You can’t schedule a toothache. When it happens, it happens. And it hurts. Sometimes, toothaches occur at a convenient time, when you can just call my Glen Allen dental office and we can take care of you. Other times, toothaches can happen at night or on weekends when our Glen Allen dental office isn’t open. Then what can you do to help relieve the pain?

Anyone who has had a toothache knows that the pain can linger and make you not want to do anything until it goes away. And if you’re unfortunate enough to get a toothache late Friday night, you may need to wait until Monday to see the dentist. Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks you can try to ease the pain.

Some at-home remedies you can try include:

• Salt Water: Swishing with warm salt water for as long as you can may help ease the pain of a toothache. Do not swallow the mixture. Repeat as needed.
• Onion: Some people have claimed that a piece of raw onion placed on the affected area has eased the pain. However, this will probably cause you to have onion breath.
• Oil of Cloves: Also known as Eugenol, Oil of Cloves has antimicrobial properties as well as pain relieving properties that can help lessen pain of a toothache. Mix 2-3 drops with either olive oil or cooking oil and place on a piece of cotton. Put the cotton on the bothersome area and bite down.

A common and often-tried remedy for a toothache is Aspirin applied directly on the painful area. Don’t try this! Aspirin is an acid and can cause greater damage to your mouth. Simply swallow the Aspirin.

While these tips and tricks can help ease the pain of a toothache, it’s still important to call my dental office in Glen Allen as soon as possible. A toothache is a sign that something isn’t right, and it’s best to get it seen and taken care of. If you continue to simply treat the pain of a toothache, and don’t determine its underlying problem, something that could be small and easy to treat can turn into something much more dangerous. If you’re experiencing a toothache, don’t hesitate to call my Glen Allen dental office.

We can always help you determine and fix the cause of a toothache. But the best way to avoid one altogether is to follow good oral hygiene recommendations and see your Glen Allen dentist at least twice a year. This way, we can work together to keep your mouth healthy and toothache-free.

Are you a chronic teeth grinder? Not really sure if you are or not? It’s not surprising: of the roughly 30 million people teeth grinders out there, very few realize that they grind. A common reason could be that teeth grinding or clenching is often done either while sleeping or subconsciously throughout the day. And while it may not seem like a big problem, at my dental office in Glen Allen, we consider tooth grinding a huge issue. Here’s why.

Tooth grinding, or bruxism, can cause severe damage to your teeth and your mouth. Broken restorations and fillings, damaged teeth, lost enamel, and tooth sensitivity are only some of the problems associated with severe bruxism. Chronic tooth grinding or clenching can also lead to more serious problems like jaw dysfunction or temporomandibular disorder (TMD). This is what makes visiting your Glen Allen dentist so important if you’re experiencing symptoms of being a bruxer.

Symptoms of chronic tooth grinding or clenching include:

• Contractions of the jaw muscles
• Pain in the jaw joint
• A grinding sound at night as described by your bedmate
• Pain in the face
• Morning headaches
• Damaged or broken teeth

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, please call my Glen Allen dental office as soon as you can. It’s important that you seek proper dental care if you are suffering from the pain associated with bruxism so we can diagnose your problem and determine how to properly treat you.

At our dental office in Glen Allen, we’ll examine your mouth, talk about what you’re experiencing, check your bite, and take x-rays of your jaw and mouth. An in-depth exam will allow us to see exactly what’s going on, determine how severe your bruxism is, and decide on the best way to treat it.

There are several treatment options available for bruxism. Depending on your needs they can include onlays or crowns to reshape the bite surfaces of your teeth, and a mouth guard that fits over your smile and prevents further damage.

Whatever your unique needs may be, my Glen Allen dental office can help diagnose your bruxism and determine the best treatment for you. The pain associated with tooth grinding doesn’t need to be chronic. Give us a call today. It’s the first step to a better, pain-free smile.

We all know that sugary drinks like soda aren’t the best for your smile. And in an attempt to avoid the sugar, calories, and caffeine in regular sodas, we often turn to diet soda to quench our thirst. However, at my Glen Allen dental office, we want you to understand that even these sugar-free drinks can be just as bad, if not worse, for your teeth.

In fact, a study conducted in 2013 and published in the Academy of General Dentistry journal, General Dentistry, showed that excessive consumption of diet soda can have the same effect on your teeth as using illegal drugs like methamphetamine and crack cocaine.

