. We have been treating dental patients in and around Orem since 1967. We can also answer any questions you have about cosmetic dentistry procedures such as veneers and dental implants.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Contact Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

801-374-0070

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

3575 N 100 E
Provo, UT
84604

Ouch! No Orem dental patient wants the pain and inconvenience of a cracked tooth, so today in the Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry dental blog we are going to focus on how to avoid this preventable problem.

The first thing to remember is that avoiding a cracked tooth is not rocket science; you should steer clear of chewing on hard things if you don’t want a cracked tooth! This includes ice, hard candy, and (sorry Lehi cinephiles) popcorn.

Also, protect against any impact to the mouth that could be experienced during sporting events. If you are a member of a local Utah County or American Fork rec center basketball, ultimate frisbee, or flag football league, pick up a mouth guard at a Orem area sporting goods store or get fitted for an Under Armour performance mouthguard at your dentist’s office.

Tooth grinding is never a good thing, and it can even lead to a cracked tooth or temporomandibular conditions. Talk to your dentist, doctor, or physical therapist and try some stress reduction techniques to keep your jaw nice and relaxed.

Be sure to keep your regular check-ups with your Lehi dentist because your dentist can spot possible problems that could predispose you to a cracked tooth such as an uneven chewing surface or brittle teeth.

If you have a cracked tooth, you’ll want to pursue the correct course of treatment and, if needed, explore some cosmetic dentistry procedures to fix any visible damage such as veneers, a porcelain crown, or a dental implant.

Hi. We’re Dr. Hammond of Provo. We practice general and cosmetic dentistry. Our practice, Hammond Aesthetic & General Dentistry, offers the following services:

Sedation dentistry
Invisalign
Mini implants
Dental crowns

If you are in the Utah County, American Fork, or Lehi area and are in need of dental care or have questions about teeth whitening or smile makeovers please give us a call at 801-374-0070.