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Holiday Festivities Await…

03

Nov
2014
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Is Your Smile Ready?

Thanksgiving

Family gatherings for the holidays…relatives you haven’t seen for months…friends you want to impress…office parties and business holiday dinners…the boss might be there…perhaps colleagues you want to impress…a neighborhood or church holiday event…maybe even that certain someone might be there…

The holiday season is here and you need to look your best for so many reasons. Check your smile. Is it all that you want it to be? Do you have that confident, beautiful smile that truly reflects your personality ready for show?

If not, don’t forget…Dr. Gennero and her kind, gentle team can help you create the holiday smile of your dreams with Invisible Braces, Veneers and Teeth Whitening. Call us and let us help you hit the holidays with a beautiful, confident smile.

Plan Ahead for Next Year

24

Oct
2014
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Choose Your Insurance Plans Wisely

Plan Ahead

Benefits for both medical and dental insurance plans vary greatly. My colleague and friend, Dr. Peter Vanstrom, in Atlanta, GA has written some very interesting blog postings on his website exploring the extreme variations in dental benefit payments for dental procedures from different dental plans. Click this link if you’d like to read these articles that discuss the vast variations in dental benefit coverages.

The old adage that “you get what you pay for” is very true when it comes to dental insurance coverage. A less expensive plan may only cover a fraction of something as basic as a healthy dental cleaning. That may be fine for you, just appreciate the fact that lower insurance benefits payouts will mean more out-of-pocket cost for quality dental care.

Your employer and human resource department negotiate the very minute details of your plan. Your insurance company, say MetLife, may offer payment for fluoride treatment in office, but your employer may opt out of that coverage to save money up front. If that is the case, then you have to pay for that non-covered benefit.

Navigating through dental insurance coverage is a difficult task. We are available to answer any questions that you might have. Please don’t hesitate to call any time. We look forward to taking care of all of your future dental needs.

Conquering Sensitive Teeth Issues

14

Aug
2014
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Do you cringe every time you bite into something extremely cold or extremely hot. If you have sensitive teeth, trigger foods  include not only hot and cold, but also sweet and sour consumables. Houston dentistDr. Gennero, is here to help patients through tooth sensitivity so that you can enjoy all of your favorite meals and beverages without bristling.

Reasons for Sensitive Smiles

Ideally, the hard outer layer of your tooth (enamel) is sufficient enough to create an impenetrable barrier between the sensitive under workings of your teeth and anything you consume.  Unfortunately, enamel can become temporarily softened or permanently damaged, leading to direct contact between hot and cold substances and the layer underneath the enamel, called dentin. Dentin has tubules within it which are responsible for transmitting temperature sensations to the nerves inside your teeth. For a person with sensitive teeth, some degree of dentin exposure or gum recession is usually the cause, so trigger foods literally get on their nerves.

Brushing with Care

You might think that staving off tooth sensitivity is simple if you just keep up your regular tooth brushing routine, but you do need to strike a balance. While periodontal disease and cavities are often direct results of poor brushing habits, you are also at risk for sensitive teeth if you brush too aggressively or too often. Brushing too frequently is nearly as damaging as not brushing enough. Avoid using a hard-bristled toothbrush which can also wear down your tooth enamel and damage your gums.

Visit your Houston Dentist

If you have sensitive teeth, soft-bristled toothbrushes and desensitizing toothpastes are a good place to start. Going to see Dr. Gennero every six months for an exam and cleaning is another great idea. Dr. Gennero can assess your particular situation and recommend specific oral health care products which might offer some relief. If biting into a popsicle has you clutching your jaw in discomfort, now is the time to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gennero. Call our Houston dentist office at (281) 578-6200. We offer a variety of dentistry services to patients from the West Houston and Katy areas.

Dental Restorations: Fillings, Inlays, Onlays, and Crowns

11

May
2014
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tooth-and-crownIf you have a chipped or broken tooth, several treatment methods are available to you. With so many different selections, choosing is often confusing. To make sure you know about your best options,  Houston dentist, Dr. Deborah Gennero, will fill you in on restorative dental options – fillings, inlays, onlays, and crowns.

Fillings

Fillings restore the structure and shape of a tooth damaged by decay. A filling is comprised of material placed within the walls of the tooth to keep it strong and block the roots off from germs. Fillings have been made of different materials throughout history, but Dr. Gennero uses a tooth-colored composite resin material. This allows the filling to blend in with your surrounding smile while also avoiding exposure to the small amount of mercury in amalgam. Fillings are perfect for smaller cavities or even chips. Cavities which are too large require significant maintenance over time. Too many patchwork fixes on a large filling can damage a tooth so much that it must be removed. (more…)

Dangers of Grinding Teeth

29

Apr
2014
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BruxismDo you experience jaw pain throughout the day? Have you been noticing tightness in your jaw muscles and joints? If these symptoms sound familiar, you may suffer from teeth grinding, clinically known as bruxism. Teeth grinding is a condition in which the surfaces of your teeth grind against each other, usually while you are asleep. However, it is possible to suffer from teeth grinding during your waking hours. If you are a sleep grinder, you may not even realize that the condition afflicts you until you start to have side effects. If you’re concerned that you may grind your teeth, Houston dentist, Dr. Deborah Gennero is a consultation away.