In the study, the damage in the mouths of three individuals – a current methamphetamine user, a former cocaine addict, and an excessive diet soda drinker – was compared. The results showed that each of the mouths experienced similar damage, including tooth erosion, caused by high acid levels.

Soda, regular or diet, is highly acidic. And so are the ingredients in illegal drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine. The more food, drinks, or anything else with high amounts of acid that we put into our bodies, the more damage will be caused. Without tooth enamel, we’re more susceptible to cavities, sensitivity, discoloration, and damage. For this reason, I not only encourage everyone at my dental office in Glen Allen to put the soda down and drink more water, but also to keep up with regular dental appointments.

If you’re addicted to soda, already have damage caused by excessive intake of soda, or even have damage caused by past drug use, it’s time you see your dentist in Glen Allen. We can monitor your habits and make recommendations on how you can get your smile healthy and looking the way you want it to.

Cancer is a scary word and a diagnosis none of us want to hear. But if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, seeing your dentist in Glen Allen before starting chemotherapy is a crucial step toward a successful treatment.

While chemotherapy helps treat cancer, it also causes several side effects to the rest of your body, including your mouth. In fact, some of the oral health problems associated with chemotherapy can actually cause a delay or stop in treatment. Clearly, when you’re dealing with something as serious as cancer, it’s never ideal to stop treatment. This is why I recommend visiting my dental office in Glen Allen at least one month prior to beginning chemotherapy.

How Does Chemotherapy Affect Your Mouth?

Since chemotherapy kills cancer cells, it’s often the treatment of choice. However, it can also cause harm to normal cells in the body and mouth. Side effects in the mouth can be serious and can include pain; difficulty talking, eating, and swallowing; dry mouth; or burning and swelling of the tongue. You’re also more likely to get an infection in your gums or in the moist lining of your mouth. When undergoing cancer treatment, any infection can be extremely dangerous.

How Does Seeing a Dentist Help?

Your dentist in Glen Allen is an important part of your cancer treatment and can help keep dangerous side effects away. Often times, the oral side effects from cancer treatment occur in unhealthy mouths, and while not all side effects can be avoided, the healthier your mouth is the more likely the side effects can be avoided and treatment can continue as planned. Ideally, it’s best to schedule an appointment at my Glen Allen dental office one month before cancer treatment begins.

When you visit, my team and I will perform an in-depth exam, clean your teeth, and take care of any mouth problems we may find. We’ll also discuss the best way for you to care for your mouth at home to prevent side effects.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer please give my dental office in Glen Allen a call as soon as you can. Our mission is to provide compassionate, quality care to allow for the most successful treatment possible.

Pregnancy is such a joyous time in life. Your family is growing, you’re going to be parents, and you’ve never been more excited. You always make sure to schedule and keep your doctor appointments for the care and health of both yourself and your baby. Are you scheduling and keeping your dental appointments as well?

Keeping up with your oral health at my Glen Allen dental office during your pregnancy is not only beneficial for your health, it’s also beneficial for your baby. The American Academy of Periodontology encourages moms to see their dentist as early in pregnancy as possible. And I have to agree.

If you are experiencing vomiting with morning sickness, it is important that you brush your teeth more frequently to prevent stomach acid from damaging your tooth enamel. But that’s not all.

According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, changes during pregnancy, especially hormonal changes, can exacerbate oral health issues. For example, almost half of all pregnancies are plagued by the dangers of pregnancy gingivitis. Concerns about this oral health issue are greatly lessened when monitored by your Glen Allen dentist, and the gingivitis usually subsides shortly after giving birth. However, if visits to my Glen Allen dental office are avoided, and treatment is not received when needed, pregnancy gingivitis can progress into a more serious problem and even a potentially scary situation for the baby.

If pregnancy gingivitis is left untreated and progresses into periodontitis, an advanced form of gum disease, it could lead to preterm labor and a low birth-weight baby– both serious pregnancy complications. In fact, mothers who have periodontal disease are seven times more likely to have preterm labor.

Regular dental care is important all the time, and even more so during pregnancy. Maintaining visits at my dental office in Glen Allen is not only safe for expecting moms, it’s encouraged for the oral health of moms-to-be, the health of the baby, and a safe pregnancy.

