Spring Valley Dentistry

06/01/2026

05/25/2026

Our office honors the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who gave everything for our nation. Wishing our community a peaceful Memorial Day.

05/11/2026

We hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday!

04/27/2026

Happy last week of April! Looking forward to the May flowers :)

All of this rain can serve as a reminder to drink more water - Check out the article below to find out why water is the best beverage for your teeth!

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/nutrition/water-best-beverage

04/26/2026

Mouth breathing doesn’t just affect your teeth and airway—it can ripple all the way down to your gut. Here’s how those systems connect:

1. Less nitric oxide and poorer digestion: When you breathe through your nose, your body produces nitric oxide, a molecule that helps improve blood flow and oxygen delivery. With chronic mouth breathing, nitric oxide levels drop, which can reduce circulation to digestive organs and subtly impair digestion and nutrient absorption.

2. Altered oral microbiome and downstream gut impact: Mouth breathing dries out the mouth, reducing saliva. Saliva isn’t just for lubrication—it helps control harmful bacteria. A dry mouth allows more pathogenic bacteria to thrive, which you then swallow. That can disrupt the balance of your gut microbiome, contributing to issues like bloating or inflammation.

3. Increased risk of inflammation: Chronic mouth breathing is associated with airway stress and sometimes poor sleep. This can increase systemic inflammation, which is linked to gut problems like irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive sensitivities.

4. Poor sleep and gut dysfunction: Mouth breathing often goes hand-in-hand with sleep-disordered breathing (like snoring or mild airway restriction). Poor sleep affects hormones that regulate digestion, gut motility, and even hunger signals—disrupting the gut’s normal rhythm.

5. Reduced stomach acid efficiency: Proper breathing supports the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your body. Chronic mouth breathing can shift this balance, which may interfere with stomach acid production—making it harder to break down food and absorb nutrients.

04/20/2026

It's really starting to feel like spring :). Enjoy the beautiful weather this week!

04/19/2026

Red light therapy (photobiomodulation) can help with TMJ pain, healing from dental surgeries, tooth healing after filling a deep cavity and more!

For TMJ pain, Dr. Skow can couple red light with Botox for lasting relief.

For facial pain, see Missy Sinclair for myofunctional therapy also - she’s the most highly trained in our area!

Introducing red light therapy!
One of the first to receive the therapy was Dr. Skow’s Labrador, Stella. Stella was having shoulder trouble, and the red light clearly accelerated her healing! Stella loved it; she will otherwise never sit still with a ball in her mouth.

This medical grade red light helps to loosen fascia, decrease pain/inflammation, and promote healing in a holistic way.

Coupled with Myofunctional therapy and oral tie release, patients can not only sleep better but experience freedom from pain, inflammation, and tension. Call us today at Spring Valley Dentistry.