Causes of Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding is one of those ailments where the medical community is able to speculate cause, but there are still question marks. Possibly caused by psychological issues which you are completely unaware of, there are physical reasons for teeth grinding as well. Some behaviors or issues most likely related to teeth grinding include anxiety, stress, heavy caffeine consumption, pent up anger or emotions, malocclusion (a misaligned bite), missing teeth, or a crooked smile. (more…)

Ride the Chew-Chew Train to Better Dental Health and Weight Control

14

Mar
2014
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Benefits of ChewingImagine a life without chewing. You may chew on auto-pilot, but your quality of life depends on comfortable chewing. Otherwise, how would you eat? And how frustrating would your life be with your stomach constantly rumbling? You see what we’re getting at here. Chewing should not be taken for granted. Unfortunately, you can injure your jaw in a multitude of ways, making chewing a very unpleasant experience. Accidents can happen, but Houston, TX dentist, Dr. Deborah Gennero        has an important piece of advice for a way to protect your jaw which is completely in your control: never bite off more than you can chew.

Go Easy

Try to never take a bite bigger than the size of your mouth. Otherwise, you may inadvertently damage your temporomandibular joints. Larger portions have become the norm in American culture. A five pound/12 patty burger may seem like a great way to fill your belly and nab a funny picture to post on Twitter, but keep your oral health in mind. Any food that is too large to easily fit in your mouth puts your jaw at risk. Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a condition of chronic jaw joint inflammation. To avoid injuring your jaw make sure all of the food you eat is cut into bite sized pieces. Chew carefully, mindfully, and slowly. (more…)

Is there a Relationship Between Genetics and Dental Health?

08

Mar
2014
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Genetics and Dental HealthDo you praise your genes for your greatest attributes? Do you curse genetics for parts of your appearance or personality that you’re not happy with? Genes are given much credit for who we are, and rightly so. The DNA blueprint which you can’t see with the naked eye certainly dictates many of your physical and mental propensities. What about teeth? Well, of course, the shape of teeth, the shape of your jaw, and how everything fits together might look identical to your mother, father, or grandparents. Houston  dentistDr. Deborah Gennero, will expand even further on this concept of how genetics can a predict one’s tendency towards tooth decay and gum disease.

High-Quality Saliva

“Gosh, you have beautiful saliva?” “Thank you. I get it from my uncle.” Okay, perhaps this isn’t a verbal exchange you’re likely to hear. However, saliva strength and quality are often predicted by genetics. What does this matter in terms of your dental health? Well, saliva acts as a sort of natural faucet inside your mouth, washing your teeth free of food particles and bacteria that can mix together to create plaque. Plaque (and the hardened form known as tartar) will damage tooth enamel and gums. Bacteria will always exist in your mouth, but good, strong, high-quality saliva keeps the germs swimming instead of sticking. If you have good saliva composition that helps keep your teeth cavity free, you can thank your ancestors for passing it on to you. (more…)

Cosmetic Dentistry Quiz: True or False?

14

Feb
2014
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Cosmetic Dentistry QuizWhen you look in the mirror, are you pleased with your smile? Or do you feel frustrated that no amount of brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist regularly will ever help overcome your cosmetic dental issues? Cosmetic dentistry has been an important specialty for many years. Houston cosmetic dentist, Dr. Deborah Gennerro is trained to provide cosmetic dentistry services to her patients. How much do you know about cosmetic dentistry?

Questions

Q1. True of false – There is no correlation between dental health and career success. (more…)

Teeth Grinding Tension Be Gone

07

Feb
2014
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Teeth GrindingYou may not know the term “bruxism,” but you have most likely heard of teeth grinding. In fact, you’ve probably felt teeth grinding. Not everyone has a chronic issue with gnashing their teeth together, but stress, anger, and fear can all cause temporary teeth grinding. Sometimes subconscious bruxism occurs in your sleeping hours with no known cause. This can lead to serious consequences for your teeth over time if the condition is left untreated. Bruxism is an equal opportunity affliction with no clear explanation. Luckily, though, Katy dentist, Dr. Deborah Gennero can help patients dealing with teeth grinding through education and treatment. (more…)

Female Needs Met by Dentists with Firsthand Experience

25

Jan
2014
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Good dental health is essential to excellent overall health. This can be especially true for women. People are people, but there are differences in genders that are best understood by a doctor who shares the same chromosomal configuration with you. When it comes to a woman’s dental health, hormones fluctuate during different stages of life.  Hormonal shifts make the female of the species more susceptible to periodontal (gum) disease.  Katy, TX female dentist, Dr. Deborah Gennero, truly understands her female patients. (more…)

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