You know that it’s important to brush at least twice a day. You know I always recommend that you floss at least once a day. And you know the importance of keeping up with your regularly scheduled visits at my dental office in Glen Allen. But there are some everyday things that you may be doing that could cause damage to your smile, and you don’t even know it!

Your Toothbrush

Yes, your toothbrush can be causing some undesired results if you don’t brush correctly or use the right type. If you brush hard or use vigorous, horizontal strokes, you can actually wear away your enamel. Using a brush with hard bristles can also cause damage. At my Glen Allen dental office we traditionally recommend using soft bristles and brushing in small circles, instead.

Whitening

Teeth whitening is a safe way to get a brighter, whiter smile. The problem arises when the whitening is done too often. Excessive whitening can lead to irritation, sensitivity, and even a smile that’s too white. Yes, it’s possible to have a too white smile! If you’re interested in professional whitening, the best place to start is right here at my dental office in Glen Allen.

Using Teeth as Tools

We’ve all been there; we’ve all done it. That pesky bag of chips that won’t open. The stubborn packing tape that refuses to rip. Instead of reaching for the scissors for safe and easy opening, we pull the troublesome item to our mouths and use our teeth as convenient tools. Using your teeth as tools can lead to broken teeth, damaged restorations, and injuries to the soft tissues in your mouth.

Playing Without a Mouth Guard

If you play a contact sport – professionally, in high school, on an adult league, anytime, anywhere – you need to have a mouth guard. We prefer you use a custom-made mouthguard from your dentist in Glen Allen as they are designed and created specifically for you and protect your smile better than “boil-and-bite” guards found at the store, and are more comfortable.

Chewing Ice Cubes

Ice cubes are hard. Hard enough to chip away the enamel on your teeth or even lead to a broken tooth if chewed. Also, using your teeth to crunch those floating chunks of ice in your lemonade could compromise restorations.

Whether you’re guilty of any of these habits or not, keeping your smile healthy and beautiful requires a mix of a healthy at-home routine, knowing what can cause damage to your teeth and avoiding these culprits, and maintaining visits with your Glen Allen dentist. If you’re due for your checkup, or if you happen to have a dental emergency caused by these dental dangers, give my dental office a call. We’re here to keep you smiling!

The only things you want to be yellow on your wedding day are the things planned to be yellow –  the flowers, the bridesmaid dresses, the linens. One thing you definitely don’t want to be yellow? Your smile!

When you’re the center of attention on the happiest day your life, and thousands of pictures are being snapped by the hour, the last thing you want to draw attention to is a dull, dingy smile. A professional whitening from my Glen Allen dental office can help!

A professional whitening from your Glen Allen dentist is your best option to get the dazzling smile you want in the fastest time, with longest lasting results, and without any unwanted side effects. We can work together to determine the ideal solution to get your smile its best white.

While some of our patients may think it’s easier and cheaper to whiten their smiles using over-the-counter products, we’d like to encourage a visit to us before choosing a smile whitening system. Some smile whitening options can acutally damage your smile and can even lead to pain. And we don’t want our patients to experience any damage or pain when they’re preparing for their big event!

Many over-the-counter whitening kits have trays or strips that contain the whitening solution. However, since these trays are not custom fitted, the solution can leak onto gums and cause irritation. Additionally, some over-the-counter whiteners can cause tooth sensitivity, and are sometimes ineffective at giving you your desired results.

With a quick visit to my dental office in Glen Allen, we can figure out how to successfully and safely get your pearly whites bright and ready for all the attention. If a whitening treatment isn’t for you, we can talk about alternatives like porcelain veneers or tooth bonding. Either way, we’ll help get your smile ready for your big day!

According to The Oral Cancer Foundation, close to 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year. Additionally, oral cancer has one of the highest mortality rates of any cancer. This isn’t because oral cancer is particularly hard to detect, but rather that it’s often found too late. That’s why this April, all of us at my Glen Allen dental office want to educate our patients on the importance of early diagnosis and how you can help keep yourself safe from oral cancer.

Research has shown that there are some risk factors that can make someone more likely to develop oral cancer. Tobacco users, including cigarette or cigar smokers and tobacco chewers, are the most susceptible to oral cancer — and the risk is even higher for those who both use tobacco and are heavy drinkers. Additionally, the human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease, has also been linked to oral cancer.

