The Blog of Ted Y.T. Fang, DDS, APC

When Was Your Last Dental Cleaning?

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:17:09 +0000

You water the garden three times a week, you change your car’s oil every three months, and you replace the batteries in your smoke detectors once a year. Your teeth need to see your dentist on a regular schedule, too.

While daily oral hygiene habits are essential to good oral health, professional dental cleanings at our office ensure your teeth are treated to a deeper level of cleaning. We recommend for most of our patients to have a checkup at least every six months. In addition to a thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth, these regular visits help us detect and prevent the onset of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. During your visit, we’ll check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue. We’ll also check old fillings and restorations, as these can wear away over time from constant chewing, grinding, or clenching.

If you are predisposed to oral diseases, you may need to visit our office more often than every six months. Factors at play in these diseases include age, pregnancy, tobacco use, medical conditions (such as diabetes, dry mouth, or HIV infection), along with how well you take care of your teeth on a daily basis.

Make sure your teeth get the professional attention they deserve – If you’re overdue for your next cleaning, check with our office to schedule an appointment!

REMINDER: Mother’s Day Zoom! whitening special at Dr. Fang’s office!

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:00:32 +0000

A reminder that our Mother’s Day Zoom! whitening special lasts through the month of May! Come in and get your teeth whitened with Zoom for just $199! Zoom is a professional teeth whitening treatment that gets your teeth an average of eight shades whiter — in just one hour. The treatment is safe, simple, and relaxing! Plus, Zoom! is championed by dentists and patients as a pain-free process. Please give us a call to learn more.

May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month, from Dr. Fang

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:22 +0000

At Dr. Fang’s office, we know image is everything. May happens to be National Teen Self-Esteem Month, and during this time, parents are encouraged to act as positive role models, help stop negative self-images, and improve confidence and security among teenagers.

We know one of the great ways to improve your confidence is to improve your smile. And that begins with a visit to our Palmdale office. Has your child visited Dr. Fang’s office in the past six months for his or her regular check-up? We invite you to give us a call to book your appointment!

See you soon!

Mother’s Day Zoom! whitening special at Dr. Fang’s office!

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:13 +0000

Dr. Fang is happy to announce our Mother’s Day Zoom! whitening special for the whole month of May. Come in and get your teeth whitened with Zoom for just $199! Zoom is a professional teeth whitening treatment that gets your teeth an average of eight shades whiter — in just one hour. The treatment is safe, simple, and relaxing! Plus, Zoom! is championed by dentists and patients as a pain-free process. Please give us a call to learn more.

“What should I do if my child has a toothache?”

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:12 +0000

Toothaches occur when the nerve root of a tooth is irritated and can be caused by an infection, gum disease, decay (cavities), or injury. If your child complains of a toothache, rinse his or her mouth with warm water and inspect the teeth to be sure there is nothing caught between them. If pain continues, use a cold compress to ease the pain. Do not apply heat or any kind of aspirin or topical pain reliever directly to the affected area, as this can cause damage to the gums. Children’s pain relievers may be taken orally.

If the toothache persists, it is important to give us a call to determine the cause of the pain and provide relief. Immediate contact should be pursued if your child experiences:

· Pain that is not be relieved by over-the-counter drugs
· Severe pain after a tooth is pulled which may be dry socket syndrome
· Pain associated with swelling of the gums or face, or discharge around a tooth, especially if accompanied by a fever
· Broken or knocked-out teeth from an accident or injury

We hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions below or by giving us a call!

Spring is here! Does Dr. Fang have your current contact info?

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:00:01 +0000

Spring is in the air! We also encourage you to call us and let us know if you have any new phone numbers or if your contact information has changed!

As you probably know, you can always connect with us on our Facebook page, but we invite you to please contact our office with any updates to phone numbers and addresses, so that we may be able to reach you.

Thank you! Have a great week!

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, from Dr. Fang

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:59:16 +0000

Visiting Dr. Fang’s office regularly will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy, but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy. The fact is, every hour of every day in the U.S., someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth-most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved. Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our patients about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene.

Dr. Fang is trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Please let us now if you have any questions about your oral health during your next appointment. Take care of your teeth!

The Scoop on Dental X-rays

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:43:48 +0000

Dental X-rays are an essential and invaluable tool to help assist us in evaluating your oral health. With X-rays, we can see what’s happening beneath the surface of your teeth and gums and identify oral health issues otherwise hidden during a visual exam, including:

· small areas of decay between the teeth or below existing restorations (fillings)
· infections in the bone
· periodontal (gum) disease
· abscesses or cysts
· developmental abnormalities
· types of tumors

If left untreated, these problems can lead to expensive, time-consuming, and painful conditions, so it’s important to find and treat them early.

Dental X-rays are extremely safe, and our team is certified in the proper use of our digital X-ray equipment. The amount of radiation that you are exposed to from dental X-rays is very small compared to your daily exposure from things like atmospheric radiation and naturally-occurring radioactive elements, as well as medical X-rays you may have gotten at your doctor’s office or hospital. In fact our digital system dramatically decreases the already minimal amount of exposure even further. We try to be as conservative as possible when prescribing x-rays but do need them to see what is going on where our eyes can’t see.

Bad Breath is No Good

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:46:14 +0000

Bad breath, also called halitosis, can result from poor dental health habits and may be a sign of other health problems. Bad breath can also be made worse by the types of foods you eat and other unhealthy lifestyle habits. You may not even be aware of your own bad breath, so if you’re concerned you may be suffering from it, talk to Dr. Fang and team. We can help identify the cause and, if it’s due to an oral condition, develop a treatment plan to treat it.

There are many reasons for bad breath:

· What you eat can also affect the way your breath smells. Certain foods, such as garlic and onions, can have a very strong and lasting odor.
· If you don’t brush and floss daily, particles of food remain in the mouth, collecting bacteria, which can cause bad breath, not to mention tooth decay and gingivitis.
· Bad breath can be caused by dry mouth (xerostomia), which occurs when the flow of saliva decreases. Saliva is necessary to cleanse the mouth and remove particles that may cause odor.
· Tobacco products cause bad breath. If you use tobacco, ask us for tips on kicking the habit.
· Bad breath may be the sign of a medical disorder, such as a local infection in the respiratory tract, chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver or kidney ailment. If this is the case, you may be referred to your family doctor or a specialist to determine the cause.

The good news is there are many ways to help eliminate bad breath from your life. Maintaining good oral health is essential to reducing bad breath, so schedule regular dental visits with office of Dr. Ted Fang for a professional cleaning and checkup. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris and plaque, and don’t forget to brush your tongue, too!

Connect with Dr. Fang on Facebook!

mynetworks0736@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:00:07 +0000

We will be rolling out our new Facebook Timeline page soon and would love for you to check it out! You’ll find all the useful information that was there before, but now in a fun, new layout.

When you connect with us on facebook you’ll be able to check out photos of our office, find out about new events and contests, or you can even leave a note about how much you enjoyed your visit at our office. We love hearing your feedback to make our practice serve you and your family even better. To make life even easier, if you “Like” us on Facebook, you’ll automatically receive updates from our office right on your own news feed!