Boyles General Dentistry Blog

TMJ, which is professionally referred to as temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder, is a condition that causes patients to feel chronic pain and dysfunction in their jaw joint. Although few are aware of this diagnosis, it affects 12% of the population and is second only to back pain in musculoskeletal pain and disability. While the symptoms of this condition are unpleasant, the good news is that powerful, effective, long-lasting relief is available through TMJ therapy! Read on for information on common causes, risk factors, and how your dentist can help.

For several months now, you’ve done your best to stay away from others. You’ve worked from home, washed your hands frequently, ordered your groceries online, and worn a mask when necessary. Although the shelter-in-place order has been lifted, social distancing is still important to follow in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. But some tasks require close proximity to others—like going to your dentist in Odessa. How can you possibly get a checkup and cleaning while social distancing? Read on to find out!

If you need to visit your dentist during the COVID-19 crisis, don’t be surprised to see them decked out in head-to-toe PPE. Many patients aren’t aware that facial masks and shields are an absolute necessity for dental staff because they work so close to the mouth. Even before COVID-19, these helped keep them safe from a variety of illnesses. Read on to learn more about why your dentist wears facial coverings and how it’s also beneficial for patients.

At work during your lunch break, you eat beside a co-worker. As you take a sip of hot coffee, you feel a sudden, sharp pain in one of your teeth, and your co-worker expresses concern for you. You tell them it’s just a little toothache. “What kind of toothache?” they ask. You’re confused—aren’t all toothaches the same? In fact, there are several types of toothaches, each of which could point to a more serious problem with your dental health like decay, an infection, or an abscess. To learn about some of the most common kinds of tooth pain and how your emergency dentist in Odessa can treat them, just keep reading!

Toothaches are one of the most nagging and uncomfortable feelings a person can have. Whether caused by something stuck between your teeth, sinus pressure, or a more serious infection, it never seems as if you can truly relieve the pain. But what if there was a way you could prevent a toothache? Is it possible? To find out, listen to an emergency dentist who explains what you should do if one occurs as well as what tools and techniques you can use at home to keep your teeth pain-free.  

Your dentist just informed you that you need a tooth extracted. Although not thrilled with the idea, you agree to move forward and are given a round of antibiotics before your surgery. If you’re wondering why you would need to take these before your surgery, you’re not alone. To better understand the process and why it’s recommended by most dental professionals, read on to hear what your local dentist has to say on the topic. 

You’re playing a competitive game of basketball with your friends. Your teammate passes you the ball, and you make your move toward the hoop. Despite having a defender close by, you shoot, confident that you’ll score. As you land, the defender’s elbow hits you in the mouth. Play stops as your friends gather around to make sure you’re all right. Your mouth is bleeding slightly and one of your teeth has been chipped from the impact. You know that you need to get urgent help, but do you need to go to the emergency room or your emergency dentist?

These situations can be stressful to say the least, and your first instinct may be pointing you toward the ER; however, the doctors there often do not have the training or equipment to help you in a dental emergency. They can alleviate pain, but they will not be able to perform emergency dentistry. Basically, you’ll just be wasting your time, energy, and money with the ER visit. Other times, however, more serious medical treatment may be needed before addressing your teeth. In this blog post, you’ll learn when you should go to the ER and when you should call your dentist.

You have a big trip coming up in just a few days. You’ve been looking forward to this vacation for months, and you can’t wait to leave. But at your dental appointment, your dentist tells you that you need a root canal. Many questions pop up in your brain all at once. Will this procedure interfere with your plans? What are the risks of completing more complex dental work so close to traveling? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and more.

When you look in the mirror and see gaps in your smile from missing teeth, you know it’s time to replace them. You could get a dental bridge, a partial denture, or dental implants to bring back your teeth’s former function and beauty. You’ve heard that dental implants are the most advanced method, but are you eligible for this option? Keep reading to learn six signs that you may be a good candidate for dental implants in Odessa.

For your entire lifetime, you only get one set of permanent teeth. As a result, you and your dentist should do everything possible to preserve your smile for the long haul. However, when it becomes necessary to remove a tooth, the procedure can be either simple and easy or challenging and complicated. But why? Why makes a tooth extraction more complex than another? And why on earth would you extract a tooth in the first place? In this post, you’ll get answers to these important questions.