Red Oak Dentistry

12/09/2021

Thank you to the incredibly talented, and local, contemporary artist, Dan Campbell, for our custom painting! It really is the perfect final touch to our new office.
https://www.facebook.com/dancampbellart

06/22/2021

We have officially moved to our new office! Come visit Red Oak Dentistry at our brand new location!
https://www.redoakdmd.com/

04/21/2020

Home Survival Guide for Your Teeth (Part 2)-Tooth Damage

Last time I discussed how to help prevent tooth decay, but what about crack lines, tooth wear and recession? In other words, how do we prevent tooth damage that has nothing to do with cavities?

Crack lines in teeth, tooth wear and gum recession can all be caused by grinding your teeth or clenching them. These days, we are all much more stressed out than we were just 2 months ago. Simple things like grocery shopping have suddenly become stressful. Things we previously took for granted like going to work or simply going to a friend’s house are suddenly more difficult or out of the question all together. All of this increases our stress levels, which in turn makes some of us clamp down and have a good grind!

The result? Our teeth can develop cracks in them or wear down from all of this additional force over time. This damage isn’t limited to just your teeth. Clenching and grinding your teeth over time can cause gum recession and sore jaw muscles, as well as headaches. In severe cases, it can cause Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD).

This clenching and grinding may occur at night when you aren’t aware of it or it can happen during the day, perhaps also without you being aware. A good rule of thumb is to keep your: “Tongue relaxed, teeth apart, and lips together”. If we are grinding our teeth during the day without realizing it, being mindful can go a long way to stopping the behavior. Pick a personal item that you see all the time, perhaps your phone. Every time you look at this item, think “what are my teeth doing?” If your teeth are together, remember: “Tongue relaxed, teeth apart, lips together”. Night time grinding is more difficult to stop on your own. Often, if severe enough, a night guard is your best bet to limit damage to your teeth and gums. If you feel you are grinding your teeth at night, we would normally make a custom fit night guard for you. Under the current circumstances, you could order a night guard from a sporting goods store. It might not fit perfectly or be really comfortable but it may hold you over until we can make one for you.

Chewing on certain things such as almonds or ice can also cause fracture lines in your teeth over time. Ice is especially bad as it is hard and it’s also cold! The rapid temperature change can cause teeth to expand and contract in a similar way that a wooden house does in the summer vs. the winter.

Brushing your teeth too aggressively can also cause gum recession. One of the best ways to combat this is to use one of the more recent electric toothbrushes that has a “brake” on it. If you push too hard while brushing your teeth, the electric brake will slow down the toothbrush to alert you that you are pushing too hard.
Please continue to stay safe and hope to see you all soon!

Michael King, DMD

03/29/2020

Home Survival Guide for Your Teeth (Part 1): Cavity Prevention

Now, more than ever, it is important to be as safe as possible to avoid any unnecessary trips to the dental office or the emergency room, as we want to limit our exposure to COVID19. Many of us have been thrown off of our usual routine; perhaps some of us are home-schooling our kids (best wishes to those of you who are!) We are probably all clenching our teeth more than we normally do. We are idle and maybe eating more than we normally do and, therefore, more prone to cavities!

I’ve been hearing from a lot of people who are worried about getting cavities now that they are stuck at home with food or they are on the go, drinking energy drinks to help stay awake during a long ED shift, for example.

The bacteria that create decay in our mouths love sugar and acid. Therefore, anything we can do to limit sugar and acid in our mouth is a good thing. Here are the top 3 things you can do to avoid cavities:

1) Swish with or drink water after eating or drinking anything acidic. This includes energy drinks, soda, sweet tea, sports drinks, juice and wine. This includes sugar free (diet) versions of your sodas and energy drinks. If you are curious about the acid level of your drink, check the back and see if citric acid or phosphorus acid is toward the top of the list.

2) Brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste after each meal, or alternatively you can chew a piece of sugarless gum. Brushing your teeth, does 2 things, it mechanically removes food debris, which deprives the bacteria of a food source, and it spreads fluoride on your teeth, which kills bacteria and helps to re-mineralize damaged enamel.

3) Make sure you are flossing before going to sleep. Mechanically removing any food caught between your teeth before you go to sleep ensures the bacteria aren’t feasting on that left over food and multiplying while you sleep!

Please let me know if you have any questions, until next time, stay safe and stay sane!


Michael King, DMD

03/17/2020

In the past 2 weeks, we have seen things in the US ramp up dramatically with regard to the new Coronavirus (COVID 19).
In an effort to be proactive as our community fights against COVID 19 and to protect our patients, staff and families, as of 3/16 we have rescheduled or cancelled all elective treatments including cleanings, fillings and crowns. We will reopen once the threat has subsided. We will still be seeing emergencies, if the need should arise. Since we closed on Monday, the ADA and now the White house have both recommended that dentists only see patients for emergencies.

In the meantime, please follow the most current CDC guidelines about “social distancing” and take especially good care of yourself and family who are in the higher risk category including those who are over the age of 65 or medically compromised in some way. As a nation, the faster that we collectively follow the guidelines, especially with regard to social distancing and hand washing etc, the faster we can hopefully return to life at "normal"We will send out further updates and information as it becomes available.

We will be checking our messages periodically. If you have a dental emergency, please call our office number and there will be an emergency number for you to call.

Please be safe and stay healthy.
Sincerely,
The Red Oak Dentistry Team


For more information please go to:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.

11/11/2019

We salute all those that have served. Happy Veteran's Day!

10/15/2019

Red Oak Dentistry - by Barbara K.

Dr. Michael King and his staff are so good, I'd almost say they make going to see the dentist fun — definitely nothing to fear or dread. They are very kind and congenial on top of being excellent professionals.

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10/07/2019

Red Oak Dentistry Is Tops - by Eric S.

Red Oak treatment and staff are always top notch. Friendly and competent. I always have confidence in their diagnoses and treatment.

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07/25/2019

Ten stars out of ten stars - by Phil L.

Had a dental emergency and called Red Oak Dentistry. Being fairly new to the area I was fortunate to be referred to Dr King. I couldn't be more pleased with the high level of professional and compassionate care. As a veteran I appreciate and respect the fact that Dr King is a also a veteran. It makes a difference. I wholeheartedly recommend Red Oak Dentistry.

See more of our patient reviews here: https://rwl.io/2Mnod3l