Extra Time During COVID-19 Shelter in Place? Let’s Improve At-Home Oral Hygiene!

April 25, 2020 in Dentistry by mccarl_dental
McCarl Dental Group patient with healthy smile

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many of us find ourselves with a little extra time on our hands. If you’re looking to fill the hours, this may be the perfect time to improve your oral hygiene routine. According to some experts, it takes 40 days to create a new habit, and while we’re all hoping we don’t have to stay at home for another 40 days, there’s no time like the present to start changing the way we care for our smiles. In this blog, we will discuss the best ways to brush and floss and other great oral hygiene habits that can benefit you now and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Periodontal Pocket Depths

April 23, 2020 in Dentistry,Periodontal Treatment by McCarl Dental Group

As part of our ongoing efforts to help patients achieve and maintain their healthiest smiles, we recommend regular preventive dental checkups and teeth cleanings. During these visits, you have probably heard your dentist calling out numbers as they check your smile. They are measuring the depths of your gum tissue pockets. This is called periodontal charting, and it helps us keep track of your gum health. This important measure of periodontal (gum) health tracks the depth of the pockets around each tooth. The top of gum tissue does not attach directly to teeth. There is a space or pocket between the gum and the tooth before it attaches. This pocket deepens in the presence of bacteria, plaque, and tartar build up that lead to gum disease. To monitor and evaluate gum health, the pocket depth must be measured, recorded, and monitored over time. In this blog, we’ll walk through what periodontal pockets are, how they are connected to gum health, and why it’s so important to regularly monitor periodontal pocket depths.

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Tips for Keeping Your Smile Healthy Until the Dentist Reopens

April 5, 2020 in Dentistry by mccarl_dental
Dr. Jay McCarl talking to dental patient

If you’ve always visited your dentist every six months like clockwork, you may be feeling a little nervous with your dental office closed for non-emergency care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We want our patients to be able to maintain their optimal level of oral health at this difficult time, and we also want to protect the health and safety of every member of our community. We are hopeful that your Greenbelt dentist will be ready to see your smile for regular dental checkups soon because, as always, we believe in the essential benefits of preventive dentistry to keep smiles healthy. Until we can safely offer preventive dental appointments again, read our blog to learn some of the ways you can protect your smile with good oral hygiene at-home.

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