Aside from protecting yourself from the risk factors above, you should also perform self-checks at home every month. Using a bright light and a mirror, simply look and feel the inside of your lips, inspect the roof of your mouth, and examine your tongue and cheeks for anything that may look or feel abnormal. Some warning signs of oral cancer include white or red patches of oral tissue, a sore that doesn’t heal on its own, a lump or thickening of mouth tissue, and pain or difficulty swallowing. Something that’s so simple to do and only takes a few minutes could, in fact, save your life.

In addition to limiting your exposure to risk factors and performing monthly checks at home, one of the best things you can do to protect yourself from oral cancer is to make sure you keep up with regularly scheduled visits to your dentist in Glen Allen. Our team is trained to catch any abnormalities, so if you’re seeing us regularly, and you’re performing self-checks at home, we have a great chance of catching any problems early.

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms discussed, or if you’re overdue for a checkup, don’t wait; call our Glen Allen dental office today. We can’t express enough how important early detection is to survival.

Typically you’ll find useful educational information in our blogs. And sometimes we’ll even talk about certain dental conditions and how you can help keep them at bay. But it’s not always so clinical here at Dr. Glenn Fortner’s Glen Allen dental office. In fact, we like to make dentistry for our patients enjoyable too, so we’re taking a different approach for this blog and sharing some fun and interesting dental facts.

• On average, people spend approximately 48 seconds a day brushing their teeth. And while we’re happy to hear that they’re brushing, 48 seconds is just not long enough! The Academy of General Dentistry recommends spending at least 2 minutes brushing each and every time, at least twice a day.

• Have you ever stopped to think how much saliva you produce? Surprisingly, the typical person produces about 25,000 quarts of saliva during their life. That’s enough saliva to fill 2 swimming pools! And the point to all that saliva? It actually helps neutralize acid and keep tooth decay away.

• Your teeth are pretty amazing things if you think about it. From having prints that are unique to you, to beginning the digestion process through chewing, your teeth are responsible for a lot. That’s probably why your enamel is the hardest substance in your body! But they aren’t to be used as tools to open or rip anything. Doing that can lead to broken or chipped teeth in Glen Allen.

• Say cheese! Yes, cheese! Cheese is good for your grin — the calcium and phosphorous in cheese actually reduces the pH level in plaque and helps to remineralize enamel.

At Dr. Glenn Norton’s dental office in Glen Allen, we’re all about getting and keeping your smile in tip-top shape while educating you along way. But we’re not just here to teach and guide; we also like to make dentistry fun. If you’re looking for a dentist in Glen Allen, or if you’re overdue for a check up, give us a call to schedule an appointment today. We’re sure to make you smile!

We all have the common knowledge that cavities are bad for our teeth. However, even though we know that cavities should be avoided, there are some widely accepted beliefs about cavities that are actually myths. At the Glen Allen dental office of Dr. Glenn Fortner, we want to alleviate some of the confusion that goes along with trying to separate cavity myths from reality.

One of the most commonly accept myths about cavities in is that sugar is the #1 cause. While there is a bit of truth to it, the sugar itself doesn’t cause the decay. It’s actually the acid that’s created when carbohydrates like sugar are eaten. When you eat carbohydrates, the bacteria in your mouth are triggered to make acid. It’s this acid that makes eating sugar and other carbohydrates so dangerous for your smile — it eats into your teeth creating cavities.

A second myth that we’d like to debunk is that cavities in baby teeth are nothing to worry about. In reality, if cavities in baby teeth are left untreated, they can develop into abscesses and can cause a lot of pain. Additionally, not only will it be painful, the infection can also actually spread to other areas of the body.

An alarming myth for our Glen Allen dental office is the one that states you’ll know when you have a cavity. In reality, mild tooth decay doesn’t have any symptoms. It’s when the decay becomes more advanced and begins to cause nerve damage that you can feel pain. This is one reason keeping up with exams in our Glen Allen dental office is so important. If we can catch a cavity before it causes pain, we can not only keep you pain free, we can also help you avoid more in-depth procedures like a crown or even a root canal.

If you’re overdue for a check up, call Dr. Glenn Fortner today. We’ll perform a comprehensive exam, work with you to treat any cavities that may be developing, and get your smile healthy and pain free.