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Keeping Your Smile Bright During the Holidays | Huntington Beach

Now that we are smack dab in the midst of the holidays, it is important that we don’t let holiday festivities to come in between you and a healthy smile. It’s a crazy time of year – and with loads of things to do, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks. While enjoying all of the delightful food and beverages the holidays have to offer, keep in mind these simple steps to maintain a healthy mouth this holiday season:

Keep stress to a minimum. Holidays can be a stressful time of year. From trying to choose the perfect gifts to the cooking the perfect holiday meal, your mouth can take a hit from the excess anxiety and stress, like jaw clenching and teeth grinding.

Celebrate mindfully. Candy canes and gingerbread men will create more bacteria from the excess sugar, which leads to cavities. Make sure to brush and floss twice as day, drink lots of water and chew sugar free gum to increase your saliva flow to wash away excess bacteria.

Raising a toast. White and red wines are extremely high in acidity, which are no good for your teeth. Acid can eat away at your tooth enamel, leaving your teeth more prone to tooth decay and cavities. If you’re enjoying wine this holiday, make sure to drink water in between glasses to rinse your teeth of any excess acid. 

Munch your way to a clean smile. There are some vegetables and fruits that can naturally clean our teeth and mouths by stimulating saliva flow, which is a natural defense against cavities. So, make sure to mix it up this holiday season.

If you would like to find out more about holiday dental health , contact Dr. Gamarnik at 714-842-5626 to schedule a consultation or visit www.hbadvanceddentalspecialists.com for additional information.

Dr. Rudy Gamarnik proudly serves Huntington Beach and all surrounding areas.

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Is a Root Canal Scary? | Huntington Beach Dentist

We all try to do our best to keep our smiles healthy. We brush, floss, visit the dentist regularly and try to stay away from habits that can cause dental issues. One of the reasons we are so adamant about doing these things is because of the dreaded root canal. Yes, finding out you need a root canal seems to be one of the biggest fears a patient has when visiting the dentist. But is it as scary as we think it is?

Since knowledge is power, let’s talk about what exactly is causing your teeth to decay. If we know how what is going to cause us to need a root canal, we can avoid those circumstances:

  1. Large cavities
  2. Cracked or chipped teeth
  3. Facial trauma
  4. A habit of clenching or grinding your teeth
  5. Repeatedly damaged teeth

Now for the results. If left untreated, a tooth can become infected and won’t be able to heal properly, eventually leading to an abscess or even tooth loss. Abscesses aren’t just bad for our smiles, but the content in an abscess can spread to other areas in the body, causing further damage.

Don’t worry – with today’s technology, root canals aren’t as scary as they are made out to be. In fact, their pain level could even be compared to getting a filling. Your dentist needs to remove all of the pulp and nerve causing the issue, then replacing it with a dental crown to make your tooth look good as new. If you are nervous, ask your dentist about sedation options. In the end, you are the first line of defense, so take care of your smile.

If you would like to find out more about root canals, Dr. Gamarnik at 714-842-5626 to schedule a consultation or visit www.hbadvanceddentalspecialists.com for additional information.

Dr. Gamarnik proudly serves Huntington Beach and all surrounding areas.